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Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
August 23, 2007     Shelton Mason County Journal
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August 23, 2007
 
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00ournal of Opinion: Acting lessons Who cares if' apathy reigns in this community? Everyone should, because otherwise local problems go unsolved. Year after year. This subject surfaced at a party a few weeks ago at which one of Shelton's nonelected leaders approached us and said we had a lot of good ideas for the community in our editorials but no one was acting on them. He was dismayed that many knotty problems fester here and aren't being resolved. He implied that locals, having read the editorials, should want to take the next step and act socially or politically. That'sa nice sentiment but 180 degrees from reality. First, though 20,000 read The Journal, a small portion read the editorials. Second, to act, a reader has to believe the editorialist is sane. Third, even ifa reader does not want us committed, he needs the will to get involved if any action is to be taken. So few read, fewer agree and even fewer act. Hardly a formula for the newspaper to be a leader for change in the community. When a reader writes to complain that the editor is completely out of step with his community, she couldn't be more correct. He keeps telling people what they don't want to hear. We happen to believe that Mason County is small enough to make changes, unspoiled enough to save. (Would you rather address infrastructure deficiencies, health care, education, crime, water pollution and homelessness here or in King County?) But we have found, in about four decades here, that many people are misinformed, disinterested in civic affairs and ignorant, which is lacking knowledge, not being stupid. We explained that to the man at the party, and he agreed Mason County has an apathy problem but said the citizens could be brought around if the issues could be boiled down to fit on a T-shirt or bumper sticker, tte was serious, but he put his finger on the problem: America's attention span is no longer even the length of a half-hour sitcom. Without an informed populace, the community is doomed to muddle along, make the same mistakes, constantly complain and exacerbate problems. It's real easy to say it's educators' fault or liberals' fault or conservatives' fault. That way, one doesn't have to roll up one's sleeves. It's not they, they, they. Miss Piggy said it well: "Moi?" We're sad that history, civics and economics get such short shrift in education and that the arts and P.E. are cut in the wake of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning and No Child Left Behind. However, educators get their direction, and raw material, from the citizens. They are supposed to teach morals to immoral children, to make children learn who don't want to learn? It is their fault when children, given the exact same foods in two packages in a study, say the food in McDonald's wrappers tastes better? One essayist wonders aloud if America hasn't become "the can't- do nation," a superpower unable to tie its own shoelaces. How ironic it was to demolish a classic gymnasium here - a symbol of "the can-do nation" that built it t the end of the Depression - and replace it with portable classrooms symbolic of"the can't-do nation" unable to maintain a structure, unable to plan facilities, unable to appreciate its heritage. We'll be optimistic instead of cynical here and opine that Mason County can work its way out of its problems. But it's not going to happen with today's attitudes. It won't happen without leadership instead of caretaking. It won't happen if special interests run things instead of unselfish people working for the common good. It won't happen without universal vohmteerism instead of a fourth of the people carrying the load. It won't happen with challengers in elections flaying incumbents without workable plans of their own. It won't happen with citizens in denial of everything from pollution of the environment t) children abusing substances. It won't happen with people sitting on opposite ends of a spectrum and screaming at each other or, going one better, people in one party screaming at each other. It won't happen with 32 percent turnout in a city election or two-thirds of electoral posts drawing one candidate. It won't happen if the poor little community is waiting for Bill Gates to give it something. It won't happen ifpeople are existing rather than living, playing rather than participating in the public discourse. It won't happen with 35 percent dropout rates. It won't happen if parents let someone else or a popular culture raise their children. It won't happen if citizens say they can't afford civic improvements when they can. It won't happen if uninformed citizens elect people they don't know and change their minds five minutes later. It won't happen unless folks believe they can achieve a dream of a better community and work toward it. -CG iiiiiUillU1}iUiIiiIlUUiiUHi oo..,, ournal POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Shelton-Mason