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Thursday, August 25, 2011
Journal photo by Natahe lohnsor
Mason County Commissioner Jerry Lingle laughs during a recent
commission meeting. Lingle was found dead in his home Friday.
By NATALIE JOHNSON cause of death was inconclusive. Results
from toxicology and tissue samples should
Mason County is in mourning this week be available in six to eight weeks, Stockwell
for its newest county commissioner, Jerry said.
Lingle, who died at his home on Friday. Whatever the cause of his sudden death
Lingle's friends, who as it turns out make last week, many of the people who knew
up most of the county, have spoken fondly Lingle. and invariably loved him, have been
of him in the past week, remembering him in a state of shock ever since.
as "larger than life," perennially happy and "I've known Jerry for many, many years.
always ready to help someone in need. I was his training officer when he started
His many friends, former co-workers and with the police department, I was there
fellow Mason County politicians paint a when three of his children were born, I've
picture of a universally respected and well- been part of the family for a long, long
liked man with a strong dedication to his time," said Brian Bigelow, a longtime friend
community, of Lingle's. "We've been through thick and
"Jerry has laid his life on the line for so thin together with the police department
many people in this town, it's incredible," and after the police department. He was the
said Annette McGee, a former Mason Coun- brother that I never had."
ty commissioner who served as Lingle's Mike Hudnell also met Lingle through
campaign manager during his run for corn- the Shelton Police Department. and carried
missioner last fall. "We've lost a lot of good on an almost 30-year friendship with him.
people, but this is something else.""When I transferred to the Kent Police
Lingle, who took office as a Mason Coun- Department in 2000. Jerry took time away
ty Commissioner for District 3 in January, and went with me when I took my oath of of-
was found dead by his son this past Friday rice and when I was sworn in," Hudnell said.
afternoon. The Mason County Sheriffs Of- "He'd do a lot to help just about anybody."
rice does not suspect foul play. Lingle was involved for many years m
Mason County Coroner Wes Stockwell
said after an autopsy Monday that the See kingle on page A-7
Levy edges
to victory,
other races
hold steady
By JOURNAL STAFF
Additional primary elec-
tion ballots were counted
this past Friday, turning
the tide for Fire District 9's
EMS Levy.
Fire District 9's EMS
levy picked up 17 additional
"yes" votes to edge past the
needed 60 percent superma-
jority threshold. In all, 205
people voted for the levy and
136 people voted against it.
This is the third time
that the district has run the
levy. Most recently, in Feb-
ruary the measure fell just
30 votes shy of passing. The
measure allows for the col-
lection of 50 cents per $1,000
of assessed valuatfon.
Final outcomes in all of
the other elections across
the county were not impact-
ed by the additional ballots.
In the Shelton mayor
race,Dawn Pannell and
Gary Cronce advanced to
the November general elec-
tion, carrying 73 percent
of the vote between them.
Pannell received 512 to~al
votes for 40 percent of the
vote and Cronce received
407 votes, or 32.53 percent
of the vote.
Dick Taylor ran away
with the Port of Shelton
commissioner race, getting
almost 53 percent of the
total vote and 1,982 total
votes. Jack Miles, the in-
cumbent candidate, came in
with 26 percent of the vote
and 984 votes.
Linnie Griffin and Lynn
Stevenson will advance to
the November election in
the Belfair Water District
District 3 commissioner
race. Griffin received 123 to-
tal votes and 67 percent of
the vote. Stevenson got 44
votes and 24 percent of the
vote.
Jean Farmer and Barry
L. Fischer advanced to the
November election for the
Port of Allyn commissioner
District 2 election. Farmer
received 386 votes and 54
percent of votes and Fischer
got 254 votes and 35 percent
of the votes.
Journal photo by Kevan Moore
A Lake Cushman fireflghter stands atop a truck to get a better view of a forest fire on Eells Hill last week.
m
By KEVAN MOORE 2 p.m. this past Wednesday, Aug. and dozens of firefighters from Local firefighters at the scene
17, burned more than 80 acres across Mason County respond-said that there had been several
About 100 firefighters re- of Green Diamond timberland a ed to the blaze with the help other suspicious fires of a small-
sponded to a forest fire on Eells few miles west of Highway 101 of a pair of helicopters dump- er scale leading up to Wednes-
Hill last week that investigators near Four Corners Road. ing water from Hood Canal onday's wildfire.
later described as suspicious. The Washington State De- hot spots throughout the after- All of the blazes remain under
The fire, first reported around partment of Natural Resources noon. investigation.
Hospita
construction weeks.ahead of schedule
By NATALIE JOHNSON
Construction crews have
come a long way on Mason Gen-
eral Hospital's "campus renewal
project" since hospital staff and
commissioners broke ground in
March.
In the last five months, crews
have done demolition work, in-
stalled underground infrastruc-
ture and most recently have
poured concrete for the floor and
walls of the new 20,000-square
foot surgical wing, set to be com-
plete next summer.
"That's the main work that's
happened in the last several
months, there's also some water
mitigation or stormwater mitiga-
tion," said Eric Moll, the hospi-
tal's chief administration officer.
On Tuesday, construction
crews worked to pour concrete
into flat molds for the new sur-
gical wing's walls. Early next
month, they plan to lift those
walls into place with a crane.
"It's a four or five day process,"
said Keith Geary, director of plant
operations. "They'll do steel struc-
ture to support the walls and they
hope to get it dried in by October."
"Dried in" Geary explained
Journal photo by Natalie Johnson
Crews recently poured the concrete floor for the
hospital's new surgical wing and worked on the walls
Tuesday.
means crews will have installed "If you go on our webpage
the roof and sealed the building there's a great video of~vhen they
to moisture, ............... tore out our portico.., it was the
Some of the construction and first thing that happened," said
demolition can already be viewed CEO Bob Appel.
on the hospital's Webp~ge, and: ,Thanks in partto good weather
soon a new camera will be in- and a well-organized contractor,
stalled to provide a live feed of Geary said, the $33 million dollar
construction on the web page. expansion project is two weeks
ahead of schedule.
"They've stayed on task, they
haven't found any problems and
the general contractor is a very
good taskmaster - he's keeping
things moving right along," Geary
said.
Crews are now focused on get-
ting as much work done as pos-
sible before fall and winter rain
starts impeding construction.
"I think they'd like to be further
ahead with the winter coming,"
said Derek Rae, a representative
of OAC services, which serves as
a liaison between the hospital and
contractor.
Rae said work would go on
even through inclement weather.
"We actually have weather
protection allowances in the con-
tract," he said.
Work is also going on within
the existing hospital. Several pa-
tient rooms will be remodeled in
the coming months. The first two
should be completed by the end of
September.
Most of the hospital will at
least get a facelift, which means
no more pink walls.
Hospital staff said the project
is on schedule to be completed in
mid-2013.