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JOURNAL
LOCATED IN SECTION!
Serving Hoodsport, Union, Brinnon, Lilliwaup, Lake Cushman, Eldon and Surrounding Areas A Section of the Shelton-Mason County Journal Thursday, July 2, 2009
CELEBRAT[00 [G
Merrie Ellen
at home on
Hood Canal
By LINDSEY JACKSON
Sailor by day, engineer by night, Captain
John Holbert, also known as Captain John,
three crew members, two dogs and wife Jill
hung loose aboard the Merrie Ellen schoo-
ner this past week, awaiting those brave
enough to journey on board. The 107-foot-
long, 20-feet-wide, 323,000-pound schooner
was docked at Alderbrook Resort in an ef-
fort to give community members the chance
to partake in a historical sea-ship adven-
ture. "We want to share this with people,"
said Holbert.
The size sounds intimidating enough, but
Holbert promises to teach those who ven-
ture aboard how to sail, and also about the
history of this incredible vessel. "We liter-
ally do show them the ropes and the idea is to make it fun
for the public. Nothing is shocking, nothing is scary, but
if something gets jammed up I gotta go straighten it out,"
said Holbert, who uses a nice close of comedy to ease any
timid first-timers. With no hesitation, Captain John Hol-
bert will happily define sailing terms such as "scuttlebutt,"
'brass monkey" or the true meaning behind "cold enough to
freeze the balls off."
Originally built in Vancouver, B.C., in 1922, the schoo-
ner roamed the rough seas of the arctic. Fishermen aboard
relied on a coal-fired boiler powering a steam engine for
"Once the engine
stops and the
wind takes over,
everyone stops
and smiles."
movement. In the '90s
the schooner made
its way to Genoa Bay
near Vancouver Island
where it languished
with little or no activity.
85 years old and in des-
perate need of tender
loving care, when Hol-
bert became captain the
schooner didn't need to
be repaired, it needed to
be restored. "It was just
a big, dark hole down
there when we started. Before we had it, it just floated on a
mooring for eight years, and people would come aboard in
the summertime. It was very bad for the boat. It deterio-
rated badly up there," said Holbert.
With the help of shipwrights in Port Townsend, Holbert,
who has dreamed of owning a schooner his whole life, put
two years of hard work into the ship. 10,000 feet of red ce-
dar and 3,800 hand-forged spikes later, the Merrie Ellen
schooner, named after Holbert's mother, is making its way
down the canal, across the Big Bend and into town as the
"only known vessel that qualifies as a tall ship resident in
Hood Canal," said Holbert. Future construction plans in-
clude a lift to assist folks in wheelchairs aboard.
The schooner's restoration consists of five staterooms
and two galleys, a term used to describe a vessel's kitchen.
Funny enough, the cheetos, crackers, coke cans and various
snacks piled high on the table inside of the pilothouse don't
do the cook much justice. Crewmember Jim McLaughlin,
who prepares meals, explained that the crew's diet ranges
anywhere from burgers to fancy meals. "We eat anything
we want! Chicken cacciatore. I got a rabbit in the freezer
actually. There is always something fun coming out of the
galley," said McLaughlin.
Before any more of Captain John's plot is spoiled, the
idea is to get community members on this ship in order to
experience one of the coolest historical days of their lives.
HOODSPORT FAMILY CLINIC
MARGENE FIELDS, ARNP
Full-time health-care provider
Walk-ins welcome VAccepting new
V Family care, from
newborns to
adult geriatrics
patients
V Experienced in
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of all ages
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Call (360) 877-0372
24261 N. US Highway I 0 I, Hoodsport
Margene Fields,
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5114
+ IIIIU! !l!!ldl II U!!II II
O0 2
THE F o u
Top photo: The Merrie Ellen will be
available for tours and sailings as well
as wine tasting.Fireworks begin at 10
p.m. Saturday evening at the Port of
Hoodsport.
Kathleen Hugo from Rochester, who visited Union for the
day and had no knowledge of the Merrie Ellen, is very glad
she made the decision to jump aboard. "It was a once in a
lifetime experience for me. We came upon it accidentally
and I would not have missed it for anything. The crew was
so fun!" said Hugo. Jeff Kuhnhenn, a young, budding sail-
or from Silverdale, who drove the ship for half of the trip,
said, "It was very memorable and enjoyable. I have learned
about schooners, how they operate and sail. This is a very,
very, very cool historical boat. I am going to see if I can get
them to let me come back and sail with them."
