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Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
March 4, 1999     Shelton Mason County Journal
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March 4, 1999
 
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i)i:ii:!:: ' /: :iii:  ii::;: :;:!:ii:i;::  A HUGE MUD SLIDE about a mile north of Lilliwaup has kept High- way 101 closed since February 24. The slide, which is still moving, has caused some of the highway to buckle and has wrought damage below the surface as well. s follow storm; tive slide closes 101 storm that blew Mason County Tuesday and into Wednesday top- number of trees and orae power outages, but problems were report- communications said. were no major road injuries caused by the Mike Akin, director of Emergency 911 Com- mons Center. A dispatcher 5 also reported no Storm-related incidents. that fell onto power lines OUtages on Harstine Is- north and south shores Trails End Lake, Drive West and a of other areas, said Ron manager for r PUD 3. affected between 2,000 utility customers, without electricity for a !AGATE AREA, Timber- | a couple of small areas remained with- yesterday afternoon, said PUD crews were restore electricity in pretty lucky," Brown storm's effect on the lucky were some 2,000 of Mason County PUD north of the huge mud Lilliwaup. A combina- Wind and continued slides Irea a mile north of Lilli- out their power at I0:30 a.m. Wednesday, Wilson, PUD 1 manag- now about one-quar- closed Highway 101 February 24, and has highway closed ever state geologists drop of three feet of new cracks that )ed at the top of the last Friday, a news re- the Washington State of Transportation addition, the roadway is now buckling and showing signs of distress. "As long as it's still moving there's nothing we can do," Ann Briggs, a DOT spokeswoman, said of the slide. She said it's a slow- moving slide that's typically seen on the Olympic Peninsula. It may continue to be a problem, on and off, even after it's sabilized, she added. The transportation department has scheduled a pair of meetings early next week in Hoodsport and Brinnon to let residents know what's going on in relation to the slide. The first meeting will be 6 p.m. Monday at the Brinnon Community Center. The second will be 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Hoodsport Community Hall, 331 North Finch Creek Road. THE MUD SLIDE, located just south of where the Springwa- ter Tavern once stood, has creat- ed a number of hardships for area residents. Marcy Craig, who with hus- band Dennis purchased the Lilli- waup Store and Motel, said busi- ness has slowed up for them. "It's a little traumatic at this time," she said. There is a private road around the slide for the use of locals only, but that road requires vehicles with four-wheel drive, she said. The Jorsted Creek Road leading from Hood Canal to Lake Cush- man is no longer accessible due to winter storm damage. Some residents on the north side of the slide with jobs on the south side have been forced to drive north to the Hood Canal Bridge, then down through Bel- fair and the south shore of Hood Canal to get to work. It takes them three and a half hours each way, she said. Tuesday, Governor Gary Locke declared a state of emergency in Mason County. The Mason Coun- ty commissioners authorized a declaration of emergency at their board meeting that day. THE DECLARATION begins with the season's first flood, last November 12. Joe Murray, emer- gency management director, told the board the reason for back-dat- ing the declaration is that the conditions the county is now ex- periencing do not date back to a single event but are the cumula- tive effect of the total amount of rainfall. In the last 108 days there have been 43 days of flood-condition status for the Skokomish River, Murray reported. During the same time, 128 inches of rain was reported in the Skokomish Valley, with 119 inches at Lilliwaup. The emergency declaration "gives some justification to the governor to go for federal funds," Murray said. Surrounding coun- ties have issued declarations of emergency, he added. WET? YOU SAID IT Precipitation has fallen at some point every day for the past three months, notes the National Weather Service. Charles J. Chambers, one of The Journal's weatherwatching readers, totted up 35.3 inches of rain since the first of the year (his year-to-date average being 17.89 inches) and notes that his four- month total for November, De- cember, January and February is 68.1 inches, more than his 12- month average rainfall for the years 1974 through 1998 (his mean rainfall per year being 65.03 inches for 25 years). That four-month figure, inci- dentally, is a record; Chambers' next highest total for that four- month period is 56.0 inches, recorded in 1995-96. Out on Harstine Island, where it's not quite so wet, one observer reported a four-month November- through-February rainfall of 62.25 inches. The National Weather Service observation site at Sanderson Field recorded 32.64 inches since January 1. Rainfall totaled 18.32 inches for February, and in one 24-hour period between February 23 and 24 a total of 3.81 inches fell. Towne exec resigns Shelton Associa- director Linda Par- the old town for who became OTSA's January 1997, has re- March 12 to take the Washington State Trade Development in enjoyed being a community," Paronen "It was a hard enjoyed being here." filling a new post- the state agency and market economic de- and coot- HAVE BEEN a lot Paronen said of Shelton. "It's exciting are still moving for- ward and in a positive direction." Meanwhile, OTSA is starting the process to find a new full-time executive director. Until that new person is brought on board, the association will name an interim director. Paronen's last day is Fri- day, March 12. OTSA's board of directors in- vites the public to a reception for Paronen from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, at Hattie Rose Cafe, 121 South Fourth Street in Shelton. Hors d'oeuvre will be served. "We're happy and sad," said OTSA president Ryan Davis. "Happy for her and sad for us. She's going to be a big loss. "I THINK SHE was very suc- cessful networking in our down- town and in supporting the ac- complishments that we've seen in her term," Davis said. One of Paronen's more visible accomplishments was last sum- mer's successful Music in the Park series that was held in the Post Office Park, she added. "She's really made a mark in our town," Davis said. "I think she's done a lot of quiet good in our little town." While she will be working in Olympia, Paronen said she will continue to reside in Shelton for now. Paronen's resignation leaves two local business-promoting or- ganizations seeking replacements for the energetic young women who have directed them for the past two years, Just last week, Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce executive director Michele Jennings left her position for a job with the Shelton Fire Department. Jury hears tangled case of Saeger vehicle death By SEAN HANLON Jurors in Mason County Supe- rior Court, hearing a tangled tale of death on a Mason County road this week, are expected to consid- er final testimony today. Jeffrey S. Sutherland, 38, of 26 West Fairway Drive, Elma, faces criminal charges nearly four years after Matthew Saeger was found dead on Cloquallum Road near Lake Isabella. Sutherland is charged with felony hit-and-run and stands accused of running over Saeger in his 1972 Ford pick- up, then giving a false name when he dialed 911 to report the incident. His trial began with jury selec- tion on Monday and was expected to conclude today. THE CASE took several twists before charges were filed against Sutherland and is pro- ceeding despite the inability of law officers to solve the mystery of how Saeger got to a lonely stretch of road four miles from downtown Shelton. He was last seen by a waitress at the Capital Restaurant, where he was drink- ing and dancing an hour of so be- fore he died. Saeger was 33 at the time he died of massive injuries to his head. Authorities say he was ap- parently in the road on his hands and knees when Sutherland came around a curve at about 45 miles an hour. At first Washington State Pa- trol troopers focused their atten- tion on Darrin Lisk, who accord- ing to testimony drove by the scene in his Plymouth Volare sta- tion wagon. His vehicle bore evi- dence of blood and tissue when of- ricers confiscated it and subjected it to various tests before conclud- ing that it did not hit Saeger. Lisk testified Tuesday that he drove through the scene four times and said he picked up Saeg- er's wallet from the scene. His earlier claim to know nothing about the wallet caused him to fail a number of lie detector tests given by troopers, according to statements made in court. STATE PATROL Detective Dwight Combs told the court he received a number of tips about the case, one caller suggesting rit- ual mutilation and another say- ing Saeger had been run over as a premeditated act. Sutherland wasn't identified as the prime suspect in the case un- til August of 1997 when the state patrol received a call from Caren Nolan of California. She said she was Sutherland's girlfriend at the time of Saeger's death and that she was in the pickup truck when they ran him over. Nolan told state patrol detec- tives Sutherland placed a call to 911 in which he falsely identified himself as "John Johnson." THE STATE patrol's investi- gation that followed her report took until shortly before the sta- tute of limitations expired last spring. Sutherland was arraigned shortly after the charge was filed, but the case was delayed again when Nolan was hospitalized last summer shortly before Suther- land's trial was scheduled. Both Deputy Prosecutor Amber Finlay and defense attorney Ron Sergi flew to California to take depositions from Nolan, whose health at the time precluded her from making the trip to Washing- ton. Sutherland was questioned eight months after Nolan's report and following a futile attempt to find the truck. Troopers learned that it had been sold to another person who had later sold it for scrap metal. Finlay and Sergi were working this week from a list of witnesses 33 names long. The actual num- ber of witnesses called is expected to be less than that. Thursday, March 4, 1999 113th Year - Number 9 4 Sections - 36 Pages 50 Cents Pioneer sets fourth vote on bond for high school Pioneer School Board has once again voted to place a 20-year, multi-million dollar bond issue before district voters. A $16.1-million bond to build a new high" school and add class- rooms to existirg buildings will go on the Tuesday, April 27, ballot, board members decided last week. The bond issue is identical to