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| August 11, 2011 Shelton Mason County Journal |  |
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TO EDIT()R
Sharon Darling Twelve citizens in our
Union communities were very
unhappy with the pros-
need town ~°t and formed FOSLS,
Friends of Schafer and
Lake Sylvia, working to
hall fighting keep both our parks plus
all other parks in the state
open. We gathered signa-
against our tures, more than 10,000
Editor, the Journal -- of them, went to meetings
and the State Parks and
The legislative session -" Receation off~ce in Tumwa-
has ended. Many of us re- ter, met with our legislators
ceived an action summary and began events in each
of the legislative doings, park for the people to en-
written by the legislator, so joy: salmon bakes, yule log
I question the impartiality Editor, the Journal celebration at Christmas,
of the information. For those folks who have trail hikes, Fall Celebra-
I want town hall meet- followed the Port of Shel- tion with music, triathlon,
ings so taxpayers can dis- ton's legal actions against arts and crafts, etc. We feel
cuss issues with our repre- the Shelton Hills Develop- the parks are an important
sentatives. These meetings ment Project, last week's part of our community, a
should be limited to a single letter to the editor by Mark place to hike, swim, picnic,
candidate independently. Hall, sponsor of the project, fish, camp and just relax.
For example, I want to dis- comes none too soon. In his Because of the contin-
cuss our failing education letter, Mr. Hall lays out the ued budget crisis, the state
system with the Education facts of the matter, putting had to make further cuts
Committee Chair, Kathy to rest, once and for all, in funding. To replace the
Haigh. I want to discuss any straw-man argumentsneeded funds we now have
per diem with Representa- raised by the port. the Discover Pass.
tive Fred Finn, who lives At issue is a decision by The pass will cost you
in Thurston County and the city of Shelton to re- $30 a year. For less than
his work place is Olympia. zone 160 acres south of the 60 cents a week or less
State employees do not get airport from commercialthan 10 cents a day, you
per diem for going to work industrial to neighborhood can visit any park in the
from Shelton, should Fred residential. Port resistance state, enjoy being outdoors
Finn get per diem? to the rezone centers on the and do the right thing to
An Olympian newspaper fear that new residential keep our parks going. The
article discussed a new law development adjacent topass can be purchased at
allowing legislators to take the airport threatens the the Lake Sylvia camp store
pay cuts. Very few legisla- future of that facility. More from 10 to 11 a.m. and 2:30
tors took pay cuts, even clearly: Port Commissioners to 5 p.m. every day and at
though retirees and state Jay Hupp, Tom WallitnerSchafer State Park store
employees took them. Fred and Director John Dobson from 9 to 11 a.m. and 4 to
Finn and Kathy Haigh did argue that residents of the 8 p.m. Wednesday through
not take a pay cut. Some new development will find Saturday.
legislators said they knew airplane noise so intolerable So we ask you, please
nothing about this law, they will band together and support our parks by buy-
even though they voted force closure of the airport, ing a yearly or day pass.
on it. Some said they sent To this I say, bull feathers. Our FOSLS group still
money to chanty instead, There are scores of exam- meets at 7 p.m. the second
but retirees and state em- pies where small airports Monday of each month at
ployees were not given the and adjacent neighborhoods the Montesano City Hall.
option of sending their pay coexist peacefully. And it Everyone is welcome and
cut to a charity, follows that new residen- encouraged to attend.
Since our legislators are tial developments can only Our next big event at
still on payroll (they get a increase public demand for Lake Sylvia State Park will
yearly salary), they should additional airport ameni- be Saturday, Sept. 24, our
schedule town hall meet- ties. annual Fall Celebration,
ings for their constitutients The protracted and ex- a duathlordtriathlon, art
- not for their party mere- pensive legal action brought walk in the woods, music
bers -- and should schedule by the port is based on an and games for all.
