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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
January 12, 1978     Shelton Mason County Journal
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January 12, 1978
 
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"Is anybody out the desperate man over the On his way home late at in a thick fog, he has across a semi hanging railway off the road. Its is shattered and inside cab sits the unconscious his face covered with le? Can't find way back home? They'll REACT there?" there," explains Betty. "Actually  Ron Ellison, Ron Ellison Jr., signals. :  Ray Ellison, all of Mission Creek; At first, Betty says, some of Bob Keel ! e r, Be lea i r; Willis the local authorities "weren't Nolan, Tahuya; Betty and Paul exactly appreciative" of the i Swanson, Tahuya; and Robert REACT group. i!i:  Thompson Twanoh Falls. "But now they trust us and '7t's only face cuts," he tells but fears it might be worse. Alone in the dark, he looks frantically for a nearby iouse so he can call for an But there's no place miles; still the injured driver help, and he needs it right In desperation he reaches for mike of the CB radio in his He remembers channel nine reserved for emergencies, so he the knob and broadcasts his for assistance. "This is North Mason monitor 1250. What is nature of your emergency? is your location?" The voice breaks out across road's lonely silence and lets e man know he's made a we act the way they used to say little children should  we don't speak unless we're spoken to." But REACT is not just a group of big kids having fun. Officially, the purpose of each REACT group is "to better service the community by aiding in the rapid communication of emergency messages to local authorities." In practice this means spending long hours beside a CB radio waiting for the occasional, but often urgent, request for emergency assistance. When a call comes over the channel, the monitor questions the caller, takes down the pertinent information and then contacts the appropriate emergency services on the land line (telephone). "What we really are is just another link in the community's communication network," says Betty. Quite often the REACT monitor is the first link. Most of their calls come from people in remote areas. "Typically, the call will be from some motorist either lost or stranded in the back woods, or else from some person drifting "in a disabled boat on the canal or sound." Most of the monitor's work is waiting. The person on duty may go for hours, sometimes even days before his help is requested. "But when somebody is lost, stranded or injured, and you're right there to help, you quickly forget all the waiting." Betty estimates that the local REACT group averages between 30 and 40 calls each month. For each call the monitor i notes the date, time, location, situation and emergency service contacted. Each week these calls are: entered in the monitor's log boqk. Then copies of these reports are forwarded monthly to the Rainier REACT headquarters in Auburn. North Mason REACT is one of the five local chapters from surrounding counties that comprise Rainier REACT. Organization for the REACT groups continues through the state, regional and, finally, national levels. In the course of their work the North Mason monitors often mutually assist monitors in surrounding groups, including Mason County Radio Watch and Kitsap Radio Watch, which are both independent organizations performing the same duties as a REACT group. Wide distribution of REACT groups is necessary because each chapter can only cover an area of approximately 35 square miles. Betty also points out that having a large number of smaller groups is advantageous because much of a monitor's work calls for knowledge of the local geography. "You can't lead a lost person back home or pinpoint the location of an accident if you've no idea from where the person is calling you. "For example, when one of our monitors calls the state patrol for assistance, the call doesn't go into Bremerton, but is sent directly to the patrol's communication center in Auburn and the officers are dispatched from there. "Now a dispatcher clear across the sound has no idea what's where in Mason County, so we have to be particularly specific about how to find the emergency's location. Often we're requested to stand by and give the responding officer assistance in locating the site." Although the 39 other channels allotted CB radios are quickly becoming overcrowded, Betty says there's little trouble on channel nine. "It's rare when anybody gets "Oh sweet lady, I'm so glad ou're h'stening." He quickly his first two answers and fires off more specific to her barrage of that follows. "Everything's going to be all now," she tells him. "'Help on the way. Will you please by until it arrives?" After 20 long minutes the patrol arrives; shortly an follows. Fortunately e driver is not seriously "Just knocked us with facial :erations, " according to the The man grabs his mike for one last transmission. "'Oh sweet lady, they're here, I'm so glad you were here." Although it may have seemed a miracle to the ddsperate it's no great wonder that tty Edwards was tuned to tannel nine and heard his request. In fact, it's her job. Not one she does for pay, but as one. the 15 local volunteers the North Mason of Rainier REACT. REACT members have taken on themselves the task of :ally monitoring what the deral Communications (FCC) has set aside the nation's emergency "You can't hear us and you l't see us, either, but we're ock proposal brings confusion At their first meeting of the Codling contends he wants property might revert to the commissioners' request for the the dock constructed as an "emergency facility" for use in case of mishaps on the canal. For the next 18 months the commissioners heard no more of the proposal while both they and the county planning office assumed the proposal had been withdrawn. Then last November Jim Connolly, director of the county planning office, received a letter from Codling explaining that he had put off further action of the PrOposal because of a "technicality" raised by the Department of Natural Resources. Codling indicated in the letter that he now wanted to continue with the proposal's application since, according to Codling, his neighbors no longer opposed the dock, while the DNR had withdrawn its objection and the Army Corps of Engineers had granted its approval. In checking with the Army Corps of Engineers, Connolly was informed that the office had indeed given its approval, but only for the distribution of the proposal's plans and drawings to the media and appropriate regulatory agencies. Connolly's check with the DNR confirmed that the department had withdrawn theii objection, but the office sent him a copy of a letter mailed to Codling last August. In the letter the DNR informed Codling that it would no longer formally oppose construction of the dock, but warned him that the proposed dock would cross tidelands set aside under "shellfish use deeds" with the state and that this state if used for any purpose other than the propagation of oysters. Although the DNR indicated that it would not consider taking any action concerning the deeded lands at the time, it further warned Codling that if he constructed the dock and a local resident filed a complaint with the department then it would have to conduct an investigation into use of the "reversionary,, lands. In such a case, Codling might lose possession of the lands. "Actually they just kind of threw the whole thing back in his lap," says Connolly. "I guess they're telling him to take his chances." At the commissioners, meeting Connolly told the board that he was uncertain whether the application should still be considered valid or whether the whole process for securing a county-approved shoreline permit should be started over because "so much time" had elapsed since the public hearings. Connolly said his personal opinion was that the process should be started again, "just to straighten the whole mess out." Commissioner Tom Taylor, whose district includes the SOuth Shore area, said he agreed that the process should probably be started anew, but was not SUre that it was legally possible. Taylor also raised another point to further add to the confusion. According to the drawings on file with the Corps of Engineers the revised plans call for construction of a pier totaling 84 feet. Taylor pointed out ,that the new plans fail to reflect, the welcome our help." As coordinator and trainer Membership in the group is r for the local REACT group, not thrown open to just anyone. Betty is always interested in Members must be 18 years or attracting new members, older. New monitors must first "Our goal, just like any other pass a month-long probationary REACT chapter across the period, during which time their nation, is to have someone identifying number is preceded i: monitoring the channel on by the letter "L" so other i   !!( a 24-hour basis. Right now we're REACT members can evaluate "    : :' still alongway from that day, the new monitor's progress. !: but our group is still relatively Betty says that becoming a : .... ........... new." monitor is "a good way for ..... : .......... According to Betty the local people to serve their community  group would need at least 20 when they might feel they're members before it could attempt unable to serve it y other way. i round-the-clock coverage of the "One of our newer members .... ' channel, is confined to a wheelchair as  "Ideally, each member the result of an auto accident. .... should have to work only a He says he really enjoys helping two-hour shift every couple of other people out with their days. As it is now, our coverage problems, especially because he is spotty, but we still manage to used to think he was of no use cover all the daylight hours over to anybody." weekends. On weekdays we have Senior