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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
September 6, 2007     Shelton Mason County Journal
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September 6, 2007
 
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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