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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
January 13, 2011     Shelton Mason County Journal
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January 13, 2011
 
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JOURNA LEDITORIAL n During the 125-year history of the Shel- ton-Mason County Journal, we faced our fair share of controvery and sometimes been a part of the news. This week we reflect on a policy estab- lished by former owner Henry Gay that stirred emotions and put many in this com- munity at odds with the Journal. The policy of naming witnesses in sexual assault cases, even those under the age of 18, that was upheld by the state's supreme court, but has since been abandoned, is the subject of this editorial. The Journal no lon- ger names those witnesses under the age of 18. Part two of our series is a column writ- ten by Journal legend Henry Guernsey Gay (1926-1999) on March 5, 1992. Newsprint justice Editor, the Journal " The trouble with the criminal-justice sys- tem in this country is that it's too cumber- some. There are all these rules that must be followed, all these procedures that must be carried out. The dedicated men who wrote our Consti- and smile buttons, left unplowed. tution and its Bill of Rights did a splendid job This being the case, it is time to do away The responsible newspaper decides to in most areas but they missed the boat when with the unnecessary expense and time-con- replace the criminal-justice system as the they gave equal rights to a citizen everyone suming effort wasted on citizens everyone judge, jury and punisher of the officeholder. knows has committed a crime. Or, ~or that knows are guilty of crimes. To spend the na- It considers the evidence and pronounces matter, any citizen a responsible newspaper tion into bankruptcy because of the fears of him guilty. It then delivers a long, post-ver- knows has committed a crime, an earlier time is foolish. Let's take a hypo- dict summation in the newspaper's pages. Both circumstances are the same, of thetical case to see how effective and efficient It prints detailed accusations of the eight course, because it is the responsible newspa- the new rules will be. women but does not name them. This use per that provides the information that con- A responsible newspaper finds eight wom- of hearsay evidence from unnamed sources vinces everyone the citizen has committed a en who say they were sexually harassed by a is a helpful device that does away with such crime. That's what newspapers are for. As public officeholder. Their charges range from time-consuming and unnecessary consider- the moral and social arbiters of the nation, unwanted fondling to rape. These are serious ations as the presumption of innocence and they have not only the duty, but the right, accusations and under our system of justice, the right of the accused to face his accusers. to decide who is entitled to equal rights and it would be the duty of the newspaper to urge The beauty of this new brand of respon- who is not. the women to file criminal charges against sible newspaper justice is that it circumvents The framers of the Constitution came the alleged perpetrator. This done, it would the outlived framework of jurisprudence that from different backgrounds than persons liv- follow and report the ensuing investigation demanded rights for a citizen everyone knows ing today. They lived under the heel of an ar- and trial, if one is found warranted, has committed a crime. In our hypothetical bitrary, unrepresentative government. They But in this case there is a problem. The case, it will have served its purpose if the of- were just a few years removed from the days women refuse to file charges because that ficeholder is driven from office. Although he of witch trials and church-state cabals that would entail being identified and they do not doesn't deserve it, the lucky devil will have ruled through fear and retribution. That is want to be identified. The responsible news- been given his day on the front page, an ac- why they went overboard on laws to protect paper understands this because it knows that ceptable substitute for his day in court. the populace from government abuse and women, unlike men, do not have the strength It is to be hoped responsible newspapers mass hysteria, to withstand the counter-accusations and will embrace this counter-culture system of Today, of course, there is no need for such embarrassment of public exposure in trials justice. Perhaps it's greatest boon is that it overblown caution. The government is be- involving sex. They need to be protected by is cost-effective. Taxpayers will not have to nign and non-intrusive. There are no knocks strong, responsible newspapermen, pick up the bill for an alleged rapist's journey in the night except for those who deserve The responsible newspaper now makes a though the costly criminal-justice system them, no overreaction by law enforcers or responsible decision. First, it decides he is from trial to possible incarceration. Already other authorities. The efficacy of the melt- guilty. Next, it decides he must be punished, hard-pressed taxpayers should not have ing pot has done away with racism, and the Since the women will not charge