Centralia Albright Talks Tops Centralia Piano Prodigy Q&A / Main 4 Rochester / Sports 1 $1 Weekend Edition Saturday, March 22, 2014 Reaching 110,000 Readers in Print and Online — www.chronline.com Fraud Linked to Archdiocese Breach Mounts 17 REPORTS: Lewis County unteered or worked at St. Joseph Hackers apparently stole the Federal Bureau of Investi- office. School in Chehalis have report- Social Security numbers from gation after learning about the Locally, there is not much Residents Swept Up in ed tax return fraud to the Lewis a database and have been using fraud. It also hired a private se- law enforcement can do other Catholic Archdiocese of County Sheriff’s Office. that information to file fraudu- curity firm to investigate the is- than take a report, Brown said. Seattle Identity Theft The fraud stems from the lent tax returns, taking the re- sue. “There really isn’t a whole lot massive security breach from the funds owed to local individuals. So far, the Lewis County we can do since it takes a lot of By Stephanie Schendel Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle According to a letter posted Sheriff’s Office has received 17 forensic computer resources that possibly affected thousands on the Seattle Archdiocese’s reports of tax return fraud from [email protected] we don’t have,” Brown said. “In of employees and volunteers with website Tuesday, the organiza- citizens affiliated with St. Jo- cases like this, we hope the FBI More than a dozen Lewis the Catholic church throughout tion immediately notified the seph School, said Stacy Brown, County residents who either vol- Western Washington. Internal Revenue Service and spokeswoman for the sheriff’s please see FRAUD, page Main 14 Votes Smelt Runs in South Lewis Coming on Rail County Bring New Optimism Purchase Toledo Residents Say Run Was the First in Decades for the Area AGREEMENT: Lewis County, Chehalis to Vote on Purchase Agreement for Tacoma Rail Line By Kyle Spurr [email protected] The local partners inter- ested in potentially purchas- ing a 20-mile stretch of Taco- ma Rail’s line from Chehalis to Maytown for future eco- nomic development appear ready to vote on a purchase agreement next week. The Lewis County Com- mission and Chehalis City Council are expected to vote Monday on an agreement that dictates the partners have three years to pay $3 million for the railway, which is currently owned by the city of Tacoma and operated by Tacoma Public Utilities. The Tacoma City Council Christopher Brewer / [email protected] already approved the agree- Anglers cast out from a boat on the Cowlitz River at Blue Creek on Friday. While smelt season has ended, several ishermen reported seeing smelt as far north as Blue ment on Creek in the past month. Nov. 26. The local partners ta- By Christopher Brewer lowing smelt dippers a chance tect the fish population, which ited the boat launch off First bled the vote [email protected] to catch the oily fish in Toledo is still classified as a threatened and Main in Toledo on March 8, last month earlier this month. species. This year, the state al- with several groups trying their Local residents say a species to collect State wildlife officials had lowed smelt dippers to line the hand — many succeeding — at of fish that makes a yearly run more infor- placed a temporary ban for the banks of the Cowlitz, and Kelso catching their 10-pound limit of mation. up the Cowlitz River have re- past three years on dipping for proved to be a popular spot as it the fish. Merlin MacReynold “When turned to south Lewis County Pacific eulachon, more com- usually is. Chehalis city we took for the first time in years, al- monly known as smelt, to pro- However, smelt dippers vis- please see SMELT, page Main 14 manager it off our agenda be- fore, we planned to give it a month,” Chehalis City Man- ager Merlin MacReynold 50 Years a Lion said. “It has given us time to do some public information HONORED: Stan Blinks, 86, pin with a 50-year chevron in presentations and it’s back on honor of his 50 our agenda.” Has Volunteered With years of service Lewis County Commis- Chehalis Lions Club with the Lions sioner Bill Schulte, Chehalis Club. Mayor Dennis Dawes and Since 1964 “You don’t Chehalis Renaissance mem- By Kyle Spurr see a lot of those 50s,” fel- ber Larry McGee have spent [email protected] the past month presenting a low Lions Club report that outlines options Stan Blinks has earned five Member Mel for the local partners. decades worth of Chehalis Li- Stan Blinks Mackey said. The groups next presen- ons Club pins, which he proudly honored for The Cheha- service tation will be at the Centra- wears on his red service vest. lis Lions Club lia-Chehalis Chamber of None of the pins are quite on Wednesday hosted the cel- as special as the one he received ebration at Woodland