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Two phrases that rarely go together:

It's tax time!

Yay! It's about time!

I get it. We look at getting our taxes ready as a necessity, but not necessarily a joy. And depending on how complex our taxes are, it can be daunting and/or expensive.

Of course, one option might be to take your best guess and send your tax forms into the IRS with a smiley face sticker, but the IRS isn't generally known for a sense of humor when it comes to what you owe, so...probably not a good idea.

So what do you do if you need help, but don't have your taxman on retainer? Or if you can't really afford to pay for a tax agency to complete your stuff?

Glad you asked!

Allow me to introduce to you, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. The free program is aimed at folks 50 or older, or as noted, folks who can't afford paid tax preparation.

Dear Savvy Senior,

What are the IRS income tax filing requirements for retirees this tax season? My income dropped way down when I retired last year in 2016, so I'm wondering if I need to even file a tax return this year.

New Retiree

Dear New,
There are several factors that affect whether or not you need to file a federal income tax return this year including how much you earned last year (in 2016), and the source of that income, as well as your age and filing status.

World War I was the first time aircraft were used in our military. When the planes were built, the cockpits were designed to fit the "average" pilot. This same procedure was used throughout World War II. The planes also became stronger, faster and more reliable. However, in the late 1940s, planes began crashing with increasing frequency. In fact, on one particularly bad day, the Air Force had 17 crashes. The brass tried to figure out what was wrong, and since they knew the planes were built better than ever, they decided it had to be a pilot problem! They theorized that perhaps pilots were bigger in in the late 1940s than they had been in the early 1900s, and that therefore the cockpits were the wrong size. They then commissioned a program to measure over 4,000 pilots on 140 dimensions of size (distance between eye and ear, thumb length, leg length, etc.). They calculated the average of each of these dimensions so that they could build the cockpit to accommodate the average pilot.

The family and friends of former Raymond High School Football Coach Doug Makaiwi will no doubt remember the evening of Saturday, Jan. 28, for years to come, as Coach "Mak" was posthumously inducted into the Washington State Football Hall of Fame. His son, Kalin Makaiwi, accepted the award on behalf of his father and family.

Cy Meyers and his late wife, Bonita, moved from the Hood River, Ore., area to Winlock with their three eldest children, David, Lisa and Jason. Their son Sam was later born while they lived in Winlock.

Cy started his work life in Winlock working for egg farmer Bill Allegre. Both Bill and Cy were from Hood River and decided to see what Southwest Washington had to offer.

Jennifer and Brian Engkraf opened Vault Books and Brew in June 2016, bringing coffee, snacks, and books to Castle Rock. Jennifer has had the dream of owning a bookstore ever since she learned to read.

Firefighters are on the job every day. They are there to take care of the emergencies that arise every day, meaning that their work attendance is very important.

The Willapa Heritage Foundation is proud to announce their 22nd annual Hearts for the Arts dinner and auction to be held Feb.11 at the Willapa Harbor Community Center in South Bend between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

A logger discovered the skeletal remains of a man while thinning trees in the woods near Smith Creek, north of Raymond, on Tuesday, Jan. 31. The Pacific County Sheriff's Office does not yet have a positive ID on the man, but deputies have been working to ascertain the man's identify since the remains were found.

Local artist Lisa Barile of South Bend has been making lampwork artisan glass beads for thirteen years out of her home. Barile's hobby emerged out of a general interest in jewelry and beadmaking she's maintained since she was a child.

A chapter of a program designed to teach young people maritime skills as a pathway to a potential career has recently been launched in South Bend.

The Willapa Harbor Chamber of Commerce held its 2016 Awards Banquet in South Bend on Saturday. Business of the Year went to Nancy Nisbet, owner of Elixir Cafe in South Bend; Person of the Year to Bobbie Harmer, owner of Bobbie's Beauty Bar in South Bend; Citizen of the Year to Larry Bale; and a Lifetime Achievement Award to Gary Dennis. All the recipients were surprised and honored by their recognition.