adults, housewives, someone monitoring during the and anybody who spends a large early morning and from 3 p.m. part of their time at home, Betty until midnight." says, are the type of people the Betty Edwards, coordinator for the North Mason REACT, takes a call at Potential members are REACT group is seeking. her base station, required to have three basic "Some people might hesitate pieces of equipment: a licensed to become a monitor because of on the channel when they have teams had no trouble contacting the organization's 17.month base station (either 23 or 40 the lingo used by CB'ers, but no reason. And if they do, we headquarters." existence the number of channel), telephone and an monitors don't really use any of tell them to clear off and they Betty says she first became monitors has climbed to 15. omni-directional antenna (for that talk, because most of the always do, right away. I guess interested in REACT a year ago Scattered throughout the wide-area coverage), time they're working with they don't expect anyone to be when she was out on North Bay local area, the monitors and the Although these three items someone who's not that familiar listening." and heard one of the North location of their base stations are are the only ones required, most with CB radio." Channel nine may be Masonmonitors get help for a as follows: of the members have additional The same goes for people in relatively clean, but when it man stranded out in his Elaine Anderson, Allyn; Pat equipment including scanners for trouble. If you're near a CB comes to using other channels motorboat. Blundell, Key Center; Floyd monitoring police, fire, radio don't be afraid to use it. for emergencies, Betty says they At the time the fledgling Bulette, Belfair; Bill Burrows, ambulance and other emergency Chances are, someone will be often have trouble, especially North Mason REACT group Allyn; Ivan Davies, Tiger Lake; channels, and a directional listening. from long-range bombardment, boasted three monitors. But over Betty Edwards, Victor; Joan and antenna for homing in on weak "During the search for David Goodrich, search headquarters set aside channel five for communicating with the search teams out in the woods over their walkie-talkies. "As the night went on they kept getting drowned out by the carrier signal from some woman but they couldn't reach her to tell her to get off the channel. "Well, I kept hearing the trouble, so I called headquarters Thursday, January 12, 1978 Section of the Shelton-Mason County Journal and gave them the number of the FCC office in Seattle. When the tfahs/hission h'finued they ........ 7 "'''',' ..................... ..... finally called the FCC in to do something. "The FCC got on it right LOW enforcement: per? one away and by using triangulation they tracked the transmissions down to a skip from a woman Shop owner relates robbery woes clear over in Montana. She was using an illegal i,000-watt transmitter and they nailed her, The following article is the Bell's store, which mainly sells so I scribbled down the guy's ease. but good. 'first of a three-part series on law kits for making recreation license plate number as he took "At least now I know they're "From then on ,the. search enforcement in North Mason. clothing, has been robbed three off and ran it over to the local working on the ease, though One of Belfair's newest times, sheriff's office. They'd take care they still haven't come up with businesses may soon leave town Last November 14 and 15 of it, I was assured; so I went anything. because its owner says his store Bell's small shop was hit two home, waited for the sheriff's "As for the break-ins is plagued by both repeated nights inarow, office to contact me and themselves, McNair sent up one robberies and the lack of law "Each time they were quite contemplated the return of my of his sergeants to advise me on enforcement in North Mason. methodical," quips Bell. "The jacket, how to make my shop harder to Nicholas Bell, owner of first time they took four items, ""Nothing happened. I didn't enter. That I do appreciate. Sports Kits, which opened last and the next night they took hear anything, but I figured they "McNair also explained what fall, says he is "seriously four again. For awhile l thought were working on getting the he called the department's considering" moving his shop to file break-ins were just going to jacket back. Then, late in the economic difficulties in keeping pier to be limited to 50 feet. Following further discussion, the commissioners voted to refer the question of the proposal's validity to the county prosecutor's office and await its Opinion before further consideration of the project's shoreline permit. w year, the county hers considered the nfused status of If-old request by a Shore resident to build an pier with attached float "reversionary shellfish use lands in front of his rfront property. the spring of 1976 John began the process of approval for eonstrtction