News
The Chronicle - Centralia
|
Warriors hand-cuffed by Bobcats in EvCo loss
Rochester High School’s softball team struggled at the plate and couldn’t dig out of an early hole in a 5-0 Evergreen Conference setback versus Aberdeen on Wednesday night in Aberdeen. Even with the loss, the Warriors (6-8, 3-4 EvCo) maintain their No. 4 spot in the league standings with a handful of important games left. Three of their last five league games are on their home turf. Cal Baptist recruit Annika Hollingsworth was lights out in the circle for the Bobcats, posting 15 strikeouts and the only hit she allowed was to Cheyenne Justice. Rochester had two errors defensively and Layna Demers gave up five earned runs to just two strikeouts. Aberdeen had a three-run bottom of the third inning in between one-run second and fourth frames. Rochester has a quick turnaround in facing W.F. West in a non-league game on Friday. |
|
Black Hills erases three-run deficit to claim non-league win
Ten unanswered runs allowed the Wolves to dig out of an early 3-0 hole and run away from North Thurston in a 14-4, six-inning non-league victory on Wednesday night at home. The win snaps a four-game skid by Black Hills (5-7) as it plays one more non-league game this week against Shelton on Friday before the schedule cranks up with five league games in 10 days. A leadoff triple from Ella Goheen put the wheels in motion for the Wolves in the third inning. They took the lead on three RBI walks and a fielder’s choice. Then in the fifth, they broke the game open with a six-run outburst, highlighted by three RBI doubles. Averie Reynolds ended the game early with a two-run single in the sixth, part of a four-run frame. The outfielder finished with three RBIs while Madi Malone and Kiley McMahon each had two hits – one of them a double – and two RBIs. |
|
Five home runs allow T-Birds to obliterate Highclimbers
Eight extra-base hits in total and a full handful of them leaving the yard was more than enough to give Tumwater a 24-2, five-inning Evergreen Conference victory over Shelton on Wednesday night at home. Jaime Haase belted two home runs while Ella Ferguson, Sarah Stevens and Avery Sugg all left the yard once. Haase and Marissa La Praim drove in four runs apiece for the Thunderbirds (12-3, 7-1 EvCo). Their Nos. 7-9 hitters combined for eight RBIs on four hits. Tumwater plated five in the first, nine each in the second and third frames and another in the fourth. Ferguson earned the win in the circle, striking out 11 Shelton batters. The 24 runs scored is a new-season high for the T-Birds. Tumwater will face Aberdeen in a non-league matchup on Friday before closing the regular season with four straight league games. |
|
Keeton, Lusk power Titans to league shutout over Fishermen
Fueled by a complete game shutout Connor Keeton and enough offense at the plate, Pe Ell/Willapa Valley snared a vital 6-0 P2BL victory over Ilwaco on Wednesday night on the road. It puts the Titans (14-4, 5-1 P2BL) up a game in the win column over Ilwaco in the standings. The Fishermen play one more league game against unbeaten Forks. If Ilwaco loses, it would put PWV as the No. 2 seed for the league in the District 4 tournament and host the first two rounds next weekend. Keeton allowed just three hits on the mound and paired that with eight strikeouts. The Titans gave their starter early run support with an RBI groundout from Max Jarvis in the second inning and a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the third. PWV loaded the bases in the sixth and after a run scored on a fielder’s choice, Lucas Lusk lifted a three-run home run to cap the frame and break the game open. Lusk also added two walks and two stolen bases to his stat sheet. The second game was a non-league matchup and Ilwaco picked up a 2-0 win, all runs coming in the first inning. Jarvis roped a double as the lone hit for the Titans, who wrap up the non-league slate next week when they face Onalaska. |
|
Wolves run-ruled in EvCo setback to Highclimbers
Five errors defensively and another off night at the plate doomed Black Hills in its 15-0, five-inning Evergreen Conference loss against Shelton on Wednesday night in Shelton. The victory by the Highclimbers finalizes the teams from the EvCo to make the Class 2A District 4 tournament. They will either be the third or fourth seed once the brackets are out next week. The Wolves (3-12, 2-8 EvCo) allowed seven runs in the second inning and eight in the third. Six straight walks started the second before a three-run triple broke the game open. Three runs scored on errors in the third and another bases-clearing triple occurred in the frame. Chase Chandler was the lone Wolves batter to notch a hit. Black Hills will face Centralia on Friday in a non-league game. |
|
Prep baseball: Rochester triumphs in nail-biter to secure playoff berth
