July 21, 2011 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
©
Shelton Mason County Journal. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 4 (4 of 18 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
July 21, 2011 |
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader ![]() |
ON ;TREET
Are you planning .on going to the Mason Area Fair this year? Why or why not??
David
Cam
"Maybe, if I
have time.
I'll probably
just go and
have fun."
Cherie
Plant
"No, beacuse
I'm working
and don't
have time."
George I
Kimbel
"I might. I'd
just go up to
see the displays
and partake in
the festivities.
It's a fun thing
to do."
I Amanda
V0n
Jentzen
"Yes, we just
saw the flyer
for it. The ro-
deo is what
I'm looking for-
ward to most."
Vote in
August for
the levy
Editor, the Journal
As a former fire commis-
sioner of Fire District No. 6, I
am writing this letter encour-
aging you to vote yes on the
upcoming EMS Levy. During
my tenure, on the beard of
commissioners, the Union
community was extremely
supportive in passing EMS
levies for emergency medical
services.
Without this vital fund-
ing source, the Fh'e district's
budget will be severely affect-
ed. The beard of comissioners
will have difficulty finding
the necessary resources for
the traildng of first respond-
ers, purchasing needed medi-
cal supplies and maintaining
the ambulance which, one
day, [nay save your life.
Please remember that fund-
mg our fire district relies
solely on property taxes and
the EMS levy.
In this economy, I know
it is difficult to ask voters to
pass a levy. But, for the cost
of a couple oflattes a month,
we can be assured of quick
and professional responses to
our medical emergencies.
Please join me, when your
ballot arrives for the August
election and vote yes on the
EMS levy.
Bob Close
Union
biomass -
Editor, the Journal
The Port of Shelton has a
bad habit. It's called biomass
incineration.
Port Commissioner Jay
Hupp and friends just can't
let go of a bad idea. They
are actively seeking a re-
placement for the recently
departed ADAGE incinerator
project.
Massive polluting indus-
try is not a virtue for any
community and would be a
nightmare for a rural com-
munity like ours. It is truly
difficult to understmld the
mentality that would want to
turn this beautiful area into
another Tacoma for the sake
0f dcvcl0pm nt,
The port should be focus-
ing its efforts on low negative
impact industry and tourism,
not smoke stacks or toxic
waste from plastic manufac-
tures.
As the I-5 corridor be-
comes more and more pollut-
ed, crowded and nightmar-
ish, Mason County will look
better and better to visitors.
If the port, the EDC, Simp-
son/Solomon and the Cham-
ber don't screw it up the visi-
tors will come, but they won't
be looking for smokestacks,
PCBs or toxic oysters.
John Cox
Shelton
Killing a pet
cat is not
Editor, the Journal
Trapping a feral cat and
getting it spayed or neutered
is a great service to the com-
munity. Killing a pet cat is a
different ball game. Eighteen
cats on the deck? Really?
What was the lure? There is
a crazy person in Belfair and
I feel as though the Journal
is defending this behavior. I
keep my two cats indoors at
all times and they are my joy.
I think people who feed
squirrels to be loathsome as
squirrels are as gross as rats
in what diseases they carry.
Please be kind to your
neighbors and communicate
with them before you kill
their pets.
Jean Fisher
Grapeview
Fire district
4 needs levy
Editor, the Journal
I have been involved with
Fire district 4 for over 20
years and can ensure the
voters that their elected com-
missioners are very conser-
vative. Our volunteer depart-
ment has no debt.
However, with the costs of
diesel, insurance and repairs,
we will be in the red in the
next year or two. Our newest
truck is 14 years old and the
oldest is 30. We still answer
over 900 fire, aid and service
calls last year.
Voters your fire district
needs your vote to pass this
levy.
Robert Larsen
Shelton
Union EMS
levy is
Editor, the Journal
Mason County Fire Dis-
trict 6 in Union is requesting
your support for the 2012
Replacement Emergency
Medical Services Levy on
the August 16 ballot. A 60
percent yes vote is critical to
continuing emergency, medi-
Journal Letter Policy
cal service in Union.
