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]OURNALEDITORIAL
Trees on the chopping block should be removed for safety
We're happy to see the City of that needs some sprucing up.ation that the Doug Iir's root sys- Oddly enough, though, we gotdowntown highlight.
Shelton and the Shelton Mason A rotted cedar tree, a danger- tem poses to pedestrians using the a last-minute letter here at the While Christmas Town USA
County Chamber of' Commelce ous Douglas fir and a scrappy sidewalk and the inevitability that Journal this week by a reader will have a few less trees in the
working tegether an plans to looking pine are on the chopping one or more of the trees could come opposed to removing the trees, heart of downtown, the chamber
make improvements at the corner block and a monmnent sign and down and hurt or kill someone. Quite frankly, that was our first and city will do their best to make
of First and'Railroad, pretty landscaping are on the way. In addition, the city official reaction as well. We're still not sure the new space helps provide
A chamber subcommittee called On one hand, we'll be sad to see working on the project with the thrilled about the idea of bringing a world-class welcome to those
the 8heltan Alhance [br Viable the trees go. Contrary to being an chamber says that not a single down the trees, but understand visiting the downtown retail core
Economic Revitalization ~ SAVER) eyesore, we quite like them. But, we person has contacted him to raise the reasoning behind it and hope and that's something we can get
identilied the corner a.~ a place also recognize the dangerous situ- an objection to falling the trees, that the new corner will be a new behind.
LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR"
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Vote to
change
leadership in
the city
Editor, the Journal
I have lived in the conl-
mmfity fbr many years and it
saddens me that more people
don't get involved to help bet-
ter ~t. In mt m erage election
ouly about 50 percent of the
registered voters exercise their
right t~) vote and because of
that about 50 percent of the
people control the destit ~y o/
our cufnln ulitLy
It really distresses me that
tile last elecUon we saw im
provement to sidewalks and
streets nero the (?ivic Center
between 6th and 7th Street
on Cota Avenue. It was nice t()
see s(lllll~thiltg (]~Ht(. with OlU
intiastructure, bill untbl~tu,
tlattdy non(~ of'the work that
was (lone tu [lit)s(* 4reets and
sidewalks meets the minimmn
shm(hwd reqmrem(mts set
by the (JiV ot Nhelton. They
would have rvquired a privato
individu,d or coJ iLl actor to
meet a higher standard than
they h(fld themselves to
New m ~otller eh,ction yem
ha~ rolled aro,md and we see
that the ( '.ily ot'Sbelton is
hwolw,d in street progTams
and again the rock sub-baue
doesll't met the IIHnlIIIUIII
standards set tw the city. The
cit3 enlbrces these minmmm
stal Idards wtRff lever another
entity does work within the
city because they say that the
standards will assure the citi-
zens that the work will hold up
to the use and ,'educe the city's
tuture maintenance cost. Why
is it that the city can do work
and not be held accountable
to their own standards? the
these standards too tfigh? Why
is it that the city is repah'ing
Iku'ner Avenue within months
after it was worked on in rela-
uonship to the pump station?
Was that work inadequate?
Why is it that the sidewalks at
Wallace-Kneeland Boulevard.
were torn out and handicap
access iustalled? Why weren't
the handicap accesses put
m when the original project
was done just last year'? Why
weren't the sidewalks redone
on the south side of Lumber-
man,s when the street was
repaved as result of the down-
town sewer' project'?
All these questions should
be asked by the citizens when
the go to the voting booths. Do
you want the people control-
I. N the City ot Shelton to con-
tinue or is it time for a change?
I wonder if the voters of
Shelton understand that if
Dawn Pmmell is voted in as
mayor that she will have to
resign her position as commis-
sioner of public works and the
council will appoint someone
to replace her. This means
that everything will remain
the same in the city, with no
fresh approach to resolving the
problems that we face.
Major street repairs dur-
ing an election year does us
no real good because what we
need is some kind of'continu,
ous program with standards
that everyone has to tbllow. 1
believe that the City of Shelton
is h, need of fi'esh leadership.
Kelly Bueehel
Shelton
Support
Johnston for
fire board
Editor, the Journal
I first met Dave Johnston
severn years ago when I
called for assistance with
home computer problems.
While I remain very im-
pressed with his superior
technical skills and his excep-
tionalc.entse ice, overthe !i! i i !!ii !iiil ! i
impressedYears I have beeneven mOrewith his comnmnity ~ ~~i ~i~i ~a ~~i~ ~i i~i~
leadership and personal quali-
ties.
