Bridging the The Mighty C2BL Ridges / Main 3 A Guide to the Toughest League in the State / Sports $1 Early Week Edition Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014 Reaching 110,000 Readers in Print and Online — www.chronline.com Mellen Street Project Big Traffic Changes Coming LIFE, RECONFIGURED: New Mellen Street interchange signal the current exit, so WSDOT is one thing: Get ready for a major urging drivers to be aware of the Northbound Ramp shakeup in your commute. change and prepare to get used Tentatively Opens A new north- to a new traffic flow entirely. INSIDE: bound exit ramp Initial plans called for the Thursday, Remainder to recently-built overpass south of • What’s next? for Mellen Street, Open in Three Weeks Exit 81 at Inter- the current Mellen Street inter- see page 16 change to open at the same time, By Christopher Brewer state 5, is tenta- tively scheduled but crews decided to perform [email protected] to open Thursday, according to some extra work before opening up the entire interchange to the the Washington State Depart- Pete Caster / [email protected] The ever-increasing number public. of construction workers per- ment of Transportation. That Construction workers drill in guard rail posts along the new northbound Inter- forming a variety of jobs at the ramp sits a good deal south of please see TRAFFIC, page Main 16 state 5 Mellen Street of-ramp Aug. 26 in Centralia. Schools Back to School in Tenino Move Toward National Standards COMMON CORE: Teachers Largely Oppose New Federal Requirements By Donna Gordon Blankinship The Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Despite opposition from Washington teachers and their union about new national education stan- dards and the tests that will judge how they are being taught, the state is plowing ahead with its plans to embrace Common Core. Washington adopted the standards for math and English in 2011 and began using them in its public schools the follow- ing school year. This past spring, tests being developed to gauge how well students are learning the new standards were piloted Pete Caster / [email protected] in Washington. Students walk through the hallways of Tenino High School prior to the start of the irst day of class this morning. Tenino is among several local districts beginning classes today. Others, including Lewis County’s largest school district, Centralia, will begin classes Wednesday. please see SCHOOLS, page Main 16 Salvation Army Reaps Harvest in Farm Project's First Year CULTIVATING YOUTH: At-Risk Youth, Volunteers Help Bring in ‘‘We think it’ll get even Haul at Nonprofit's New bigger next year.’’ Venture DeWayne Halstad By Christopher Brewer Salvation Army [email protected] The harvest is plenty for a bles that help our food bank." garden supporting one of the ar- The program, which utilizes ea's largest food bank programs. space the Hub City Commu- The Cultivating Youth Gar- nity Garden once called home, den Program at The Salvation is a continuation of sorts of the Army's office has yielded an former Growing Places Farm, enormous amount of fruits and a program that helped at-risk vegetables in a 2014 that has youth learn a work ethic and benefited growers across Lewis gain education while the youths County. learn how to plant, care for and "I don't have the total num- harvest fruits and vegetables. bers, but Thursday we harvested The Salvation Army has more than 350 pounds of veg- become an administrator of etables," Maj. DeWayne Halstad the program, and partners Christopher Brewer / [email protected] with the Centralia Corps of The with Centralia High School, Sara Vasquez of Centralia picks tomatoes at the Salvation Army Cultivating Youth Farm on Friday in Centralia. Vasquez said Salvation Army said. "It's been a she wanted to volunteer her time to help the Salvation Army harvest the remainder of its crops for the summer. big source of fruits and vegeta- please see HARVEST, page Main 16 The Chronicle, Serving The Greater Weather Stoned Driving Deaths Lewis County Area Since 1889 TONIGHT: Low 49 Will Grose, Ethel Lois, Follow Us on Twitter TOMORROW: High 73 80, Centralia @chronline Mostly sunny Legal Pot see details on page Main 2 Increase Find Us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ Weather picture by Lethon Traffic thecentraliachronicle Fitch, Onalaska Fatalities? / Main 13 Main 2 • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash., Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014 COMMUNITY CALENDAR / WEATHER Community Editor’s Best Bet Tenor Varela to Perform at Centralia College incredible cities and sharing the gift that I love to give the Calendar most — music.” Today Coming off his amazing WHAT’S HAPPENING? climb on NBC’s No. 1 sum- Bingo, Chehalis Moose Lodge, doors open at mer show “America’s Got 4:30 p.m., game starts at 6:30 p.m.; food available, If you have