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The three-story, hoop roof barn at 423 Newaukum Valley Road in Chehalis was one of the first things about the property that caught Mary Verner’s eye when she purchased it six and a half years ago.

A former mayor of Spokane, Verner moved to Chehalis after she was hired as the administrative services director and chief financial officer for the City of Olympia in 2017.

“I fell in love with the barn,” Verner said Thursday. “There are other fascinating buildings here on the property too, (but) that’s the oldest one.”

Built by a member of the Hamilton family in 1929 at a cost of $2,500, the barn was owned and used by three or four generations of the Gleason family, who farmed on the property. It is now called “Maggie’s Farm.”

The Hamiltons and Gleasons were early settlers of Lewis County, with the Gleasons moving to the Newaukum Valley Road farm in 1908, according to Verner’s research.

“This is family history here: In addition to being a cool building … it’s Lewis County’s history,” Verner said.

Since purchasing the property, Verner has made it her mission to collect as much information as she can about the historic barn and keep it standing for future generations.

“When we first moved here, my daughter was hoping to turn it into a venue … But as I face the reality of all the structural damage, my goal became preservation. I just want to preserve it,” Vener said. “If I can also restore it, that would be great, but it’s costing a lot just to preserve it and keep it standing.”

The barn is one of at least nine designated heritage barns in Lewis County, defined by the state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation as a large agricultural outbuilding over 50 years old that has maintained “historical significance and integrity.”

The state Heritage Barn Register was established in 2007 “to specifically recognize agricultural resources in the state,” the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation states on its website.

While working on preserving the barn, Verner has also reconnected with living members of the Hamilton and Gleason families and invited them to visit the property.

She spoke with one of the Hamiltons, who is now in his 90s, about his experience living on the farm when the barn went up. She also invited several younger Gleasons to visit the property.

“They actually took some of the (farm)  records, because they’re handwritten by their great-grandfather,” Verner said. “It was a treasure of little things that mean something to the Gleasons.”

Other items cleaned out from the barn have been donated to the Lewis County Historical Museum or sold to pay for repairs to the roof. Some, including a decades-old egg washing machine and a wooden cart specifically built for road repairs, are still in the barn.

With a small state heritage barn grant and a generous amount of donated materials and volunteer labor, Verner has made some emergency structural repairs to the barn and redone half of the roof. But her work on the barn is far from finished.

“I just keep a constant list … Once in a while I get to take something off,” Verner said.

The most pressing projects are to replace the other half of the barn’s roof and add more bracing to the roof to prevent it from collapsing.

“It’s a commitment. I didn’t expect that, but the more I learn about it, the more I’m committed to it.”

Verner encourages anyone interested in donating money, materials or volunteer time to her preservation effort to email her at vernermaryb@gmail.com. 

• JULIE LORRAINE PATTON, 65, Rochester, died April 22 at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. Arrangements are under the care of Funeral Alternatives of Washington.

CENTRALIA POLICE DEPARTMENT

Vehicle accidents

• A minor, non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported in the 500 block of Centralia College Boulevard at approximately 9:30 a.m. on April 24.

• A single-vehicle collision was reported in the 1200 block of Scammon Creek Road just after 12:20 p.m. on April 25 after a driver swerved to avoid colliding with a deer and left the roadway, colliding with a large water line. The driver reported a minor injury to his nose from the airbag deploying. A Centralia Water Department employee was called out to assess the damage to the water pipe and shut off the main supply line to the pipe.

• A non-injury, single-vehicle collision was reported in the 3400 block of Galvin Road just after 3:45 p.m. on April 25. The driver oversteered and struck a stop sign.

• A minor-injury, single-vehicle collision was reported in the 900 block of Old Airport Road just after 5:10 p.m. on April 25. The driver was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries after they hit a cement barrier on a dead-end roadway.

Hit-and-run

• A hit-and-run reported in the 3200 block of Galvin Road just before 2:45 p.m. on April 25 is under investigation.

Traffic problem

• Officers assisted with traffic control after a semi broke down at the intersection of Harrison and Belmont avenues just after 12:10 p.m. on April 24.

Theft

• A theft reported in the 1500 block of Harrison Avenue just before 1:35 p.m. on April 24 is under investigation.

• Gas was reported stolen from the 1000 block of South Gold Street just before 4:45 p.m. on April 24.

• A 37-year-old Centralia man was arrested for stealing beer from a convenience store in the 900 block of Harrison Avenue just before 2:15 p.m. on April 25.

