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Thursday, August 18, 2011
Year 125 -- Week 33 -- 8 Sections -- 44 Pages -- Published in Shelton, Washington -- $1
Journal photo by Kevan Moore
James Re n, the managing director of
Hearland LLC in Seattle, speaks Tuesday about
Green Diamond plans to conserve 18000 acres of
timberland.
By KEVAN MOORE economic, environmental, and recre- "We have operated in this re-
ational benefit," said Trust for Public gion for five generations and are
Mason County's largest landown- Land's Western Divisions Director committed to practicing responsi-
er, a company with deeper roots than Roger Hoesterey. ble forestry," said Paul Wing, vice
just about any other, is promising to The Trust for Public Land will president and general manager of
keep 18,000 acres of land as working seek project funding from federal, Green Diamond's Northwest Tim-
forest forevermore, state and local governments, along berlands Division. "As our commu-
Green Diamond Resource Compa- with private philanthropy, to put- nity grows, this unique partnership
ny, working with the Trust for Pub- chase a conservation easement based with the Trust for Public Lands
tic Land, announced plans this week on an independent appraisal of the and other public and private stake-
to place a conservation easement on land's value, Hoesterey said. holders will enable us to maintain
most of its property between Shetton Approximately 7,000 of the 25,000- working forests that support our
and Belfair, permanently preventing acre project area, with access, utility, local economy while addressing
it from being developed and conserv- and other locational advantages, are emerging needs."
ing it as working forest, planned to retain their existing de- Nationwide, the Trust for Public
"This is a real opportunity to bring velopment rights and be positioned Land has protected more than 3 rail-
together an important local landown- for low-impact development by Green lion acres in 47 states, and in Wash-
er with local government, tribal and Diamond as Mason County market ington TPL has completed over 290
stakeholder groups to protect a long- demand dictates over the next 20 to projects protecting more than 83,000
established working forest and its 30 years, acres.
City
votes
again on
sales tax
measure -
By NATALIE JOHNSON
The City of Shelton Com-
mission voted for a second
time Tuesday to approve
putting a one-tenth of 1
percent sales tax increase
saiiet3
lot in the November gener-
al election.
The tax would only be
applicable within city lim-
its and would not apply to
food, car purchases or oth-
erwise exempt items.
Last week, Commis-
sioner Mike Byrne, who is
running for reelection as
Shelton Commissioner of
Finance and Mayor John
Tarrant, who is not run-
ning for reelection this
year, voted to allow city
staff to draft a resolution to
put the proposed tax on the
November ballot. Commis-
sioner Dawn Pannell, who
is running for Mayor, voted
against it.
However, on Monday, all
three commissioners voted
to approve a resolution to
put the proposed one-tenth
of 1 percent tax on the bal-
lot.
By law, at least one-third
of the taxes collected must
go to public safety. City
Manager Dave O'Leary
said that all funds collected
would go to public safety in
the city.
The city originally
planned to pursue such a
sales tax along with Mason
County, and although the
Mayor personally spoke be-
fore the county commission
several times to request
consideration of the ballot
measure, the county de-
clined to act.
However, Codnty Com-
missioner Lynda Ring Er-
ickson weighed in on the
issue Tuesday.
"We've been following
the requests for several
weeks by the Mayor of
Shelton," she said.
Although the county will
not pursue the sales tax, it
will still receive 15 percent
of revenue collected by the
city if voters approve the tax
in November. Ring Erickson
See Sales tax on page A-7
~3
~ ~.~,
Mason County Commissioner Lynda Ring Eriekson, left, and Mason
set of primary election results Tuesday night in Shelton.
County Auditor Karen Herr
• • •
Journal photo by Kevan Moore
look over the first
By KEVAN M{OORE
Tuesday's primary election featured a tittle
bit of everything for political junkies: close
calls and blowouts, a levy that hangs in the
balance and incumbents sent packing.
Mason County Auditor Karen Herr said
that about 1,000 additional ballots will be tal-
tied Friday, but the results, with the possible
exception of a levy at Fire District 9, are un-
likely to change.
In the race for Shelton mayor, sitting city
commissioner Dawn Pannell garnered 41.44
percent of the vote followed by Shelton busi-
nessman Gary Cronce who earned 31.5 per-
cent. Political newcomer and first-time can-
didate Tracy Moore was eliminated from the
running with just 25.48 percent.
Incumbent Port of Shelton Commissioner
Jack Miles came in second with just 25.71 per-
cent of the vote while challenger Dick Taylor
earned 52.53 percent. Brian Avery was elimi-
nated with 20.16 percent.
In the Port of Allyn race, incumbent Jean
Famer earned 53.59 percent of the vote fol-
lowed by Barry Fischer with 34.84 percent and
Danielle Skeeters-Lindsey with 9.84 percent.
Sitting Belfair Water District Commis-
sioner John Phillips was eliminated after only
earning 14 votes. Linnie Griffin, meanwhile,
earned 69.41 percent and Lynn Stevenson got
21.76 percent.
Another incumbent at Fire District 3 also
struggled Tuesday. Stan Catron advances, but
only earned 36.01 percent while Nancy Mont-
gomery earned 54.81 percent. Jeremy Seetig
was eliminated with just 8.45 percent.
At Fire District 8 in Tahuya, incumbent
Tom Wampold got 60.26 percent, Steve Chris-
tensen got 31.2 percent and John Henderson
got 6.84 percent.
An EMS levy at Fire District 6 passed over-
whelmingly with 83.14 percent and Fire Dis-
trict 4 voters also passed a levy lid lift with
52.97 percent.
After Tuesday's initial count, an EMS levy
at Fire District 9 fell just shy of the required
super-majority for passage with 59.87 percent.
Some 188 voters said "yes" to the measure
while 126 others said "no."
Journal photo by Adam Rudnick
Arcadia resident Rob Stewart drops
his primary election ballot in Shel-
ton Tuesday. "I thought I'd save a
stamp but I think I spent more on
gas," he said.
PUD prepa
for BPA rate increase in October
By NATALIE JOHNSON
Mason County PUD 3 is pre-
paring for as high as a 10 percent
wholesale rate increase on Octo-
ber 1 from its largest power sup-
plier, federal power marketing
agency Bonneville Power Admin-
istration (BPA).
BPA has listed the region wide
"We won't know for sure (what
the increase will be) until we get
our first bill on November 1."
exactly what it's going to be. We Last year, PUD 3 staffworked the
rate increase at 7.8 percent, but won't know for sure until we get increase into their 2011 budget
PUD 3 Manager WylaWood said our first bill on November 1," she so it wouldn't affect retail rates
the PUD might not know its ex- said. or PUD customer payments.
act rate increase for some time. BPA's wholesale, ra~.k~e ~ :. ~ budge~£or a 10 percent
"We're still trying to figure out hasn't come at a surpnse;~;'~"o~gl~, increase to be sure we were cov-
ered," Wood said.
However, as the PUD enters
into the 2012 budget process, the
impact of the BPA rate increase
will reach ratepayers.
If PUD 3's rate hike is close
to the region wide average of 7.8
percent, the PUD's power bills,
the money they pay to BPA,
would increase by $2 million.
"We're talking real money,"
Wood said.
Wood said PUD 3 customers
See PUD on page A-7