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Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
February 15, 2007     Shelton Mason County Journal
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February 15, 2007
 
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f Growtt[, funding are school issue (Continued from page 1.) time as well as a local effort matched by state money. 'rhe state doesn't build buildings for us," she added. THE IMPACT of the antici- pated residential growth will also effect the district's bus pro- gram. About half of Shelton's students currently ride buses. "We need new buses," Zook said. It has been 12 years since Shelton School District ran a transportation levy and school board members will be facing a decision about asking voters to pass an estimated $1.3-mil- lion levy that would enable the district to buy 19 new buses for its fleet. Zook said the cost of the levy to district taxpayers would be an estimated 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation  ]00arriage £icenses  Applying for marriage licenses during the past two weeks, accord- ing to the Mason County Auditor's Office, were: Edward Charles Hull, 52, Bel- fair, and Mary Jean Burk, 46, Bel- fair. Joshua James Alefteras, 24, Shelton, and Tonya Peden, 25, Shelton. James T. Paulk, 20, Shelton, and Karina A. Colyar, 20, Shel- ton. Kenneth Roland Larson Jr., 41, Allyn, and Ronnie E. Rauth, 42, Allyn. Herbert Eugene Dalton, 66, Shelton, and Holly K. Davidson, 53, Shelton. Brent Spencer Starr, 28, Grape- view, and Amy Lodine Crider, 28, Grapeview. Calvin C. Mrsny, 41, Shelton, and Chandelle L. Caudill, 21, Shelton. Mark Allen Upchurch, 45, Ta- huya, and Amy Marie Smith, 36, Tahuya. over a two-year period. The state provides some fund- ing for school buses, but the lion's share of the burden falls on local taxpayers, Zook empha- sized. One potential bright note is that the developer of the so- called Kneeland property on the west side of Highway 101 west of Wallace Kneeland Boulevard is interested in working with the district in building a new school there as a draw for new home buyers, she noted. "All that re- mains to be seen," she added. FUNDING FOR education is a hot topic these days among members of the Washington Legislature. There is a ma- jor effort by school districts to hold the state accountable for ample funding for kindergar- ten through 12th-grade funding and, for the third time, a law- suit is being brought to force the state to provide ample funding, she said. Shelton School District is underfunded to the tune of ap- proximately $800,000 a year in its transportation and special- education programs, Zook not- ed. The money to make up that diflbrence comes from local levy funds. "There's a lot of struggling going on right now in Olym- pia," Zook told the Kiwanians. It would take an estimated $3 billion to fully fund education in this state, she said, adding, "Where is the money going to come fi'om?" In a related matter, Zook said she thinks there will probably be a statewide measure on the No- vember ballot asking that levy and bond measures for schools, fire districts and other institu- tions be decided by a simple ma- jority rather than the currently required 60 percent "super ma- jority." "A 'NO' VOTER'S vote counts more (now) than a 'yes' voter's vote," she said. 'Let the people vote; we'll live with it,' is the attitude among proponents of the simple majority, she said. As for the statewide standard- ized tests known as the WASL, "We've got kids all over the state who aren't ready to pass the WASL," Zook said. Since 1997, Shelton's test scores have risen in reading, math and writing and the centage of Shelton meeting the state almost mirrors the state exactly, she said. are talking about the requirement for pas WASL at the 10th condition for graduating high school and Zook said schools should not students, she would hate the WASL go away. She the WASL will be revised, cially in math. "Throwing and starting over is not swer to me," she said. On a different note, there is clear evidence day kindergarten makes difference. Shelton rently have half-day ten classes, but year will have all-day garten, if the district can bly do it, she added. mind, the school board authorized the purchase new portable classroom for' of the schools. A fourth was for Oakland Bay Junior which is running out Accountant chipping away at Alderbrook's greens fees (Continued from page 3.) golf and yacht club. HUGHES THINKS the pur- chase of the golf course was a mistake and took exception to the way it occurred. His statement in favor of the Hughes Initiative points out that approval of the purchase required a two-thirds majority of the members. By his calculation, only 57 percent of the membership supported the purchase but the deal was sealed by counting votes cast by Crista by virtue of its owning dozens of vacant lots. s Hughes is not a golfer, but he is an accountant who hangs his shingle in Shelton and knows a sand trap when he sees one. Tak- ing.exception to the idea that the seller could cast votes as one of the buyers in this deal, he filed suit against the golf and yacht club in Mason County Superior Court. The club won the first round, but Hughes scored some legal points when he took the case to Division II of the Washington State Court of Appeals and more points in the third round when the case was kicked back to superior court. A settlement agreement was reached prior to a trial date set for November of this year. That agreement calls for a membership vote on the Hughes Initiative and allows for the ballot package to include state- ments for and against the