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counts homeless
from page 26.)
housing is a big piece of
said.
DEFINITION of home-
used by the census takers
broad than the defini-
the U.S. Department
and Urban Develop-
the feds don't count
are living in substan-
or are "couch surf-
a phrase that decribes
don't have a place of
but lay their heads in
of those who are will-
them in. Not all of the
this category have made
known to the census
that a lot of people
themselves home-
they stay with others
they do have a place to
they do not have stable
said.
takers counted 239
males with 84 of them
and 265 home-
with 72 of them liv-
own. "We're talking
with single moms
dads," Sells said. "We're
)le with children.
have enough affordable
and a minimum-wage job
pay the rent."
of a job is the sixth most
of homelessness re-
by the census takers. The
in are: family break-
or drug use, domestic
inability to pay for rent
and conviction of a
felony crime. People counted in
the census reported a number of
disabilities with 23 percent hav-
ing untreated dental problems;
20 percent a problem with alcohol
or drugs; 13 percent having men-
tal-health issues; and 9 percent a
physical disability.
ALCOHOLISM WAS the most
common disability reported by sin-
gle men and women. Single men
said alcoholism and family break-
up were the most common cause of
their homelessness, while single
women said domestic violence and
the committing of a felony crime
were the most common causes of
their homelessness. Family break-
ups were the most common cause
of homelessness among single par-
ents of both genders and persons
under the age of 18, and dental
problems were the most common
disability found among this seg-
ment of the population.
The census counted 115 people
who had been homeless for more
than a year or who found them-
selves homeless more than three
times in three years. Among the
chronic homeless who responded
to the census, 31 had problems
with alcohol or drugs, 15 reported
mental-health issues and 13 were
military veterans.
"They may be living in the
woods and they may be living in
their cars or in an abandoned
building," Sells said. "We know
that there are many colonies in
different areas."
The annual census is required
by the state's Homelessness Hous-
ing and Assistance Act of 2005.
That law provides approximately
$12 million a year for state and lo-
cal programs that provide housing
and services for homeless persons.
State and local officials are obliged
to develop plans that have the goal
of cutting homelessness in half by
2015.
FUNDS TO SUPPORT this ef-
fort are generated by a $10 record-
ing fee collected by the county in
connection with official documents
related to home mortgages and
other transactions. A small frac-
tion of the money collected pays
for the administration fee and the
rest is split between the counties
and the Washington Department
of Community, Trade and Eco-
nomic Development for programs
to reduce homelessness. An exam-
ple of this was a vote last spring by
the Mason County Commission to
award a grant of $2,500 to the Cold
and Hungry Coalition, a nonprofit
group that runs an emergency cold
weather shelter in the basement of
the Saint David's Parish Hall.
The Department of Communi-
ty, Trade and Economic Develop-
ment helps to fund a network of
172 community-based emergency
shelters in Washington. Manag-
ers of those shelters report that in
2002 these shelters served 78,426
individuals but also reported more
than 81,610 instances of people be-
ing turned away from emergency
shelter services in the state. They
said more than 58,250 of those in-
stances involved households with
children.
MORNING RAYS light the way for traffic and put a little
sparkle in the roadside powerlines this week in Agate.
lllllill
Weather
lllllililllil
High Low Precip.
Fahrenheit (In.)
September 5 68 55 0
September 6 70 52 0
September 7 71 50 0
September 8 77 41 0
September 9 82 42 0
September 10 90 41 0
September 11 82 43 0
Measurements are recorded
for the National Weather Service
at Sanderson Field. Wednesday
morning the National Weather
Service predicted sunny skies and
clear conditions from Thursday
through Friday. The highs should
be in the upper 70s with a low
around 47 degrees.
Forecasters expect mostly
cloudy skies from Friday night
through Sunday. The lows should
be around 47 degrees Friday night
and 50 on Saturday night. The
high on Saturday should be near
71 with a high near 69 on Sun-
day.