For the Rochester High School baseball team, it is a case of Déjà vu. In needing a spot in the Class 2A District 4 tournament last spring, it had to sweep Aberdeen in the final two games of the regular season. This year, the Warriors needed to win both games against Centralia to solidify their top-four spot. “We’ve been here and done this,” Rochester head coach Brad Quarnstrom said. “Taking care of business when they needed to.” They did just that. Ignited by timely hits and critical base running plays and a final bounce to go its way, Rochester nudged by Centralia 6-5 on Wednesday night at Wheeler Field to clinch a spot in the district tournament for the second straight year. “At that point, we were trying to see pitches (and) have good at-bats,” Warriors starting pitcher Mason Ubias said. “Job is not finished. Got to go after that third place spot.” The four teams from the Evergreen Conference are now official. Tumwater and W.F. West will be the top-two seeds from the league while Shelton and Rochester (9-7, 5-5 EvCo) will jostle for third and fourth seeds. Shelton is done with league games while Rochester has two to play against Aberdeen. If the Warriors take two from the Bobcats, both will be at 7-5 in the EvCo. The tiebreaker? A non-league contest on Saturday afternoon between the Highclimbers and Warriors that will determine who gets the three seed and who drops to the four seed to play a pigtail elimination game to get into the quarterfinals. “A hundred percent,” Ubias said when asked if Rochester will treat Saturday like a playoff game. “We can hit both of (their pitchers). It is (about) playing as a team.” The final half-inning was a barn-burner. Centralia (6-10, 3-7) loaded the bases on three straight walks and Landen Jenkins scored on an error by Rochester catcher Hayden Pietras. That put the tying run on second base. After Tyler Huston notched a strikeout, he induced a groundout to Henry Gramelspacher at third base who placed a tag on Tucker Weaver. Although the base umpire initially called Weaver safe, the home plate umpire joined in and after a quick decision, changed the call to end the game. “We found a way,” Quarnstrom said. “Being in close games like that is what hopefully prepares us for another close game down the road.” The Tigers left two runners on base in the last two frames. Jon Leedy cut a four-run deficit in half with a two-run single in the sixth. Two batters later, Leedy was picked off second base to end the threat. “We finally started (to) hunt our pitch and making them throw strikes,” Centralia head coach Jake LeDuc said. “They got some breaks that we didn’t get. I love this game, but I also hate this game. That’s baseball.” Neither side was clean defensively – 10 total errors – but Weaver and Ubias danced their way out of several jams. Ubias stranded six on base and overcame three errors from his defense to keep the contest tied. The right-hander finished with eight strikeouts in over five innings pitched. He suffered a concussion early in the season and has worked his way back to form. He regained the spot as the No. 2 pitcher for Rochester with several stellar starts. “My goal is to fill up the zone the best I could,” Ubias. “I found my rhythm. I rebuilt that chip on my shoulder and I’ve been rolling since.” Weaver got out of a bases loaded jam and left seven on base, wiggling his way out of six walks in over four innings. “Honestly, the last two starts, he gave us a chance to win,” LeDuc said. Rochester took the lead for good on a bloop two-run single off the bat of Tate Quarnstrom. It added two more in the fifth on an error and wild pitch and pushed across the final run on an RBI base hit from Colton Weiss. Ubias reached base four times and Pietras recorded two stolen bases for the Warriors. Marcus Miller reached base twice with a stolen base for Centralia. “A win is a win, it does not matter how pretty or ugly it is,” Coach Quarnstrom said. The Tigers were officially eliminated from the playoffs as they end the league slate with W.F. West next week. “To put ourselves in this position, it is a letdown, but our kids battled their butts off today,” LeDuc said. |
|
Kurt Cobain book author wants to save Grays Harbor County bridge
The bridge synonymous with Kurt Cobain in North Aberdeen is reaching a point where there may not be any turning back, so an author from the other side of the country is trying to save it before it’s too late. Kelly Catlin, a music writer and musician from New Jersey, started an online petition — https://www.change.org/p/kurt-cobain-s-memorial-bridge — in order to keep the North Aberdeen Bridge. The bridge, also known as the Young Street Bridge and the Kurt Cobain Bridge, may see its end in the next couple years. That end is to be determined as it may mean a total replacement of the bridge, or turning it into a pedestrian and bicycle bridge and building a separate bridge next to or near it, or another option. The 67-year-old bridge, known as “Kurt’s Bridge,” for the personal messages to the fallen grunge rock icon and his Aberdeen-born band Nirvana, has serious structural problems. While city staff, including its engineering team, maintains the bridge is safe to drive over, the structure has received substantial load limits throughout the last several years. Those load limits, and trucks of a certain size that continue to roll over the bridge, are what worry the engineering team. At some point it won’t be safe to travel over, which worries the engineers, and Aberdeen’s elected officials. Yet, this isn’t just any bridge. It’s a point that the city is aware of, and a point that many of Aberdeen’s residents keep bringing up. But there is also a lot of money at stake as the city received $23.1 million in grants to replace the bridge. That financial figure has a ticking clock. The engineering team also insists it’ll cost much more to repair the bridge than the $23.1 million in grants that would cover the whole replacement. As of early Wednesday afternoon, the petition has solicited 963 signatures. The petition has been online since Saturday. Catlin, a music writer, shared what went into her decision to start the petition. “When speaking with some of the musicians whose music I reviewed, I inquired about their musical influences,” Catlin said. “An overwhelming number of artists were greatly affected — and inspired — by Nirvana, especially Kurt.” Catlin did some thorough research about Cobain, which included “beautiful