Opinion | The Daily Chronicle

Letters to the editor can be submitted to letters@chronline.com.

Letter to the editor: Why does it cost for jury duty when voting is free?

I recently received my first jury summons since I moved to Lewis County. I noticed, and I found it odd after I thought about it, that returning the mandatory jury questionnaire required … more

11/15/23

Letter to the editor: In election after election, voters reject extremism

Americans have now had eight years of Donald Trump and Trumpism. He has fostered the extremist MAGA movement that imperils our democracy as attested to not by Democrats, but by people who worked … more

11/15/23

Letter to the editor: The time for smaller federal government is now

What if you had a printing press in your basement and you could print $100 bills, as many as you wanted, legally? The U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, says Congress has the power “to … more

11/15/23

Letter to the editor: Be sure your brain is engaged before putting your mouth in gear

Letter writer Ray Chapman-Wilson claims we can’t protect children by “rating” books, and that the expense of doing so would be better applied toward eradicating poverty. Two … more

11/15/23

Letter to the editor: Property valuations by assessor are outrageous

Apparently, our Lewis County assessor hasn’t seen a newspaper, watched TV or spoken to a human being in two years. I received our annual tax assessment yesterday. Our assessor … more

11/15/23

Letter to the editor: What are lawmakers doing to keep elections secure?

Lawmakers: Our nation is perched on the precipice of a totalitarian takeover of our form of government and the complete destruction of our history and culture. We are engaged in a cultural war to … more

11/15/23

FILE PHOTO — Green Hill School in Chehalis.

Our Views: Inslee’s negligence at Green Hill a breach of public trust

Editor’s note: This editorial has been updated to correct and clarify that a letter sent to the Governor’s Office by local police chiefs requesting further investigation at Green Hill … more

By The Chronicle Editorial Board | 11/13/23

FILE PHOTO — Maureen Markom, of the Lewis County Farm Bureau, describes challenges farmers face with water rights during a chamber forum in Centralia in 2022.

Focus on Agriculture: Farmer’s hours or banker’s hours?

I received a legitimate question about the hours that a dairyman works. The inquiry was related to the old adage "up at the crack of dawn to milk the cows." It has been said that those of us on … more

Commentary by Maureen Harkcom, president of the Lewis County Farm Bureau | 11/13/23

Richard Stride is the current CEO of Cascade Community Healthcare. He can be reached at drstride@icloud.com.

Richard Stride commentary: If you aren’t willing to take risks, you won’t get what you want

Do you want to be successful in life? Are you risk averse? Let me share one of the greatest truths in life: If you are not willing to take risks, you will never grow, change … more

By Richard Stride / For The Chronicle | 11/13/23

Dave Woodrum provided this photo of the Jubilee Chapel, a building some hope will start the return of Olde Towne at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds.

Jubilee Chapel: First building in the Southwest Washington Fair's resurrected Olde Towne?

People who visited the Southwest Washington Fair in the 1970s remember the Olde Towne Heritage Street featuring a sheriff’s office and jail, dentist office, Security State Bank branch, school, … more

Commentary by Julie McDonald / For The Chronicle | 11/9/23

Letter to the editor: Rating books doesn’t protect children

Dear Lewis County commissioners, There are real actions you can take to protect our children. Regarding the book ratings that were brought up a few weeks ago, it was wonderful to see all … more

11/8/23

Letter to the editor: It’s time for the disengaged Americans to take notice of what’s happening

Most Americans have a mother, love their wife and children, are kind to their neighbors, and appreciate their God-given rights to life and the freedom to live their life uninhibited by excessive … more

11/8/23

Letter to the editor: East end sheriff substation not needed

After budget cuts in 2018 and the closing of the substation in the east end, how can the sheriff spend $300,000 on a new substation? My question is, why don’t they just remodel the … more

11/8/23

Letter to the editor: Clean energy developments in Centralia will have profound impacts

In 1950, the world population was 2.5 billion. In 2024, the number will reach 8 billion. Since 1960, the population has increased by one billion every 15 years. The demands of this growth are … more

11/8/23

Letter to the editor: Deconstruct deadly windmills, build nuclear plants

Wind farms in the state of Wyoming kill 28% of that state’s golden eagle population every year, according to some reports. In 2022, wind farm operator NextEra Energy pleaded guilty and paid an … more

11/8/23

John McCroskey was Lewis County sheriff from 1995 to 2005. He lives outside Chehalis and can be contacted at musingsonthemiddlefork@gmail.com.

John McCroskey: Pursuing clean energy while ignoring real problems facing country

Since the announcement that a bunch of borrowed federal dollars being poured into hydrogen here and elsewhere was reported, I wondered what on earth this was all about. Maybe you are wondering, too. … more

By John McCroskey / For The Chronicle | 11/8/23

Doris Wood-Brumsickle, left, engages with Liz Mohrbacher at Doris Wood Day at Centralia College last Wednesday.

Julie McDonald: Learning of libraries, honoring Doris Wood-Brumsickle

As we enter into yet another Washington winter with gray skies and soggy clouds, people who dive into despondency because of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) might find help at the local library. … more

11/6/23

The Washington Capitol building is lit up against the night sky in Olympia on Thursday, Feb. 16.

Commentary: Lawsuits over state’s new pay transparency law highlights flaws in how it was enacted

In January, a new law took effect in Washington requiring employers with more than 15 employees to include wage and benefit information in new job postings. It’s intended to use pay … more

By Kris Johnson / Association of Washington Business | 11/6/23

The Facebook post that nearly resulted in Chronicle columnist Brian Mittge being scammed.

Brian Mittge commentary: The scam that almost got me

I recently learned that the old saying, “it’s too good to be true” doesn’t account for something important: scams don’t go through the intelligent, thinking part of your … more

By Brian Mittge / For The Chronicle | 11/3/23

Commentary: Return of the sockeye

In 1992, a single male sockeye salmon managed to swim 900 miles from the mouth of the Columbia River to Redfish Lake located deep in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains — the end of his migratory … more

By Don Brunell | 11/3/23