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SHELTON-
MASON COUNTY
J,C) URbI,AL
Thursday, September 6, 2007 121st Year -- Number 36 5 Sections -- 48 Pages Published in Shelton, Washington 75 cents
one
urt as
e
was injured when a vin-
on takeoff
Lake on Monday af-
pilot, William A. Morris,
was attempting to
the lake in a south-
in a 1949 Aeronca.
Plane became airborne me-
and then returned to
surface, Trooper Matt
of the Washington State
reported. The plane's pen-
Struts collapsed, and the
entered the water.
came to rest right
Up without making contact
r structures, vessels or the
Wood wrote in a press
aircraft was towed to shore
boat. No obvious fluid
entered the water.
portation Safe-
and the Federal Aviation
were advised of
crash, Wood noted.
his passenger, Luke
33, of Graham, were not
in the splashdown report-
;2:31 p.m. on September 3.
plan
WELLS
protect water qual-
Oakland Bay are under way.
on Tuesday,
County Commission of-
the Oakland Bay
had reviewed
earlier this summer dur-
before the coun-
as well as the Ma-
Board of Health. The
a response to the Washing-
Department of Health
a portion of Oakland
COmmercial shellfish area as
of tests indicating pollu-
a collaborative pro-
in the
Bay waters, the
has developed this action
identifies 10 specific goals
along with specific
and performance mea-
t, improve water
will contain ele-
to improve water
in such shellfish tidelands
and, if possible,
non-point pollution
runoff. It will
runoff from malfunc-
on-site septic systems,
pollution from not adher-
management practices
activities jeopardizing
to page xx.)
Iltlllllllllll
the inside
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 13
........................... 35
r Calendar ....... 31
...... 40
Dining ..... 34
Journal ................. 18
of Record ............. 28
aolel.****oloJoJlol*ueoo.* 10
Letters ................. 4
................................... 21
.................... 30
IIIIIIIllllllllllilllllllllllllllillllllllll
ooJti!liill
JUDY BEVILACQUA climbs out of the water near Tri-
ton Head on Saturday after swimming across Hood
Canal to fulfill a lifelong dream and raise money for a
charity.
Woman, 62, swims
across Hood Canal
Judy Bevilacqua realized
her teen dream at the age of 62
on Saturday when she swam
across Hood Canal and touched
land at Triton Head just north
of Lilliwaup.
Her swim, which also ben-
efited charity, began two miles
away on the other side of the ca-
nal, but was extended to a tbree-
mile trip when currents pushed
her about a mile to the south
of her destination. She picked
Triton Head as the object of her
journey because she spent sum-
mers there as a teenager.
"I did all my high-school science
projects off the beach there," she
said. "I loved the water, and on a
glassy morning it would seem like
just a delicious thing that a person
could swim all the way across."
The idea of doing just that
lay fallow for many years until
"someone challenged me to take
my dreams more seriously." She
trained for the trip until she got
to the point where she could swim
a mile with confidence and then
decided if she could swim one she
could also swim two. She wasn't
counting on three miles, but that's
what awaited her when she woke
with the sun on Saturday morn-
ing after spending the night in a
camper at Triton Head.
"It was this red sunrise and
the water was pink, and I felt
that God was inviting me to
swim," she said.
She was driven to the other
side of the canal by her father
and her husband, Bill Aker and
Jack Bevilacqua. She donned a
wetsuit to protect her body from
the cold and took the plunge, the
plan being that the men would
lead her to Triton Head with
Mr. Akers in a motorboat and
Mr. Bevilacqua in a rowboat.
Her swim began at 9:10 a.m.
on September 1 and went swim-
mingly at first. A detour was re-
quired when the boats and the
woman they were leading to the
shore ran into a strong current
that left her swimming in place
without getting any way. Their
solution was to go with the flow,
and they reached the shore just
below Beacon Point. From there
Mrs. Bevilacqua swam along the
shore, completing her journey
shortly after 11 a.m. to the cheers
of the folks at Triton Head.
"When I looked up, all the
neighbors in our community
had come out on their porches,
and wherever I looked they were
all looking and banging on pans
and whistling," she said from
her home in Gresham, Oregon,
during a telephone interview.
