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Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
February 4, 1999     Shelton Mason County Journal
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February 4, 1999
 
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At local elementary schools: Students graduate from DARE Program Mason County Sheriff Depart- Jaine Huenergard, Alneda Reim- meat officials handed out nearly 200 DARE (Drug Abuse Resist- ance Education) certificates last month to fifth graders from area schools. Deputy Sheriff T.R. Rankin and other officials handed out cer- tificates to students from Sand Hill Elementary, Belfair Elemen- t0ary, and Grapeview Elementary "oanuary 19-20. . • DOZens of parents were m at- tendance to witness their children graduate from the 17-week DARE class. 1 "THE DARE PROGRAM ays the foundation to help build a quality life by helping encour- age Our young people to resist drugs and alcohol, said Deputy Rankin, who's administered the Pr'am for the last six years. Wh ,ason County Sheriff Steve _^ Ybark offered his views on the 10"year old program. "Before ',a, there wasn't anything go- ,g on. About the closest thing we had Was a Health and Wellness ..W.e, ek, held at local schools, where we. d COme and talk about drugs, a Whybark. • The Sheriff said that in track- it  the benefits of DARE, he fe !Is th 1) k- at about 85 percent of RE graduates keep the pro-  ideology in mind when con- fr 'ated • • • • R with a difficult sltuahon. aakin summarized several Pqdats that are repeatedly dis- cSSed during the 17 weeks of classes. "We talk about peer pres- ru re. And if you don't say 'No' to gs and alcohol then there will COnsequences to pay," he said. akin teaches kids several ways to Say 'No' to drug offers. SELF ESTEEM AND asser- are also discussed. "rake d for what you believe, or will take a stand for hasized Rankin. indicate that it costs $53,000 a year for each held in area detention 87 DARE graduates from Elementary include the lag: Kim Beck, Ashleigh Amanda Lyon, Melissa Lauren Rines, Kellie Rod- Caressa Seymour, Ivan Logan Dutton, Luke Hammock, Joshua els, Larry Reimer, Joshua Jamie Bradley, Patricia David Cardwell, Chris- Durant, Houston Hamil- Walter, Danial Border, a Brown, Amanda Coates, er, Rebecca Spaulding, Nathan Altman, Hunter Hamilton, Chris- topher Redfern, and Nicholas Southerland. Other Belfair students receiv- ing DARE certificates were: Ash- ley Brownlee, Meghan Claycomb, Kendra Haskell, Kristina Hens- lee, Victoria Hill, Lyndsay Hovee, Kassi Jensen, Michelle Katz, Erin Kaye, Amanda Knapp, Corina Norman, Danielle Piety, Lauren Roberts, Shahid Ahmed, Randy Conger-Best, Jeremiah Donovan, Alex Grzybinski IV, Cody Hurd, Mark Jones, Tucker Lahn, Gar- rett Landram, Jesse Martinez, Benjamin Merrill, Nathan Mul- ler, Jeffery Patterson, Aaron Pe- tersen, Keith Saunders-White, Orion Tooley, and Daniel Wal- dron. And the final wave of Belfair DARE graduates include: Stepha- nie Bartell, Katherine Carver, Carly Davis, Amy Hansen, Susan Hare, Christine Hoernke, Rachel Keller, Hayli Kennedy, Toni Moore, Kaye Newman, Kathryn Nuttman, Whitney Pearson, Emme Petcu, Rena Pugh, Whit- ney Williams, Wesley Brittner, Tristan Crites, Davis Empolen, Louie Helm, Richard Hicks, Kev- in Jong, Kristoffer Kimmel, Brian Martin, Johnny Perez, Jesse Pleines, Spencer Russell, Shawn Sisco, and Jason Veitch. SAND HILL Elementary fifth graders receiving DARE certifi- cates totaled 77. They include: Alyssa Bagwell, Donnielle Baum- er, Danielle Beaton, Kevin Black- well, Jamie Bright, Paul Brooks, Carlie Butcher, Kimberly Carna- han, Tyler Casteel, Gina Char- gualaf, Corey Choffin, Tarrant Collett, Spencer Cooper, Timothy Dixon, Melea Douglas, Mystic Eggiman, Brittany Esselstrom, Lindsay Fitzmorris, Amanda Fry, Jovian Fry, Joseph Garcia, Chas- tine Gasper, Nicole Gay, Gordon Gibson, William Gilbert, Keiler Graham, Megan Graham, Michael Griffith, and Anthony Hale. Other Sand Hill DARE gradu- ates were Mary Heather Harper, Megan Hart, Charity Holst, Joshua Huddle, Gary Hull, Lisa Isbell, Jared Jackson, Ashlee Jones, Kayla Kehoe, Derek King, Brian Kirkpatrick, Joseph Knight, Nathan Knittel, Ashley LaBreck, Nicholas Lanning, Kris- si LaRue, Alexander Lincoln, Joshua Lomax, Zachary McDon- ald, Lisa McNamara, Blaire !ii!