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Local businesses are waiting for the clouds to part
We are speaking both figura-
tively and literally because these
are dreary days for most local re-
tailers.
We shoppers too tend to hide in-
doors and wile this first part of the
year away. Families take holiday
vacations, snowbirds migrate to
warmer climates and people hold
their wallets closer to their vests
when their Christmas bills appear.
The winter cold makes it easy to
wrap yourself in a blanket of mel-
ancholy while you wait for the sun
to return.
We are all challenged by Old
Man Winter to get fat and lazy
and to sit back and complain about
how bad things are in these light-
deprived days.
But we can choose to answer his
prodding with leadership whether
it be in your business, your family
or your neighborhood.
Leadership isn't about waving
your hand and saying: "Come on, I
know the path, follow me!"
Rather, leadership is the abil-
ity to identify the common goals
of different people. It is the will to
focus your efforts on those goals we
all share in common. Such an atti-
tude makes it easy to achieve great
things but to climb the mountain
we must first set aside our differ-
ences whether great or petty.
Whether Republican versus
Democrat or businessman versus
shopper, we need to look to con-
structive ways to work and live to-
gether.
The easiest path is to look to our
successes and identify what makes
those accomplishments possible.
Then all we need to do is find a way
to apply what we've learned to new
areas in which we hope to succeed.
Thus we find the way together -
the common path in which to invest
our capital and our time in making
our neighborhood, business or fam-
ily better.
Little or no expectations will
surely bring little or no results.
We know the winter days are
typically a slow time for our busi-
ness and social lives but if we start
our year by focusing on what we
do right, things will be that much
brighter when spring rolls around.
SERVING MASON COUNTY, WASHINOTON FOR 125 YEARS
THREE WEEKS INTO THE
JOURNAL'S 125TH ANNIVER-
SARY OUR FRONT PAGE PAYS
HOMAGE TO THE 1990'S. COL-
OR WAS FINALLY APPEARING
IN THE PAGES OF THE JOUR-
NAL AND COMPUTERS HAD BE-
COME THE MAIN TOOL OF OUR
TRADE. OUR FLAG DURING
THE '90'S WAS A SLIGHT UP-
DATE OF THE FLAG WE USED
DURING THE 1980'S SEEN IN
LAST WEEK'S ISSUE.
- JJM EDITOR
Adage eye
opener
Editor, the Journal
In 1850 an economist
wrote the essay: That Which
Is Seen and That Which Is
Unseen.
The thinking at the time
was that the breaking of
windows would stimulate
the economy because of the
spending required to fix
them. This economist dem-
onstrated that this was
merely what was seen, cre-
ating a job for the glazier.
What was unseen was
the loss of work for the shoe-
maker because the home-
owner no longer had money
to buy shoes.
The same thing is true
today. Increased govern-
ment spending, that which
is seen, stimulates the
economy. What is unseen is
the reduction of private con-
sumption associated with
higher future tax rates.
What about Adage? What
is seen is the 24 permanent
jobs. According to a national
study, this is what is un-
seen: within a two mile radi-
us, there is a seven percent
reduction in home values,
a nine percent reduction in
household income, and a 10
percent drop in education
attainment levels for heads
of households. Outside of
two miles the negative ef-
fects remain through about
six miles.
Fewer people will want
to live here. This is because
of the perception of adverse
effects on the environment,
regardless of whether pollu-
tion expectations are real-
ized. Think of a neighbor-
hood where a percentage of
people believe a sex offender
resides. Demand is reduced
and values drop regardless
of whether or not this is
true.
If you think these effects
won't result in a loss oYmore
than 24 jobs, then appar-
ently Adage picked the right
town.
Lance Carey
Economist
Democratic
Central
Committee
supports
levy
Editor, the Journal
The Mason County Dem-
ocratic Central Committee
at its regular meeting on
January 12, 2011 unani-
mously approved the at-
tached resolution.
It is intended to be a pub-
lic expression of our support
for our children's education.
Mason County Demo-
cratic Central Committee
resolution supporting local
school levies, resolution No.
11-1.
