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JOURNALEDITORIAL
With the weather turning
for the better, flowers
have begun to appear
in our yards and on our trees.
Every spring, flowers appear on
our light poles, too, thanks to the
hard work of the Shelton Mason
County Chamber of Commerce
and donations from community
members.
The chamber Beautification
Project, sponsored by Kiwanis,
Hood Canal Communications and
Comcast, brings color to our dusty
streets every year with flower
baskets decorating all of Shelton.
The project also hangs the street-
light banners and town Christ-
mas decorations, and does all of
this work on a volunteer basis.
The project relies completely
on donations from businesses and
individuals alike but has sadly
had to cut the number of flower
baskets to 75 from 106 in previ-
ous years. The baskets cost more
than $200 each and fundraising
has fallen short.
The Shelton-Mason County
Journal is doing its part with a
donation to the project, and would
like to encourage other businesses
to do so as well. Inserted in this
newspaper is a donation form.
Please take some time and money
to give to the chamber Beautifica-
tion Project.
An effort of this scale does not
come cheaply and any amount
helps.
LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR
PAPERBOY
It's like lasagna but with potatoes
The first time I had
Dauphinoise (daw-
fin-WAZ) it had
been recommended to me
by a well-heeled friend
who was sitting close at a
fancy country club.
"Really?" I asked and •
he nodded and rolled his
eyes as if in a drunken
stupor. Admittedly, it was
a press association board
meeting so he probably
was in a drunken stupor.
It is the best potato dish
I've ever eaten and I'm
Irish so trust me on this.
Legend has it that
Dauphinoise pota-
toes were created as a
way to encourage the
young Dauphin (the
French prince who be-
came King Henri II and
who later raised
Mary Queen of
Scots) to eat his
vegetables. The
truth is that the
dish was actu-
ally created in
the Dauphin6
region of' France
and consists of
thinly-sliced
potatoes, mixed
with milk, cream
or creme fraiche,
By TOM
MULLEN
and cheese, garlic and
seasoning. That is to say
it is a peasant dish, made
of, by and for the poor
people of France as it has
been fbr five centuries.
My friend suggested at
the time that one of life's
greatest adventures is
in trying to decide where
lies the better food, north-
ern Italy or Southern
France. Dauphine is on
the French/Italian border
and while I've been to
neither I like to pretend
I'm somewhere in that
region when I find myself
making the stuff.
When the dish arrived
on my plate (alongside a
marvelous steak) I could
only describe its taste by
snfiling and rolling my
own eyes as if in a drunk-
en stupor.
Thus began my days as
a cook and herein I share
what I have discovered
about the dish.
You must locate the
~bllowing: Yellow potatoes
for eight people (Yukons bitten into make your
are best and the smaller eyes roll backward in
the better), half a stick delight. So use a mortar
of butter (French if you and pestle or use the side
can find it), fresh garlic of your knife to crush the
cloves, one-half pound salt and pepper into a
of Gruyere cheese (you coarse and delicious (not
may substitute processed) inconsistency.
a mixture of Sprinkle the pepper and
aged cheddar, salt upon the sliced pota-
aged swiss and toes.
aged parmasean And now for the gar-
-- but don't), lic -- this is the best part
a small carton because when you're all
of cream (the done your fingers will
heavier the bet- smell of garlic and butter
ter), sea salt and and what smells better
pepper grounds,than that? AS for the cor-
a baking dish rect amount, there is no
or slow cooker,such thing as too much
a mortar and garlic. Dice the garlic by
pestle, a big, sharp knife hand and spread it with
and a cutting board, love over the first layer of
You may not use grat-potatoes.
ed cheese nor a grater as Now slice the cheese
the whole point of this into what will resemble
dish is to put your soul shredded cheese on ste-
into its preparation. You roids and sprinkle those
may listen to music or delicious shoestrings
watch a favorite movie ever the concoction. Then
during the 45 minutes it throw a tab or two of but-
will take you to prepare ter (just to make it all the
this dish. more healthy) on top.
After you have washedRepeat this entire
and scrubbed the pota- process two, three or four
toes (the peels are left on times until you run out of
-- it's a peasant dish for ingredients and then fill
gosh sakes) gather ev- the dish with cream up to
erything around you and the level of the potatoes.
begin by buttering the Bake it covered at
inside of the dish. Then 325 degrees (or in the
slice (by hand) enough slow cooker on high) for
potatoes to cover the bot- up to four hours. Un-
tom of the pan and then cover the dish the last
grind enough salt andhalf hour of cooking so
pepper to cover them.the cheeses and cream
Do not use salt and pep- turn golden brown -- if
per shakers or grinders served to people of Irish
because it is the inconsis- descent, fighting will
tencies of this dish that ensue.
make it perfect. It is also It will serve four to 12
those barely crushed pep- people and there won't be
per grounds that whenany leftovers, guaranteed.
of Mason
County Fire
District 2
support levy
Editor, the Journal
Remember to support
the upcoming EMS levy to
ensure our service level re-
mains as good as it is today.