the one that fell just nine votes short of passing on February 2, said Pioneer Schools Superinten- dent Dick Sirokman. "We hope that the weather will cooperate with us this time," he told The Journal. Heavy rains on February 2 knocked out electrici- ty in some of the voting precincts within the school district, and Sirokman said he's convinced the inclement weather kept several uuuu Tox relief offered Mason County Assessor Dixie Smith will present a property tax relief program for senior citizens prior to next Tuesday evening's Pioneer School Board meeting. Smith will talk about options seniors may have to relieve them of their property tax burden. The presentation starts at 6:30 p.m. in the intermediate-middle school building at 611 East Agate Road. The public is invited, as a number of programs are available to senior citizens to help mitigate the impact of their property tax- es, Smith says. The regular board meeting will follow the presenta- tion.  voters away from the polls. The district's election commit- tee will work to get voters out to the polls on April 27, he added. If the measure passes next month, the district will use the funds to acquire a 56-acre parcel next to the park-and-ride at State Route 3 and Pickering Road, build a new high school on that acquired site that would house about 500 students, add six class- rooms to the primary school and modernize and add classes at the intermediate/middle school, a building that dates back to 1952. "The facilities needs will not go away. They'll still be here," Sirok- man said. He added that, accord- ing to state projections, enroll- ment in the Pioneer School Dis- trict will continue to grow in com- ing years. Sirokman said he has been as- sured by bond experts that the in- terest rate on bonds should re- main low for the next couple of months. "Hopefully, that window of opportunity will still be with us," he said. City will purchase historic David Shelton Pear Orchard Shelton city commissioners Monday night approved the city's purchase of the property known as David Shelton's Pear Orchard. Planning Director Paul Roger- son announced Monday that the city had received a grant allowing it to purchase the property. "This historic site lies on a 2.8- acre parcel located between the downtown Lumbermen's store and the abandoned city sewage treatment plant on Highway 3," Rogerson said. "The parcel will be purchased with $127,500 award- ed to the city under a federal transportation grant program." Rogerson said the property is bracketed by land currently owned by the city and completes community ownership of a cor- ridor extending from the down- town area to the waterfront near the Shelton Yacht Club. "The corridor," the planning director noted, "has also been identified by citizens as a key gateway into the city that should be improved and is the location of at least two major historic sites." HE CALLED THE purchase "the most important public acqui- sition of land by the city in many decades." Providing public access to the bay, Rogerson said, has been "a goal identified by the public con- sistently over a number of years." If the old orchard, which still has (Please turn to page 2.) Apaez's wife arrested in his murder After almost nine months of investiga- tion, the Mason County Sheriffs Office has made a second arrest in the murder of Felix Apaez, who was found dead at the wheel of his truck on Cole Road June 15. In custody is Vicki L. Giffin-Apaez, 25. The investigation showed she "solicited and planned the murder of her husband," Un- dersheriff Ga'y Crane said Wednesday. "She apparently enlisted Adrian Garcia to carry out the murder last June." Garcia, who was 17 at the time, was arrested less than a month after the homicide occurred, and is pending trial for first-degree murder in Mason County Superior Court. Crane said the arrest took place "without incident" late Wednesday afternoon at Gif- fin-Apaez's workplace, the Shelton Wal- Mart store. She was transported to the Ma- son County Jail and booked on investiga- tion of homicide, the undersheriff said. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlUlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII On the inside Births .................................... 15 Classifieds ........................... 25 Community Calendar ......... 7 Crossword ........................... 20 Entertainment, Dining ..... 24 Health Journal .................. 15 Journal of Record .............. 16 Obituaries ....................... 10.12 Opinions, Letters .................. 4 Sports .................................... 18 Tides ..................................... 24 Weather ................. , .............. 