http://www.twincitiesrotary.com/

Twin Cities Rotary Club, 539 N Market Boulevard, Chehalis, WA (2026)

06/05/2026

📚 Inspiring stories. Life-changing opportunities. A passion for education.

Today, Twin Cities Rotary was honored to hear from Julie Forbes, Media Specialist for Green Hill Library and employee of the Chehalis School District.

For the past 12 years, Julie has dedicated herself to building more than just a library, she has helped create a place of growth, learning, and second chances. What started as a former "book thrift store" has become a thriving educational resource thanks to Julie's determination, community support, and partnerships with authors, publishers, and organizations such as the Smithsonian Institution.

One of the most powerful themes from Julie's presentation was the impact a single book can have on a life. As a child, Julie was gifted a book by her elementary school teacher, a simple act that helped shape the path she walks today. Now, she pays that gift forward every day by helping others discover the power of reading and education.

Julie shared that self-help books are among the most popular selections for Green Hill students ages 16–25, and many are taking what they learn and turning it into action—improving themselves, mentoring others, and building brighter futures.

Through collaboration with schools and departments throughout Green Hill, the library provides opportunities for residents to earn educational credits, work toward graduation, and continue their learning journey. Julie also spoke about the critical role reading plays in early brain development, reminding us that children are truly "learning machines" and that investing in literacy is investing in the future.

At the heart of it all is community. Julie emphasized that the support of local organizations, volunteers, donors, and community members has been the backbone of the Green Hill Library's success.

Thank you, Julie, for sharing your passion, your story, and your unwavering commitment to helping others grow through the power of education.

📖 Every book has the power to change a life. Today, we were reminded just how true that is.

05/29/2026

This week, Twin Cities Rotary had the pleasure of holding our meeting at the incredible Discover! Children's Museum in Centralia and learning more about the vision, hard work, and community support that made this dream a reality.

President of the board, Larry McGee, shared the museum's inspiring journey, which began years ago with funding support from the Tri-Club Auction. He highlighted the countless volunteer hours contributed by dedicated community members—many donating 30+ hours each—to help bring the museum to life. One of the museum's proudest accomplishments is opening its doors debt-free while remaining accessible and focused on family learning experiences. Discover! is intentionally designed as a place where parents and children learn, explore, and grow together.

Executive Director Shelby Campbell shared exciting updates about the museum's impact on our community. Recent visitors included Senator Patty Murray and Representative Peter Abbarno, who thoroughly enjoyed the facility. Students grom local colleges also played a role in designing elements throughout the museum. Families are already creating wonderful memories through hands-on exhibits focused on creativity, problem-solving, imagination, and kindergarten readiness.

The museum continues to prioritize accessibility for all families through:
📚 A FREE community book exchange
📚 Donations accepted to support lower-income families
🎟️ Half-price Tuesday field trips
💙 Upcoming reduced-admission days for qualifying families
🔇 Neurodivergent-friendly hours with reduced noise and attendance

Located within the United Learning Center, Discover! Children's Museum serves children ages 0-8 and beyond through interactive exhibits that encourage curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning. Their mission is to help create "kindergarten-ready" students while providing memorable experiences for the entire family.

Thank you Discover! Children’s Museum for hosting us and for investing in the future of Lewis County's children and families. We encourage everyone to visit and experience this amazing community resource firsthand!

05/15/2026

We had a wonderful meeting this morning! We brought in Darrell Bledsoe as an official member of our club! It was our monthly business meeting and we broke into our committees.

Thank you everyone for the wonderful meeting!

05/08/2026

We had a wonderful meeting today! We heard from one of the LC Sheriff candidates, Danny Riordan!

Danny is currently the deputy Sheriff for the county. He has been working with law enforcement for over 20 years. In 2020 he got voted into Guild President and has been in that position since then. During his time in law enforcement he has done everything under the sun. He did swat team, training office, assistant team leader, and team leader. He was with the swat team until 2015 when they went regional. He then joined the Sheriff's enforcement team. He also did rescue work and made several recoveries. He is running for Sheriff because he wants to take care of the citizens. Right now we have a very young deputy crew, they lost most of their middle group. They have at least 15 deputies who are under 5 years experience and their sergeants are under 10 years. Danny has made programs before under Sheriff Mansfield. He came up with a program called adopt a school, a deputy would adopt a school and spend 15 minutes there. The kids would get to see the deputy there and no one knew when they would show up. The program has changed to the Sheriff mentoring students program. He said they still do it, but he wants to make it bigger again.

Danny was also involved in the creation of the LC Sheriff page. He wants to turn the comments back on and allow the citizens to interact directly with the office again. He believes in owning your mistake and admitting when you did something wrong. He does not believe in treating people differently because of their political leaning. He holds the LC ordinances and the RCW. He is focusing on 4 building blocks, the administrative side, administrative assistants, promoting respect and professionalism in corrections, and finally patrol/detectives. You can find out information about these building blocks at "Danny"RiordanforLewisCountySheriff and
https://lewis-county-sheriff-campaign-92efwd.grigora.app
His honesty and open dialogue was deeply appreciated by the room.

Thank you Danny for the wonderful presentation!

05/01/2026

We had a wonderful morning this morning! We heard from Tana and Valerie on the US Small Business Administration - Disaster Assistance.

The floods that happened back in December counted as a disaster, so families and small business are able to get loans from the SBA. In order to apply for a loan you have to be in a Federally declared disaster zone. Tana and Valerie will be in Packwood to offer assistance for those who were affected by the floods. Some benefits of the SBA disaster loan are that there is no cost to apply, the first 12 months of payments are deferred, and there is no obligation to take the loan if you apply. You have the ability to pay the loan off early if you wish.