The extended forecast for Sun-
day night through Tuesday calls
for mostly cloudy conditions with
a chance of rain on Sunday night
and a chance of showers Monday
through Tuesday. The lows should
be in the mid- to upper 40s with
highs near 65 degrees.
cases
He was arrested August 22
when he reported for weekly drug
testing at the Mason County Pro-
bation Office at 615 West Alder
on a pending superior court case
in which there was a warrant for
his arrest. Shelton Police Officer
Chris Kostad said he searched
Williams and found two glass
pipes with white residue in the
stem and black residue in the bowl
in addition to a bag containing
a white crystal substance which
field-tested positive for meth.
Two defendants were arraigned
on August 27 and are scheduled
for omnibus hearings on Septem-
ber 17, pretrial hearings on Octo-
ber 1, trial readiness hearings on
October 5 and trials during the
jury term beginning October 9.
* Lindsy Marie Spargo, 22,
of 709 West Cedar, Montesano,
pled not guilty to possession of
methamphetamine.
She was arrested August 12 by
deputies responding to a report
of a domestic-violence assault at
Little Creek Casino Resort. Spar-
go reportedly had a Washington
Department of Corrections war-
rant and the suspected meth was
found when she was searched at
the Mason County Jail.
Officers said the meth was in
two small bags which had been
hidden in her vagina. She alleg-
edly expelled one of the bags and
attempted to ingest its contents,
which field-tested positive for
meth.
Whatever happened to the idea
of listening before we make up
our minds if someone is or is not
telling the truth?
You and I don't really know whether the
government is telling the truth or not.
All we know is what the national media
is telling us.
uM
& TAILORS
and
Monday-Friday 6:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
215 South Second
426.337t
card. He says he's got a social secu-
rity card and has spent two years
trying to secure an official picture
I.D. card. "I do have an identifica-
tion problem here," he said.
BROOKS HOPES his family
will send him his birth certificate
and figures this will produce a
breakthrough on the identification
front. He keeps busy while waiting
for developments. He reads a lot
and figures he has read thousands
of books over the course of the last
40 years, with novels and art books
at the top of his list. "My pursuit
in life is to be an artist. I'm a good
artist. I'd like a place to draw and
paint," he said.
Persons shopping in the Knee-
land Plaza Shopping Center drive
past one of his favorite haunts, as
Brooks can often be seen reading a
book a stone's throw from the stop-
light at the main entrance to the
parking lot. A sign advertises his
need for funds, most of which he
spends for his campsite on a ridge
high above the beaten track. He
set for trial
• Benjamin .4,. Borden, 24,
who was listed as homeless at his
booking, entered a not-guilty plea
to a charge of assault of a child in
the third degree.
He was arrested by Officer Ed
Day of the SPD who said he was
investigating a report on August
11 from Doctor Dean Gushee from
Mason General Hospital. The doc-
tor reported seeing a 2-year-old
boy "with considerable bruising
on his face." The child is identi-
fied by the initials "R.G.G-W."
The alleged assault took place
at the Fairmount Cove Apart-
ments where Leah Leming was
watching the toddler while the
boy's mother, Stevie Wright, was
working. Borden, who is Leming's
boyfriend, reportedly admitted
he hit the boy when the child
screamed in his face. According to
court documents, he was not to be
at Leming's apartment due to a
previous conviction for assault of
a child in the third degree against
Leming's daughter.
On August 16:
• Wesley H. Duncan, 23, 309
Roosevelt Street, Shelton, was
identified in an investigation of
failure to register as a sex offend-
er. He entered a not-guilty plea
through James Foley, who was
appointed as defense counsel, and
is scheduled for an omnibus hear-
ing on October 8, a pretrial hear-
ing on October 22, trial readiness
hearing on October 26 and trial
during the jury term beginning
October 30.
says panhandling "beats breaking
the law," and that his 15 years in
prison taught him to never break
the law.
"I buy beer, but I haven't been
drunk in maybe eight months," he
said. "It's been about a year and a
half prior to that. I don't drink hard
liquor but I sit in my tent and listen
to my radio and read my books and
I drink a beer and make my supper.
I have no teeth so I make chili and
chopped meat. I tell you, always
take care of your teeth. I didn't take
care of mine."