mea- sure. Hughes writes that the club paid $1.3 million for the course, this on the heels of an increase in dues which followed a 23 percent decrease in revenue generated by greens fees. His statement as- serts that wages paid to greens keepers amount to $83,234 more than the income generated by greens fees. "None of us agreed to bankroll a public golf course," he wrote. Membership dues pay for maintenance of the streets in the residential area as well as for up- keep of the golf course. Hughes doesn't like the idea that non- SHELTON School District #309 BREAKFAST & LUNCH M£100U February 19-23 NO 00:00ROOt LUHBEN[NS SHELTON 114 E. Cedar St. 360-426-2611 HOODSPORT 150 N. Lake Cushman Rd. 360-877-6881 golfers are shelling out cabbage for the greens, but opponents of his initiative take issue with this. They state that people who don't play golf but live at Alder- brook can assign their putting privileges to someone and have that person pay the dues. By their count approximately 60 lot owners have done just that. "IF THE INITIATIVE were to pass, no one would pay tbr those playing privileges," they wrote. "Golfers and non-golfers alike will find their out-of-pocket expenses increase significantly." They point out that passage of the initiative would result in some residents paying both greens fees and dues and assert that golfers and non-golfers alike will see their property values plummet. "Charging greens fees to mem- bers takes away the value of the golfing membership and the value of homes and lots will al- most certainly go down," the op- ponents wrote. Besides forgiving Hughes his past dues and absolving him of future dues so long as he shall be a member oftle Alderbrook com- munity, the settlement requires the club to pay his legal fees. He owes $7,500 to the Shelton law firm of Settle & Johnson, and Alderbrook is obliged to make monthly payments of $1,000 through the first seven months of this year with a final payment of $500 coming due on August 1. Marlenc Taylor, CLU AYLOR INSURANCE SERVICES Taylor Insurance and The Hartford you to know that if you're involved an accident where the other party identified, is clearly at fault, and you our collision coverage, we will waive deductible and pay the full cost of damages. Stop in today for a free quote. HARI 104 E. "D" St. #1 Shelton, 360-427-1989 ,, 360-426-5595 Dr. Hook Shrek Diego Hookules Dragon Pack Rat and Tuggs 360-426-7167 1-800-675-7167 2911 E. Brockdale Road Introdu, :ing the Peninsula F'ER:00,DNAL LINE OF C REDIT With it, we can set the right credit limit for you, an j unlike a credit card, there are no anl tual fees, or outrageous rates. Plus, you can conveniently access your PLC through your debit card, online, or by phone anytime. N Scrat C R Page 8 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, February 15, 2007 E D i I 426-160 www.pcTcu Terms and conditions are subject to change, Rate determined by applicant's credit. Ask P Peninsula Credit Union Representative f Growtt[, funding are school issue (Continued from page 1.) time as well as a local effort matched by state money. 'rhe state doesn't build buildings for us," she added. THE IMPACT of the antici- pated residential growth will also effect the district's bus pro- gram. About half of Shelton's students currently ride buses. "We need new buses," Zook said. It has been 12 years since Shelton School District ran a transportation levy and school board members will be facing a decision about asking voters to pass an estimated $1.3-mil- lion levy that would enable the district to buy 19 new buses for its fleet. Zook said the cost of the levy to district taxpayers would be an estimated 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation  ]00arriage £icenses  Applying for marriage licenses during the past two weeks, accord- ing to the Mason County Auditor's Office, were: Edward Charles Hull, 52, Bel- fair, and Mary Jean Burk, 46, Bel- fair. Joshua James Alefteras, 24, Shelton, and Tonya Peden, 25, Shelton. James T. Paulk, 20, Shelton, and Karina A. Colyar, 20, Shel- ton. Kenneth Roland Larson Jr., 41, Allyn, and Ronnie E. Rauth, 42, Allyn. Herbert Eugene Dalton, 66, Shelton, and Holly K. Davidson, 53, Shelton. Brent Spencer Starr, 28, Grape- view, and Amy Lodine Crider, 28, Grapeview. Calvin C. Mrsny, 41, Shelton, and Chandelle L. Caudill, 21, Shelton. Mark Allen Upchurch, 45, Ta- huya, and Amy Marie Smith, 36, Tahuya. over a two-year period. The state provides some fund- ing for school buses, but the lion's share of the burden falls on local taxpayers, Zook empha- sized. One potential bright note is that the developer of the so- called Kneeland property on the west side of Highway 101 west of Wallace Kneeland Boulevard is interested in working with the district in building a new school there as a draw for new home buyers, she noted. "All that re- mains to be seen," she added. FUNDING FOR education is a hot topic these days among members of the Washington Legislature. There is a ma- jor effort by school districts to hold the state accountable for ample funding for kindergar- ten through 12th-grade funding and, for the third time, a law- suit is being brought to force the state to provide ample funding, she said. Shelton School District is underfunded to the tune of ap- proximately $800,000 a year in its transportation and special- education programs, Zook not- ed. The money to make up that diflbrence comes from local levy funds. "There's a lot of struggling going on right now in Olym- pia," Zook told the Kiwanians. It would take an estimated $3 billion to fully fund education in this state, she said, adding, "Where is the money going to come fi'om?" In a related matter, Zook said she thinks there will probably be a statewide measure on the No- vember ballot asking that levy and bond measures for schools, fire districts and other institu- tions be decided by a simple ma- jority rather than the currently required 60 percent "super ma- jority." "A 'NO' VOTER'S vote counts more (now) than a 'yes' voter's vote," she said. 