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Shelton Mason County Journal
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September 2, 1999     Shelton Mason County Journal
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00ournal of___Opinion: Violence hitting home It s lurking there in the background as Matthes alsowill set a different tone in the schools prepare to open next week, stealing "welcome back assembly on the first day of children's innocence and serenity rightfully school, facing the student safety issue head-on theirs, robb!ng educators of time and resourc- in her talk to the kids. She'll tell them there es. America s epidemic of violence has reached will be no tolerance for harassment and intimi- down into the smallest of communities, includ- dation at SHS and that all children should be ing this one. Even though a school shooting accepted. Kids have always made threats, but has not occurred here, authorities prepare as if the unthinkable could happen and develop strategies to try to prevent it. School safety is a major concern these days, a challenge that's been dumped in the laps of educators and law-enforce- ment personnel, who seem to inherit all the problems that parents create with their attitudes and neglect. Never mind how small the chances of a shooting here appear; school safety is addressed with planning and training and changes in emphasis because, as an assistant super- intendent told the Shelton School Board last month, "We have to specialize in disaster." The hope is that no child slips through the cracks to become an uncar- ing, revengeful, berserk beast, but there is a scary underlying realization that no amount of precautionary measures could stop a child who's just plain deranged. Local school officials are working on dual fronts, developing emergency response plans at the same time they attempt to change the climate in schools. Mary M. Knight Superin- tendent Fred Yancey is realistic about plans. "Offices are filled with plans for every contin- gency, and you don't have the luxury of read- ing a plan during a crisis," he said. "The reali- ty is, when a disaster strikes, no one reacts the way the plan implies they should." Nor does a disaster follow a plan, he knows. "Our plan only works if the disaster cooperates," he ad- mitted. So, if a disaster strikes, the superin- tendent is depending on his staff to use com- mon sense to protect children. The more critical issue in school safety, in his mind, is ensuring that the climate at a school doesn't foster alienated kids who feel shunned, left out and picked on, youngsters who have no rapport with fel- low students and teachers. If you concen- trate only on mechanistic aspects - armed officers, random locker searches, metal detectors and banning certain clothing - you don't strike at the soul of the issue, he said. Armed police in schools didn't ,prevent shootings, metal detectors ouldn't have Stopped the shooters who were outside buildings, and outlawing clothing doesn't change the child inside. Yancey was dismayed to see the kinds of things bought with money the state set aside for security measures in schools. The grants were funding metal detectors and officers. He wanted to bring in counselors. Yancey advocates downsizing schools. His entire career has been spent in small districts. He loves the atmosphere, which he characterizes as a family. "People know when others are hurting and when others are happy," he said. "For some, it's the only sense of family they get. What you do is create intimacy in the school environment." The smaller the school, the harder it is for cliques to form, he said. Shelton Superintendent of Schools Bill Hundley is well aware of the advantages of smaller schools. He was rooting for Pioneer School District's bond measure that would have taken 400 students out of Shelton High School, due to open next week with an estimat- ed 1,600 kids. Part of the beauty of a Pioneer high school was to be that it would make the crowded SHS more tolerable at the same time it created a small school for the Pioneer com- munity. Opponents said the school would be too expensive and offer inferior educational op- portunities compared to SHS. Yancey argues that a big school offers a great educational and athletic experience for the cream of the crop but not for the average kid, who is lost in the crowd and can't make the basketball team. Hundley said a key part of his district's bond issue next year will be a proposal to build a school to move the freshmen out of SHS, reducing the high school's popu- lation. The freshmen would be housed in the current Shelton Middle School with eighth-graders. Those in grades 6-7, now in with eighth-graders at SMS, also would see the benefits of a smaller school when the new school was built for them. That's all a few years off at least. Mean- while, SHS Principal Mellody Matthes has to deal with a burgeoning school that, even before it grew to AAAA size, some called a "powder keg." She's eager to develop a climate in which every child feels a part of the school and its ac- tivities The shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado taught us that the boys in- volved didn't feel a part of anything, she said. SHS has dozens of activities, but they haven't been promoted well enough, the principal said. This year a vice principal will be promoting activities, and students from various clubs and programs will be going into freshman Jump Start classes to tell the newcomers about activities and encourage participation. many times in idle or boastful ways. Since the school shootings began, we've seen how schools and law enforcement have developed tough policies on threats that give big-mouthed kids as much slack as airports give jokesters talk- ing about bombs at the boarding gate. A child who 10 years ago might have been scolded or ignored can today find himself facing a police officer and criminal charges. With a new tip line opened by Shelton police for students to report incidents, it's going to be even easier for a child to get in hot water for his threats. Today Matthes will talk to her staffers and tell them that improving the climate means they have to be available to listen to kids. School staffers have been at it long enough to read students like a book; they know which kids need special atten- tion. Matthes also plans to ask staffers if they'd be willing to wear an identification badge. That would make it easier to iden. tify unauthorized adults on campus. The Shelton district's emergency response plan is still in the works, explained Mark Weston, the assistant superintendent heading a safety committee meeting over the summer. He hopes to complete a plan by this fall, after key personnel attend a statewide summit on school safety sponsored by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission September 30. Some pieces of the plan are ac- complished; other information remains to come. Weston said planners don't even have a reliable psychological profile for shooters to use in prevention strategies. The planners do have recently completed assessments of each building by police officers to provide authori- ties such information as escape routes, location of window blinds and which doors lock. (The police responding at Columbine didn't know the layout of the school.) Weston expects drills to be held once the plan is completed, but he's not certain children will be involved in the drills. Adults in the schools and emergency re- "spenders will participate, but there are tough questions to answer about involv- ing kids. In past incidents it's been kids doing the shooting. If that's the case, is it safe to tell potential shooters what the re- sponse would be to an incident? Would drills only heighten fear by making kids live an imaginary nightmare? And Yancey asks if there's another Catch-22. Do drills plant a seed and give students ideas? Weston said he wants some good answers to those and other questions before the district holds drills. Weston and Matthes stress that different emergencies merit different responses, and while an earthquake, fire or bomb threat would call for the immediate evacuation of SHS, isolation would be important in a shoot- ing. The emphasis would be on teachers keep- ing students in their rooms, locking the doors, closing the shades and using the rooms' phones for communication. Many parents and children have ex- pressed concern about local schools' safe- ty. We asked Weston what he'd tell kids who are afraid. He said he would ac- knowledge that terrible things have hap. pened at other schools but that children shouldn't let that ruin their lives; that if they're anxious and fearful they should "talk anti talk a whole lot" to work out their feelings; that it's okay to talk to adults about someone not doing what he's supposed to, and that they should consid- er nonviolence as a way of life. He said kids need to understand that they share the responsibility for stopping violence. Noting that kids are most fearful when they feel powerless, he said they need to be con- vinced they're not powerless, that they need to be told to take charge and stop the problem. Weston believes the homogeneous na- ture of the Shelton district's children and the relative lack of cliques will help pre. vent one of these horrible incidents. The shootings have tended to happen in high. ly stratified schools such as in the well.to. do suburbs of Springfield, Oregon, and Littleton, Colorado, he pointed out. There's less class hatred in homogeneous populations such as Shelton's, he said. School safety is not something to be left to the schools to accomplish alone. The communi- ty's citizens have responsibilities. Parents should never encourage violent behavior and should provide good examples of love and ac- ceptance for their children at home. Kids should know they can foster a friendly climate at school with more cordial, understanding and empathetic behavior rather than hatred, contempt, insults and anger. And the rest of those in the community can treat kids the way they'd like to be treated by tomorrow's citizens. -CG Page 4- Shelton-Mason County' Journal- Thursday, September 2, 1999 [] [] Making hay in straw poll By DAVE BARRY The U.S. presidential election is a scant 14 months away, and you can feel