Showers are available to Brooks
and others thanks to the congrega-
tion at Saint David of Wales Epis-
copal Church. The church offers a
hot shower and clean towel to those
in need of same as part of an active
ministry to the homeless that in-
cludes opening the lower level of the
parish hall as a cold weather shel-
ter on nights when the temperature
approaches zero. "I get a bath once
a week and it's kicking my ass but I
can't afford to get off this corner. It
takes most of a day to get into town
and get cleaned up," he said.
Brooks said church groups "are
fantastic as long as they know you're
not just spinning your wheels" and
makes it clear that the residents
of Shelton have been good to him.
"I love these people. They are my
bread and butter," he said. This is
not to say he doesn't keep his dis-
tance. "I stay out of the mix. I'm not
antisocial, not claustrophobic. I'm
not emotionally or mentally chal-
lenged. I'm not crippled. I'm not
stupid. I'm not uneducated."
Casey Salisbury ~ Sheriff
l II
HERIFF
OFFENDER INFORMATION BULLETIN
LEVEL 3 TRANSIENT NOTIFICATION
If you have any information regarding current criminal activity of this or any other offender, please call 911.
For other information on sex offenders, http://so.co.mason.wa.us/
MICHAEL DAVID NORCOTT
WHITE MALE. DOB: 11/12/64.6'01"- 195 LBS.
BROWN HAIR & BROWN EYES
Michael NORCOTT has recently become homeless in Mason County and is re-
quired to register as a Transient sex offender due to his 01/08/96 conviction of Child
Molestation 2 nd Degree, Chelan County Superior Court cause number 95-1-00534,0.
This conviction stems from when NORCOTT was 31 years old, he spent the night
at an acquaintance's house. During the night, NORCOTT sexually molested a 14
year old girl who was a resident of the house; AND he also sexually molested a 13
year old girl, who was spending the night as a friend of the 14 year old girl. NOR-
COT'I" pied guilty to one count of Child Molestation 2 nd Degree. Due to these factors NORCOTT
is considered a MODERATE RISK, but due to his homeless/transient status, NORCOTT is now
considered a HIGH RISK.
NORCOTT is now re-assessed by the Mason County Sheriff's Office as a Level 3 Sex Offender,
due to his homeless/Transient status. This is the HIGHEST LEVEL given to a Sex Offender,
meaning that the subject is at a HIGH RISK to re-offend.
NORCOTT has given his status within Mason County as:
Transient/Homeless within Shelton, WA
Paid for by the Mason County Sheriff s Office
Thursday, September 13, 2007 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page 27
Oenney
Officer Warren Ohlson of
Police Department
stepson had assaulted
was sleeping on the
Ellertson returned af-
his wife to work. He
out of the house and
awaken Carter.
inside the house, Shane
said, he told Carter to
Carter responded with
and allegedly said,
mother's house too."
then reportedly jumped
the sofa and punched his
in the mouth and eye.
Illertson called the police
left the area on foot,
to Ohlson's report.
Charles "Broth-
24, 20 North
Court, Shelton, pled not
;ion of metham-
Vas arrested at 10:57 a.m.
22 in connection with
of the alleged
which were reported at
l.tn, on August 21 by Shane
page 26.)
beginning October 16.
Thomas Carter, 19,
of 410 Ellinor Avenue,
entered not-guilty pleas
of a no-con-
burglary in the first
and assault in the fourth
The assault charge al-
domestic violence against
from page 26.)
other places. "I'm the
moves the boulders and
hose," he said. "All the
get I turn into jewelry and I
Cell it a piece at a time on the
to various people and sup-
gh the winter that
never been on welfare. I
:food stamps here."
is to get to Alaska.
timber, fish, oil and
the four major indus-
he said. "As a gold
miner and subaquatic engineer, all
I've got to do is walk into a dive shop
up there that sells dive gear and
gold mining equipment and they'll
know somebody who needs a diver.
With my experience I'm absolutely
positive I'll have a job in a couple of
days. All I've got to do is get there,
I'm positive I can get work."
What stands in his way is his
lack of the proper identification pa-
pers. He'd like to take the ferry to
Alaska and says that requires that
he be ab]e to produce a state I.D.
prison he: I)refers the outdoors
counts homeless
from page 26.)
housing is a big piece of
said.
