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Page 12 — Shelton-Mason County Journal — Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024
NEWS BRIEFS
Sandhill playground
gets concrete border
Ground cover for the Sandhill play-
ground needs an additional concrete
border to ensure it stays in place, so
Mason County commissioners approved
an additional $13,527 for the work.
Portland’s Wildwood Playgrounds
NW supplied the winning bid for turn-
key installation of the playground
equipment in November. The amount
approved for the equipment is now
$151,854.48.
Commissioners
sign off on 10-year
solid waste contract
Mason County commissioners ap—
proved a 10-year contract with Mason
County Garbage for solid waste long
haul transportation services at the Feb.
13 meeting. They also approved the In—
terlocal Agreement with Cowlitz County
that allows Mason to use Cowlitz’s
dump.
Commissioners thanked Republic
Services, the company that previously
supplied long hauling, for an extension
while negotiating Mason County Gar-
bage’s contract.
Commissioner Sharon Trask also
thanked staff for the work they did on
contract negotiations, which was echoed
by the other commissioners.
“A lot of hard work 'went into this,”
Commissioner Randy Neatherlin said.
“It’s tough when you change horses
after 30 years,” Commissioner Kew’n
Shutty added.
Mason County Garbage will trans- ,
port solid waste from the Bells Hill
transfer facility to the Cowlitz County
Headquarters dump for an initial trans-
port fee of $35.50 until July 1, then the
fee will be adjusted 100% of the De—
cember December Consumer Price
Index for All Urban Consumers and
fuel adjustments, according to the infor—
mation packet. The estimated annual
cost is $1,849,872 million, based on an
estimated 51,150 tons transported, the
packet states.
Upson pretrial date
Accused murderer Jerry Upson ap—
peared in ajail booth Feb. 12 before
Judge Daniel Goodell for an omnibus
hearing.
Upson, 43, has been charged with
first—degree murder in the death of Ken-
neth D. Simmons, 68, after Upson was
seen on surveillance video with a hand-
gun entering and leaving the victim’s
home numerous times Oct. 27, accord—
ing to the probable cause document filed
by the Mason County Sheriffs Office.
Upson’s attorney, Angela Avery, re—
quested a suppression of evidence hear—
ing, known as a 3.6 hearing. Prosecut-
ing Attorney Michael Dorcy said the
request was “premature” because “dis—
closures are ongoing from both sides.”
Dorcy said he wasn’t objecting to a
hearing but holding it now would be too
soon. It would be “a motion to suppress
without knowing what is being sup
pressed,” he said.
Dorcy said forensic scientists had
recently completed chemical substance
testing for the prosecution and his office
is conducting a number of witness inter-
views with law enforcement officers this
week. Goodell agreed and set a pretrial
hearing for Feb. 27.
Murder suspect trial
date extended
William Williams, 41, received an-
other trial extension in his appearance
via a jail booth before Judge Daniel
Goodell Feb. 12.
Prosecutors have charged Williams
with second—degree murder and felony
possession of a firearm in connection
with the shooting death of Janus Afo on
Sept. 28.
Williams now has a pretrial hearing
April 15 with a trial expected May 14.
Deputy Prosecutor Tyler Bickerton
told the court prosecutors just received
Afo’s autopsy report.
I Compiled by reporter June
Williams
Election: Hood Canal Schools bon
continued from page 1
general election with 58.1%.
The new proposed col-
lection would be $1.05 per
$1,000 of assessed property
value, compared with $1.16
in the November request.
The building bond would
create space for preschool
classrooms, an Americans
with Disablilties Act—acces—
sible playground, arts, mu~
sic and science, and replace
a 70—year—old transportation
facility.
“Our team ran a strong
campaign and saw more
community support and en-
gagement than most can re—
member," Superintendent
Lance Gibbon wrote to the
Journal. “This bodes well for
the future of our school and
is a wonderful foundation
to build upon for everything
that our students need. The
positive stories about our
school are rapidly spreading
and that’s not going to stop.
I’m convinced the best years
Hood Canal has ever seen
are immediately ahead.
“With all that is positive,
it’s heartbreaking that a mi~
nority of voters in our com-
munity were able to deny
our students educational
opportunities they deserve,
despite the majority of com—
munity members showing
their support for our stu—
dents and our little school.
Our Legislature is again re-
examining the 60% super»
majority requirement, which
most states have long since
abandoned. We are the post-
er child for this issue, hav—
ing three times received over
55% support in bond elec—
tions. We are pushing hard
for change.”
Gibbon added, “Neverthe—
less, we have positive mo—
mentum and this will not get
in the way. We have some
difficult decisions ahead
a result of limited space, but
we are a team of resilient, re-
sourceful, creative overcom—
ers that always do the best
with what they have.”
Mary M. Knight’s replace-
ment levy was passing with
54.83% with 193 “yes” votes
and 159 “nd” votes, which
includes 21 ballots cast in
Grays Harbor County. Dis-.
trict voters are being asked
to replace an expiring educa-
tional programs and opera-
tions (EP&O) levy that was
approved by voters in 2022.
Passage of the levy by a
simple majority for 2024—
26 will raise more than $2.5
million. The replacement
levy will collect $730,500 in
2025 and $818,200 in 2026.