• Fraud reported in the 700 block of Harrison Avenue just after 2:40 p.m. on April 25 is under investigation.

Counterfeiting

• A report of counterfeit money being passed in the 100 block of Benjamin Street just before 2:30 p.m. on April 25 is under investigation.

Disorderly conduct

• A disorderly parent was asked to leave a baseball game in the 800 block of Johnson Road just after 7:10 p.m. on April 24. The parent reportedly refused to leave until the police were called. “The parent had gathered his children and was leaving when police arrived,” according to the Centralia Police Department.

Harassment

• A 52-year-old homeless Centralia man was arrested at the intersection of East Chestnut and South Gold streets at approximately 8:50 p.m. on April 24 for threatening to rape and kill someone.

Criminal trespass

• A 35-year-old homeless Centralia man was arrested for trespassing in the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue just after 10:05 a.m. on April 25 and was booked into the Chehalis Tribal Jail.

Assault

• Paul T. McCarthy, 34, of Lakewood, was arrested in the 3500 block of Steelhammer Lane just after 6:20 p.m. on April 25 and was booked into the Lewis County Jail for second-degree assault after he allegedly “punched and knocked out” two staff members at a local facility. Both victims were transported to the hospital for treatment and further evaluation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CHEHALIS POLICE DEPARTMENT

Criminal trespass

• A man who was talking to himself outside of a building in the 700 block of West Main Street just after 8:10 a.m. on April 23 was moved along.

• A male subject who was sleeping between two businesses in the 500 block of Northwest Pacific Avenue was moved along at approximately 1:35 a.m. on April 23.

• A subject was cited for trespassing in the 500 block of Northwest Front Street just before 2:55 a.m. on April 25.

Drug violations

• A subject was arrested for a drug violation in the 1100 block of South Market Boulevard at approximately 11:15 a.m. on April 23.

• A marijuana violation was reported in the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue at approximately 3:15 a.m. on April 26.

Hit-and-run

• A hit-and-run was reported in the 1100 block of South Market Boulevard just after 11:25 a.m. on April 23.

• A hit-and-run was reported in the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue just before 2:30 p.m. on April 24.

Theft

• A vehicle theft reported in the 800 block of Northwest West Street just after 11:15 a.m. on April 23 is under investigation.

• Three firearms were reported lost or stolen in the 200 block of Northwest Cascade Avenue just before 2:05 p.m. on April 23.

• A third-degree theft reported in the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue at 6 p.m. on April 25 is under investigation.

Vehicle accidents

• A non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported in the 2600 block of Northeast Kresky Avenue at 3:15 p.m. on April 23.

• A non-injury, two-vehicle collision was reported at the intersection of Southwest William Avenue and Southwest 13th Street just before 11:40 a.m. on April 25.

Disorderly conduct

• A disorderly male subject was reportedly hitting a donation box with a rebar at the intersection of Northwest West Street and Northwest State Avenue just after 4:55 p.m. on April 23. No damage to the donation box was documented.

• A woman was reportedly “screaming, yelling and talking to herself” in the 1100 block of Northwest Cedar Way just after 8:55 p.m. on April 23.

• A disorderly customer was reported at a gas station in the 1300 block of Northwest State Avenue just after 8:05 p.m. on April 24.

• A group of disorderly subjects was reported in the 300 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue just after 10:45 p.m. on April 24.

• A disorderly male subject who was “yelling at cars” and “threw a bag of ice” was reported in the 300 block of South Market Boulevard just before 3:35 p.m. on April 25.

• A disorderly man reportedly refused to leave a dance studio in the 400 block of North Market Boulevard at 8:55 p.m. on April 25. The reporting party stated it “took three people to finally get him out.” He was trespassed from the studio.

• A disorderly male reportedly locked himself in another resident’s room in the 2100 block of Southwest Woodland Circle and was “swinging at people aggressively” at 9:35 p.m. on April 25. The man reportedly punched an employee at the facility, who denied aid and “said she’s used to it.”

Harassment

• Possible harassment was reported in the 300 block of Northwest North Street at 6:05 a.m. on April 25.

• Just before 9:10 a.m. on April 25, possible harassment that occurred in the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue the day prior was reported.

False information

• A case involving “false information/license” that was reported at the intersection of North National Avenue and Northwest Chamber of Commerce Way just before 11:30 a.m. on April 25 is under investigation.

Scam

• A scam email was reported in the 300 block of Northwest North Street at approximately 12:55 p.m. on April 25.

