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Mason County
Thursda3 Oct. 9, 2014 - Week 41 - The Voice of Mason County since 1886 -- $1
• • • •
Freedom Foundation bankrolls lawsuit
By GORDON WEEKS
gordon@masoncoun com
A Shelton woman has filed
a lawsuit against the Shelton
City Commission after the
group declared two proposi-
tions regarding unions legally
invalid and declined to put
them on the November ballot.
In a suit filed in Mason
County Superior Court on Mon-
day, Diane Good asks the city
to place Propositions 1 and 2 on
the February ballot. She also
seeks a declaration that the city
erred when it voted on Sept. 8
to declare the two petition-driv-
en propositions legally invalid.
In a brief telephone interview
with the Journal on Wednesday
morning, Good confirmed that
her lawsuit is being bankrolled
by the Olympia-based Freedom
Foundation. The conservative
nonprofit group aided in the
petition dri-¢e in Shelton and
other Washington towns. The
group's donors include Wal-
Mart founder Sam Walton and
the Koch brothers, billionaire
industrialists who donate mon-
ey to conservative causes.
Good declined to comment
on why she filed the lawsuit
and asked that all questions
be directed to her attorney,
Shawn Newman. A hearing is
scheduled for Nov. 3 in Mason
County Superior Court.
News of the lawsuit "dis-
appoints me," said Shelton
Mayor Gary Cronce, one of the
three commissioners. "It's not
something we want here."
see LAWSUIT, page A-13
OYSTERFEST 2014
Newspaper takes home
five first-place honors
at annual conference
By ADAM RUDNICK
adam@masoncoun corn
Journal photo by Shawna Whelan
Lucero Medina of Coast Seafoods competes Saturday in the West Coast Oyster Shucking Competition at
OysterFest. For more photos of the event, see page A-14.
Group eyes sites for
off-leash dog parks
By GORDON WEEKS
gordon@masoncoun com
A hilly, undeveloped plot of
land bordering Kneeland Park in
downtown Shelton is being con-
sidered for an off-leash dog park.
A parcel of about 40,000
square feet next to Kneeland
Park on Turner Avenue could be
fenced to allow canines and their Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
owners to mingle, Mark Ziegler, Randy Griffith of Shelton
the director of the Shelton Parks and his dog, Freedom,
and Recreation Department, told wait for a bus Wednesday
morning in front of the
see PARK, page A-28 Shelton Civic Center.
Get to know your general
election candidates at forum
STAFF REPORT
news@masoncoun corn
General election can-
didates will share their
views and answer ques-
tions at a forum from
6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday
in the Olympic Middle
School commons, 800 E.
K St., Shelton.
The event is co-hosted
by the Mason County
Journal, the Shelton Ma-
son County Chamber of
Commerce and Mason-
WebTV.com.
The participants in-
clude candidates run-
ning for state represen-
tative Positions 1 and 2
and state senator in the
35th District and 6th and
10th Congressional Dis-
tricts. Questions will be
presented by the hosts,
and audience members
are invited to offer their
questions. The free fo-
rum is open to everyone.
For more information,
call 426-2021.
Mason County Journal staff won
18 awards at the 2014 Washington
Newspapcr Publishers Association's
(WNPA) Better Newspaper Contest
last week.
The Journal won five first-place
awards, seven second-place awards
and six third-place awards, which
WNPA officials presented Oct. 3 at
Campbell's Resort in Chelan.
Categories included news cover-
age, advertising, photography and
special sections.
"This has been such a great year
for the Mason County Journal,"
said publisher Tom Hyde, who has
been with the Journal since August
2013. "We've made great strides in
improving every aspect of our news-
paper and the services we provide to
the community from helping local
business grow to chronicling the dai-
ly life of Mason County. I couldn't be
more proud of the committed team
of professionals we have on staff."
The Journal's series of community
profile stories titled One of a Kind
netted three awards. Reporter Gordon
Weeks took home a first-place award
for Best Personality Profile (Long),
while reporter Natalie Johnson won
second-place for Best Personality Pro-
file (Short). Johnson and editor Adam
Rudnick also placed second in the
Best Feature Page Design category.
Other first-place awards went to
ad builder Will Adams and adver-
tising representative Dave Pierik
(Promotion of a Newspaper), Lloyd
Mullen (Color Portrait), Rudnick
(Best Editorial Pages) and Journal
staff (Topical/Nontourism Special
Sections) for its annual Profile maga-
zine.
see AWARDS, page A-28
8 III1!! !I!!IIUUI!I!I!I1112
Mason Transit Authority
seeks grant money
Page A-3
Electric atmosphere during
Public Power Week
Page A-19
Salmon grants will
benefits county
Page A-25
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