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HELTON" JOURNAL
ON COUNTY
Thursday, March 8, 2007 121st Year -- Number 10 5 Sections -- 46 Pages Published in Shelton, Washington 75 cents
nce, Smith, Miles eye city post
people have so far sub-
letters expressing inter-
1 serving on the Shelton
Commission to replace Dick
recently named executive
of the Shelton-Mason
Chamber of Commerce.
interested in replacing
le: Jim Smith, a local
pharmacist and former longtime
Shelton School Board member;
Gary Cronce, a Shelton business-
man and developer; and Jack
Miles, former radio station disk
jockey and current Port of Shel-
ton commissioner.
Mayor John Tarrant and Com-
missioner Dawn Pannell will
review applications on Friday,
March 16, but applications will
remain open until Taylor's posi-
tion is filled, City Administrator
Dave O'Leary told The Journal
this week. Taylor's last day as
a commissioner is tentatively
planned for March 20.
Tarrant and Pannell will in-
terview candidates during the
week of March 19. Those inter-
views will be open to the public,
O'Leary said. Plans call for Tar-
rant and Pannell to meet in a
closed session on Friday, March
23, before picking Taylor's suc-
cessor, who would be seated dur-
ing the commission meeting on
Monday, March 26.
Applicants must have lived in
the city for 30 days prior to apply-
ing. They will be provided with
a form to fill out, including two
questions, one about experiences
that would be relevant to the post
and one about the challenges fac-
ing the city.
to get
g
ethics
lta2CLON
ethics training from
has been ordered for
Representative Bill Eick-
D-Belfair.
order by the Legislative
Board was issued after
admitted to eight viola-
of state law which he blamed
being "skipped" when it
to the ethics training given
rs.
violations concern Eick-
oversight of Jean McMil-
legislative aide. The board
that he instructed her to
three letters and make a
a nonprofit organization
Eickmeyer has supervised
of 30 years.
three letters were written
Eickmeyer's name and con-
parking problems, a job ap-
and "the long-term strat-
staff raises, bonuses" and
'benefits for those employed
Institute, a nonprofit
which helps troubled youth
is run by Eickmeyer.
ADMITTED directing his
aide to write the let-
arid to make five calls about
on the long-distance
system which the state
for its lawmakers. One
phone calls concerned a
charged with embez-
others had to do with
the sale of an espresso
and bingo games which
raise money for Sound In-
board found that "numer-
Other calls" were made from
office in Olympia to
nonprofit in Bremer-
the nature of these calls
about the three let-
five calls resulted in the
finding that Eickmeyer
a state law prohibit-
from using public
for private purposes. The
was settled after Eick-
a statement admit-
he understood the corn-
and stipulated that the
as in a writ-
of the findings of
"I agree to sign it as a
of this matter and have
signed," Eickmeyer
his formal statement on
FACTS AT the heart
case against Eickmeyer
during an investigation
of a complaint filed
Hrbacek of Shelton,
turn to page 11.)
INDEED, AND THE COP- in this case none other than
Mason County Sheriff Casey Salisbury (left) - went so
far as to don appropriate headgear as well to play his
role last Friday at Southside School. The occasion?
The rural students' observance of "Dr. Seuss Read
Across AmcdCiga Day." Sheriff Salisbury and mM..-
er county gendarme, Detective William Adam (with
Salisbury amid Kathy Burleson's second-grade class,
right), read from Seuss' Cat in the Hat classic before
the morning's school assembly.
Mayor arrant resting
after surgery on head
Shelton Mayor John Tarrant
was absent from Monday night's
city commission meeting because
of a relapse from a head injury he
suffered in a fall in late Decem-
ber.
Tarrant had surgery last Sat-
urday evening to relieve pressure
on his brain and was at home un-
der doctor's orders.
On the morning of December
23 last year, Tarrant slipped on
ice and fell in a parking lot of a
motel at Sandpoint, Idaho, frac-
turing his skull. That injury
landed him in a hospital for a day
and a half.
