Life | The Daily Chronicle

Visitors from the Boys and Girls Club smile and hold up painted rocks at the Pace Family Lavender Farm in Adna on Thursday.

Pace Family Lavender Farm West of Chehalis Hosts Local Boys and Girls Club for Field Trip

Students from the Boys and Girls Club in Chehalis got to go on a very literal field trip on Thursday morning, to a lavender field run by the Pace Family Lavender Farm west of Chehalis. From 10 … more

By Isabel Vander Stoep / isabel@chronline.com | 7/29/22

West Thurston Firefighter Chris White talks about new fencing and paint around the baseball field outside the Scott Lake Community Center near Maytown.

West Thurston Firefighter Leads Effort to Refurbish Community Ballfield in Tumwater

Smells of black coffee and bacon filled the West Thurston Fire Station in Rochester on Tuesday morning. The lights were off and the blinds were drawn low in an effort to keep the station cool before … more

By Isabel Vander Stoep / isabel@chronline.com | 7/27/22

Grand Marshal Keith Phillips, with the Olympia Highlanders Bagpipe and Drum Corps, sounds off from the back of a 1954 Ford during the Oregon Trail Days parade Saturday morning in Tenino. Phillips, a stone cutter, is well renowned for his efforts to keep the trade alive. Evidence of his work is on display throughout Tenino, and even at the Washington state Capitol. Learn more by visiting the Tenino Stone Carvers on Facebook.

In Focus: Oregon Trail Days Parade Rolls Through Tenino

7/25/22

Dmitri Matheny, a renowned flugelhornist, recently released a new album celebrating the Pacific Northwest.

Centralia-Based Jazz Musician Releases New Album Celebrating the Pacific Northwest

After his first visit to the Pacific Northwest in the early 1990s, Dmitri Matheny, a professional jazz musician, knew he loved the region. In 2015, after two decades of yearly return trips, … more

By Matthew Zylstra / matthew@chronline.com | 7/25/22

The volunteer crew of God's Closet Too (from left to right) Clayton Achison, Eddie Mosteller, Elijah Zavala, Gloria Cole, Thomasena Seifert and Jaime Willson. Not pictured is volunteer Laurie Wyatt.

Salkum’s Nonprofit Thrift Shop Sells for Good

When Thomasena Seifert was a child, one of her favorite things was going to garage sales with her mom, grandma and aunt. It was a fun outing that also helped them stretch their family budget. It … more

7/25/22

Michelle Wright looks out to the crowd during a Music in the Park event in Chehalis Friday evening.

Big Turnout for Music in the Park in Chehalis on Friday, the First of Three Shows

Friday night at Recreation Park in Chehalis was filled to the brim with lawn chairs, smiling faces and country music. Event organizers estimated there were between 2,000 and 2,500 attendees over … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/25/22

In Focus: Drew North Foundation Holds 5K to Raise Funds, Awareness for Mental Health, Honor Drew Douglass

Volunteers and participants gathered outside Thorbeckes in Chehalis Saturday morning for a Mental Health and Suicide Awareness 5K honoring the life of Drew Douglass. Proceeds from the event will go … more

7/25/22

This 1946-47 photo was taken at the Fort Borst Park Racetrack, where horse barns can be seen in the background. Once an airport (in about 1936), the field was converted to the racetrack by Work Progress Administration workers.

A Look Back in Time: Three Men Arrested for Beating and Robbing Morton Man in 1952

Three young men held in the Lewis County Jail confessed to a “brutal slugging and robbery” of Larson Phelps, a 63-year-old Morton resident, adding they were “glad he’s still … more

Compiled by Matthew Zylstra / matthew@chronline.com | 7/22/22

Riders sport football helmets as they spin tires along the track outside Napavine High School on Thursday.

Local High School Students Learn Technical Skills While Having Fun During Napavine Go-Kart Class

A group of Lewis County high school students gathered at the Napavine track on Thursday to show off the go-karts they spent over two weeks constructing. Over the course of about an hour, the students … more

By Matthew Zylstra / matthew@chronline.com | 7/22/22

Alexandra Gonzales, owner of Peaks & Valleys Plants and Props in Morton, with one of her most popular offerings, an air plant in a hand-blown glass planter that looks like a jellyfish.

