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Shelton-Mason County Journal
fiddle fundraiser
boasts increased
attendance in 2Oll
Betty Palmer sings with her UkeIele Saturday afternoon at
Journal photo by Natalie Johnson
the Shelton Old Time Fiddlers Fest.
By NATALIE JOHNSON
Old-time musicians, fiddlers included, came from far and wide
to show off their skills in Shelton last weekend for the 26th An-
nual Shelton Old Time Fiddlers Fest.
Last weekend marked the 14th year that SOCK (Save Our
County's Kids) has sponsored the event as its primary fundraiser.
"It will probably raise about $7,000 this year," Sue Sheldon,
executive director of SOCK said. "We used to make quite a bit
more - we used to have about 12,000 people in attendance."
Fiddlers, gui~rists, mandolin players and many others -
all members of the Washington Old Time Fiddlers Association
(WOTFA), all volunteered their time at the event.
Over the years, the combination of a poorly timed event and in-
terest in fiddle music, or at least interest in attending the festival,
waning has led to smaller attendance, Sheldon said.
See Fiddlers on page B-5
COOKIN'
ISLAND
Dry enough to mow?
Well, I found out my lawnmow-
er still works. Yeah, this week-
end I was able to drag it out of the
shed, put gas in it and mow. That
tells me the weather is finally get-
ting better. I was also able to get
up to Matt B's and get some com-
post for the garden. I'm hoping this
year's garden will do better than
last. years - the tomatoes wouldn't
ripen and my broccoli and zucchi-
ni's didn't fair much better.
Checking the calendar I see
that April 8 is the second Friday of
the month and that means there is
going to be a Community
Club meeting at the hall
starting at 6 p.m. The
door to the potluck tables
will open at 6:30 p.m. and
the meeting will begin at
7 p.m. For those who have
been practicing their chili
recipes, this is the night
to take a pot of your best
chili to the meeting and
enter the contest. For
those who just want to
eat some great chili, that
is great because all the people who
attend get to eat and vote on their
• favorite chili.
It's also that time of year to re-
new your community club mem-
bership. You probably received a
newsletter in the mail thanks to
Shelleen. In there was a member-
ship application• All the monies
raised go to maintaining the hall
- and after all the years it's been
there, I think it was built in 1912
or 1914 - it sure needs mainte-
nance. Also, the community club
organization itself started in 1941
and ifrm not mistaken that means
the club has been meeting for 70
years. Wow. Seventy years for any
organization to stay together is
great.
Patsy Gibson also tells us
about another old island orga-
nization. The Harstine Grange
568 will meet at the community
hall Friday, April 15. Potluck is
served at'6:30 p.m. with the regu-
lar meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. All
are welcome to attend. The grange
meets at the community hall here
on the island every third Friday
of the month with a potluck and
meeting. To learn more about the
grange you may contact the master
Mike Burdick at 427-1559 or sec-
retary Patsy Glaser Gibson, 432-
0795. They hope to see you there
and if you are new to the island,
this is a great place to meet people
who know a lot of island history.
A newer island club is the Hart-
stene Pointe Travel Club. They
meet at the Pointe clubhouse and
they are all about traveling and
eating. They have just voted on a
new slate of officers for
next year. Co-presidents
will be Nancy Nelson and
Jan McMullen. Co-Vice
Presidents will be last
yeads presidents, Woody
and Betty Holt. Co-secre-
taries will be Mary Rogers
and Carol Lettich. Trea-
surer will be Mary Alice
MIKE Cary. This years travel
CALLAGHAN coordinator has been Mc-
Mullen and she organized
the last trip to the Gig
Harbor Museum. Twenty people
attended and then moved on to
the Tides Tavern for lunch. They
are planning a mystery trip June
28. It will be a bus trip planned
by Carol Letch and Mary Alice
Cary, if you want to get involved,
give one of the officers a call. The
club is always looking for new ac-
tive members.
It is that time of year when on
any of those vometimes infrequent
sunny days we rush out to the gar-
den to get ready for the coming sea-
son. If you get a day to rush to gar-
den, keep in mind that the Harst-
ine Island Garden Club's Annual
Plant sale is just a month away,
coming as it almost always does
on the first Saturday of May. The
Garden Club welcomes all kinds
of plant donations. In some cases
members will even come to you to
dig healthy shrubs, small trees,
which need a new home. Dig, di-
vide and donate is the thought
for April. For donation assistance,
contact Jim Anderson, 432-9712 or
Barbara LaJune, 426-0494.
Journal photo by Natalie Johnson
La McLin, owner of La's Therapeutic Thai and Swedish Massage in Shelton, came to
America in 2005 and will travel back to Thailand this month to help at an orphange
she runs there.
Remembering
ur
didn't speak a word of English•
"I went to church and they said 'Hi' to me and I
said "hi' but I knew very limited words," she said.
"they talked q)lah blah blah blah,' and I couldn't
understand anything."
After a few months of struggling without speak-
ing more than a few simple words of English,
McLin first went to the local library to try to learn
the language.
"I went to talk to the lady ... I said I cannot
speak English, but it was like 'English, not speak
good," she said.
McLin said •that everyday things that most
people take for granted, like answering the phone,
were terrifying for her before she was comfortable
speaking English.
By NATALIE JOHNSON
La McLin is all smiles, and if you walk into her
business, La's Therapeutic Thai and Swedish Mas-
sage in Shelton, she will greet you with a bow and
the phrase, "Sa Wat Dee Kha," which means hello
in Thai.
But behind McLin's hospitality and friendly at-
titude, she has quite a story to tell.
"I have a long story of my life. When I was young
I grew up in a poor country," she said.
McLin grew up in Thailand. There she taught
at a university and worked with her government's
public welfare department, educating the public
about drugs and HIV.
McLin also worked for the welfare ot~ children in
Thailand.
"I have my own orphanage over there too," she-- "I went to the store to find some food, but I didn't
said know how to read... I knew the number, but ~ don't
Her story in America started in September 2005 know how to use the money," she said. "It is good -
when she immigrated to Washington from her na- learning by doing made me learn a lot."
tive Thailand. When McLin arrived in Shelton, she See Cookin' on page B-5
Thursday, April 7,2011 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page B-1