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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
August 23, 2012     Shelton Mason County Journal
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August 23, 2012
 
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JOURNALEDITORIAL KOMENCOMMENT Curious statement marks end of Simpson Recreation Area The Simpson Recreation Area at the south end of Mason Lake is an outdoor jewel. Generations of Simpson Company employees and their families have had their very own park to use for vacations, overnight camping, swimming, baseball games, outdoor basketball and even horseshoes. All that is coming to an end. Simpson says it is shutting down the recreation area after this summer season. It has put the park up for sale. "Simpson has decided to explore its sales options for the Mason Lake property," says a statement on Sirhpson's website. The statement -- "Mason Lake Announcement 2012" -- curiously is in a Q&A for- mat. No name is attached. No contact for further infor- mation xs provided. The one- page statement simply poses By JOHN 10 questions in boldface KOMEN type. followed by an answer to each question. It boils down to a busi- LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR ness decision. The park was no longer part of Simpson's "commitment to focusing on our core business." "We had to acknowledge that park manage- ment is not where we should direct our re- sources right now," says Simpson in its answer to its question number two, "Why is Simpson selling the park?" There had been rumblings for years about the future of the Simpson Recreation Area. Recently the rumors had become more vigor- ous. They had centered on three possibilities: that Simpson would swap the park for county- owned timberlands and the land would become a county park; that Simpson would sell the land and its thousands of feet of prime water- front to a developer: or Simpson itself would develop the property into sites for homes and condominiums. All this rumored speculation is causing concern among the residents of Mason Lake. Many have lived in their waterfront homes for 50 or more years, and in all that time the Simpson Recreation Area has been an anchor neighbor. Who will take it over? And what kind of a neighbor will move in? For many years Simpson has been a re- spectful steward of the property. Development along the waterfront and in its large upland acreage has been minimal. The park has never changed much: its rustic appearance is its charm. Campsites are simpl~e places to pitch a tent or park a trailer. Watqer faucets, fire pits and carefully attended toilet facilities are pro- vided. There's a dump site for RV waste. These simple facilities have been carefully attended these past several years by Chief Ranger Casey Bearden and his small staff of summer assistants. Bearden and his family live year-round m an on-site residence. Bearden has won admiration and plaudits from Mason Lake residents who "trespass" oc- casionally to walk through the park. His job hasn't always been easy. Noise and rowdiness were prevalent not many years ago. Fourths of July once left the park's shore lined with fireworks rubbish and party litter. There were loud parties, complete with amplified speak- ers aiming loud music down the lake, vandals destroyed toilets and stuffed rags in drains to flood shower stalls. Bearden stopped the carnage. Fireworks were banned and entry to the park was care- fully controlled. The park has been quiet and clean under his leadership. Letters of commen- dation have been sent to his bosses praxsing what he has done. The word around the lake is that Bearden has been told to find another job. With the park's closure. Mason Lake loses one of its most stellar citizens. Simpson is a wholly owned private corpo- ration. It is under no requirement to explain its actions, much less continue to maintain a much-loved recreation area for its employees to enjoy and lake-area residents to appreciate. What we do know is that the Simpson In- vestment Company is a holdir~g company con- trolling three subsidiaries --Simpson Lumber Company, Simpson Door Company and Simp- son Tacoma Kraft Company. Green Diamond Resource Company. with an office in Shelton. was spun off in 2004 as another subsidiary. It is a far cry from the old Simpson Logging Company, established in the timber town of Shelton way back in 1890. • John Komen, who lives on Mason Lake, was for 40 years a reporter and editor, TV anchor- man, national TV network correspondent, pro- ducer, columnist, editorial writer and commenta- tor. His column, Komen Comment, appears each week in the Shelton-Mason County Journal. The Washingron state Constitution sums it up best -- "The people of this state do not yield their sov- ereignty to the agencies which serve them." Tacoma News Tribune reporter Sean Robinson and other members of a panel of guest speakers repeatedly quoted the constitution during a recent panel on public records and open meetings last week at the Alderbrook Resort. '~/ou don't give up your power -- the records belong to you. so you get to look at them." Robinson said. The panelists spoke to a group of government leaders, public officials and local residents at the members' talking Editor, the Journal My comments today highlight an old recurring is- sue with water quality and county oversight. Much of what ['m about to say reflect the thoughts of Bill Allen, citizen and community activist, who was unable to be here this morning. Mr. Allen and I were partly responsible for calling attention to the impact of the spo~-t fish- ery and the out of compliance use of the Hunter farm prop- erty in the Skokomish River back in 2009. We are repeating the same cycle where improper enforcement and oversight