Our department leaders
have proposed a reasonable
budget worthy of a "yes" vote
for the next six years.
Jim LeBlanc
Retired firefighter
MCFD 2
as other ballot issues such
as election of officials. It may
take five years to move these
dates and maybe by that time
our elections will be paperless
(which still has large related
costs) but I challenge the au-
ditor to investigate and see if
a program could be put into
place to combine these levy
items to reduce the expense
of paper, printing, mailing,
calculating results and other
related costs.
Carolyn McClain
Belfair
Let us make
positive
change with
Editor, the Journal
Negativity is like rain. It
falls down in black sheets
and (if we let it) can saturate
our sense of community spir-
it. Since moving to Shelton
in 1990, I've seen amazing
and beautiful things here: in
the woods and waters, on the
streets and from the people -
especially the young people.
I've also heard or read about
many very real difficulties,
problems and challenges fac-
ing our county. Over the past
couple of years, I have also
stood in theses same public
meetings and thought, "It's
great to know what we're
against; what are we for?"
A few of us are starting
a discussion.., to imagine,
or to visualize, or to dream
about what Shelton and Ma-
money,
combine
levies
Editor, the Journal
In light of budget deficits
nationally and locally I have
a common sense suggestion
that may help Mason County
save money. Yesterday I
received in the mail another
"official ballot." I received
one six months ago each with
one issue on the ballot. I am
not denying the importance
of content I just wonder if a
plan could be put in place to
have levies for fire protecffon
and schools get on the same
fiscal year, perhaps the same
In the letter to the editor titled "Water
line not needed" the Journal mistakenly
typed that the State Patrol had purchased
property for the Port of Shelton.
son County could become.
To ask '~Vhat are the quali-
ties of the Mason County we
want to see?"
What could we see in our
county that would improve
our lives and would create
a thriving legacy for our
children and grandchildren?
What kinds of jobs do we
want? What businesses do
we want to own or frequent?
What will be the qualities of
our family, cultural, or reli-
gious life? What will define
our relationship with the
environment and natural
resources? What could learn-
ing look like or education or
schooling? What essential
public services do we need?
What would help us become
the state's healthiest county?
What opportunities will
bring us together for commu-
nity, for civic engagement,
for recreation, for artistic
expression or enjoyment?
What options and activities
will our children have tomor-
row, that are different from
today? .........
I invite you go answer
theses questions, or other
ones I forgot to ask. What
do you see, hear and feel
in your vision for Mason
County? I don't know where
this discussion will lead. At
this point, I'm hoping to hear
some ideas from folks and I
promise to send another let-
ter to the editor in a month
or so, reporting on peoples'
responses.
If you would like to con-
tribute one or more elements
of your vision send an email
to imaginemasoncounty@
gmail.com.
Greg Williamson
Shelton
The State Patrol did not purchase prop-
erty for the port, it purchased property
from the port.
The Journal regrets the error.
WORDONTHESTREET
According to
Mason County
Gernie
White
"I'm not surprised re-
ally. It's their choice.
Maybe those who do
will want to quit. Now's
a good time, springs a
good time to clear lungs
and get fresh air."
Shelton-Mason County
F
USPS 492-800
survey reported
adults smoke. What
Lori
Crossan
"l think they're low.
I think more people
smoke. I was a smoker
for several years but
I quit six years ago
through hypnosis. You
see people all the time
smoking. It's a really
bad habit and it gets
ahold of people.
She~ton-Mason County Journal is a member of
Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association.
the Journal,
do you think of
Patty
Hughes
"I think it's probably
true because ] see an
awful lot of people
smoke and at the busi-
ness I work for I can
smell it on people when
they come in."
percent of
the results?
Randy
Roughton
"I'm surprised it's that
high with the price of
cigarettes."
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Published weekly by Shelton-Mason County Journal, Inc. $51 per year in state of Washington but Outside
at 227 West Cota Street, Shelton, Washington Mason County, $61 per year out of state.
Mailing address: P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584
Telephone (360) 426-4412 • www.masoncounty.corn
Periodicals postage paid at Shelton, Washington
Owned and published by
Shelton-Mason County Joumal, Inc
Kari Sleight, publisher Advertising:
Dave Pierik, Sr. Acct. Executive
Newsroom: Harvey Morris ad representative
Jesse Mulien, editor Sharee Miller, ad representat ve
Kevan Moore, reporter Front office:
Natalie Johnson, reporter
Emily Hanson, spor~s reporter Donna Kinnaird, bookkeeper
Adam Rudnick, copy editor Margot Brand, circulation
Cricket Carter, mailroom
supervisor
Composing room:
William Adams, graphics
Becky Corr, typing
Pressroom:
Kelly Riordan, production manager
Travis Miller press operator
Page A-4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, March 24, 2012