Your account does not include highlighter on images.
Searches Highlighted on Image
| January 21, 1999 Shelton Mason County Journal |  |
|
©
Shelton Mason County Journal. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 31 (31 of 38 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
January 21, 1999 |
|
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader 
|
FIRE DISTRICT 5 commissioner-elect Lorne Hauser, center, accepts
congratulations from Commissioner Dennis Fournier. At right is
Commissioner Del Griffey.
Hauser named to fill
FD5 commissioner post
The commissioners of Fire Dis-
trict 5 appointed Lorne Hauser as
the third member of the board of
Oramissioners on Wednesday,
alLary 13. Hauser is married
Vith four grown children, and has
red in Mason County for nearly
r years.
Hauser has served as a volun-
teer firefighter with King County
tbr Over 10 years. He has been
raployed by L.N. Curtis and Sons
r 39 years, and plans to retire at
the end of 1999. "For the past 24
Years I have been an outside field
Sales representative... I have
Called on over 120 city and county
fire departments... I believe this
gives me a very good background
of the fire service and how it
works," he said in his letter of ap-
Pliq a ;ion.
There were three applicants for
he position which was vacated in
Vember by Duane Warner.
_ e other candidates were John
Roney and Tom Brokaw.
Prior to the appointment there
was some question about whether
there may be a conflict of interest
for Hauser to serve, since he sells
fire supplies to Fire District 5.
Tim Lowenberg, the district's
attorney, was on hand for the
meeting, and said the amount of
money that the district spends
with L.N. Curtis is too low to con-
stitute a conflict.
Hauser agreed he would ab-
stain from any vote connected to
payment for supplies purchased
from his employer, and if there
were discussion on such purchas-
es, he would be willing to leave
the room during that time. The
attorney stated that this action
would be best to avoid "even the
appearance of a conflict of inter-
est."
Once the selection was made
by commissioners Del Griffey and
Dennis Fournier, it was discov-
ered that no one was present with
power of attorney, so the new ap-
pointee will not be sworn in until
the next meeting, which will be
Wednesday, January 27, at the
Mason Lake Fire Hall.
Griffey encouraged the other
two candidates to "stay in there,"
as the Fire District 5 commission-
ers would like to see the board in-
creased to five members. That is a
process involving a special elec-
tion by the voters to enlarge the
}uestions abound
c,:n upcoming levy
I¥ LINDA THOMSON
The Tahuya Community Club
et on Tuesday, January 12, to
ar about the upcoming school
vy from Superintendent Dr.
erie Pickel of the North Mason
heel District, and to exchange
Oughts and ideas about a varie-
of subjects.
Dr Pickel shared the facts of
the $9.2-million school levy to be
0n the ballot Tuesday, February
That levy, if passed, will bring
$ 3 million per year to the school
district for each of the next four
Years.
Pickel reminded the audience
that homeowners over 61 years of
age or disabled may qualify for an
exemption on paying the levy tax
if their combined household in-
come is $30,000 or less. (For more
details, call the county at 275-
4467, extension 499.)
ERNIE ARIES questioned
why administrators get big raises
while the teachers are complain-
ing of missing out on raises in re-
cent years. Pickel agreed that
that would be wrong, and said
(Please turn to page 3.)
l:00olar Plunge
The fourth annual Polar
!Unge, to benefit Boys and Girls
lub of Mason County, will take
llace at 9 a.m., Saturday, Janu-
ry 30, at the Allyn Waterfront
arm.
According to event coordinator
teve Whybark, pledge sheets
an sign up forms are now avail-
.able at businesses throughout
North Mason. "We hope for a good
turnout this year," said the Ma-
son County sheriff.
In addition to the chilly water
of North Bay, participants and
spectators alike can enjoy hot
drinks, donuts, and music from
the famous band Backwoods
Windjammers.
Last year drew a few hundred
brave souls testing the frigid wa-
ters, with temperatures in the
low 40s.
For more information on the
annual event, please contact the
Boys and Girls Club of Mason
County at 275-7805.