will and is right now resulting in fe- cal contamination and pollution in the river. We ask the commissioners, particularly Mr. Sheldon, how many years have they been allowed to operate the illegal fishing camp? How many more times will businesses like mine suffer losses due to closures be- cause the county has not been proactive? How many more people like Bill Allen will suf- fer life-debilitating infections because the county can't, for whatever reason, get on top of the predictable cycle and con- trol it? The fact is the county does not follow through on its own guidelines. Instead. it takes a complaint with the Depart- ment of Ecology and the state Department of Health to effect timely action. Why must they do the county's work for them? We have a similar example concerning the sensitive area around the Robin Hood Vil- lage. The commissioners, again in 2009. passed a resolution prohibiting new "park model trailers" to be placed on the waterfront. The owner ignored the mandate, allowed legal con- fusion to compromise effective action and the result was the Department of Ecology again had to intervene. The county was ineffective in its ability to either solve this problem or develop an effective land use policy. Here again, the state has to do the work the county should be doing. The key here is strategic leadership. Mr. Sheldon, these events are on your watch, in your district. Any management guideline would empower your agency staffto do what it takes m provide consistent impartial and fair follow-through. It sim- ply is not happening and has not been and we're not exagger- ating here. Folks, we are well in the 21st century and we need to behave like it. There will be ~'$?, Shelton-Mason County I [ more people and environmen- I~ ,6W~:, 1~: /~~ P~,~ |l tal impact as we move forward. ' i~ ii i tl :~i ~ ':iii , , , i : , Let s end the us and them ----- .~ Shelton-Mason County Journal is a member of uSPS 492-800 Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Shelton-Mason SUBSCRIPTION RATES: County Journal, RO. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584. $37 per year for Mason County addresses, Published weekly by Shelton-Mason County Journal, Inc. $51 per year in state of Washington but outside at 227 West Cota Street, Shelton, Washington Mason County, $61 per year out of state. Mailing address: RO. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584 Telephone (360) 426-4412 • www.masoncounty.com Periodicals postage paid at Shelton, Washington Owned and published by Shelton-Mason County Journal, I nc ong to event, which was co-sponsored by the Washington Coalition for Open Govern- ment and the Mason County League of Women Voters. As members of the media, we tend to champion public records law and open government more than most entities or individuals. But as Robinson put it, public records are not reserved to just us -- they belong to you. Access to public documents, whether they are City of Shelton Board of Com- missioners meeting agendas or court records, is not just for the media. All residents have a right to this in- formation. The Internet often makes finding these records easy. Meeting minutes, building permits and election results are just a few records available online at the Mason County website, located at co.mason.wa.us. If you're unsure of what you're looking for, feel free to con- tact individual departments for more in- formation. Don't feel like you're wasting their time -- they're here to serve you. If the information you've seeking isn't online, you can fill out a public records request form in person. Looking at those records is free, but individual depart- ments sometimes charge a nominal fee for printing or copying documents. Know your rights. Elected officials and government agencies work for you. Exercise your right to public informa- tion. mentality that pervades Mason County operations. Let's end the nepotism. Turn fear into forward movement. Partaaer and promote solutions. Love this beautiful county before we lose it. Be leaders and not lag- gards. Scott Grout Shelton Why elect Haigh? Editor, the Journal I am intrigued by the thought process of voters in Mason County. Rep. Kathy Haigh, running as an incum- bent for the umpteenth time, has said yet again in public fo- rum (paraphrased): if you don't like me votmg to increases tax- es and fees, don't vote for me. But Mason County voters like Democrats, only Demo- crats, anyone with a D behind their name. And Kathy Haigh is re-elected time after time. Yet some of the same voters seem to be against tax increas- es, as the Tim Eyman initia- tives to hold down or require more than majority support for tax increases are passed state- wide every two years; negating her "House" work, but leaving her in office for another two years, when voters will make the same odd choice over again. Some Mason County Demo- crats, while vilifying Tim Ey- man, count on him to do what they themselves cannot do; put financial responsibffity, ac- countability and funding priori- ties in place for the Democrat- controlled Legislature to follow. I would wager that the writ- ers of the state's constitution never intended the initiative and referendum processes to be exercised after every Legisla- tive session for the will of the people to be carried out by the state government. The consti- tution's writers likely expected voters to vote for citizens who share their views of govern- ment priorities and spending in the primary and general elections. Their vision of state government is gone. Mary Jean Hrbacek Shelton Diamond comments Editor, the Journal "When Green Diamond requested the land redesigna- tion, Mason County not'ffled residents within 300 feet of the property line." This is a quote from the Journal's article