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County closes swimming at Twanoh State Park
By ARLA SHEPHARD
Visitors to Twanoh State Park in
Union are urged to stay out of the
waters, following a state recommen-
dation that the county close the park
to all swimmers.
The Department of Health (DOH)
and the Department of Ecology
(DOE) Beach Program issued the clo-
sure recommendation last Friday, af-
ter weekly water quality monitoring
results came in indicating high levels
of fecal pollution at the park.
"The reason the beach was closed
is because of the results of what we
use for fecal contamination, [the bac-
terial enterococcus," said Julie Lowe,
Beach Program manager with DOH
and DOE. ~I~ne results came back
above our standards, which is an in-
dicator for fecal pollution."
Volunteers with the Washington
Sea Grant program collect water
samples weekly at Twanoh State
Park for the state, and the entero-
coccus results from Monday, Aug. 1,
came in at 109 coliform forming units
(cfu) per 100 milliliters.
Per protocol, waters are re-sam-
pled when enterococcus results come
in between 103 and 276 ol~M100 mL,
Lowe said, the latter of which is the
highest EPA threshold for enterococ-
CUR.
The waters were re-sampled on
Wednesday, Aug. 10, and lab results
came in at 287 cfu/lOO mL on Thurs-
Journal photo by Aria Shephard
Mason County closed Twanoh State Park from swimmers last
week after tests from the Department of Health and Ecology
showed high levels of fecal pollution indicators in the area.
day night. The DOH Shellfish Program moni-
Lowe contacted Mason County tors fecal coliform contamination and
Public Health• Friday morning and has not issued a shellfish ban for
recommended closure. Twanoh State Park, but cautions all
=They recommended closure, but it harvesters to thoroughly cook shell-
was our call," said Vicki Kirkpatrick, fish.
the county's Public Health director. For more information on swim-
~Ve as always choose to err on the ming closures, visit www.ecy.wa.gov/
side of caution to close it for swim- programs/cap/beach or www.face-
ming." book.com/WABEACH
Registration Aug 22"d
Sign-up 5 p.m. at SHS Track
Camp begins
5:30 - 7 p.m.
Aug 22 - 25th
$60 for 1 child
$40each for 2 or more kids
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FACEBOOK - Shelton Kings Cheerleading
Pres. Delilah (360) 790-5580
This Lovely Lady's
turning 80 and that
Little Pixie turned 60.
Happy Birthday
Dorothy & Vicki!
-- Love, Your Family
Tax
Continued from page A-1
h01d back one percent of the
collected revenue.
Mayor John Tarrant has
long been a proponent of the
public safety sales tax in-
crease.
"For me it's pretty clear,
I think our public deserves
the option to choose yea or
nay," he said.
When the city commis-
sion and staff first began
discussing his proposal,
they intended to partner
with M~on County for a
higher increase, of three
tenths of one percent, and
more funding for cops.
While Mason County
commissioner J~ .~e
has expressed ~for
the public safety sales tax,
the County Commission as
a whole has not taken any
action to support a tax in-
crease themselves.
The city can only ask a
maximum of a one tenth of
one percent increase, and
by law, a third of it must be
used for public safety. City
manager Dave O'Leary said
that the city would use all
of the expected $177,000 to
fund public safety, and most
of it would replace grants
currently funding police of-
ricer positions.
"I've been up at the
county three times with a
presentation,~ he said. "We
have a looming deadline."
The city had until next
Tuesday, Aug. 16, to ap-
prove the ballot measure.
"I realize it's tough.., the
bottom line is a lot of people
come through Shelton and
Mason County and use ser-
vices, they can help us pay
for this," Tarrant said.
Commissioner Dawn
Pannell, who is running
for Mtyor of helt#n in
August 16 primary election,
voted against putting the
tax increase on the Novem-
ber ballot.
"I agree people deserve
a time to choose - I don't
think this is the right time,"
she said.
Pannell •aid she believed
a sales tax increase in Shel-
ton would encourage people
to shop elsewhere.
Thurston County's sales
I h il--------- I
Journal photo by Natalie Johnson
John lnd C6mmi t6n P Jmell dkm ,c d on
whether to place a one tenth of one percent sales tax increase on the
November ballot.
tax rate is 8.9 percent and spoke in support of the tax. agreed that without stable,
Kitsap County's rate is 8.6 "I might preface this bylong-term funding for pub-
percent. Shelton and Mason saying none of us want to lic safety, they would have
County's current sales tax impose a tax on these tough to make "tough decisions"
rate is 8.4 percent, times," he said. "We are all about cutting funding to
Mike Byrne, who is run- going to have to make some public safety to balance the
ning for Shelton City Com- sacrifices in very toughbudget.
missioner of Finance in the times." "There really is no an-
November general election, All three commissioners swer," Byrne said.
Lawsuit
Continued from page A-1
two rotating drum screens installed
by general contractor Pease and Sons,
Inc. at the city's Satellite Water Recla-
mation Plant.
Early this summer, the City of
Shelton announced that faulty screens
installed at the plant had caused al-
most $1 million of estimated damage
throughout the plant.
Since then, the city has been look-
ing for a way to recoup its apparent
losses and pay for repairs to get the
plant up and running at i00 percent
again.
Initially, the city planned to use
$250,000 retained from the contrac-
tor's payment to replace one batch of
damaged fine membrane screens in
the plant, then bill Pease and Son's for
the rest, since it was that company's
subcontractor that supplied the faulty
screens that caused, the damage.
That plan didn't work out, accord-
ing to the Steve Coins, the city's com-
munity and economic development
director. In June the city voted to
Plus
installation
labor
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buy the first shipment of replacement
membranes, amounting to $269,000,
using the sewer utility reserves.
After the purchase, the city began
a mediation process with Pease and
Sons.
City staff advised the commission
to approve the resolution in a writ-
ten briefing, but the resolution never
reached the public meeting.
The content of executive sessions
are not a part of public record, and
city officials did not comment on the
decision to remove the resolution from
the meeting's agenda.
I'll
with
I!!
Shelton-Mason County
mUSlim
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Shelton-Mason County Journal -Thursday, August 11,2011 - Page A-7