Tournament Breakdown Your Guide to Tourney Time / Sports 1 ‘Big Break’ Ends / Main 4 $1 Midweek Edition Thursday, Reaching 110,000 Readers in Print and Online — www.chronline.com March 6, 2014 Airline Will Fly The Resurgence Chehalis Girl to Title Game After of Yard Birds Father’s Funeral TRIP: W.F. West Junior Julie Spencer Hopes to Attend Funeral, State Championship on Saturday Pete Caster / [email protected] The west side of Yard Birds is seen on Monday in Chehalis. By Kyle Spurr [email protected] BIRD IS BACK: How Two of the most important a New Focus and a events in W.F. West High School junior Julie Spencer’s life could be Renewed Effort Brought happening on Saturday on oppo- a Lewis County site sides of the state. The funeral for her father, James Landmark Back to Spencer, who died Relevance Feb. 13 after bat- tling with cancer, By Lisa Broadt will be held at 11 [email protected] a.m. Saturday at St. Francis Xavier Just about any day of the Mission in Toledo. week you can find Yard Birds Six hours later, vendor Jerry Roper plunked in her top-ranked the middle of an aisle, fishing James Spencer varsity basketball pole in hand, waiting for a cus- funeral is team could be tomer to come by. Saturday playing in the 2A When one does approach, state champion- he waits for a nibble. ship in Yakima at 5 p.m. “They say ‘catch anything?’ I say ‘yeah I got a sucker,” Rop- please see AIRLINE, page Main 10 er said laughing. The Raymond man, 71, has a deep voice and a roguish laugh. Most days, he wears a Centralia Police T-shirt and suspenders. His store, Roper Valley Sales, is one of the largest in Chief Alexander sorts through books at Jerry Roper's shop at Yard Birds Mall in Chehalis on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Officer Returns the 88-lot Yard Bird swap meet. Roper presents his wares, to Normal Duty mostly used tools, appliances and men’s clothing, in heaps ‘JUSTIFIED’: Police Radio on long card tables. Recordings From Shooting When he’s not hooking customers he likes to play soli- Released to The Chronicle taire — “keeps my hands busy” By Stephanie Schendel — and read poetry. With every purchase comes an autobio- [email protected] graphical poem penned and The Centralia police officer recited on the spot by the store who fatally shot a 48-year-old owner. Westport man armed with a knife Roper says he and his wife last month will return to full duty got into the business to get rid this weekend after a review board of the junk cluttering their determined Phil Weismiller’s use house. of lethal force was within depart- “But we went to an auction ment policy, according to Centralia and made the mistake of buy- Police Chief Bob Berg. ing more stuff,” he said. Selling became a hobby. please see OFFICER, page Main 10 He dabbled in the Yard Birds swap meet in the late ‘90s, and now has been here permanent- On the Web ly since 2009. Hear police radio traffic from the Rosa Romo looks at butterly wings and tutus that hang on the wall of her booth at Yard Birds Shopping Mall in Chehalis shooting at www.chronline.com please see BIRDS, page Main 10 on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Romo and her daughter, Nancy Hernandez, have rented the stall for about a year. The Chronicle, Serving The Greater Weather Declining Crime Deaths Lewis County Area Since 1889 TONIGHT: Low 45 Centralia Wilson, Virginia Ann, 81, Follow Us on Twitter TOMORROW: High 56 Centralia @chronline Rain Police Chief Mottley, Juanita “Josie,” 84, see details on page Main 2 Says Hub Morton Find Us on Facebook City Was a Edwards, Ellen, 81, Winlock www.facebook.com/ Weather picture by Andrea Hall, James Arthur, 89, thecentraliachronicle Halloway, Onalaska lot Safer in Centralia 2013 / Main 8 CH516374cd.cg Main 2 The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash., Thursday, March 6, 2014 COMMUNITY CALENDAR / WEATHER Editor’s Best Bet Murder Mystery Dinner Community Coming to Washington Hotel Twin Cities Rotary, in part- and can be nership with the Centralia Col- purchased lege Foundation, will host its at Book second annual Murder Mystery ‘n’ Brush, Dinner at 6 p.m. Friday at the Chehalis, Calendar Washington Hotel in Chehalis. and Hey- “The Rose Room Murder” is mann’s Today WHAT’S HAPPENING? an interactive mystery where Whinery, participants have opportunities Centralia. Evergreen Professor to If you have an event you would like to guess “who done it.” Prizes Net proceeds will benefit included in the Community Calendar, will be given for the best era cos- Centralia College Foundation Speak at AAUW Meeting please email your information to tume. scholarships. For more informa- [email protected]. Include a Ratna Roy, a professor of expressive daytime telephone number where you Dinner will be catered by tion, call Debra Pape, (360) 