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Guilty pleas:
SHOWING OFF their newest addition to Mason County's vehicle fleet
are Commissioner Ross Gallagher, left, and Commissioner Lynda Ring-
Erickson on the right. The county's first hybrid vehicle is powered by
both gasoline and electricity.
County buys hyE)rid car
Taking steps to explore new
ways to save energy and improve
the environment, Mason County
has taken delivery of its first hy-
brid vehicle, a new Toyota Prius.
It will be added to the county ve-
hicle pool so that all departments
will have the opportunity to evalu-
ate the vehicle and see how it can
be utilized in their daily business.
"While we fully expect to save
fuel with the Prius, we will need
to see how the Prius does opera-
tionally where our business takes
us throughout the county. In addi-
tion, we will need to start training
our mechanics in the repair and
maintenance of hybrid vehicles,"
said Public Works Director Char-
lie Butros.
Commissioner Ross Gallagher
said at last week's meeting that
he has been the proud owner of a
hybrid vehicle for the past three
years and hopes the rest of" the
county shares his enthusiasm for
this move.
"I think we'll be looking for-
ward to what this might indicate,"
said Commissioner Lynda Ring-
Erickson, who added how county
employees do put a lot of miles on
government vehicles.
Electric power will be-going out downtown
PUD 3 has announced that
there will be a planned electric
power outage late next Monday
evening that will affect approxi-
mately 119 customers in a portion
of downtown Shelton.
Affected areas include Rail-
road Avenue and Franklin Street
west of the llth Street rail cross-
ing as well as Deegan Road East
and Riverside Park on the west
end of Cota Street. The public util-
ity district is upgrading electrical
facilities in the vicinity. Work is
expected to begin at 11:45 p.m. on
March 12 and last approximately
four hours.
PUD 3 officials recommend that
electronic appliances and equip-
ment be turned off and unplugged
until power is restored tbr at least
20 minutes. For more information,
.call Ron Brown at 426-8255, Ex-
tension 5268.
Baker's okay after driving his car through fence
The driver of a car which
plowed through about 30 feet
of fbnce on Olympic Highway
South last week was not injured,
according to the Shelton Police
Department.
Richard Baker, 40, of Shelton
was driving up the hill in the
southbound lane at about 9:35
p.m. on February 28 and lost
control of his vehicle when he
hit a patch of ice, slid across the
northbound lane and wiped out
the section of fence, Detective
Sergeant Virgil Pentz reported.
Baker was not injured. The
estimated speed of his vehicle
was between 25 to 28 miles per
hour, Pentz said. No citations
were issued as the crash was
weather-related. The low tem-
perature recorded at Sanderson
Field on February 28 was 30 de-
grees.
Immigrant convicted
of raping teenage girl
ton State Patrol. The piCP.
truck, driven by 71-y ea'0l.d
Roger Lee Addington of Shady
Cove, Oregon, was travelS.,
north in the left lane wh.en
was struck. Utheim's vehi
rotated and came to rest:.
the southbound shoulder
the truck rolled over and ]
to rest on the northbo
shoulder. "I am guilty oft"
A 22-year-old man who ad-
mitted having sex with a 15-
year-old girl was among the
defendants who changed their
pleas recently in Mason Coun-
ty Superior Court.
Oscar Adrian Rojas Fies-
co of 924 Thomas Avenue, pied
guilty on Friday, March 2, to
an amended charge of rape of
a child in the third degree. He
had been charged with rape of
a child in the second degree.
In his plea statement Rojas
Fiesco wrote, "On October 10,
2006, I had sexual intercourse
with C.R.Y., who was 15 years
old." He added, "I never forced
this girl."
Deputy Prosecutor Rebecca
Jones Garcia said the state
agreed to reduce the charge
"based on new information
and subsequent interviews"
which would make it difficult
for the state to prove "forcible
compulsion," an element of
second-degree rape. She also
noted the state had genetic
evidence that was positive for
Rojas Fiesco's sperm.