(i: i li !!!iiii  :iiii!i! :I i i !i ':  i iiii!:!iiiiiil i:il i  :i:ii ?i!ii!ii: ,    ! GRAPEVIEW FIFTH-GRADER Ariana Wenger is con- gratulated by Mason County Sheriff's Deputy T.R. Rankin. Please see additional DARE photos on page 2. Moore, Zachary Nall, Jimmie Nichols, Dawn Norcross, Nicholas Olsen, Tisa Paquette, and Bran- don Pittard. DARE recipients from Sand Hill also include: Christopher Pitts, Rosa Rabinovitz, Shaughn Ringland, Jessica Roll, Anthony Rooks, Clarissa Sackett, Angela Schauer-Marrooco, Christopher Schmitt, Kenneth Simon, John Siniscalchi, Joshua Socha, Kate- lin Stephenson, William Stephen- son, Ethian Strickland, Trisha Thaves, Michael Veach, Joshua Warren, Rick Wettig, Megan Withers, Katie Woodland, and Marty Wright Grapeview Elementary saw 13 fifth graders graduate from the DARE program. They include Casey Walton, Marissa Goodell, Lacey Ruddy, Kevin Wyble, Jacob Ritter, Andrew Stevens, Michaela Ressler, Karl Leitz, Jacob Wis- niewski, Tracey Eldridge, Amy Sumpter, Ariana Wenger, and Micaila Maesner. 20 years: I00erttula bids school district farewell 20 years of driving chil- and from school, Mike has retired. quite the send-off he had. at the North Mason District bus garage threw party mid-morning on January 28, inbe- routes. There were 30- present, that number as drivers came back morning tasks. cake read "Hallelujah! But Mike's wife said, "He's not retiring, aging occupations. And I list of things to keep ded!" expressed his respect for s co-workers and stu- 20 years of driving, he of kids and these are the best. "The Ve had the last three years .a superb," he said. His said, includes the Collins, Tee, Haven, and Christine. say enough for Willa for of Transpor- and Annie (Bell, Dis- The 've y been superior them over the years." er, addressing the as- group he said, "Tom, great mechanic you've Tom Culliton, the Shop addition to driving bus, ras a time when he moni- lunch room, back when school and high were together. problems would come with him after lunch, he had time to listen cleaned off tables. s also conducted driver Over the years, and as got into a party mood, some teasing state- g around. "You took me out to drive that stick bus, and I was crying," said one driver. Another could top that with, "When he trained me, I was cry- ing, and he was crying, too!" The group howled with laughter• "He told me, 'Get tough, get mean, get ornery!'" said a third. They reminisced and shared inside stories with the group, they laughed, they choked up from time to time, and they even used the words, "I love you, Mike." Alice Stites, a driver for 21 years, said, "It's been 20 years of fun with him. We smile, have fun, and joke... I couldn't have done it without Mike and his joy." The room was decorated with all manner of school bus toys, there were cards, both the store bought ones and the pencil and crayon ones. A license plate holder read, "Retirement - Mi- key likes it!" Balloons, gifts and food fought with the gathering crowd for space in the break room of the school district's bus garage. Mike would go home with his autographed shirt, to be treasured along with the "World's Best Bus Driver" shirt he received from some of his children for Christ- mas. He also received flowers, gifts and a gift certificate from his fellow drivers. The children gave him smiles, tears and hugs that morning, he said. Serving Belfair - Allyn - Grapeview - Tahuya - Mason Lake - South Shore - Victor Thursday, February 4, 1999 Section of the Shelton-Mason County Journal Daroff a.t,pointed pastor at BelIalr Baptist Church By LINDA THOMSON Pastor David Daroff came to the Belfair Community Baptist Church in September 1998, as the Associate Pastor. However, when Reverend Roland Shanks was called to pastor a church in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, Daroff began filling the role of senior pastor. Pastor Daroff is quick to point out that he did not kick Shanks out, nor did Shanks actively seek to leave the North Mason church. The opportunity came, and he acted upon it.. The church held a special vote on Sunday, January 31, as a "vote of confidence" to officially call Daroff as senior pastor here. DAROFF AND HIS wife Pa- mela have a son Jamie, who is 12, and a daughter Katie, who is 9 years old. Both children attend Grapeview Elementary, and the family is very happy with the school there. Daroff also appreci- ates the friendliness of his neigh- bors in Grapeview. They moved here from Mary- land where he had served as an associate pastor, and she had been an international analyst for a defense contractor. Daroff was born in Hollywood, California, spent much of his childhood in Juneau, Alaska, then