Since his fall, the mayor had
experienced headaches, but until
Monday had regularly attended
city commission and other meet-
ings.
"I can't do anything for a week
and it frustrates the socks off of
me," Tarrant told The Journal
on Tuesday. He said he probably
will miss next Monday's commis-
sion meeting as well, but plans to
resume his duties with the city as
soon as possible.
Mission Creek to expand
A 100-bed dormitory will be
built this year at the Mission Creek
Corrections Center for Women at
Belfair.
The new dormitory is slated
to be opened by December of this
year, Wanda McRay, superinten-
dent of the Mission Creek correc-
tions facility, told The Journal.
Currently, there are 114 beds
for inmates at Mission Creek. The
expansion in Belfair will help to
alleviate some of the overcrowding
at the women's corrections center
at Purdy, McRay said.
Drury Construction of Poulsbo
was awarded the bid for building
the single-story dormitory in the
amount of $1.93 million.
McRay said the state Depart-
ment of Corrections plans this
year to add 16 new positions at
Mission Creek, including correc-
tions officers, counselor, medical
staff, custodians and others as a
result of the expansion.
IIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
the inside CHOICE teacll,00r feted
Stacey Anderson, a teacher at at the school where students play
CHOICE Alternative School in
Shelton, has been named Teacher
of the Year by the Washington As-
sociation of Learning Alternatives
(WALA).
Anderson teaches a variety of
subjects at CHOICE, including
government, history, language
arts, the leadership class and
physical education, said Principal
Gordy Hansen.
In addition to her classroom
duties, Anderson serves as the
school's Associated Student Body
advisor and is the school improve-
ment planning team leader. She
also leads students on hiking and
camping trips and has organized
several "lock-ins," overnight stays
games and watch videos.
"She's energetic and an effec-
tive team leader," Hansen said.
He nominated Anderson for the
award a couple of months ago, and
she and the school were notified of
the honor last week.
Anderson has started course
work to become a principal and
plans to serve a principal intern-
ship next school year at CHOICE,
Hansen said.
WALA is a professional orga-
nization for all alternative school
teachers and administrators with-
in the state. On Friday evening,
Anderson will be recognized at the
association's conference in Van-
couver.
.... 32
.34
r Calendar ....... 28
...... 41
Dining ..... 32
Journal ................. 18
of Record ............. 19
10
Letters ................. 4
I, .................................. 21
Qsq'"moeom..,*eee*e.o,,ee*..e,,4,,,..,,,. 33
27
Illllllllllllll
Man involved in
2000 fatal crash
held after chase
By MARY DUNCAN
A Shelton man who was con-
victed of reckless driving in a 2000
crash that resulted in the death
of his high-school friend has been
arrested after leading officers of
the Shelton Police Department
on a chase through downtown on
Monday night which ended when
the vehicle he was driving struck
a power pole.
Christopher Glenn Coker, 22, of
102 East Gibler Lane, was identi-
fied on Tuesday, March 6, in Ma-
son County Superior Court in an
investigation of driving under
the influence of intoxicants, reck-
less driving, reckless endanger-
ment and felony eluding.
Coker was arrested just after 10
p.m.n March 5 by Sergeant Jerry
Lingle, who said he saw a Toyota
pickup truck exit a parking lot at
110 West Alder and accelerate rap-
idly. Lingle said the truck crossed
an alley and entered a yard at 123
West Birch Street, then accelerat-
ed through an intersection, cross-
ing over a sidewalk.
The officer said when he got
behind the pickup truck and
turned on the emergency lights
(Please turn to page 9.)
School volunteer
accused of theft
BY MARY DUNCAN
The former secretary of a Hood
Canal School volunteer group has
been charged with stealing sever-
al hundred dollars from one of the
group's accounts.
Edie Joann Hicks, 30, of 280
North Mount Washington Drive,
Hoodsport, was identified on Mon-
day, March 5, in Mason County
Superior Court in an investigation
of theft in the second degree.