Not content with accomplish-
ing this feat, Mrs. Bevilacqua
solicited the support of friends
and family to turn it into a fund-
raiser that has generated ap-
proximately $12,000 for Restor-
ing Hope and Saving Babies, a
ministry in California devoted
to helping children in Russia.
Election eyed
for fire merger
By JEFF GREEN
Fire District 5 and City of Shel-
ton officials are aiming to place a
measure on the February 19, 2008
ballot asking approval for consoli-
dation of the Shelton Fire Depart-
ment into Fire District 5.
Voters in both jurisdictions
must okay the merger for it to be-
come a reality.
Commissioners from the city
and fire district met last Thursday
morning to continue their series of
ongoing discussions about the pro-
posed consolidation.
Fire District 5 Chief Richard
Knight submitted a timeline and
work plan leading to the February
19 election. He and Shelton Fire
Chief Jim Ghiglione compiled the
schedule and plan. The work plan
includes a number of tasks, such
as a draft organizational chart,
labor agreements with firefighter
union locals, an interim contract
between the city and fire district
and others.
"THIS IS A fairly aggressive
schedule," Shelton Mayor John
Tarrant said, adding it will in-
clude a lot of public discussion and
comment.
Knight said Mason County As-
sessor Dixie Smith said she would
have to know by April if the con-
solidation was going to happen in
order to prepare for 2009 property
taxes. Placing the measure on the
(Please turn to page 6.)
Evacuation after gas-line break:
• q
Digging lnt ) 00atilities
a recurring h.€ adache
Several blocks in a part of down-
town Shelton were evacuated last
Thursday morning when a natu-
ral-gas line was broken acciden-
tally by a construction crew.
The break was reported at 8:33
a.m., and Shelton firefighters
went door-to-door at homes and
businesses in the area of Front
to Third and Alder to Franklin
streets warning people to leave
the area. An emergency shelter
was established at the Shelton
Civic Center and a medic unit
was staged there, but no one used
the shelter.
A Cascade Natural Gas crew
shut off the gas at around 10:10
a.m., reported Assistant Shelton
Fire Chief Dave Salzer.
The broken line was a lateral
line, not a main gas line. The
break was located adjacent to
Saint Edward's Catholic Church
Parish Hall, and Salzer said the
(Please turn to page 11.)
Cause of mill fire
is still a mystery
By JEFF GREEN
After several days of investiga-
tion, the cause of the August 27
fire that destroyed a mill in the
Johns Prairie area has been ruled
undetermined.
Mason County Fire Marshal
Craig Haugen said he and insur-
ance company investigators con-
ducted investigations into the
Shearer Brothers Chipping fire
and reached the same conclusion.
"It will remain undetermined,"
Haugen told The Journal.
Haugen said he believes the
fire started in the southwest cor-
ner of the building. "We have the
area, but we don't have an ignition
source," he added.
An eyewitness reported seeing a
glow at the mill followed by an ex-
plosion, the fire marshal said. Acet-
ylene tanks and a barrel contain-
ing de-icing fluid stored in the mill
exploded during the fire and oblit-
erated the area of apparent origin.
The de-icer was used to keep air in
air lines from freezing. Those air
lines were used to run the mill and
went to some power tools as well.
THE FIRE DOESN appear to
have started in piles of bark at the
mill and there was also no indica-
tion the late night fire had been set,
Haugen said. Also, some welding had
been done on the day of the fire, but
that had occurred in the southeast
corner of the building, he noted.
The loss, estimated at between
$2.5 and $3 milh'on, could run as high
as $5 million, according to HaugerL
Al Frey, the Port of Shelton's
maintenance and environmental
director, said he heard the compa-
ny was going to bring in some por-
table equipment on Wednesday to
try to resume operations. Shearer
Brothers has been a tenant at the
port's Johns Prairie Industrial
Park for several years.
Meanwhile, George Fox, the
port's auditor, told port commis-
sioners Tuesday staff will have a
proposal ready at the commission's
September 18 meeting about de-
ferring Shearer Brothers' lease
payments for a few months.