EVERAL HUNDRED 'plungers' participated in last
Year's fund-raising event.
Serving Belfair -- Allyn -- Grapeview -- Tahuya -- Mason Lake -- South Shore -- Victor
00,Thursday, January 21, 1999
Section of the Shelton-Mason County Journal00
board, and then the appointment
of one new commissioner at a
time. There has been no action to-
ward that goal yet.
Upcoming levy topic of discussion
The Citizens' Advisory Com-
mittee (CAC) of the North Mason
School District held an open for-
um on Monday, January 11 to
hear opinions and share informa-
tion on the upcoming school levy.
The school district is seeking a
4-year $9.2 million maintenance
and operations levy on the Tues-
day, February 2 ballot. If passed,
each year from 2000 to 2003 the
district would collect $2.3 million
in property taxes on property,
homes and businesses.
Jerry Husby challenged "the
message behind" the cost compar-
ison chart in the school district's
"What's Best For Kids" quarterly
newsletter. Dr. Marie Pickel,
School District Superintendent
stated that the purpose was to
answer the most frequently asked
question, "What will the levy cost
me?"
HUSBY WAS CERTAIN that
it was a "gross misrepresenta-
tion" that assessments went up in
our area, yet the cost of a passed
levy could actually be less than
the current one. "That would be
impossible!" he said.
Tim Wing, Chairman of Citi-
zens for Funding North Mason
Schools, and a Realtor, explained
that due to growth in our area
there are now more property tax
payers, and that North Mason
properties have also been reas-
sessed on the every-four-years ro-
tation.
There has been an unprece-
dented increase in total assessed
value within the school district -
up by 18 per cent since the previ-
ous assessment, according to
Wing.
The proposed levy would reap
$100,000 per year more during
2000 through 2003 for the school
district than the current levy for
1998 and 1999.
THE 1998 COLLECTION
rate on the school levy was $2.83
per $1,000 value of the property.
That is the majority of the box on
the property tax statement
marked "Local School District." A
small amount of the money listed
in that box is bond money con-
tinuing to pay for former con-
struction projects, much like a
home mortgage.
For the 1999 tax, the new as-
sessment will be billed at $2.29
per $1,000. The proposed levy will
take the new assessment at $2.40
per $1,000. However, any new
construction in the area would
also be paying, so that rate is
likely to go down by the time the
2000 property tax bills are out.
Wing shared a chart of public
information comparing nine spe-
cific homeowners from various
neighborhoods. All of their assess-
ments have gone up, yet only
three will see their school levy tax
going up. Five will see theirs
drop, and one will remain the
same. Changes for those nine
ranged from minus $67 to plus
$133, comparing 1998 to 2000.
School Assistant Superintend-
ent Debbie Wing was concerned
about Husby's accusations and
strong language. Husby respond-
ed, "I have the highest respect for
this committee, the administra-
tion, the teachers, and the
students."
HELEN ILOTT, CAC Secre-
tary lives on the water along
South Shore. She has asked her
neighbors if they will support the
levy in spite of raises in assess-
ments and higher taxes. All with
whom she spoke were committed
to education. "I'm hearing a vote
of confidence from my neighbors,"
said Ilott. "They know the school
district is being very frugal with
its tax dollars."
Martha Wightman, who has a
daughter in school, wondered
what the impact would be on each
level of education if the levy were
to fail. Pickel answered that most
of the impact would be felt at the
high grade levels. The state funds
a lower student teacher ratio in
grades 1-3, so grades 4-6 would
surely see class sizes go up.
Other potential personnel cuts
would occur first, preserving as
many classroom teachers as pos-
sible. With 80 percent of the dis-
trict's budget for people, it would
not be possible to make up $2.3
million without letting employees
go, she said.
Another likely cut would be the
noon-hour bus run for kindergar-
ten children. According to Pickel,
those routes are not the most effi-
cient due to children living all
over the school district, yet only
one age-group going to and from
school during that hour.