the excitement build- ing across the nation, all the way from Washington, D.C., to the im- mediate suburbs of Washington, D.C. For the benefit of those of you normal civilian humans who live outside of Wingtip World and do not plan to start caring about this election for at least another year, here's a rundown of recent devel- opmeits: On the Republican side, the big summer news event was the Iowa "Straw Poll," which gets its name from the fact that anybody who takes it seriously has the IQ of a hay bale. Nevertheless, the news media made a big deal about it, and the leading GOP contenders spent much of the summer tromp- ing around Iowa feigning interest in pigs. This effort paid off big for George W. "W." Bush, who won the Iowa Straw Poll with three vc;les, hidh ost him"$14.3 mil- lion ace. He was followed by Steve Forbes, Elizabeth Dole, Ricky Martin and Ulysses S. Grant, all of whom received votes, which were cast by Mrs. Earline A. Plankton; an older Iowan whose memory is not what it once was. Dan Quayle did not receive any votes but he did develop a strong rapport with a prominent Iowa Labrador retriever named Rex. After the Straw Poll, Lamar Alexander dropped out of the race, in response to polls showing that nobody, including his imme- diate family, was aware that he was running. And speaking of people who have the same mathematical chance of getting elected president as Shamu the Whale: Sen. Orrin Hatch has en- tered the GOP race, apparently unaware of the constitutional re- quirement that the president must legally have originated on the planet Earth. But for now, George "W." Bush is the Republican front runner, which makes sense, because he combines the two essential quali- ties that the American political system demands of any candidate who hopes to be elected to the most important job in the world: 1. Height. 2. Money. You need height to prove that you have Leadership; you need money to communicate your views to the voters by means of TV commercials that have the subtlety of a "Teletubbies" epi- sode, but less intellectual content. These commercials are very ex- pensive to produce, so candidates with limited budgets sometimes buy used ones from earlier cam, paigns CLiddy Dole: She has a plan to get us out of Vietnam."). Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, it's a close two-man race, with Vice President Al Gore lead- ing on money, and Bill Bradley currently ahead on height, So far, both of these savvy political veter- ans have managed to avoid com- mitting any strategic blunders, such as making any statement that anybody would remember 30 seconds later. In case you were wondering, I, too, am still running for presi- dent. My current platform is that if I am elected, I will invest the entire federal budget surplus - currently estimated at $3 trillion - in my inauguration party. You may argue that this is not a good way to provide for the nation's fu- ture, but trust me, if you attend my party, you won't CARE about the nation's future. Also, as president, I will make it my highest priority to track down and punish whoever is re- sponsible for putting Mr. Whipple back on the air - I have seen him TWICE now - in commercials for Charmin brand bathroom tissue. Like most Americans, I had thought that Mr. Whipple had been locked away forever, like Charles Manson, and suddenly he's BACK. If we let the advertis- ing people get away with this, it's only a matter of time before they bring back "Ring around the collar." I pledge to you that, as your president, I will use what- ever means are necessary to pre- vent this, including a nuclear strike against Procter & Gamble headquarters. For the record, I am also still running for the U.S. Senate seat from New York State. I am even willing to buy a house in New York if wealthy contributors pay for it and I don't actually have to live in it. I care so much about New York that, right now, I am going to conduct a "listening tour." I want you New York read- ers to hold this column up in front of your mouth and express your concerns to the area in parenthe- ses below in a loud and clear voice, while I listen in a sincere manner. OK? Go a headl , ...... (EXPRESS YOUR CON- CERNS HERE) OK! Thank you! Really! Thanks! OK! SHUT UP NOW. Whew! You New Yorkers really have a lot of concerns! Some of you should be more concerned about oral hygiene, if you catch my drift! But I definitely agree with you about everything. So anyway, I hope that every- body votes for me for every avail- able office. I may not be the tall- est candidate, and I may not have the most money, and I may have done some bad things in my life, but I can tell you, in all honesty and frankness, that these things were not my fault. As a child, I was traumatized by the conflict between Bill Clinton's mother and grandmother. In closing,.I want to make the following ap- peal to you undecided voters out there: Here boy! C'mon, Rex! Buechel a trusted builder Editor, The Journal: The election is just "around the corner" and many are vying for a city office. My remarks and rec- ommendation is in no way to be considered as derogatory toward the other people seeking the office of finance commissioner for Shel- ton. Kelly Buechel is my choice for the position, and my reasons for making this choice are: 1. As a former construction person and administrator that handled both private and tax-sup- ported organizations' finances and budgets, I feel qualified to make this recommendation. 