Judge James Sawyer said she
did not qualify financially for
court-appointed counsel and would
need to hire an attorney. When
she said two of her children attend
Hood Canal School, Judge Saw-
yer said she could go to the school
but ordered her to have no contact
with witnesses named in the prob-
able-cause statement. He released
Hicks on her promise to appear for
future court dates.
According to a report by Inspec-
tor Dean Byrd of the Mason Coun-
ty Sheriffs Office, Karen Twiss,
treasurer of Hood Canal School
Community and StaffAssociation,
reported the theft of $700 from the
"paver account" which Hicks was
overseeing. The nqnprofit group
was selling brick paving stones as
a fund-raiser for the new facilities
being built at the school.
On July 10 Byrd said he met
with Twiss and Virginia DeVries,
president of the association, who
provided records from the account
at West Coast Bank in Hoodsport.
Two unauthorized checks were
written and allegedly cashed by
Hicks: one on February 22, 2006
for $200 and the other on Febru-
ary 23, 2006 for $500. The records
also indicated an unauthorized de-
posit of $500 was made to the ac-
count on May 30, 2006.
Hicks, who was employed as a
secretary at the school, was placed
on administrative leave for what
Byrd called "an unknown employ-
ment conduct issue." She pied not
guilty and is scheduled for an om-
nibus hearing on May 7, a pretrial
hearing on May 21 and trial dur-
ing the jury term beginning May
29.
SHELTON'S ANDREW BEILIK proudly displays the
Audubon's Olympic Peninsula birding map he worked on.
New birding map
has I0 local sites
By CAROLYN MADDUX
The latest in a series of Great
Washington State Birding Trail
maps, just off the presses from
Audubon Washington, is the
Olympic Loop map featuring 10
Mason County sites.
No one is happier to see the
colorful brochure than Shelton
resident Andrew Be41ik, a mem-
ber of the Black Hills Audubon So-
ciety, who has worked on the map
since it was still in the idea stage
three years ago.
The map with 54 prime birding
sites on the Olympic Peninsula is
the fourth of seven that will corn-
(Please turn to page 8.)
HELTON" JOURNAL
ON COUNTY
Thursday, March 8, 2007 121st Year -- Number 10 5 Sections -- 46 Pages Published in Shelton, Washington 75 cents
nce, Smith, Miles eye city post
people have so far sub-
letters expressing inter-
1 serving on the Shelton
Commission to replace Dick
recently named executive
of the Shelton-Mason
Chamber of Commerce.
interested in replacing
le: Jim Smith, a local
pharmacist and former longtime
Shelton School Board member;
Gary Cronce, a Shelton business-
man and developer; and Jack
Miles, former radio station disk
jockey and current Port of Shel-
ton commissioner.
Mayor John Tarrant and Com-
missioner Dawn Pannell will
review applications on Friday,
March 16, but applications will
remain open until Taylor's posi-
tion is filled, City Administrator
Dave O'Leary told The Journal
this week. Taylor's last day as
a commissioner is tentatively
planned for March 20.
Tarrant and Pannell will in-
terview candidates during the
week of March 19. Those inter-
views will be open to the public,
O'Leary said. Plans call for Tar-
rant and Pannell to meet in a
closed session on Friday, March
23, before picking Taylor's suc-
cessor, who would be seated dur-
ing the commission meeting on
Monday, March 26.
Applicants must have lived in
the city for 30 days prior to apply-
ing. They will be provided with
a form to fill out, including two
questions, one about experiences
that would be relevant to the post
and one about the challenges fac-
ing the city.
to get
g
ethics
lta2CLON
ethics training from
has been ordered for
Representative Bill Eick-
D-Belfair.
order by the Legislative
Board was issued after
admitted to eight viola-
of state law which he blamed
being "skipped" when it
to the ethics training given
rs.
violations concern Eick-
oversight of Jean McMil-
legislative aide. The board
that he instructed her to
three letters and make a
a nonprofit organization
Eickmeyer has supervised
of 30 years.
three letters were written
Eickmeyer's name and con-
parking problems, a job ap-
and "the long-term strat-
staff raises, bonuses" and
'benefits for those employed
Institute, a nonprofit
which helps troubled youth
is run by Eickmeyer.
