January 12, 2012 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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Thursday, January 12, 2012
-- Week 2 -- The Voiceof Mason County since 1886 -- Published in Shelton, Washington -- $1
Local school
districts still
brace for cuts
By ARLA SHEPHARD
Local superintendents are
cautiously optimistic about the
landmark state Supreme Court
ruling that asserts that the
state legislature has not done Lawmakers are facing a pro- released Thursday, Jan. 5, jus- field.
enough to fund basic educa- jected budget deficit ofab0ut $1 tices ruled with a 7-2 majority "It turned out exactly as we
tion -- however, many are not billion through June 2013, and that the state has consistently thought it would, so that was
convinced that cuts are off the Governor Chris Gregoire's No- failed in its constitutional duty good news for Washington
table, vember proposed supplemental to "amply provide for the edu- kids and schools," said Tom
"I hope it gets better in the budget called for $507.5 million cation of all children within its Churchill, superintendent for
long run, but ! don't think it in cuts to education, including borders" by providing school the Hood Canal School District.
will in the short-term," said reducing the K-12 school year districts with "a level of re- "But what will that mean for
Wayne Massie, superintendent and eliminating grants that sources that falls short of the the Department of Corrections
for the Shelton School District. support programs like Readi- actual costs of the basic educa- or the Department of Social
"With the amount of the deft- ness to Learn and the Wash- tion program." and Health Services?"
cit ... they're going to have to ington Reading Corps. The ruling came as no sur-
make some tough decisions." In the Supreme Court ruling prise to many in the education See Education on page A-5
Wayne
Massey
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For many years that canoe
culture was lost. but this sum-
mer, as they have in previous
years, the Squaxin Island Tribe
plans to host a gathering of epic
proportions - the 2012 Paddle
to Squaxin Salish Sea Canoe
Journey, starting July 29 and
ending Aug. 5.
The canoe journey will bring
63 groups with more than 100
canoes to Kamilche, where the
Squaxin Tribe has cleared 30
acres for the event.
The tribe expects between
10,000 and 12,000 people to a~-
tend the event which includes
ceremonies and celebrations
open to the public, including
presentations known as "pro-
tocols" that contain dancing,
drumming, singing and story-
telling.
Each year, a different coast-
al Washington tribe hosts the
event.
Participants in the event of-
ten begin their journey as far
away as Vancouver, B.C., and
paddle, or pull, the whole way
down to the host tribe's home-
land, taking as many as two
or three weeks. This year, the
Squaxin Tribe will welcome ca-
noers into the Port of Olympm.
From there participants will
travel by shuttle to Kamilche,
where the week-long festival
will kick off.
Beginning in 1989 with the
Paddle to Seattle, canoe culture
began to come back to West-
ern Washington, said Squaxin
Island Tribe Cultural Pres-
ervation Specialist Jeremiah
George. The Squaxin Tribe
hosted two smaller canoe gath-
erings, one in 1994 and another
in 1996, before acqmring their
81111!!!1!!11!!1J1!!11112
get along with other tribes as
well as their own," he said.
"I've already seen it in the
younger people."
Aleta Poste, tribal journey
assistant coordinator, started
pulling when she was 11.
"It's such a rewarding expe-
rience for anyone who's been a
part of it," she said. "It really
changed the way my life turned
"When I
saw the
massiveness
of the
event, I was
overwhelmed."
Courtesy pi~otos
Last year, many coastal Washington tribes, with
more than 100 canoes, participated in an annual
canoe journey. This photo shows canoe journey
participants during the 2002 canoe journey at La out ... it's a way for young
Push. adults and teenagers to find an
identity."
own canoe in 2000. she agreed to take on the job of Jolene Grover, another trib-
While some modern canoes tribal canoe journey coordina- al journey assistant coordina-
are made of fiberglass, the most tor despite knowing little about tor, said canoe journeys are a
traditional canoes are dugout canoe journeys, way to find inner strength and
from a single cedar log, George Meisner did some research connect to one's roots.
said. and was awed by what she "Sometimes the water can
This summer's event will be found, get rough ... you can be so
the first major canoe journey "When I saw the massive- tired," she said. "We pull for
hosted by the Squaxin Island ness of the event, I was over- our ancestors. Your mental be-
Tribe on its own land, Krise whelmed and thought, 'Oh my ing takes over your physical be-
said gosh -- what have I done?'" she ing."
Bringing back the canoe cul- said. The Potlatch, or gift-giving
ture is about more than travel- Meisner participated in the ceremony, is also a huge part
ing from place to place, Squax- annual canoe journey last year of the canoe journey. Members
in Tribal members said. and pulled for three days.of the Squaxin Tribe and vol-
"It's helped renew our lan- Now she's hooked, unteers have been working to
guage and the traditional songs "It ~s an amazing feeling," create traditional gifts such as
and the traditional teachings," she said. cedar hats to give to visiting
Krise said. Tribal Council Chair Davidmembers of other tribes.
Debbie Meisner came to Ma-Lopeman said the journeys are Organizers of the canoejour-
son County last year when her a great way to bring different ney stress that the event is
husband, tribal administrator tribes together to learn about drug and alcohol-free.
Don Whitener, got a tempo-one another. "It's been a really great way
rary job with the Squaxin Is- "It teaches them how to be
land Tribe. A few months later, with other people and how to See Journey on page A-5
MTA board
approves
land
acquisition
By NATALIE JOHNSON
The Mason County
Transportation Author-
ity (MTA) board approved
a $156,000 land acquisition
in downtown Shelton dur-
ing its meeting Tuesday
evening.
The authorization also in-
cludes an expenditure of up
to $10,000 for environmen-
tal testing of the land. The
sale is contingent on a good
report from that testing.
"I think this is a good op-
portunity," said MTA board
chair Lynda Ring Erickson.
The land is in two parcels
on Railroad Avenue near
the intersection with Fifth
Street. It includes 536 and
530 West Railroad.
"Having frontage on
railroad is very beneficial,"
MTA General Manager
Brad Patterson said.
MTA Attorney Robert
Johnson said the land is
strategically located direct-
ly behind the MTA's Transit
Community Center, which
will undergo renovations in
2012.
The original asking price
for the two parcels was
$159,000, and MTA staff
negotiated the price down to
$156,000. The assessed val-
ue of the property is closer
to $270,000, Johnson said.
"The price of the property
is pretty reasonable," John-
son said.
However, the low price
comes with a caveat - the
owner will give no disclo-
sure of any environmental
issues on the property.
MTA has 60 days from the
negotiation, about 40 days
from Tuesday's meeting, to
investigate the property for
any environmental issues.
Johnson presented the
MTA board with a proposal
from J.W. Morrissette & As-
sociates out of Olympia to do
a Level 1 environmental as-
sessment report to see if the
site itself, or any locations
within one mile, have any
record of dumping hazard-
ous waste. The Level 1 as-
sessment would cost $3,000
to $5,000.
Patterson advised the
board not to do the Level 1
test, because it would not
tell the MTA about the ac-
tual soil conditions. He also
advised the board to accept
the purchase.
"There was no record of
dumping or cleaning up on
the two parcels," Patterson
said.
Longtime resident and
board member Steve Bloom-
field concurred.
"As far as major con-
tamination, I don't think
that will be a problem,"
he said.
Johnson suggested a
more extensive testing of
See Purchase on page A-5