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The Winlock Cleanup Committee is planning to pick up where they left off with another Clean Up the Coop event this Saturday, and all supporters of the Winlock community are invited to participate.

During a meeting of committee members on Feb. 25, they discussed plans to steam clean the sidewalks downtown, using equipment provided by Tyler Rentals, as well as install new planters outside local businesses to replace those that have been damaged by weather and, in some cases, vandalism.

St. Urban Grange will be hosting their annual Fabric, Crafts & More sale on Saturday , March 29, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The grange is located at the corner of Sargent Rd. and N. Military Rd., in Winlock.

This is an opportunity to clean out your stash of fabrics, yarn, notions, collectibles, etc. that you no longer need, use, or want. Do you have a craft you would like to sell? Mark your calendar and reserve a table now for this opportunity to clean out what you don’t use or add to your new, or continuing interest.

A fundraiser for Winlock resident Trent Swanson has been scheduled for this Saturday at Guadalajara Family Mexican Restaurant (114 Cedar Crest Dr.) from 11 a.m. to close, with a percentage of sales to be donated to Swanson’s family.

Swanson, 36, had been diagnosed with H1N1 on Jan. 23 and had to be placed in a drug-induced coma to survive the infection. He has been breathing on his own since last week and family and friend are hoping for a speedy recovery.

GET READY CASTLE ROCK ... 

Saturday, March 8 is approaching, so mark your calendars for the annual S & M CHALLENGE, a 5-K Obstacle Course Race starring many organizations and local notables. Sponsored by the Cowlitz River Runners, it features more than 18 obstacles in the 3.1-mile course at our beautiful North County Sports Complex on Westside Highway by our Boat Launch area. Spectators will enjoy the fun, too, since this is no ordinary event. Races begin at 10 a.m. and additional information is also available at info@cowlitzvalleyrunners.com. The Awards Ceremony should be entertaining, too. In case you missed last year’s pictures, the mud was everywhere. Bring your cameras.

Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, March 9 – or is it Daylight Savings Time? According to The Internet, “The singular is the original form and seems to be the standard. However, it’s common for the plural form to be used. And sometimes Savings is even printed on calendars.” Some say “daylight-saving time” is a better term since we’re saving daylight, right? But don’t we have the same amount of daylight either way? How about “daylight-shifting time”? Are your eyes glazed over yet?

Either way, turn the clocks forward one hour this Sunday so that you’ll get where you’re going at the right time. Atomic clocks and “electronic devices” take care of themselves, so why can’t they do that in the car? I’m sure you’ve been there: almost panic when you see the wrong time and maybe even pull out the manual to figure out how to change it…

Gallery 505 Opening Night for Landscapes was well attended, considering they were overshadowed by Toledo Indians 50-40 game in the same time slot. Visit www.artgallery505.com or call (360) 864-2789.

Mr Houk says: Check out Coffee House and breakfast events plus rising stars at http://indians.toledo.k12.wa.us/ths/toledo_high_school/home/home.html or call (360) 864-2391. (Spaces in web address are underscored.)

I think spring is trying to break through, today I was walking outside and I noticed daffodils almost ready to blossom. The weather seemed to have turn this week as well; it has been a few beautiful days, sunshine and no rain. Can it be springtime? Is it finally here? I don’t know about you but I love spring, time to work in the yard and make it a relaxing place to be this summer.  

This week in my “Get to Know Ya” series, I had the honor of interviewing Viola Chickese; I must admit I was impressed. Not by her answers but by her passion for Winlock, she is a Lady who wants to see the town get back to its former glory. A town we are all proud to live in and one where everyone is proud to be a part of. Her dedication to Winlock is admirable, her involvement remarkable, her desire to want to turn Winlock around – impressive. Here is my interview:

When the going gets tough....."lets team up, help us both out", that's what Toledo said 3 years ago.  But now that your moving down to "B" level, you are dropping the Winlock/Toledo combined teams like a hot potato.  Not that I necessarily blame you, but I was at the school board meeting 3 years ago when the decision was made to combine teams for softball & baseball (wrestling & soccer were already combined), and Toledo was the main pursuant along with a few Winlock residents, coaches and school board members.  In my opinion, they were looking out for their own personal interests and not Winlock's athletic program.  We had more than enough kids to fill both our teams prior to combining and I personally know several kids who later chose to not participate after combining teams. 