a 141-foot pier with float he to build across the fronting his home. Following two public Lrings on the proposed pier, ring which both Codling's mediate neighbors spoke the length of the "project, ! county commissioners passed mOtion by former Bill Hunter that proposal be resubmitted with elevated pier section ret;luced feet. IUCATION C)N TO MEET North Mason's Community Association (CEA) meet Thursday, January 19, p.m., in the multipurpose m of the Belfair Elementary Harvey Kaul, director of the sap Peninsula Vocational Center, will present a slide w and answer questions the vocational center. Mason is one of at tst six school districts ticipating in the skills center which will be available local high school students lUalify. meetings are open to general public. Nicholas Bell, owner of Belfair's Sport Kits shop, says he may have to leave town. Bremerton, "not because I really continue like that until I was day, what do I see but the same patrols in the North Mason alea want to, but because the losses cleaned out." guy still proudly wearing my during the night. I can from break-ins may just force me Fortunately for Bell the jacket, understand his troubles but that to find a more secure area." robbers didn't return again until "Immediately I ran inside my doesn't help the situation." Over the past two months December 17. "That was for shop and called the sheriff's Throughout the past few their pre-Christmas shopping office, but it was past five and years the Belfair-North Mason spree." the deputy assigned the case was Chamber of Commerce has Grand total for the robberies now off duty, so I was tel d to repeatedly sent letters to both - $510.90, according to Bell's call back tomorrow, the sheriff's office and the figures. "The next day, Saturday, I county commissioners, asking for "That may not seem like tried to get ahold of him again, an increase of patrols assigned to much, but for my small business but this time he was out on a North Mason, especially at night. it's several months' profits." call, so I was asked to stay home In response to these requests Bell says he has considered and he would call back. Nothing. the sheriff has contended that taking out insurance against theft "That night they robbed my stepping up law enforcement in but he finds the costs too high. shop again, the northern part of the county "When people hear that some "On Monday it was the same would call for additional funds store has been robbed, they say, story. I wait, no phone call. By from a limited budget. 'Oh well, his insurance will cover Tuesday I was really getting McNair's budget is the loss,' But that's not always' mad, so they told me to stay by established annually by the true. It's not true for me. I'm my phone at 7 p.m. sharp, and board of county commissioners covered for vandalism. If they the deputy would call then. and he says that they would had slashed everything apart, Zilch. have to vote in the necessary then my insurance would pay; Incidentally, I was walking increase for the extra protection. but when they steal, I lose." by the local barber shop that For their part, the Bell says he has checked into day when Ray, the barber, called commissioners have chosen not insurance against theft and that me aside and told me that he'd to enlarge the budget for the the premiums would run more heard that they'd traced the sheriff's department, because than an estimated $500 per year. license number I reported and, they say they are striving to "Add to that another $100 sure enough, the guy had the keep the cost of county for an alarm system and you jacket l'd described. But the guy government at a "reasonable have a price pretty steep for a claimed he found the jacket in level" for the county taxpayers. small store like mine." the parking lot of the Belfair "Actually, I don't really One of the items taken PUD Building, so they're still place all the blame on the during the first two break-ins investigating, county sheriff's department. He's was a custom-nuide down jacket. "Come Wednesday, I was trying to do a bigj0b on limited And that's where the "really really disgusted. It's pretty bad means. frustrating part comes in," says when the only word you've "But I tell you this, Bell. heard is from your barber. So I something has got to be done or "There's not another jacket persisted until I got through to else a lot of potential businesses in the world like it. 1 know; I Sheriff Dan McNair himself, will never move into the North made it. So, on December 15, "I explained all that had Mason area, and some shops may two 'days before the next happened to McNair. He said he even move out. break-in, 1 came out of the post had no idea that the break-ins "Several more robberies at office only to see that jacket had even been reported and that my store and I'll consider it a walk right past me. he would find out why the first-class shove to move " 'My big break,' I thought, deputy had done nothing on the elsewhere."