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Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012
." Voice of Mason County since 1886 -- Published for Mason County and Sharon Kingery of Shelton -- $1
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Lawsuit filed over track's ownership
By NATALIE JOHNSON
7~atalie@rnasoncount, y.con~
While The Ridge Motorsports Park
has proven to be a success, drawing
racing clubs from around the Pacific
Northwest and selling out for its 2012
racing season, trouble has been brew-
ing behind the scenes.
On Aug. 20, co-owner Joel Manke
filed a lawsuit in Masgn County Su-
perior Court against co-owners Rod
Powell and his wife Karen on seven
different claims, including breach of
contract and negligent infliction of
emotional distress.
Specifically, the claims include
breach of contract, judicial dissolu-
tion of The Ridge Metorsports Group,
breach of fiduciary duty, judicial dis-
solution of the Performance Motor ..... : ....
Sports Management, Inc., appoint-
ment of custodial receiver for the com-
panies, negligent infliction of emo-
tional distress and breach of interim
management agreement:
Rod Powell declined to comment on
the particulars of the case.
See Racetrack on page A-7
i:~ :i~
,ent'
Journa #noto uy Natahe Johnson
Mason County Clerk Pat Swartos has worked in the clerk's office since 1972. She plans to retire by October.
County clerk announces retirement after 40 years
By NATALIE JOHNSON
After 40 2/3 years of service to Mason
County, long-time County Clerk Pat Swar-
tos announced last week that she will re-
tire by October.
"It has been very interesting and I felt I
was dedicated 1;o make sure we were pro-
viding the service as required," she said. "It
was something I felt I needed to do."
Swartos started a~ the Mason County
Clerk's Office in 1972. She was elected
county clerk in 1984.
She takes pride in being the longes~ em-
ployed county clerk in Washington state
history.
Swartos was reelected in 2010. Her term
expires in 2014.
She has recommended that Ginger Brooks,
a 25-year veteran of the office, take over as
interim county clerk until a permanent coun-
ty clerk can be appointed or elected.
Swartos reflected on the changes in the
clerk's office during the past 40 years.
Some things have stayed the same. For
example, the clerk's office is in the same
location it was in when Swartos started
in 1972. The contents of that office have
changed remarkably.
In 1972. many of the records in the
clerk's office were still kept by hand. Swar-
tos called the office "untechnical" -- the
only machines in the office were a type-
writer and a mimeograph machine.
"It was really primitive around here,"
she said.
Swartos" career highlights
1972: Swnrtos begins atthe Mason Counly Clerk's office
1984: Swartos elected count/clerk
2012: Swartos announces retirement
Today, each clerk uses a computer to
digitally file documents in addition to
keeping hard copies of all court documents.
The clerk's office also now participates m
a digital records-keeping program used by
county clerk's offices statewide.
The duties of the office have also changed
throughout the years. In 1972. Mason and
Thurston counties had a joint judicial district,
See Clerk on page A-7
Board of Commissioners split on dropping impact fees
By GORDON WEEKS
gordon@rnasoncountv.eorn
The Shelton City Com-
mission is divided on a pro-
posal to introduce a morato-
rium on the collection of all
traffic impact fees.
At the commission's meet-
ing Monday, May-
or Gary Cronce
said he favors
placing a mora-
torium on traffic
impac~ fees as-
sessed on new de-
velopment within
the city, based
on the amount of
fund that pays for
street projects in
the city.
A moratorium
would help stimu-
late the building
industry -- "a
driving force in
the community"
-- during a pro-
new traffic the de- Gary longed recession,
velopment is pro-Cronce Cronce said.
]ll!!!!l!lJIl!!!lJ!J!]ll] jected to create. "The morato-
The fees are placed into rium is only a temporary
8 2 a capital improvements thing, he said. "Do we
need temporary help? Yes,
we do,"
The mayor added, "Part
of this is a morale booster
... to show the citizens we
feel their pain."
But City Commission-
ers Mike Olsen and Dawn
Pannell both said they op-
pose a moratorium on the
fee.
Olsen said he doesn't
believe a temporary elimi-
nation of the impac~ fee
will Stimulate building in
the city. He said he has
contacted many city ad-
ministrators "and no one
is putting on anything as
rash as a ~wo-year mora-
torium," he said.
Olsen added, "I'm cau-
tious about doing some-
thing that would hurt us
in the long run."
With new construction,
"you pay to play," said O1-
sen.
See Fees on page A-7
Great ,Dane
helps teach
By GORDON WEEKS
gordon,@rn, a.~.o~cottn, ty corrg
Jack the Great Dane's
painted pink toenails will
trigger talk about bullying
in Mason County schools.
The 4-month-old canine
takes the place of the late
Great Dane Sam as a teach-
ing tool in the Mason County
Sheriffs Office's new Educa-
tion Dog Program. Jack is
being trained to accompany
Mason County Sheriffs Of-
fice Animal Control Officer
Cindy Brewer as they visit
schools, civic groups and
safety fairs to talk about
safe behavior around dogs,
proper animal care and bul-
lying in schools.
"Responsibility and re-
spect for each other - that's
the message that I try to put
out," Brewer said.
During the last school
year, Brewer and her dog
Sam Visited classrooms
at Pioneer Middle School,
Hood Canal schools and
North Mason schools in Bel-
fair.
"When kids see stray
dogs, they think they can
run up to pet it," Brewer
said. "I teach them that we
always ask for permission
before we touch an animal,
because they don't know
how it will react."
Brewer instructs the chil-
dren ~o first let the dogs sniff
their hands, and to pet them
not on the face. but under
the chin. She also tells them
never ~o run away from a
canine "because it gives that
prey thing."
Brewer and Sam also pro-
vided training ~o employees
of the public utilities dis-
tricts, who often encounter
See Safety Dog on page A-7
Journal ono:o Dy Gordon Weeks
Cindy Brewer, the
animal control officer
for the Mason County
Sheriffs Office, is
training 4-month-old
Great Dane Jack to
accompany her on
visits to schools, civic
groups and safety
fairs to talk about safe
behavior around dogs,
proper animal care
and bullying.