Serving our communities since 1889 — www.chronline.com $1.75 Bus Stop Weekend Edition Dedicated Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 to Transit Advocate / Main 2 Body Armor for K9 Pax Mossyrock Homicide Centralia Police Department Dog Given New Man Pleads Not Guilty After Death Protection Against Guns and Knives / Main 3 of Woman Who Overdosed / Main 4 Slots Tackling Recovery and Redemption Full for Centralia Senior Goes From Troubled Past to Promising Future County’s Largest COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Yet SHOTS: 1,200 Doses to Be Administered Sunday at Fairgrounds Drive- Through Event By Claudia Yaw [email protected] In the county’s largest one- off COVID-19 vaccination event yet, public health officials will partner with Providence in a drive-through clinic at the Southwest Washington Fair- grounds this Sunday. The hope is to vaccinate over 1,200 people, hopefully capturing the last of the 1A category and moving into the 1B Jared Wenzelburger / [email protected] phase. Santos Lafferty smiles as he looks on with his hand on a sled Thursday afternoon at Tiger Stadium in Centralia. “To vac- cinate 1,200- plus people FINDING A WAY: Santos Lafferty, It’s a Tuesday morning in mid-January Now, he’s on the cusp of graduating high on Sunday, it’s and Santos Lafferty has just left his friend school with aspirations of attending college. going to be an 18, Who Spent His Childhood Bayden Teitzel’s house after eating break- Lafferty’s troubles began bubbling in Chris Thomas exciting time,” Collecting Criminal Convictions, fast with Tietzel’s family. It’s already six middle school. He grew up without a father Providence Providence hours after he began a 5 a.m. workout ses- figure in his life — making it harder for him spokesman spokesman Now Has Over Two Years sion as he prepares for his senior season of to learn right from wrong and how to con- Chris Thomas said Thursday. of Sobriety With Hopes football at Centralia. trol his anger. He met friends through sports, The county worked last week to Just two years ago, Lafferty never would but parents didn’t want their kids hanging prepare the fairgrounds, and all of Attending College have imagined he’d be where he’s at right around him. No one believed in him, which appointments for the event have now. Back then, he was going to parties, made it difficult to believe in himself. been claimed after a mass call to By Eric Trent skipping school, catching charges, getting health care providers went out [email protected] into fights and battling a drug addiction. please see REDEMPTION, page Main 9 Wednesday. “That email went out, I be- lieve, at 8:30. And all the slots were filled by that afternoon,” Authority Affirms Support for Basinwide Flooding, Aquatic Species Plan he said. “So that shows the need.” By The Chronicle staff the body and signed by Chair deen, Cosmopolis, Montesano, the Chehalis Basin Strategy, a please see VACCINE, page Main 9 The Chehalis River Basin Vickie Raines and Vice Chair Oakville, Bucoda, Centralia, broad and wide-ranging plan Flood Authority on Thursday Edna Fund. Chehalis, Napavine, Pe Ell and aimed at reducing catastrophic Follow Us on Twitter reaffirmed its support for a The move comes after gov- others — approved similar res- flooding and restoring aquatic species that includes a dam on @chronline basinwide solution to flooding ernments throughout the ba- olutions last year. and aquatic species restoration sin — including Lewis County, The move advances the Find Us on Facebook with a resolution approved by Grays Harbor County, Aber- Flood Authority’s support of please see PLAN, page Main 9 www.facebook.com/the- centraliachronicle Painting in the Pandemic Student Achievement Initiative Deaths Subscriber mailing label below this line Local Chehalis Vetter, John Frederick, 79, Toledo Woman School Vetter, Margaret Marry, Learns New District 77, Toledo Skills and Reaches Mickey, Robert Phillip, 88, Now Sells Lofty Toledo Paintings Goals / B1 / Main 10 UP TO 50% Off Retail Prices Over A Thousand Surplus Windows In Stock! Sold At Dealer Cost Or Below! SIZE BUILDER In Stock BARN 3 X 2 $115 25 oz. Carpet 4 X 3 $145 4 colors 4 X 4 $160 100% BCF PET Polyester 5 X 4 $175 Laminate 6 X 4 $200 Starting as low as 89¢ $7.92 88¢ sq. ft. The Chronicle, sq. yd. sq. ft. Serving the Greater Lewis County Area Since 1889 6525 196th St. SW, Rochester • 360-273-6903 • 800-600-6903 CH609165rc.cg Open 8am-6pm 7 Days a Week Our Products — Always New; Never Used *All pictures for illustration purposes only Main 2 • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash., Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 LOCAL Twin Transit Dedicates Bus Stop to Longtime Advocate By The Chronicle staff On Thursday, a new Twin Transit bus stop on Market Bou- levard in Chehalis was dedicat- ed to longtime