February 2, 2012 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
©
Shelton Mason County Journal. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 2 (2 of 20 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
February 2, 2012 |
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader ![]() |
Polar Bear Plunge aims to raise funds for Fire District 13
By ARLA SHEPHARD
arla@masoncounty.com
Event organizers for the third
annual Mason County Emer-
gency Services Worker Polar
Bear Plunge feel confident that
the community will embrace the
plunge with the same level of
eagerness it has shown in years
past.
"I think there's a high level of
enthusiasm from the community
and some of the businesses," said
Mason County Sheriffs Office
Deputy William Reed, who start-
ed the event three years ago. "I
think there's a growing interest
in it, but it is a lot of work. The
economy is tough, so getting peo-
ple to sponsor or donate is even
tougher."
This year's fundraiser will
raise money for Mason County
Fire District 13, headquartered
in Elma, and Mason County
Search and Rescue, both of which
have a minimum need of $1,800
Journal file photo
One of nearly 70 jumpers took the plunge into Hood
Canal at last year's polar plunge to benefit Mason County
emergency personnel, as Mason County Sheriff Casey
Salisbury and Animal Control Officer Cindy Brewer look on.
each to replace equipment, Reed
said.
If the event raises more than
$3,600 to be split between the
two groups, then the remain-
ing funds will be split with Ma-
son County Fire District 18, in
Hoodsport, and Mason County's
SWAT team.
In 2010 and 2011, the event
raised about $5,000 each.
Reed started the fundraiser to
do something for the Lake Cush-
man and Hoodsport community
in the slow winter mOnths.
"I have been the Lake Cush-
man community deputy for five
years now," he said. "The win-
ter months of the Hoodsport
area are pretty slow, so I want-
ed to do something to bring
people in to the community so
they could see what Hoodsport
and Lake Cushman was about,
and something to benefit the
emergency service workers in
the county."
Hood Canal Kiwanis is once
again providing hot dogs for $3
at the event, while the Tides Res-
taurant in Lilliwaup will be sell-
ing clam chowder.
The Hoodsport IGA grocery
store will be offering parking for
a $2 fee this year, which will go
back to support the fundraiser.
This year is the first time that
the store has charged for park-
ing.
"Parking is kind of limited
in Hoodsport and last year was
kind of uncoordinated," Reed
said. "This way we hope to keep
better track of it."
To plunge at the Port of Hood-
sport marina, all that is needed
is a $25 minimum donation, and
a parent or guardian signature
for minors.
As of last Friday, Jan. 27,
nearly 40 people had signed up to
take the plunge, including Sher-
iff Casey Salisbury, who plunged
last year.
"Everything is coming togeth-
er nicely," said event organizer
Jean Boone. "It will be fun, fun,
fun."
The Hood Canal Community
Church is sponsoring a pancake
breakfast preceding the event,
at 7 a.m. The plunge starts at 10
a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the
Port of Hoodsport Marina.
City moves forwan] on Canyon Creek
By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie@zasoncounty.com
The City of Shelton has
wrestled with periodic flood-
ing from Canyon Creek for
several years. During periods
of heavy rain or snowfall, the
creek overflows and floods an
area near Northcliffe Road
and First Street.
"In recent years it's been
apparently worse than his-
torically we've seen," said
City Engineer Mike Michael.
After years of talking
about the problem with resi-
dents who are affected by
the problem, the city plans to
take action in 2012 to correct
it.
In the next couple of
weeks, the city plans to hire
an engineering consultant to
help develop a plan to deal
with the flooding.
'With commission approv-
al late last fall we elected
to move forward with a full
fledged RFQ (Request for
Qualifications) process," Mi-
chael said.
Nine engineering firms
submitted applications for
the job. Four of those appli-
cations stood out to the city,
Michael said.