Last time this was cut, in 1995,
many families chose to pull their
children out of kindergarten rath-
er than provide transportation.
"This chipping away at the foun
dation can educationally hamper
a child for several years," Pickel
said.
Practice burn keeps firefighters sharp
BY LINDA THOMSON
The South Shore home burned
to the ground, no one was hurt,
and all were pleased with the
carefully planned training event.
Fred and Helen Ilott, who live
on the South Shore of Hood Can-
al, had a cabin on the lot next
door to them to dispose of before
they could begin building a new
home. They had read an article in
the Belfair Herald last year about
a practice burn in the area, and
contacted District 2 Fire Chief
Mike Greene about the possibili-
ty. In October they began to pur-
sue it in earnest. As a result,
there were 21 fire personnel in
and around the cabin at 17481
State Route 106 on Saturday,
January 16, getting some valu-
able training to help them better
protect our community.
The 750 square foot cabin had
been in Mrs. Ilott's family since
1935, and she spent her summers
there as a child. Aaron Espy, As-
sistant Fire Chief for Fire District
2 described it as a typical small
beach house. He had responsibili-
ty for oversight of the practice
burn, with Lieutenant Carl Sande
making arrangement for all the
details, including invitations for
other departments nearby to join
them.
There were many other details
to see to. The fire department had
to check that the house would be
appropriate for such a drill, ac-
cording to Espy. There are both
environmental and safety con-
cerns. The house had to be struc-
turally sound so that no one
would fall through the floor. They
checked for asbestos. To hold the
event as scheduled, it couldn't be
too windy, or the neighboring
homes would be at risk of burn-
ing, and drivers on State Route
106 could be in danger of losing
visibility because of smoke.
"THIS KIND OF event is a
benefit for the fire department,
and the community, and also to
the property owner," said a grate-
ful Espy. They were able to con-
duct a "smoke drill" the evening
of Wednesday, January 13, with
fire personnel going into a smoky
house looking for someone who
might be asleep or unconscious.
One person played that part, the
smoke machines were doing their
job, and the frefighters got to
practice their search and rescue
skills.
Saturday had been well
planned. At 9:15 a.m., Espy said,
"Everybody knows their assign-
ments. Go ahead and deploy."
With that, the "pyre" team began
their task, setting fires in one
room at a time. Another team
sprayed the house next door with
foam to help prevent its catching
on fire. A crew of three would go
into the cabin with a hose, while
a replacement crew waited out-
side.
Every once in a while an alarm
bell would sound signaling that
an individual's oxygen was low.
That one would have to get assis-
tance to have the air tank re-
placed, since they are worn on the
back. Each person's equipment
weighs about 60 pounds.
Of the 21 involved in training,
both firefighters and paramedics,
there were four women and 17
men, eight paid staff and 13 vol-
unteers. Twenty of them were
from Belfair District 2, and one
from Union District 6. Their ex-
perience ranged from less than a
month to over 20 years.
BEN SANDE WAS THE new-
est member of the group, having
been with the Belfair department
for just two weeks. "My dad has
been a firefighter for about 16
years, so I've been raised at the
fire department," Sande said. He
was to start at the Volunteer Fire
Academy in Tacoma on Wednes-
day, January 20. Eventually, he
plans to go to paramedic school.
By 10:20 a.m. some windows
had broken from the heat, and
the "exposure" line of three people
watched the nearest neighbor's
house for any steam, ready to
hose it down if necessary.
Ben Maltz, the Fire District 6
firefighter participating said,
"We're getting a lot of good train-
ing, and learning a lot."
Jack and Adella Kimball are
both District 2 volunteers, and
they kept hot soup, hot coffee and
sandwiches nearby for those com-
ing out of the fire for their
"rehab" period.
WHEN THE SMOKE turned
black, indicating the attic had
been breached, according to Dis-
trict 2's Lieutenant Ken Bead, the
crews evacuated the house and
the fire was permitted to burn.