went to high school in E1 Segun- do, California. He was in high school when he "couldn't ignore the call of God" into the ministry, Daroff said. That was followed by college and seminary training in California. He has done short-term mis- sion work, held secular jobs deal- ing with microfilm and play- ground equipment, and then done full-time ministry since graduat- ing from the American Baptist Seminary of the West at Berke- ley, California in 1992. SINCE SERVING AN in- ternship at an Olympia church while a seminary student on sum- mer break, Daroff has had desires of moving to this area. "I love the Pacific Northwest," he said. As for the pastor's goals fbr Belfair Baptist, he said, "The church has been very warm and receptive. We are hoping and praying that we can develop more small groups, and also work on discipleship." He sees the success of the church revolving around all mem- bers doing ministry, not merely the pastor doing such acts. Small groups can give opportunity for leadership to thcilitate this, Dar- ()ft' said. He stated that the church will be participating in a 50-Day Spir- itual Adventure, which is a na- tional program. The adventure topic for this year is "Promises Worth Keeping," and will begin Sunday, February 14, going through Easter Sunday. DAROFF JOINS HIS neigh- bors in being frustrated by the de- tour between Allyn and Belfhir. Ills wife stated that it cost them a tire, not just a flat, but a de- stroyed tire! How does a man of the cloth re- act? "God doesn't protect us fi'om irritations. I actually expect to have more of them, because I have multiple opportunities to of: fend people (although not purposely!)." He went on to ex- press thankfulness for having a car to get a fiat. "We all must deal with these things because they happen to everybody. It is part of Pastor David Daroff lit(i," he stated. The 41-year oht and his family came here from northeast Mary- land. One thrust of his ministry already has been trying to "close the back door to the church," he said. By way of explanation, he said he wants to make people feel a part of church lit'e, and make them comfi)rtable enough to stay. Each one, he repeated, "should become an active part of serving through the church." DAROFF HAS BEEN en- . couraged by the local ministerial association, and appreciates the cooperation among denomina- tions here. "I believe we're not competitors," he remarked. The pastor enjoys fishing, play- ing the guitar, backpacking, and travel. North Mason levy passing It was Tuesday, February 2, Groundhog Day and Levy Election Day. Somewhere a groundhog may have been frightened by its own shadow, but North Mason Schools Superintendent Dr. Marie Pickel was seeing bright sunshine ahead. "Unless an extraordinary number of absentee ballots were returned, and they were all negative," Pickel said, "it appears that the levy has passed. That will provide us with funding stability for the next four years." The final count will be conducted on Wednesday, February 10. The tally on election night was 1,581 "yes" and 1,005 "no," or 61.1 percent in favor. A 60 percent super-majority is required for passage. The four- year maintenance-and-operations levy will pro- vide $2.3 million per year to the district. "I am really thrilled," Pickel acknowledged outside the courthouse Tuesday night. Tim Wing, chairman of the citizens' levy com- mittee added, "I'm delighted! Now our educators can focus for four years on educating our kids in- stead of on counting ballots." Former l'esidentjoins Willa Werner said, "Mike is so dependable. I'd count on him Air Force Thunderbirds walking through that door at 20 after five every morning..." And then she was unable to speak, caught up in emotion. After more visiting, laughing and eating, the party was over, and drivers were back on their routes. Mike will be taking and leaving some fond memories from his 20 years with NMSD. MIKE KERTTULA drove a school bus for North Mason School Dis- trict for 20 years. He retired last week. By LINDA THOMSON Senior Airman Ted V. Byer- ly, formerly of Belfair, has re- cently been named an Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE) me- chanic for the Air Force Thun- derbirds team. Byerly, a four-year veteran, has been stationed at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma since 1995. He and his wife will be moving this month to Nevada's Nellis Air Force Base, the home of "America's Ambassadors in Blue." This is a four-year tour, and something