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JOURNALEDITORIAL
d
.(
"ason County held up well
~n the aftermath of last
.week's massive snow-
storm.
Some of our big-city neighbors
in the Olympia area were still
without power this week, three
days after all of Mason County
PUD 3's customers were warm
and could turn on their lights.
A few factors contributed to
PUD 3's success in restoring
power so quickly and efficiently.
Following a major ice storm in the
90s, the utility initiated an ag-
gressive tree-trimming program
that put Mason County in a posi-
tion to be ready for last week's
storm. A lot of limbs came down,
but thanks to all of the trim-
ming that crews do throughout
the year, there were less trees
and branches coming down and
knocking out power.
PUD 3 also does a great job
throughout the year when it
comes to overall system mainte-
nance. For example, the utility
recently did an inventory of every
pole in the system that led to re-
pairs and upgrades and helped to
ensure better reliability this past
week.
Another factor that allowed
PUD 3 to be so successful this
time around is the fact that crews
know the system so well. When
the power goes out, local crews
can respond and know exactly
where the lines go and where the
switches are before they even get
there. That institutional knowl-
edge is invaluable when bad
weather hits.
Beyond all of that, though, the
real reason that Mason County
made it safely and comfortably
through the storm is the fact that
PUD 3 employees of all stripes
stepped up to the plate. Folks from
the accounting department helped
prepare meals for workers in the
field and meter-readers helped di-
rect traffic as flaggers and to "bird
dog" our highways and byways to
let crews know where there was
trouble spots. And, of course, the
crews of linemen worked their col-
lective tails off.
Eight PUD 3 crews, a little
over 40 people, worked around
the clock from Wednesday morn-
ing to Saturday night to restore
power. In addition, Okanogan
PUD sent five crewmen, Douglas
County PUD sent four and Mason
County PUD 1 made five people
available to help with power
restoration. On top of that, two
four-member crews from PUD 3,
along with a contract crew of four
people from Asplundh, worked on
tree trimming and removal.
PUD 3 officials estimated
that the snowstorm came with a
$300,000 price tag. In our opinion,
it was money well spent. Thanks
to everyone at PUD 3 that helped
make a bad situation a little bet-
ter for all of us in Mason County.
q
LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR
Hunters ies to have a virgin forest to
hike or camp in some sum-
mer but they aren't paying
lose when county taxes or hunting or
fishing licenses.
old growth The resulting old growth
forest would of course be
beautiful, but they do not
support much big game ani-
mals. The logged areas will
thrive support grazers and brows-
ers for some years after
logging. There is little or no
Editor, the Journal food in an old growth forest.
I haven't seen much of Might I suggest you con-
late of the governmental tact your representatives
acquisition of Olympia and get their opinions? This
Peninsula property for the being an election year, we
preservation of forest, wa- should get an answer.
ter and creatures. Seems
like we local residents and William Aker
property owners should Lilliwaup
take a deep look at their
proposals and see how this
will affect our homes and
Liars still in
lifestyles. This selling gives
more governmental control office
over hunters, hikers, fish-
erman and campers. The
money for these purchasesEditor, the Journal
comes from our federal I must be one of those
or state taxes and we are people who want Christmas
nearly broke now. The af- to cheer up the whole win-
fected counties suffer as ter. Here is a song for your
they lose the taxes on these review sang to the tune of
properties as they would "O little Town of Bethle-
be taken off the tax rolls hem." Oh little county of
and the property owners Mason, your commission-
would now get higher taxes ers, they lie, deny remarks,
to offset this loss. Jefferson but truth prevails and the
County already has an 80 county pays the fine. How
percent tax-free status and many police positions could
I would guess the other one hundred fifteen thou-
Olympic Peninsula counties sand buy? Even the sheriff
would be comparable. We is disrespected, but we all
certainly do not need more know he's a good guy. We're
governmental property rejoicing for Ione Sregler,
when you look at the cur- her victories bittersweet.
rent State Park financial The liars are still in office,
crisis with moneys com- shaking off responsibility.
ing from entry fees, boat
launching fees, discovery Karen Skinner
passes at $30, donated fees Shelton
with your licenses, trailer
parking fees and campers.
They are still losing money Citi g
so the solution is to buy ze n s et
more property?
The proposal also is sup- togetherto
posed to protect access to
hunting and fishing areas, honor M LK
possibly fishing but not
hunting by closing the area
to all vehicle and mountain in 5helton
bikes. This restricts big
game hunting to a narrow for 2013
border of these proper-
ties. To hike in more than
a mile, set up camp and Editor, the Journal
backpack out a deer or elk While off work for the
will eliminate most hunt- MLK holiday and off the
ers. I'm well into my 90s icy streets as well, it oc-
and my days of major back curred to me to follow up
packing are over. I will what I've been thinking
now be a road hunter or an for about four years. I am
ex-hunter. The bulk of this inviting other Shelton and
new property is now a game Mason County citizens to
reserve. We hunters pay a think with me about insti-
lot of good money for licens- tuting some kind of Martin
es that help finance winter- Luther King celebration in
feeding and care and pro- our own fair city in 2013. It
tective game wardens. Who seems to me that we might
will support these functions benefit by honoring in some
when the hunters and fish- fashion his work, spirit
erman are gone? This pro- and words. I have some
posal may sound great to a ideas from such a celebra-
condo dweller in the big cit- tion in which I participated
for several years in rural
Kansas. I would hope that
eventually the schools,
civic leaders, churches and
service clubs would take
interest. In the meantime
any three interested citi-
zens and myself would be
a start. I hope other fair-
minded conservative folks
will not leave me lonely
among my well-intentioned
progressive friends in this
endeavor. It's a shame we
don't do the same for our
first president, for whom
our state is named ... but
that's another subject. I'm
in the phone book, but the
Journal has agreed to hold
responses.