Dave Johnston is a man
ofimpeccable character and ~i ~bli~ I~f~ ~f
dardsintegrity'Hishighm°ral stan-and ethics complement libelous
communityhis longrecordofdedicatedservice,should
Dave Johnston's neighbors o heJoarnal : :
who are served by Fire Dis-
trict 6 are fortunate to have
a commissioner of such high
integrity and professionalism.
Those served by and protected
by Mason County Fire district
6 should retain Dave Johnston
as their cominissioner.
Jim Sin~s
Shelton
Wave
goodbye to
Editor, The Journal
As we pass the Douglas fir
and western red cedar at 1st
and Railroad, I wonder how
many days these quintessen-
tial Shelton icons have on the
Earth. Well, on Earth as ~ees,
not as some small cants m the
mill yard further up Railroad
Ave.
Much hoopla has been
made about the updating of
this corner with movers mid
shakers all agreeing, '%eir
days are numbered." Gonna
make Shelton an "uptown
corneF' right there, give us a
face lift. Well, okay, nothing
wrong with face lifts, for the
right reasons. I wonder about
the reasons here. I doubt that
these trees are diseased. In
tree years, they are hardly
old enough, way less than 100
years. There are no tell-tale
signs of disease here now as
purported. There are healthy
leaders pointing straight up to
the sky. No bare spots where
branches should be. Many a
tree has come to the whim
of a chain saw by the mere
declaration of illness. Roots
raising the sidewalks, not any
damage visible here now or
yet, sidewalks look sure-footed
m~d flat.
It's a nice native corner, lots
of small towns would cherish
as the emblem of their past
and present right there for all
to see, driving by. This is, for
most of us, most of the year,
basically a drive by corner,
much as the aforementioned
movers would want to make it
otherwise. It sometimes is all
that folks ever see of 8helton.
With so many other glaring
insufficiencies in carmg for
the image of Sl4elton, the first
thing on the list is to tear up,
cut down and remove the two
trees that say, "We are a tbrest
community and proud of it," in
the most prominent spot in the
enth'e town. Gonna put a silk
purse on the sow's ear of First
Street as soon as we are able.
If'I were driving through
8helton, I would be more en-
ticed to step for a visit if'my
impression of Shelton were
not the blocks and blocks of
street blight on First Street. I
doubt a fancy monument sign
invitation on this corner would
make me think to traverse fur-
ther down Raih'oad Avenue.
to stop for a while. And for
those in the quick twist about
removing these trees, if done
right, there might be room for
that same sign without getting
out the chahi saw.
Have a wave bye, bye to a professional, functional and
your Shelton tree heritage efficient school board in part-
while you still can. Evergreen nership with the community,
and beautiful year round, you staff, families and students,
will surely miss them when ensuring that the goals, vi-
they are gone forever, sions and initiatives best serv-
Sally Burtcher ing the students of the Shelton
SheltonSchool District are met.
Having served eight years
on the school board myself, as
well as many countless hours
over the part 25 years spent
Ri h volunteering in our schools
C , and different support orga-
Donaldson nizations, I have tried to be
aware of the issues, both good
and bad that effect our educa
toschool tional systems here in Shelten
Over the past two years, it
has not been easy to maintain
the high level of educational
excellence desfired with all the
budget cuts predicted by our
Editor, the Journal current financial situation.
Recently, many of'the com- This is why, more than ever,
munity had the opporttmity to we need a school board with
hear the honorable Judge Ben members who are dedicated,
Settle speak at the commemo- capable and have the desire to
rative for Sept. 11. Judge . work for our children with no
Settle gave a very good speech, personal agendas, no personal
What struck home to me were egos, no personal vendettas
his words about our need for and no other mission other
a vital and robust educational than the welfare of the Shelton
system and how important School District, its students
it is to us to have "Strong and staff.
schools, strong community, We need to be, in Ben
strong nation." Settle's words, "an informed
The Coalition for School electorate." The coalition urges
Board Excellence is an ever- you to be informed.
expanding group of business The collation for School
and community members, Board Excellence has endorsed
educators, adininistrators and candidates Caroline Rich, Dis-
families in the Shelton School trict I and Sharon Donaldson,
District. At-Large District 2.
Our mission is to support Holly Sharpe
Shelton
WORDONTHESTREET
What do you think of the county's
commission and what qualities do
process to replace Jerry Lingle on the
you think it should look for in a cand
county
idate?
Amanda Johnson
Sharon Tibbits
Carl Anderson
Lorraine Jager
"[ wm~t somehody who is personable with
everyday people, not just people invovled in
goven~nent, but someone who can reach out."
"The candidates had better be honest."
"I know that the other county commis- "They should look for honesty
stoners are selecting someone, and I'm ness, as far as I'm concerned."
sure they'll do a fine job."
and Nir,
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