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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
June 2, 2011     Shelton Mason County Journal
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June 2, 2011
 
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Bright lights, big city More than a year ago, city officials came up with the, err, bright idea to save a bunch of money by turning off street lights. The plan originally called for turning off about 170 lights in three phases. The disconnect cost would be some $2,000 to $3,000, but the long-term savings would be about $27,000 per year. Then the number of lights to be turned off went down to 114 at an estimated savings of $20,000. That was then and this is now. The savings have not been nearly as much as was expected, but city commissioners decided to push ahead with the program and will turn off another 36 streetlights south of Cota Street to the city limits. It turns out that Shelton is not alone in this novel approach to saving a little bit of money. A small smattering of cities across the country are doing the same thing. But does it make sense or does it just make cents? Local police officials have consistently said that the lights being turned off won't have a negative impact on crime. Supporters, for example, argue that the Wallace Kneeland Blvd. corridor is well lit enough that city lights are redundant. Perhaps there are some areas that don't need city lights anymore, but we tend to think that there are many more that do. Shelton isn't a booming metropolis, but it is a place -- a city -- that we are proud to call home. City lights are important to residents and visitors alike. They make us feel safe and make the town we call home more inviting. We've already got crumbling streets, we certainly don't need to be in the dark now, too. Mayor John Tarrant has consistenly raised doubts about the program. We hope he continues to do so and is able to convince his colleagues to see the light. Cemetery District Update Editor, the Journal Shelton Memorial Park Cemetery Association's Board of Directors wishes to thank all the individuals cud organizations that assisted in the 2011 effort to form MaSon County Cemetery District No. 2. The committee has determined that an insufficient number of registered voter signatures was obtained by the May due date and has cancelled its 2011 effort to form a cemetery district. The May date for gathering signatures was in accordance with Washington State regulatory codes, which required public hearings, after sufficient signatures were collected, to be held in July. If approved at the hearings it would have then appeared on the November general election ballot. Volunteers representing the non-profit Shelton Cemetery Association manage the park located at 1605 Van Buren Street. Shelton Memorial Park is a private cemetery and receives no public support. Future efforts will require more energetic commitment, community support and assistance in the gathering of signatures and fund raising. This should not be left to the nine-member cemetery association board to accomplish. This is an issue that reflects on the entire city of Shelton and the residents of Mason County. The formation of a cemetery district is the best way to ensure that Shelton Memorial Park will remain a place of peaceful tranquility, a continuing memorial to all those interred and a place that relatives and fiends will want to visit. While the district issue has failed this year, I know that it will reappear again in the future. We will continue to work at informing the citizens of Mason County of the need, benefits and economic advantages in becoming a public cemetery so next time it will pass. David Pifke Shelton Kudos to Dean Siemon Editor, the Journal Kudos to Dean Siemon on the job he's done as Sports Writer/Editor at the Journal. The pictures have been compelling, the layout engaging and the countywide stories chosen and written with creativity. He is the first sports writer/ editor at the Journal that I have fallowed in my decades here. He has, undoubtedly, worked hard to put so much into each issue. I can't imagine his shoes will be easy to fill, our loss. I wish him well on his next chapter. Dianna Timm Dryden Union Tackling teen drinking By Lt. Gov. Brad Owen and Attorney General Rob McKenna One of the more rewarding aspects of holding a statewide office is to visit schools across the state, especially to high schools where students are nearing the end of their 13-year incubation period as young scholars, ready to fly out of the classroom and • land in college, the military or directly in the workplace. And one of the most frustrating aspects of being in our positions is seeing a few of these students, so close to a place where they chase their dreams, have their lives crash short due to something so easily prevented: the use and abuse of alcohol. From our capital city of Olympia we have easy access to the tragic numbers collected and categorized by the State Patrol, DSHS, Traffic Safety Commission and others. So as we enter graduation season and the summer months that follow, now is the perfect time to remind youth that there are far better ways to celebrate your life than to risk destroying it by getting drunk. We urge parents, teachers, mentors, youth leaders and law enforcement to reach out to teens at every opportunity to show youth how much you care about this issue as well. Every year around this time the •news is full of preventable, alcohol-related