February 9, 2012 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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Thursday, February 9, 2012
The Voice of Mason County since 1886" Published for Mason County and John Janson of Shelton -- $1
County association lays out plans to
purchase, renovate P UD 3 building
By KARI SLEIGHT Association members laid out plans
l,~ari@masoncounty.com to purchase and renovate the soon-
to-be vacated PUD 3 administrative
buildings on West Cota Street to
Community leaders and govern- house a new Mason County Seniors
ment officials gathered at the Ma- Activities and Resource Complex.
son County PUD 3 Auditorium last MCSAA Executive Director Terri
Friday to hear plans to bring a new Shaw briefed attendees on the his-
senior activity and resource center tory, growth and current need for
to downtown Shelton. a larger facility to better serve its
Mason County Senior Activities growing membership. The orgam-
zation provides and coordinates a to MCSAA President John Wyatt, on private donations and member-
variety of activities and services for PUD 3 has an appraisal valuing ship fees for operating expenses.
local seniors including nutrition and the property at $1.3 million, leav- The group has requested the city of
financial planning programs, health ing $700,000 for renovations that Shelton apply for a $1 million fed-
and wellness education, creative include a community dining room oral community development block
learning and recreational activities, with a commercial grade kitchen, gran~. CDB~ grants come from the
'~e center is friendly to those 50 as well as administrative offices, U.S. Department of Housing and
and better," Shaw said. "The Silver community meeting rooms and of- Urban Development. The group will
Tsunami is here and seniors ~ll rice space that will be leased to be seeking other grants in addition
spend money in this community." businesses and organizations that to the planned fundraising events
The group has launched a fund- serve the needs of seniors. Wyatt and corporate and individual dona-
raising campaign to raise the es- said MCSAA would secure an inde- tions it hopes will raise the addi-
timated $2 million needed to pur- pendent appraisal of the property tional $1 million dollars needed for
chase and renovate the buildings, prior to moving forward with the the project.
MCSAA has an option to purchase purchase. Shaw and the MCSAA board
the property from PUD 3 that is MCSAA was founded in1981and
set to expire on July 2. According has been mostly self-fimded, relying See Seniors on page A-7
nge
:: i¸
Journal photo by Aria Shephard
Eight-year-old Jadyn Redmann dives into Hood Canal during the third annual Mason County Emergency Services
Worker Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday, Feb. 4, to raise money for local fire district and emergency workers.
Redmann, the event's youngest participant, raised $330 for the plunge. For the full story, see page A-5.
Chamber
receives
tourism
funds
By NATALIE JOHNSON
nata lie@ma soncounty.com
In a decision that contra-
dicted the will of the Mason
County Lodging Tax Ad-
visory Committee (LTAC).
the Mason County Board
of Commissioners unam-
mously voted on Tuesday
to award a genera] ~our-
ism management grant to
the Shelton-Mason County
Chamber of Commerce.
"It comes-down to where
do I go where I want infor-
mation ... my first hit is the
chamber," said Steve Bloom-
field, Mason County com-
missioner and non-voting
member of the LTAC board.
"They're the ones with the
information. They have the
contacts in the community."
Both the Shelton-Mason
County Chamber of Com-
merce and Olympic Broad-
casting, owners of KMAS,
applied for general tourism
management grants from
county lodging tax funds for
2012.
See Chamber on page A-7
County officials,
students sound
off on legislation
By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie~masoncounty,com
Washington is well on its
way to legalizing same-sex
marriage. On Wednesday,
Feb. 1, the state Senate
passed a bill that would le-
galize same-sex marriage,
with a vote of 28-21, and the
House plans to vote on the
bill this week.
Washington state Rep.
Kathy Haigh, who represents
all of Mason County, said she
plans to vote on the bill when
it reaches the House.
"I do support it," she said.
"I think a human being
should have the opportunity
to marry another human be-
ing ... I think it's a basic hu-
man right."
Section 1.1 of the bill
reads, "Marriage is a civil
Journal photo by Natalie Johnson
North Mason High School Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) members, including
freshman Robert Pugh, left, junior and Co-Vice President Miranda Yenerick,
senior and Co-Vice President Nathan Vandae and President Tiffany
McNeley are excited about a bill working through the Legislature that
would legalize same-sex marriage in Washington.
contract between two per- Washington state Sen. Sheldon said calls and cor-
sons who have each at- Tim Sheldon, also a Mason respondence from his constit-
tained the age of eighteen County commissioner voted uents overwhelmingly sided
years and are otherwise ca- against the bill. against the bill.
"In 1998 I voted for the"I feel I have represented
Defense of Marriage Act,my constituents with my
which defined marriage as vote,"he said.
one man and one woman," Sheldon said he would
man and a woman." Sheldon said. have preferred the bill to go
IIIIU! !l!!ll!!!!!!ll II pable
Previously that section of
the law specified, "Marriage
8 2 is a civil contract between a
before Washington voters as gays and lesbians to marry
a referendum, who they love."
"I've never had more input Bidwell, who was voted
on the pro side. It's always GSA Adviser of the Year in
been more traditional, more 2011 by the national GSA or-
conservative people who ganization founded in 1990,
have contacted me," he said. said it is very important to
"I think it's a generational is- support LGBT students.
sue." "There's a high suicide
Some young people in rate for LGBT kids," she said.
Mason County are proud to Between 12 and 15 stu-'
stand in support of same-sex dents at any time participate
marriage, in the club, Bidwell said.
The North Mason High "I think it's a big victory,
School Gay Straight Alliance said junior Miranda Yener-
(GSA) works to promote ick. "Maybe with this hap-
equality and human rights pening it will make people
in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual more aware of it and realize
and Transgender (LGBT) is- it's going on."
sues. While the students in the
"I think it's incred- GSA club see the bill as a vic-
• ible," said Tiffany McNeley, tory, they still realize there's
NMHS junior and GSA Cluba long way to go.
president. "I think it's one "I'm kind of worried be-
step toward equality for all cause there's so many people
people." against it. I'm worried about
GSA adviser and NMHS violence," said senior Nathan
school psychologist Debra Vandae.
Bidwell spoke with prideThe bill allows same-sex
about the GSA student ac- couples to wed, but does not
tivities, which include par- require any religious organi-
ticipating in the annual Kit- zatien to officiate any mar-
sap Youth Human Rights riages.
Rally. They hosted the rally Section 1.4 of the bill
last year and plan to attend reads, "No regularly li-
again on March 23. censed or ordained minister
"I too am supportive," or any priest, imam, rabbi
Bidwell said. "I believe in
equality and the rights of See Marriage on page A-7