Port Commissioner Rick Byrd said
he wants the port to do something to
help the firm until it gets back up
and running. "When you collect the
(lease) money is up to the commis-
sioners' discretion," Fox said.
The mill did not have a fire
sprinkler system, which was not
required at the time the building
was constructed as a maintenance
structure, Haugen said. If it is re-
built, fire alarm and fire sprinkler
systems will have to be added to
comply with current fire codes.
Allison joins the 40 et 8 guys
The guys at the 40 et 8 in
Shelton now have a gal in their
midst after Allison Moore became
the first woman to be admitted
to the association of military
veterans.
Her acceptance by Voiture 135,
as the Shelton branch of the 40 et
8 is called, was the culmination
of a campaign that began when
she applied for membership in
November 2005. She said her
joining the organization required
a change in bylaws that restricted
membership to the male of the
species.
Founded in 1920 as an
organization of men who had
fought in World War I, the 40 et
8 is a group that only recently
allowed women to become regular
members. That's according to a
statement prepared by Dennis
Bowerman of the 40 et 8, who
wrote that membership is by
invitation for members of the
American Legion who have shown
exemplary service.
Make that men-bers instead of
members. "The 40 et 8 is a military
club, but it's also a gentleman's
club and so a woman couldn't join,"
Moore said.
A RESIDENT of Shelton and
a bartender at Bob's Tavern and
Shelton Eagles Aerie 3862, the 35-
year-old Moore served a four-year
hitch in Air Force law enforcement
after enlisting shortly after her
graduation from Sweethome High
School in Buffalo, New York. She
did her basic training at Lackland
Air Force Base in Texas and had
advanced training in air base
ground defense at Fort Dix, an
Army base in New Jersey. She was
discharged in 1995 with the rank of
senior airman and the knowledge
that her work in law enforcement
had gotten her nominated for
Senior Airman of the Year at Royal
Air Force Station Lakenheath.
"I grew up military myself," she
said. "My father was Navy. I was
born in Iceland."
Her mother moved to Iceland
to live with her father while he
was stationed there, and after the
passage of 19 years Moore found
(Please turn to page 8.)
Allison Moore
SHELTON-
MASON COUNTY
J,C) URbI,AL
Thursday, September 6, 2007 121st Year -- Number 36 5 Sections -- 48 Pages Published in Shelton, Washington 75 cents
one
urt as
e
was injured when a vin-
on takeoff
Lake on Monday af-
pilot, William A. Morris,
was attempting to
the lake in a south-
in a 1949 Aeronca.
Plane became airborne me-
and then returned to
surface, Trooper Matt
of the Washington State
reported. The plane's pen-
Struts collapsed, and the
entered the water.
came to rest right
Up without making contact
r structures, vessels or the
Wood wrote in a press
aircraft was towed to shore
boat. No obvious fluid
entered the water.
portation Safe-
and the Federal Aviation
were advised of
crash, Wood noted.
his passenger, Luke
33, of Graham, were not
in the splashdown report-
;2:31 p.m. on September 3.
plan
WELLS
protect water qual-
Oakland Bay are under way.
on Tuesday,
County Commission of-
the Oakland Bay
had reviewed
earlier this summer dur-
before the coun-
as well as the Ma-
Board of Health. The
a response to the Washing-
Department of Health
a portion of Oakland
COmmercial shellfish area as
of tests indicating pollu-
a collaborative pro-
in the
Bay waters, the
has developed this action
identifies 10 specific goals
along with specific
and performance mea-
t, improve water
will contain ele-
to improve water
in such shellfish tidelands
and, if possible,
non-point pollution
runoff. It will
runoff from malfunc-
on-site septic systems,
pollution from not adher-
management practices
activities jeopardizing
to page xx.)
Iltlllllllllll
the inside
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 13
........................... 35
r Calendar ....... 31
...... 40
Dining ..... 34
Journal ................. 18
of Record ............. 28
aolel.****oloJoJlol*ueoo.* 10
Letters ................. 4
................................... 21
.................... 30
IIIIIIIllllllllllilllllllllllllllillllllllll
ooJti!liill
JUDY BEVILACQUA climbs out of the water near Tri-
ton Head on Saturday after swimming across Hood
Canal to fulfill a lifelong dream and raise money for a
charity.