Byerly says, "I always wanted to do." Byerly graduated 4th in his class in 1990 from North Mason High School, having served as student body president and editor for the school newspaper. Fol- lowing graduation he coached the school soccer team until en- listing in the Air Force. His par- ents are Cheryl Nute and the late Jerry Byerly. BYERLY WAS NAMED air- man of the quarter for McChord for the first part of 1998. There are about 10,000 airmen serving on the base, he said. The airman has had several interesting experiences with the Air Force. From July through December, 1996, he was in Italy in support of the American troops in Bosnia. In November, 1997, he was part of the ground crew for Air Force One, the plane used by President Airman Ted Byerly Clinton. The President was in Vancouver, B.C., for the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) along with heads of state from several Pacific Rim na- tions, according to Byerly. Taking care of the president's plane is the most prestigious job in the air force, with the second being part of the Thunderbirds, said the airman. He will not be looking to become a pilot, but to spend his four years as their sup- port crew on the ground, he said. HIS WIFE REBECCA is the daughter of Harry and Stephanie Fredrickson, who live on the Old Belfair Highway. She is a ballet student who looks forward to continuing her studies in Neva- da. The airman has been a stu- dent at Pierce College, having just completed requirements to earn his Associate's degree in arts and sciences. Meanwhile, he said, he has also earned a de- gree in aerospace technology through the Air Force. Techical Sargeant Jon Krause, 62nd AGE Flight pro- duction control superintendent said, "Senior Airman Byerly is one of the most dedicated people you will ever find. He will rep- resent the Air Force and the Thunderbirds very well." The team flies 50 weeks out of the year, so the Air Force actual- ly required Byerly's wife to write a letter acknowledging the hard- ship of frequent temporary du- ties. Byerly will probably be in- volved in about 21 of the shows, on a rotation basis. BESIDES BEING AN AGE mechanic, he will also be mov- ing the jets, loading and palle- tizing cargo, and filling the jets with oil for their smoke. He intends to continue on with his career in the Air Force, and hopes to serve in Europe after his tour with the Thunderbirds. At local elementary schools: Students graduate from DARE Program Mason County Sheriff Depart- Jaine Huenergard, Alneda Reim- meat officials handed out nearly 200 DARE (Drug Abuse Resist- ance Education) certificates last month to fifth graders from area schools. Deputy Sheriff T.R. Rankin and other officials handed out cer- tificates to students from Sand Hill Elementary, Belfair Elemen- t0ary, and Grapeview Elementary "oanuary 19-20. . • DOZens of parents were m at- tendance to witness their children graduate from the 17-week DARE class. 1 "THE DARE PROGRAM ays the foundation to help build a quality life by helping encour- age Our young people to resist drugs and alcohol, said Deputy Rankin, who's administered the Pr'am for the last six years. Wh ,ason County Sheriff Steve _^ Ybark offered his views on the 10"year old program. "Before ',a, there wasn't anything go- ,g on. About the closest thing we had Was a Health and Wellness ..W.e, ek, held at local schools, where we. d COme and talk about drugs, a Whybark. • The Sheriff said that in track- it  the benefits of DARE, he fe !Is th 1) k- at about 85 percent of RE graduates keep the pro-  ideology in mind when con- fr 'ated • • • • R with a difficult sltuahon. aakin summarized several Pqdats that are repeatedly dis- cSSed during the 17 weeks of classes. "We talk about peer pres- ru re. And if you don't say 'No' to gs and alcohol then there will COnsequences to pay," he said. akin teaches kids several ways to Say 'No' to drug offers. SELF ESTEEM AND asser- are also discussed. "rake d for what you believe, or will take a stand for hasized Rankin. indicate that it costs $53,000 a year for each held in area detention 87 DARE graduates from Elementary include the lag: Kim Beck, Ashleigh Amanda Lyon, Melissa Lauren Rines, Kellie Rod- Caressa Seymour, Ivan Logan Dutton, Luke Hammock, Joshua els, Larry Reimer, Joshua Jamie Bradley, Patricia David Cardwell, Chris- Durant, Houston Hamil- Walter, Danial Border, a Brown, Amanda Coates, er, Rebecca Spaulding, Nathan Altman, Hunter Hamilton, Chris- topher Redfern, and Nicholas Southerland. Other