DEFINITION of home-
used by the census takers
broad than the defini-
the U.S. Department
and Urban Develop-
the feds don't count
are living in substan-
or are "couch surf-
a phrase that decribes
don't have a place of
but lay their heads in
of those who are will-
them in. Not all of the
this category have made
known to the census
that a lot of people
themselves home-
they stay with others
they do have a place to
they do not have stable
said.
takers counted 239
males with 84 of them
and 265 home-
with 72 of them liv-
own. "We're talking
with single moms
dads," Sells said. "We're
)le with children.
have enough affordable
and a minimum-wage job
pay the rent."
of a job is the sixth most
of homelessness re-
by the census takers. The
in are: family break-
or drug use, domestic
inability to pay for rent
and conviction of a
felony crime. People counted in
the census reported a number of
disabilities with 23 percent hav-
ing untreated dental problems;
20 percent a problem with alcohol
or drugs; 13 percent having men-
tal-health issues; and 9 percent a
physical disability.
ALCOHOLISM WAS the most
common disability reported by sin-
gle men and women. Single men
said alcoholism and family break-
up were the most common cause of
their homelessness, while single
women said domestic violence and
the committing of a felony crime
were the most common causes of
their homelessness. Family break-
ups were the most common cause
of homelessness among single par-
ents of both genders and persons
under the age of 18, and dental
problems were the most common
disability found among this seg-
ment of the population.
The census counted 115 people
who had been homeless for more
than a year or who found them-
selves homeless more than three
times in three years. Among the
chronic homeless who responded
to the census, 31 had problems
with alcohol or drugs, 15 reported
mental-health issues and 13 were
military veterans.
"They may be living in the
woods and they may be living in
their cars or in an abandoned
building," Sells said. "We know
that there are many colonies in
different areas."
The annual census is required
by the state's Homelessness Hous-
ing and Assistance Act of 2005.
That law provides approximately
$12 million a year for state and lo-
cal programs that provide housing
and services for homeless persons.
State and local officials are obliged
to develop plans that have the goal
of cutting homelessness in half by
2015.
FUNDS TO SUPPORT this ef-
fort are generated by a $10 record-
ing fee collected by the county in
connection with official documents
related to home mortgages and
other transactions. A small frac-
tion of the money collected pays
for the administration fee and the
rest is split between the counties
and the Washington Department
of Community, Trade and Eco-
nomic Development for programs
to reduce homelessness. An exam-
ple of this was a vote last spring by
the Mason County Commission to
award a grant of $2,500 to the Cold
and Hungry Coalition, a nonprofit
group that runs an emergency cold
weather shelter in the basement of
the Saint David's Parish Hall.
The Department of Communi-
ty, Trade and Economic Develop-
ment helps to fund a network of
172 community-based emergency
shelters in Washington. Manag-
ers of those shelters report that in
2002 these shelters served 78,426
individuals but also reported more
than 81,610 instances of people be-
ing turned away from emergency
shelter services in the state. They
said more than 58,250 of those in-
stances involved households with
children.
MORNING RAYS light the way for traffic and put a little
sparkle in the roadside powerlines this week in Agate.
lllllill
Weather
lllllililllil
High Low Precip.
Fahrenheit (In.)
September 5 68 55 0
September 6 70 52 0
September 7 71 50 0
September 8 77 41 0
September 9 82 42 0
September 10 90 41 0
September 11 82 43 0
Measurements are recorded
for the National Weather Service
at Sanderson Field. Wednesday
morning the National Weather
Service predicted sunny skies and
clear conditions from Thursday
through Friday. The highs should
be in the upper 70s with a low
around 47 degrees.
Forecasters expect mostly
cloudy skies from Friday night
through Sunday. The lows should
be around 47 degrees Friday night
and 50 on Saturday night. The
high on Saturday should be near
71 with a high near 69 on Sun-
day.