22 IIIIIIlIIUlIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUlIIIIUIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIUllIlIIlIII Man dies in logging mishap at Cushman A California man lost his life Tuesday morning after he was struck by a log on a landing at a logging site at Lake Cushman. Jose Luis Ramirez, 42, from Williams, California, died as a result of blunt-trauma injuries to the head, neck, chest and abdo- men, Mason County Coroner Martha Reed reported. He was employed by Erickson Air-Crane Company, Limited Liability Corporation, a helicop- ter logging firm. The whole crew was from California, she said. Reed said Ramirez was trans- ported by the company's helicop- ter directly to the helipad at Ma- son General Hospital after he was injured around 11 a.m. He was pronounced dead upon arri- val in the emergency room. i)i:ii:!:: ' /: :iii:  ii::;: :;:!:ii:i;::  A HUGE MUD SLIDE about a mile north of Lilliwaup has kept High- way 101 closed since February 24. The slide, which is still moving, has caused some of the highway to buckle and has wrought damage below the surface as well. s follow storm; tive slide closes 101 storm that blew Mason County Tuesday and into Wednesday top- number of trees and orae power outages, but problems were report- communications said. were no major road injuries caused by the Mike Akin, director of Emergency 911 Com- mons Center. A dispatcher 5 also reported no Storm-related incidents. that fell onto power lines OUtages on Harstine Is- north and south shores Trails End Lake, Drive West and a of other areas, said Ron manager for r PUD 3. affected between 2,000 utility customers, without electricity for a !AGATE AREA, Timber- | a couple of small areas remained with- yesterday afternoon, said PUD crews were restore electricity in pretty lucky," Brown storm's effect on the lucky were some 2,000 of Mason County PUD north of the huge mud Lilliwaup. A combina- Wind and continued slides Irea a mile north of Lilli- out their power at I0:30 a.m. Wednesday, Wilson, PUD 1 manag- now about one-quar- closed Highway 101 February 24, and has highway closed ever state geologists drop of three feet of new cracks that )ed at the top of the last Friday, a news re- the Washington State of Transportation addition, the roadway is now buckling and showing signs of distress. "As long as it's still moving there's nothing we can do," Ann Briggs, a DOT spokeswoman, said of the slide. She said it's a slow- moving slide that's typically seen on the Olympic Peninsula. It may continue to be a problem, on and off, even after it's sabilized, she added. The transportation department has scheduled a pair of meetings early next week in Hoodsport and Brinnon to let residents know what's going on in relation to the slide. The first meeting will be 6 p.m. Monday at the Brinnon Community Center. The second will be 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Hoodsport Community Hall, 331 North Finch Creek Road. THE MUD SLIDE, located just south of where the Springwa- ter Tavern once stood, has creat- ed a number of hardships for area residents. Marcy Craig, who with hus- band Dennis purchased the Lilli- waup Store and Motel, said busi- ness has slowed up for them. "It's a little traumatic at this time," she said. There is a private road around the slide for the use of locals only, but that road requires vehicles with four-wheel drive, she said. The Jorsted Creek Road leading from Hood Canal to Lake Cush- man is no longer accessible due to winter storm damage. Some residents on the north side of the slide with jobs on the south side have been forced to drive north to the Hood Canal Bridge, then down through Bel- fair and the south shore of Hood Canal to get to work. It takes them three and a half hours each way, she said. Tuesday, Governor Gary Locke declared a state of emergency in Mason County. The Mason Coun- ty commissioners authorized a declaration of emergency at their board meeting that day. THE DECLARATION begins with the season's first flood, last November 12. Joe Murray, emer- gency management director, told the board the reason for back-dat- ing the declaration is that the conditions the county is now ex- periencing do not date back to a single event but are the cumula- tive effect of the total amount of rainfall. In the last 108 days there have been 43 days of flood-condition status for the Skokomish River, Murray reported. During the same time, 128 inches of rain was reported in the Skokomish Valley, with 119 inches at Lilliwaup. The emergency declaration "gives some justification to the governor to go for federal funds," Murray said. Surrounding coun- ties have issued declarations of emergency, he added. WET? YOU SAID IT Precipitation has fallen at some point every day for the past three months, notes the National Weather Service. Charles J. Chambers, one of The Journal's weatherwatching readers, totted up 35.3 inches of rain since the first of the year (his year-to-date average being 17.89 inches) and notes that his four- month total for November, De- cember, January and February is 68.1 inches, more than his 12- month average rainfall for the years 1974 through 1998 (his mean rainfall per year being 65.03 inches for 25 years). That four-month figure, inci- dentally, is a record; Chambers' next highest total for that four- month period is 56.0 inches, recorded in 1995-96. Out on Harstine Island, where it's not quite so wet, one observer reported a four-month November- through-February rainfall of 62.25 inches. The National Weather Service observation site at Sanderson Field recorded 32.64 inches since January 1. Rainfall totaled 18.32 inches for February, and in one 24-hour period between February 23 and 24 a total of 3.81 inches fell. Towne exec resigns Shelton Associa- director Linda Par- the old town for who became OTSA's January 1997, has re- March 12 to take the Washington State Trade Development in enjoyed being a community," Paronen "It was a hard enjoyed being here." filling a new post- the state agency and market economic de- and coot- HAVE BEEN a lot Paronen