Holbert currently has the schooner docked in Hoodsport
for the Fourth of July celebration. He plans to sail up to
Tacoma and Des Moines to show and tell more of that magic
moment, which crewmember Brian Arthurs describes as,
"Once the engine stops and the wind takes over, everyone
stops and smiles." See Celebrate Hoodsport schedule on D-2.
Oysters, Clams
Smoked Salmon & More!
13 miles north 877-5811
of Hoodsportll LLUJL.
jX(
., \\;. Jeff Anderson
" Local Owner/Operator
License:
ANCHOEL963KP
Affordable Rates
Timely Call Backs
Residential and Commercial
Electrical Services
m00.mm
Fire department
in Union copes
with personnel
changes
By JEFF GREEN
One veteran of the Union
fire department has re-
signed and another plans to
retire as turmoil within the
department continues.
Dee Grout, deputy chief
of Fire District 6, submitted
her resignation on June 19,
acknowledged Jim Nutt,
acting chief of the depart-
ment.
In addition, the Jour-
nal has learned that Chief
Rich Heinrich plans to re-
tire. Heinrich currently is
on a medi-
cal leave of
absence and
will retire in
October.
Grout was
promoted
from admin-
istrative as-
sistant to
deputy chief
and given a pay raise dur-
ing a departmental reorga-
nization in February 2008.
The Union department
was taken to task recently
over Grout's salary hike. A
citizen hotline investigation
by the Washington State
Auditor's Office concluded
her husband, Fire District 6
Commissioner Steve Grout,
had a beneficial interest in
her employment and salary
when he voted in favor of
the department's reorgani-
zation in early 2008.
Heinrich has been chief
of the Union fire depart-
ment since 1998. He came
to Fire District 6 from Fire
District 2 in Belfair, where
he was deputy chief. Before
that he worked for the Shel-
ton Fire Department.
"He has had a long and
very illustrious career,"
Fire District Commission-
er Barbara Bodin said of
Heinrich. "His leadership
has proved very valuable
and his service has been ex-
emplary."
In a related matter, the
Fire District 6 Commis-
sion, on a 2-1 split vote last
Friday, opted to seek legal
counsel from outside the
department on the matter.
Commissioners Bodin and
Steve Le-
vette voted
"He has had a in favor of
that action,
long and very
illustrious
career.
while Com-
missioner
Grout voted
against it.
At a com-
mission
meeting on
the morning of June 16, the
commissioners had voted
against seeking legal coun-
sel. At that time, Bodin and
Grout cast "no" votes, while
Levette voted "yes."
But on the afternoon of
June 16, Bodin, the com-
mission's chair, called for
last Friday's special meet-
ing to discuss getting legal
counsel, a move recom-
mended by the executive
director of the Washington
Fire Commissioners Asso-
ciation. Bodin said the fire
district will retain the Se-
attle firm of Foster Pepper.
A special meeting of the
commission was called for
Monday, June 29, to dis-
cuss Grout's resignation
and Heinrich's retirement.
Donald R. LeMaster J
Broker
C.C.I.M., C.I.P.S.
G.R.I., C.R.A.
Residential 360.877.6353
Vacant Land Cell: 360-801-5143
Commercial Fax: 360-877-6395
[] : Nr Emah heloplt@aol.com
.= -. landmarkrealty--online.com
24380 N Hwy. 101 PO 10 Hoodsport, WA 98548 so
Come See What Y0u've Been MISSINg
5673
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One of the FEW waterfront
motels ON the water within a
reasonable drive
Don't waste your vacation time
driving to a far-away beach!
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Clean Rooms Kitchenettes Deck Dock RV Hookups
Boat Moorage Fishing Crabbing Outdoor BBQ
SCUBA Diving & SCUBA Air Station Espresso
N. 24520 Hwy 101 Hoodsport
(360) 877-5301 www.hctc.om/~sunrise sunrise@hctc.com
Thursday, July 2, 2009 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page D-1