Judge James Sawyer ex-
plained that with no prior
felony history, the sentencing
range is 12 plus to 14 months
in a Washington State Depart-
ment of Corrections facility
followed by 36 to 48 months
of community supervision. He
said the conviction could have
an impact on Rojas Fiesco's
immigration status.
Sentencing is scheduled for
April 9. Court-certified inter-
preter Darin Parse translated
the plea form and the proceed-
ings into Spanish and Eng-
lish.
Also on Friday, March 2:
• Teri Lynn Utheim, 41,
of 942 Cascade Avenue, Shel-
ton, pied guilty to vehicular
assault.
She was driving a 1997 Ford
Mustang south on Highway
101 on June 13, 2006 when
she crossed over the center-
line about a half mile south
of the Wallace Kneeland Bou-
levard exit and struck a 2001
Toyota pickup truck towing
a boat on a trailer, according
to a report from the Washing-
ting that man," she said. .t
With no prior felony P,:
tory, the sentencing rangO.
from three to nine months zor
lowed by 12 months ofcOm=
nity custody, Judge SaWYrt,
explained. Sentencing is "
for March 26.
• Francisco G. CastrO,
of 160 East Evergreen
Shelton, pled guilty to
amended charge of
tle third degree. He had
charged with
assault. "On November
2006, I caused injury to
other with a knife," he
in his plea statement.
He stabbed Rafael OlivsS
E1 Sarape on Olympic Hi
North. With no prior
history, the sentencing
is from one to three
in jail with a six-month
hancement for the use
deadly weapon, Judge
explained. He said the
tion could affect Castro'S
migration status. S
is scheduled for April 2.
On Monday, March 5,
Marie Zwieg, 43, of 782
Coulter Creek Road,
pied guilty to possession
methamphetamine.
She admitted she had
when she was
Deputy Kelly LaFrance
Mason County Sheriff's
on December 4 at 1:59 a.
for driving with a
ed license. The de
she searched the
found a blue ski glove
small plastic bag
the thumb hole. It
white crystal substance
field-tested positive for
Judge Sawyer said
would be held pendini
tencing scheduled for
12.
Gaskill had stolen car and meth
A 38-year-old Shelton man who
had a small bag of methamphet-
amine in his pants pocket when
was arrested last summer for driv-
ing a stolen vehicle was convicted
by a Mason County Superior Court
jury of two felony offenses.
Kim Eugene Gaskill, of20 Mc-
Micken Drive, was found guilty
of possession of stolen property
in the first degree and possession
of methamphetamine after a two-
day trial. He is scheduled for sen-
tencing on March 19.
He was arrested August 7 of last
year by Deputy Kelly LaFrance of
the Mason County Sheriffs Office.
Gaskill was driving a 1993 white
Honda Civic which Kevin Shull
hail reported stolen on August
5. The meth was found in one of
Gaskilrs pants pockets.
TESTIMONY BEGAN Febru-
ary 13 with Tami Kee, a forensic
scientist at the Washington State
Patrol Crime Laboratory. She said
she received two items for testing
from the sheriffs office. One was a
plastic bag that had a white pow-
der residue which Kee said she
analyzed using two examination
methods and determined the resi-
due contained methamphetamine.
She said she received a second bag
containing a pipe with residue but
she was unable to obtain a sample
for testing from it.
Anna Pamperin, a records clerk
supervisor in the sheriffs office,
said she enters reports from depu-
ties into the computer system af-
ter the officer's report is completed
and approved by her supervisor.
She said on August 5 she entered
a report from LaFrance concern-
ing a vehicle theft reported by
Shull.
Deputy LaFrance said that on
August 5 she took a report from
Shull Who said his 1993 white
Honda Civic had been stolen from
a storage area off Pickering Road
in the Spencer Lake area. She said
she began to fill the report out on
August 5 but Shull was not able
to come into the office and sign
it. "He said he would be by on the
sixth to sign the vehicle as stolen,"
she said, "but he did not show up
at that time."
