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JOURNAL OF OPINION: READERS'
J O_U R_ N__A_A L--
Giving a thought Horse parts
to our veterans on Editor, theJournal:
The citizen of Mason
County Table of Knowledge
the Fourth of July
questions the judgment of
"I'm gonna have me a dog."
That pronouncement came from a guy I knew when a
group of us went to the fights in Seattle 30 years ago. He
was talking about grabbing a hot dog, the quintessential
sporting event comfort food and a staple of Fourth of July
celebrations.
Nowadays the humble hot dog is held in low regard in
some quarters thanks to food fetishists, who always seem
to know what's best for others.
Despite animal byproducts and the gluttonous Nathan's
Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, where some
guy chowed down 59 hot dogs in 10 minutes to win the an-
nual Fourth of July event in New York last year, I plan to
partake of a hot dog this Saturday.
And while I'm happily munching, I'll be thinking about
Independence Day and what it means. I'll probably watch
a baseball game and the Boston Pops concert to catch their
rendition of "Stars and Stripes Forever." But baseball, the
Boston Pops, fireworks and even hot dogs are simply ritu-
als that remind us it's the Fourth. There's a deeper, more
profound meaning.
Military veterans get their due on Veterans' Day and
Memorial Day. Their duty and sacrifices are important to
remember at other times as well, and especially, I think, on
the Fourth of July.
There are many local veterans who deserve our thoughts
and thanks. Two who come to mind are Sheltonians Frank
Wokojance and Larry Godwin, both of whom served in the
Army during World
War II and fought
against the Nazis in B E H I N D
Europe.
Wokojance was an THE
Army scout who land-
ed at Omaha Beach SCENES
on D-Day plus four
and saw his first ma- By
jor action in the Bat- JEFF GREEN
tle of Saint-Lo in Nor-
mandy. From there
"Woko" fought in sev-
eral major campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge, as
the Americans pushed across Europe.
"We got shot at just damn near every day," he said of
German snipers and artillery fire.
Wokojance has no special plans for the Fourth. He used
to get together with family members, but quit doing that a
few years back. Instead, he'll stay home with his wife and
reflect back on old friends he served with.
"A lot of things happened and I still think about them,"
he said. He also thinks about the guys who were killed in
Europe.
Godwin was in the Army's fabled 10th Mountain Divi-
sion. He was as hard as nails. Not a big man, he weighed
about 125 pounds and learned to ski carrying 100 pounds
of packs and weapons. He lugged around a heavy machine
gun as his unit fought in the mountains of Italy.
He'll spend Saturday with his family. "It brings it all
back," he said of his wartime experiences and the Fourth of
July. "Off and on, I think about parts of it every day."
Godwin, now well into his 80s, will rise early on Satur-
day as he does on most holidays to help put flags out along
streets in downtown Shelton. The Fourth of July is very
significant to him. "It means we're independent, have our
freedom and speak as we wish and worship as we wish," he
said. "It's a wonderful, wonderful day."
Like Wokojance, he'll also remember absent friends, par-
ticularly Clayton Gunter, a Shelton man and buddy who
was killed in action in Italy. Gunter left behind two young
children and when Godwin came back from the war, he
shared with them what he knew of their father.
He has two grandsons who are serving in Iraq and Af-
ghanistan and said he'll also be thinking about both of
them Saturday. "The young people of today are doing an
outstanding job," he said.
Every time I fly, I'm subjected to a free "wanding and
pat-down by Transportation Security Administration offi-
cers because the metal in my knees and hips trips off air-
port walk-through metal detectors.
Almost invariably they ask me where I'm headed. On re-
turn flights I always answer, "Shelton, Washington, home
of the brave." They usually smile. The reason I say it is
because of Frank Wokojance and Larry Godwin and many
others; good people who do their duty, come home and pick
up their civilian lives.
So at times on Saturday my thoughts will be about our
local veterans, current military personnel and the ones who
didn't come home, like my father's cousin who lies buried in
Normandy, his young life cut short 65 years ago.
So, am I gonna have a dog on the Fourth? Of course I am,
probably two.
Tim Sheldon in the position
of county commissioner and
his statements in the past
and last week in the rela-
tionship to the business of
Mason County. We believe
he is over-utilizing his pow-
er of county commissioner.
