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A reception to welcome new Timberland Regional Library Director, Cheryl Heywood will be taking palce at the Chehalis Library Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Hosted by Friends of the Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland Library this event is open to the public and will involve refreshments and camaraderie. Remarks by Heywood will be at 6:30 p.m. Join in welcoming Ms. Heywood to her new post.

Andy Etue (left), Justin Page (middle) and Lucy Page (right) perform during the Vernal Equinox Fair at the Morgan Arts Centre Saturday evening. The fair took place Saturday and Sunday just days before the equinox takes occurs on Wednesday during which time daylight and nighttime will have equal lengths. Art Centre Owner Mike Morgan said sales may have been down this year, but attendees had a good time nonetheless.

The Castle Rock Public Library Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday at 1 p.m. in the library.

The agenda will include requesting the City Council put a measure on the August, 2013, ballot to request an excess tax levy to operate the library in 2014. This meeting is open to the public.

Spring is springing around here with the daffodils and jonquils coming into bloom. I know I’ve looked it up before, but I can’t remember the difference. I think that’s what they call a "Ryderwood Moment" around here...

Grass mowing has begun in earnest, which reminds me of a soapbox item: "Scoop the Poop"! Non-dog-owners should not have to walk through "doo" when mowing their own grass. The same goes for the yards of vacant homes – those lawns get mowed, too. It’s all about respect: if your dog is the one pooping, you need to be the one scooping.

Alexander Ross visited the Cowlitz area in 1811, the same year of the Franchere party visit. He reported that the trappers received permission from Chief How-How to trap on the Cowlitz River, but these trappers soon became aggressors killing Cowlitz and were therefore repulsed from the taking of other furs.

Big Town Meeting 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Toledo Middle School. Hear from the Rural Communities Design Initiative (RCDI), as well as progress report on the skateboard park, water works, and more.

RCDI hosts a co-design session Friday at Morgan Arts Centre to outline next steps. Dozens of ideas proposed already. Make your’s heard. Contact Mike, mike@morganartscentre.com or (360)864-4ART.

With this economy, thieves are becoming so brazen they are even breaking into jails...always thought it should be the opposite! Unfortunately, the Historic Vader Jail was broken into with a few items missing. (See police report on page 5.) It's sad, and we hope it won't happen again.

May Day Celebration is just 6.5 weeks away! Committee Chairman Wanda Smith says parade entry forms are located at the following places: Vader City Hall, Winlock City Hall and Library, Toledo City Hall, Napavine City Hall, J&G Grocery.

Well, it’s that time of the year again, when the local farmer’s market is gearing for business! Since the weather’s been so strange—and that’s putting it mildly—they’re not sure just when they’ll start but, sometime in April, the market will resume its schedule of Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Right now, though, they are looking for vendors to register. If you’re interested in getting involved, please call Jeanie at 785-4817.

The City of Winlock may be facing a lawsuit from a pair of residential property owners if water meters on First St. are not installed differently.

Robert and Carlene Hayden, of Longview, spoke to members of the Winlock City Council during their March 11 meeting and said the current location of water meters on their property, at 803 First St., would require digging through their yard to connect to houses on Front. St, for which they said Winlock does not have an easement.

The housing market in South Lewis County is headed for an upturn this summer as developers are preparing to pick up where they left off after the recession began in 2008.

Multiple subdivisions have been left unfinished after real estate investors defaulted or abandoned their projects, but a new lineup of developers has been taking steps to restart the home construction process.

Lawmakers in South Lewis County are on the fence about a proposed joint police cooperative, which would combine the law enforcement resources of Napavine, Winlock, Toledo and Vader in an effort to cut costs for each city.

While Napavine and Vader have received the idea warmly (though not without concerns about the financial strength of the cooperative) Toledo has been lukewarm in their response as Winlock turned the issue into a knock-down, drag-out political brawl during their most recent council meeting March 11.

Forrest Wallace opened the track season at Toledo High School with a victory in the 1600 meters in an impressive time of 5:07.32 as his team competed in a Pacific League Meet at Naselle on Tuesday.

Ashton Fraser also won the 3200 meters. Sophomore Daniel Echtle was also a winner for the boys in the 300 Intermediate Hurdles. On the girls side, veteran performer Amanda Navolynski won the pole vault.

The Toledo/Winlock soccer team may look like it has had a tough start, but there is excitement in the future.

The Toledo/Winlock Warhawk baseball team split four games this week.

On Monday, they defeated Napavine 5-4 in a non-league contest. Joel Martin went 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs for the Warhawks. On Tuesday, Mack Gaul struck out 18 batters in a 4-0 shut-out of Stevenson in the first game of a league doubleheader. Enrique Hernandez and Joel Martin went 2 for 5 during the first game. Stevenson returned and pummeled the Warhawks 10-2. On Wednesday, the Warhawks fell victim to Toutle Lake in a 11-5 thumping.

A Toledo man has been arrested after threatening the lives of his family and fighting with deputies March 14, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Matthew H. Pettit, 37, was apprehended on the 100 block of Smokey Valley Rd., south of Toledo, after relatives called to report the suspect was behaving strangely. They alleged Pettit had threatened their lives and was possibly in possession of a handgun when he retreated into the horse barn on the property.

As part of Vader's Neighborhood Watch, Sifu Robert Butler of Castle Rock Academy of Kung Fu presented a demonstration at Vader's Fire Hall Friday night.

Butler highlighted the three principles of personal empowerment-self-awareness, self-defense and self-esteem-to around a dozen residents in attendance. Emphasizing these principles, Butler presented scenarios to illustrate his points.

Jessica D. Church, 27, of Winlock, is wanted by Lewis County District Court on $3,000 in warrants related to driving while license suspended.

Note: The Sheriff’s Office has since reported this warrant is no longer active.

The Winlock Farmer's Market will be starting any day now and vendor spaces are still open.

Those with produce and wares are invited to call Jeanie Emmenegger at (360) 785-4817. Booths are $10 per week, a bargain if you sell throughout the whole summer.