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By LEISA JENNINGS

Bernice Jennings officially opened her own business reupholstering furniture in 1963 from her garage in South Bend, Washington. A seamstress her whole life, sewing clothes for herself and her four children, Bernice learned the art and craft of reupholstering furniture by trial and error, one painful step at a time. If a chair came to her in tatters, she worked with it, studied it like a puzzle, and figured out how to produce a beautiful finished product. 

By GEORGE KUNKE

KOPLITZ FIELDHOUSE – Texting while driving can often be deadly…

The Southwest Washington Fairgrounds will be home to the Cat Fancier Association Cat Show April 27 and 28, presented by Rip City/West Coast Cats.

The cat show will feature four judging rings for competitive cat entries on both days. More than 125 pedigree cats and household pets will compete in their own divisions for prizes, with many of these animals belonging to exhibitors and owners all across the United States.

Toledo may be looking at its very own Timberland Library now that residents Bill and Pat Caldwell have decided to donate their old pharmacy building to the City of Toledo, according to reports from vision: Toledo.

The pharmacy had closed down in 2011 and was the site of Toledo’s Daily Grind coffee house until last month, and many residents have thrown their support behind the idea of a library.

The Masonic Lodges in Winlock and Vader have donated $300 in star-up funds to the Winlock High School FFA program to fund the construction of metal flower stands.

Meant to encourage entrepreneurship among students, the money is intended to be paid back as student sell the stands, which feature two large hoops on either side of a metal rod, meant to hang flower baskets or bird feeders or any assortment of objects. Once paid back, FFA will be able to keep remaining profits for their program, which seeks to teach students the science, , business and art behind agriculture.

Boaters and motorists across the region are getting spring fever as the sun is starting to shine more consistently throughout the spring and into summer. With vacations and parties planned, we can't forget the hazards posed by drinking behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, both on land and in the water.

To remind young people of the dangers of drinking and driving, the Lewis County Reduce Adolescent Drinking Coalition will be holding a rally at W.F. West High School in Chehalis this Friday to sobriety as a positive social norm.

Toledo Middle School held a school-wide science fair Thursday for the first time in recent memory, according to organizers.

Led by science instructor Sherrill Stead, individuals and teams of students from sixth to eighth grade displayed their findings on topics ranging from why buildings sink into the ground during earthquakes to which peanut butter brand is the stickiest.

The push is on for next weekend’s Garage Sales. There will be vehicles parked at Pioneer Hall many mornings until then, which are good times to leave donations for the Women’s Club Sale. Call me to put your address on a Sale Map. I will print the maps Thursday evening and place them on the Café and Library porches.

It is also getting closer to the Spring Craft Fair on May 17 and 18. While applications are coming in, Marty reports space is still available for new and returning crafters and artists. Contact her at (360) 295-0096 for information.

Morgan Arts Centre hosts ARTrails planning meeting 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Vision:Toledo A.R.E. Meeting 6:30 p.m. April 23. Chronicle Open House 4:00-6:00 p.m. Apr. 25. Visit www.marganartscentre.com or call (360) 864-4ART.

Toledo New Life Assembly invites you to dinner Wednesday nights 5:10-6:00 p.m. Menu items change each week. Donations accepted, not required. Call (360) 864-4366.

Inventive creation seems to give weather reporting a sense of change, but, no change.  Have you noticed the weather outlook seems to be the same...It's the same ole, same ole, overcast and rain!  How many of you are ready for some sunshine and dry weather?  Bring it on Weather Man!

Well, I’m exhausted. This isn’t unusual, but at least I was able to travel over Spring Break, so there’s a reason for it. I visited eastern Washington, and I must say that the weather over there sure was mighty fine. The sky was blue, it was warm (well, warmer than here), and there was very little rain. Then I returned via a very white pass to find it pouring the rest of the way home. I already miss the world east of the mountains. Sigh.

A grant opportunity to research a combined police agency between Napavine, Winlock, Toledo and Vader has received support from all four communities as well as big names in policing and politics.

The grant, provided by the National Institute of Justice, is asking researchers to study how effective it would be to combine small law enforcement entities, and Scott Sotebeer, former civilian chief of staff for the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), said he believes South Lewis County is an ideal place to conduct the study.

A local business owner insisted a faulty water meter was to blame for a 500% increase in her January bill, despite a city report to the contrary during the April 8 Castle Rock City Council meeting.

The owner of The "O" tavern, who declined to be named for the purpose of publication, said her bill went from an average of $140 to $700 in January and has since gone back down after her water meter was replaced. But city officials have said their own tests, as well as those of the Oregon Meter Repair Co., have shown all meters within the city are operating within normal parameters.

Winlock officials again spent a copious amount of time arguing about pressure-reducing valves during the April 8 City Council meeting, the latest battle in a ten-month conflict that has stalled the partial repaving of First St.

On June 11, 2012, Mayor Glen Cook said installation of the valves was not necessary to comply with a Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) grant to pave First St. between Alder St. and Rice St., as TIB had stated Winlock was required only to replace aging water lines under the road before they would pay for new pavement.

They traveled to Stevenson and returned home with a 2-0 victory behind goals from Jacob Andrews and Adiar Garibay. Zack Debo and Brian Cruz were credited with assists. United Goalkeeper John Buck collected eight saves.

Cadets with the 2013 Police Reserve Academy in Winlock have begun their firearms training, and instructor Dan Mortensen said practicing to be a safe and effective marksman is paramount.

“Those who train, win,” said Mortensen, quoting firearms expert Massad Ayoob. “If you practice, you become proficient. And the bad guys practice to become proficient.”

A bus driver has been found at fault after a collision that sent a school bus full of soccer players down an embankment at Exit 63 April 9, according to the Washington State Patrol.

At around 10 p.m., members of the Toledo/Winlock United soccer team were returning from a game against Stevenson when the driver failed to stop at the stop sign between the northbound onramp and RS 505. The bus continued across SR 505 and down the embankment on the north side, coming to rest in the mud.

A cache of explosives has been removed after being discovered by a resident near Toledo yesterday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

A man called deputies at around 10 p.m. from the 100 block of Spotted Doe Dr., north of Toledo, to report he had found a partially-buried crate containing TNT bricks in the woods near his house. The crate was marked “U.S. Military” and contained roughly 300 bricks, 8 of which the reporting party took back to his house to examine before calling 911.