Whereas State support
for local schools provides
only about 60 to 70 percent
of local costs of a minimum
basic education, includ-
ing local bussing costs, and
whereas historically local
levies are a vital piece of
school districts' funding and
whereas local levies must
be approved by a majority
of local school district vot-
ers and whereas local levies
must be reauthorized every
two, three or four years, and
whereas the MaSon County
Democratic Central Com-
mittee historically has sup-
ported basic education as be-
ing the life's blood of a vital
rural community, and now
therefore be it resolved that
the Mason County Demo-
cratic Central Committee
endorses such special levies
vital to quality education as
provided by Mason County
School Districts, and further
that such human, financial
and other resources as are
available shall be provided
to promote these levies so
essential in this time when
limited funds place our chil-
dren's education in harm's
way.
Adopted and approved
this 12 day of January 2011.
John Piety, Chair
Mason County Democratic
Central Committee
Support
the levy
Editor, the Journal
We urge all who live
within the Shelton School
District boundaries to
please support the upcom-
ing replacement levy, which
provides funding for basic
education services to our
children. This levy does not
impose new taxes on what is
currently in place. It replac-
es the expired tax and pro-
vides for what many of us
feel are some of our schools
most important programs/
activities; elementary mu-
sic, PE, art, technology,
highly capable, learning
support, alternative educa-
tion, curriculum materials,
secondary summer school,
library services, coaches,
athletics, intramural pro-
grams, swimming pool/high
school auditorium opera-
tions and maintenance of
the school facilities which
have already been built
with our money.
As teachers, many who
are also concerned parents,
we have been able to see
first-hand the positive ef-
fects these programs have
provided to the children of
the Shelton School District.
Our entire community and
especially our children can-
not afford to lose out, please
give your support and vote
for this levy, by February 8.
Shelton Education
Association Executive Board
Ron Goodale, Joyce Weston-
Smith, Kristey Perigo,
Karla Knudsen-Johnston,
Tim Madden
and Dean McCoy
Eighth
grader
involved in
project
citizen
Editor, the Journal
My name is Sateeva
Harris and I am an eighth
grader at Hawkins Middle
School. We are involved
with Project Citizen. The
topic our class has chosen to
study is dog fighting. Proj-
ect Citizen was new to our
school last year, the eighth
grade honors class has to
choose a problem in our
community that they want
to change or be further en-
forced. My class will study
about how the government
is dealing with this problem
and how citizens can par-
ticipate to help enforce the
laws about our topic.
My class has chosen ani-
mal abuse out of a variety
of topics that we could have
studied. Animal abuse is a
very large topic to do a proj-
ect about, so we narrowed
our topic even further to dog
fighting. I am responsible
for finding out information
about dog fighting to share
with my class. I have some
questions about dog fight-
ing in our community. How
serious is this problem in
our community? What is
the current policy for deal-
ing with this problem? Who
are the major individuals,
groups, and organizations
taking sides on the prob-
lem? And if our class de-
velops a policy to deal with
this problem, how might we
influence our government to
adopt our policy?
Thanks you for your time.
Please reply to this letter at:
Hawkins Middle School, 300.
E. Campus Drive, Belfair,
WA 98528
Sateeva Harris
Belfair
to the editor. We will print signed, original letters
of local interest. We will not publish letters that
are libelous or scurrilous in nature. Letters should
be under 350 words and provide contact and ad-
dress:information for the Journal.
Smokestacks
will be
trademark of
Shelton
Editor, the Journal
It has become readily ap-
parent that the supporters
and promoters of the Adage/
Simpson Biomass incinera-
tor projects have chosen to
ignore or discount the grow-
ing body of scientific evi-
dence, which clearly docu-
ments significant threats to
public health and environ-
mental quality. Given that
the potential to make mon-
ey exists, this support comes
as no surprise.
Despite the carefully
planned and crafted selling
of these proposals, they re-
main a serious threat to our
community. In no uncertain
terms, these two smoke-
stacks will be undeniably
and seriously ugly, at 170
feet for Adage and 135 feet
plus or minus for Simpson,
the smokestacks will be
highly visible, hideous, sky-
scraping monuments to pol-
lution and industrial blight
that will become the unde-
sirable and unmarketable
trademark of Shelton and
Mason County.
Perception, reputation,
and image play a huge
role in quality community
growth and economic devel-
opment. Should these proj-
ects go forward, the Shelton/
Mason County area will be
perceived as the laughing
stock of the south sound re-
gion, a place where unusu-
ally tasteless development
takes priority over quality of
life, and where public health
takes a back set to the per-
sonal wealth of a very few.