County Journal, P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584. Published weekly by Shelton Publishing Inc. at 227 West Cota Street, Shelton, Washington Mailing address: P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584 Telephone (360) 426-4412 * www.masoncounty.com Periodicals postage paid at Shelton, Washington Member of Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $31.00 per year in-county address, $45.00 per year in state of Washington $55.00 per year out of state Charles Gay, editor and publisher. Newsroom: Sean Hanlon, managing editor; Steve Patch, sports editor; Jeff Green, general assignment, city government, schools, Port of Shelton; Rebecca Wells, society editor, county government; Mary Duncan, police, courts. Advertising: Stephen Gay, advertising manager; Dave Pierik and Harvey Morris, ad sales. Front office: Julie Orme, business manager; Kathy Lester, circulation; Donna Kinnaird, bookkeeper; Cricket Carter, mailroom supervisor. Composing room: Diane Riordan, supervisor; Margot Brand, Jan Kallinen, pagination; Frank Isaac, pagination, photo technician; Koleen Wood, typesetter, computer system manager; William Adams, ad builder, computer system manager; Clinton Kendall, proofreader. Pressroom: Nick Carr, pressman; Jon Hughes, pressman's assistant. IIIIIII IIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIII IIIIIIIIIIIIlUlIIIIIIIlU U U lUlII Ill I Ill lUll IIIlU U llUlUlIIlUllUlU U lIIIlUlIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIlUlIIII Page 4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, August 23, 2007 l00eaders" 00ournal: Start beefing up our borders00 Editor, The Journal: I read with some concern the headline in the August 16 Journal about the "Two dozen brush pick- ers arrested." Then I reread it, and yes it was true that Dean Byrd of the Mason County Sheriff's Office was quoted as saying, "The sher- iffs office does not actively enforce immigration laws." My question then is: Who does actively enforce immigration laws here? Have I stumbled onto the root cause of our problem of being overrun by all the undocumented aliens that we seem to have in our area? If I had some land being in- vaded by uninvited brush pickers, I would certainly call the sheriffs office to report the offense. They seem to have an efficient orga- nization that can be relied upon to apprehend the perpetrators of criminal activity in our county. Why is it that they don't take an active role against undocumented aliens? Is it because they would spend all their time doing this and not in going after our homebred criminal element? I would imagine that it is very expensive for them to chase down our local criminals and prosecute them. But I'll bet it is even more expensive to apprehend and pros- ecute aliens such as these when our usually efficient District Court Judge Victoria Meadows has to take the time out of her busy schedule to get a larger courtroom to hold the many perpetrators in this case and to bring in the costly Mam interpreter so she can have verbal exchange with them and be able to explain to them their rights and to charge them. Then more taxpayer money has to be spent to provide the perpe- trators with defense attorneys who also have to use the Mam in- terpreter to communicate with the perpetrators. It seems to it might have been more el to put a stronger deterrent  our borders to keep the alie But I also think that we: welcome them to come to h harvest our forest productS i were here legally and went! it legally. [ Apparently our elect makers are bowing to t mands of the special-iJ groups rather than legisla' stronger deterrent at our b I imagine that we will see.! increase to help provide the vices to the many undocu aliens that seem to get think we should expect our] ed lawmakers to serve the that elected them, rather the special-interest grou.pS get on with beefing up our against this onslaught. Gordy Mountai t Applause for Northcliff work00 Editor, The Journal: We live on a private road that runs up a steep hill off Northcliff Road. Like many of our neighbors and fellow Sheltonians, we had concerns as the time for the long- awaited construction project on Northcliff Road approached. I am happy to report that none of the things we worried about have come to pass, and I want to give credit to the folks from the city and the con- tractor for their fine efforts in the area of public relations. Well before things kicked off, when I called with questions, my calls were followed up and the re- quested inibrmation was provided. As the actual work started and the road was closed to through traffic, I was impressed to have the day- glo resident pass delivered to my door by the city project engineer. When I complained about the way my driveway was repaved after trenching, again he came to my door in person, and soon the drive- way was repaved as I requested. For sure, there have b$ lays and frustrations for of us who live along Nort] but everybody involved il project has worked very l minimize them and to h dea' with our frustrationS'r cial credit and kudos go flaggers who have dealtT hand with motorists whO, sure, have not always