Opinion | The Daily Chronicle

Letters to the editor can be submitted to letters@chronline.com.

Letter to the editor: Pride Month isn’t about special treatment — it’s about visibility

I’m a straight man who’s lived in Lewis County most of my life. Like many here, I was raised to work hard, care for my family, treat others with respect and do what’s right — … more

6/2/25

Letter to the editor: Community alert

One of the local extremists who committed the attack on the Chehalis Friendship Fence has served his time and was released from jail June 1. If another crime were to occur, are you comfortable … more

6/2/25

Letter to the editor: United citizens have changed the course of governments

Does anyone doubt that democracy in the United States is circling the drain? Do you believe that our elected officials are effectively fighting to stop it? Can we rely on the judicial branch to stop … more

6/2/25

Brian Mittge: Let’s make this a month of faith, hope and love

An ancient idea has new form in June: a fresh movement to re-devote ourselves to faithfulness. It’s called Fidelity Month. I first encountered this idea halfway through last … more

Commentary by Brian Mittge / For The Chronicle | 5/30/25

Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, speaks with other senators during the legislative session at the Washington state Capitol in Olympia on Friday, April 25.

John Braun: The value of ‘killing’ bad legislation in state Legislature

The use of “kill” for efforts to stop legislation goes back to at least 1910. That’s when future President Calvin Coolidge, then a Republican state representative in Massachusetts, … more

Commentary by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia | 5/30/25

The outside of Chehalis United Methodist Church is pictured after a meeting on safe parking on Thursday, May 22.

Commentary: Why we are trying to create Safe Parking for families with children in the Twin Cities

For more than 18 months, a sub-committee formed by the Hope Housing Collaborative of Lewis County has been working to create a Safe Parking program to be implemented at churches in Centralia and … more

5/28/25

Maureen Harkcom grew up on a Lewis County dairy and operated a beef and native hay operation and developed an equine competition facility. She is a past president of Lewis County Farm Bureau and a current member of Washington Farm Bureau Board of Directors. She can be reached by email at maureen.harkcom@gmail.com.

Maureen Harkcom: A beginner’s guide to protecting your right to farm

I have no clue as to who, or how many people, read my opinion piece. I do occasionally get an email from someone asking a question or commenting on something I have written, so I know somebody does … more

Commentary by Maureen Harkcom / For The Chronicle | 5/28/25

John McCroskey was Lewis County sheriff from 1995 to 2005. He lives outside Chehalis and can be contacted at musingsonthemiddlefork@gmail.com.

John McCroskey: The truth about recycling and more taxation from Democrats in Olympia

Ever since I received my recycling container, which, as I recall, I never asked for, I’ve wondered about this whole recycling business. Is it really of value? Years later, I … more

Commentary bu John McCroskey / For The Chronicle | 5/28/25

Letter to the editor: Checking the board after county GOP leader’s war cry

After reading letter writer Mitch Townsend's war cry on the May 21 Chronicle editorial page — "We are the final guardians of liberty and freedom" — I could not agree with him more. … more

5/28/25

Letter to the editor: Fix Our Forests Act is a shameful giveaway to the rich

I saw a clearcut in my Olympia neighborhood. It was ugly. It damaged a salmon stream. It destroyed habitat. And nobody but a few investors looking to make a buck benefitted. The kids in … more

5/28/25

Julie McDonald, a personal historian from Toledo, may be reached at memoirs@chapteroflife.com.

Julie McDonald: Recent events show Lewis County justice questionable at times

Decades ago, when my son was a toddler, his grandfather from Whatcom County visited our home for three weeks at a time. As they sat at the kitchen table for breakfast, my son shouted for me. … more

Commentary by Julie McDonald / For The Chronicle | 5/26/25

Rep. Peter Abbarno represents the 20th Legislative District in Southwest Washington and serves as the House Republican Caucus chair.

Peter Abbarno: New taxes and fees pricing families out of nature in Washington state

As summer nears and schools wind down for break, families across Washington state are preparing for what has traditionally been the most affordable kind of vacation: time spent in the great outdoors. … more

Commentary by state Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia | 5/26/25

Letter to the editor: Word of caution — don’t fall for the same scam that got me

I would like to spare anyone else the trouble I’ve gone through with a passport scam. In an effort to expedite the Real ID driver’s license (DMV isn’t taking appointments until … more

5/26/25

American Flags line the Sticklin Funeral Chapel’s driveway in Centralia on Friday, May 23.

Richard Stride: Contemplating the quiet flags in the yard on Memorial Day

Every year around this time, I find myself pausing. Not just because the calendar says it's a three-day weekend, or because the grill needs to be cleaned because of mold, a Pacific Northwest thing, … more

Commentary by Richard J. Stride / For The Chronicle | 5/26/25

Commentary: Washington state enacts massive tax increases to pay for government pay raises

There was a lot of intrigue in Washington state as citizens and businesses waited to see what Gov. Bob Ferguson would do with the record tax increases lawmakers sent to his desk this year. Despite … more

By Jason Mercier / Mountain States Policy Center | 5/24/25

Chad Taylor is the publisher and co-owner of The Chronicle. He can be reached at chad@chronline.com.

Publisher's Note: On safe parking, let’s be willing to try — even if it’s hard

I’ll be honest. When I first heard about the proposal by Hope Housing Collaborative to let families sleep in cars parked overnight in church parking lots, I had doubts. And I wasn’t … more

Commentary by Chad Taylor / For The Chronicle | 5/23/25

Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, stands in the wings of the Senate floor at the Washington state Capitol in Olympia on Friday, April 25.

John Braun: The $16 billion lie behind the largest tax increase in state history

When someone makes a statement that simply is not true, I tend to call it that, rather than say it’s a lie. If the state budget shortfall is nowhere near $16 billion, yet someone claims it … more

Commentary by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia | 5/23/25

Participants walk and run down Rice Road during the 2025 Lewis County Drug Court 5k in Chehalis on Monday, May 12.

Letter to the editor: Thank you for supporting Lewis County Drug Court

I am the manager for the Lewis County Drug Court and Family Recovery Court (LCDC and FRC) Programs. Our programs are well supported by this community, the Foundation for Therapeutic Courts of Lewis … more

5/23/25

The American flag flies at half mast during a Memorial Day ceremony at Claquato Cemetery in Chehalis on Monday, May 27.

Brian Mittge: A Memorial Day duty — ‘Earn this’

It’s been many years since I watched the movie “Saving Private Ryan,” but the last scene still sticks with me. The title character leans down to hear the raspy final words of … more

Commentary by Brian Mittge / For The Chronicle | 5/23/25

Letter to the editor: Swope should use his platform to uplift, not undermine, those providing safe parking for the unhoused

Two weeks ago, St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Chehalis held a courtesy meeting to inform their neighbors about its plan to offer safe overnight parking for women and children experiencing … more

5/22/25