Thank you Tana and Valerie for the wonderful presentation!!

04/24/2026

We had a wonderful meeting this morning! There was some announcements around changes to our district grants/ We heard from one of our Sheriff candidates, Tracy Murphy!

Tracy is running for the Sheriff's office. He started his career at 16 as a police cadet through the Explorer program that was available at the sheriff's office. He is a lifelong resident of Lewis County and he was born and raised here. He grew up in a Christian home with a Father in public service. Next year, after 32 years in law enforcement he is eligible to retire. However, he has chosen to run for Sheriff instead of retiring. He has been in a variety of roles throughout his time in the police department. He aims to have a department that is well trained and has high retention rates.

Tracy believes that the Sheriff's office is one of the most important roles in the county. He wants the department to be held accountable with open communication; which will increase community trust in the department itself again. The jail is something close to his heart. He wants to bring back some of the faith programs for those in the jail to have the option to participate in. He also wants to bring back the Explorer's program that once got him into law enforcement.

Tracy took the time to answer everyone's questions with immense respect and care. He brought his daughter and wife with him and spoke to how they have had a positive effect and the work they have done in his campaign with him. If you want to learn more you can visit his page Tracy Murphy for Sheriff.

Thank you so much Tracy for the wonderful presentation!

04/17/2026

We had a wonderful meeting this morning! We received some updates on service projects and after that we had our monthly business meeting.

We discussed our club goals, and other business related to our club. Thank you Jennifer for the awesome update!

04/10/2026

We had a wonderful meeting today! We got a presentation from our president on our work with the Discover! Children's Museum (DCM). There were 5 weekends where we went to the DCM to set it up; there were 14 members that appears across all weekends. Our speaker today was Melissa Couch on the Possibilities Women's Center.

Melissa is the director at Possibilities Women's Center. The center has been in Centralia for 34 years, and they just recently moved to Mellon St. They are a pregnancy help resource center; a non-profit fully funded by this community; due to this they are able to offer their services free of charge. They are a specialized medical clinic that offers: pregnancy testing, material support, educational program, limited ultra sounds, post abortion support, lactation consults, and STD testing. Their educational program offers over 200 videos where their trained advocates meet with the woman and or couple and can earn points towards their baby boutique.

Since they started they have had over 40,000 appointments. In 2025 they had an increase of 32% in ultrasounds from 2024. They gave over 12,012 diapers, 2,149 baby clothes, 1,206 toys, serviced 578 clients, 582 education appointments, and 1,042 in total services.

Since they are funded by the community they have 4 major fundraising events coming up. Their Baby Bottle Boomerang - in which they hand out big baby bottles to fill on Mother's Day with the deadline of Father's day to have them filled. Life on the Move 0 Family Fun Run (5k) on September 26th. The Milking Parlor at the SWWA Fair from August 11th - 16th. Finally, they have their 12 Days of Christmas Raffle throughout December.

How can you be involved? You can volunteer, sponsor a client, sign up for their monthly cornerstone partner impact update, support their care closest, prayer, business sponsorship, and event planning or help day of.

Thank you Melissa for the wonderful presentation!!

04/03/2026

🙌 Another Friday, another wonderful Rotary gathering!

Today we had the pleasure of welcoming guest speaker Matt McKnight, candidate for Lewis County Sheriff. A Lewis County native, proud husband and father of three, Matt shared his deep passion for both his family and the community he calls home.

Beginning his career with the Sheriff’s Office at just 22 years old, he spent six years there before continuing his service with the Chehalis Police Department. Throughout his career, he has served in roles including patrol officer, field officer, honor guard member, training committee member, and first-line supervisor as a Sergeant.

Matt spoke about his commitment to developing others, emphasizing leadership through coaching and mentorship. His vision for the Sheriff’s Office centers on strengthening collaboration with other agencies and fostering connection, leadership, and growth across the community. Volunteerism is especially close to his heart, and he shared his goal of rebuilding the volunteer program within the Sheriff’s Office to better serve and connect with the public.

He also took time to thoughtfully answer questions from our members, and his kindness and willingness to connect with everyone in the room did not go unnoticed.
Take a moment to get to know Matt and his cause by checking out his page McKnight for Sheriff

We are also proud to welcome our newest Rotary member, Jon Brien! With a love for motorcycles and a passion for teamwork, John is a fantastic addition to our Rotary family. We’re excited to have you and can’t wait to see all you’ll accomplish!

📅 Upcoming & Notable Events:

• Leon Bowman Poker Tournament – THIS SATURDAY! Check out our event Leon Bowman Poker Tournament

• Centralia College Legacy Award honoring Rose Bowman – May 2
Rose was a shining light in our community, always giving her all to those in need. Let’s come together to celebrate the legacy of this incredible woman!

• Discover Children’s Museum Ribbon Cutting – May 14, 11:30 AM–1:00 PM
Join us as we celebrate the completion of this amazing project!

• United Way of Lewis County hosting Dolly Day – May 23
Community Event at 2:00 PM & Concert from 7:00–10:00 PM featuring Leah Justine (tag)

Thank you to everyone who continues to make our Rotary community so special!

Twin Cities Rotary Club

06/05/2026

05/29/2026

05/15/2026

05/08/2026

05/01/2026

04/24/2026

04/17/2026

04/10/2026

04/03/2026

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