bee to handle. Toby Editor, The Journal." How can anyone read the won- derful, nostalgic letter by Norma A. Vincent (August 2, "Decency destroyed") and see only the para- graphs truthfully describing many of today's students and liberals? Being at the end of the life cycle, my K-12 memories are very close to Ms. Vincent's. Now, too many of the teachers are aging hippies of the '60s and '70s who became teachers because that was the only while things always change, it is not always for the better. I don't think the way schools are run to- day could be called "conservative." "Liberal" seems very appropriate, and if you can't see the complete breakdown of traditional stan- dards and morals, you have to be blind. Public education is a disas- ter, and I blame liberal thinking. If there is another reason, I am open to suggestions. And please, would liberals quit defining the term for others. Mr. son has seeped into lives,  rypicked the many definitia make himself feel intell superior. I have read this edly in your paper. If one believes liberab "generous and unselfish,  how this is applied by Deva0 politicians. Schools have harmed enough by liber is time to say, No more 0t experimentation on our cll kids." John S Trait thing they could qualify for. Rhodes, in last week's letter, "Poi- Hupp has integrity and abilitl s uitS: Admin:::r ati l Editor, The Journal: In the upcoming election for Port of Shelton commissioner, I will be casting my ballot for a man whose character is best described by the word "integrity." Beyond that, he has a proven economic de- velopment ability and a long his- tory of assisting business growth at the port. With his past career in naval aviation and local involvement with the Mason County Planning Commission, he has a balanced perspective on issues involving aviation development at Sander- son Field. He has a vital concern for the Johns Prairie Industrial Area and will continue in his many years of work to provide water for future development there. As a drag racing enthusiast, he has encouraged regularly sched- uled events and has relocation to a more because of noise levels eral Aviation cerns. For all of the above reasO more, I encourage all voters Shelton Port District to. joi the opportunity to elect JaY as commissioner• Bob  Editor, The Journal." I wish it was the law to paw- print puppies and kittens at birth. That's ridiculous, you say? Well, another dog has been dropped off on my street. A nice little female, good with kids and other animals. Neighbors are feed- ing her, but can't keep! If we had a computerized reg- It's been raining cats and istry paid for by licensing  nations, maybe we could low-life culprits that do act. Lake 1 Schools harmed by liberals 00ournal of Opinion: Acting lessons Who cares if' apathy reigns in this community? Everyone should, because otherwise local problems go unsolved. Year after year. This subject surfaced at a party a few weeks ago at which one of Shelton's nonelected leaders approached us and said we had a lot of good ideas for the community in our editorials but no one was acting on them. He was dismayed that many knotty problems fester here and aren't being resolved. He implied that locals, having read the editorials, should want to take the next step and act socially or politically. That'sa nice sentiment but 180 degrees from reality. First, though 20,000 read The Journal, a small portion read the editorials. Second, to act, a reader has to believe the editorialist is sane. Third, even ifa reader does not want us committed, he needs the will to get involved if any action is to be taken. So few read, fewer agree and even fewer act. Hardly a formula for the newspaper to be a leader for change in the community. When a reader writes to complain that the editor is completely out of step with his community, she couldn't be more correct. He keeps telling people what they don't want to hear. We happen to believe that Mason County is small enough to make changes, unspoiled enough to save. (Would you rather address infrastructure deficiencies, health care, education, crime, water pollution and homelessness here or in King County?) But we have found, in about four decades here, that many people are misinformed, disinterested in civic affairs and ignorant, which is lacking knowledge, not being stupid. We explained that to the man at the party, and he agreed Mason County has an apathy problem but said the citizens could be brought around if the issues could be boiled down to fit on a T-shirt or bumper sticker, tte was serious, but he put his finger on the problem: America's attention span is no longer even the length of a half-hour sitcom. Without an informed populace, the community is doomed to muddle along, make the same mistakes, constantly complain and exacerbate problems. It's real easy to say it's educators' fault or liberals' fault or conservatives' fault. That way, one doesn't have to roll up one's sleeves. It's not they, they, they. Miss Piggy said it well: "Moi?" We're sad that history, civics and economics get such short shrift in education and that the arts and P.E. are cut in the wake of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning