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The Winlock Timberland Library will be holding a poetry contest next month and writers of all ages are welcome to participate.

In celebration of April as National Poetry Month, entries will be accepted between April 1 and 15 in four age categories (19 and older, 13-18, 8-12, and 7 and under). Winners in each category will be selected by a panel of judges then published in a special issue of Town Crier. Contest rules include:

Residents were allowed to weigh in and voice their priorities at Vision:Toledo’s Big Community Meeting March 18 while being given time to hear from a number of guest speakers.

Organized by local community activists, the meeting featured a row of pages naming various ideas to help improve the town, and guests at the meeting were allowed to place stickers on each page to vote on what they think the priorities should be.

SPRING is in the air, and I hope that you plan to visit all of the spots where plants are available to brighten up your home or business both inside and out.

CASTLE ROCK NURSERY has a complete selection to keep your garden blooming and gift items too.

After visiting family in Mississippi, it was pleasant to see so many blooming (or getting-ready-to-do-so) things when I returned. It was fairly cool and cloudy there, so a couple of days of bright PNW sunshine were welcome. Rain is expected to arrive shortly…

It wasn’t steamy in Mississippi, yet – something to avoid, if possible – but humidity in the house made my hair curlier. It’s hard to explain to an easterner why the interiors of our homes and buildings are so dry (unless there’s a leak…) when it rains so much. The answer is: our heating season is the same as our wet season. When it’s hot here, it’s mostly dry.

Last weekend’s mudslide in Snohomish County reminds us heavy rainfall can mean more than water over roadways. Would you know what to do? Start here: www.ready.gov

85 attended last week’s BIG Community Meeting, age no barrier in voting for Toledo’s future projects. Tuesday Vision:Toledo’s Arts, Rec and Events Committee meets 6:30 p.m. at the MAC. Visit www.morganartscentre.com or call (360) 864-4ART.

I heard from Joann Porter that the Rummage Sale at the Winlock Olequa Senior Center was quite a success. They wanted to thank everyone who gave items, helped in setting it up and for those who purchased the goods. She said it was a lot of fun and the community really came together to support the center, thank you Winlock for showing what a great community we all live in!

This is the second segment of my two-part interview with Winlock Middle School instructor Mike Voie. I have known Mike all my life and he is one of those guys that, if you have known him, he is always happy to see you and help any way he can. He is one of those educators who takes his job seriously, he wants to see his students succeed and will do anything he can to make it happen for them. I can’t think of one bad characteristic Mike has, he is devoted to his family, his community and his students. Thank you for coming back to Winlock, Winlock is a better place because you are here!!

Ken Goodwin, of Toledo, died March 14, 2014. Born May 3, 1959, he was 54 years old.

A service was held Saturday at Toledo Presbyterian Church. Arrangements care of Fir Lawn Funeral Chapel.

Ronald "Ron" Pedersen died March 18, 2014. Born Dec. 24, 1928, he was 85 years old.

A memorial services is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, March 29, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, in Winlock. Arrangements care of Fir Lawn Funeral Chapel.

The Castle Rock City Council has approved a proposal to use of $67,676 in "Big Idea" funding for local tourism projects, including a new Visitor Center at Exit 49, and are now awaiting a go-ahead from other participating municipalities.

When the Big Idea, also known as the Cowlitz Regional Tourism Development Partnership Program, was first proposed in 2011, the goal had been to pool a portion of lodging tax dollars from Woodland, Kalama, Kelso, Longview, Castle Rock and Cowlitz County and entrust the funds to a Big Idea Board, who would then allot the entire sum to a different participating entity each year for six years.

Allegations of bid rigging and collusion brought by Blue Array against two Department of Ecology (DOE) employees have been deemed unfounded by the Washington Executive Ethics Board (EEB) and the complaints have been dismissed.

First filed Sept. 8 of last year, complaints against Greg Zentner, supervisor of Ecology’s Municipal Operations Unit, and Al Bolinger, environmental engineer, alleged the two had been using public resources to assist Olympia-based engineering firm Gray & Osborne in the company’s attempts to market themselves to local cities while, at the same time, denying such assistance and opportunities to Blue Array, a Vader-based startup company promising low-cost wastewater treatment alternatives.

Winlock’s Fir St. Bridge has been closed until further notice after a recent inspection found the bridge to be structurally insufficient, and officials are exploring options for either replacement or repair.

Closed indefinitely to pedestrian and vehicle traffic as of March 13, the inspection report, printed March 12, identified multiple areas of fatigue and damage on the bridge relating both to its age (built in 1960) and damage sustained during recent floods of the Chehalis River.

A rundown of recent local games for the week of March 17, 2014.

The Toledo/Winlock Soccer is off to an excellent start in their first week of the new season with three league victories and an impressive showing at a jamboree in Naches.

The first game of the season was physical 3-2 win over Woodland on the Beavers home field. Julian Sanchez scored in the 13th minute from an assist by Jacob Andrews. Later in the game, Adair Garibay completed an assist to Fernando Muñoz, but there was more to come.

The Winlock School Board has approved a renewal of their cooperative wrestling and cross country programs with Toledo, though officials remain uncertain if they wish to continue with combined boys soccer as well.

Their indecision centers around the Toledo School Board's vote on Feb. 20 to discontinue their participation in combined baseball, fastpitch and girls soccer programs due to Toledo's recent reclassification from 1A to 2B by the WIAA, effective next school year.

A Winlock woman was cited after rolling her vehicle with two juvenile passengers Sunday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The 23-year-old driver of a 2004 Ford Focus had been traveling westbound on the 100 block of Antrim Rd., north of Winlock, when she allegedly failed to see an oncoming vehicle due to sunlight in her eyes and overcorrect to avoid a collision, causing her car to drive into the ditch. The 14-year-old and 4-year-old passengers reportedly escaped injury, though the Focus was totaled.

Local EMS and fire calls between March 17 and 23.

The Lewis County Economic Development Council has initiated an energy conservation campaign to help local homes and businesses contribute to a more energy-efficient economy.

With partners such as Centralia City Light, Lewis County Public Utility District #1 and Puget Sound Energy, the program is offering incentives for energy upgrades, as well as a number of tips for energy use reduction. So see a complete list of the tips below, as well as how to qualify for upgrade incentives, go to www.lewisedc.com.