North Mason
gradstake
step
EA-25
Mason County
19, 2014 - Week 25 - The Voice of Mason County since 1886 -- $1
District
moves to
sellTheler
property
Few in attendance;
item not on agenda
By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie@masoncoun cam
Two weeks after terminat-
ing its lease with the Mary E.
Theler Center Board of Direc-
tors, the North Mason School
Board voted Tuesday to place
the Theler center property on
its surplus list.
School district properties
must be listed as surplus be-
fore the district can sell or
otherwise dispose of them.
see THELER, page A-15
-,7.
INSIDE TODAY
Opinion Page A-4
Journal of Record Page A-16
Living Page A-19
Business News Page A-21
Obituaries Page A-22
Belfair Herald Page A-25
Sports Page B-I
Classifieds Page B-6
Legals Page B-8
Crossword Page B-10
Sudoku Page B-10
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Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
Skye Pulsifer celebrates after being handed her diploma June 12 at the CHOICE Alternative School graduation ceremony
in the Shelton High School Performing Arts Center,
TIME TO CELEBRATE
Largest class graduates from
CHOICE Alternative School
2
By GORDON WEEKS
gordon@masoncounOz com
CHOICE Alternative School, observing its
30th anniversary, celebrated its largest grad-
uating class last week.
Thirty-nine students were presented with
diplomas during a ceremony June 12 in the
Shelton High School Performing Arts Cen-
ter.
CHOICE Principal Stacey Anderson told
the audience that 31 of the 39 graduates are
planning to attend college. For the first time,
new CHOICE graduates have been accepted
by Eastern Washington University and West-
ern Washington University, she said.
The graduates received more than $45,000
in scholarships, Anderson said.
Members of the graduating class built a
float for the Christmas parade for the first
time, and created works in the Friday Arts
Zone that they sold during the Olympia Arts
Walk, Anderson said.
The graduates laughed when Anderson
recalled how some students tricked her into
flashing a gang sign, convincing her she was
making the hand symbol for "Washington."
The students also put together assem-
blies and workshops on preventing drunken
driving, suicides and bullying, Anderson
said.
"You took on serious topics," she said. The
• class also includes "some of the nicest, most
genuine human beings," she added.
Five students spoke at their graduation:
Gerardo Olguin, Alesea Dark, Samantha
Smither-Winslow, Kaitlyn Sweitzer and Bri-
anna Marx.
Journal photo by Emily Hanson
Shelton High School graduate Ryder Phelan shakes hands with school
board President Brenda Hirschi on Saturday after accepting his diploma at
the school's 105th commencement ceremony at Saint Martin's University
in Lacey.
Sheton High School graduates urged to chase dreams
By EMILY HANSON
emily@masoncounOz com
Carly Stauffer ended her speech to the
Class of 2014 with an impassioned plea:
"Whatever you do, please, be a
little impractical," the Shelton High
School co-valedictorian said Saturday
during SHS's 105th commencement
ceremony at Saint Martin's Univer-
sity in Lacey.
Stauffer's speech centered on the
fact that, as children, the 270 High-
climber graduates were encouraged to
think big and dream of what they could
achieve. As adults, they will be told to
become practical.
"Being practical changes things,"
Stauffer said. "Being practical makes
us less optimistic. Being practical
makes us think that growing up is less
about achieving our dreams, and more
about making those dreams smaller."
see SHELTON, page A-28
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