2. I have had business dealings with Kelly since 1993 as a client and as a consultant in regard to buying and selling real estate and the construction of houses. A a builder of my home, I feel I can speak with confidence, in regard to Kelly's ability to effectively and efficiently execute the duties as Shelton finance commissioner. 3. In building my home, he completed the contract without hesitation even though he en- countered some unexpected ex- penses. 4. The roofing subcontractor failed to adequately secure a roof vent, causing a leak and damage to the ceiling. Kelly made satis- factory repairs without cost to me. 5. As a construction contractor and business owner that works with people of varying levels of income, Kelly understands their needs and diligently strives to provide a home that is within their income. 6. As a business person and builder, Kelly knows and under- stands the financial procedures and necessary plans that a pros- pective homeowner must face in erecting a new home for his fami- ly. I have faith and confidence that, if elected, Kelly will watch with a critical eye that your tax dollars are spent in an efficient and effective manner to give the citizens of Shelton satisfaction that tax dollars were well spent with as little "red tape" as possi- ble Ballots are in the mail. Make a mark for Kelly and mail it. Kelly will work for you. Lenno Johnston Shelton  POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Shelton-Mason County Journal, P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584. Publishecl weekly by Shelton Publishing Inc. at 227 West Cote Street, Shelton, Washington Mailing address: P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584 Telephone (360) 426-4412 Second-class postage paicl at Shelton, Washington Member of Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $25.00 per year in-county address, $35.00 per year in state of Washington $45.00 per year out of state Chadas Gay, editor and publisher. Neweroom: Carolyn Maddux, managing editor; Steve Patch, sports editor; Jeff Green, general assignment, city government, schools; Mary Duncan, society editor, county government; Sean Hanlon, police, courts, Port of Shelton. Advertising: Stephen Gay, advertising manager; Dave Plerlk, ad sales. Front office: Julie Orme, business manager; Vicki Kamin, circulation; Donna Dooms, bookkeeper; Krista Carter, office assistant. Composing room: Diane Rtordan, supervisor; Margot Brand and Jan Kallinen, paste-up; Koleen Wood, typesetter and computer system manager; Karl Freer, computer ad layout and computer system manager; Cynthia Meyer, proofreader. Pressroom: Robert Rodriguez, pro- duction foreman; Roger Lawson, darkroom; Kelly RIordan, pressman. lIBBIlliu F00eader$' Dmtnct concer Edi tT:='eTh: J::rna " facing Mason County trict 5 voters in the September election. In ballot measure, the voters asked to double the medical services (EMS) make it permanent. proposed in spite of a percent increase three years ago. The cation offered seems to proved living quarters bulance replacement. requirements should a surprise to the and should have been the general budget over few years. You can how medical services rate and we will all die approve this don't believe it. I urge you "no" on this poorly cessive increase. The second issue will elect a fire commissioner.t slate of four. The two highest number of votes pear in the November election. I strongly urge to vote for Tom BrokaW. over 12 years experience district commissioner, served from 1976 to 1988, as prior experience as a firefighter and emer cal technician. Since Tom has regularly trict meetings and lessly to try to make sioners and the to the taxpayers. As a sioner, Tom will have a ter chance of and returning fiscal to District 5. Even though Fire spending has more than over the past 5 years, ly is still not enough. is fortunate to have trained and dedicated that can be found deserve better for Tom Brokaw. George Give c plan " Editor, The JournaL" On September 1, the gan a series of public tended to take input to the Mason sive Plan. Revision was necessitated Washington Hearings Board ary that found us pliance with the ment Act. That status pliance resulted in a new commercial building for the first half of the then, commercial ty has been allowed ban Growth Areas restricted throughout the county. Although not all comprehensive plan revision, property particular busineSS should be aware that regulations are a These meetings are ty for citizens to concern and influence tion of rules that impact on all of us. opinions one way or how and where lowed to develop have opinions on regulations, you the meetings and All but the last at 7 p.m., on the dates and at the following September 7, Community Hall, Road; September Knight School, 2987 lock-Brady Road, M! tember 9, Theler L Center, 22871 Belfair; and