Belfair students receiv- ing DARE certificates were: Ash- ley Brownlee, Meghan Claycomb, Kendra Haskell, Kristina Hens- lee, Victoria Hill, Lyndsay Hovee, Kassi Jensen, Michelle Katz, Erin Kaye, Amanda Knapp, Corina Norman, Danielle Piety, Lauren Roberts, Shahid Ahmed, Randy Conger-Best, Jeremiah Donovan, Alex Grzybinski IV, Cody Hurd, Mark Jones, Tucker Lahn, Gar- rett Landram, Jesse Martinez, Benjamin Merrill, Nathan Mul- ler, Jeffery Patterson, Aaron Pe- tersen, Keith Saunders-White, Orion Tooley, and Daniel Wal- dron. And the final wave of Belfair DARE graduates include: Stepha- nie Bartell, Katherine Carver, Carly Davis, Amy Hansen, Susan Hare, Christine Hoernke, Rachel Keller, Hayli Kennedy, Toni Moore, Kaye Newman, Kathryn Nuttman, Whitney Pearson, Emme Petcu, Rena Pugh, Whit- ney Williams, Wesley Brittner, Tristan Crites, Davis Empolen, Louie Helm, Richard Hicks, Kev- in Jong, Kristoffer Kimmel, Brian Martin, Johnny Perez, Jesse Pleines, Spencer Russell, Shawn Sisco, and Jason Veitch. SAND HILL Elementary fifth graders receiving DARE certifi- cates totaled 77. They include: Alyssa Bagwell, Donnielle Baum- er, Danielle Beaton, Kevin Black- well, Jamie Bright, Paul Brooks, Carlie Butcher, Kimberly Carna- han, Tyler Casteel, Gina Char- gualaf, Corey Choffin, Tarrant Collett, Spencer Cooper, Timothy Dixon, Melea Douglas, Mystic Eggiman, Brittany Esselstrom, Lindsay Fitzmorris, Amanda Fry, Jovian Fry, Joseph Garcia, Chas- tine Gasper, Nicole Gay, Gordon Gibson, William Gilbert, Keiler Graham, Megan Graham, Michael Griffith, and Anthony Hale. Other Sand Hill DARE gradu- ates were Mary Heather Harper, Megan Hart, Charity Holst, Joshua Huddle, Gary Hull, Lisa Isbell, Jared Jackson, Ashlee Jones, Kayla Kehoe, Derek King, Brian Kirkpatrick, Joseph Knight, Nathan Knittel, Ashley LaBreck, Nicholas Lanning, Kris- si LaRue, Alexander Lincoln, Joshua Lomax, Zachary McDon- ald, Lisa McNamara, Blaire !ii!(i: i li !!!iiii  :iiii!i! :I i i !i ':  i iiii!:!iiiiiil i:il i  :i:ii ?i!ii!ii: ,    ! GRAPEVIEW FIFTH-GRADER Ariana Wenger is con- gratulated by Mason County Sheriff's Deputy T.R. Rankin. Please see additional DARE photos on page 2. Moore, Zachary Nall, Jimmie Nichols, Dawn Norcross, Nicholas Olsen, Tisa Paquette, and Bran- don Pittard. DARE recipients from Sand Hill also include: Christopher Pitts, Rosa Rabinovitz, Shaughn Ringland, Jessica Roll, Anthony Rooks, Clarissa Sackett, Angela Schauer-Marrooco, Christopher Schmitt, Kenneth Simon, John Siniscalchi, Joshua Socha, Kate- lin Stephenson, William Stephen- son, Ethian Strickland, Trisha Thaves, Michael Veach, Joshua Warren, Rick Wettig, Megan Withers, Katie Woodland, and Marty Wright Grapeview Elementary saw 13 fifth graders graduate from the DARE program. They include Casey Walton, Marissa Goodell, Lacey Ruddy, Kevin Wyble, Jacob Ritter, Andrew Stevens, Michaela Ressler, Karl Leitz, Jacob Wis- niewski, Tracey Eldridge, Amy Sumpter, Ariana Wenger, and Micaila Maesner. 20 years: I00erttula bids school district farewell 20 years of driving chil- and from school, Mike has retired. quite the send-off he had. at the North Mason District bus garage threw party mid-morning on January 28, inbe- routes. There were 30- present, that number as drivers came back morning tasks. cake read "Hallelujah! But Mike's wife said, "He's not retiring, aging occupations. And I list of things to keep ded!" expressed his respect for s co-workers and stu- 20 years of driving, he of kids and these are the best. "The Ve had the last three years .a superb," he said. His said, includes the Collins, Tee, Haven, and Christine. say enough for Willa for of Transpor- and Annie (Bell, Dis- The 've y been superior them over the years." er, addressing the as- group he said, "Tom, great mechanic you've Tom Culliton, the Shop addition to driving bus, ras a time when he moni- lunch room, back when school and high were together. problems would come with him after lunch, he had time to listen cleaned off tables. s also conducted driver Over the years, and as got into a party mood, some teasing state- g around. "You took me out to drive that stick bus, and I was crying," said one driver. Another could top that with, "When he trained me, I was cry- ing, and he was crying, too!" The group howled with laughter• "He told me, 'Get tough, get mean, get ornery!'" said a third. They reminisced and shared inside stories with the group, they laughed, they choked up from time to time, and they even used the words, "I love