The extended forecast for Sun-
day night through Tuesday calls
for mostly cloudy conditions with
a chance of rain on Sunday night
and a chance of showers Monday
through Tuesday. The lows should
be in the mid- to upper 40s with
highs near 65 degrees.
cases
He was arrested August 22
when he reported for weekly drug
testing at the Mason County Pro-
bation Office at 615 West Alder
on a pending superior court case
in which there was a warrant for
his arrest. Shelton Police Officer
Chris Kostad said he searched
Williams and found two glass
pipes with white residue in the
stem and black residue in the bowl
in addition to a bag containing
a white crystal substance which
field-tested positive for meth.
Two defendants were arraigned
on August 27 and are scheduled
for omnibus hearings on Septem-
ber 17, pretrial hearings on Octo-
ber 1, trial readiness hearings on
October 5 and trials during the
jury term beginning October 9.
* Lindsy Marie Spargo, 22,
of 709 West Cedar, Montesano,
pled not guilty to possession of
methamphetamine.
She was arrested August 12 by
deputies responding to a report
of a domestic-violence assault at
Little Creek Casino Resort. Spar-
go reportedly had a Washington
Department of Corrections war-
rant and the suspected meth was
found when she was searched at
the Mason County Jail.
Officers said the meth was in
two small bags which had been
hidden in her vagina. She alleg-
edly expelled one of the bags and
attempted to ingest its contents,
which field-tested positive for
meth.
Whatever happened to the idea
of listening before we make up
our minds if someone is or is not
telling the truth?
You and I don't really know whether the
government is telling the truth or not.
All we know is what the national media
is telling us.
uM
& TAILORS
and
Monday-Friday 6:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
215 South Second
426.337t
card. He says he's got a social secu-
rity card and has spent two years
trying to secure an official picture
I.D. card. "I do have an identifica-
tion problem here," he said.
BROOKS HOPES his family
will send him his birth certificate
and figures this will produce a
breakthrough on the identification
front. He keeps busy while waiting
for developments. He reads a lot
and figures he has read thousands
of books over the course of the last
40 years, with novels and art books
at the top of his list. "My pursuit
in life is to be an artist. I'm a good
artist. I'd like a place to draw and
paint," he said.
Persons shopping in the Knee-
land Plaza Shopping Center drive
past one of his favorite haunts, as
Brooks can often be seen reading a
book a stone's throw from the stop-
light at the main entrance to the
parking lot. A sign advertises his
need for funds, most of which he
spends for his campsite on a ridge
high above the beaten track. He
set for trial
• Benjamin .4,. Borden, 24,
who was listed as homeless at his
booking, entered a not-guilty plea
to a charge of assault of a child in
the third degree.
He was arrested by Officer Ed
Day of the SPD who said he was
investigating a report on August
11 from Doctor Dean Gushee from
Mason General Hospital. The doc-
tor reported seeing a 2-year-old
boy "with considerable bruising
on his face." The child is identi-
fied by the initials "R.G.G-W."
The alleged assault took place
at the Fairmount Cove Apart-
ments where Leah Leming was
watching the toddler while the
boy's mother, Stevie Wright, was
working. Borden, who is Leming's
boyfriend, reportedly admitted
he hit the boy when the child
screamed in his face. According to
court documents, he was not to be
at Leming's apartment due to a
previous conviction for assault of
a child in the third degree against
Leming's daughter.
On August 16:
• Wesley H. Duncan, 23, 309
Roosevelt Street, Shelton, was
identified in an investigation of
failure to register as a sex offend-
er. He entered a not-guilty plea
through James Foley, who was
appointed as defense counsel, and
is scheduled for an omnibus hear-
ing on October 8, a pretrial hear-
ing on October 22, trial readiness
hearing on October 26 and trial
during the jury term beginning
October 30.
says panhandling "beats breaking
the law," and that his 15 years in
prison taught him to never break
the law.
"I buy beer, but I haven't been
drunk in maybe eight months," he
said. "It's been about a year and a
half prior to that. I don't drink hard
liquor but I sit in my tent and listen
to my radio and read my books and
I drink a beer and make my supper.
I have no teeth so I make chili and
chopped meat. I tell you, always
take care of your teeth. I didn't take
care of mine."