and No Child Left Behind. However, educators get their direction, and raw material, from the citizens. They are supposed to teach morals to immoral children, to make children learn who don't want to learn? It is their fault when children, given the exact same foods in two packages in a study, say the food in McDonald's wrappers tastes better? One essayist wonders aloud if America hasn't become "the can't- do nation," a superpower unable to tie its own shoelaces. How ironic it was to demolish a classic gymnasium here - a symbol of "the can-do nation" that built it t the end of the Depression - and replace it with portable classrooms symbolic of"the can't-do nation" unable to maintain a structure, unable to plan facilities, unable to appreciate its heritage. We'll be optimistic instead of cynical here and opine that Mason County can work its way out of its problems. But it's not going to happen with today's attitudes. It won't happen without leadership instead of caretaking. It won't happen if special interests run things instead of unselfish people working for the common good. It won't happen without universal vohmteerism instead of a fourth of the people carrying the load. It won't happen with challengers in elections flaying incumbents without workable plans of their own. It won't happen with citizens in denial of everything from pollution of the environment t) children abusing substances. It won't happen with people sitting on opposite ends of a spectrum and screaming at each other or, going one better, people in one party screaming at each other. It won't happen with 32 percent turnout in a city election or two-thirds of electoral posts drawing one candidate. It won't happen if the poor little community is waiting for Bill Gates to give it something. It won't happen ifpeople are existing rather than living, playing rather than participating in the public discourse. It won't happen with 35 percent dropout rates. It won't happen if parents let someone else or a popular culture raise their children. It won't happen if citizens say they can't afford civic improvements when they can. It won't happen if uninformed citizens elect people they don't know and change their minds five minutes later. It won't happen unless folks believe they can achieve a dream of a better community and work toward it. -CG iiiiiUillU1}iUiIiiIlUUiiUHi oo..,, ournal POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Shelton-Mason County Journal, P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584. Published weekly by Shelton Publishing Inc. at 227 West Cota Street, Shelton, Washington Mailing address: P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584 Telephone (360) 426-4412 * www.masoncounty.com Periodicals postage paid at Shelton, Washington Member of Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $31.00 per year in-county address, $45.00 per year in state of Washington $55.00 per year out of state Charles Gay, editor and publisher. Newsroom: Sean Hanlon, managing editor; Steve Patch, sports editor; Jeff Green, general assignment, city government, schools, Port of Shelton; Rebecca Wells, society editor, county government; Mary Duncan, police, courts. Advertising: Stephen Gay, advertising manager; Dave Pierik and Harvey Morris, ad sales. Front office: Julie Orme, business manager; Kathy Lester, circulation; Donna Kinnaird, bookkeeper; Cricket Carter, mailroom supervisor. Composing room: Diane Riordan, supervisor; Margot Brand, Jan Kallinen, pagination; Frank Isaac, pagination, photo technician; Koleen Wood, typesetter, computer system manager; William Adams, ad builder, computer system manager; Clinton Kendall, proofreader. Pressroom: Nick Carr, pressman; Jon Hughes, pressman's assistant. IIIIIII IIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIII IIIIIIIIIIIIlUlIIIIIIIlU U U lUlII Ill I Ill lUll IIIlU U llUlUlIIlUllUlU U lIIIlUlIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIlUlIIII Page 4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, August 23, 2007 l00eaders" 00ournal: Start beefing up our borders00 Editor, The Journal: I read with some concern the headline in the August 16 Journal about the "Two dozen brush pick- ers arrested." Then I reread it, and yes it was true that Dean Byrd of the Mason County Sheriff's Office was quoted as saying, "The sher- iffs office does not actively enforce immigration laws." My question then is: Who does actively enforce immigration laws here? Have I stumbled onto the root cause of our problem of being overrun by all the undocumented aliens that we seem to have in our area? If I had some land being in- vaded by uninvited brush pickers, I would certainly call the sheriffs office to report the offense. They seem to have an efficient orga- nization that can be relied upon to apprehend the perpetrators of criminal activity in our county. Why is it that they don't take an active role against undocumented aliens? Is it because they would spend all their time doing this and not in going after our homebred criminal element? I would imagine that it is very expensive for them to chase down our local criminals and prosecute them. But