She said she was on patrol on
August 7 when she spotted the
vehicle Shull reported stolen on
State Route 3 in the Belfair area.
"I initiated my lights as I seen him
pull into Hank's Casino," she said.
The establishment is now known
as Hood Canal Family Bistro. She
said, "Mr. Gaskill exited the vehi-
cle and began quickly walking to
the building. I commanded him to
come back to the vehicle. He com-
plied."
SHE SAID SHE detained the
man at that time for possession of
a stolen vehicle. She said he pro-
vided his name and date of birth
and she then checked for warrants
and driving status through the
dispatch center. "He came back as
suspended in the third degree. I
told him he was under arrest and
read him his Miranda rights," she
said, noting she placed him in the
back of her patrol car.
LaFrance said when Gaskill got
out of the Honda the vehicle was
still running, and the driver's door
was left opened. She said there
was a blue heeler dog in the car.
"I asked him if the dog was going
to be nice and he assured me it
would. The dog was following his
commands," she said.
She said prior to placing Gas-
kill in her patrol vehicle she "pat-
ted him down" or searched for
anything that might be used as a
weapon. "On the right-hand side
in Mr. Gaskill's pants I found a
glass pipe that I know from my
training and experience to be used
for smoking narcotics," she said.
The suspected meth was in
a small bag which she said she
found in a front left pocket. "I
found Kevin Shull's driver's li-
cense in a back pocket," she said.
She said a field test was positive
for methamphetamine.
WHEN LaFRANCE searched
the vehicle, she said, "I noticed
the ignition had been punched
and there were wires hanging ev-
erywhere," explaining this is one
of the methods used to start a car
without a key. No keys found in
the vehicle belonged to the Honda;
however, she said, she did find a
Nissan truck key. Although the
steering column was "all smashed
up," LaFrance said, "it did require
some sort of key to start it. Actual-
ly any fiat object would start it."
She said she checked the Kelly
Blue Book for the Honda's value
and determined it to be $3,555 for
a 1994 vehicle in good condition.
LaFrance said she based her as-
sessment of the condition of the
Honda on her experience working
as an auto detailer at two car lots
in Kitsap County prior to entering
law enforcement.
LaFrance testified again on the
second day of the trial. She said
Gaskill told her he had borrowed
the car from Shull and received
his permission to use it. She also
said Gaskill told her the white
substance in the bag was some
over-the-counter medicine which
he crushed.
Gaskill testified in his own de-
fense. He said he drives a
truck which a friend,
Parker, had borrowed. He
Parker gave him the HoW
drive while he was using the.'
and that he had only been
car about a half hour prior to
ing stopped by LaFrance.
GASKILL SAID he
a pair of pants from the
the Honda and put them
ter work because his
dirty. He said prior to
hicles with Parker he had
seen the Honda and that
not know Shull. He said he
know how Shull's driver's
ended up in the pants. I-Ie
said he did not know there
glass smoking device in one
pants pockets.
He said he did not see
and red" lights of the
cle behind him'when he
the parking lot at Hank's.
said he was going there to
Parker and retrieve his
was in a hurry," he said.
Members of the jury
Ziegler, Terry Swartos,
Powell, Marilyn Blakefiel'
lyn McGrath, Carol
Bobbi Ferguson, Mila
Jeannie Forsyth, Lisa
Nicholas Wood and James
The alternate was
By
Russ Denney
In business, when you have to make excuses why
you can't get your work done, it is because:
A) You cannot delegate.
B) Your priorities are wrong.
C) You lack trust in your staff.
D) Your experienced staff is leaving.
Can you choose just one or is it all of the above?
PANTORIUM
CI-IEAN|RS & TAILORS
Serving She#on and
Mason County for 82 years
Monday-Friday 6:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
2t5 South Second
426-3371
We deliver
EATING IL
COMPARE OUR LOW PRICES!
carry kerosene. Located at Sanderson
q [L. j Industrial Park
---L 42
Page 30 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, March 8, 2007
Guilty pleas:
SHOWING OFF their newest addition to Mason County's vehicle fleet
are Commissioner Ross Gallagher, left, and Commissioner Lynda Ring-
Erickson on the right. The county's first hybrid vehicle is powered by
both gasoline and electricity.