Allyn Office, Route 3, p.m.). will be published too courage attendance at port meeting which September 1 at the fire 00ournal of___Opinion: Violence hitting home It s lurking there in the background as Matthes alsowill set a different tone in the schools prepare to open next week, stealing "welcome back assembly on the first day of children's innocence and serenity rightfully school, facing the student safety issue head-on theirs, robb!ng educators of time and resourc- in her talk to the kids. She'll tell them there es. America s epidemic of violence has reached will be no tolerance for harassment and intimi- down into the smallest of communities, includ- dation at SHS and that all children should be ing this one. Even though a school shooting accepted. Kids have always made threats, but has not occurred here, authorities prepare as if the unthinkable could happen and develop strategies to try to prevent it. School safety is a major concern these days, a challenge that's been dumped in the laps of educators and law-enforce- ment personnel, who seem to inherit all the problems that parents create with their attitudes and neglect. Never mind how small the chances of a shooting here appear; school safety is addressed with planning and training and changes in emphasis because, as an assistant super- intendent told the Shelton School Board last month, "We have to specialize in disaster." The hope is that no child slips through the cracks to become an uncar- ing, revengeful, berserk beast, but there is a scary underlying realization that no amount of precautionary measures could stop a child who's just plain deranged. Local school officials are working on dual fronts, developing emergency response plans at the same time they attempt to change the climate in schools. Mary M. Knight Superin- tendent Fred Yancey is realistic about plans. "Offices are filled with plans for every contin- gency, and you don't have the luxury of read- ing a plan during a crisis," he said. "The reali- ty is, when a disaster strikes, no one reacts the way the plan implies they should." Nor does a disaster follow a plan, he knows. "Our plan only works if the disaster cooperates," he ad- mitted. So, if a disaster strikes, the superin- tendent is depending on his staff to use com- mon sense to protect children. The more critical issue in school safety, in his mind, is ensuring that the climate at a school doesn't foster alienated kids who feel shunned, left out and picked on, youngsters who have no rapport with fel- low students and teachers. If you concen- trate only on mechanistic aspects - armed officers, random locker searches, metal detectors and banning certain clothing - you don't strike at the soul of the issue, he said. Armed police in schools didn't ,prevent shootings, metal detectors ouldn't have Stopped the shooters who were outside buildings, and outlawing clothing doesn't change the child inside. Yancey was dismayed to see the kinds of things bought with money the state set aside for security measures in schools. The grants were funding metal detectors and officers. He wanted to bring in counselors. Yancey advocates downsizing schools. His entire career has been spent in small districts. He loves the atmosphere, which he characterizes as a family. "People know when others are hurting and when others are happy," he said. "For some, it's the only sense of family they get. What you do is create intimacy in the school environment." The smaller the school, the harder it is for cliques to form, he said. Shelton Superintendent of Schools Bill Hundley is well aware of the advantages of smaller schools. He was rooting for Pioneer School District's bond measure that would have taken 400 students out of Shelton High School, due to open next week with an estimat- ed 1,600 kids. Part of the beauty of a Pioneer high school was to be that it would make the crowded SHS more tolerable at the same time it created a small school for the Pioneer com- munity. Opponents said the school would be too expensive and offer inferior educational op- portunities compared to SHS. Yancey argues that a big school offers a great educational and athletic experience for the cream of the crop but not for the average kid, who is lost in the crowd and can't make the basketball team. Hundley said a key part of his district's bond issue next year will be a proposal to build a school to move the freshmen out of SHS, reducing the high school's popu- lation. The freshmen would be housed in the current Shelton Middle School with eighth-graders. Those in grades 6-7, now in with eighth-graders at SMS, also would see the benefits of a smaller school when the new school was built for them. That's all a few years off at least. Mean- while, SHS Principal Mellody Matthes has to deal with a burgeoning school that, even before it grew to AAAA size, some called a "powder keg." She's eager to develop a climate in which every child feels a part of the school and its ac- tivities The shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado taught us that the boys in- volved didn't feel a part of anything, she said. SHS has dozens of activities, but they