transportation activist Jean Farigrieve, who was instrumental in making the bus and transportation service a reality in Lewis County. Employees of Twin Transit, County Commissioner Sean Swope and Chehalis City Man- ager Jill Anderson met Fair- grieve at the bus stop to present her with flowers and show her the plaque that was cemented into the ground next to the bus stop. The new covered bus stop was recently completed. The shoulder of the road was wid- ened so buses can pull over and not block traffic. “You’re a blessing to our com- munity. This small recognition doesn’t speak to all that you’ve done,” Joe Clark, executive di- rector of Twin Transit, said to Fairgrieve. At the Chehalis bus stop, Fairgrieve recalled assembling a group of citizens in the early 1970s who began advocating for a reliable public transporta- tion system. Back then, the bus system in Lewis County was Jared Wenzelburger / [email protected] operated by a man in Olympia From left to right, Chehalis City Manager Jill Anderson, Twin Transit Community Relations Director Andrea Culletto, Twin Transit Executive Director Joe Clark, Jean Fair- who one day decided to stop grieve, and Lewis County Commissioner Sean Swope pose in front of a bus stop that was dedicated to Fairgrieve in Chehalis on Thursday afternoon. the service. Fairgrieve said she was waiting at the bus stop one day, ready to run some errands, when the bus never came. In about 1971, Fairgrieve and a citizens committee start- ed gathering signatures on petitions, contacting the state Department of Transporta- tion and collecting data from frequent bus riders in an effort to bring the bus back or start something new. She found out that the county was required to form public transit to transport seniors to and from the senior center in order to receive fund- ing. The public transportation measure was put on the ballot in 1976. It passed and Twin Transit A plaque is seen during a dedication ceremony for Jean Fairgrieve and a newly Jean Fairgrieve tells stories involving bus routes in Chehalis in front of a newly was born. installed bus stop along South Market Boulevard in Chehalis on Thursday. installed bus stop dedicated to her along South Market Boulevard on Thursday. News in Brief step-by-step instructions. not be able to raid those funds is a loan,” said Abbarno. “This and do not count. New Features Added during challenging budget years, would create a grant program Nearly half of Washington’s to VoteWA Website Ballot status: as they have in the past,” Abbar- large enough that would truly registered voters participated in no said in the press release. “It ignite growth, economic devel- the 2020 presidential primary for Upcoming • Select “My ballot” then is focused on larger projects up opment, and important jobs.” — an all-time high — however, Special Election “Ballot status” to see if your bal- to $10 million that would help A public hearing is scheduled the election drew criticism from lot has been received in the of- create economic growth, such for 10 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 27, voters who objected to affiliat- By The Chronicle staff fice and accepted for tabulation. as sewer, water, stormwater, re- in the House Community and ing with a political party in or- An online voters’ guide, voter cycling facilities, broadband and Economic Development Com- der to participate. registration status, ballot sta- Replacement ballot: other vital infrastructure.” mittee. In addition, ballot-rejection tus and instructions on how to Abbarno, who previously For more information, visit rates are higher for presiden- obtain a replacement ballot are • For a replacement ballot, select “My Ballot” then “On- served on the Centralia City leg.wa.gov/House/Committees/ tial primaries: 4% for last year’s four new features added to the Council, says rural communi- CED/Pages/default.aspx. presidential primary vs. 0.8% VoteWa web- line Ballot.” The ballot can be marked online and then printed, ties are facing aging and crum- for the general election. That’s Election site in response bling infrastructure, and are mainly due to voters refusing to to the Feb. 9 or printed first and marked by Bill Provides Voters hand. A declaration will also hard-pressed to find the money disclose their party affiliation special elec- to address their needs. ‘Unaffiliated’ Option on their ballot. 2021 tion. print, which the voter must sign and return with their bal- “Our smaller local govern- This option was available Lewis ments are also at a disadvan- During Presidential during the 1996 and 2000 County does lot. The ballot envelope must be postmarked by Election Day or tage when trying to prepare for Primaries presidential primaries yet was not produce growth in their communities,” removed by the Legislature in a local voters’ in a ballot drop box by 8 p.m.