County buys hyE)rid car
Taking steps to explore new
ways to save energy and improve
the environment, Mason County
has taken delivery of its first hy-
brid vehicle, a new Toyota Prius.
It will be added to the county ve-
hicle pool so that all departments
will have the opportunity to evalu-
ate the vehicle and see how it can
be utilized in their daily business.
"While we fully expect to save
fuel with the Prius, we will need
to see how the Prius does opera-
tionally where our business takes
us throughout the county. In addi-
tion, we will need to start training
our mechanics in the repair and
maintenance of hybrid vehicles,"
said Public Works Director Char-
lie Butros.
Commissioner Ross Gallagher
said at last week's meeting that
he has been the proud owner of a
hybrid vehicle for the past three
years and hopes the rest of" the
county shares his enthusiasm for
this move.
"I think we'll be looking for-
ward to what this might indicate,"
said Commissioner Lynda Ring-
Erickson, who added how county
employees do put a lot of miles on
government vehicles.
Electric power will be-going out downtown
PUD 3 has announced that
there will be a planned electric
power outage late next Monday
evening that will affect approxi-
mately 119 customers in a portion
of downtown Shelton.
Affected areas include Rail-
road Avenue and Franklin Street
west of the llth Street rail cross-
ing as well as Deegan Road East
and Riverside Park on the west
end of Cota Street. The public util-
ity district is upgrading electrical
facilities in the vicinity. Work is
expected to begin at 11:45 p.m. on
March 12 and last approximately
four hours.
PUD 3 officials recommend that
electronic appliances and equip-
ment be turned off and unplugged
until power is restored tbr at least
20 minutes. For more information,
.call Ron Brown at 426-8255, Ex-
tension 5268.
Baker's okay after driving his car through fence
The driver of a car which
plowed through about 30 feet
of fbnce on Olympic Highway
South last week was not injured,
according to the Shelton Police
Department.
Richard Baker, 40, of Shelton
was driving up the hill in the
southbound lane at about 9:35
p.m. on February 28 and lost
control of his vehicle when he
hit a patch of ice, slid across the
northbound lane and wiped out
the section of fence, Detective
Sergeant Virgil Pentz reported.
Baker was not injured. The
estimated speed of his vehicle
was between 25 to 28 miles per
hour, Pentz said. No citations
were issued as the crash was
weather-related. The low tem-
perature recorded at Sanderson
Field on February 28 was 30 de-
grees.
Immigrant convicted
of raping teenage girl
ton State Patrol. The piCP.
truck, driven by 71-y ea'0l.d
Roger Lee Addington of Shady
Cove, Oregon, was travelS.,
north in the left lane wh.en
was struck. Utheim's vehi
rotated and came to rest:.
the southbound shoulder
the truck rolled over and ]
to rest on the northbo
shoulder. "I am guilty oft"
A 22-year-old man who ad-
mitted having sex with a 15-
year-old girl was among the
defendants who changed their
pleas recently in Mason Coun-
ty Superior Court.
Oscar Adrian Rojas Fies-
co of 924 Thomas Avenue, pied
guilty on Friday, March 2, to
an amended charge of rape of
a child in the third degree. He
had been charged with rape of
a child in the second degree.
In his plea statement Rojas
Fiesco wrote, "On October 10,
2006, I had sexual intercourse
with C.R.Y., who was 15 years
old." He added, "I never forced
this girl."
Deputy Prosecutor Rebecca
Jones Garcia said the state
agreed to reduce the charge
"based on new information
and subsequent interviews"
which would make it difficult
for the state to prove "forcible
compulsion," an element of
second-degree rape. She also
noted the state had genetic
evidence that was positive for
Rojas Fiesco's sperm.
