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Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
March 8, 2007     Shelton Mason County Journal
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March 8, 2007
 
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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