We are currently running
our medical response service
on reserves that cannot be The Journal welcomes and encourages your letters
sustained much longer. We
have cr~anoffigsre-to the editor. We will print signed, original letters
placement levy request that
will provide funding for now of local interest. We ,will not publish letters that
and the foreseeable future.
Our focus has been fiscal ac-
are libelous or scurrilous in nature. Letters should
countab tyandrespensib.- be under 350 words and provide contact and ad-
ity with efficient and effective
service to our community.
You can count on us to re-
spond to your call anytime
of the day, any day of the
week for about 24 cents a day value. As of January 2011, sued to port Commissioner website where they can read
based on a home assessed at with the expiration of the Miles was legal and correct, in more damning detail what
$250,000 per year. EMS Levy, we lost 14 cents Miles divulged confidential it says. I invite everyone to
We will be there for your per $1,000. Currently weexecutive session information visit www.infoabeutjack.com.
time of need. Please be there have one older ambulanceconcerning a very sensitive Will Rodgers said, "Rumors
for us and vote yes on the out of service and with the subject and broke the law are faster, but the truth lasts
2012" Replacement Levy.cost of repairs ($15,000) it by not protecting the Port of longer.
Steve Levette doesn't make financial sense Shelton as his job dictates. T.M.Wallitner
Union to repair. Your fire equip- Miles has a tendency to exag- Commissioner, Port
ment is beginning to fail from gerate what actually hap- of Shelton
age and is in need of repair, pened. He also adds words
Fire District Since January 2011 special- and rumors to the truth in his
ized training, fire station attempt to make his point. He
needs staff-rag, public education, did not parse his question to
fire (youth) cadet program Chairman Hupp and myself
and capital improvement has in the way he wrote it in his Union EMS
your help been forced to step. This not G uest Colurm,. He also states
only slows us from helping in his guest column article, Editor, the Journal
you, Ilut it jeopardizes lives "Do I step doing my job as a
Editor, the Journal (yours and ours). We want commissioner because i am My name is Tim Whitman
Fire District 4 has served to be able to help you, but in running to retain my position and I am writing today to
• order to do so we need your at the Port?" That's the point, show my full support for the
south Mason County for over
60 years. We are now in need assistance. I watch our staff He did stop doing his job the Union fire department's 2012
of your help if we are to con- do things to save our commu- minute he started meddling EMS levy.
tinue to provide the present nity money; like tess expen- in the staffproblems at the In 2010, our fire depart-
level of service for medical sire medical transports, suc- port. Mr. Dobson did not send ment responded to more them
emergencies and fire. Our cessful grants and recently harassing e-mails. He did not 270 medical emergencies
fleet is aging, our training lowering our fire rating to coerce. He did issue an excel- in our community to people
has to be reduced and the save all of us money on our lent job performance state- we know. I found myself in
duty shifts for day and week- home-owners insurance. I am ment in November of 2010. need of emergency medical
ends have been drastically afraid we will lose this lower The employee was given acare more than once in 2010
curtailed because of our lack rating if we cannot keep up raise in pay during the first and our fire department was
of funds, our equipment; training and year of employment. What's there to take care of me. I
I am asking for the voters staffing to national standards that to do with anything? Job had been healthy my whole
• and homeowners insuranceperformance changed. Thelife and never thought I
to approve our upcoming lid will increase. Our staffhas employee changed. The em- would need an ambulance. I
li~ proposal on August 16, set up a long-range plan to ployee found fault with John am grateful that when I did
2011. We developed a plan
and the increase is needed be ready for the future and Dobson's performance (so did need it, the Union fire de-
to prevent us from spending now need financing to do so. Jack Miles). Charges were partment was there.
