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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
February 21, 2013     Shelton Mason County Journal
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February 21, 2013
 
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compete at Grapeview bond now passing Mason County Feb. 21, 2013 - Week 8 - The Voice of Mason County since 1886 -- $1 Sheriff's Office staff 'swamped' with extra workload, paperwork By NATALIE JOHNSON natalie@masoncounty.com While the national debate over gun con- trol has escalated in recent months, the Mason County Sheriffs Office has experi- enced a jump in renewals and applications for concealed pistol licenses. In November 2011, the Sheriffs Office processed 133 new or renewed concealed pistol licenses, the same as in November 2012. In December 2011, the office processed 123 requests, but in 2012, as the gun con- trol debate heated up, 228 new or renewed permits were issued. That trend stayed steady in January 2013 when 248 people got new or renewed permits compared to 144 in January 2012. Detective William Adam said Sheriffs Office staff has noticed the increased work- load. ~. b-t) HKO .A INSIDE TODAY: Opinion Page A-4 Living Page A-11 Obituaries Page A-15 Belfair Herald Page A-17 Sports Page B-1 Classifieds Page B-5 Legals Page B-7 Crossword Page B-13 Sudoku Page B-13 @ "They are swamped," he said. They're trying to do their regular work on top of ev- erything else." The county has also experienced a jump in gun transfers, also called purchases. Ma- son County residents bought 137 guns in November and 309 in December, Adam said. "It takes pretty much all of my time," said Toni Monnier, who is in charge of con- ducting background checks on applicants for concealed pistol licenses and for gun transfers. While Adam said in his 34-year career in law enforcement he can remember in- stances in which tragedies inspired jumps in gun sales and concealed pistol licenses, such as after Sept. 11, 2001, this increase seems to be related to national debates over gun control. Before a person decides to get a con- cealed pistol license, Adam said they should practice often. "(I would tell them) not to get one un- less they first of all will take the time to practice regularly with it and secondly to ... have the decision that if somebody was threatening the life of themselves or one of their loved ones, that they would use it to stop the attack," he said. He said about as many women as men have applied for new and renewed licenses. While the application for a concealed pistol license includes a background check, fingerprinting and personal information, a person does not need to prove proficiency with a gun before obtaining the licence. A person needs to be at least 21 years old and be a United States citizen to get the license. Applicants can't have any outstanding warrants for any charge, have no court order against possessing a firearm, never have been deemed incompetent to manage their affairs, have no felony convic- tions, have not been convicted of three or more firearm law violations, have not been dishonorably discharged from the armed forces, or have convictions for certain crimes against family members. Applications can be picked up at the Sheriffs Office. New licenses cost $52.50, renewals cost $32, late renewals cost $42 and replacement licenses cost $10. The ap- plication process takes about 30 days. Allyn blaze causes damage o lllllJlJ I!l!lJlllJlJ!llJIJII II Journal phoio by Gordon Weeks Crews from six fire districts responded to a fire that erupted in a garage and caused an estimated $150,000 in damages to a waterfront house in Allyn on Feb. 18. For the story, see page A-17. City puts halt on bikini baristas By GORDON WEEKS gordon@masoncounty.com If you want your dou- ble espresso served by a bikini-clad woman in Shelton, you might be out of luck, even before you had the opportunity. The Shelton City Com- mission on Tuesday night voted unanimously to place a moratorium on the establishment of new "adult-oriented" busi- nesses, including espresso stands commonly referred to as "bikini baristas." The moratorium, which went into effect imme- diately, was established despite Shelton not hav- ing any bikini b'arista businesses, or having an entrepreneur file to estab- lish such a business. But caffeine fans who still hope to mix their morning coffee stop with physical comeliness don't need to fret. You will have the opportunity to speak about whether the mora- torium should become permanent at a public hearing scheduled for 6 p.m. March 19. The moratorium, which was put together by city staff Tuesday, was spurred by the owner of two bikini barista busi- nesses expressing an in- terest in opening such an establishment at the in- tersection of Fifth Street and Railroad Avenue, said City Administrator Dave O'Leary. "They are sexually ori- ented espresso stands," O'Leary said, City officials realized the city municipal codes governing "adult sexually oriented businesses" have not been updated since 2005, O'Leary said. The temporary ban on grant- ing licenses for such busi- nesses gives city officials the time to examine such issues as zoning, perhaps to keep bikini baristas away from schools, librar- ies and parks, he said. Mayor Gary Cronce said he approves of the moratorium because it allows time for the city to revisit laws on such businesses, and it gives residents the op- portunity to share their views. Cronce said the ordinance isn't targeting See BIKINI on page A-20