on the rezone for the north shore of Lake Nahwatzel. Though I don't doubt Green Diamond/ Simpson portrayed this to your reporter, it is untrne. Neither Green Diamond/Simpson nor the county notified the adjacent owners until it was a "done deal." We know.., our north boundary is with Green Dia- mond/Simpson. This entire process of more than a year and a half was done in secrecy. They will tell you they did nothing illegal -- a cover for doing something unethical but technically in line with the law. Let me give a couple of examples: When I heard people in the brush next to our property, I investigated, only to find a survey crew. They had been hired by Green Diamond/Simpson, they said, but they had no idea why it was being surveyed. Nobody believes that. In addition, an attorney who has a place on the lake requested the documents from the county, and a box fifll was presented to him. Nowhere in all the documents of all the back and forth between the county and the company, the myriad of forms and declara- tions and "studies" -- not once did the term "Lake Nahwatzel" appear. That the company -- and the county - made a mas- sive effort to keep this whole effort secret from those of us who live on the lake is obvious. We received our Notice of Ap- plication at the end of July (it was dated July 27, 2012). You notice I'm careful to stipulate Simpson with the Green Diamond name. I think the wider community needs to know that the historic ethic of the Simpson/Reed family- owned company of being a good partner with its neighbors has changed dramatically. This Green Diamond push comes from Seattle. They hired a Seattle firm to assess the flora and fauna that would be affect- ed. This is a scheme conjured up by Wall Street-type MBA's who put profit before people. It certainly, and sadly, is not the traditional Simpson good- neighbor ethic we have come to trust. And let's talk about the county. Our Mason County Department of Community De- velopment has determined, and I quote, '~ghe Lead Agency for this proprosal has determined that it does not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment. An Environ- mental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required..." I'm sure dollar signs are in the county's sights. And I'm equally sure Green Diamond/Simpson will be generous in their thanks. David and Elizabeth Livesay Shelton lake Nahwatzel needs study Editor, the Journal To those involved in the pro- cess of permitting the develop- ment of the north shore of Lake Nahwatzel: I have been told that the permit process has evolved without an environmental as- sessment and impact study. I believe the planned develop- ment would greatly impact the lake. First, I think one should look at the actual naming of this body of water as a lake. As de- fined, a lake is a body of water of considerable size with flow- ing inlets and outlets, usually associated with a river. Lake Nahwatzel is not as- sociated with any river and does not have a flowing inlet of consequence and subsequently an outlet that dries up in the summer. There are two inlets commonly thought to feed the "lake." One is at the northeast corner and one on the south end. The inlet at the northeast corner is just drainage of the area and dries up during the summer. The south end inlet is actually a small stream that originates at Little Lake Nah- watzel further south. The little lake stream flow has been decreased due to the development of the little lake area and the area west. This development has consumed groundwater in the area and adversely affects the amount of water the inlet stream provides. The groundwater usage also.af- fects the amount of water seep- ing down into Lake Nahwatzel. The average water depth of Lake Nahwatzel was once calcu- lated to be 17 feet with a max of 25 feet. This was calculated sev- eral years ago and would have been when the water level was higher. This also means that half of the lake is under 17 feet, making it a very shallow body of water. The lack of flowing fresh water and the low water level defines a pond more than a lake. On a recent observation of the lake I found the water to be algae green with lots of suspend- ed plant and wood particles, not the "gin clear" description formally associated with this lake. Algae is forming due to the rise in water temperature, an effect of lower water levels. The low water is also allowing for the growth of vegetation on the once rock and gravel lakebed. Further development of the north end will certainly affect the remaining ground water in the area and adversely affect water levels in the "pond." Bald eagles, osprey, owls, ducks, bears and deer -- some of the wildlife now enjoying the area -- will lose their habitat. This further development could add 200 to 400 more users to the lake. The lake al- ready has a high use by swim- mers and is congested with boat traffic. Addition of more lake area users would certainly strain the surrounding environ- ment and water avallab'flity, with a worse case scenario of the "pond" drying up. Please do not allow further development of the Lake Nah- watzel area and protect it from overuse and habitat destruction. Paul Wenzel Westport Karl Sleight, publisher NewsroOm: Adam Rudnick, editor Natalie Johnson, reporter Gordon Weeks, reporter Emily Hanson, sports reporter Advertising: Composing room: Dave Pierik, Sr. Acct. Executive William Adams, graphics Sharee Miller, ad representative Maggie Burdick, ad representative Pressroom: KelliAlexander, ad representative Kelly Riordan, production manager Travis Miller, press operator Front office: Mary Northover, press assistant Donna Kinnaird, bookkeeper Margot Brand, circulation Cricket Carter, mailroom supervisor Page A-4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012