you, Mike." Alice Stites, a driver for 21 years, said, "It's been 20 years of fun with him. We smile, have fun, and joke... I couldn't have done it without Mike and his joy." The room was decorated with all manner of school bus toys, there were cards, both the store bought ones and the pencil and crayon ones. A license plate holder read, "Retirement - Mi- key likes it!" Balloons, gifts and food fought with the gathering crowd for space in the break room of the school district's bus garage. Mike would go home with his autographed shirt, to be treasured along with the "World's Best Bus Driver" shirt he received from some of his children for Christ- mas. He also received flowers, gifts and a gift certificate from his fellow drivers. The children gave him smiles, tears and hugs that morning, he said. Serving Belfair - Allyn - Grapeview - Tahuya - Mason Lake - South Shore - Victor Thursday, February 4, 1999 Section of the Shelton-Mason County Journal Daroff a.t,pointed pastor at BelIalr Baptist Church By LINDA THOMSON Pastor David Daroff came to the Belfair Community Baptist Church in September 1998, as the Associate Pastor. However, when Reverend Roland Shanks was called to pastor a church in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, Daroff began filling the role of senior pastor. Pastor Daroff is quick to point out that he did not kick Shanks out, nor did Shanks actively seek to leave the North Mason church. The opportunity came, and he acted upon it.. The church held a special vote on Sunday, January 31, as a "vote of confidence" to officially call Daroff as senior pastor here. DAROFF AND HIS wife Pa- mela have a son Jamie, who is 12, and a daughter Katie, who is 9 years old. Both children attend Grapeview Elementary, and the family is very happy with the school there. Daroff also appreci- ates the friendliness of his neigh- bors in Grapeview. They moved here from Mary- land where he had served as an associate pastor, and she had been an international analyst for a defense contractor. Daroff was born in Hollywood, California, spent much of his childhood in Juneau, Alaska, then went to high school in E1 Segun- do, California. He was in high school when he "couldn't ignore the call of God" into the ministry, Daroff said. That was followed by college and seminary training in California. He has done short-term mis- sion work, held secular jobs deal- ing with microfilm and play- ground equipment, and then done full-time ministry since graduat- ing from the American Baptist Seminary of the West at Berke- ley, California in 1992. SINCE SERVING AN in- ternship at an Olympia church while a seminary student on sum- mer break, Daroff has had desires of moving to this area. "I love the Pacific Northwest," he said. As for the pastor's goals fbr Belfair Baptist, he said, "The church has been very warm and receptive. We are hoping and praying that we can develop more small groups, and also work on discipleship." He sees the success of the church revolving around all mem- bers doing ministry, not merely the pastor doing such acts. Small groups can give opportunity for leadership to thcilitate this, Dar- ()ft' said. He stated that the church will be participating in a 50-Day Spir- itual Adventure, which is a na- tional program. The adventure topic for this year is "Promises Worth Keeping," and will begin Sunday, February 14, going through Easter Sunday. DAROFF JOINS HIS neigh- bors in being frustrated by the de- tour between Allyn and Belfhir. Ills wife stated that it cost them a tire, not just a flat, but a de- stroyed tire! How does a man of the cloth re- act? "God doesn't protect us fi'om irritations. I actually expect to have more of them, because I have multiple opportunities to of: fend people (although not purposely!)." He went on to ex- press thankfulness for having a car to get a fiat. "We all must deal with these things because they happen to everybody. It is part of Pastor David Daroff lit(i," he stated. The 41-year oht and his family came here from northeast Mary- land. One thrust of his ministry already has been trying to "close the back door to the church," he said. By way of explanation, he said he wants to make people feel a part of church lit'e, and make them comfi)rtable enough to stay. Each one, he repeated, "should become an active part of serving through the church." DAROFF HAS BEEN en- . couraged by the local ministerial association, and appreciates the cooperation among denomina- tions here. "I believe we're not