Woman, 62, swims
across Hood Canal
Judy Bevilacqua realized
her teen dream at the age of 62
on Saturday when she swam
across Hood Canal and touched
land at Triton Head just north
of Lilliwaup.
Her swim, which also ben-
efited charity, began two miles
away on the other side of the ca-
nal, but was extended to a tbree-
mile trip when currents pushed
her about a mile to the south
of her destination. She picked
Triton Head as the object of her
journey because she spent sum-
mers there as a teenager.
"I did all my high-school science
projects off the beach there," she
said. "I loved the water, and on a
glassy morning it would seem like
just a delicious thing that a person
could swim all the way across."
The idea of doing just that
lay fallow for many years until
"someone challenged me to take
my dreams more seriously." She
trained for the trip until she got
to the point where she could swim
a mile with confidence and then
decided if she could swim one she
could also swim two. She wasn't
counting on three miles, but that's
what awaited her when she woke
with the sun on Saturday morn-
ing after spending the night in a
camper at Triton Head.
"It was this red sunrise and
the water was pink, and I felt
that God was inviting me to
swim," she said.
She was driven to the other
side of the canal by her father
and her husband, Bill Aker and
Jack Bevilacqua. She donned a
wetsuit to protect her body from
the cold and took the plunge, the
plan being that the men would
lead her to Triton Head with
Mr. Akers in a motorboat and
Mr. Bevilacqua in a rowboat.
Her swim began at 9:10 a.m.
on September 1 and went swim-
mingly at first. A detour was re-
quired when the boats and the
woman they were leading to the
shore ran into a strong current
that left her swimming in place
without getting any way. Their
solution was to go with the flow,
and they reached the shore just
below Beacon Point. From there
Mrs. Bevilacqua swam along the
shore, completing her journey
shortly after 11 a.m. to the cheers
of the folks at Triton Head.
"When I looked up, all the
neighbors in our community
had come out on their porches,
and wherever I looked they were
all looking and banging on pans
and whistling," she said from
her home in Gresham, Oregon,
during a telephone interview.
Not content with accomplish-
ing this feat, Mrs. Bevilacqua
solicited the support of friends
and family to turn it into a fund-
raiser that has generated ap-
proximately $12,000 for Restor-
ing Hope and Saving Babies, a
ministry in California devoted
to helping children in Russia.
Election eyed
for fire merger
By JEFF GREEN
Fire District 5 and City of Shel-
ton officials are aiming to place a
measure on the February 19, 2008
ballot asking approval for consoli-
dation of the Shelton Fire Depart-
ment into Fire District 5.
Voters in both jurisdictions
must okay the merger for it to be-
come a reality.
Commissioners from the city
and fire district met last Thursday
morning to continue their series of
ongoing discussions about the pro-
posed consolidation.
Fire District 5 Chief Richard
Knight submitted a timeline and
work plan leading to the February
19 election. He and Shelton Fire
Chief Jim Ghiglione compiled the
schedule and plan. The work plan
includes a number of tasks, such
as a draft organizational chart,
labor agreements with firefighter
union locals, an interim contract
between the city and fire district
and others.
"THIS IS A fairly aggressive
schedule," Shelton Mayor John
Tarrant said, adding it will in-
clude a lot of public discussion and
comment.
Knight said Mason County As-
sessor Dixie Smith said she would
have to know by April if the con-
solidation was going to happen in
order to prepare for 2009 property
taxes. Placing the measure on the
(Please turn to page 6.)
Evacuation after gas-line break:
• q
Digging lnt ) 00atilities
a recurring h.€ adache
Several blocks in a part of down-
town Shelton were evacuated last
Thursday morning when a natu-
ral-gas line was broken acciden-
tally by a construction crew.
The break was reported at 8:33
a.m., and Shelton firefighters
went door-to-door at homes and
businesses in the area of Front
to Third and Alder to Franklin
streets warning people to leave
the area. An emergency shelter
was established at the Shelton
Civic Center and a medic unit
was staged there, but no one used
the shelter.
A Cascade Natural Gas crew
shut off the gas at around 10:10
a.m., reported Assistant Shelton
Fire Chief Dave Salzer.