'Let the people vote; we'll live with it,' is the attitude among proponents of the simple majority, she said. As for the statewide standard- ized tests known as the WASL, "We've got kids all over the state who aren't ready to pass the WASL," Zook said. Since 1997, Shelton's test scores have risen in reading, math and writing and the centage of Shelton meeting the state almost mirrors the state exactly, she said. are talking about the requirement for pas WASL at the 10th condition for graduating high school and Zook said schools should not students, she would hate the WASL go away. She the WASL will be revised, cially in math. "Throwing and starting over is not swer to me," she said. On a different note, there is clear evidence day kindergarten makes difference. Shelton rently have half-day ten classes, but year will have all-day garten, if the district can bly do it, she added. mind, the school board authorized the purchase new portable classroom for' of the schools. A fourth was for Oakland Bay Junior which is running out Accountant chipping away at Alderbrook's greens fees (Continued from page 3.) golf and yacht club. HUGHES THINKS the pur- chase of the golf course was a mistake and took exception to the way it occurred. His statement in favor of the Hughes Initiative points out that approval of the purchase required a two-thirds majority of the members. By his calculation, only 57 percent of the membership supported the purchase but the deal was sealed by counting votes cast by Crista by virtue of its owning dozens of vacant lots. s Hughes is not a golfer, but he is an accountant who hangs his shingle in Shelton and knows a sand trap when he sees one. Tak- ing.exception to the idea that the seller could cast votes as one of the buyers in this deal, he filed suit against the golf and yacht club in Mason County Superior Court. The club won the first round, but Hughes scored some legal points when he took the case to Division II of the Washington State Court of Appeals and more points in the third round when the case was kicked back to superior court. A settlement agreement was reached prior to a trial date set for November of this year. That agreement calls for a membership vote on the Hughes Initiative and allows for the ballot package to include state- ments for and against the mea- sure. Hughes writes that the club paid $1.3 million for the course, this on the heels of an increase in dues which followed a 23 percent decrease in revenue generated by greens fees. His statement as- serts that wages paid to greens keepers amount to $83,234 more than the income generated by greens fees. "None of us agreed to bankroll a public golf course," he wrote. Membership dues pay for maintenance of the streets in the residential area as well as for up- keep of the golf course. Hughes doesn't like the idea that non- SHELTON School District #309 BREAKFAST & LUNCH M£100U February 19-23 NO 00:00ROOt LUHBEN[NS SHELTON 114 E. Cedar St. 360-426-2611 HOODSPORT 150 N. Lake Cushman Rd. 360-877-6881 golfers are shelling out cabbage for the greens, but opponents of his initiative take issue with this. They state that people who don't play golf but live at Alder- brook can assign their putting privileges to someone and have that person pay the dues. By their count approximately 60 lot owners have done just that. "IF THE INITIATIVE were to pass, no one would pay tbr those playing privileges," they wrote. "Golfers and non-golfers alike will find their out-of-pocket expenses increase significantly." They point out that passage of the initiative would result in some residents paying both greens fees and dues and assert that golfers and non-golfers alike will see their property values plummet. "Charging greens fees to mem- bers takes away the value of the golfing membership and the value of homes and lots will al- most certainly go down," the op- ponents wrote. Besides forgiving Hughes his past dues and absolving him of future dues so long as he shall be a member oftle Alderbrook com- munity, the settlement requires the club to pay his legal fees. He owes $7,500 to the Shelton law firm of Settle & Johnson, and Alderbrook is obliged to make monthly payments of $1,000 through the first seven months of this year with a final payment of $500 coming due on August 1. Marlenc Taylor, CLU AYLOR INSURANCE SERVICES Taylor Insurance and The Hartford you to know that if you're involved an accident where the other party identified, is clearly at fault, and you our collision coverage, we will waive deductible and pay the full cost of damages. Stop in today for a free quote. HARI 104 E. "D" St. #1 Shelton, 360-427-1989 ,, 360-426-5595 Dr. Hook Shrek Diego Hookules Dragon Pack Rat and Tuggs 360-426-7167 1-800-675-7167 2911 E. Brockdale Road Introdu, :ing the Peninsula F'ER:00,DNAL LINE OF C REDIT With it, we can set the right credit limit for you, an j unlike a credit card, there are no anl tual fees, or outrageous rates. Plus, you can conveniently access your PLC through your debit card, online, or by phone anytime. N Scrat C R Page 8 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, February 15, 2007 E D i I 426-160 www.pcTcu Terms and conditions are subject to change, Rate determined by applicant's credit. Ask P Peninsula Credit Union Representative