him, the to pay to feed and house a person everyone demise of demagoguery has put an end to punishment of a public trial and possible knows is a rapist. If responsible newspapers howling mobs and religious fanatics in the conviction leading to incarceration and loss adopt newsprint justice, he will be out on the streets. A united people, we now live in a of his office, is out. What to do? The answer street fending for himself, among his fellow community of brotherly love, yellow ribbons is not only logical but breaks ground too long men. And women. LETTERSTOTHEEDIT()R Thanks to District 5 Editor, the Journal My husband, Gerald (Jerry) passed away in De- cember, before his passing he asked me to stop by and thank the men of District Five at Lake Limerick for their time and energy in the several calls they made to our home. My thanks also go out to you. We couldn't have made it without you. Sorry I have not been able to stop by, as he wanted. Take care you guys and God Bless each and every- one of you. Levina Brown Lake Limerick end to wood stoves in Mason County Editor, the Journal Will biomass proposals put an end to wood stoves in Mason County? The answer is a resounding, maybe, in Quesnel, British Columbia, a city very much like Shel- ton, biomass power and lumber mills have resulted in air quality so poor that wood-burning water heat- ers and non-complying wood stoves have been banned. Last week, the Olympic Region Clear Air Agency (ORCAA) issued mandatory restrictions on wood stoves in Thurston County, except in cases where it is the only available source of heat. During this time, Mason County issued an advisory on wood stove operation. But voluntary compliance may soon become a thing of the past, because according to ORCAA, biomass fueled power-generating plants like the ones Adage and Simpson are proposing will be exempt from any burn- ban restrictions. Common sense dictates that periods of burn-bans will then occur more fre- quently, as these facilities will add thousands of tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into our local air shed, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If biomass power plants become a reality, our com- munity can look forward to adding increased home heating bills to a laundry list of negative impacts, such as health issues, high- er taxes, congested roads and lower property values. Our local officials are lead- ing us in exactly the wrong direction, and at the worst possible time. Mason County is per- fectly poised to capitalize on baby-boomers, still flush with cash and looking for a place to escape the rat race of past professions. Biomass will destroy any chance of attracting this source of sus- tainable revenue, as well as those derived from tourism and sports enthusiasts. Progress does not have to look like belching smoke- stacks and larger prison fa- cilities, as is being proposed, but in residential develop- ment and suitable business enterprise. Mason County needs to take the high road and be a place where people come to live, work and enjoy what they truly value; an unmo- lested natural paradise. The money and jobs will follow. The long-term economic vitality of our community lies more in the exercise of our brains, and a little less in the flexing of local politi- cal muscle. Tom Davis Shelton Volunteer programs may end Editor, the Journal Shelton Junior Programs supports the Shelton School District Maintenance and Operations levy election on February 8. For the past 11 years, 2,500 Mason County ele- mentary students per year have had the opportunity to attend live, professional theater. If the levy fails, the Shelton High School audito- rium will no longer be avail- able and this volunteer pro- gram will end. Please join us in support of this levy on February 8. SheltonJunior Programs to the editor. We will print signedi original letters Board of Directors: of local interest. We will not publish I-tters that Mary Hamlin, Shirley Gray, KathyOrud, are libelous or scurrilous in nature. Letters should Jean Benedict, Margaret Chambers, Phyllis Ahlf, Jo Ewart, David Miser, Dorothy Vonhof 125 years of islature. Theses funds help to express our opinion on ,besides doctors, scientists with paying for materials, how we think our govern- and health care profession- programs, and even people ment should be doing things als)? They have all issued for our schools. Our schools through our vote. lengthy papers connecting really need these funds. The Shelton School Dis- exposure to air pollution to Editor, the Journal These funds are not a trict has submitted a re- life threatening illnesses. Having held a continued new tax, but a continuation placement levy on this bal- Adage promises our com- 64 year subscription to the of taxes now being paid. So lot. This replacement levy munity jobs; twenty-four at Journal, you can under- no new additional money is is crucial for the continua- last count. But that is not stand our surprise and plea- being asked for. tion of many programs in all Adage will bring to our sure in seeing the 1930's Our most important our schools. Programs like community. Here is a par- flag at the top of last week's responsibility is also our sports, music, drama, ad-tial list of the pollutants issue, commemorating 125 greatest resource. Our