them now and in conve- unfounded premise border- Candi Bachtell
nient locations. One loca- ing on paranoia. In reality, Susan Duvall
tion should be Belfair for port management has spent Helen Hepp
the North Mason and Kit- the bettor lSar~ of three Gregory Johnson
sap County folks; a second years trying to sabotage Shirley McQuaid
should be Shelton for Ma- what is essentially a major Carol Olson
son County and Thurston economic recovery opportu- Trina Young
County folks; a third should nity for Mason County. This Montesano
be Elma for the East Grays is a classic case of the few
Harbor County and South dictating to the many for
Mason County folks, the benefit of none. O n n i
Believe it or not, the next Port resistance is made Rez
S
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legislative session is only even more egregious when
five months away. Weneed you consider the Shelton not in the
to hear from our legislators, Hills Project will bring
and they need to hear from many permanent jobs, com-
us. mercial opportunities and
Ardean A. Anvik even a new city park to our
Elma community, as the devel- interest of
oper builds out the entire
700-acre site. It is ironic
Save a life,
that a municipality created all
to attract economic growth
vote yes on to Mason County should be
the primary roadblock to Editor, the Journal
precisely that objective. Please allow me to intro-
The port needs to stop duce some balance into cov-
fighting against our recov- erage of the disagreement
cry and allow the rezone between Hall Equities and
Editor, the Journal process to move forward, the Port of Shelton Over a
We would like to encour- Mr. Hupp, Mr. Walitner and proposed property develop-
age everyone to vote in the Mr. Dobson should get with ment south of the airport.
upcoming election for Fire the program or step aside Through written documents
District 6 emergency medi- and let clearer heads steer and verbal testimony, the
cal support (EMS). the future of our county, port has enthusiastically
l would not have met my Tom Davis and consistently supported
husband of 27 years if he Shelton the overall project as being
hadn't been living in a corn- good for the community. We
munity that had 24-hour are particularly supportive
EMS when he had his brain Help save
of the project's business de-
aneurysm in the 1970s. Doc- velopment aspects.
tors credit his being alive rk That said, the port ob-
today because of the time ourpa s jects to the proposed rezone
saved getting him stabilized of 160 acres within the 700-
and to the hospital in time. Editor, the Journal acre development because
We can't schedule our it would eliminate a large
emergencies between the About three years ago commercial/industrial area
hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We the state announced that, and allow more than 300
need our local fire and EMS for budget reasons, theynew homes to be built right
on duty 24 hours a day, would be closing 13 state under the airport traffic
seven days a week. parks, including Lake pattern. Additionally, the
The life that is saved could Sylvia and Schafter State rezone would violate the
be a loved one or ourselves, parks, planning intentions that
be
.... i ? :i¸
created an airport overlay, Social Security payments as a joint effort in direct
which protects the airport may be at risk, as well as response to a soaring un-
from inappropriate resi- the compensation of ser- employment rate of 15.9
dential encroachment and vicemen currently fighting percent.
shields the surrounding an ill-defined war. If budget Volunteers from both
community with a safety bills aren't completed, my churches stepped forward
buffer. Rezoning the 160 small town post office may to provide food, on an
acres to residential would be closed, emergency basis, for our
also eliminate the current The list goes on. But, the neighbors in need. We be-
Commercial/Industrial buf- same issue also tells me gan at Thanksgiving time,
fer that lies between the Chevron and other large operating out of a small
airport industrial zone and corporations are experienc- closet at St. David's, serv-
planned residential areas, ing maximum profit and ing about 25 families a
The airport overlay was not hiring, except in Mexico week. Naively, we hoped
created in response to state or China. The paper also to go out of business when
Growth Management Act tells me they my Congress the economy improved.
requirements and was put will not reform taxing them But, instead, as the face
in place well before Mr. -- some who pay nothing -- of hunger in American
Hall bought his 700-acre or touch our wealthier in- changed, the need for our
tract. One of the primary dividuals. America, where services grew and grew.
assumptions during that are you? Clients, who formerly
planning process was that Gordon Personius could provide for their
existing zoning around Union families by working just
the airport would remain one job, suddenly needed
unchanged or that future ~,.__ ~, two and then jobs became
changes would be negoti-change ~.~--"11" scarce and some even dis-
ated with airport protection appeared. Imagine how it
in mind. must feel and the courage
Because the port is con- it must take for someone
tractually obligated to the who has fallen on hard
FAA to protect the airport Editor, the Journal times to walk through the
for inappropriate residen- I saw on the news the food bank deor the first
tial encroachment and also other night that the leaders time and ask for help.
bound to obey the Growth of our state were asked to Over the years, the
Management Act as a take a pay cut of five per- Saints' Pantry has been
law that calls for airport able to keep our doors open
cent of their salary.
protection, we petitioned Out of all of them onlyby increasing both our sup-
the Western Washingtonfour were willing to do this. port base of churches, to
Growth Management hear- Doesn't that just fill your include Faith Lutheran
ings board for intervention, heart with pride for those Church, Calvary Fellow-
That board has twice up- who are supposed to be rep- ship, Shelton Presbyterian
held the port's position, resenting all the people of Church and Mt. Olive Lu-
We would like to see this state? theran Church.