tragedies, from fatal car crashes to stupid, alcohol- induced stunts that send our kids to the emergency room. Too often we hear stories of families who should be enjoying some of the best times of their lives suddenly facing the worst because of a careless act of irresponsible drinking. There is a recent and tragic example that especially hits home. In February, two 17-year-olds died near Soap Lake in Grant County as the result of an accident after their car left the road at high speed and hit a culvert. Authorities believe alcohol was a factor. State stats tell us that most deaths to young drivers occur in July and ugust when youth are driving more so risk exposure is at the highest. We know that motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for young people. Every day, car crashes kill more young people than cancer, unintentional poisoning, homicide and suicide combine. We also know that those who start drinking as a teen are more likely to become alcoholics as adults, teens who drink are more likely to get in trouble with the law, get booted off sports teams, get suspended or expelled from school, experiment with other illegal substances and the list goes on. Despite these examples, our community attitudes toward youth drinking remain somewhat passive as though drinking is some kind of rite of passage, when it's really more a rite of failure. More often than not it is parents who host teen drinking parties, figuring it is better to have the kids within sight than off at a keg party in the woods. This is not only a bad idea--it could be costly: Washinton's social hosting law carries a penalty of up to $5,000 per violation. The good news is that the number of teens who drink in Washington is going down. The 2010 Washington Healthy Youth Survey reported a decrease overall in alcohol use, with more kids saying their parents talk to them about not drinking alcohol. We have an active Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking, comprised of state agency and community partners, that is taking the lead by publishing materials and web sites where parents can learn the rules and, especially important - how to talk to their kids. StartTalkingNow.org and LetsDrawtheLine.org are two web sites with plenty oi resources. What's even more encouraging is to see schools and communities across the state take part by signing commitment cards and hosting events that say, with loud fervor, that they are taking a stand against underage drinking. The momentum is building and we are seeing results. As state elected officials, we urge you to get on board with these efforts to keep our kids safe, healthy and sober. NOTICE High Low Precip Fahrenheit (In.) May 25 54 44 .15 May 26 55 42 .33 May 27 55 42 .38 May 28 63 35 .01 May29 62 44 .00 May 30 63 48 .00 May 31 57 41 .13 Measurements are recorded for the National Weather Service at Sanderson Field. Showers are likely on Thursday with a high of 57 and a west-southwest wind of up to 11 mph. Thurs- day night will have a 40 percent chance of showers with a low of 49. Friday has a 30 percent chance of showers in the morning, but will be partly sunny with a high near 69. Friday night should be partly cloudy with a low near 47. Saturday is forecasted to be sunny with a high of 73 and a low of 48. Sunday should be similarly warm, with sun and a high of 71. Sunda night will be mostly cloudy with a low of 48. Journal photo by Natalie/ohnson Area flowers soak up the sun when they can, since Spring weather re- mains cloudy, cold and rainy. Due to space constraints, these two death notices did not appear on page B-7. Blanche Wynne Blanche Wyrme, 96, died Friday, May 27, 2011 at home in Olympia. McComb Funeral Home of Shelton is handling the arrangements. Mass will be at 11 a.m. on Friday June 3, at St. Ed- ward's Catholic Church, with burial at Shelton Me- morial Park. A reception will be held at St. Edward's after the burial. Donald D. Chenowcth Donald D. Chenoweth, 89, died Monday, May 30, 2011 at his home in Union. McComb Funeral Home of Shelton is handling the ar- rangements. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 5 at the Union Community Church. ! Shelton-Mn County USPS 492-800 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Shelton-Mason County Journal, Re. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584. Published weekly by Shelton-Mason County Joumal, Inc. at 227 West Cota Street, Shelton, Wasttington Mailing address: RO. Box 430,...°belfOrt, WA:84 : : ...... Telephone (360) 426-4412 6www,masoncounty.com Owned and p0blished by Periodicals postage paid at Shelton, Washington Sheton-Mason County Journa/, Inc Page A-4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, June 2, 2011 Sheton-Mason County Journal is a member of Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $37 per year for Mason County addresses, $51 per year in state of Washington .but outside Mason County, $61 per year out of state. Rick Kennedy, publisher Advertising: Jesse Mullen, general Dave Pierik, advertising manager manager Harvey Morris, ad representatwe Mat Taylor, ad representative Newsroom: eoltor Kevan Moore, managing --'" Front office: Donna Kinnaird, bookkeeper Dean Siemon, sports Margot Brand, circulation Aria Shephard, North Mason, Cricket Carter, mailroom supervisor environment, reporter Natalie Johnson, reporter Composing room: William Adams, graphics Koleen Wood, classifieds/legals Becky Corr, typing Pressroom: Kelly Riordan, production manager Travis Miller press operator