haven't been promoted well enough, the principal said. This year a vice principal will be promoting activities, and students from various clubs and programs will be going into freshman Jump Start classes to tell the newcomers about activities and encourage participation. many times in idle or boastful ways. Since the school shootings began, we've seen how schools and law enforcement have developed tough policies on threats that give big-mouthed kids as much slack as airports give jokesters talk- ing about bombs at the boarding gate. A child who 10 years ago might have been scolded or ignored can today find himself facing a police officer and criminal charges. With a new tip line opened by Shelton police for students to report incidents, it's going to be even easier for a child to get in hot water for his threats. Today Matthes will talk to her staffers and tell them that improving the climate means they have to be available to listen to kids. School staffers have been at it long enough to read students like a book; they know which kids need special atten- tion. Matthes also plans to ask staffers if they'd be willing to wear an identification badge. That would make it easier to iden. tify unauthorized adults on campus. The Shelton district's emergency response plan is still in the works, explained Mark Weston, the assistant superintendent heading a safety committee meeting over the summer. He hopes to complete a plan by this fall, after key personnel attend a statewide summit on school safety sponsored by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission September 30. Some pieces of the plan are ac- complished; other information remains to come. Weston said planners don't even have a reliable psychological profile for shooters to use in prevention strategies. The planners do have recently completed assessments of each building by police officers to provide authori- ties such information as escape routes, location of window blinds and which doors lock. (The police responding at Columbine didn't know the layout of the school.) Weston expects drills to be held once the plan is completed, but he's not certain children will be involved in the drills. Adults in the schools and emergency re- "spenders will participate, but there are tough questions to answer about involv- ing kids. In past incidents it's been kids doing the shooting. If that's the case, is it safe to tell potential shooters what the re- sponse would be to an incident? Would drills only heighten fear by making kids live an imaginary nightmare? And Yancey asks if there's another Catch-22. Do drills plant a seed and give students ideas? Weston said he wants some good answers to those and other questions before the district holds drills. Weston and Matthes stress that different emergencies merit different responses, and while an earthquake, fire or bomb threat would call for the immediate evacuation of SHS, isolation would be important in a shoot- ing. The emphasis would be on teachers keep- ing students in their rooms, locking the doors, closing the shades and using the rooms' phones for communication. Many parents and children have ex- pressed concern about local schools' safe- ty. We asked Weston what he'd tell kids who are afraid. He said he would ac- knowledge that terrible things have hap. pened at other schools but that children shouldn't let that ruin their lives; that if they're anxious and fearful they should "talk anti talk a whole lot" to work out their feelings; that it's okay to talk to adults about someone not doing what he's supposed to, and that they should consid- er nonviolence as a way of life. He said kids need to understand that they share the responsibility for stopping violence. Noting that kids are most fearful when they feel powerless, he said they need to be con- vinced they're not powerless, that they need to be told to take charge and stop the problem. Weston believes the homogeneous na- ture of the Shelton district's children and the relative lack of cliques will help pre. vent one of these horrible incidents. The shootings have tended to happen in high. ly stratified schools such as in the well.to. do suburbs of Springfield, Oregon, and Littleton, Colorado, he pointed out. There's less class hatred in homogeneous populations such as Shelton's, he said. School safety is not something to be left to the schools to accomplish alone. The communi- ty's citizens have responsibilities. Parents should never encourage violent behavior and should provide good examples of love and ac- ceptance for their children at home. Kids should know they can foster a friendly climate at school with more cordial, understanding and empathetic behavior rather than hatred, contempt, insults and anger. And the rest of those in the community can treat kids the way they'd like to be treated by tomorrow's citizens. -CG Page 4- Shelton-Mason County' Journal- Thursday, September 2, 1999 [] [] Making hay in straw poll By DAVE BARRY The U.S. presidential election is a scant 14 months away, and you can feel the excitement build- ing across the nation, all the way from Washington, D.C., to the im- mediate suburbs of