508- arts and consciousness at The Evergreen can be reached. Makinaw’s. Tickets are $50 each, 9202. State College, will give a presentation on There is no charge for these listings. western science and eastern mysticism at For questions about calendar items, a meeting of the Lewis County branch of call Doug Blosser at The Chronicle, (360) the American Association of University 807-8238. Miss Lewis County Scholarship Pageant in a fast-paced and often perplexing age. Women Thursday. at 7 p.m., Saturday. The McHughs play “old-time” mu- The meeting will be at The Gather- manuel Lutheran Church, 1209 N. Scheuber Road, The event will be at the Chester V. sic, an American style of acoustic string ing Place, Stillwaters Estates, 2899 Cooks Centralia, (360) 736-9268 Rhodes Auditorium in R.E. Bennett El- music with roots in the fiddle tunes and Hill Road., Centralia. Social time is at Multiple sclerosis, 6-8 p.m., Providence Cen- ementary, Chehalis. ballads of the early Scotch-Irish pioneers 6:45 p.m. and the presentation at 7 p.m. tralia Hospital chapel conference room, (360) 736- The reigning Miss Lewis County is who settled in the Appalachian Moun- 5394, Facebook page: Lewis County Multiple Scle- Abrielle Sheets, a freshman at Brigham tains. Learned “by ear” and passed on Enter Stillwaters through the Colo- rosis Support Group nial Residence gate off Scammon Creek Young University in Provo, Utah. from generation to generation, the music Road. You can exit out the main gate onto This year’s contestants are Kendra was an important part of the social life of Cooks Hill Road. Guests are welcome. Friday, March 7 Land, Centralia; Amanda Briggs, Pe Ell; the mountains. For more details, call Kristi Nelson, (360) Chloe Curry, Adna; Danika Macomber, Joe is a teller of stories, a fiddler, writ- 748-4203, or Judy Lyon, (360) 245-3999. Church Women United Napavine; Cat Murphy, Chehalis; Katie er and public radio producer. Paula is a Weichel, Winlock; Kaitlin Carney, To- musician and artist whose current work Open mic, 6:30 p.m., Matrix Coffeehouse, Che- to Honor Ceci Birchard ledo; Tressa Coultard, Chehalis; Jodee is inspired by Appalachian and Celtic fid- halis, (360) 740-0492 Hickman, Centralia; Anna DeTray, Che- Women are invited to the Friday, dle tunes such as “Red Haired Boy” and Chris Guenther, 7:30 p.m., PJ’s Pizza, 1232 Alder halis; Kellee Weiner, Centralia; Katie “Sally in the Green Corn.” St., Centralia, (360) 736-0101 March 7, Church Women United meet- Britten, Toledo; and Rachel Mecham, ing to honor Ceci (Hauer) Birchard, Che- For more information, contact the li- “Let’s Grow a Garden,” 10-11:30 a.m., 4162 Jack- Centralia. brary at (360) 748-3301 or visit www.TRL. son Highway, free, (360) 262-0525 halis, who received the national Human Miss Lewis County Scholarship Pro- Rights Award for her church and com- org. gram is an official preliminary to the Public Agencies munity work. Miss Washington and Miss America The meeting is at 1 p.m. at the St. Jo- Winter care of roses, free workshop, sponsored scholarship pageants. This year, the pro- by Lewis County Master Gardeners, 10 a.m., Provi- Lewis County Mental Health Coalition, 10-11:30 seph Catholic Parish Center, 157 SW a.m., Lewis County Public Health building, second- gram celebrates its 52nd year with the dence Place, 350 SE Washington, Chehalis, (360) floor conference room, (360) 740-1430 Sixth St., Chehalis. Refreshments will be Miss America Organization. 740-2792 Reducing Underage Drinking Coalition, 2 p.m., served. Tickets for the pageant are $15 in Games Day, traditional and modern board Lewis County Public Health building, second-floor For more information, call Ann advance or $20 the night of the pageant. games, card games, 1 p.m., Matrix Coffeehouse, Chehalis, (360) 740-0492 conference building, (360) 740-1424 Vanderstoep, (360) 748-8136. They may be purchased at the Centralia- Clay Chambers & the Last Ride, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Each church is asked to bring an offer- Chehalis Chamber of Commerce, 500 ing for blankets or tools. Contact person Scatter Creek Grill, Lucky Eagle Casino, (360) 273- Libraries NW Chamber or Commerce Way, Che- 2000, ext. 301 is Margery Joy Murray, (360) 736-2549 Book Babies, for children birth-24 months, 11 halis, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Club Mom Children’s Clothing Bank and Ex- change, 1-3 p.m., Chehalis First Christian Church, a.m., Centralia Bob Garcia and Melodies Recycled Band, 7-9:30 For additional ticket information, call Family Story Time, for children age 3-third p.m., Twin Cities Senior Center, $5, (360) 262-3041 Amanda Berg, (360) 219-5215 or email 111 NW Prindle St., (360) 269-0587 or (360) 748-3702 grade, 11:45 a.m., Randle Potato and taco salad bar, open to everyone, $7, [email protected].