said of Shelton. "It's exciting are still moving for- ward and in a positive direction." Meanwhile, OTSA is starting the process to find a new full-time executive director. Until that new person is brought on board, the association will name an interim director. Paronen's last day is Fri- day, March 12. OTSA's board of directors in- vites the public to a reception for Paronen from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, at Hattie Rose Cafe, 121 South Fourth Street in Shelton. Hors d'oeuvre will be served. "We're happy and sad," said OTSA president Ryan Davis. "Happy for her and sad for us. She's going to be a big loss. "I THINK SHE was very suc- cessful networking in our down- town and in supporting the ac- complishments that we've seen in her term," Davis said. One of Paronen's more visible accomplishments was last sum- mer's successful Music in the Park series that was held in the Post Office Park, she added. "She's really made a mark in our town," Davis said. "I think she's done a lot of quiet good in our little town." While she will be working in Olympia, Paronen said she will continue to reside in Shelton for now. Paronen's resignation leaves two local business-promoting or- ganizations seeking replacements for the energetic young women who have directed them for the past two years, Just last week, Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce executive director Michele Jennings left her position for a job with the Shelton Fire Department. Jury hears tangled case of Saeger vehicle death By SEAN HANLON Jurors in Mason County Supe- rior Court, hearing a tangled tale of death on a Mason County road this week, are expected to consid- er final testimony today. Jeffrey S. Sutherland, 38, of 26 West Fairway Drive, Elma, faces criminal charges nearly four years after Matthew Saeger was found dead on Cloquallum Road near Lake Isabella. Sutherland is charged with felony hit-and-run and stands accused of running over Saeger in his 1972 Ford pick- up, then giving a false name when he dialed 911 to report the incident. His trial began with jury selec- tion on Monday and was expected to conclude today. THE CASE took several twists before charges were filed against Sutherland and is pro- ceeding despite the inability of law officers to solve the mystery of how Saeger got to a lonely stretch of road four miles from downtown Shelton. He was last seen by a waitress at the Capital Restaurant, where he was drink- ing and dancing an hour of so be- fore he died. Saeger was 33 at the time he died of massive injuries to his head. Authorities say he was ap- parently in the road on his hands and knees when Sutherland came around a curve at about 45 miles an hour. At first Washington State Pa- trol troopers focused their atten- tion on Darrin Lisk, who accord- ing to testimony drove by the scene in his Plymouth Volare sta- tion wagon. His vehicle bore evi- dence of blood and tissue when of- ricers confiscated it and subjected it to various tests before conclud- ing that it did not hit Saeger. Lisk testified Tuesday that he drove through the scene four times and said he picked up Saeg- er's wallet from the scene. His earlier claim to know nothing about the wallet caused him to fail a number of lie detector tests given by troopers, according to statements made in court. STATE PATROL Detective Dwight Combs told the court he received a number of tips about the case, one caller suggesting rit- ual mutilation and another say- ing Saeger had been run over as a premeditated act. Sutherland wasn't identified as the prime suspect in the case un- til August of 1997 when the state patrol received a call from Caren Nolan of California. She said she was Sutherland's girlfriend at the time of Saeger's death and that she was in the pickup truck when they ran him over. Nolan told state patrol detec- tives Sutherland placed a call to 911 in which he falsely identified himself as "John Johnson." THE STATE patrol's investi- gation that followed her report took until shortly before the sta- tute of limitations expired last spring. Sutherland was arraigned shortly after the charge was filed, but the case was delayed again when Nolan was hospitalized last summer shortly before Suther- land's trial was scheduled. Both Deputy Prosecutor Amber Finlay and defense attorney Ron Sergi flew to California to take depositions from Nolan, whose health at the time precluded her from making the trip to Washing- ton. Sutherland was questioned eight months after Nolan's report and following a futile attempt to find the truck. Troopers learned that it had been sold to another person who had later sold it for scrap metal. Finlay and Sergi were working this week from a list of witnesses 33 names long. The actual num- ber of witnesses called is expected to be less than that. Thursday, March 4, 1999 113th Year - Number 9 4 Sections - 36 Pages 50 Cents Pioneer sets fourth vote on bond for high school Pioneer School Board has once again voted to place a 20-year, multi-million dollar bond issue before district voters. A $16.1-million bond to build a new high" school and add class- rooms to existirg buildings will go on the Tuesday, April 27, ballot, board members decided last week. The bond issue is identical to the one that fell just nine votes short of passing on February 2, said Pioneer Schools Superinten- dent Dick Sirokman. "We hope that the