1. He says, "we don't
need sheriffs deputies, we
live in Mason County." We
have guns and we know how
to use them, vigilantes that
is.
2. Ione Zeigler's allega-
tions that the county needs
somebody younger with new
ideas. The question I have
is how her job performance
has been, not how old she
is. She brought the county
out of chaos when she was
hired and has continually
attended certifiable classes
to bring in the most up-
date methods for her job as
budget director. We should
look to her past history to
understand that it takes an
educated professional to put
forth a proper budget, not
some part-time commission-
er. She has keen in place to
keep the county in check.
3. The two above state-
ments have just been lately.
I sure hope Ione doesn't sue
the county for age discrimi-
nation and that some pis-
tol-packing citizens do not
shoot up the county because
Tim said it was okay.
We at the table have
served our country during
wars and peacetime. We
believe that when we sit
down to discuss life and the
county business we have the
ability to express new ideas
that some younger person
who has not had our life ex-
perience can't know.
Tim Sheldon's action and
his past stewardship of his
position calls in a quote from
one of our members, Kenny,
an entrepreneur World War
II bomber pilot of B-17s
and B-29s from Montana:
"The man acts like he is the
sound end of a northbound
horse."
Earl Mallinger
Shelton
Corrections
A photo caption appear-
ing on page B-5 in the June 4
edition of the Journal incor-
rectly identified the truck on
which the 2009 Forest Festi-
val Paul Bunyan rode. That
truck belonged to Miles Gor-
don Logging.
A story on page A-7 in
the June 11 edition of the
Journal incorrectly listed
the federal level at which
Barbara Hirschi testified on
Army budget matters. Hirs-
chi testified before congres-
sional staffers on financial
and budget matters.
The AM& is The hezflth
mettl .. ,$ , I1
A READER WRITES
Let a thousand community parks bloom
By B.J. BEATTY
MaryAnne Murray and I
are moving to Lewis Coun-
ty, a move necessitated by
MaryAnne's new workplace,
which is beyond a reason-
able commute from the
Shelton area where we have
resided for more than four
years.
It would be ideal if we
could stay here as we have
become very fond of the
community and believe that
we have made significant
contributions to it. Our most
visible contribution is land
bounded by Grant Street on
the north, Harvard Avenue
on the south, Seventh Street
on the east and Eighth
Street on the west, which we
gave to the city for a park.
The city was delighted
to accept the land but ex-
pressed concern that there
was very little money to
develop the property. Un-
daunted by this detail, we
chose to name it Catalyst
Park - Connecting Neigh-
bors, Building Community,
a name that expresses our
hopes for this property.
This statement clearly ex-
presses our own communi-
tarian values and we hope
that you, the community,
will embrac these values
as well and will work to cre-
ate beauty and peace within
the park and far beyond its
boundaries.
We hope the park will in-
deed live up to its name by
bringing together the im-
mediate neighborhood and
others from the larger com-
munity who will contribute
time, sweat equity and good
will to its development. Of
course, money for materi-
als to create a working in-
frastructure would be most
welcome as well.
Our vision for the park:
The land on the north half
(Harvard Street side) of the
park would become a com-
munity garden where neigh-
bors work together to grow
food, children and teenag-
ers are mentored by people
with experience working
the ground and who know
the value of growing one's
own food and learning the
value of self-sufficiency. Our
personal goal: Know what
you are eating and what
went into its production.
The upper half of the prop-
erty, which slopes north-
ward from Grant Street, is
partially treed and can be a
space where people can find
quiet and relaxation, a rest-
ful place where one can con-
nect with nature and self.
We realize that our
dreams can be nothing more
than that. The community
and the city will be driving
forces behind the realiza-
tion of the park since it now
belongs to the community.
We made sure that it will
remain a community asset
by making the donation in
perpetuity. The land can
never be sold or used by the
city in any way that is not
in keeping with the concept
of a park. The park's success
depends almost entirely on
the efforts of the people and
their commitment to ongo-
ing stewardship of the park.
We have faith in the spir-
it and generosity of the peo-
ple of Shelton and trust that
they will find ways, no mat-
ter how insignificant they
may seem to each and every
donor, to give to the park
and the larger community.