Once flames broke through to the
outside, one of the trainees ex-
claimed, "It's rippin't"
There were a dozen spectators
at any given time, and they
seemed to be on a relay system,
coming and going in the down-
pour and 40-degree weather.
People watched from Ilott's home,
from the carport, from the road,
and from the beach.
At 11:25 a.m. Lieutenant Bill
Hunt brought out a cigar. "Every
once in a while you have to have
one, he exclaimed, lighting up.
"I've been doing this for 20 years.
As long as no one gets hurt, it's a
good time to celebrate," he said of
the practice burn.
Trees were being hosed down,
as were the houses on both sides
of the cabin, now fully engulfed in
TWENTY-ONE
ing session on
FIREFIGHTERS participated in last week's fire train-
the South Shore of Hood Canal.
flames. Those on the hose line
were cooled down with hoses
themselves.
TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS,
the chimney and walls were
pushed in at various times, to
control where they would fall,
Espy said.
By 2 p.m., the fire personnel
were all gone, Ilott reported. By
5:15 p.m. Ilott's granddaughter
was toasting marshmallows over
the remaining embers. Of their
choice to remove the cabin in this
fashion Ilott said, "It was cheaper
than taking it to a landfill. We
still needed to get a demolition
permit from the county. And, did
we want it to go for education, or
to the landfill? It was an easy
choice."
And of the fire personnel who
were all over the property at vari-
ous times during the week she
said, "They've been a treat to
work with, and I think we all ben-
efit from their training."
District superintendent discusses
next month's school levy election
Dr. Marie Pickel, North Mason
School District Superintendent
was the featured speaker for the
Kiwanis Club on Tuesday, Janu-
ary 12. She shared facts on the
upcoming levy election, and an-
swered questions.
The Tuesday, February 2, bal-
lot proposal seeks $2.3 million per
year for 2000 through 2003.
The current levy at $2.2 mil-
lion a year was passed in Febru-
ary of 1997 for collection in 1998
and 1999. A renewed school levy
will continue funding the current
programs and personnel level.
Since only 20 percent of the
budget is non-employee related
costs, levy failure would result in
cuts that would include lay-offs.
Some of the federal grants the
school district receives require lo-
cal matching money. Without a
levy in place, such money would
not be available to North Mason
schools.
THE DISTRICT'S RESERVE
fund was at $236,000 the end of
the previous fiscal year. That is
less than two percent of the $14.4
million annual budget. The state
recommends a four to five percent
reserve fund to safely cover any
emergency or unexpected expens-
es.
One example was a sudden in-
crease in the price of diesel fuel
for buses. That situation occurred
a few years ago, and busing went
over the amount budgeted for
transportation. If the levy passes,
a portion of that money will be
put into the reserves to build to-
ward a healthier ending balance.
Pickel distributed papers that
were mailed out by the school dis-
trict which shared levy informa-
tion. It included the cost per thou-
sand figure comparisons for dif-
ferent years. In 1998, the levy
cost tax payers $2.83 per thou-
sand of valuation. In 1999 the
levy tax will be $2.29 per thou-
sand, and will be based on the
new assessments completed this
past year. By 2000, with the new
replacement levy, this cost is esti-
mated to be $2.40 per thousand.
One Kiwanian expressed exas-
peration at all these numbers.
"I'm not a stupid person, but this
just baffles me," she said.
PICKEL REFERRED to a re-
cent article in another publication
describing the total levy obliga-
tion as a pie of a specific size. If
two people share the pie, each
share is large. If eight people
share the pie, each piece is only a
sliver.
Kiwanis member Jerry Post of
Allyn gave another explanation.
'rhis district will collect $2.3 mil-
lion, no more, no less. Everyone
pays their portion depending on
their property's valuation. If some
cataclysmic disaster occurred that
destroyed all the property in the
district except yours, your share
would be $2.3 million!"
With even more value to the
district's property, each property
owner's share will be proportion-
ately less, he explained. Either
way, the district collects $2.3 mil-
lion, he said.