Why would people want to
raise a family, buy or start a
business, or invest in prop-
erty in a community where
it's so called business lead-
ers have demonstrated such
a regressive attitude toward
development that they bot-
tom fish for industrial devel-
opment that, in the case of
Adage, has already been re-
jected by other communities
across the United States as
being unacceptable?
Yes, these projects will
infuse some short-term
money into the local econ-
omy. Yet, it is an age-old
fool's errand that sells out
future economic prosperity
for a few near term dollars.
The members of the Shel-
ton/Mason County business
community would do well to
take an honest, stone cold
sober look at what lies in
the precipice that Biomass
proponents Tim Sheldon
and Jay Hupp are willing
to push them into. Quality,
beneficial, and sustainable
community development
is a matter of dollars and
sense, and in the long run,
these projects will make
little of either for our com-
munity.
Bob Herr
Shelton
"Yes" for
Shelton
Schools
Editor, the Journal
Please support the up-
coming educational pro-
grams and operations levy
for Shelton Schools.
"Strong Schools mean
strong communities." This
phrase should mean a great
deal to all of us living in
Shelton School District. I
went to school here and now
have my children in the dis-
trict. I am proof that we are
raising our future. We have
great schools and should be
proud of what has been ac-
complished in this district.
We cannot rely on federal
and state dollars we need to
take care of our kids. Please
continue to fund the levy in
place, vote yes for Shelton
School District and kids.
John Lester
Shelton
Please vote
for schools
Editor, the Journal
On December 10-12, 2010
Mason County residents
were treated to a rare set
of concerts for a community
of this size. In a combined
effort between the Union-
based Anna's Bay Chorale
and the Shelton High School
Chambers Singers and ac-
companied by a 22 piece
professional orchestra (in-
cluding Mason County resi-
dent Laura Farr), Handel's
masterpiece Messiah was
performed in its entirety for
the first time in the history
of Mason County. This was
no small feat with much
thanks going to the orga-
nizational and musical ef-
forts of Anna's Bay director,
Matthew Blegen. These per-
formances culminated an
18-month journey for these
singers and musicians. Nine
hundred audience members
enjoyed the end product of a
mammoth undertaking and
the concerts were magnifi-
cent.
I mention this to make
Journal readers aware that
while musical concerts of
this scale are possible and
happening in Mason Coun-
ty, the only venue for such
music in our region is the
Shelton School District per-
forming Arts Center (SHS
Auditorium). Anna's Bay
Center for Music is. not the
only performing arts or-
ganization to utilize this
venue. It is regularly used
by Mason County Commu-
nity Concert Association,
Shelton Juniors Program,
Missoula Children's The-
ater, Washington Old Time
Fiddlers, the Bluegrass
Festival, and many other
community organizations.
In addition, this building is
the home to scores of school
music concerts and theater
productions each year.
Here's the rub. On Feb-
ruary 8, we as a community
must vote on whether or not
to replace our current Shel-
ton School District mainte-
nance and operations levy.
Without approval of this
levy by voters, we will lose
many school programs and
facilities, including the au-
ditorium and pool. We need
to keep our school facilities
and after school programs
open for our students and
our community. We as Ma-
son County residents have
the opportunity to support
the continued usage of these
facilities by voting for the
levy on February 8. Ballots
will be mailed out on Janu-
ary 21. Please take time to
vote.
Paul Nakhla
Shelton
!i Shelton-Mason County
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Owned and published by Shelton-
Mason County Journal, Inc.
Rick Kennedy is the publisher.
Newsroom:
Jesse Mullen, editor; Kevan
Moore, news editor; Mary Duncan,
living section editor; Dean
Siemon, sports; Aria Shephard,
North Mason, environment;
Natalie Johnson, reporter;
Gaylene Wiseman, design
Advertising: Dave Pierik,
advertising manager; Harvey
Morris; Kimberly Janda.
Front office: Donna Kinnaird,
bookkeeper; Margot Brand,
circulation; Cricket Carter,
mailroom supervisor.
Page A-4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
Composing room: William
Adams, graphics; Koleen Wood,
classifieds and legals
Pressroom: Kelly Riordan,
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pres s operator.
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