competitors," he remarked. The pastor enjoys fishing, play- ing the guitar, backpacking, and travel. North Mason levy passing It was Tuesday, February 2, Groundhog Day and Levy Election Day. Somewhere a groundhog may have been frightened by its own shadow, but North Mason Schools Superintendent Dr. Marie Pickel was seeing bright sunshine ahead. "Unless an extraordinary number of absentee ballots were returned, and they were all negative," Pickel said, "it appears that the levy has passed. That will provide us with funding stability for the next four years." The final count will be conducted on Wednesday, February 10. The tally on election night was 1,581 "yes" and 1,005 "no," or 61.1 percent in favor. A 60 percent super-majority is required for passage. The four- year maintenance-and-operations levy will pro- vide $2.3 million per year to the district. "I am really thrilled," Pickel acknowledged outside the courthouse Tuesday night. Tim Wing, chairman of the citizens' levy com- mittee added, "I'm delighted! Now our educators can focus for four years on educating our kids in- stead of on counting ballots." Former l'esidentjoins Willa Werner said, "Mike is so dependable. I'd count on him Air Force Thunderbirds walking through that door at 20 after five every morning..." And then she was unable to speak, caught up in emotion. After more visiting, laughing and eating, the party was over, and drivers were back on their routes. Mike will be taking and leaving some fond memories from his 20 years with NMSD. MIKE KERTTULA drove a school bus for North Mason School Dis- trict for 20 years. He retired last week. By LINDA THOMSON Senior Airman Ted V. Byer- ly, formerly of Belfair, has re- cently been named an Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE) me- chanic for the Air Force Thun- derbirds team. Byerly, a four-year veteran, has been stationed at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma since 1995. He and his wife will be moving this month to Nevada's Nellis Air Force Base, the home of "America's Ambassadors in Blue." This is a four-year tour, and something Byerly says, "I always wanted to do." Byerly graduated 4th in his class in 1990 from North Mason High School, having served as student body president and editor for the school newspaper. Fol- lowing graduation he coached the school soccer team until en- listing in the Air Force. His par- ents are Cheryl Nute and the late Jerry Byerly. BYERLY WAS NAMED air- man of the quarter for McChord for the first part of 1998. There are about 10,000 airmen serving on the base, he said. The airman has had several interesting experiences with the Air Force. From July through December, 1996, he was in Italy in support of the American troops in Bosnia. In November, 1997, he was part of the ground crew for Air Force One, the plane used by President Airman Ted Byerly Clinton. The President was in Vancouver, B.C., for the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) along with heads of state from several Pacific Rim na- tions, according to Byerly. Taking care of the president's plane is the most prestigious job in the air force, with the second being part of the Thunderbirds, said the airman. He will not be looking to become a pilot, but to spend his four years as their sup- port crew on the ground, he said. HIS WIFE REBECCA is the daughter of Harry and Stephanie Fredrickson, who live on the Old Belfair Highway. She is a ballet student who looks forward to continuing her studies in Neva- da. The airman has been a stu- dent at Pierce College, having just completed requirements to earn his Associate's degree in arts and sciences. Meanwhile, he said, he has also earned a de- gree in aerospace technology through the Air Force. Techical Sargeant Jon Krause, 62nd AGE Flight pro- duction control superintendent said, "Senior Airman Byerly is one of the most dedicated people you will ever find. He will rep- resent the Air Force and the Thunderbirds very well." The team flies 50 weeks out of the year, so the Air Force actual- ly required Byerly's wife to write a letter acknowledging the hard- ship of frequent temporary du- ties. Byerly will probably be in- volved in about 21 of the shows, on a rotation basis. BESIDES BEING AN AGE mechanic, he will also be mov- ing the jets, loading and palle- tizing cargo, and filling the jets with oil for their smoke. He intends to continue on with his career in the Air Force, and hopes to serve in Europe after his tour with the Thunderbirds.