Pickel stated that the levy is
being run for four years as a cost
savings for tax payers. Each elec-
tion costs the district $8,000, so
this is another attempt to keep
spending down, she concluded.
FIRE DISTRICT 5 commissioner-elect Lorne Hauser, center, accepts
congratulations from Commissioner Dennis Fournier. At right is
Commissioner Del Griffey.
Hauser named to fill
FD5 commissioner post
The commissioners of Fire Dis-
trict 5 appointed Lorne Hauser as
the third member of the board of
Oramissioners on Wednesday,
alLary 13. Hauser is married
Vith four grown children, and has
red in Mason County for nearly
r years.
Hauser has served as a volun-
teer firefighter with King County
tbr Over 10 years. He has been
raployed by L.N. Curtis and Sons
r 39 years, and plans to retire at
the end of 1999. "For the past 24
Years I have been an outside field
Sales representative... I have
Called on over 120 city and county
fire departments... I believe this
gives me a very good background
of the fire service and how it
works," he said in his letter of ap-
Pliq a ;ion.
There were three applicants for
he position which was vacated in
Vember by Duane Warner.
_ e other candidates were John
Roney and Tom Brokaw.
Prior to the appointment there
was some question about whether
there may be a conflict of interest
for Hauser to serve, since he sells
fire supplies to Fire District 5.
Tim Lowenberg, the district's
attorney, was on hand for the
meeting, and said the amount of
money that the district spends
with L.N. Curtis is too low to con-
stitute a conflict.
Hauser agreed he would ab-
stain from any vote connected to
payment for supplies purchased
from his employer, and if there
were discussion on such purchas-
es, he would be willing to leave
the room during that time. The
attorney stated that this action
would be best to avoid "even the
appearance of a conflict of inter-
est."
Once the selection was made
by commissioners Del Griffey and
Dennis Fournier, it was discov-
ered that no one was present with
power of attorney, so the new ap-
pointee will not be sworn in until
the next meeting, which will be
Wednesday, January 27, at the
Mason Lake Fire Hall.
Griffey encouraged the other
two candidates to "stay in there,"
as the Fire District 5 commission-
ers would like to see the board in-
creased to five members. That is a
process involving a special elec-
tion by the voters to enlarge the
}uestions abound
c,:n upcoming levy
I¥ LINDA THOMSON
The Tahuya Community Club
et on Tuesday, January 12, to
ar about the upcoming school
vy from Superintendent Dr.
erie Pickel of the North Mason
heel District, and to exchange
Oughts and ideas about a varie-
of subjects.
Dr Pickel shared the facts of
the $9.2-million school levy to be
0n the ballot Tuesday, February
That levy, if passed, will bring
$ 3 million per year to the school
district for each of the next four
Years.
Pickel reminded the audience
that homeowners over 61 years of
age or disabled may qualify for an
exemption on paying the levy tax
if their combined household in-
come is $30,000 or less. (For more
details, call the county at 275-
4467, extension 499.)
ERNIE ARIES questioned
why administrators get big raises
while the teachers are complain-
ing of missing out on raises in re-
cent years. Pickel agreed that
that would be wrong, and said
(Please turn to page 3.)
l:00olar Plunge
The fourth annual Polar
!Unge, to benefit Boys and Girls
lub of Mason County, will take
llace at 9 a.m., Saturday, Janu-
ry 30, at the Allyn Waterfront
arm.
According to event coordinator
teve Whybark, pledge sheets
an sign up forms are now avail-
.able at businesses throughout
North Mason. "We hope for a good
turnout this year," said the Ma-
son County sheriff.
In addition to the chilly water
of North Bay, participants and
spectators alike can enjoy hot
drinks, donuts, and music from
the famous band Backwoods
Windjammers.
Last year drew a few hundred
brave souls testing the frigid wa-
ters, with temperatures in the
low 40s.
For more information on the
annual event, please contact the
Boys and Girls Club of Mason
County at 275-7805.
EVERAL HUNDRED 'plungers' participated in last
Year's fund-raising event.