Mr. Hall develop his proj- I find it pretty disap-We have also focused on
ect under existing zoning pointing myself, growing and maintaining
regulations and think the Every election year they the number of loyal volun-
residential zoning allowed ask for contributions for teers who are on the front
on most of his property is a their campaigns, line every week, making
reasonable balance between ........ sure that there is food on
I know I've gotten flyers
residential, industrial and in the mail just'so tl~t'y can .our ii!~lv~e~t and that our ~ :~ ,:
commercial developmentsling mud at each other, di~ty and respect. Our job
while Still protecting the They bombard TV with
airport, these childish advertise- is to provide food, not judg-
Jay Hupp ments. I believe all the ment..We currently feed
Port of Shelton people of this state want is an average of 320 families
Commissionerfor them to do their job. each week,
Instead of contribut- Our main sources for
ing to this nonsense, I'm food are Northwest Harvest
Am
ica contributing $25 a month and Food Lifeline.
.....e r , of the $700 1 make to the Recently, we have been
people of Kenya and other fortunate to receive addi-
whe re a re worthwhile charities. I'd tional food from Wal-Mart
rather see people getting through Food Lifeline's
food, medicine and shelter new Grocery Rescue Pro-
than supporting a bunch of gram.
politicians. We also receive state
Editor, the Journal When election time funding from the EFAP
program and must fulfill
I'm sitting here sor- comes around I guess some their requirements and pro-
rowful and angry. Seems people will be writing in vide supporting documen-
like our government of the the name of the person they
want. I know I will. tation (as outlined in your
people, by the people and Right now Elmer Fudd is article).
for the people is unstable. We also depend, in large
looking pretty good. I'll bet
It used to be something dif- he wouldn't mind giving up part, on community support
ferent, and we have learned that
Never before in my 80 five percent of his income.
some years have I wit- Molly Clark Shelton is a community
Sheltonthat cares.
nessed the bickering, par- For the past 30 years,
tisan ugliness over vital o Shelton has faithfully and
issues that the current generously supported us
bunch in our nation's capi- Thanks for through donations of food
tal have been displaying, and money from individu-
rm a proud ex-federal era-helping als, businesses, service
ployee, with more than 30 organizations, schools and
years in honest service to state and local government
the Air Force and Veteran's those in agencies.
Administration. In return for this sup-
As such, my service was port, we believe that it is
often defined by what the our obligation to manage
politicians would allow, but our resources wisely. Each
I seldom, if ever, doubted dollar that we receive from
they too were serving the Editor, the Journal the community is a gift of
American public. But, not Thank you for our article your trust in us. Thank
today, addressing the critical is- you.
Today the evidence is sue of hunger in Mason With your ongoing sup-
clear that us regular folks County. port, we commit to continu-
don't mean much, if any- St. Edward's Catholic ing our mission of fighting
thing to the scoundrels we Church and St. David ofhunger in our hometown.
elected. Wales Episcopal Church Barbara Hinck
My newspaper tells me formed the Saints' Pan-President, Saints' Pantry
that my pension and my try Food Bank in 1981 Shelton
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Page A-4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, August 11,2011
Rick Kennedy, publisher Advertising: Composing room:
Jesse Mullen, general mgr. Dave Pierik, advertising manager William Adams, graphics
Harvey Morris, ad representative Koleen Wood, classifieds/lagals
Newsroom: Mat Taylor, ad representative Becky Corr, typing
Kevan Moore, managing editor
Aria Shephard, North Mason, Front office: Pressroom:
Donna Kinnaird, bookkeeper Kelly Riordan, production manager
environment, reporter Margot Brand, circulation
Natalie Johnson, reporter Travis Miller press operator
Emily Hanson, sports re .j:~orter Cricket Carter, mailroom supeSvisor
Adam Rudnick, Low eclRor :~ .... ~ i:~" !::i~:~
,It,