The broken line was a lateral
line, not a main gas line. The
break was located adjacent to
Saint Edward's Catholic Church
Parish Hall, and Salzer said the
(Please turn to page 11.)
Cause of mill fire
is still a mystery
By JEFF GREEN
After several days of investiga-
tion, the cause of the August 27
fire that destroyed a mill in the
Johns Prairie area has been ruled
undetermined.
Mason County Fire Marshal
Craig Haugen said he and insur-
ance company investigators con-
ducted investigations into the
Shearer Brothers Chipping fire
and reached the same conclusion.
"It will remain undetermined,"
Haugen told The Journal.
Haugen said he believes the
fire started in the southwest cor-
ner of the building. "We have the
area, but we don't have an ignition
source," he added.
An eyewitness reported seeing a
glow at the mill followed by an ex-
plosion, the fire marshal said. Acet-
ylene tanks and a barrel contain-
ing de-icing fluid stored in the mill
exploded during the fire and oblit-
erated the area of apparent origin.
The de-icer was used to keep air in
air lines from freezing. Those air
lines were used to run the mill and
went to some power tools as well.
THE FIRE DOESN appear to
have started in piles of bark at the
mill and there was also no indica-
tion the late night fire had been set,
Haugen said. Also, some welding had
been done on the day of the fire, but
that had occurred in the southeast
corner of the building, he noted.
The loss, estimated at between
$2.5 and $3 milh'on, could run as high
as $5 million, according to HaugerL
Al Frey, the Port of Shelton's
maintenance and environmental
director, said he heard the compa-
ny was going to bring in some por-
table equipment on Wednesday to
try to resume operations. Shearer
Brothers has been a tenant at the
port's Johns Prairie Industrial
Park for several years.
Meanwhile, George Fox, the
port's auditor, told port commis-
sioners Tuesday staff will have a
proposal ready at the commission's
September 18 meeting about de-
ferring Shearer Brothers' lease
payments for a few months.
Port Commissioner Rick Byrd said
he wants the port to do something to
help the firm until it gets back up
and running. "When you collect the
(lease) money is up to the commis-
sioners' discretion," Fox said.
The mill did not have a fire
sprinkler system, which was not
required at the time the building
was constructed as a maintenance
structure, Haugen said. If it is re-
built, fire alarm and fire sprinkler
systems will have to be added to
comply with current fire codes.
Allison joins the 40 et 8 guys
The guys at the 40 et 8 in
Shelton now have a gal in their
midst after Allison Moore became
the first woman to be admitted
to the association of military
veterans.
Her acceptance by Voiture 135,
as the Shelton branch of the 40 et
8 is called, was the culmination
of a campaign that began when
she applied for membership in
November 2005. She said her
joining the organization required
a change in bylaws that restricted
membership to the male of the
species.
Founded in 1920 as an
organization of men who had
fought in World War I, the 40 et
8 is a group that only recently
allowed women to become regular
members. That's according to a
statement prepared by Dennis
Bowerman of the 40 et 8, who
wrote that membership is by
invitation for members of the
American Legion who have shown
exemplary service.
Make that men-bers instead of
members. "The 40 et 8 is a military
club, but it's also a gentleman's
club and so a woman couldn't join,"
Moore said.
A RESIDENT of Shelton and
a bartender at Bob's Tavern and
Shelton Eagles Aerie 3862, the 35-
year-old Moore served a four-year
hitch in Air Force law enforcement
after enlisting shortly after her
graduation from Sweethome High
School in Buffalo, New York. She
did her basic training at Lackland
Air Force Base in Texas and had
advanced training in air base
ground defense at Fort Dix, an
Army base in New Jersey. She was
discharged in 1995 with the rank of
senior airman and the knowledge
that her work in law enforcement
had gotten her nominated for
Senior Airman of the Year at Royal
Air Force Station Lakenheath.
"I grew up military myself," she
said. "My father was Navy. I was
born in Iceland."
Her mother moved to Iceland
to live with her father while he
was stationed there, and after the
passage of 19 years Moore found
(Please turn to page 8.)
Allison Moore