kids vance placement courses Adage has the potential to years of existence, deserve our attention andand most of the afterschool emit annually. These num- Through those years we support so they can receive events, which use the pool bers were obtained from the have read, criticized, com- an education that will en- or auditorium, will be elimi- website of Olympic Region plained and enjoyed the able them to successfullynated if this replacementClean AirAgency(ORCAA). work and product of no less deal with the world we are levy should fail to pass.Particulate matter 10 - than four separate owner/ leaving them. Many of our students re- 73.1 tons publishers, each with their Please help us. Vote yes main in school just so they Nitrogen oxides-240 tons own, sometimes diverse,for Shelton's school levy. can participate in these Carbon monoxide- 248 leanings. Please encourage others to programs. Once these pro-tons To have evolved and help. grams are gone, I expect we Carbon dioxide - 687,248 grown over all that time, Walter "Oz" Johnston will lose many students who tons the Shelton Journal manag- Shelton might have stayed on andVolatile organic com- ers and crews can obviously graduated, pounds - 34 tons On the public use side Sulfur dioxide- 83 tons well.bepr°ud°faj°bbeingd°ne Thank you things, without the levy(SeeTable 9.1 onpage34 Congratulations. passage the school district of 50, of ORCAA's condition- Robert Holt smi e makers would lack the funding to, al approval document.) Union keep the doors to the pool These are tons of pollut- and auditorium open. The ants, described as "major Editor, the Journal adult swim programs and source," which each year What really A big thank you to all the community events in the will be added to the already homeowners and neighbors auditorium are among those compromised air quality we who decorated their yards, programs that will cease to experience in Mason County. houses, windows, trees, etc. exist. The above list is not for Christmas. It was so Please get out and vote inclusive of all of the pol- Editor, the Journal much fun to go for a drive on February 8. It is your lutants we can expect to As we start a new year and search out the lights. It right and privilege, receive from Adage; like a and a new decade there are put a" smile on my face as I Dave Miser daily vitamin, we can all get many problems in our world, drove home each night, a daily dose of ammonia and job shortages, bills, debts at I have to admit, I miss hydrochloric acid from Ad- personal, city, state and fed- the cheery drive home and age as well. eral levels. We all have our all those displays. I even en"an"ersut.j Residents of Mason work cut out to overcome saw a festive pole. Krammer County, our Grandchildren these problems, would be so proud, should not become an en- But most importantly, Looking forward to next the health dangered species. Locat- we still have a responsibil- year. ing the Adage facility on ity for raising our children. Judy MeNtal of Mason John's Prairie will endanger the health of our seniors These kids had nothing to Shelton ty Oun"" do with these problems and and our youngsters. Are the promised 24 jobs really must count on the adults to Vote on the lives and health raise them. Editor, the Journal It is Shelton School Dis- F- L __ of the two most vulnerable trict levy time again. Time reDrL ary 8 The American Heart As- groups ofour community? I for our citizens to raise the sociation, Lung Association, do not think so. What do money required to educate Editor, the Journal Medical Association have the Journal readers think? our kids. These are addi- something in common. Katherine Austin Price tional funds that are not February 8 is the day What do these organi- provided by our state leg- that we get the opportunity zations have in common See Letters on page A-5 Shelton-Mason County USPS 492-800 Shelton-Mason County Journal is a member of Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association. Rick Kennedy, publisher POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Shelton-Mason Newsroom: County Journal, P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Jesse Mullen, editor $37 per year for Mason County addresses,Kevan Moore, news editor Published weekly by Shelton-Mason County Journal, Inc. $51 per year in state of Washington but outside Mary Duncan, living section at 227 West Cota Street, Shelton, Washington Mason County, $61 per year out of state.Dean Siemon, sports Mailing address: P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584 Aria Shephard, North Telephone (360) 426-4412 • www.masoncounty.com /'Juvruad ~¢'wi n~h i_oJ-~dbv Mason, environment Peri°dicals postage peid at S~~: "~ "':~ ...... ; ~ ~---"~" :r~-~" r'-" ~"....'~; '~r~Z.;~.~ i;,~~ : -~ Natalie Johnson, reporter Shett fi son Cou.,y 4oWr , ...... Page A-4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, Jan 13, 2011 Advertising: Dave Pierik, advertising manager Harvey Morris ad representative Kimberly Janda, ad representat ve Composing room: William Adams, graphics Gaylene Wiseman, paginator Koleen Wood, classifieds/legals Front office: Pressroom: Donna Kinnaird, bookkeeper Kelly Riordan, production Margot Brand, circulation manager Cricket Carter, mailroom supervisor Travis Miller press operator ]