Chehalis Man Doesn't Wait for Weather to Bring Snow
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Pickleball Frigid Tradition Gains Traction Kayakers Tackle Cispus River on New Year’s Day / Main 4 at Sports Hub / Life $1 Weekend Edition Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015 Reaching 110,000 Readers in Print and Online — www.chronline.com Happy Arrival Emergency Calls Providence Centralia Hospital Brings Reporter Spends a Few Hours With First Babies of the New Year / Main 12 911 Call Center to Ring in 2015 / Main 11 Chehalis Man Doesn’t Wait Victor Khvorof stands on his property along the Cowlitz River. for Weather to Bring Snow Judge Approves WSDOT’s Seizure of Randle Man’s Property FLOODING CONCERNS: State Taking Man’s Property to Protect Highway From Encroaching River By Dameon Pesanti Dameon Pesanti / [email protected] Although it's been nothing but rain in Chehalis this winter, Tuesday night's temperatures were low enough for Jerry Cunning to produce some homemade snow. [email protected] Judge Nelson Hunt ruled Fri- day the Washington State De- SNOW DAYS: Jerry partment of Transportation can condemn property belonging to Cunning Uses Randle rancher Victor Khvoroff Homemade Snow to protect a part of the highway being threatened by the Cowlitz Maker to Build Winter River. Wonderland in Back In the court hearing, Khvo- roff represented himself against Yard a lawyer from the Attorney Gen- By Dameon Pesanti eral’s Office who represented WSDOT. Khvoroff’s wife sat in [email protected] the courtroom across the aisle You might say Jerry Cun- from a team of other Attorney ning’s yard is having an iden- General’s Office staffers and tity crisis. As with the rest of WSDOT officials. the neighborhood, the grass at please see PROPERTY, page Main 14 the front of Cunnings house is green and manicured, but the facade ends at his privacy fence. From top to bottom, Cun- ning’s back yard looks like it Flu Virus Not just survived a powerful winter storm. Widespread in In some sense, it has. It’s been a snow-free winter Lewis County in Chehalis so far, but the recent cold weather made conditions Julian and Charlie Komisky wait while their grandfather, Jerry Cunning, shapes a sledding hill that he built out of home- just right for Cunning to power EPIDEMIC: Washington Flu made snow in Chehalis. up his homemade snow maker. Cases Tracking Behind “A few years ago I heard of the system to work properly, National Statistics this teenager in Oregon who made his own snow, so I thought and Tuesday’s frigid overnight By Dameon Pesanti I’d give it a try,” he said. temperatures were perfect. “You can even control how [email protected] Since he first started making snow five years ago, it took a wet or dry you want it,” he said. Around the country, this couple prototypes to dial in the Starting at about 7 p.m., year’s flu season is off to a par- process, but it appears Cunning he piled up a few straw bales ticularly nasty start. has found the sweet spot. for a sledding hill and left the Lewis County is still in pret- With a few feet of PVC pipe, system running overnight. He ty good shape, but that doesn’t some hoses, spray nozzles and a awoke to several inches of fresh mean it’s immune from a rough pressure washer to power it all, snow throughout the yard. season. Cunning is able to turn his back Now his grandchildren, The flu has moved into 12-year-old Julia and 9-year- Washington state, but no one yard into a winter playground in just a few hours. It has to Charlie Komisky sleds through his grandfather Jerry Cunning's yard on Cun- please see FLU, page Main 14 be to 28 degrees or colder for please see SNOW, page Main 14 ning's homemade snow. The Chronicle, Serving The Greater Weather Not Retiring Deaths Lewis County Area Since 1889 TONIGHT: Low 38 Lewis County Engen, John Bruce, 75, Follow Us on Twitter TOMORROW: High 46 Commission Seattle @chronline Rain likely Hires Outgoing Root, Kenneth Day, 66, see details on page Main 2 Silver Creek Find Us on Facebook Sheriff to Lead Larson, Naomi Fay, 83, www.facebook.com/ Weather picture by Fernando Emergency Centralia thecentraliachronicle Ojeda, Mossyrock Management / Main 6 Main 2 The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash., Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015 COMMUNITY CALENDAR / WEATHER Community Calendar Today WHAT’S HAPPENING? Dancing, Country Four, 7-10 p.m., South Union Grange, 10030 Tilley Road S., Olympia, (360) If you have an event you would like 352-2135 included in the Community Calendar, Broken Trail, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Scatter Creek Grill, please email your information to Lucky Eagle Casino, 21 and up, (360) 273-2000, ext. [email protected]. Include a 301 daytime telephone number where you Jacob Weber, 7-9 p.m., Jeremy’s Farm to Table, can be reached. 