February 21, 2013 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
©
Shelton Mason County Journal. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 2 (2 of 36 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
February 21, 2013 |
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader ![]() |
Former homeless people, advocates share stories at forum
League of
WomenVoters
hear about need
By GORDON WEEKS
gordon@masoncounty.com
For Mare Jensberg,
making the transition
from being homeless on
the streets of Seattle to be-
ing homeless in the woods
of Harstine Island was
like being on "a perma-
nent camping trip."
Jensberg recalls trek-
king from the island to
Shelton carrying 17 cents,
a rotting sleeping bag, and
alcohol and anger issues.
Three years later, Jen-
sberg lives in a storage
room at St. David's Epis-
copal Church in Shelton.
He works in the kitchen,
provides security at the
church's Cold Weather
Shelter and performs odd
jobs. He says he's found
some peace of mind, and
knows he's fortunate --
eight of his homeless ac-
quaintances have died in
the past two years.
Homeless people in
Shelton would benefit
from the establishment of
one center where they can
sleep, clean their clothes,
and receive counseling
and medical attention,
Jensberg said.
Jensberg shared his
story Tuesday at the Ma-
son County League of
Women Voters' monthly
meeting at the Johnson
Library on the Shelton
campus of Olympic Col-
lege. Members wept as
they heard stories from
formerly homeless resi-
dents and the people who
work to help the homeless.
"People ask me what
they can do," said the Rev.
Joe Mikel of St. David's
Episcopal Church. "I tell
them what they can do:
you can write a check."
Patty Sells of the Ma-
son County Housing Co-
alition said 404 people
were counted as homeless
in Mason County in 2012.
For less than the cost at the nursing
home, an apartment at Alpine
Way is an excellent value
and includes wonderful
amenities. Licensed
nurses are on duty 24
hours a day. Alpine
has chef-prepared
meals, your own
bathroom, privacy,
parking, and
plenty of activities.
Plus, think of
the money you'll
save with the
included personal
laundry service,
housekeeping and
security. You can
even bring your own
furniture.
With all this, Alpine Way is an
excellent value. We welcome your
questions about services and rates and
invite you to join us for a tour and lunch.
Alpine Way invites you to visit our
community and see first-hand the
lifestyle that awaits you. With an
ideal location, first-class dining and
exceptional care rated "Deficiency
Free" by Washington State, Alpine
Way combines care and lifestyle to
ensure that you enjoy peace of mind
at a price you can afford.
The L Y0u Deserve. The d' ¢You Need.
The Want.
Page A-2 - Mason County Journal - Thursday, Feb. 2t, 2013
Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
Last year, 404 people were counted as homeless in Mason County,
but officials say the number is much higher because many homeless
people will not talk to anyone in authority.
That number is low be-
cause they are self-report-
ed and many homeless
people will not talk to any
official, she said.
Ninety-one people said
they are homeless because
they lost their job, while
69 said alcohol and drug
use put them on the street,
Sells reported. Another
69 said a family breakup
made them homeless, she
said.
Homeless youth are
nine times more likely to
repeat a grade at school,
and four times more likely
to drop out of school, Sells
said. Many of them are
tossed out of homes be-
cause of their sexual ori-
entation or because they
are pregnant, she said.
Some homeless adults
are suffering from mental
illness, which prevents
them from renting apart-
ments, Sells said.
"They don't know how
to function," she said.
Many homeless people
don't have bank accounts,
and rely on check cash-
ing businesses and loan
sharks to cash checks,
Sells said. "We're trying to
teach them that they need
to be banked," she said.
Miles Nowlin, family
and student support co-
ordinator for the Shelton
School District, works to
get homeless kids access
to education.
"The new face of home-
lessness is children and
youth," he said.
In the past three years,
the number of "unaccom-
"These systems are not
taking care of these kids
... A lot of it is failing
to the schools and the
schools are at capacity."
Miles Now#n, family and student support
coordinator at Shelton School District
panied" youth in the Shel-
ton School District rose
from 30 to 120, Nowlin
said.
"The system is not tak-
ing care of these kids," he
said. "A lot of it is falling
to the schools, and the
schools are at capacity."
One of the students he
helped spoke at Tuesday's
forum. The teenage boy
said his mother abused
prescription pills and al-
cohol, and he and his two
brothers spent much of
their time on the street.
The boys usually dropped
out of school a few days
into each school year, he
said.
The boy said his moth-
er moved to Oklahoma,
and one brother joined
their father in Missouri.
That left the 14-year-old
boy and his older brother
homeless.
said he plans to attend col-
lege after he finishes his
GED. His brother is work-
ing.
The Cold Weather
Shelter is open from Nov.
1 to April 30 on nights
when meteorologists pre-
dict the wind chill will be
35 degrees or colder.
The average number of
homeless people staying
overnight at the shelter
has increased from 10.8 in
2008-2009 to 18.3 during
the first three months of
;this season, said coordina-
tor Ann Baker.
Shelter officials would
like to serve homeless
families, but with the
presence of sex offend-
:ers, "we don't have a safe
place, which is-kind of an
• issue for us," she said,
: Many shelter patrons
are unemployed because
of physical, mental and
The brothers some- emotiOnal issues, but
times Slept under bridges many areeager to pitch in
or in cardboard bins to try : at the facility/Baker said.
to stay dry. "They'~ great workers
Today, both youths live i _ they just can't handle a
in host homes. The boynormal Shift,~' she said.
L • i "
i , . , , ~ . •5• •" •,
One vote the difference in Grapeview bond
By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie@masoncounty.com
Late votes counted Friday have giv-
en the Grapeview School bond an edge,
bringing the approval rate to 60.06 per-
cent.
The vote passed 594-395, one vote
over the required 60 percent superma-
jority.
Late votes will be counted again Mon-
day, and the election will be certified
Tuesday.
In local ballot measures, no legal
requirement exists to recount ballots
after a close vote, said Election Super-
intendent Fina Ormond with the Mason
County Auditor's Office.
However, if some Grapeview voters
want a recount, five registered voters
can request one, but must pay for it, Or-
mond said.
Initial numbers showed the vote in
favor of the proposed $12.5 million bond
to renovate Grapeview School was just
shy of the required 60 percent superma-
jority last week.
The bond will be paid over 20 years
with a districtwide property tax levy of
$1.24 per $1,000 of assessed value.
The preliminary design plan, put to-
gether by KMB Design Group Inc. in-
cludes the replacement of the school's
septic system, heating and cooling sys-
tem and roof, along with upgrading me-
chanical, electrical, fire suppression and
water systems schoolwide.
The plan would also upgrade the li-
brary and media center and technology
throughout the school. It would add the
equivalent space of two classrooms and
allow the school to stop using its aging
portables as classrooms, officials said.
The project also includes a new se-
curity system and seismic upgrades to
the building, a new kitchen and a new
cafeteria. The gym now doubles as a caf-
eteria.
Overall, the preliminary design called
for the addition of 13,724 square feet to
the school.