• A scam was reported in the 700 block of Northwest St. Helens Avenue just before 4:05 p.m. on April 25.

Assault

• A fourth-degree assault reported in the 1200 block of Bishop Road at 5:30 p.m. on April 25 is under investigation.

Suspicious circumstances

• A man was reportedly “checking vehicles” in a parking lot in the 1700 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue just before 2 p.m. on April 25.

• A man was reportedly “just being squirrely” in an alcove behind a business in the 1100 block of South Market Boulevard just before 5:45 p.m. on April 25.

• “Suspicious circumstances” reported in the 500 block of Southwest Parkland Drive just after 5:10 a.m. on April 26 are under investigation.

FIRE AND EMS CALLS

• Between Wednesday morning and Friday morning, Lewis County 911 Communications logged approximately 32 illness-related calls, seven injury-related calls, six fire-related calls, nine non-emergency service calls, seven vehicle accidents, one 911 hangup, one Lifeline medical alert and five other calls.

JAIL STATISTICS

• As of Friday morning, the Lewis County Jail had a total system population of 119 inmates, including 107 in the general population and 12 in the Work Ethic and Restitution Center (WERC). Of general population inmates, 88 were reported male and 19 were reported female. Of the WERC inmates, 10 were reported male and two were reported female.

• As of Friday morning, the Chehalis Tribal Jail had a total system population of 14 inmates, including five booked by the Centralia Police Department, eight booked by the state Department of Corrections and one booked by the Lummi Nation.

•••

Sirens are compiled by assistant editor Emily Fitzgerald, who can be reached at emily@chronline.com. The Centralia Police Department can be reached at 360-330-7680, the Chehalis Police Department can be reached at 360-748-8605. If you were a victim of physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence or sexual assault, call Hope Alliance at 360-748-6601 or the Youth Advocacy Center of Lewis County at 360-623-1990.

Anyone who buys gasoline already knows how the price of a gallon of unleaded regular in our state has shot up since majority Democrats’ cap-and-tax law — the so-called Climate Commitment Act, or CCA — took full effect in 2023. The same gas costs significantly less in Oregon and Idaho, which are free of a cap-and-tax policy.

Washington customers of an Oregon-based natural-gas company know they are getting hit at more than the gas pump. Their billing statements include a “WA Climate Act Fee” line item showing what the law is costing them. Puget Sound Energy (PSE) wanted to do the same for its customers, but this past fall, Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office and the state Utilities and Transportation Commission forced PSE to keep that information secret.

"Whenever the people are well informed,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1789, “they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights."

Clearly the advice from the attorney general’s office was intended to keep Washington’s cap-and-tax law from attracting the notice of PSE customers.

Cap-and-tax is also behind the recent passage of House Bill 1589, which gives PSE a path to not only end natural-gas service to 900,000 customers but also forces those customers to bear the cost of electrifying their homes — which could be up to $70,000 each. Common sense says other utilities will likely want to be included under this same policy to comply with the cap-and-tax law, at the expense of consumers.

Let’s add another one to the list of damages tied to this wrong-headed law.

In Grays Harbor County, taxpayers will see their property-tax bills go up because of an agreement that devalues the most valuable property in the county — home to the natural gas-fired electricity-generating plant in Satsop — by more than $100 million over the next few years.

As a news report put it, “Signed by the Grays Harbor county assessor and the property owner, Grays Harbor Energy, the agreement states that the high costs of carbon credit purchases imposed by the state’s Climate Commitment Act substantially reduced the plant’s market value.”

When the value of one property, like the Satsop plant, goes down, every other property owner has to pick up the tab for the loss. Lewis County property owners have experience with this situation because of the closure of the TransAlta operation north of Centralia.

The county assessor calculates the additional property-tax hit to owners of a $250,000 home in the East Grays Harbor Fire and Rescue District, which surrounds the Satsop facility, at $217 per year. Property owners may have to bear more costs from other taxing districts, as well.

To be fair, the Satsop plant’s situation is also complicated by another law brought to you by Gov. Jay Inslee and majority Democrats: The “clean energy transformation act” from 2019, which also requires an end to coal-fired power.

Senate Republicans offered an alternative that would have made a difference for the Grays Harbor Energy Center, which is the county’s largest taxpayer. Senate Bill 5043 was a piece of the Power Washington plan we unveiled in late 2022, before the damage from the cap-and-tax law became so apparent. It would have responded to the 2019 law by recognizing that power plants that comply with the state greenhouse-gas emissions performance standard are consistent with Washington's long-term policy for electricity.