ADMITTED directing his
aide to write the let-
arid to make five calls about
on the long-distance
system which the state
for its lawmakers. One
phone calls concerned a
charged with embez-
others had to do with
the sale of an espresso
and bingo games which
raise money for Sound In-
board found that "numer-
Other calls" were made from
office in Olympia to
nonprofit in Bremer-
the nature of these calls
about the three let-
five calls resulted in the
finding that Eickmeyer
a state law prohibit-
from using public
for private purposes. The
was settled after Eick-
a statement admit-
he understood the corn-
and stipulated that the
as in a writ-
of the findings of
"I agree to sign it as a
of this matter and have
signed," Eickmeyer
his formal statement on
FACTS AT the heart
case against Eickmeyer
during an investigation
of a complaint filed
Hrbacek of Shelton,
turn to page 11.)
INDEED, AND THE COP- in this case none other than
Mason County Sheriff Casey Salisbury (left) - went so
far as to don appropriate headgear as well to play his
role last Friday at Southside School. The occasion?
The rural students' observance of "Dr. Seuss Read
Across AmcdCiga Day." Sheriff Salisbury and mM..-
er county gendarme, Detective William Adam (with
Salisbury amid Kathy Burleson's second-grade class,
right), read from Seuss' Cat in the Hat classic before
the morning's school assembly.
Mayor arrant resting
after surgery on head
Shelton Mayor John Tarrant
was absent from Monday night's
city commission meeting because
of a relapse from a head injury he
suffered in a fall in late Decem-
ber.
Tarrant had surgery last Sat-
urday evening to relieve pressure
on his brain and was at home un-
der doctor's orders.
On the morning of December
23 last year, Tarrant slipped on
ice and fell in a parking lot of a
motel at Sandpoint, Idaho, frac-
turing his skull. That injury
landed him in a hospital for a day
and a half.
Since his fall, the mayor had
experienced headaches, but until
Monday had regularly attended
city commission and other meet-
ings.
"I can't do anything for a week
and it frustrates the socks off of
me," Tarrant told The Journal
on Tuesday. He said he probably
will miss next Monday's commis-
sion meeting as well, but plans to
resume his duties with the city as
soon as possible.
Mission Creek to expand
A 100-bed dormitory will be
built this year at the Mission Creek
Corrections Center for Women at
Belfair.
The new dormitory is slated
to be opened by December of this
year, Wanda McRay, superinten-
dent of the Mission Creek correc-
tions facility, told The Journal.
Currently, there are 114 beds
for inmates at Mission Creek. The
expansion in Belfair will help to
alleviate some of the overcrowding
at the women's corrections center
at Purdy, McRay said.
Drury Construction of Poulsbo
was awarded the bid for building
the single-story dormitory in the
amount of $1.93 million.
McRay said the state Depart-
ment of Corrections plans this
year to add 16 new positions at
Mission Creek, including correc-
tions officers, counselor, medical
staff, custodians and others as a
result of the expansion.
IIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
the inside CHOICE teacll,00r feted
Stacey Anderson, a teacher at at the school where students play
CHOICE Alternative School in
Shelton, has been named Teacher
of the Year by the Washington As-
sociation of Learning Alternatives
(WALA).
Anderson teaches a variety of
subjects at CHOICE, including
government, history, language
arts, the leadership class and
physical education, said Principal
Gordy Hansen.
In addition to her classroom
duties, Anderson serves as the
school's Associated Student Body
advisor and is the school improve-
ment planning team leader. She
also leads students on hiking and
camping trips and has organized
several "lock-ins," overnight stays
games and watch videos.
"She's energetic and an effec-
tive team leader," Hansen said.
He nominated Anderson for the
award a couple of months ago, and
she and the school were notified of
the honor last week.
Anderson has started course
work to become a principal and
plans to serve a principal intern-
ship next school year at CHOICE,
Hansen said.