576 Main St., Chehalis, (360) 748-4417 There is no charge for these listings. “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” 7 p.m., Roxy Theater, For questions about calendar items, Editor’s Best Bet Morton, PG-13, $8 adults, $7 children, students, se- call Doug Blosser at The Chronicle, niors, (360) 496-5599 (360) 807-8238. Cow Sorting at Happy Trails Arena Organizations Venture out of the city and The events begin at 6 p.m. Disabled American Veterans, 1 p.m., American Cities Senior Center, (360) 807-4733 down U.S. Highway 12 to the at the arena, which is located at Legion building, 111 W. Main St., Centralia, (360) Pinochle, 6 p.m., Chehalis Eagles, 1993 S. Market Happy Trails Arena for an event 1489 U.S. Highway 12. Attendees 245-3357 or (360) 262-9360 Blvd, Chehalis, (360) 520-0772 you’ve likely never seen. can take part in the event for $20 The weekly cow sorting and per rider. pro-cutter flag competitions Call (360) 978-6040 or e- Sunday, Jan. 4 Tuesday, Jan. 6 take place weekly, and include mail happytrailsarena@gmail. Bingo, doors open 5 p.m., bingo starts 6:30 p.m., Bingo, Chehalis Moose Lodge, doors open at horse riders of all ages and expe- com for additional information. Forest Grange, 3397 Jackson Highway, Chehalis 4:30 p.m., game starts at 6:30 p.m.; food available, rience levels. Dancing, Jack & the Roadrunners, 1:30-4:30 (360) 736-9030 p.m., Swede Hall, Rochester, (360) 807-1761, (360) Health and Hope Medical Outreach, free medi- 520-6518 cal clinic, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Northwest Pediatrics, 1911 Cooks Hill Road, Centralia, for those whose income Community meal, 1-3 p.m., Rotary Riverside www.facebook.com/chehalismops Park, Centralia, free, sponsored by Jesus Name is less than 200 percent of the poverty level, (360) Support Groups Pentecostal Church, Chehalis, (360) 623-9438 623-1485 NAMI Lewis County Connections Support Group, 5:30-7 p.m., Twin Cities Senior Center, (360) Domestic violence support group, 5:30-7 p.m., 880-8070 or [email protected] 125 NW Chehalis Ave., Chehalis, sponsored by Hu- Organizations Public Agencies Al-Anon, Fellowship in Unity, 6 p.m., Unity Cen- man Response Network, (360) 748-6601 ter, 800 S. Pearl St., Centralia, (360) 736-8104 or NAMI daytime family support group, for fam- Chemical Dependency-Mental Health-Thera- Men’s Fraternity, 6-7:30 p.m., Dayspring Baptist (360) 736-6439 ily members of those suffering from mental illness, peutic Court Sales Tax Advisory Committee, 2:30 Church, 2088 Jackson Highway, Chehalis, (360) noon-1 p.m., upstairs, Fiddlers Coffee, 1220 Mellen 748-3401 or email [email protected] p.m., conference room, Lewis County Public Health Life Recovery Group, 7-8 p.m., Dayspring Bap- & Social Services Department, (360) 740-1148 tist Church, 2088 Jackson Highway, Chehalis, (360) St., Centralia, (253) 273-6035 Lewis County PUD Commission, 9 a.m., 240 Sev- 748-3401 Monday, Jan. 5 enth St., Morton, (360) 748-9261 or (800) 562-5612 Thursday, Jan. 8 Burger Night, 5-7:30 p.m., Centralia Eagles, quar- Libraries Wednesday, Jan. 7 ter-pound hamburgers, $1.50, other menu items, Construction Night, all ages, 5 p.m., Winlock (360) 736-1146 Bingo, doors open 5 p.m., bingo starts 6:30 p.m., Library Manager to Speak Forest Grange, 3397 Jackson Highway, Chehalis “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” 7 p.m., Roxy Theater, Organizations Morton, PG-13, $7 adults, $6 children, students, se- Taco Night, 6-8 p.m., Centralia Eagles, hard-shell at AAUW Meeting NAMI Lewis County educational program, tacos, two for $1, other menu items, (360) 736-1146 niors, (360) 496-5599 6-7:30 p.m., Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland Corine Aiken, manager of the Vernet- Library, (360) 880-8070 or [email protected] Games Night, 5:30-9 p.m., Matrix Coffeehouse, Chehalis, free, (360) 740-0492 ta Smith Chehalis Timberland Library, Senior Song Birds, 9:50 a.m., Twin Cities Se- will be the featured speaker at the Ameri- Public Agencies nior Center, 2545 National Ave., Chehalis, (360) Open mic, 6-10 p.m., Jeremy’s Farm to Table, 476 W. Main St., Chehalis, (360) 748-4417 Lewis County Commission, 10 a.m., BOCC board 740-4199 can Association of University Women room, second floor, Lewis County Courthouse, Southwest Washington Mycological Society, 6 meeting Thursday. agenda available at http://goo.gl/agwWM, (360) p.m., WSU Lewis County Extension conference Public Agencies The meeting will be at 6:45 p.m. at 740 -1120 room, Lewis County Courthouse, (360) 740-1212 Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging The Gathering Place, Stillwaters Estates, Lewis County Community Network Board, 3:30- Centralia Bridge Club, 6:30 p.m., Unity Church, Advisory Council, 9:30 a.m., LMTAAA Olympia of- 2899 Cooks Hill Road, Centralia.