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Page A-18 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, March 14, 2019
has played
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continued from page A-1 struments and sing and per- versity, he said.
form," he said. Married and with two chil-Schwennesen's wife,
of the Mason County- Senior After finishing high school dren, Schwennesen moved Cathy, wanted to leave the
Activities Association. She in- Maryland, Schwennesen to Oregon and then to Call- heat of Napa Valley, Call-
points out that he is so dedi- attended Concordia Junior fornia, where he lived for 30 fornia. She explored towns
cated that after he recently College in Bronxville, Newyears. He operated a land-in Oregon and Washington
broke his ankle slipping on York. He considered becom-scaping business and played before choosing Shelten. She
the snow, he came to the cen- ing a minister; his maternal in a six-piece dance band in spent a year here while her
ter and tried to play the piano grandfather has been a mis- Yountville. husband sold their house; he
foot pedals with a cast on his sionary in China, where his "It was a great band," he moved north two years ago.
foot. mother lived from age 3 to 18. recalled. The band played Schwennesen found the
"I like to see the partici- "We had Chinese food one swing, jazz, boogie-woogie, senior center, and discovered
pation," Schwennesen said. night, German food another," country and polka, as wellthe tastes of his new audi-
"People's eyes will light up, he recalled, as such 1940s standards ence.
their feet will tap, they'll sing Instead, Schwennesen en- as "Tangerine" and "Green "People like country here,
along." listed in the U.S. Army from Eyes." so I play a lot of country," he
Growing up in Richland, 1969 to 1971, during the Viet- "It's not three chords andsaid, and then added, "Then
Schwennesen was nam War. He spent most of out," Schwennesen said. "It's I start slipping in the stan-
exposed to music early -- his that time as military police in more complicated." dards I'm usually into."
m ther played the viola. Germany. The band would play three Some unfortunate slipping
Schwennesen started taking Returning to the United or four retirement and as-kept him from the piano for a
piano lessons at age 4 or 5. States, Schwennesen finished sisted living facilities a day. while. During the snowstorm
"All seven of us kids his bachelor's degree in 1975 "I had a whole routine in February, he fell and broke
learned to play musical in- at Eastern Washington Uni-so this is what I'm used to," his ankle in downtown Shel-
ton.
"I got up," he recalled. "I
didn't feel anything, but my
foot was splayed about 40 de-
grees. I thought, 'That doesn't
look right.'"
A passerby with EMT
skills gave him a blanket and
called 911. After being treat-
ed, the president of Mason
General Hospital took him
to Fred Meyer for supplies,
and then to a downtown
motel because roads were
blocked to his house in Union
Heights.
Three weeks later,
Schwennesen was back at the
piano, entertaining seniors.
Any member of the center
who wants to join the chorale
can come by at 1:30 p.m. the
first and third Fridays of each
month.
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John Schwennesen, pianist
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Student petition
continued from page A- 1
stewardship -- due to
political and moral con-
filets.
"If we had to do it Tribes communicated
over again, we'd do itanything to the Shelton
differently," Superinten- School District against
dent Alex Apostle saidrecognizing the flag or
in an interview with the the national anthem as
Shelton-Mason County a prelude to any school
Journal. assembly, including the
In an official state- most recent assembly
ment released Tuesday at Shelton High School
to parents, residents regarding Billy Frank,
and staff, Apostle wrote, Jr."
"The decision to not ini- The Squaxin Island
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. legiance at the Shelton
tiate the Pledge of Al-
Grilled
Oysters >~~l High School assembly
S e=iolW honoring a great Native
Seo ood American and patriot,
" Billy Frank Jr was not
Smoked
the appropriate decision
- - - regardless of the cireum-
Artisan ~-" - - -
stances involved. I take
full responsibility.
"I want to make
something clear, at
no time has either the
Squaxin or Skokomish
Tribe released a state-
ment Monday on the
controversy.
"Honoring the great
civil rights leader is ex-
tremely important to the
Squaxin Island Tribe.
The Tribe, however, did
not make or support any
request to the school or
district to remove the
Pledge of Allegiance or
national anthem from
the program. Squaxin,
like so many tribes, has a
longhistory of service in
and respect for the U.S.
armed forces. Native
Americans have served
in the armed forces at a
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higher rate, per capita,
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Chairman Arnold Coo-
per has met with Super-
intendent Dr. Apostle,
and looks forward to
strengthening the ongo-
ing relationship between
the Tribe and Shelton
schools."
Apostle told the
Journal the student pe-
tition was delivered to
the desk of Shelton High
School Principal Jen-
nifer Deyette about 4
p.m. March 5. Because
she was at meetings,
Deyette didn't see the
petition until the morn-
ing of March 6, a couple
hours before the assem-
bly.
Apostle said Deyette
called him, and they
agreed to honor the re-
quest. Apostle said he
did not want to offend
Native American stu-
dents who signed the pe-
tition. Deyette declined
nt
to comment. Shelton High School
The petition read, senior Nick Ames said
' es, I understand that many of the Students
the National Anthem were upset about the
is supposed to promote omission.
'American Pride,'butthe "I think it was they
assembly is supposed to broke from protocol at the
be about honoring Billy last minute," Ames said.
Frank, Jr. and by sing- The assembly should hav.e
mg the National Anthem included the anthem, the
at a Native Holiday as- pledge and the native
sembly you are putting prayer, he said.
the white man above the "It. would have pre-
Native leader." vented any problem, and
Gabrielle Dellanto- prevented people from
nio, a ninth-grader who walking out," he said.
saw an identical assem- Apostle concluded
bly at Oakland Bay Ju- his statement with
nior High the same day, "The Shelton School
said she didn't have a District enjoys a posi-
problem with the omis- live and wonderful re-
sion of the anthem or lationship with both
pledge, tribes.and together we
"I feel it was a cul- will continue working
rural assembly, not spe- with our students to
cifically addressing the educate and empha-
national anthem - it's a size with clarity the
cultural assembly It's importance and value
not a big deal," she said. of mutual respect for
Shelton High School one another and cul-
sophomore Jade Hill tural dignity for all
agreed, people, including the
"It was an assembly highest respect for our
about their culture." Hill flag and the United
said. She said she liked States of America. As
the native prayer aboutyour Superintendent of
health and well-being. Schools, I takeTull re-
"That was kind," she sponsibility for moving
said. us forward together."
360.42L6110
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