Serving Belfair -- Allyn -- Grapeview -- Tahuya -- Mason Lake -- South Shore -- Victor
00,Thursday, January 21, 1999
Section of the Shelton-Mason County Journal00
board, and then the appointment
of one new commissioner at a
time. There has been no action to-
ward that goal yet.
Upcoming levy topic of discussion
The Citizens' Advisory Com-
mittee (CAC) of the North Mason
School District held an open for-
um on Monday, January 11 to
hear opinions and share informa-
tion on the upcoming school levy.
The school district is seeking a
4-year $9.2 million maintenance
and operations levy on the Tues-
day, February 2 ballot. If passed,
each year from 2000 to 2003 the
district would collect $2.3 million
in property taxes on property,
homes and businesses.
Jerry Husby challenged "the
message behind" the cost compar-
ison chart in the school district's
"What's Best For Kids" quarterly
newsletter. Dr. Marie Pickel,
School District Superintendent
stated that the purpose was to
answer the most frequently asked
question, "What will the levy cost
me?"
HUSBY WAS CERTAIN that
it was a "gross misrepresenta-
tion" that assessments went up in
our area, yet the cost of a passed
levy could actually be less than
the current one. "That would be
impossible!" he said.
Tim Wing, Chairman of Citi-
zens for Funding North Mason
Schools, and a Realtor, explained
that due to growth in our area
there are now more property tax
payers, and that North Mason
properties have also been reas-
sessed on the every-four-years ro-
tation.
There has been an unprece-
dented increase in total assessed
value within the school district -
up by 18 per cent since the previ-
ous assessment, according to
Wing.
The proposed levy would reap
$100,000 per year more during
2000 through 2003 for the school
district than the current levy for
1998 and 1999.
THE 1998 COLLECTION
rate on the school levy was $2.83
per $1,000 value of the property.
That is the majority of the box on
the property tax statement
marked "Local School District." A
small amount of the money listed
in that box is bond money con-
tinuing to pay for former con-
struction projects, much like a
home mortgage.
For the 1999 tax, the new as-
sessment will be billed at $2.29
per $1,000. The proposed levy will
take the new assessment at $2.40
per $1,000. However, any new
construction in the area would
also be paying, so that rate is
likely to go down by the time the
2000 property tax bills are out.
Wing shared a chart of public
information comparing nine spe-
cific homeowners from various
neighborhoods. All of their assess-
ments have gone up, yet only
three will see their school levy tax
going up. Five will see theirs
drop, and one will remain the
same. Changes for those nine
ranged from minus $67 to plus
$133, comparing 1998 to 2000.
School Assistant Superintend-
ent Debbie Wing was concerned
about Husby's accusations and
strong language. Husby respond-
ed, "I have the highest respect for
this committee, the administra-
tion, the teachers, and the
students."
HELEN ILOTT, CAC Secre-
tary lives on the water along
South Shore. She has asked her
neighbors if they will support the
levy in spite of raises in assess-
ments and higher taxes. All with
whom she spoke were committed
to education. "I'm hearing a vote
of confidence from my neighbors,"
said Ilott. "They know the school
district is being very frugal with
its tax dollars."
Martha Wightman, who has a
daughter in school, wondered
what the impact would be on each
level of education if the levy were
to fail. Pickel answered that most
of the impact would be felt at the
high grade levels. The state funds
a lower student teacher ratio in
grades 1-3, so grades 4-6 would
surely see class sizes go up.
Other potential personnel cuts
would occur first, preserving as
many classroom teachers as pos-
sible. With 80 percent of the dis-
trict's budget for people, it would
not be possible to make up $2.3
million without letting employees
go, she said.
Another likely cut would be the
noon-hour bus run for kindergar-
ten children. According to Pickel,
those routes are not the most effi-
cient due to children living all
over the school district, yet only
one age-group going to and from
school during that hour.
Last time this was cut, in 1995,
many families chose to pull their
children out of kindergarten rath-
er than provide transportation.