down our small reserve. We We are coming to you, the brought to the commission. The EMS levy is vital to
hope you will see the value of commtmity, asking your help The Port of Shelton Commis- our community and its well
your local EMS/Fire services to upgrade our equipmentsion brought in an indepen- being. We are a close com-
and approve this levy.so that we can send our vol- dent investigator to address munity and cannot afford to
Gary Plews, unteers to your residence in the charges. A 21-page report lose our emergency medical
Retired FF/EMT your time of emergency. In found no fault in John Bob- services. Having spent my
Sheltonorder to train and equip our son's job performance. The career in the fire service, I
firefighters and EMT's to the employee would not interview can testify to the importance
national standard, it costs with the investigator to sub- of fast emergency medical
over $4000 per vohmteer,stantiate the charges. The service as opposed to slow
Yes on What does this all mean? We employee refused to cooper- emergency medical service.
need your support to help us, ate. Our community's medical
Mason Fire help you. I urge you to vote Commissioner Miles called needs will not be well served
yes on the Mason Fire 4 Lid- the investigation a white- if our fire department does
4 Lid Lift Lift, ifyouhaveanyques- wash, another breach of his not have an emergency me.
" tions contact call 426-7222. oath to protect the Port of dial services program.
You can also check informa- Shelton. A whistleblowerWe are the owners of our
Editor, the Journal tion about the lid-liR on our complaint was filed. Again fire department. It is here
website at masonfire4.com Dobson was exonerated and for our needs and we need to
As a lifetime resident Chaplain Jim Potter the Mason County Prosecu- continue to support our fire
and a volunteer with Fire Sheltontor's Office has declined to department by continuing
District 4, I have served as further investigate the mat- the EMS levy.
a firefighter, EMT, officer, ter. Jack Miles is wrongI am retired and have a
commissioner and chaplain...nu rn o rs a re with his rambling fixed income, but I will always
Working with dedicated about how things transpired support emergency services. A
volunteers for ovei e0neammg th0 Last Chancu $a50 00 dollar hora@ will pay
and for you the community, Agreement and Disciplinary $87.50 a year for emergency
I have seen lots of changes. Action Plan. Dobson did not medical service. It cost me
Frem4OcaJlsayeartel,O00 the truth coerce the employee to sign more to fill my t-ruck with die-
calls for assistance per year anything. The employee re- sel once than it does for a year
today. When the fire district ~ast~ IonNe fused to sign the agreement of EMS coverage. I find that to
was created 60 years ago, our = ~ r and ultimately was termi- be a great value and ask that
fire tax was set at $1.25 per nated fbr cause and the~ause you join me in voting "yes" for
$1,000 assessed value, over was not related to the whis- the EMS levy in August.
the years it has dropped to Editor, the Journal tleblower Complaint. Miles Tm Whitman
57 cents per $1,000 assessed The Letter of Censure is- invited everyone to visit a Union
Shelton-Mason County
USPS 492-800
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Shelton-Mason SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
County Journal, P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584. $37 per year for Mason County addresses,
Published weekly by Shelton-Mason County Journal, Inc. $51 per year in state of Washington but outside
at 227 West Cota Street, Shelton. Washington Mason County, $61 per year out of state.
Mailing address: p.o. Box 430, Shelton, WA
Periodicals postage paid at Sheffon, WashingtOn
Inc
She~ton-Mason County Journal is a member Of Rick Kennedy, publisher Advertising:
Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association. Jesse Mullen, general mgr. Dave Pierik, advertising manager
Harvey Morris, ad representatuve
Newsroom: Mat Taylor, ad representative
Kevan Moore, managing editor Front office:
Aria Shephard, North Mason, Donna Kinnaird, bookkeeper
environment, reporterMargot Brand, circulation
Natalie Johnson, reporter
Emily Hanson, sports reorter Cricket Carter, mailroom supervisor
Adam Rudnick, copy editor
Page A-4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, July 21,2011
Composing room:
William Adams, graphics
Koleen Wood, classifieds/legals
Becky Corr, typing
Pmssmom:
Kelly Riordan, production manager
Travis Miller press operator