$1 Weekend Edition Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012 Reaching 110,000 Readers in Print and Online — www.chronline.com Future of Maple Lane A Friendly Family Tradition Still Uncertain / Main 3 Sisters Bond Over Common Experience as Little Miss Friendly / Main 16 Erosion on the Chehalis River The River Draws Closer Landowners Stuck as Agencies Search for a Fix for a Problem That Has Claimed More Than Just Riverbanks By Kyle Spurr [email protected] CURTIS — On quiet nights, Michelle Matchett can hear chunks of riverbank crumble into the Chehalis River behind her house on Ceres Hill Road. Matchett, who moved into her house four years ago, listens to the soil give way and worries about her home, which is now just 25 feet from a steep cliff that acts as the border between her property and the river. “I just know it’s going to go eventually,” Matchett said of her riverfront home. As the dirt splashes straight into the river, the noise reminds Matchett of the growing danger of erosion that some say contrib- uted to her 8-year-old son Nicky Matchett’s drowning death three months ago. Nicky was last seen on May 4, swinging on the back deck of the house, when his mother went inside for no more than five minutes, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. He is believed to have fallen off the edge of the yard and into the Pete Caster / [email protected] river. Above: A Lewis County worker stands on a dirt clif over looking the Chehalis River at the Ceres Hill Road bridge on Monday west of Adna. The crumbling river bank is “I would have had a fence up if being armored against further erosion by the river. I knew,” Matchett said. “But it’s Top Right: Eight-year-old Nicholas Matchett is pictured at the beach in this photograph provided by his family. He died in May after falling into the Chehalis River at his a little bit too late. I just wish I family’s Ceres Hill Road home, where the river is eroding away the bank. could have changed something.” property. Each answer Matchett re- No One Is in Charge Matchett, who lives with her ceives is the same. “It’s a little bit too late. I just wish I could have Like many other people liv- 12-year-old daughter and a fam- Nobody is in charge, no ing along rivers in Lewis County, ily friend, said she has contacted grants are available and the cost changed something.” Matchett, 44, is at a loss for an- local fisheries, the governor's of- is too high for projects, which fice, the U.S. Army Corp of En- have no guarantee of succeeding. swers from local, state and fed- Michelle Matchett eral agencies on how to halt the gineers and she even wrote a let- mother of boy who fell into river and drowned winding river from eroding her ter to President Barack Obama. please see RIVER, page Main 12 Start Your Engines Would You Jon Hubbert Ready for Today’s Miller 200 / Sports 1 Adopt This Cat? / Main 5 Accused Child Rapist Claims Innocence/ Main 3 Fix in the Works The Chronicle, Serving The Greater Weather Deaths Lewis County Area Since 1889 Keeney, Dennis W, 60, Follow Us on Twitter TONIGHT: Low 56 Centralia Rock Springs, Wyo. @chronline TOMORROW: High 89 City Light Land, Robert G., 60, Sunny Onalaska see details on page Main 2 Crews Find Us on Facebook Attempt Edwards, Virginia A., 69, www.facebook.com/ Centralia thecentraliachronicle Weather picture by Caitlin to Repair Buresh, Dorothy L., 94, Berg, second grade, Onalaska Centralia Elementary School Sinkhole / Main 6 Main 2 The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash., Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012 COMMUNITY CALENDAR / WEATHER Community Calendar Editor’s Best Bet Saturday, Aug. 4 Students provide their own acoustic guitar. The class fee is $79, and a $30 materials fee is AirFair Brings the Magic payable to the instructor at the of Flight to Chehalis workshop for the “Learn to Play Guitar in a Day!” book and the AirFair 2012 will be at the Snark clip-on electronic tuner. Chehalis-Centralia Airport To register, call 736-9391, ex- from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m Saturday, tensions 483 or 427. Aug. 4. Activities will include an More information is avail- open house, airplane displays, able at http://www.centralia.edu/ EAA Young Eagle flights (kids academics/cont-ed/Documents/ 8-7 fly free) and biplane rides. CE_Brochure.pdf This event is part of the Che- halis Planes, Trains & Automo- The Chronicle, file photo biles festival. ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Members of Sandy Crews’ Power of the Purse team meets with her Power of the Purse “Pod” group for refreshments and socializing. From left are Rosemary Coming to Roxy Stage Reeves, Stacey Gracen, VanRooy, Crews and Patty Alvord. Power of the Purse is a P.E.O. to Sponsor 5k Centralia College East and collaboration of women from all walks of life and all women in Lewis County are Walk/Run the Fire Mountain Arts Council invited to attend the event. More information is available by calling United Way are presenting “The Wizard of of Lewis County at 748-8100 or visiting www.lewiscountyuw.com. P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educa- Oz” Aug. 4, 5, 7, 8, 11 and 12 at tional Organization) Chapter JE, the Roxy Theater in Morton. Chehalis, will present the second The performances on Aug. 4, Women to Gather for Power of the Purse annual Take Strides for Educa- 7, 8 and 11 will be at 7 p.m. the The seventh annual Power ership and success in this com- tion 5k walk/run in Adna Satur- Aug. 5 and 12 performances will of the Purse will be held at 4:30 munity. day, Aug. 4. be at 2 p.m. p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7, at River- There will be socializing, Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. Advance tickets, $10 for side Golf Club, Chehalis. networking, a fashion show and Start times are 8:30 a.m. for run- adults and $5 for children, are Celebrating the power of raffles. You might walk away ners and 8:45 a.m. for walkers. available at CC East, 701 Airport women’s philanthropy, Power with a new designer purse just The course is wheelchair-acces- Way, BCJ Gallery, adjacent to the of the Purse is a collaboration for attending. sible and stroller-friendly. Dogs the Roxy, in Morton. Tickets are of women coming together to Power of the Purse is spon- are allowed, but must remain on the door are $11 for adults and acknowledge and commemorate sored by Port Blakely Tree Farm their leashes at all times. $6 for children. the importance of women’s lead- and Debbie’s Boutique. P.E.O. is a national non- More information is avail- profit organization that provides able at www.centralia.edu/cce/oz educational assistance for the advancement of women. More information on the Twitter at T90Market More information is avail- Truck Show Coming to event can be found at http:// Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, regular blitztransport.com/ATH- excursion steam train rides, 10 a.m., able at the organization’s Face- SWW Fairgrounds 12:45 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., steam train ride book site. To request a registra- S2011Truckshow1.html with barbecue at lake, 3:30 p.m., trains tion form, email kristieb68@ The American Truck His- depart from Elbe depot and gift shop, gmail.com. torical Society will hold its 17th 1-888.STEAM.11 or www.mrsr.org annual show Saturday, Aug. 4, at Centralia Class of 1972 Movie, “Derby, Baby!,” presented by the Southwest Washington Fair- to Meet for Reunion Rainy City Roller Dolls, 7 p.m., Matrix Learn to Play the Guitar grounds. Coffeehouse, Chehalis, pre-sale tickets The show is open to the pub- The Centralia High School $9, http://www.brownpapertickets.com, in a Day Class of 1972 will finish its class $10 at door, 740-0492 lic with no admission charge. Chehalis-Centralia Railroad, coach California resident Marlene Trucks will be on display reunion today. trains, excursion to Milburn, 1 and 3 p.m., Hutchinson will again be offer- from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Trucks Class members will get to- 1.25 hours, 1101 Sylvenus St., Chehalis, ing her “Learn to Play Guitar in may be entered in the show for a gether tonight at Dick’s Brew- 748-9593, www.steamtrainride.com a Day” workshop at Centralia $5 entry fee per fleet. ery from 5 to 9 p.m. The cost Book sale, Friends of the Centralia College. It will be 10 a.m. to 3 In connection with the show, for this event is $10 person, and Timberland Library, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Cen- tralia Timberland Library, 110 S. Silver St., p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. the Washington State Trucking can be paid at that time. Other Centralia The workshop is designed Association Championship Driv- information is available at www. for busy adults who would like ing Competition will be 7 a.m. to 7 chstigersclassof72.blogspot.com Senior Centers to play guitar but do not have p.m. The Washington State Patrol Twin Cities Senior Center, 748-0061 time for weekly lessons. Students will be judging highly skilled truck Community Farmers Market, 10 a.m.- Pancake breakfast, 7:30-10 p.m., Twin will learn basic chords, simple drivers in the grandstand arena. 3 p.m., Pearl and Maple streets, Centralia, Cities Senior Center, 748-0061 740-1212 or www.communityfarmers- Morton Senior Center, 496-3230 strumming and picking patterns, A dunk tank, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., market.net play familiar songs, tuning tech- will serve as a charity event for Breakfast, all-you-can-eat meal, Tenino Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-3 8-10:30 a.m., $5, Morton Senior Center, niques, guitar care, music theory, Chris Pedrazzetti, who was par- p.m., Tenino Elementary School, visit 496-3230 music resources, tablature, per- alyzed in a shooting accident in www.teninofarmersmarket.org, on formance skills and more.