"This chipping away at the foun
dation can educationally hamper
a child for several years," Pickel
said.
Practice burn keeps firefighters sharp
BY LINDA THOMSON
The South Shore home burned
to the ground, no one was hurt,
and all were pleased with the
carefully planned training event.
Fred and Helen Ilott, who live
on the South Shore of Hood Can-
al, had a cabin on the lot next
door to them to dispose of before
they could begin building a new
home. They had read an article in
the Belfair Herald last year about
a practice burn in the area, and
contacted District 2 Fire Chief
Mike Greene about the possibili-
ty. In October they began to pur-
sue it in earnest. As a result,
there were 21 fire personnel in
and around the cabin at 17481
State Route 106 on Saturday,
January 16, getting some valu-
able training to help them better
protect our community.
The 750 square foot cabin had
been in Mrs. Ilott's family since
1935, and she spent her summers
there as a child. Aaron Espy, As-
sistant Fire Chief for Fire District
2 described it as a typical small
beach house. He had responsibili-
ty for oversight of the practice
burn, with Lieutenant Carl Sande
making arrangement for all the
details, including invitations for
other departments nearby to join
them.
There were many other details
to see to. The fire department had
to check that the house would be
appropriate for such a drill, ac-
cording to Espy. There are both
environmental and safety con-
cerns. The house had to be struc-
turally sound so that no one
would fall through the floor. They
checked for asbestos. To hold the
event as scheduled, it couldn't be
too windy, or the neighboring
homes would be at risk of burn-
ing, and drivers on State Route
106 could be in danger of losing
visibility because of smoke.
"THIS KIND OF event is a
benefit for the fire department,
and the community, and also to
the property owner," said a grate-
ful Espy. They were able to con-
duct a "smoke drill" the evening
of Wednesday, January 13, with
fire personnel going into a smoky
house looking for someone who
might be asleep or unconscious.
One person played that part, the
smoke machines were doing their
job, and the frefighters got to
practice their search and rescue
skills.
Saturday had been well
planned. At 9:15 a.m., Espy said,
"Everybody knows their assign-
ments. Go ahead and deploy."
With that, the "pyre" team began
their task, setting fires in one
room at a time. Another team
sprayed the house next door with
foam to help prevent its catching
on fire. A crew of three would go
into the cabin with a hose, while
a replacement crew waited out-
side.
Every once in a while an alarm
bell would sound signaling that
an individual's oxygen was low.
That one would have to get assis-
tance to have the air tank re-
placed, since they are worn on the
back. Each person's equipment
weighs about 60 pounds.
Of the 21 involved in training,
both firefighters and paramedics,
there were four women and 17
men, eight paid staff and 13 vol-
unteers. Twenty of them were
from Belfair District 2, and one
from Union District 6. Their ex-
perience ranged from less than a
month to over 20 years.
BEN SANDE WAS THE new-
est member of the group, having
been with the Belfair department
for just two weeks. "My dad has
been a firefighter for about 16
years, so I've been raised at the
fire department," Sande said. He
was to start at the Volunteer Fire
Academy in Tacoma on Wednes-
day, January 20. Eventually, he
plans to go to paramedic school.
By 10:20 a.m. some windows
had broken from the heat, and
the "exposure" line of three people
watched the nearest neighbor's
house for any steam, ready to
hose it down if necessary.
Ben Maltz, the Fire District 6
firefighter participating said,
"We're getting a lot of good train-
ing, and learning a lot."
Jack and Adella Kimball are
both District 2 volunteers, and
they kept hot soup, hot coffee and
sandwiches nearby for those com-
ing out of the fire for their
"rehab" period.
WHEN THE SMOKE turned
black, indicating the attic had
been breached, according to Dis-
trict 2's Lieutenant Ken Bead, the
crews evacuated the house and
the fire was permitted to burn.
Once flames broke through to the
outside, one of the trainees ex-
claimed, "It's rippin't"
There were a dozen spectators
at any given time, and they
seemed to be on a relay system,
coming and going in the down-
pour and 40-degree weather.