WALA is a professional orga-
nization for all alternative school
teachers and administrators with-
in the state. On Friday evening,
Anderson will be recognized at the
association's conference in Van-
couver.
.... 32
.34
r Calendar ....... 28
...... 41
Dining ..... 32
Journal ................. 18
of Record ............. 19
10
Letters ................. 4
I, .................................. 21
Qsq'"moeom..,*eee*e.o,,ee*..e,,4,,,..,,,. 33
27
Illllllllllllll
Man involved in
2000 fatal crash
held after chase
By MARY DUNCAN
A Shelton man who was con-
victed of reckless driving in a 2000
crash that resulted in the death
of his high-school friend has been
arrested after leading officers of
the Shelton Police Department
on a chase through downtown on
Monday night which ended when
the vehicle he was driving struck
a power pole.
Christopher Glenn Coker, 22, of
102 East Gibler Lane, was identi-
fied on Tuesday, March 6, in Ma-
son County Superior Court in an
investigation of driving under
the influence of intoxicants, reck-
less driving, reckless endanger-
ment and felony eluding.
Coker was arrested just after 10
p.m.n March 5 by Sergeant Jerry
Lingle, who said he saw a Toyota
pickup truck exit a parking lot at
110 West Alder and accelerate rap-
idly. Lingle said the truck crossed
an alley and entered a yard at 123
West Birch Street, then accelerat-
ed through an intersection, cross-
ing over a sidewalk.
The officer said when he got
behind the pickup truck and
turned on the emergency lights
(Please turn to page 9.)
School volunteer
accused of theft
BY MARY DUNCAN
The former secretary of a Hood
Canal School volunteer group has
been charged with stealing sever-
al hundred dollars from one of the
group's accounts.
Edie Joann Hicks, 30, of 280
North Mount Washington Drive,
Hoodsport, was identified on Mon-
day, March 5, in Mason County
Superior Court in an investigation
of theft in the second degree.
Judge James Sawyer said she
did not qualify financially for
court-appointed counsel and would
need to hire an attorney. When
she said two of her children attend
Hood Canal School, Judge Saw-
yer said she could go to the school
but ordered her to have no contact
with witnesses named in the prob-
able-cause statement. He released
Hicks on her promise to appear for
future court dates.
According to a report by Inspec-
tor Dean Byrd of the Mason Coun-
ty Sheriffs Office, Karen Twiss,
treasurer of Hood Canal School
Community and StaffAssociation,
reported the theft of $700 from the
"paver account" which Hicks was
overseeing. The nqnprofit group
was selling brick paving stones as
a fund-raiser for the new facilities
being built at the school.
On July 10 Byrd said he met
with Twiss and Virginia DeVries,
president of the association, who
provided records from the account
at West Coast Bank in Hoodsport.
Two unauthorized checks were
written and allegedly cashed by
Hicks: one on February 22, 2006
for $200 and the other on Febru-
ary 23, 2006 for $500. The records
also indicated an unauthorized de-
posit of $500 was made to the ac-
count on May 30, 2006.
Hicks, who was employed as a
secretary at the school, was placed
on administrative leave for what
Byrd called "an unknown employ-
ment conduct issue." She pied not
guilty and is scheduled for an om-
nibus hearing on May 7, a pretrial
hearing on May 21 and trial dur-
ing the jury term beginning May
29.
SHELTON'S ANDREW BEILIK proudly displays the
Audubon's Olympic Peninsula birding map he worked on.
New birding map
has I0 local sites
By CAROLYN MADDUX
The latest in a series of Great
Washington State Birding Trail
maps, just off the presses from
Audubon Washington, is the
Olympic Loop map featuring 10
Mason County sites.
No one is happier to see the
colorful brochure than Shelton
resident Andrew Be41ik, a mem-
ber of the Black Hills Audubon So-
ciety, who has worked on the map
since it was still in the idea stage
three years ago.
The map with 54 prime birding
sites on the Olympic Peninsula is
the fourth of seven that will corn-
(Please turn to page 8.)