ROSBURG — The Rosburg Community Club’s Wednesday senior lunch is normally an opportunity for Wahkiakum County Sheriff John Mason to meet and talk with constituents in the west end of the county. On Wednesday, Dec. 18, the normal routine was adjusted to account for the higher-than-normal water of Grays River.

Sheriff Mason, accompanied by his wife, Jodie, Undersheriff Gary Howell and Emergency Management Coordinator Austin Smith used their vehicles to ferry seniors who were concerned about driving their cars over the water on the entrance road.

Long accustomed to the vagaries of Mother Nature here in the Northwest, the hardy rural citizens parked their cars at the site of the old Rosburg Store and were driven in by Mason, Howell and Smith. Those attendees who arrived in trucks drove in themselves.

After introducing his wife to the group of around 50 patrons, appreciation for the rides was shown through a rousing round of applause and greetings for all involved.

Pull Quote

Appreciation for the rides was shown through a rousing round of applause and greetings for all involved.

At 9 a.m., when the ladies arrived to begin preparing the main entrées, the river water level had gone down to the point where the parking lot was largely free of water.

The forecast called for the river to begin to rise over its bank shortly after 2 p.m.

The window of opportunity worked out perfectly; the entrees were prepared as the water receded, the meal and its social opportunities occurred while the water was at its ebb, and well-fed patrons were once again driven to their waiting vehicles by Mason, Howell and Smith as the river began to rise.

With the help of several patrons, the ladies finished cleaning up the hall and were driven to their cars as the water crept onto the parking lot. All in all, an event that epitomizes the meaning of “Community.”

The Rosburg Community Club (RCC), under the management of those “wonderful women of western Wahkiakum county,” hosts a donation-only lunch for seniors on the first and third Wednesday of each month. On the first Wednesday, the meal consists of foodstuffs purchased and prepared by these hardworking ladies.

On the third Wednesday, the ladies provide the main entrée, and the rest of the meal items are provided by the patrons on a potluck basis. It is always a well-attended and jovial social event.