People watched from Ilott's home,
from the carport, from the road,
and from the beach.
At 11:25 a.m. Lieutenant Bill
Hunt brought out a cigar. "Every
once in a while you have to have
one, he exclaimed, lighting up.
"I've been doing this for 20 years.
As long as no one gets hurt, it's a
good time to celebrate," he said of
the practice burn.
Trees were being hosed down,
as were the houses on both sides
of the cabin, now fully engulfed in
TWENTY-ONE
ing session on
FIREFIGHTERS participated in last week's fire train-
the South Shore of Hood Canal.
flames. Those on the hose line
were cooled down with hoses
themselves.
TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS,
the chimney and walls were
pushed in at various times, to
control where they would fall,
Espy said.
By 2 p.m., the fire personnel
were all gone, Ilott reported. By
5:15 p.m. Ilott's granddaughter
was toasting marshmallows over
the remaining embers. Of their
choice to remove the cabin in this
fashion Ilott said, "It was cheaper
than taking it to a landfill. We
still needed to get a demolition
permit from the county. And, did
we want it to go for education, or
to the landfill? It was an easy
choice."
And of the fire personnel who
were all over the property at vari-
ous times during the week she
said, "They've been a treat to
work with, and I think we all ben-
efit from their training."
District superintendent discusses
next month's school levy election
Dr. Marie Pickel, North Mason
School District Superintendent
was the featured speaker for the
Kiwanis Club on Tuesday, Janu-
ary 12. She shared facts on the
upcoming levy election, and an-
swered questions.
The Tuesday, February 2, bal-
lot proposal seeks $2.3 million per
year for 2000 through 2003.
The current levy at $2.2 mil-
lion a year was passed in Febru-
ary of 1997 for collection in 1998
and 1999. A renewed school levy
will continue funding the current
programs and personnel level.
Since only 20 percent of the
budget is non-employee related
costs, levy failure would result in
cuts that would include lay-offs.
Some of the federal grants the
school district receives require lo-
cal matching money. Without a
levy in place, such money would
not be available to North Mason
schools.
THE DISTRICT'S RESERVE
fund was at $236,000 the end of
the previous fiscal year. That is
less than two percent of the $14.4
million annual budget. The state
recommends a four to five percent
reserve fund to safely cover any
emergency or unexpected expens-
es.
One example was a sudden in-
crease in the price of diesel fuel
for buses. That situation occurred
a few years ago, and busing went
over the amount budgeted for
transportation. If the levy passes,
a portion of that money will be
put into the reserves to build to-
ward a healthier ending balance.
Pickel distributed papers that
were mailed out by the school dis-
trict which shared levy informa-
tion. It included the cost per thou-
sand figure comparisons for dif-
ferent years. In 1998, the levy
cost tax payers $2.83 per thou-
sand of valuation. In 1999 the
levy tax will be $2.29 per thou-
sand, and will be based on the
new assessments completed this
past year. By 2000, with the new
replacement levy, this cost is esti-
mated to be $2.40 per thousand.
One Kiwanian expressed exas-
peration at all these numbers.
"I'm not a stupid person, but this
just baffles me," she said.
PICKEL REFERRED to a re-
cent article in another publication
describing the total levy obliga-
tion as a pie of a specific size. If
two people share the pie, each
share is large. If eight people
share the pie, each piece is only a
sliver.
Kiwanis member Jerry Post of
Allyn gave another explanation.
'rhis district will collect $2.3 mil-
lion, no more, no less. Everyone
pays their portion depending on
their property's valuation. If some
cataclysmic disaster occurred that
destroyed all the property in the
district except yours, your share
would be $2.3 million!"
With even more value to the
district's property, each property
owner's share will be proportion-
ately less, he explained. Either
way, the district collects $2.3 mil-
lion, he said.
Pickel stated that the levy is
being run for four years as a cost
savings for tax payers. Each elec-
tion costs the district $8,000, so
this is another attempt to keep
spending down, she concluded.