I'll bet it is even more expensive to apprehend and pros- ecute aliens such as these when our usually efficient District Court Judge Victoria Meadows has to take the time out of her busy schedule to get a larger courtroom to hold the many perpetrators in this case and to bring in the costly Mam interpreter so she can have verbal exchange with them and be able to explain to them their rights and to charge them. Then more taxpayer money has to be spent to provide the perpe- trators with defense attorneys who also have to use the Mam in- terpreter to communicate with the perpetrators. It seems to it might have been more el to put a stronger deterrent  our borders to keep the alie But I also think that we: welcome them to come to h harvest our forest productS i were here legally and went! it legally. [ Apparently our elect makers are bowing to t mands of the special-iJ groups rather than legisla' stronger deterrent at our b I imagine that we will see.! increase to help provide the vices to the many undocu aliens that seem to get think we should expect our] ed lawmakers to serve the that elected them, rather the special-interest grou.pS get on with beefing up our against this onslaught. Gordy Mountai t Applause for Northcliff work00 Editor, The Journal: We live on a private road that runs up a steep hill off Northcliff Road. Like many of our neighbors and fellow Sheltonians, we had concerns as the time for the long- awaited construction project on Northcliff Road approached. I am happy to report that none of the things we worried about have come to pass, and I want to give credit to the folks from the city and the con- tractor for their fine efforts in the area of public relations. Well before things kicked off, when I called with questions, my calls were followed up and the re- quested inibrmation was provided. As the actual work started and the road was closed to through traffic, I was impressed to have the day- glo resident pass delivered to my door by the city project engineer. When I complained about the way my driveway was repaved after trenching, again he came to my door in person, and soon the drive- way was repaved as I requested. For sure, there have b$ lays and frustrations for of us who live along Nort] but everybody involved il project has worked very l minimize them and to h dea' with our frustrationS'r cial credit and kudos go flaggers who have dealtT hand with motorists whO, sure, have not always bee to handle. Toby Editor, The Journal." How can anyone read the won- derful, nostalgic letter by Norma A. Vincent (August 2, "Decency destroyed") and see only the para- graphs truthfully describing many of today's students and liberals? Being at the end of the life cycle, my K-12 memories are very close to Ms. Vincent's. Now, too many of the teachers are aging hippies of the '60s and '70s who became teachers because that was the only while things always change, it is not always for the better. I don't think the way schools are run to- day could be called "conservative." "Liberal" seems very appropriate, and if you can't see the complete breakdown of traditional stan- dards and morals, you have to be blind. Public education is a disas- ter, and I blame liberal thinking. If there is another reason, I am open to suggestions. And please, would liberals quit defining the term for others. Mr. son has seeped into lives,  rypicked the many definitia make himself feel intell superior. I have read this edly in your paper. If one believes liberab "generous and unselfish,  how this is applied by Deva0 politicians. Schools have harmed enough by liber is time to say, No more 0t experimentation on our cll kids." John S Trait thing they could qualify for. Rhodes, in last week's letter, "Poi- Hupp has integrity and abilitl s uitS: Admin:::r ati l Editor, The Journal: In the upcoming election for Port of Shelton commissioner, I will be casting my ballot for a man whose character is best described by the word "integrity." Beyond that, he has a proven economic de- velopment ability and a long his- tory of assisting business growth at the port. With his past career in naval aviation and local involvement with the Mason County Planning Commission, he has a balanced perspective on issues involving aviation development at Sander- son Field. He has a vital concern for the Johns Prairie Industrial Area and will continue in his many years of work to provide water for future development there. As a drag racing enthusiast, he has encouraged regularly sched- uled events and has relocation to a more because of noise levels eral Aviation cerns. For all of the above reasO more, I encourage all voters Shelton Port District to. joi the opportunity to elect JaY as commissioner• Bob  Editor, The Journal." I wish it was the law to paw- print puppies and kittens at birth. That's ridiculous, you say? Well, another dog has been dropped off on my street. A nice little female, good with kids and other animals. Neighbors are feed- ing her, but can't keep! If we had a computerized reg- It's been raining cats and istry paid for by licensing  nations, maybe we could low-life culprits that do act. Lake 1 Schools harmed by liberals