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Shelton-Mason County Journal
WHAT%COOKIN'
NARST NEISLANDNEWS
Alternative high school staff focus on respect
By NATALIE JOHNSON ~1 "We try to let the kids
nat(dieC~;m~so~zcounEy,com ~ have fun -- it's not as
........................................ 'formal as other gradua-
tions," Anderson said.
Stacey Anderson has spent her entire While some kids grad-
career at CHOICE Alternative School. In uate early, and others
that time. she's seen just how much good late, about 50 percent of
the school does for local teens. CHOICE students leave
"They want to graduate, they're me- the school right on time,
tivated, they just need a little extra sup- she said.
port." she said. "We minimize some ofStacey While there is often
those barriers kids have to graduate." Anderson a perception of alterna-
Last Thursday, 42 students graduated rive schools as a place for
from CHOICE. with 37 participating in "bad kids" Who have dropped out ofa tradi-
the ceremony, tional school, Anderson said most students
just need a different atmosphere to thrive.
"For whatever reason they've struggled
in school," she said.
Some of CHOICE's students are re-
covering from drug or alcohol problems,
dropped out of school at a young age and
are now coming back or had teen pregnan-
cies derail their education, while others
come just to escape the "drama" of a larger
school, Anderson said.
"A lot of kids come down here because
it's a smaller environment. They can get a
little more one on one attention," she said.
"It feels like a family here."
In order to encourage students who
have struggled in school, staff at CHOICE
See CHOICE on page B-2
Doves soar over Monte and Jackie Summers' house in Mason County. The
in their business, Jackie's Angel Dove Release.
Journal ono[os o~ Natahe JohnsoF
couple breeds the birds for use
FOR THE
BIRDS
Local couple raises, releases homing pigeons
By NATALIE JOHNSON
ytat(~He@m, asor~county.com
The humble pigeon has
held a special place in Man-
te Summers' heart since he
was a small boy.
"My "dad brought some
birds home from SeaTac
Airport that had been hit
by planes." he said.
The 8-year-old Summers
nursed the injured birds
back to health and has
been in love ever since.
"I love pigeons -- don't
ask me why." he said.
Today, Summers and his
wife. Jackie. still own doz-
ens of the birds. Many of
their birds are Rock Doves,
otherwise known as hom-
ing pigeons.
"'I've had every kind of
pigeon you can think of
over the years." he said.
Specifically,the birds
are Belgian Plentinckx
doves, which were first
bred in the United States
after World War II and
were most famously used
by Walt Disney at the
opening of Disneyland in
1955 and for special events
at the park for many years
after that.
"They're a racing pi-
geon they're slimmer,"
he said. "They're bred for
speed."
'In the past, Summers
competitively raced the
Monte Summers looks with pride on two very
young doves. Summers has raised various
kinds of pigeons since he was a young child,
and now he and his wife Jackie have a
business releasing the doves at weddings,
funerals and other events.
birds," Summers said.
In some large races, the
birds would be released
early in the morning at a
location in California, and
return in record time.
"In the evening I'd be
sitting on my porch and see
them," he said. "It's really
amazing."
Today, the Summers'
focus mostly on training
birds for their business
called Jackie's Angel Dove
Release. They release their
birds at weddings, funerals
and other events.
While the birds rarely
race now, Summers still
starts training them at a
young age to come home af-
ter they're released.
"You just start when
they're young and let them
fly around the loft," he said.
After a short time, Sum-
mers releases the birds a
mile away, and waits for
them to come home.
"They'll be back in 15
minutes, 10 minutes." he
said.
Over time, the training
distances get longer and
longer, until Summers is
confident in the birds' abili-
ties.
birds, which he said can fly miles away. Today, they have about
up to 60 mph. Over many years, hem- 60 doves, mostly the
In a homing pigeon race, ing pigeons have been Plentinckx variety, a few
the birds are timed by how selectively bred to makesmaller dove breeds, a
long it takes them to re- them instinctively come chicken and a very vocal
turn home from a location back to their roost.
sometimes hundreds of "I call them my'500-mileSee Birds on page B-2
Thursday,
June
14,2012
"get notes every now and again about
the number of seagulls on the bridge
.light poles, and, of course, there are
the times a killer whale passes under
the span. But this week's observation
takes a little different twist.
Jim and Ruth Irish own a dark blue
Prius. The other day as they were leav-
ing the island they noticed a dark blue
Prius in the rear view mirror. Then,
as they neared the center of the bridge
another dark blue Prius was approach-
ing them, making three on the bridge at
the same time. Now that has to be some
kind of record.
" Nick Neuerburg is at it again work-
ing the Bud G]assier aluminum can
drive. Nick and his partners continue to
get the scrap, turn it in for money and
then distribute the money to a variety of
needy programs. This past month they
hauled 1,622 pounds
of~crap to the recy-
cling. They made a
total of $1,110.92. The
money went te; Ma-
son 5 Firefighters
$100: Harstine Island
Community Club
$100; Harstine Island
By MIKE Women's Club (chil-
CALLAGHAN dren's carnival) $100;
Harstine Island
Grange $100; Pioneer
Kiwanis $100; Theater Club $70; Senior
Lunch $200; Neighborhood Watch $50;
40 et 8 (nurses' program) $50; Mason
5 Firefighters Association (memorial)
$50: Hartstine Pointe Maintenance $
50; Habitat for Humanity $50; Adopt
a Pet - $50; and Nick Neuerbaurg {fuel
expense) $42.92. These guys donate a
lot of time to raise this money, but then
that is part of what makes this island so
special.
A quick note to remind you to mark
your calendar for the play, "Light Up the
Sky," by Moss Hart. The Harstine Island
Theatre Club will be presenting the play
June 29, June 30 and July 1.
The Harstine Grange is inviting
islanders of all ages to their June 15
meeting. This meeting will be for the
purpose of gathering ideas from the com-
munity as to what the bridge triangle
area should look like.
For the night, the grange will suspend
their regular business meeting. They
would like everyone to share in a potluck
dinner and after dinner discuss ways to
create an appealing welcome for visitors
and residents as they come onto the is-
land. The potluck will start at 6:30 p.m.
and the discussion at 7:30 p.m.
Most do not know or understand the
long standing tradition of the grange's
work on the triangle area. They will out-
line that history.
In a recent effort to clean up the
triangle area the county shut them
down. At the meeting they will explain
the problems they have had to overcome.
They have now obtained the proper
county permits and have a list of county
mandated constraints, such as height,
materials and setbacks that have to
serve as the parameters of the new
design. They now look forward to coor-
dinating ideas and efforts in hopes of
breathing new life into an old Harstine
Grange tradition.
They have had a couple suggestions
already -- one person mentioned an H
design, it looks the same coming and go-
ing. Perhaps the H could be planted in
lavender or shaped with oyster shell and
outlined with driftwood.
The grange would like you to jump in
with your thoughts. The size of the tri-
angle is roughly 50' on the east side, 57'
on the south and 84' on the north. If you
are unable to attend the meeting your
ideas or monetary donations can be sent
to Harstine Gran. ge 586, 1403 E. Bal-
low Road, Shelton WA 98584. So, bring
something to share and your own uten-
sils like they do at a community club
meeting.
The women's club held their monthly
meeting on June 7. Jo Ewart sent me a
copy of minutes from which I will steal
some thought. The hostesses were Mi-
chelle Mott, Judy Callaghan and Brenda
Stainbrook. They used a bright pink
theme with watering cans
of green and pink filled with tissue
paper flowers on each table. The center-
pieces were later given away as
See Harstine on page B-2
- Shelton-Mason County Journal - ~age B-1