an event you would like Talent” last summer, Varela (360) 736-9030 included in the Community Calendar, has kept a hot pace over the Health and Hope Medical Outreach, free medi- please email your information to past year, highlighted by de- cal clinic, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Northwest Pediatrics, 1911 [email protected]. Include a but performances with the Cooks Hill Road, Centralia, for those whose income daytime telephone number where you National Symphony Orches- is less than 200 percent of the poverty level, (360) can be reached. tra at The Kennedy Center 623-1485 There is no charge for these listings. Community Farmers Market, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., for the Performing Arts in For questions about calendar items, Washington, D.C., Carnegie Boistfort Street, downtown Chehalis, (360) 740- call Doug Blosser at The Chronicle, 1295 or email [email protected] (360) 807-8238. Hall and Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and Public Agencies singing for President Barack Obama at the White House. Chemical Dependency-Mental Health-Thera- Winlock Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Winlock Varela has drawn critical peutic Court Sales Tax Advisory Committee, 2:30 Events Plaza on Kerron Street, (360) 785-4817 p.m., conference room, Lewis County Public Health Steve Brown, noon-1 p.m., Jeremy’s Farm to acclaim while touring the & Social Services Department, (360) 740-1148 Table, 476 W. Main St., Chehalis, (360) 748-4417 world both on his own and Open mic, 6-10 p.m., Jeremy’s Farm to Table, 476 with music legend David W. Main St., Chehalis, (360) 748-4417 Foster. Over the course of Libraries his career, he has performed Tai Chi Qi Gong, for teens and adults, taught by Public Agencies in over 16 fully staged op- Lauren Jessop, 5 p.m., Methodist Church, 203 W. eras, hundreds of concerts Harris St., Oakville Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging and in 31 countries around Advisory Council, 9:30 a.m., LMTAAA Olympia of- fice, 2404 Heritage Court SE, Suite A, Olympia, (360) World-renowned tenor and the world. Organizations 664-3162, ext. 112 “America’s Got Talent” finalist Fer- In 2008, Varela recorded his first NAMI Lewis County educational program, Lewis County Solid Waste Advisory Committee, nando Varela will be kicking off a album “Dare to Live,” followed by 6-7:30 p.m., Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland 1 p.m., large conference room, Lewis County Public nationwide solo tour at Centralia the release of two studio albums Library, (360) 880-8070 or [email protected] Services building, 2025 NE Kresky Ave., Chehalis, College’s Corbet Theatre at 7:30 p.m. in 2012, “Prelude” and “Inspira- Senior Song Birds, 9:50 a.m., Twin Cities Se- (360) 740-1451 tion.” He is currently working on a nior Center, 2545 National Ave., Chehalis, (360) Saturday. Varela’s performance is also the new album that will feature mostly 740-4199 original music. Southwest Washington Mycological Society, 6 Organizations first of the season for Lewis County p.m., WSU Lewis County Extension conference Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 10:15 a.m., Assembly Concerts. Individual concert or season tickets may be purchased by calling room, Lewis County Courthouse, “Early Fall Edi- of God church, 702 SE First St., Winlock “This tour has been a long-time bles,” by Gene Butler, (360) 740-1212 (360) 623-8100 and leaving a mes- Seniors’ Bible study, 10 a.m., Calvary Assembly coming, and I cannot wait to get Centralia Bridge Club, 6:30 p.m., Unity Church, of God, Centralia, (360) 736-6769 or (360) 324-9050 sage. Sharon or Nickole will call you 800 S. Pearl St., Centralia, (360) 748-1753, hraj@lo- Soroptimist International of Lewis County, 5:30 things started,” says Varela. “The back. calaccess.com p.m., contact for location, (360) 748-7860, jwdm- past year has been an exciting Those who prefer to purchase Writer’s Forum, 1-3 p.m., 4162 Jackson Highway, [email protected] whirlwind, and I have been so for- season tickets by mail should visit Chehalis, (360) 262-0525 tunate to gain fans across the nation. www.lewiscountyconcerts.com, Two Town Tuners, 7 p.m., Lewis and Clark Hotel, Support Groups Now, I can visit all these loyal sup- download the 2014-15 season bro- 117 W. Magnolia St., Centralia, (360) 269-8146 or porters and hopefully make some (360) 748-3531 Domestic violence support group, 5:30-7 p.m., chure, fill out the order form and Friends of the Centralia Timberland Library, 6 125 NW Chehalis Ave., Chehalis, sponsored by Hu- new fans singing both tunes that ev- mail it, with check or credit card p.m., joint meeting with Timberland Regional Li- man Response Network, (360) 748-6601 eryone can enjoy and identify with, information, to the address on the brary Board of Trustees plus new music that I hope will brochure.