Dan Carl
Shelton
An ode to
the crews
of PUD 3
Editor, the Journal
I salute the crew of PUD
3 who saved many cold
sleepless nights for me. The
work you had to do could
not have been fun but you
stayed the course and got
it done. So three cheers to
all in the crew, and many
thanks for all you do. For
when all is said and done,
there is nothing more beau-
tiful than when the lights
come on.
Donald Jones
Shelton
County
commission
makes
unwise
choices
Editor, the Journal
In attending many Ma-
son County commissioners'
meetings over the past few
years, many of us have wit-
nessed numerous irrespon-
sible decisions and behav-
iors made by the board.
On Jan. 17, the Board
of Mason County Commis-
sioners took away $125,000
from the 2012 sheriffs
budget. In doing this they
may have jeopardized pub-
lic safety in Mason County.
This was totally an irre-
sponsible decision because
of the following.
The commissioners
signed a resolution on Dec.
5, 2011, passing the 2012
county budget, which in-
cluded the above money insessions with the commis-
the sheriffs budget. It was sioners, at a Dec. 6, 2011,
evident that the commis- public meeting, Salisbury
sioners didn't even know once again attempted to
what they had passed, be- discuss what the impact to
cause they tried to clarify public safety would be if
or amend the budget on the these monies where taken
following Tuesday without from the budget. He was
an advertised hearing, abruptly cut off by the com-
When the public ques- missioners and not allowed
tioned them about an ad- to speak about it.
vertised hearing, they set The chief financial of-
one for Jan. 17, 2012, and ricer for the county under
took the money away from the auditor's office pre-
the sheriff, even though sented the commissioners
they have a $6.9 million proposed 2012 budget with
carry over from 2011 that the requests of department
can be used for the 2012 heads on Sept. 6, 2011.
budget. The commissioners had
We, as citizens, need to three months to study the
thank the other dedicated proposed budget before
elected officials, depart- they passed it. If the com-
ment heads and employees missioners did not want to
for careful management of allocate the money to the
our tax dollar and the $6.9 sheriff, they should have
million surplus, looked at his request more
We have heard the com- carefully before they passed
missioners say that if the the 2012 budget. You would
sheriff needs it, they will think that three months
look into it at a later date. would be ample time to
This statement was sup- know what was in the bud-
posed to pacify the sheriff get, if they would have read
and the public, but the com- it.
missioners and the sheriff Also, one would think
know that it is totally that Commissioner Lynda
against the law to appro- Ring Erickson and Com-
priate, more money for this missioner Sheldon who
purpose at a later date in have served, as commis-
2012, because it will not be sioners for the past seven
an unanticipated need. years would understand the
We have also heard the budget process and the al-
commissioners say that the location of funds. But this
sheriff has not communi- is another case of not do-
cated with them. To Sheriff ing the job that they were
Salisbury's credit, he has elected for; Commissioner
repeatedly brought forth Sheldon wants to hire an-
the need of this money to other employee directly un-
the board of commissioners, der him that will do his job
Many of us have heard the for him.
sheriff communicate nu- Another example of irre-
merous times the status of sponsibility was illustrated
this traffic policing budget, in a letter in last Thurs-
the proof, the need, and the day's paper written by
importance of these monies. Mary Jean Hrbacck. Good
At one point the sheriff re- for you Mary Jean, please
ported that Mason County keep informing our citizens.
had the fourth highest DUI Commissioner irrespon-
fatality rate in the state sibility was reported in
with 15 in number. Since the Dec. 15, 2011, issue of
the traffic policing has been the Shelton-Mason County
in force, this has dropped Journal. Both Commis-
to three. There were many sioner Ring Erickson and
other points that Salisbury Sheldon decided that they
made, such as additional were above fully attending
traffic patrols, reduction of a meeting that was man-
liability, reduction of speed dated pertaining to age dis-
related collisions, etc. crimination. This required
After explaining the meeting was due to an age
need for these monies sev- discrimination lawsuit
eral times during briefing against the commission-
ers, which amounted to
a $115,000 settlement.
The settlement was a cost
caused by the commission-
ers and paid for by our
taxpayers and the above
couldn't find time to stay
for the entire meeting.
Also, Commissioner
Sheldon has been known
to say that it is counter-
productive to discuss is-
sues in front of the press
and everybody. I person-
ally am glad that the
press prints what they do.
Maybe they should even
print it in more detail.
Some people cannot at-
tend commissioner meet-
ings and the press is the
only way they can find out
what is going on. After all,
commissioner business is
a right of all citizens of
Mason County.
Annette S. McGree
Shelton
Thank you
tO all
during the
snow storm
Editor, the Journal
I can't say thank you
enough to the road crews
of the city of Shelton and
Mason County during this
snow/ice storm. I give ku-
dos to the crews of PUD
also.
I am a taxi driver and
know people have to get
to work and home. Dur-
ing this trying time, the
roads were kept passable
and trees were cleared
from power lines, so I was
able to do my job of get-
ting employees to their
jobs at crucial businesses
that care for the less for-
tunate and needy in our
community (convalescent
centers, hospital, home
care, etc.)
Again I say thank you,
thank you and thank you
for a job well done.
Doug Shepard
Shelton
lit Shelton-Mason County 1[~
r°
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