"As we went through the
process we had ideas; ideas
from the community, ideas
from the commission," Mi-
chael said. "Not all of those
Journal pnom oy Natahe Johnson
City Engineer Mike Michael, left, and Community
and Economic Development Director Steve Goins
briefed the Shelton City Commission Monday on
the progress of hiring a consultant for the design
phase of a project to address flooding from
Canyon Creek.
were picked up. Everybody
was missing a piece here and
a piece there."
Last Friday the city in-
vited those four applicants
to visit the city and provide
more detailed assessments
of the Canyon Creek flooding
problem, and several alterna-
tives to address the problem.
On Wednesday, they came
back in for interviews, Mi-
chael said.
'We're hoping for good re-
sults," Michael said. "Our key
goal here is to get to a set of
solutions that we know the
community can get behind
and we know the permitting
agencies can get behind."
Project Engineer Jerry
Hauth said the flooding prob-
lems originating at Canyon
Creek have several complex
causes.
"You've got a lot of dynam-
ics here - there is not a single
silver bullet that can fix it,"
he said. "It's really dynamic
and complicated."
In the 1800s, downtown
Shelton was a salt marsh
up to present day 7th St,
and Canyon Creek was an
independent creek, flowing
straight to Oakland Bay.
However, at some point,
early developers of the city
artificially joined Canyon
Creek with Shelton Creek
and Goldsborough Creek, and
now all three flow together
before entering Oakland Bay.
Because the three creeks
flow together after 2nd St. in
Shelton, any changes to Can-
yon Creek above Northcliffe
Road could impact flooding
downtown.
'qATe don't have the time or
the expertise to do this on our
own," Michael said.
Michael hopes to recom-
mend a candidate to the city
commission in the next two
to three weeks. Once hired,
the city will expect the engi-
neering consultant to provide
a pro-design analysis of the
flooding problem, and a 30
percent design of several al-
ternatives to fix it.
The city asked for a 30 per-
cent design, Michael said, so
it could have several options
tO choose from before asking
for a cdniolete design.
In October, the city com-
misson approved a proposal
to request a Department of
Ecology grant for $350,000,
along with a city match of
$100,000 from the Stormwa-
ter Fund to pay for the con-
sulting process.
After the city commission
approves a particular project,
Michael and his staff will be-
gin the search for funding, he
Journal photo 13) Natalie Johnson
Shelton City Commissioner of Finance Mike
Olsen presented City Finance Manager
Cathy Beierle and her staff with a
Milestone Achievement Award and a
letter from State Auditor Brian Sountag
commending the department for 15 years of
good audit reports.
St finance team
c lets 'milestone' award
By NATALIE JOHNSON
" natalimasoncounty.com
The Slelton City Commission presented the city's
finance department with a Milestone Achievement
Award Monday, Jan. 30, recognizing 15 years of state
audit reports showing no negative findings.
The commission also presented the city finance de-
partment with a letter from Washington State Audi-
tor Brian Sonntag recognizing the achievement.
'We heard that this was coming last December and
Mike Byrne acknowledged Cathy (Beierle) and she
wasn't here," City Administrator Dave O'Leary said.
Beierle, the city's finance manager, along with the
entire financial staff, accepted the award during Mon-
day's regular city commission meeting.
Inside/Outside Heart Pendants
Hoops 15% OFF
:ii? " ...... ':: 14K Diamond
.! .::':::!.,;. ii ': Inside/Outside
.oops
:: e,'z.%:;:;:: In-store Drawing
Diamond Heart
Pendants
2999
The card is nice...
but he really
wants a
GROWLER
1730 Olympic Hwy. S, • Shelton
k (Next to Arcadia Chevron)
Page A-2 - Shelton-Mason County Journal -Thursday, February 2, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day
fr0m Nita's
• :::: S" i
i:::: :: .Home oo,m8
' ' !;'' .Warm Atmosphere
N
1
Open 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m,
Now Monday thru Friday
On
Sale, NITA' S
RESTAURANT and GALLERY
Since 1952
325 W. Railroad Avenue, Shelton 426-6143