Estates, Kyle Spurr / [email protected] Thursday night. Stan Blinks, 86, shows of some of the pins he has earned as a member of the Che- RAIL, please see page Main 14 Blinks, 86, was awarded a please see LION, page Main 14 halis Lions Club. Blinks was honored Thursday for 50 years of service with the club. The Chronicle, Serving The Greater Weather New Member Deaths Lewis County Area Since 1889 TONIGHT: Low 36 House Sr., Daniel E., 63, Follow Us on Twitter TOMORROW: High 57 Pe Ell Flood Toledo @chronline Mostly sunny Authority Hansen, Eula Bernice, 91, see details on page Main 2 Representative Chehalis Find Us on Facebook Bargmeyer, Dave, 69, www.facebook.com/ Weather picture by Sofia Questions Rochester thecentraliachronicle Gonzalez, Winlock Consensus / Main 3 Main 2 • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash., Saturday, March 22, 2014 COMMUNITY CALENDAR / WEATHER Community Editor’s Best Bet Artists to Show Works at Vernal Equinox ArtFair A Vernal Equinox ArtFair is Honey. coming to the Morgan Arts Cen- There will be live music 7-10 ter in Toledo today and Sunday. p.m. Saturday, featuring Maddie Hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 Eitel, Joe Green, John Crocker, Calendar p.m. each day. Joe Batt, Tom Barbara and Rich- Today Numerous local artists will ard and Susan Roth. WHAT’S HAPPENING? have their works on display. Visi- For more information, call Dance Festival Will tors will be able to indulge in (360) 864-4ART or visit www. If you have an event you would like Dragonfly Chocolates, Santa Lu- morganartscentre.com. included in the Community Calendar, Be at Corbet Theatre please email your information to cia Coffee, Morganic Art Farm The Morgan Arts Center is The Southwest Washington Dance [email protected]. Include a Preserves and Brigden Backyard located at 190 Plomondon Road. Center will host the 22nd annual Dance daytime telephone number where you Festival Northwest at 7 p.m. tonight at can be reached. Corbet Theatre at Centralia College. There is no charge for these listings. Dance Festival Northwest brings For questions about calendar items, dance companies from around the Pa- call Doug Blosser at The Chronicle, 111 NW Prindle St., (360) 269-0587 or (360) 748-3702 Chehalis City Council, 5 p.m, City Hall council cific Northwest to the Centralia/Cheha- (360) 807-8238. Arabian Nights, 7 p.m., Roxy Theater, Morton, chamber, 350 N. Market Blvd., Chehalis, agendas $10 adults, $5 children, (360) 496-0541 available at http://ci.chehalis.wa.us/meetings, (360) lis area. The dancers take master dance 345-1042 classes together as a group and then each Just Plain Bill (Alex Blum, Patrick Storedahl and dren and $5 for families (up to five people). Douglas Blum), 7 p.m., Matrix Coffeehouse, Cheha- Lewis County Developmental Disabilities Advi- individual company performs dance sory Board, 4 p.m., 156 NW Chehalis Ave., Chehalis, Free parking is available. lis, $10, (360) 740-0492 pieces that they have prepared. Eclectics, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Scatter Creek Grill, Lucky (360) 740-1284 This year the master classes will be Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Fri- Eagle Casino, (360) 273-2000, ext. 301 Lewis County Solid Waste Disposal District, 1:30 taught by Daniel Wilkins, director of day, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Spring Book Sale, Friends of the Centralia Tim- p.m., Lewis County Commissioners’ Meeting Room, DASSdance, a professional contemporary 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday berland Library, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Centralia Timber- Lewis County Courthouse, Chehalis, (360) 740-1451 dance company in Seattle, and Stepha- land Library, 110 S. Silver St., proceeds benefit li- Organizations nie Saland, former principal dancer with brary programs Blitz Fastpitch Team to Hold Centralia Bridge Club, noon, Unity Church, 800 New York City Ballet for 21 years. Home and Garden Show, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., South- west Washington Fairgrounds, $2 adults, $1 chil- S. Pearl St., Centralia, (360) 748-1753, hraj@localac- This year’s dances will include con- Fundraiser at Applebee’s dren, $5 family (up to five people), Ciscoe Morris cess.com temporary ballet, modern and contem- The Chehalis Applebee’s is hosting a speaking at 2 p.m. Support Groups porary dance and jazz. The host company, flapjack fundraiser for the Blitz U12 fast- “Smitten,” Fox Theatre, doors open 7 p.m., show under the direction of Danielle Brosco, is pitch team 8-10 a.m. today. at 8 p.m., tickets in advance $15, at door $18, tickets Grandparents as Parents, 6-8 p.m., 420 Centralia Southwest Washington Dance Ensemble, available at Holleys’ Place next to theater, spon- College Blvd., Centralia, (360) 736-9391, ext.