Photos of the Year The Year in Images From The Chronicle / Life 1 $1 Weekend Edition Saturday, Reaching 110,000 Readers in Print and Online — www.chronline.com Dec. 27, 2014 Ultimate Prize A Gift for Others Centralia Wrestler Seeks Championship Local Girl Turns Birthday Celebration Into After Three State Placings / Sports 1 Large Donation for Animal Shelter / Main 6 Winter Storm The Gift of Cheap Gas Warning Centralia Business Sells $1.99 Gasoline on Christmas Eve Issued for Higher Elevations BOON FOR SOME, HEADACHE FOR OTHERS: 12 to 20 Inches of Snow Could Fall in Mountain Passes By Christopher Brewer [email protected] A weekend winter storm in the Cascade passes could be a late Christmas gift for skiers and snowboarders, but might be a headache for travelers navigat- ing the higher elevations. The National Weather Ser- vice in Seattle has issued a win- ter storm warning that replaces a winter storm watch for the Cascade passes that began late Friday night and ends 6 a.m. Sunday. Forecasters expect 12 to 20 inches to fall in the passes, in- cluding White Pass, with snow becoming heavy at times and possibly impacting travel. Christopher Brewer / [email protected] “We’re looking for the snow Richard Graves, of Winlock, ills up a 55-gallon drum with unleaded gas at the Harrison Super Mart, which sold gas for $1.99 on Christmas Eve. Graves, who said he to develop Friday night, and it was getting gas for forklifts, bought more than $100 worth of gas and saved $45 on his purchase. could become heavy Saturday and Saturday night,” National Weather Service meteorologist PRICE DROP: Harrison Johnny Burg said Friday. “It’ll taper off pretty late Saturday Super Mart Owner night.” in Centralia Lowers please see WEATHER, page Main 16 Price on Christmas Eve as ‘Early Gift’ By Christopher Brewer Chehalis [email protected] Man Arrested Long lines are normal for people doing last-minute shop- ping on Christmas Eve. at Christmas The same was true at a Cen- tralia gas station where drivers Tree Farm filled up at a price not seen in the Hub City for the better part After Chase of a decade. Drivers lined up to fill their By The Chronicle gas tanks at Harrison Super The Lewis County Sheriff’s Mart on Wednesday as the Office arrested a Chehalis man station at the corner of Har- at a Christmas tree farm on rison Avenue and High Street Centralia-Alpha Road on Thurs- dropped its price to $1.99 for day with help from a Thurston that day only. In scenes remi- Cars line up for gas for an advertised $1.99 at Harrison Super Mart in Centralia on Wednesday. Store owner Harry Singh County Sheriff’s Office police niscent of the run on gas sta- said he wanted to lower the price for one day as a Christmas present of sorts to the community. dog. tions during the 1970s oil crisis, Lewis County deputies ar- traffic on Harrison ebbed and rested and booked Emmanuel flowed as drivers jostled to get second time Wednesday, and Graves said he usually buys a second before issuing his reply. Martinez, 22, after he led law en- into position for a spot at the with good reason: he filled a his gas from Harrison Super “Both,” Graves said with a forcement on a pursuit, crashed pump. large 55-gallon drum with fuel Mart as he works in Centralia. laugh . “I’m saving a full tank’s the vehicle he was driving and “We just wanted to do this for forklifts, saving him an esti- Wednesday’s event, dropping worth and every dollar counts.” fled on foot. as an early gift for people on mated $45. 50 cents off an average $2.49 in Gas prices in Washing- He was booked for eluding Christmas,” Harrison Super “I only sat in line for about the Centralia area, saved him ton continue to go down, with and a Washington State Depart- Mart owner Harry Singh said 15-20 minutes, and it’s going to and hundreds of other drivers a AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report tag- ment of Corrections warrant for before pointing out the door. take me longer to fill up than to fair amount of money. ging Washington’s average price at $2.60 per gallon as of escape from community cus- “Hey, there’s a man out there wait,” Graves said as the dollar “This is huge,” Graves said. Friday. That’s down from $2.74 tody. filling up a large drum.” count ticked upward, closing in When asked if he was de- a week ago and $3.08 a month A deputy on patrol near the That man, Richard Graves, on $100. scribing the drum he was using ago. of Winlock, had stopped by “I would have spent $400 if I to fill up or the savings he was please see CHASE, page Main 16 Harrison Super Mart for the had more tanks.” experiencing, Graves waited for please