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Thursday, May 9, 2024
"I.
SHELTON-MASON COUNTY
ourna
The Voice of Mason County Since 1886 —- Vol. 138, No. 19
Honoring community legends
Dann Gagnon, whose 48-year coaching and teaching career in the Shelton
School District spanned
parts of six decades, watches speaker Gwenny Smith talk about him during
the Shelton School Dis—
trict & Community Hall of Fame induction ceremony Tuesday at the
Shelton High School Performing
Arts Center. Gagnon was one of six inducted‘into the Hall of Fame on
Tuesday, joining Sheryal Bald-
ing, Mike Fox, Brian Fairbrother, Leslie Orme and Dick Wentz in the Class
of 2024. See more photos
and the story on page 13. Journal photo by Shawna Whe/an
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Election field
takes shape
By Gordon Weeks
gordon@masoncounty. com
State Sen. Drew MacEwen, R-Shelton, is run-
ning to represent District 6 in Congress.
Monday was the first day candidates could file
for positions up for grabs in the Aug. 6 primary
election. Candidates have until 5 pm. Friday to file.
Lots then will be drawn for the order of the candi—
dates on the ballot. May 13 is the deadline for peo-
ple to withdraw their candidacy.
MacEwen, who represents the 35th District in
the state Senate, is a Republican. The only other
candidate who has filed as ofWednesday morning is
Democrat Hilary Franz. They hope to replace Derek
Kilmer, a Democrat who isn’t seeking another term.
State Reps. Dan Griffey and' Travis Couture,
both Allyn Republicans, are seeking new two-year
terms representing District 35 in the state House.
At the Journal’s deadline Wednesday, Griffey was
running unopposed and Couture is facing Democrat
James DeHart of Shelton.
Two of the three seats on the Mason County
Board of Commissioners are up for grabs. Repub—
lican Richard Beckman and Tom Beben, an inde-
pendent, are vying to replace Kevin Shutty repre-
senting District 2. Shutty chose not to seek another
term and recently started working as executive di-
rector of the Economic Development Council of Ma—
son County. Both Beckman and Beben are down-
town Shelton business owners.
Republican William Harris of Allyn is compet-
ing to represent Commission District 2. Incumbent
Randy Neatherlin had not filed for a new term when
the Journal went to press. I
Duckabush project moves ahead
By Gordon Weeks
gordon@masoncounty. com
A project design that
includes a 1,613-foot~long
bridge over the Ducka-
bush River Estuary on
US. Highway 101,
miles north of the Jeffer—
son-Mason County line, is
about 65% complete, and
people interested in the
project’s progress got a
preview at an open house
Saturday at the Brinnon
Community Center.
Feasibility studies for
the project to reconnect
the Duckabush River to
its historic floodplain be—
gan in 2016. The project
is led by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers» and
the state Department of
Fish and Wildlife with
support from the state
Department of Transpor-
tation and the Belfair-
based Hood Canal Salm—
on Enhancement Group.
The design work began
in 2019 and is expected to
be completed in late 2025.
A 1,613-foot—long bridge will be built over the Duck—
abush River Estuary on us. Highway 101, 5 miles
north of the Jefferson-Mason County line. The proj-
ect includes removing two bridges, including this
one built in 1934. Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
work is expected to take
up to five years. The proj-
ect includes removing the
two bridges that span
U.S. 10l in the estuary
and removing causeways
and berms. The project
is estimated to cost more
than $100 million.
According to the state
Department of Fish and
Wildlife, project part-
ners are monitoring fish
and Wildlife for compari-
son after the project is
complete.
The department re—
ports the Duckabush Es-
tuary has “been degraded
for almost 100 years by a
wall of highway fill that
nearly severs the ecologi—
cal connection of the estu-
ary to the tidelands.”
see DUCKABUSl-I,page
New Patrol troopers
By June Williams
june@masOncounty.com
After 26 weeks of training
and 10 weeks of coaching, Mason
County has two new Washington
State Patrol troopers.
A.J. Gomez and CB. Zimmer-
man are now patrolling county
roads from busy US. Highway 101
to remote Forest Service Road 23.
Both troopers spoke to the Jour- '
rial abOut the job from the Shelton
detachment office on the grounds
of the WSP Academy.
The 190-acre academy, at 631
W Dayton Airport Road, has been
a training facility since 1969.
The campus has dorms, class-
rooms, a gym, water safety train-
ing tank, firing range and a 2.7-
mile drive course.
Before they graduate, Gomez
said cadets make a “dream list” of
location assignments. He and Zim-
merman said Mason County was
one of their top three choices and
they are happy to be working in
the county.
“Mason County was definitely
on my list. This area is gorgeous,”
Zimmerman said.
Gomez came to the job right out
Once construction begins,
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Spell-E-Bration
fundraiser in June
INSIDE THIS WEEK
of the Navy. He said he served his
last day at Naval Base Kitsap and
“immediately started the journey
with Washington State Patrol.”
He spent two months working
in the WSP office before he started
the academy.
Zimmerman said interactions
with troopers when he was a truck
driver made him want to join WSP.
“The contact I had with Patrol
officers and their professionalism
really inspired me. It’s what moti-
vated me to be a trooper,” he said.
Both men. start the workday by
checking all their equipment.
“You test the radar at the begin—
ning and after your shift,” Gomez
said.
If there are no dispatch re—
quests, the troopers head out on
the highways.
“You are in charge of your own
schedule,” Gomez said-This means
the troopers aren’t specifically as—
signed a location but use their
judgment.
Gomez said he likes to start
with school zones, making sure
drivers are following the posted
speeds in the morning.
see shapes; page 9
’Something Rotten’ at
ConnectionStreet Theatre
3 :
Allyn searches for solution
to loitering sea lions