The district is also eligible
for more than $1 million in
state-funded levy equaliza-
tion money.
The current levy rate for
2022 through 2024 is $2.33
per $1,000 of assessed home
value. The new rate drops to
$2.08 per $1,000.
A district flyer to residents
points out that property tax—
es are the primary funding
source for public schools in
the state. Most of the fund—
ing comes from statewide
taxes, which provide for the
basic education money that
each district receives. This
state funding supports 86%
of the district costs. In its
fiyer, the district states that
it starts by leveraging state,
(1 teps 50% again
federal and grant money be-
fore seeking funding locally.
Mary M. Knight is among
99 districts in the state that
qualify for the state equal—
ization money.
“The community and the
voters of the Mary M. Knight
School District have a long
history of supporting the
school district and are con—
tinuing that tradition of sup—
porting the district with the
passage of the current EP&O
levy,” Superintendent Matt
Mallory wrote to the Jour-
nal. “On behalf of myself and
the Mary M. Knight Board of
‘Directors, we say thank you
to our community and voters
for their continued support
of the Mary M. Knight School
District.”
The Grapeview School
District’s levy was passing
with 63.13% with 637 “yes
“votes and 372 “no” votes.
District voters are replacing
an expiring levy that will tax
property 63 cents per $1,000
of assessed property value,
the same as the levy that is
expiring. The levy will collect
$946,724 in 2025, $990,095
in 2026, $1,024,570 in 2027'
and $1,042,216 in 2028.
The local levy tax pays
for 20% of the district’s bud—
get. The rest comes from
the state (66%), the federal
government (13%) and local
money that is not tax (1%).
The levy dollars help pay
for curriculum materials,
library and art programs,
intervention services, the
health and fitness program,
technology, sports, field trips
and afterschool programs
and to maintain class sizes.
It also helps pay to maintain
facilities, safety and secu—
rity, food and transportation
services, and payments to
the North Mason and Shel-
ton school districts to edu-
cate their students beyond
the eighth grade.
The McCleary School Dis—
trict’s proposed fwo-yearre-
placement levy was passing
with 63.32%, including 15
ballots cast in Mason County.
The Elma School District’s
proposed two—year replace—
ment levy was also passing
with 52.48%, including 101
votes cast in'Mason County.
Shelter: Businesses, residents disappointed with decision
continued from page 1
Dean J ewett, a downtown business
owner, spoke against granting the
bed expansion at the Dec. 11 hearing.
“I find Community Lifeline’s in-
creased occupancy disheartening to
say the least,” he wrote following a
query from the Journal on Tuesday.
“Our city leaders used three differ-
ent hearing examiners along with
their ‘recommended approval’ to come
Commissioner: Shutty plans to re
in infrastructure, and return—
to this conclusion. Why does this not
surprise me?”
He added, “Their negative impact
on the community and close neighbors
is an embarrassment. They do not pa—
trol the surrounding areas, nor do they
pick up trash or items ‘stashed’ in the
bushes or local business alcoves. They
do not have an accurate system of re-
porting open beds to the city. They al-
low open drug use on their property.
These and many other violations of
their ‘conditional—use permit’ are of—
ten ignored. Where is their account—
ability to the community?”
Kristy Buck, who owns the John
L. Scott Real Estate building a block
from the shelter,. also said she op—
posed the expansion at the Dec. 11
hearing.
“Of course, I’m disappointed in
the ruling,” she wrote to the Joan
nal. “Especially after so many of us
voiced valid concerns over the very
CO—Responder program to the
.real issues we face every day having
a downtown building. I appreciate
the conditions but wonder who will be
policing them and making sure those
things are done. It would be nice to
have sort of accountability path or
maybe a review period to make sure
that the conditions are working out
and having the effect they are in-
tended to have. I guess it remains to
be seen if we just made the problem
worse.”
main in Mason County
The Puyallup native
- continued from page 1
Shutty said he’s grateful to
the county staff.
“I’m so much better as a
leader, a manager and as a
person having worked with
them,” he said.
In a news release last week,
Shutty said it was a “privilege”
to serve the people of District
2 and Mason County the past
eight years.
“During my time in ofiice,
I am proud of theprogress
Mason County has made on
issues important to our com—
munity like increased fund-
ing for public safety, expanded
services for people struggling
with mental health and sub—
stance use issues, investments
ing fiscal responsibility to the
county’s budget.”
In his news release, Shutty
noted that he was on regional
and state boards, including
the Thurston-Mason Behav-
ioral Health Administrative
Organization, “which was
pivotal in bringing the Ma-
son County Law Enforcement
community, a model developed
locally and now receiving na-
tional recognition for its suc—
cess helping people in crisis.”
This is the first campaign
for public office for Harris,
61. In an interview with” the
Journal, Harris said, “I want
to give back, I want to get
involved.”
worked as a civil engineering
officer for the US. Air Force
and retired after 24 years as
colonel. He now does consult-
ing work for the US. Depart-
ment of Energy. Harris and
his wife, Eileen, moved to
LakeLand Village in 2020 and
have four children and three
grandchildren.