see GAS, page Main 16 The Chronicle, Serving The Greater Weather Controversial Film Deaths Lewis County Area Since 1889 TONIGHT: Low 35 ‘The Panco, Lawrence “Bud,” Follow Us on Twitter TOMORROW: High 44 85, Packwood @chronline Showers likely Interview’ Kaiser, Marie L., 91, see details on page Main 2 Not Centralia Find Us on Facebook Showing Crocker, Marian E., 90, www.facebook.com/ Weather picture by Megan Rochester thecentraliachronicle Grandorff, Oakville in Lewis Jaqua, Clinton LeRoy, 91, County Centralia / Main 3 Main 2 • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash., Saturday, Dec. 27, 2014 COMMUNITY CALENDAR / WEATHER Editor’s Best Bet Community Last Chance to See Fort Borst Park Lights The presents are unwrapped, the tomorrow. holiday meal has been consumed and The drive-through display costs many of our family and friends have just $3 per car, or $2 with the dona- returned to their homes after another tions of a can of food or a toy. Christmas came to an end. It’s open from 5 to 9 p.m. Satur- Calendar That doesn’t mean the festivities day and Sunday. On Saturday, the have to be over, though. course will be open to those on foot The Fort Borst Christmas Light only for the first hour. Display will remain open today and WHAT’S HAPPENING? If you have an event you would like included in the Community Calendar, please email your information to [email protected]. Include a daytime telephone number where you can be reached. There is no charge for these listings. For questions about calendar items, call Doug Blosser at The Chronicle, (360) 807-8238. Pete Caster / [email protected] Cars line the road that circles the park at the Fort Borst Park Christmas Lights on Monday evening in Centralia. Over 250 cars drove through the assortment of lighted holiday displays on Monday evening and organizers said that over 5,300 people have seen the lights since the displays opened last week. Today Tuesday, Dec. 30 Club Mom Children’s Clothing Bank and Ex- Bingo, Chehalis Moose Lodge, doors open at change, 1-3 p.m., Chehalis First Christian Church, 4:30 p.m., game starts at 6:30 p.m., food available, 111 NW Prindle St., (360) 269-0587 or (360) 748-3702 (360) 736-9030 Soul Siren, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Scatter Creek Grill, Health and Hope Medical Outreach, free medi- Lucky Eagle Casino, 21 and up, (360) 273-2000, ext. cal clinic, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Northwest Pediatrics, 1911 301 Cooks Hill Road, Centralia, for those whose income Joe Baque, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Jeremy’s Farm to Ta- is less than 200 percent of the poverty level, (360) ble, 576 Main St., Chehalis, (360) 748-4417 623-1485 Sunday, Dec. 28 Public Agencies Lewis County PUD Commission, 9 a.m., 124 Bingo, doors open 5 p.m., bingo starts 6:30 p.m., Habein Road, Chehalis, (360) 748-9261 or (800) Forest Grange, 3397 Jackson Highway, Chehalis 562-5612 Community meal, 1-3 p.m., Rotary Riverside Park, Centralia, free, sponsored by Jesus Name Pentecostal Church, Chehalis, (360) 623-9438 Libraries Pizza and Books, for teens, 4 p.m., Centralia A car drives through the exit gate of the Fort Borst Park Christmas Lights on Monday evening Monday, Dec. 29 in Centralia. Organizations Burger Night, 5-7:30 p.m., Centralia Eagles, quar- ter-pound hamburgers, $1.50, other menu items, Senior Song Birds, 9:50 a.m., Twin Cities Se- (360) 736-1146 nior Center, 2545 National Ave., Chehalis, (360) Cow sorting and pro-cutter flag, 6 p.m., Happy 740-4199 Trails Arena, 1489 U.S. Highway 12, Ethel, $20 per Pool tournament, 1 p.m., Twin Cities Senior Cen- rider, (360) 978-6040 or happytrailsarena@gmail. ter, (360) 748-0061 com Music, 11 a.m., Twin Cities Senior Center, (360) Free community dinner, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Centra- 748-0061 lia United Methodist Church, 506 S. Washington Centralia Bridge Club, 6:30 p.m., Unity Church, Ave., Centralia, (360) 736-7311 800 S. Pearl St., Centralia, (360) 748-1753, hraj@lo- calaccess.com Two Town Tuners, 7 p.m., Lewis and Clark Hotel, Public Agencies 117 W. Magnolia St., Centralia, (360) 269-8146 or Lewis County Commission, 10 a.m., BOCC board (360) 748-3521 room, second floor, Lewis County Courthouse, Tuesday Quilting Rebels, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Oakview agenda available at http://goo.gl/agwWM, (360) Grange, 2715 N. Pearl St., Centralia, (360) 736-4671 740 -1120 Support Groups Organizations NAMI Lewis County Connections Support Centralia Bridge Club, noon, Unity Church, 800 Group, 5:30-7 p.m., Twin Cities Senior Center, (360) S.