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Knee-high or as high

as an elephant’s eye?

“Corn as high as an elephant’s eye…”

Curly, the singing cowboy in Oklahoma!, touts a tall standard for corn crops in that sunny climate. Here, if corn is “knee-high by the 4^th of July,” it’s considered pretty darned good.

By GEORGE KUNKE and KAITLYNN HAGER

Last month two Raymond High School juniors, Hannah Dykes and Kaitlynn Hager attended Evergreen Girl’s State, an annual event hosted by Central Washington University in Ellensburg. The Auxiliary Post 150 of Raymond sponsored the ladies. The two came away with a fantastic learning experience and Dykes is now headed to D.C. for seven days and is scheduled to meet President Barack Obama.

My name is Corbin Mansker I am going to be a Freshman next year at Toledo High School, I am also a Life Scout from Troop 373 out of Chehalis.  As a Life Scout, I am now working on my Eagle Project and seeking donations from the alumni of Toledo High School.

My Eagle Scout project is to remove and replace the weather-worn wood "Toledo High School" sign. I will replace it with a Vinyl sign that is sandwiched between 6 cedar posts and cedar planking. The cedar does not need to painted, for it will not rot. I have attached a picture of the new sign.

Vader City Council Member and Navy veteran Andy Wilson leads the lawnmower parade held Thursday in Vader as part of an evening of Inpendence Day festivities organized by community members. Led by a group of families described as "one proud Air Force mom, three proud veterans and one Army brat," the evening featured hours of live entertainment as well as concessions sold by local community groups including the Vader Citizens League and the Little Falls Masonic Lodge. A fireworks show at 9 p.m. topped off the evening and those who are eager to contribute to next year’s Fourth of July events are encouraged to contact Judy Costello at (360) 295-3036.

The 13th annual Winlock Pickers’ Fest will be held this Friday through Sunday at Winolequa Park, in Winlock. Normally held in June, this festival moved to a sunnier month. The festival includes instructional workshops, open mics and plenty of pickin’ and grinnin’!

Ryderwood’s 4^th of July festivities were another great success with the Grand Marshals leading the fire trucks, Model A’s, Jeeps, etc. The BBQ and Picnic left no tummies unfilled and there were nearly 40 pies for the Pie Walk. Fun for all!

This is a busy week in a busy month. The Women’s Club has a Coffee Stop under way this week and they will not have a meeting this month. The Red Hat ladies will meet on Thursday at 2 p.m. in Pioneer Hall. Dress up in your red and purple and join some fun.

The Olequa Senior Center will be starting up a beginner’s Pinochle class for Tuesdays at 9 a.m., starting this week. The class is free. If there’s enough interest, they may be adding more for the Tuesday crowds, so be sure to participate!

As most of you know, STP (the Seattle-to-Portland bike ride) is coming up. The senior center will be hosting a spaghetti dinner starting at 5 p.m. on Friday and a breakfast from 5:30 a.m. on Saturday to give the bikers some well-deserved sustenance. 

Terry R. Daenzer, of Ryderwood, died July 5, 2013. Born Sept. 8, 1938, he was 74 years old.

He is survived by wife Frances Sanders.

Multiple community events and achievements were discussed during the July 2 Vader City Council meeting.

City Clerk Jill Nielson reported the city had been given a Claims Free Award by the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) for having had no insurance claims during the last year, a first since Vader joined AWC in 2006.

As long stretches of hot, dry days persist, it is becoming increasingly reckless to light fireworks, for fear of starting fieldfares that threaten homes and persons in the area. If you have fireworks left over from Independence Day, be sure to store them safely in an area that will not be easily accessed by children nor exposed to the elements and wait until they can be legally used again.

Twelve recruits have just graduated from a state firefighter’s academy hosted by Napavine after completing more than three months of rigorous training.

Led by Training Officer and Academy Captain Joel Swecker, recruits from Fire Districts in Onalaska, Toledo and Napavine, as well as the Riverside Fire Authority, participated in both academic and hand-on training which included everything from basic safety procedures to handling live fires.

Shira A. F. Kalaaukahi, 27, of Chehalis, is wanted by Lewis County Superior Court on a no-bail warrant after failing to appear for a charge of assault, third degree.

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

An impressive waterfall up Covell Creek, just a mile from paved roads, is easily accessible by foot. In fact, hikers actually have the opportunity to hike underneath it on their way to Burley Mountain .

To reach the waterfall, take Highway 12 to Randle and turn south on WA 131 towards Mount St. Helens. About one mile south of Randle, take the left hand fork that travels up the Cispus River Valley. Follow the signs to the Cispus Learning Center and drive about 50 meters beyond the main entrance of the camp. There is a small pull-out on the right and directly across the road is the Covell Creek Trail.