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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
May 24, 2012     Shelton Mason County Journal
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May 24, 2012
 
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t CHOICE student among those visiting event at Gonzaga By KEVIN SPRADLIN Selina Mejia-Sandoval, a soph- omore at CHOICE High School, knows that a myriad of issues, including family problems and stress, can lead to a high school student choosing not to go on to college. Or, she said, "they just give up." Selina and fellow CHOICE High School sophomore Katrina Twiddy spent four days last week learning how to overcome such obstacles -- or help friends do the same. The conference brought togeth- er more than 80 high school stu- dents from across the state from May 17 to May 20 to Gonzaga University in Spokane, The event, sponsored by the Secondary Education for Migrant Youth, put a special emphasis on students whose parents are mi- grant workers and travel across the United States and Mexico, among other places, following jobs. "I felt homesick" at first, Selina shared from her conference jour- nal she wrote in daily while in Spokane. "I wanted to turn back." But Selina stayed and, with the supportive help of Katrina and Journal photo by Kevin SpCadlin CHOICE High School sophomore Selina Mejia-Sandoval reviews her trip to the Student Leadership Conference last week at Gonzaga University in Spokane with Maureen Black. Black is CHOICE's GEAR UP student support interventionist and helps students see how college can fit into their post-high school plans. other students placed with her, learned a lot of valuable lessons. "We have to believe in our- selves," said Selina of a primary message during the leadership conference. "We have to have a dream to accomplish the goal" of attending college. "We want to have a good fu- ture," she said. Just like Facebook is a gather- ing for people across the world -- in a wide variety of sub-special- ties and areas of interest -- the conference put together students who face similar challenges of moving from school to school on a regular basis. Selina said she plans to use social media to stay in touch with other students from the conference. Selina said she has moved to and from Mexico on multiple oc- casions and also has attended school in Washington, Florida and North Carolina, among other places. Adjusting to each new situa- tion, she said, "was really hard for me." Selina has been at CHOICE for about a year, she said. For the first time in a while, she has some clarity as to who her classmates and teachers are going to be the next semester. She said her family, includ- ing her father and sister-in-law, has doubled its efforts to stay in Shelton so she can continue at CHOICE, hopefully through graduation. "I'm staying here to study," Se- lina said confidently -- and with no small sigh of relief. Maureen Black is the GEAR UP student support intervention- ist at CHOICE. Her grant-funded position aims to work with stu- dents and show them how to over- come obstacles in life in order to obtain a post-high school educa- tion. After four days at the confer- ence, Selina said there was a sin- gle overriding feeling she wanted to share. "I want to make my family proud," she said. And, she said, in order to do that she needs to study hard and become a college freshman after she graduates from high school. Expo Continued from page A-1 The Strip Steak House took home the Golden Fork award for the second time last Thursday. Many retail and service oriented businesses had booths at the expo, but lo- cal non-profit organiztions also made a showing. Cheryl Cathcart, executive director of Turning Pointe Domestic Violence Services, said the event gives much needed ex- posure for organizations. "I think it makes your business not only known but approachable," she said. Mason County PUD 3 also had a booth at the expo, and gave demonstrations on en- ergy efficiency. "It benefits a PUD cus- tomer -- increasing a home's insulation is the most cost- effective way to improve en- ergy bills," said PUD Conser- vation Manager Justin Holz- grove. Acupuncture Solutions in Shelton won the Best Booth award. Kathy Brown attended her first expo last Thursday, and said she was impressed with what she saw. "Because I'd never been, I thought it'd be hm," she said. After checking out a booth promoting the Mason Area Fair, Brown said she decided to encourage her grandchil- dren to enter something for July s event. Rachel Hansen of North- west Event Organizers said the many events are coming up at the Port of Shelton's Sanderson Field Events Cen- ter and Fairgrounds. Each Saturday between June 15 and September 15 will be Sawdust Days -- a series of community fiestas -- at the Fairgrounds, Hansen said. These events are free to the public, she said. '%Ve're trying to make peo- ple aware of what we're doing out there," she said. '~rou can spend your day at the fair- grounds and get to know your fairgrounds." Throughout the expo, at- tendees got the chance to talk one-on-one with business owners and the chefs who make their food. Beben said the Bite of Shelton gave Smoking' Mo's exposure when it first opened in a tiny location in Shelton. '%Ve started in a back alley in Shelton," she said. 'We've been in Union for the past year and a half and it's good to see friends." t t I 5 f I t I t C t £ t ( S t .... i~iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii::~ Regularly Regularly Wishing You 50 More Love from -- Bob, Beth, Barry, & Bonny Homicide Continued from page A-1 County Jail. According to court docu- ments, Burke was under the influence of alcohol while operating a 2003 Mercedes registered to 38-year-old Terra K. Dittmer, a lifelong Shelton resident. Dittmer was killed in the single-vehicle crash, which occurred shortly after mid- night on May 15. Two other passengers, Jason J. Brown, 31, and Cody R. Laney, 21, were injured in the crash, which Mason County Sheriffs Of- fice investigators said oc- curred when Burke lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway and struck a tree. In a statement of prob- able cause filed by the Ma- son County Sheriffs Office, investigators found that "Burke lost control of the vehicle at the intersection of East Mason Lake Road that Burke "lost control of the vehicle ... and struck a tree." Court documents show that a legal blood draw was taken of Burke, who was the group's designated driv- er, and that his blood alco- hol content met or exceeded the state's legal limit of 0.08. Laney suffered a broken leg and internal bleeding and was airlifted to Harbor- view Medical Center in Se- attle for medical treatment. Brown and Burke both were treated for injuries sustained in the crash at Mason General Hospital and released. Burke later turned himself in. Authorities have said the group of four was celebrat- ing Laney's 21st birthday at the Towne Pub in Shel- ton. If convicted, Burke faces a maximum of life impris- onment and/or a $50,000 fine on the Class A felony. On each of the Class B felo- nies, Burke could be sen- and East Mikkelsen Road." tenced to 10 years in prison Witness statements, in- and/0r a fine of $201000, cluding Brown's, alleged upon conviction. t S e S t e t F £ d F 8 8 S U F S C g k E C E t: Page A-6 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, May 24, 2012