stories,” but also “a lot of sensationalism.” That research led to even more investigating into Cobain and Aberdeen. “I connected with wonderful people in town, from business owners to members of the Grays Harbor Conservation District,” Catlin said. “I learned that Kurt was more than the lead singer of Nirvana. He was a friend, a teacher and an inspiration. And it was brought to my attention that his bridge — a beacon of hope for countless people — was facing demolition.” One point the bridge’s detractors bring up is how Cobain didn’t sleep under there. Catlin said there are a lot of people who have shared that thought. “The point isn’t whether Kurt slept beneath the bridge — it’s that Kurt is synonymous with this location and his ethos is felt deeply in this spot,” Catlin said. “This bridge represents tenacity, determination and hope. It also draws visitors to the town, something that benefits local proprietors of all kinds.” Catlin noted the international appeal for the bridge. The Kurt Cobain Memorial Park — which abuts at the south end bridge — has messages from Europe and beyond. “People come from the far corners of the world to visit ‘Kurt’s Bridge,’” Catlin said. “When you read the sentiments scrawled across its surface, it’s obvious just how profound Kurt’s impact is.” One of the messages underneath the bridge contains a simple message: “I survived being a teen because of your art.” Catlin, whose research led her to writing a book called ”Kurt: Forever in Bloom,” said she was “overwhelmed” with the stories people shared with her and how Cobain positively affected the lives of the musicians with whom she connected. “He inspired them to pursue music, helped them overcome adversity, and showed them that no dream is too small,” Catlin said. Tim Holehouse, an English musician, played a short Nirvana set from the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah on Jan. 15. Holehouse, a longtime fan of Cobain, happily played underneath the bridge. “It’s a dream come true to play here,” Holehouse said between renditions of Nirvana’s “About a Girl,” “Something in the Way” and “Pennyroyal Tea.” Cobain “personally changed” Holehouse’s life. “This is the guy who was like, he made me feel like he was one of us. ‘You can do this.’ That inspired me to do music, which is what I’ve done for a living for nearly 20 years. To have memorials like this in his hometown is very important,” he said. When Catlin “learned” the bridge was facing possible destruction, she “wondered” if there was a way to preserve it. “Yes, safety is paramount and this is contingent upon engineers being able to repair the bridge, but if there is a way to keep the crucial part of Kurt Cobain’s history alive, then why not try?” Catlin said. The city has a website dedicated to the concerns about the bridge — from its safety, to the money for its replacement, to the nine alternatives for the bridge — and Catlin is hoping people will head to that website: https://naberdeenbridge.participate.online/ — so they can learn more about the city’s North Aberdeen Bridge Project. She hopes once they learn about the project, they’ll share their thoughts based on “what they’d like to happen with the bridge.” But clearly, she’d love for the bridge to remain, if possible. A few perspectives from the Harbor Josh Holman, a member of the popular Grays Harbor Music group on Facebook, offered his opinion on the bridge. “That bridge means quite a bit,” Holman said. “(It’s) inspiration for music education, etc., beside the fact it’s a major attraction for Aberdeen.” Curtis Thorfinson said he signed the petition, too. Thorfinson owns The Tangerine Tree — 114 E. Heron St., in Aberdeen. “I signed it, and know with it leaving, business along with many others would be devastated.”
Beyond the music “Kurt was extremely socially conscious,” said Catlin, who added that quality of the late musician inspired her to write a book about him. “If I hadn’t written this book, I’d never have become involved with the bridge,” Catlin said. “People have shared some incredible stories with me and that’s what prompted me to become involved.” Catlin said she’ll donate a portion of the book’s profits to various organizations such as The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Camp Victory in Aberdeen, the Grays Harbor Conservation District, the Twin Harbors Wildlife Center, and “more.” “He enacted societal change and I felt it was only right to use this book to do the same …” Catlin said. “… And it’s all part of why I think we should find a way to preserve this bridge, in one way or another. But demolishing the bridge won’t erase Kurt. That’s the takeaway. He’s more than concrete and steel and his message is forever.” |
Washington State News
|
MLB roundup: Braves get walk-off win in 10th, sweep Marlins
(Photo credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)
Michael Harris II led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a game-winning RBI double to give the Atlanta Braves a 4-3 victory over the visiting Miami Marlins and a sweep of the three-game series.
Harris smacked an 0-1 fastball from Tanner Scott (0-4) past center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. to plate automatic runner Ronald Acuna Jr. A.J. Minter (4-1) earned the win after pitchi
|
NYT Politics
|
Blinken’s Visit to China: What to Know
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is in China this week as tensions have risen over trade, security, Russia’s war on Ukraine and the Middle East crisis.
|
|
Antony Blinken Visits China
Tensions over economic ties are running high, threatening to disrupt a fragile cooperation between the U.S. and China.
|
