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The Next Clean Up the Coop event will be this Saturday starting at 10 a.m. in Downtown Winlock.

Volunteers are asked to meet at Lions Club Plaza and jobs that day are expected to involve painting of businesses and other buildings downtown.

The Toledo Lions Club will be hosting their first Kid’s Fishing Derby this Saturday at South Lewis County Park (Wallace Pond).

Scheduled for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, the event is open for all kids 14 and younger, with custom fishing rods (donated by Gary Loomis and Rod's Customs Rods) given to the anglers with the largest fish.

Winlock resident Raymond McFarlane (right), a First Sergeant with the Army’s 92nd Engineering Battalion, receives his second Bronze Star, presented by Lt. Col. Boggs, (left), for actions performed while acting as his battalion’s Operations Sergeant between March and November of last year during a tour in Afghanistan.

It was great to see so many folks in town for the recent Craft Fair weekend. The weather mostly cooperated and the town looks fantastic, so I hope all of our visitors enjoyed themselves. They (the Ryderwood Women’s Club) will do it all again this October in time for the Holiday gift-giving season.

Mother’s Day brings to a close a very busy spring “season”. It started with the Garage Sale weekend and included Easter and the Spring Craft Fair. It looks like there will be a short hiatus before gearing up for the June 25 “Sock Hop” followed closely by July 4.

This Saturday will be the first-ever Kids Fishing Derby, hosted by the Toledo Lions South County (Wallace) Pond. From 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. at for ages 14 and under, registration is $10, with a vehicle entry fee at front and back gates. Entrants need $1 Derby Wristband from Weigh-In Station prior to fishing. No Refunds - derby runs rain or shine. All proceeds will go to TLC scholarships. Top two prizes: custom rods from Gary Loomis and Rod’s Customs Rods. Sponsored by Gary Loomis, Sportsman Warehouse, Farmers Insurance, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Cabelas, Sunbirds, Toledo Volunteer Fire Department and Toledo Chapter PSE. Contact Penny Lancaster, (360) 864-4455.

Werden Park’s new basketball court is ready for use, thanks to fundraising efforts from the Park Board, the Vader Committee for Community Improvements, and help from resident Finepolo Toutai. Says VCCI President Lois Wilson, “Thanks to all the volunteers who helped with the basketball court at Werden Park, and those who took part in the fundraising that made this project possible. It was a great success and we hope to keep moving forward with more projects.”

A third Department of Commerce Workshop is scheduled for Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. in City Hall. Intended to help residents understand the processes required to improve the city’s sewer plant, these workshops are free and open to the public, while those unable to attend may pick up notes at City Hall afterward.

Since we are now almost half in to May, I thought I would get everyone excited about Egg Day. If you have lived in Winlock at least 12 months, you have heard about Egg Day. This year, as Vader was able to put together their May Day celebration, the Winlock Egg Day Committee is experiencing some changes as well. I had the opportunity to speak with JoAnn Porter, who told me Becky, who heads up the wonderful Egg Day sandwiches, has moved out of Winlock and would like to mentor someone for next year.

Unfortunately, Becky isn’t the only change for Egg Day next year. Steve Brewer, who is the vendor coordinator, will not be available next year and would also like to get someone trained to take over contacting vendors to come in to Winlock during Egg Day. If interested in either of these positions, please contact JoAnn at (360) 785-0304.

Seattle developer Brandon Milton again spoke with the Vader City Council Thursday to seek support for his proposed marijuana production facility, this time armed with reports indicating legalized marijuana will not harm the city as his opponents have argued.

Cited by Milton were recent online articles analyzing crime statistics in Colorado after its legalization of recreational marijuana, as well as a study looking at crime trends in states with legalized medical marijuana.

The Vader City Council has chosen to include prayer at the beginning of their meetings in light of a recent US Supreme Court decision upholding the practice in Town of Greece v. Galloway.

Approved unanimously during the council’s Thursday meeting, the concept had been introduced by Council Member Kevin Flynn, who said the court’s decision contradicts some popular perceptions that public officials are disallowed from expressing their faith within the function of their office, and secures their right to freely do so.

The City of Winlock is taking steps to begin updating its utility infrastructure after receiving reports of significant deficiencies in both its water and sewer systems.

Mayor Lonnie J. Dowell said Thursday the city is pursuing state-funded grants to replace its oldest water mains while hoping to later update its entire sewer system, with some improvements already taking place.

The upstart Warhawks from Toledo/Winlock are going to go out with a bang. As the combined baseball team from Toledo and Winlock enters post season, it did a number on neighboring Castle Rock in 1A Trico League play on May 6.

The Warhawks, who came in third in the league standings, swept a doubleheader by the scores of 6-5 and 5-3. The first game went 13 innings while the second game went a quick seven.

A rundown of local games from the week of May 5.

The Toledo/Winlock Soccer team scored a 6-1 victory over Stevenson Thursday night and secured a first ever home playoff game at Winlock on Tuesday evening. After a victory over Montesano on Saturday, White Salmon has earned a loser-out rubber match with T/W United in the District IV Soccer Playoffs.

Winlock Municipal Court held its first jury trial in recent memory as Vader resident Rodney W. Allison defended himself against a charge of third-degree driving while license suspended last Thursday.

While all individuals arraigned at the court, which also prosecutes Vader cases, retain the option to seek a jury trial, few cases ever make it that far, as plea deals and diversion agreements are far more common prior to a trial taking place.

A suspected car thief almost took a dive into the Vader sewer plant Thursday while attempting to flee authorities during a high-speed pursuit originating out of Longview.

Spotted in possession of a Honda reported stolen that morning, the male suspect, later identified as Max E. Fiest, a Longview-based transient, was taken into custody just after 1 p.m. and is currently facing multiple felony charges.

A Winlock man has died after a head-on collision near the Washougal area May 9, according to the Washington State Patrol.

At around 9 a.m., 27-year-old Joseph M. Sparks was traveling westbound on SR 14 near Milepost 22 when his Chevy pickup swerved into the oncoming lane, striking the front of a 12-foot U-Haul truck being driven by a 43-year-old New Mexico woman.

Local EMS and fire calls between May 5 and 11.

It hasn’t always been the case that law enforcement and emergency medical responders work in conjunction during an active shooting incident.

Beforehand, it had been the expectation of officers to close off a dangerous area and allow SWAT or other specialized teams to neutralize the threat at hand, while medical aid stood at the ready, waiting to be given an all clear to enter and respond to victims.

Deputies are cautioning residents of an ongoing phone scam in which local victims are being tricked into making payments to phony IRS agents.

It was reported a Chehalis woman had received such a call May 7 from a man identifying himself only as Jose and posing as an IRS agent demanding $15,000 cash immediately or the victim, a 63-year-old woman, would be given five years in prison.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an observance dedicated to raising awareness about mental health and wellness and the services available to help people reach recovery.

Mental health is a serious issue in Washington: our state has one of the highest rates of mental illness in the country, and our suicide rate of 14.2 percent is well above the national average. Stress, anxiety and other mental health challenges affect people from all walks of life regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic level.