Washington, D.C. For the benefit of those of you normal civilian humans who live outside of Wingtip World and do not plan to start caring about this election for at least another year, here's a rundown of recent devel- opmeits: On the Republican side, the big summer news event was the Iowa "Straw Poll," which gets its name from the fact that anybody who takes it seriously has the IQ of a hay bale. Nevertheless, the news media made a big deal about it, and the leading GOP contenders spent much of the summer tromp- ing around Iowa feigning interest in pigs. This effort paid off big for George W. "W." Bush, who won the Iowa Straw Poll with three vc;les, hidh ost him"$14.3 mil- lion ace. He was followed by Steve Forbes, Elizabeth Dole, Ricky Martin and Ulysses S. Grant, all of whom received votes, which were cast by Mrs. Earline A. Plankton; an older Iowan whose memory is not what it once was. Dan Quayle did not receive any votes but he did develop a strong rapport with a prominent Iowa Labrador retriever named Rex. After the Straw Poll, Lamar Alexander dropped out of the race, in response to polls showing that nobody, including his imme- diate family, was aware that he was running. And speaking of people who have the same mathematical chance of getting elected president as Shamu the Whale: Sen. Orrin Hatch has en- tered the GOP race, apparently unaware of the constitutional re- quirement that the president must legally have originated on the planet Earth. But for now, George "W." Bush is the Republican front runner, which makes sense, because he combines the two essential quali- ties that the American political system demands of any candidate who hopes to be elected to the most important job in the world: 1. Height. 2. Money. You need height to prove that you have Leadership; you need money to communicate your views to the voters by means of TV commercials that have the subtlety of a "Teletubbies" epi- sode, but less intellectual content. These commercials are very ex- pensive to produce, so candidates with limited budgets sometimes buy used ones from earlier cam, paigns CLiddy Dole: She has a plan to get us out of Vietnam."). Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, it's a close two-man race, with Vice President Al Gore lead- ing on money, and Bill Bradley currently ahead on height, So far, both of these savvy political veter- ans have managed to avoid com- mitting any strategic blunders, such as making any statement that anybody would remember 30 seconds later. In case you were wondering, I, too, am still running for presi- dent. My current platform is that if I am elected, I will invest the entire federal budget surplus - currently estimated at $3 trillion - in my inauguration party. You may argue that this is not a good way to provide for the nation's fu- ture, but trust me, if you attend my party, you won't CARE about the nation's future. Also, as president, I will make it my highest priority to track down and punish whoever is re- sponsible for putting Mr. Whipple back on the air - I have seen him TWICE now - in commercials for Charmin brand bathroom tissue. Like most Americans, I had thought that Mr. Whipple had been locked away forever, like Charles Manson, and suddenly he's BACK. If we let the advertis- ing people get away with this, it's only a matter of time before they bring back "Ring around the collar." I pledge to you that, as your president, I will use what- ever means are necessary to pre- vent this, including a nuclear strike against Procter & Gamble headquarters. For the record, I am also still running for the U.S. Senate seat from New York State. I am even willing to buy a house in New York if wealthy contributors pay for it and I don't actually have to live in it. I care so much about New York that, right now, I am going to conduct a "listening tour." I want you New York read- ers to hold this column up in front of your mouth and express your concerns to the area in parenthe- ses below in a loud and clear voice, while I listen in a sincere manner. OK? Go a headl , ...... (EXPRESS YOUR CON- CERNS HERE) OK! Thank you! Really! Thanks! OK! SHUT UP NOW. Whew! You New Yorkers really have a lot of concerns! Some of you should be more concerned about oral hygiene, if you catch my drift! But I definitely agree with you about everything. So anyway, I hope that every- body votes for me for every avail- able office. I may not be the tall- est candidate, and I may not have the most money, and I may have done some bad things in my life, but I can tell you, in all honesty and frankness, that these things were not my fault. As a child, I was traumatized by the conflict between Bill Clinton's mother and grandmother. In closing,.I want to make the following ap- peal to you undecided voters out there: Here boy! C'mon, Rex! Buechel a trusted builder Editor, The Journal: The election is just "around the corner" and many are vying for a city office. My remarks and rec- ommendation is in no way to be considered as derogatory toward the other people seeking the office of finance commissioner for Shel- ton. Kelly Buechel is my choice for the position, and my reasons for making this choice are: 1. As a former construction person and administrator that handled both private and tax-sup- ported organizations' finances and budgets, I feel qualified to make this recommendation. 