Judge James Sawyer ex-
plained that with no prior
felony history, the sentencing
range is 12 plus to 14 months
in a Washington State Depart-
ment of Corrections facility
followed by 36 to 48 months
of community supervision. He
said the conviction could have
an impact on Rojas Fiesco's
immigration status.
Sentencing is scheduled for
April 9. Court-certified inter-
preter Darin Parse translated
the plea form and the proceed-
ings into Spanish and Eng-
lish.
Also on Friday, March 2:
• Teri Lynn Utheim, 41,
of 942 Cascade Avenue, Shel-
ton, pied guilty to vehicular
assault.
She was driving a 1997 Ford
Mustang south on Highway
101 on June 13, 2006 when
she crossed over the center-
line about a half mile south
of the Wallace Kneeland Bou-
levard exit and struck a 2001
Toyota pickup truck towing
a boat on a trailer, according
to a report from the Washing-
ting that man," she said. .t
With no prior felony P,:
tory, the sentencing rangO.
from three to nine months zor
lowed by 12 months ofcOm=
nity custody, Judge SaWYrt,
explained. Sentencing is "
for March 26.
• Francisco G. CastrO,
of 160 East Evergreen
Shelton, pled guilty to
amended charge of
tle third degree. He had
charged with
assault. "On November
2006, I caused injury to
other with a knife," he
in his plea statement.
He stabbed Rafael OlivsS
E1 Sarape on Olympic Hi
North. With no prior
history, the sentencing
is from one to three
in jail with a six-month
hancement for the use
deadly weapon, Judge
explained. He said the
tion could affect Castro'S
migration status. S
is scheduled for April 2.
On Monday, March 5,
Marie Zwieg, 43, of 782
Coulter Creek Road,
pied guilty to possession
methamphetamine.
She admitted she had
when she was
Deputy Kelly LaFrance
Mason County Sheriff's
on December 4 at 1:59 a.
for driving with a
ed license. The de
she searched the
found a blue ski glove
small plastic bag
the thumb hole. It
white crystal substance
field-tested positive for
Judge Sawyer said
would be held pendini
tencing scheduled for
12.
Gaskill had stolen car and meth
A 38-year-old Shelton man who
had a small bag of methamphet-
amine in his pants pocket when
was arrested last summer for driv-
ing a stolen vehicle was convicted
by a Mason County Superior Court
jury of two felony offenses.
Kim Eugene Gaskill, of20 Mc-
Micken Drive, was found guilty
of possession of stolen property
in the first degree and possession
of methamphetamine after a two-
day trial. He is scheduled for sen-
tencing on March 19.
He was arrested August 7 of last
year by Deputy Kelly LaFrance of
the Mason County Sheriffs Office.
Gaskill was driving a 1993 white
Honda Civic which Kevin Shull
hail reported stolen on August
5. The meth was found in one of
Gaskilrs pants pockets.
TESTIMONY BEGAN Febru-
ary 13 with Tami Kee, a forensic
scientist at the Washington State
Patrol Crime Laboratory. She said
she received two items for testing
from the sheriffs office. One was a
plastic bag that had a white pow-
der residue which Kee said she
analyzed using two examination
methods and determined the resi-
due contained methamphetamine.
She said she received a second bag
containing a pipe with residue but
she was unable to obtain a sample
for testing from it.
Anna Pamperin, a records clerk
supervisor in the sheriffs office,
said she enters reports from depu-
ties into the computer system af-
ter the officer's report is completed
and approved by her supervisor.
She said on August 5 she entered
a report from LaFrance concern-
ing a vehicle theft reported by
Shull.
Deputy LaFrance said that on
August 5 she took a report from
Shull Who said his 1993 white
Honda Civic had been stolen from
a storage area off Pickering Road
in the Spencer Lake area. She said
she began to fill the report out on
August 5 but Shull was not able
to come into the office and sign
it. "He said he would be by on the
sixth to sign the vehicle as stolen,"
she said, "but he did not show up
at that time."