We have given much to
the community through the
years and one of our pres-
ent charities is the Saints'
Pantry food bank, where we
deliver fresh eggs from our
pastured chickens. Over the
past two years we have de-
veloped and maintained a
customer base for our eggs.
Since we set a firm date for
our move, the chicks have
upped their production
while we have made no ef-
fort to find new customers.
So we bring our surplus
eggs to Saints' Pantry. Since
it is a nonprofit agency, we
can claim a tax deduction
for our charitable giving.
Perhaps you have chicks
who are giving more eggs
than you can use and/or a
garden, orchard or berry
patch that is providing more
than you can use. Why not
bring your surplus to Saints'
Pantry or other charity of
your choice. You will be
twice blessed for your gen-
erosity!
READERS: JOURNAL:
Goose kill
Editor, the Journal:
I live on the small lake
in the Timberlakes com-
munity. For over 10 years
we have had two domestic
white geese living on the
lake. They are characters of
the lake and folks enjoyed
them. Over the years mal-
lard ducks have made this
lake their summer home.
Over the past four years Ca-
nadian geese have discov-
ered the lake.
On June 19, 2009 the Tim-
berlake Community Club
officers decided to eliminate
the waterfowl. With their
own maintenance people
and help from the federal
government they captured
and killed all water fowl on
the lake. There was no no-
tice sent to the members for
discussion. This heartless
act is beyond reproach.
If we can send a man to
the moon and bring him
back, give a person a new
heart and communicate
with anyone in the world
via the Internet, can we not
find a less-violent approach.
A lake with no life on it is
just a puddle.
Robert M. Giroux
Timberlakes
Kernels of truth
Editor, the Journal:
A recent letter was critical
of one regarding "healthcare
reform" by stating that it did
not contain "... a kernel of
truth." So let's explore his
letter for kernels.
If Americans always "pay
more and receive fewer ben-
efits and inferior care," why
do we see those articles and
stories about Canadians
coming south for care and
treatment?
And I'm sure glad my
treatment at hospital emer-
gency rooms has not always
cost "a minimum of a thou-
sand dollars."
And if "fat cat insur-
ance corporation CEOs
were doing nothing," state
insurance commission-
ers and I as a stockholder
would have taken action!
And insurance com-
panies do not "special-
ize in denying claims of
policyholders." Com-
mon sense would tell
us that such a company
would not remain in busi-
ness within the American
free-enterprisesystem! And,
if his statement had a ker-
nel of truth, where was the
state insurance commis-
sioner that he is helping pay
for?
If his "kernels" are pop-
corn, there sure were a lot of
old maids!
Jerry Horstman
Harstine Island
Rates up?
Editor, the Journal:
Oblivious to growing pub-
lic dismay, even anger, Pub-
lic Utility District 3 blindly
hurtles onward in its intent
to spend millions of the
ratepayers' dollars on a Taj
Mahal out-of-town head-
quarters.
Even as it raises electric
power rates by 3 percent
and implies that further
rate increases are coming,
PUD 3 plunges ahead with
its outrageous plan. Even in
the face of economic distress
with Mason County's jobless
rate rising to fearful levels,
PUD 3 arrogantly pillages
the ratepayers' pockets.
In this woeful climate of
job losses, foreclosed mort-
gages and failing business-
es, it defies common sense to
expend an estimated $41.5
million in PUD 3 ratepay-
ers' increasingly hard-to-get
dollars. In truth, it is an act
of cruelty.
In each PUD 3 monthly
statement comes a plea for
contributions to assist the
poor, the unemployed and
the aged to meet their ris-
ing electric bills. Why are
the PUD 3 commissioners
not working to lower Mason
County's electricity costs?
Why are they not cutting ev-
ery possible corner to reduce
rates?
They ignore the public
need. They insist spend-
ing millions and floating
bonds backed by the suffer-
ing ratepayers is the way to
serve the public.
Spending $41.5 million
enhancing an already costly
bureaucracy is simply be-
yond reason.
John Komen
Mason Lake
We welcome
letters
RO. Box 430,
Shelton
Direct e-mail
letters to
dan@masoncounty.
com
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Page A-4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, July 2, 2009