Peaks & Valleys: Morton Woman Wants Everyone to Own Plants

In a way, playing in the dirt saved Alexandra Gonzales. Several years ago, she was in the midst of many personal and professional struggles, including bouts of postpartum depression as well as … more

By Carrina Stanton / For The Chronicle | 7/18/22

Confederate troops fire a canon during an American Civil War battle reenactment in Chehalis on Sunday. Named the “Battle of Chehalis River,” the reenactment was held Saturday and Sunday at 313 Tune Road. It was hosted by the Washington Civil War Association. “Come to beautiful rural Lewis County, just south of Chehalis, and experience the sites, sounds and smells of the American Civil War, the bloodiest war in American history. The men, women and children of the Washington Civil War Association invite you to step back into time to a different world,” the association wrote prior to the event. “You will be educated and entertained by civilians from many walks of life: cavalrymen with their horses, artillerymen with their imposing cannon and infantrymen with a wide variety of rifles and revolvers. Get up close and personal to a battle reenactment. Visit the camps and speak to the living historians who love to share their history. Observe various demonstrations that will bring the 1860s to life.” The association’s next local event will be the “Battle for Klickitat Creek” in Mossyrock on Aug. 6. Learn more at www.wcwa.net.

In Focus: ‘Battle of the Chehalis River’ Civil War Reenactment

Named the “Battle of Chehalis River,” the reenactment was held Saturday and Sunday at 313 Tune Road. It was hosted by the Washington Civil War Association. “Come to beautiful … more

7/18/22

Ty Herndon, left, and Michelle Wright will perform in Chehalis Friday for a free concert.

Big Time Country Artists to Perform at Free Music in the Park Event in Chehalis

Chehalis will be hosting a free Music in the Park event on Friday, July 22. The country music-themed event will be the first of three Music in the Park events that will be held over the course of … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/18/22

Children to Perform ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ in Centralia on July 29, 30 and 31

The Theatre of Arts and Discipline (TOAD) will be presenting “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” on July 29, 30 and 31. The cast will feature children ages 8 to 16 who have been … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/18/22

Cyclists fill the grounds of Centralia College, the official halfway point of the Seattle to Portland Classic, on Saturday.

In Focus: STP Riders Again Roll Through Lewis County

The Seattle to Portland Classic (STP), hosted by the Cascade Bicycle Club, begins at the University of Washington and wraps up at Northeast 11th Avenue and Holladay Street in Portland. Centralia … more

7/18/22

captured this photograph of the Adna Car Show from above over the weekend.

In Focus: Third Annual Adna Car Show Camp & Cruise Raises Money for Scholarships

The third annual Adna Car Show Camp & Cruise was held on Bunker Creek Road on Friday and Saturday. The show raises money for the Adna scholarship fund. It included vendors, food, auctions, a beer … more

7/18/22

A dog prepares to bite into a frisbee as the Centralia Toss and Fetch Club gathers at Fort Borst Park in Centralia.

Upstart Centralia Toss and Fetch Club Takes Part in Worldwide Competition While Providing Canine Fun in Lewis County

The Centralia Toss and Fetch Club has been active for only two seasons and has already experienced substantial growth, with 20 people on the official roster compared to the handful the club had when … more

By Matthew Zylstra / matthew@chronline.com | 7/15/22

80th Birthday Announcement: Ralph David Burnett Jr.

Family and friends of Ralph David Burnett Jr. are invited to join an open house celebrating his 80th birthday on Saturday, July 23. The celebration will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the home of … more

Submitted to The Chronicle | 7/15/22

Chronicle Paper Boys pose for a photo in 1954 before being taken on a picnic.

A Look Back in Time: Chehalis Celebrates 50th Anniversary of The Chehalis Bee-Nugget Newspaper

A crowd of about 200 people, including Lewis County pioneers, gathered at a banquet at the St. Helens Hotel in Chehalis on the evening of July 15, 1932, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The … more

Compiled by Matthew Zylstra / matthew@chronline.com | 7/15/22

Candy and smiles are shared from the Mount St. Helens Bluegrass Festival float Saturday during the Cheese Days parade in downtown Toledo.

Mount St. Helens Bluegrass Festival Returns to Toledo Aug. 12-14

Bluegrass musicians and fans will return to Toledo in August for the 37th annual Mount St. Helens Bluegrass Festival. The three-day music event begins with an open mic at noon on Friday and … more

By The Chronicle staff | 7/13/22

Sunlight shines through stained glass windows onto the balcony floor at the Toledo Presbyterian Church on Saturday, July 9, in Toledo. The church's goal is to raise $75,000 in funds to help restore the old windows.

A Church in Toledo That’s Over a Century Old Seeks Donations to Fix Stained Glass Windows

TOLEDO — Just a couple of months ago, the Toledo Presbyterian Church congregation learned their beloved stained glass windows needed repairing. The windows are made with a sand grout that has … more

By Katelyn Metzger / The Daily News | 7/13/22