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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
August 2, 2012     Shelton Mason County Journal
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August 2, 2012
 
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District ates talk By NATALIE JOHNSON nahtHe@rna so nco u n (y,co m All six candidates for state Representative in the 35th Legislative District positions 1 and 2 attended a candidate forum Thurs- day hosted by the Mason County League of Women Voters and the Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce. "It's better to be an in- formed voter, to know what you're voting for," said Dan Griffey said, candidate for position 1. The 35th Legislative Dis- trict represents Kitsap, Ma- son and Thurston counties. For position 1, incum- bent Kathy Haigh (D) is defending her seat in the Legislature, that she has held for 14 years, against Griffey (R) a professional firefighter. Four candidates are com- peting for the open position 2. including Lynda Ring Erickson (D). Drew MacE- wen (R). Jeff Davis (D) and Glenn Gaither (I). Fred Finn (D). who currently holds the seat, chose not to seek reelection in 2012. Of the candidates, Griffey, Haigh, Ring Erick- son and MacEwen hail from Mason County. The forum was the sec- ond in a series hosted by the league and the cham- ber at Oakland Bay Junior High School. Green Dia- mond and Mason Web TV also sponsored the event. Each candidate was in- vited to make a one-minute opening statement and a two-minute closing state- ment. and was given two minutes to answer ques- tions, first posed by the event's hosts, then asked by vo~ers in attendance. In their opening state- ments and throughout the evening many of the candi- dates focused on the impor- tance of creating jobs, pro- tecting natural resources, improving education and investing in transportation. The candidates specifi- cally discussed funding for transportation including projects such as the Bel- fair bypass and a new in- terchange between Johns Journa DnOZO By Natal e Johnson Jeff Davis (D), candidate for 35th Legislative District position 2, speaks at the candidate forum hosted by the Mason County League of Women Voters and the Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday night. On his left is Drew MacEwen (R), and on his right is Glenn Gaither (I). Prairie Road and State tion for candidates focused Route 3. on the Washington State "We will never be able to Supreme Court's McCleary attractthe jobs we need ... ruling, which found that the unless we invest in trans- state Legislature was not portation." Ring Erickson doing enough to fund public said. "I'm not sure it's about education in the state, forc- money as much as lookinging districts to rely heavily at how we solve problems." - on local levies. Davis said he could use Shelton Mason County his experience as a Port of Chamber of Commerce di- Olympia commissioner to rector Heidi McCutcheon, improve transportation and who moderated the forum. freight mobility in the area. asked the candidates how "There is money in the the Legislature should re- state to do projects we need spend to the ruling. funded in Mason County,"The candidates differed he said. in their responses. Gaither He added that much of suggested the state go ~o a that money currently goes "voucher system" in which to projects in areas such as each family would receive King County. a voucher from the state to "We need that money pay for their child's educa- over here." Davis said. tion. and the family could MacEwen said the Wash- then chose which school ington State Department of they wanted. Transportation needed to"We need to fund eduea- be reprioritized to focus on tion." he said. "I just don't freight mobility, like them saying we don't Griffey suggested work- fund education enough." ing with forest product Jeff Davis said the Leg- companies to build roads in islature should consider all the area. options to fully fund educa- During his opening tion. statement, Gaither talked "We should take the Su- about how he believes all of preme Court decision and the issues in the campaign do what it states, which is interact with each other, fully fund education," he "What we're really fight- said. "It's important for us ing for are our children's fu- as a state to move forward." tures." he said. MacEwen said education The forum's first ques- should be top priority for Forest Fest makes splash at Lakefair, Seafair By NATALIE JOHNSON na~atie(&na,~uncoun@ /:om The 2012 Forest Festival Float was a big hit at two major parades last month. The float won the Sweepstakes award at Olympia's Lakefair on July 21 and the Prin- cess Award at the Seafair Torchlight Parade in Seattle on Saturday. "It is fabulous. I cried." said Lynne Free- man, Forest Festival president and float chair. "The two awards we got they're so coveted." Mason County competed against 24 other Courtesy p ...... floats at Lakefair The 2012 Mason County Forest "At Lakefair, because it's the capital of the Festival parade float won top state your entries come statewide from Can- honors at two major parades last ada and from Oregon." she.said, month -- Seattle's Seafair Freeman said judges take into account Torchlight Parade and Olympia's many different things when looking at floats. such as craftsmanship, workmanship, design Lakefair. and flow. "Every parade does something different, particularly satisfying because of the budget every parade covets their criteria. They look gap between the