Once again, the Towncrier has printed a story that reporter (Stephen Floyd) has used his own imagination in creating , mainly, the reason for my resigination from the Vader City Council. In the Feb. 19th’ article Mr. Floyd states that I have regularly been late to city council meetings and absent at several others, simply not true! Yes, it is true I resigned, he got that much right. 

The Castle Rock City Council has decided to use $15,000 in surplus police funding, as well as $5,000 from the general fund, to help acquire equipment for law enforcement and maintain a fifth full-time officer’s position.

It had been reported earlier in January the Police Department would likely have a significant surplus when accounts were settled for 2013, and Council Member Lee Kessler, a reserve officer and staff sergeant for Castle Rock, proposed the extra funding could be used to decrease the department’s dependence on county sales tax set aside for law enforcement.

Lewis County Commissioner Lee Grose has announced he will not be seeking re-election this year, leaving Toledo Mayor Jerry Pratt as the only announced candidate for the time being.

Grose has served two terms as a representative for District 3, which incorporates most of East Lewis County and parts of South Lewis County, and is currently serving as chair of the commission. When asked what prompted his decision to decline re-election, he said there was no reason in particular but it was simply "time to move on."

The City of Toledo has hit a setback in the process of approving construction for their new sewer plant.

It was announced during the March 3 Toledo City Council meeting the lowest bids for the project, submitted Feb. 20, were being challenged by one of the other 11 bidders on a technicality.

The Timberland Regional Library (TRL) Board has determined a library kiosk will be the most appropriate way to service the Toledo community, though local residents still hold out hope for a fill library in the future.

It was determined in a vote by the board Feb. 26 that a kiosk would most appropriately serve the needs of Toledo at this time, given the limited financial resources of the TRL District (which serves Lewis, Thurston, Grays Harbor, Pacific and Mason Counties) as well as the proximity of the TRL library in Winlock.

The Vader City Council has appointed a second new member to its ranks after two former officials resigned earlier last month.

Mark Fenison, a 15-year resident of Vader and political novice, was appointed Thursday amid a potential appointee pool including residents Talila Olson and Matthew Allison. Fenison’s appointment was approved in a 3-1 vote, with Council Member Andy Wilson supporting Olson instead.

Few believed that they would get this far, but we have seen this before. A year ago, in the same Mark Morris gym, Winlock took a seventh place finish to the elite eight in Spokane, now the Indians take their shot in Yakima after eliminating University Prep 50-40 in a WIAA State Regional contest.

“It is so hard. You watch them on video and they are tall and they are long,” said Toledo Head Coach Scott Merizoain. “They got a kid that can shoot threes and we are not very tall and not very long.”

Firefighters were able to tackle a house fire in Vader early Thursday morning, according to Cowlitz/Lewis Fire District 20.

Responders were dispatched at around 2:30 a.m. to the 500 block of C St. to a singlewide mobile home from which the resident had been able to escape prior to responders’ arrival. She stated she had been reading when she smelled a “something” coming from the living room where a wood stove in located. After a short time checking the residence, she noticed the flames in the ceiling area near the wood stove and called the fire department.

A Winlock man who had confessed to raping a family friend was sentenced to almost five years in prison Feb. 26 in Lewis County Superior Court.

Rupp W. Freece, 24, was sentenced to four years and nine months after having pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and third-degree rape Jan. 15 for the Nov. 8 attack of a 52-year-old family friend in her apartment on the 200 block of Pine Tree Rd., east of Winlock.

A Vancouver man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Feb. 24 for causing a fatal crash in Toledo which killed his a 28-year-old passenger.

Jonathon K. Reno, 42, had pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide Jan. 6 in Lewis County Superior Court for the Nov. 10 collision in which his 1991 Honda Accord struck a utility pole while traveling south on Jackson Hwy. at a high rate of speed. The passenger, Adam W. Newstrom, also from Vancouver, was killed at the scene, according to reports.