weather will cooperate with us this time," he told The Journal. Heavy rains on February 2 knocked out electrici- ty in some of the voting precincts within the school district, and Sirokman said he's convinced the inclement weather kept several uuuu Tox relief offered Mason County Assessor Dixie Smith will present a property tax relief program for senior citizens prior to next Tuesday evening's Pioneer School Board meeting. Smith will talk about options seniors may have to relieve them of their property tax burden. The presentation starts at 6:30 p.m. in the intermediate-middle school building at 611 East Agate Road. The public is invited, as a number of programs are available to senior citizens to help mitigate the impact of their property tax- es, Smith says. The regular board meeting will follow the presenta- tion.  voters away from the polls. The district's election commit- tee will work to get voters out to the polls on April 27, he added. If the measure passes next month, the district will use the funds to acquire a 56-acre parcel next to the park-and-ride at State Route 3 and Pickering Road, build a new high school on that acquired site that would house about 500 students, add six class- rooms to the primary school and modernize and add classes at the intermediate/middle school, a building that dates back to 1952. "The facilities needs will not go away. They'll still be here," Sirok- man said. He added that, accord- ing to state projections, enroll- ment in the Pioneer School Dis- trict will continue to grow in com- ing years. Sirokman said he has been as- sured by bond experts that the in- terest rate on bonds should re- main low for the next couple of months. "Hopefully, that window of opportunity will still be with us," he said. City will purchase historic David Shelton Pear Orchard Shelton city commissioners Monday night approved the city's purchase of the property known as David Shelton's Pear Orchard. Planning Director Paul Roger- son announced Monday that the city had received a grant allowing it to purchase the property. "This historic site lies on a 2.8- acre parcel located between the downtown Lumbermen's store and the abandoned city sewage treatment plant on Highway 3," Rogerson said. "The parcel will be purchased with $127,500 award- ed to the city under a federal transportation grant program." Rogerson said the property is bracketed by land currently owned by the city and completes community ownership of a cor- ridor extending from the down- town area to the waterfront near the Shelton Yacht Club. "The corridor," the planning director noted, "has also been identified by citizens as a key gateway into the city that should be improved and is the location of at least two major historic sites." HE CALLED THE purchase "the most important public acqui- sition of land by the city in many decades." Providing public access to the bay, Rogerson said, has been "a goal identified by the public con- sistently over a number of years." If the old orchard, which still has (Please turn to page 2.) Apaez's wife arrested in his murder After almost nine months of investiga- tion, the Mason County Sheriffs Office has made a second arrest in the murder of Felix Apaez, who was found dead at the wheel of his truck on Cole Road June 15. In custody is Vicki L. Giffin-Apaez, 25. The investigation showed she "solicited and planned the murder of her husband," Un- dersheriff Ga'y Crane said Wednesday. "She apparently enlisted Adrian Garcia to carry out the murder last June." Garcia, who was 17 at the time, was arrested less than a month after the homicide occurred, and is pending trial for first-degree murder in Mason County Superior Court. Crane said the arrest took place "without incident" late Wednesday afternoon at Gif- fin-Apaez's workplace, the Shelton Wal- Mart store. She was transported to the Ma- son County Jail and booked on investiga- tion of homicide, the undersheriff said. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlUlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII On the inside Births .................................... 15 Classifieds ........................... 25 Community Calendar ......... 7 Crossword ........................... 20 Entertainment, Dining ..... 24 Health Journal .................. 15 Journal of Record .............. 16 Obituaries ....................... 10.12 Opinions, Letters .................. 4 Sports .................................... 18 Tides ..................................... 24 Weather ................. , .............. 22 IIIIIIlIIUlIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUlIIIIUIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIUllIlIIlIII Man dies in logging mishap at Cushman A California man lost his life Tuesday morning after he was struck by a log on a landing at a logging site at Lake Cushman. Jose Luis Ramirez, 42, from Williams, California, died as a result of blunt-trauma injuries to the head, neck, chest and abdo- men, Mason County Coroner Martha Reed reported. He was employed by Erickson Air-Crane Company, Limited Liability Corporation, a helicop- ter logging firm. The whole crew was from California, she said. Reed said Ramirez was trans- ported by the company's helicop- ter directly to the helipad at Ma- son General Hospital after he was injured around 11 a.m. He was pronounced dead upon arri- val in the emergency room.