She said she was on patrol on
August 7 when she spotted the
vehicle Shull reported stolen on
State Route 3 in the Belfair area.
"I initiated my lights as I seen him
pull into Hank's Casino," she said.
The establishment is now known
as Hood Canal Family Bistro. She
said, "Mr. Gaskill exited the vehi-
cle and began quickly walking to
the building. I commanded him to
come back to the vehicle. He com-
plied."
SHE SAID SHE detained the
man at that time for possession of
a stolen vehicle. She said he pro-
vided his name and date of birth
and she then checked for warrants
and driving status through the
dispatch center. "He came back as
suspended in the third degree. I
told him he was under arrest and
read him his Miranda rights," she
said, noting she placed him in the
back of her patrol car.
LaFrance said when Gaskill got
out of the Honda the vehicle was
still running, and the driver's door
was left opened. She said there
was a blue heeler dog in the car.
"I asked him if the dog was going
to be nice and he assured me it
would. The dog was following his
commands," she said.
She said prior to placing Gas-
kill in her patrol vehicle she "pat-
ted him down" or searched for
anything that might be used as a
weapon. "On the right-hand side
in Mr. Gaskill's pants I found a
glass pipe that I know from my
training and experience to be used
for smoking narcotics," she said.
The suspected meth was in
a small bag which she said she
found in a front left pocket. "I
found Kevin Shull's driver's li-
cense in a back pocket," she said.
She said a field test was positive
for methamphetamine.
WHEN LaFRANCE searched
the vehicle, she said, "I noticed
the ignition had been punched
and there were wires hanging ev-
erywhere," explaining this is one
of the methods used to start a car
without a key. No keys found in
the vehicle belonged to the Honda;
however, she said, she did find a
Nissan truck key. Although the
steering column was "all smashed
up," LaFrance said, "it did require
some sort of key to start it. Actual-
ly any fiat object would start it."
She said she checked the Kelly
Blue Book for the Honda's value
and determined it to be $3,555 for
a 1994 vehicle in good condition.
LaFrance said she based her as-
sessment of the condition of the
Honda on her experience working
as an auto detailer at two car lots
in Kitsap County prior to entering
law enforcement.
LaFrance testified again on the
second day of the trial. She said
Gaskill told her he had borrowed
the car from Shull and received
his permission to use it. She also
said Gaskill told her the white
substance in the bag was some
over-the-counter medicine which
he crushed.
Gaskill testified in his own de-
fense. He said he drives a
truck which a friend,
Parker, had borrowed. He
Parker gave him the HoW
drive while he was using the.'
and that he had only been
car about a half hour prior to
ing stopped by LaFrance.
GASKILL SAID he
a pair of pants from the
the Honda and put them
ter work because his
dirty. He said prior to
hicles with Parker he had
seen the Honda and that
not know Shull. He said he
know how Shull's driver's
ended up in the pants. I-Ie
said he did not know there
glass smoking device in one
pants pockets.
He said he did not see
and red" lights of the
cle behind him'when he
the parking lot at Hank's.
said he was going there to
Parker and retrieve his
was in a hurry," he said.
Members of the jury
Ziegler, Terry Swartos,
Powell, Marilyn Blakefiel'
lyn McGrath, Carol
Bobbi Ferguson, Mila
Jeannie Forsyth, Lisa
Nicholas Wood and James
The alternate was
By
Russ Denney
In business, when you have to make excuses why
you can't get your work done, it is because:
A) You cannot delegate.
B) Your priorities are wrong.
C) You lack trust in your staff.
D) Your experienced staff is leaving.
Can you choose just one or is it all of the above?
PANTORIUM
CI-IEAN|RS & TAILORS
Serving She#on and
Mason County for 82 years
Monday-Friday 6:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
2t5 South Second
426-3371
We deliver
EATING IL
COMPARE OUR LOW PRICES!
carry kerosene. Located at Sanderson
q [L. j Industrial Park
---L 42
Page 30 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, March 8, 2007