2. I have had business dealings with Kelly since 1993 as a client and as a consultant in regard to buying and selling real estate and the construction of houses. A a builder of my home, I feel I can speak with confidence, in regard to Kelly's ability to effectively and efficiently execute the duties as Shelton finance commissioner. 3. In building my home, he completed the contract without hesitation even though he en- countered some unexpected ex- penses. 4. The roofing subcontractor failed to adequately secure a roof vent, causing a leak and damage to the ceiling. Kelly made satis- factory repairs without cost to me. 5. As a construction contractor and business owner that works with people of varying levels of income, Kelly understands their needs and diligently strives to provide a home that is within their income. 6. As a business person and builder, Kelly knows and under- stands the financial procedures and necessary plans that a pros- pective homeowner must face in erecting a new home for his fami- ly. I have faith and confidence that, if elected, Kelly will watch with a critical eye that your tax dollars are spent in an efficient and effective manner to give the citizens of Shelton satisfaction that tax dollars were well spent with as little "red tape" as possi- ble Ballots are in the mail. Make a mark for Kelly and mail it. Kelly will work for you. Lenno Johnston Shelton  POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Shelton-Mason County Journal, P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584. Publishecl weekly by Shelton Publishing Inc. at 227 West Cote Street, Shelton, Washington Mailing address: P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584 Telephone (360) 426-4412 Second-class postage paicl at Shelton, Washington Member of Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $25.00 per year in-county address, $35.00 per year in state of Washington $45.00 per year out of state Chadas Gay, editor and publisher. Neweroom: Carolyn Maddux, managing editor; Steve Patch, sports editor; Jeff Green, general assignment, city government, schools; Mary Duncan, society editor, county government; Sean Hanlon, police, courts, Port of Shelton. Advertising: Stephen Gay, advertising manager; Dave Plerlk, ad sales. Front office: Julie Orme, business manager; Vicki Kamin, circulation; Donna Dooms, bookkeeper; Krista Carter, office assistant. Composing room: Diane Rtordan, supervisor; Margot Brand and Jan Kallinen, paste-up; Koleen Wood, typesetter and computer system manager; Karl Freer, computer ad layout and computer system manager; Cynthia Meyer, proofreader. Pressroom: Robert Rodriguez, pro- duction foreman; Roger Lawson, darkroom; Kelly RIordan, pressman. lIBBIlliu F00eader$' Dmtnct concer Edi tT:='eTh: J::rna " facing Mason County trict 5 voters in the September election. In ballot measure, the voters asked to double the medical services (EMS) make it permanent. proposed in spite of a percent increase three years ago. The cation offered seems to proved living quarters bulance replacement. requirements should a surprise to the and should have been the general budget over few years. You can how medical services rate and we will all die approve this don't believe it. I urge you "no" on this poorly cessive increase. The second issue will elect a fire commissioner.t slate of four. The two highest number of votes pear in the November election. I strongly urge to vote for Tom BrokaW. over 12 years experience district commissioner, served from 1976 to 1988, as prior experience as a firefighter and emer cal technician. Since Tom has regularly trict meetings and lessly to try to make sioners and the to the taxpayers. As a sioner, Tom will have a ter chance of and returning fiscal to District 5. Even though Fire spending has more than over the past 5 years, ly is still not enough. is fortunate to have trained and dedicated that can be found deserve better for Tom Brokaw. George Give c plan " Editor, The JournaL" On September 1, the gan a series of public tended to take input to the Mason sive Plan. Revision was necessitated Washington Hearings Board ary that found us pliance with the ment Act. That status pliance resulted in a new commercial building for the first half of the then, commercial ty has been allowed ban Growth Areas restricted throughout the county. Although not all comprehensive plan revision, property particular busineSS should be aware that regulations are a These meetings are ty for citizens to concern and influence tion of rules that impact on all of us. opinions one way or how and where lowed to develop have opinions on regulations, you the meetings and All but the last at 7 p.m., on the dates and at the following September 7, Community Hall, Road; September Knight School, 2987 lock-Brady Road, M! tember 9, Theler L Center, 22871 Belfair; and Allyn Office, Route 3, p.m.). will be published too courage attendance at port meeting which September 1 at the fire