This policy would have helped to ensure the diverse energy portfolio our state needs. Inslee and his Democrat allies wouldn’t hear of it. SB 5043 didn’t even receive a public hearing.

In January, our state experienced a brief cold snap. PSE responded by asking its customers to reduce their energy usage, while a Democrat state senator took to social media to celebrate her access to natural-gas heat.

Afterward, I pointed out how the Democrats’ energy agenda jeopardizes the reliability of our power grid. They push for more electric vehicles while failing to defend the lower Snake River dams and the carbon-free hydropower they produce. They support the natural-gas ban charted by the PSE bill. They are reducing our access to power rather than expanding it.

Sure enough, one of the “yes” votes on HB 1589 came from the Democrat senator who praised the natural gas that had warmed her when the power went out just a couple of months earlier.

Simply banning fossil fuels and taxing an overworked grid is not a real-world solution. You wonder who will be harmed next by the cap-and-tax law, and how.

•••

Sen. John Braun of Centralia serves the 20th Legislative District, which spans parts of four counties from Yelm to Vancouver. He became Senate Republican leader in 2020.

Last Saturday was a busy one in our towns. The weather was sparkling like a diamond and a number of communities were hosting work parties in advance of Earth Day.

I was working at one of them along with dozens of other people at the Seminary Hill Natural Area. It is a true pleasure to throw a work party and then spend three hours alongside people who got up early and drove across town with the sole purpose of getting their hands dirty.

Sometimes, it can be hard to ask people to do a hard, thankless job.

But if you’ve already said “show up and work,” then you know that you’re not asking anything of them that they haven’t already agreed to do.

Despite working up a sweat, the whole morning had a kind of easy, breezy vibe that left me feeling so heartened and happy.

Or, as my daughter used to tell me occasionally when a day was particularly warm and happy, “Dad, I just felt a stab of contentment!”

For me, that felt like a gorgeous spring day, sun a’shining in a century-old forest, with people of all ages smiling as they shoveled, clipped, wheelbarrowed and raked. The volunteers from our Friends of the Seminary Hill Natural Area had brought their usual free coffee and cookies for workers, and that kind of thing always sweetens any experience. (I’ve been trying to eat healthy, but I figured hard work earns cookies, so I was in a particularly delicious place.)

The good folks at our locally owned Centralia Quiznos again donated sandwiches for us, as they do every Earth Day. That’s a satisfying way to ring in the noon after starting the day with hard labor.

Throughout the morning, I saw preschool-age kids working alongside folks in their 20s, 40s and even 80s: Little girls with plastic shovels filling up tiny buckets and carefully dumping them where they needed to go.

All of us, from tiny to venerable, were building something sweet together. That’s even better than cookies when it comes to the satisfying savor of contentment.

•••

Meanwhile over in the Mint City, the good folks at Experience Chehalis had their own Earth Day work party happening.

My friend Hallie Ralls decided to show some Twin Cities love by showing up on behalf of the Centralia Downtown Association, where she is a dedicated volunteer and leader. She wore her baby daughter, Finley, in a front pack as she helped clean up Penny Playground.

Over the course of an hour, she picked up 15 pounds of trash (a little more than what her infant weighs).

In a playful burst of build-up-our-friendship cross-town rivalry, Ralls challenged the board of Experience Chehalis to see if they can put in more effort next month at the Centralia Downtown Association’s spring cleanup (from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 5). If someone from Experience Chehalis comes out ahead, she’ll buy him or her a cup of coffee. 

I love this kind of challenge. While the Battle of the Swamp gets all the competitive juices flowing on the football field, it’s working to be the strongest supporter of our larger shared community that really makes this such a great place to live.

As Ralls said, “It was awesome to get out and put in a little elbow grease to make the community a better place to be.”

•••

In fairness, I also need to note that Ralls came straight from working in Chehalis to also lend a hand back in her hometown of Centralia, joining her husband and their older daughter at the Seminary Hill Natural Area.

Helping clean up two different towns on the same day is quite a feat — and doing it all with a baby is truly impressive.

I think that, regardless of who wins her bet with Experience Chehalis, I owe this hardworking volunteer a cup of coffee and a moment of peaceful contentment.

•••

Brian Mittge can be reached at brianmittge@hotmail.com.

EVERETT — Officials are sounding alarms after a baby died and two others apparently also overdosed in the past week in separate instances in which fentanyl was left unsecured inside residences, authorities said.

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