The City of Napavine has a new mayor. Shawn O'Neill was sworn in on December 30, 2019 and will have presided over his first council meeting this past Tuesday. O'Neill has been serving for almost three years on the Napavine City Council. He is a natural leader and wanted to take it to the next step.

By the late 1850s the farms of Cowlitz Prairie and farms along the river bottom were producing exceptional amounts of hay, oats and potatoes. So much, that a large market was needed. Up until this time produce along with all kinds of other goods were transported along the Cowlitz River in canoes manned by Cowlitz Indians, who made their living transporting goods. One such man was George Katel or as he was affectionately called Indian George. He was well known in the area.

It takes a special person to coach sports, a person who's heart is in it for the students and the school. KC Oakley is not just any assistant coach, she is the Winlock High School Girls Basketball Assistant Coach and she loves what she does.

The City of Vader has seen some changes this past week. The mayor, Lois Wilson, has resigned and Mayor Pro tem Joe Schey has stepped up to fill in. Also, the City Clerk and Assistant City Clerk have resigned as well. In a recent letter to the Lewis County News, Mayor Pro Tem Schey reassured the citizens.

What was once the old W.A.A.C. (Winlock Athletic Club) building has also played a very important role in Winlock's history as a prime hub of the egg laying industry. For the past 32 years it has been owned by Janice and Dan Smith who have run their wholesale craft business, Craft INT out of it. You can find it at 307 NW Kerron St.

It was presumably built sometime in the 1800's. During it's time as the W.A.A.C., it served as a dance hall, the local gymnasium, and the gym for the school. At that time, the current school building did not include a gym of its own. The first Finnish settlers who came to Winlock built a clubhouse with a stage and "for two generations, it became the center of activities for all their social life. It was called the Finnish Hall. Plays, holiday festivities, wedding receptions and the center of their social life." Although it is not specified as to where or which building this Finnish Hall was, one can wonder if the Finnish Hall later became the W.A.A.C. It remained the W.A.A.C. until Leland Cattermole purchased the building in 1926.

The Winlock City Council meeting on December 23 showed that this new council wants transparency, and transparency is what the citizens saw for the first time in two years. The new Winlock City Council was elected for change, and change is exactly what occurred.

At the beginning of the meeting, the agenda was changed to allow Mike Hogg time to speak on his experience with the city law firm Hillier Scheibmeir & Kelly PS. At one time, Hogg was not allowed to attend Winlock City Council meetings, which is a clear violation of the Open Public Meeting Act. In documents, provided by Hogg to Winlock City Council members, it shows a pattern where the city attorney assisted the mayor in violating Hogg's civil rights.

The City of Winlock Volunteer of the Year award could not have gone to a more deserving person. Carol Wallin is a resident of the City of Winlock and volunteer extraordinaire. Carol is Winlock, she is everywhere, and does everything to help her community.

On December 9, the new Winlock City Council members took their seats and held their first council meeting. On the agenda was a hiring freeze and city attorney contract, along with a few others, but these two items seemed to drive the mayor to call an executive session.

The Winlock Memorial Tree is a Christmas Tree decorated with names of those who have gone on before us.

For the first time in Winlock History, the majority of Winlock City Council members were not sworn in at Winlock City Hall; instead, they were sworn in at Toledo City Hall.