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Talented teachers sometimes develop their own curriculum. Such is the case of the archery that is taught as part of the physical education curriculum at Toledo Middle School. Don Shaplow is nearly a life-long archer himself and was able to leverage his skills and knowledge for some high-quality archery equipment to be used at TMS.

Shaplow went through the “Archery in the Schools Program” and became a certified instructor, which led him to a grant by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The agency supplied a class set of "Matthew-Genesis" Bows. The Toledo Lions Club supplied arrows and Bob's Sporting Goods in Longview supplied a bow rack and "Buck" archery targets.

Local veterans will be holding Memorial Day services at several area cemeteries on Monday and those interested in participating are welcome to do so.

A meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. at the Winlock Community Building to prepare for the services, which will take place as follows:

Memorial Day means a great deal more than neighborhood cookouts and unbeatable discounts at shopping centers. We are meant to observe the service and sacrifices of those who have fought in our military, and the volunteers with the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis are dedicated to extending that opportunity to all residents at all times of the year.

Founded by Lee Grimes in 1997, the museum operates under the slogan “They Shall Not Be Forgotten,” and displays artifacts and biographies dating as far back as the American Revolution. All exhibits are made up of donations given by veterans and their relatives and include weapons, uniforms, medical supplies, letters, photographs and medals.

Eleven local schools attended the Massed Band festival May 14 hosted by Winlock High School.

As host school, Winlock took care of meals for the 260-plus students (doubling the student body of the school for the entire day) and held an evening concert in the gym.

To keep their budget under control, the Winlock School District has decided to terminate the position held by Elementary School Principal Jim Swan and will allow Superintendent Shannon Criss to officiate the position next school year.

Criss said the decision is not a reflection of Swan’s performance but rather a solution to budgetary shortfalls that have also led to the elimination of nine teaching positions. She said, based on her qualifications to serve as acting principal, it was a fiscally responsible choice to take over Swan’s responsibilities and allow his contract to expire.

Now that another successful Spring Craft Fair has past, visitors and residents are reminded of all the wonderful items available year-round at “The Nest.” Make sure to bring any summer visitors by for a fine selection of things made only in Ryderwood!

The first ever “Taco Friday @ the Café” appeared very popular to customers. A meal of 2 soft tacos with beans, rice and a beverage was available from 4-6 p.m. I’ll try to find out what the volunteer cooks and servers thought and when or if it might happen again.

Peter Crawford founded the town of Kelso.  He and two companions, E. West and James O. Rayner, entered the Cowlitz River in December 1847, and on the west bank “spied a house or houses near the bank of a curious shape, no chimney; landing our little boat … we soon discovered that they were the Hudson’s Bay Company structures (the granary).  Going up to a dwelling house, we found that the tenant of the dwelling house was a Canadian Frenchman living with a native woman of one of the lower Columbia tribes.”  This man was named Thibault.  Another Frenchman herding Hudson’s Bay Company stock on the other side of the river was Anton Gobar.  The Coweeman River was once called Gobar’s River.

Observe Memorial Day May 27, pay tribute at the Wall of Honor in Kemp Olson Park and reserve your spot at one of the outdoor grills. Contact City Hall at cityoftoledo@toledotel.com or (360) 864-4564. Holiday closures include City Hall, Timberland Bank, the Post Office and schools. Last chance to get your brick before Cheese Days. Call Bob at (360) 864-8335.

New Life Church sets the table Wednesdays 5:10-6:00 p.m. Menu items change weekly. Donations accepted, not required. Watch for upcoming Summerfest. Call (360) 864-4366.

19 seats available remain available for a bus trip to Red Wind Casino scheduled for May 29 at 8:45 a.m., departing from the Olequa Senior Center. If you’re interested, please call Carolyne at (360) 520-0772 to reserve your seat. A $5 donation for the ride goes towards the senior center.

The Winlock Timberland Library will be presenting Youth Page Turners on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. Children grades 4 through 6 are invited to discuss this month’s book, “Holes” by Louis Sachar. There will be snacks! For more information, please contact the library at (360) 785-3461.

Vernon Goodin was born on December 23, 1923 to Lee and Hazel (Shay) Goodin in Willapa. He passed away on Friday, May 17, 2013 at his home in Raymond.

At our last council meeting, there was a heated discussion.

I contended the city didn't follow it's own licensed engineer & council approved Ordinance on Design standards for the waterline project.

Musical festival organizers again met strong community resistance during the May 13 Castle Rock City Council meeting.

Schools Out 4 Summer III still anticipates staging a two-day music festival at an undeveloped plot off Larsen Lane SW featuring 70 performers, GoGo Girls and live painters. During the previous meeting, residents voiced concerns over traffic access, emergency services, drug use, noise and crowd control, and continuing concerns were brought up again as concert organizers seem ambivalent toward local worries.

Winlock has officially withdrawn itself from eligibility for a $76,500 repaving grant from the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB), with Mayor Glen Cook stating it was an attempt to preserve Winlock’s future eligibility for grants.

The request for withdrawal had been accepted by TIB April 29 and Cook explained during the May 13 Winlock City Council Meeting he had done so in light of repeated refusals by the council to approve the funding, which has been available for acceptance since November of 2011.

As the local housing market is beginning to turn around, it doesn’t hurt to give consideration to the value of your home. While you may not be planning to move anytime soon, maintaining the value of your property should be an ongoing activity so you’re ready to greet the market with a valuable asset when the time comes.

A kitchen is often considered the centerpiece, so make sure plumbing and electrical fixtures are updated for energy efficiently, as well as making sure appliances, cabinets and surfaces remain clean and are replaced when they deteriorate. You may spend a few hundred to several thousand dollars updating a kitchen, but you can turn a nice profit on that investment alone if your kitchen is up to snuff.

Construction of a new Valley View Health Center clinic in Toledo is set to begun after a groundbreaking ceremony was held Sunday afternoon.

Valley View has been planning to build the new facility after receiving a roughly $644,000 federal grant May 1 of last year. Clinic officials had the option to upgrade the currently facility, which was built in 1950 and has an uneven foundation, damaged roof and inadequate drainage, but determined it would be both cost-effective and beneficial to the area to build an entirely new clinic in town.