Forest Fest float and other for appeal to your parade viewers. They look floats in the parades. for quality of work. They look for how your "We're up against huge budgets. You're up group of people interact with the judges." she against floats that have $25.000 budgets to said. "It has to tell a story or represent your Forest Festival's $5,000," she said. "Try and community in some fashion." go up against the Portland (Ore.J Tourna- She said the judges at Lakefair singled out ment of Roses Parade and their huge budget the Forest Fest float because its theme of Old or (Puyallup's) Daffodil Festival and their Tyme Timber represented southwest Wash- huge budget." ington and the rest of the state. Each year, Freeman, the festival royalty and other the Forest Festival float is based on the de- volunteers love going to other festivals and sign chosen for the festival button, and the parades to try to win awards, but she said festival's theme, it's about more than that. Attending festivals "It all comes down to the judges and prob- helps get recognition, and attracts more peo- ably our float won this year because we had ple to visit Mason County for Forest Festival. represented the entire state." she said. "The "We have to go to all the parades because whole state's been a logging state for hun- we need to have them come to ours." she said. dreds of years." "We are Forest Festival's advertising." On Saturday at Seattle's Seafair Torch- Freeman said she hopes that such state- light Parade. the float took home another wide recognition will inspire people, or me- honor -- the Princess Award. tivate them to participate in Forest Festival This award recognized the Forest Festival and other community events. Princesses. Freeman said they were all color "We're losing our volunteers," she said. coordinated, weanng yellow, which matched "People need to realize that community is so the rest of the float, important for a healthy lifestyle." '%Ve were on TV for probably five minutes In September. Freeman plans to step down ... which is killer because a million people as Forest Festival president. The Forest Fes- look at it," she said. tival board will vote for a new president dur- Freeman said the accomplishments areing its August meeting. ey they need," she said. believe, by the same stan- While in agreement on dards," Haigh said. the need for more funding Republicans Griffey and for education and transpor- MacEwen and Independent ration, the candidates split Gaither said they would along party lines in their support a 60 percent major- support of a two-thirds ma- ity needed to raise taxes. jority to raise taxes. "The people have spoken Democrats Haigh and loud and clear," MacEwen Davis said they would not said. He characterized the support such a measure, state Legislature as "power saying that a "50 percent hungry and always looking plus one" majority was the for a new tax." most democratic option. Griffey added, "It's rep- Ring Erickson and Haigh resentative, not dictator." said the measure would riot Ballots for the primary be fair unless it also took a election h'ave already been two-thirds majority to de- mailed to Mason County crease taxes, residents. The primary is "We should all live, I on Tuesday. the Legislature during bud- geting. "We fully fund K through 12 education, then we wor- ry about the other things in the budget," he said. MacEwen and Ring Erick- son spoke out against gtore taxes to fund education. Haigh said the lack of funding hurts both teachers and children. "Our teachers are not getting the amount of men- Goldsborough Creek Apartments is accepting wait list. applications for seniors ages 62 and better. HUD subsidized, controlled access, garden setting, minutes from downtown shopping. Non-Smoking Property. 23 1-Br. and one 2-Br. 303 S 7th St., (306) 426-3903 Washington's Wild Cat Sanctuary from Lions to tiny Gordon's Cats Each wild cat is special and has a need for a safe and comfortable place to live out its life happily, peacefully and with digni~ Mail your tax-deductable donation to: Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington 3111 E. Harstine Island Rd. N. Shelton WA 98584 ~1~w (360)427-446? ~2$ :_ ww wildfelids o.~j --~ County For More il Than Years /,I,I 14 Olympic Highway ,, Monday-Friday 8:30-5 .. Call 6 31 • ' Russ Denney CLEANERS & TAILORS C~.m b~e Mon-Fr[ 6:30 a.m.-&00 p .... Sat 9:00 0.m.-2:00 p,m, ...... ,,ooff 215 South Second * 426-3371 Member Serving She~ton and Mason County for 85 year, Many times a good repair on a used car is a better value than a new car payment. Choose your mechanic wisely. Pictured: Jason Banks, Dan Moldenhauer and Noel Longan, owner. AUTOMOTIVE 2033 Olympic Highway North • Sheltor 426-1467 have fishing 427-9099 supplies! Skokomish Indian Tribal Enterprises (S.I.T.E.) @ 19390 North U.S. Hwy. I01 ] [ Skokomish Nation, WA 98584 At the intersection of Hwy. I01 & Hwy. 106 minutes north of Shelton on the Skokomish Indian Reservation STORE & DELl SPECIALS -- AUG 2- 8 3-piece [ ..... e :~~! Chicken . ~o [ ~ ia+il~iI1!,i~:i+i:+!~'+i+~ I Coors & Coors Light Comp! e ~+~~ 18 1 k. 12-6z. can~ , ::-I~U~ Carto~'~ ~I" a.aaaa Bud & Bud,.Light Marlb [ ~!?,~:::!":::F,L:m NOW OPEN ...... ...... + +, + +, ++ ,,,,,+:.++ +a,,o,, ++,::Potlatch + 18 [ K.+ ++ SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Next NORTHFORK Quitliog Sm0kio8 N0w Greatly Rodueos to BAR & GRILL Serious Risks To Your Health Shelton-Mason County Journal-Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012 - ~age A-3