Showers are available to Brooks
and others thanks to the congrega-
tion at Saint David of Wales Epis-
copal Church. The church offers a
hot shower and clean towel to those
in need of same as part of an active
ministry to the homeless that in-
cludes opening the lower level of the
parish hall as a cold weather shel-
ter on nights when the temperature
approaches zero. "I get a bath once
a week and it's kicking my ass but I
can't afford to get off this corner. It
takes most of a day to get into town
and get cleaned up," he said.
Brooks said church groups "are
fantastic as long as they know you're
not just spinning your wheels" and
makes it clear that the residents
of Shelton have been good to him.
"I love these people. They are my
bread and butter," he said. This is
not to say he doesn't keep his dis-
tance. "I stay out of the mix. I'm not
antisocial, not claustrophobic. I'm
not emotionally or mentally chal-
lenged. I'm not crippled. I'm not
stupid. I'm not uneducated."
Casey Salisbury ~ Sheriff
l II
HERIFF
OFFENDER INFORMATION BULLETIN
LEVEL 3 TRANSIENT NOTIFICATION
If you have any information regarding current criminal activity of this or any other offender, please call 911.
For other information on sex offenders, http://so.co.mason.wa.us/
MICHAEL DAVID NORCOTT
WHITE MALE. DOB: 11/12/64.6'01"- 195 LBS.
BROWN HAIR & BROWN EYES
Michael NORCOTT has recently become homeless in Mason County and is re-
quired to register as a Transient sex offender due to his 01/08/96 conviction of Child
Molestation 2 nd Degree, Chelan County Superior Court cause number 95-1-00534,0.
This conviction stems from when NORCOTT was 31 years old, he spent the night
at an acquaintance's house. During the night, NORCOTT sexually molested a 14
year old girl who was a resident of the house; AND he also sexually molested a 13
year old girl, who was spending the night as a friend of the 14 year old girl. NOR-
COT'I" pied guilty to one count of Child Molestation 2 nd Degree. Due to these factors NORCOTT
is considered a MODERATE RISK, but due to his homeless/transient status, NORCOTT is now
considered a HIGH RISK.
NORCOTT is now re-assessed by the Mason County Sheriff's Office as a Level 3 Sex Offender,
due to his homeless/Transient status. This is the HIGHEST LEVEL given to a Sex Offender,
meaning that the subject is at a HIGH RISK to re-offend.
NORCOTT has given his status within Mason County as:
Transient/Homeless within Shelton, WA
Paid for by the Mason County Sheriff s Office
Thursday, September 13, 2007 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page 27
Oenney
Officer Warren Ohlson of
Police Department
stepson had assaulted
was sleeping on the
Ellertson returned af-
his wife to work. He
out of the house and
awaken Carter.
inside the house, Shane
said, he told Carter to
Carter responded with
and allegedly said,
mother's house too."
then reportedly jumped
the sofa and punched his
in the mouth and eye.
Illertson called the police
left the area on foot,
to Ohlson's report.
Charles "Broth-
24, 20 North
Court, Shelton, pled not
;ion of metham-
Vas arrested at 10:57 a.m.
22 in connection with
of the alleged
which were reported at
l.tn, on August 21 by Shane
page 26.)
beginning October 16.
Thomas Carter, 19,
of 410 Ellinor Avenue,
entered not-guilty pleas
of a no-con-
burglary in the first
and assault in the fourth
The assault charge al-
domestic violence against
from page 26.)
other places. "I'm the
moves the boulders and
hose," he said. "All the
get I turn into jewelry and I
Cell it a piece at a time on the
to various people and sup-
gh the winter that
never been on welfare. I
:food stamps here."
is to get to Alaska.
timber, fish, oil and
the four major indus-
he said. "As a gold
miner and subaquatic engineer, all
I've got to do is walk into a dive shop
up there that sells dive gear and
gold mining equipment and they'll
know somebody who needs a diver.
With my experience I'm absolutely
positive I'll have a job in a couple of
days. All I've got to do is get there,
I'm positive I can get work."
What stands in his way is his
lack of the proper identification pa-
pers. He'd like to take the ferry to
Alaska and says that requires that
he be ab]e to produce a state I.D.
prison he: I)refers the outdoors