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00ournal of Opinion:
Life and death
[tow do you get people'to listen to a message they think has
nothing to do with them? That's a question the Mason County
HIV/AIDS Advisory Council is always exploring as it tries to
trunlpet the truth that the human immunodeficiency virus and
acquired immune deficiency syndrome affect homosexual and
heterosexual, man and woman, rich and poor, urban dweller
and rural resident.
This Saturday's Mason County AIDS Walk on Moun-
tain View is an opportunity for the community to raise
money to help those with AIDS, but it also serves as an
opening for the advisory council to raise awareness
about a deadly disease with no known cure.
'rlm advisory council is the group working on many fronts to
educate people about AIDS and help those afflicted with the
disease. It's the organization that holds the candlelight vigils
on World AIDS Day. The vigils don't draw big crowds, but each
year, in addition to the activists who always attend, there are a
few "new" people - a person recently diagnosed with AIDS who
needs support, a parent who's just lost an adult child to the dis-
asc and has decided not to surrender to the stigma surround-
ing AIDS, or someone else recently touched by the disease. By
the end, there aren't many dry eyes in the house. A lot of the
people in the room have watched death or await it.
It's a scene the "average" person never sees, or at least
thinks he'll never experience. Sadly, more and more
"average" people are living in the AIDS nightmare. It's
not as bad here as in Africa, where half of newborns are
llIV.positive. But 54 cases of AIDS have been diagnosed
in this county, one-tenth of one percent of the popula.
tion. Advisory council co-chair Jutta Riediger, an AIDS
educator, said there are undoubtedly more undetected.
A lot of people here ignore the risk, to their potential peril,
Riediger said. They may still believe AIDS is a gay man's dis-
case. They may believe they're immune because they are in a
monogamous relationship. They may believe they know their
partner well enough to know the partner couldn't have AIDS.
However, Riediger points out that our society is filled with peo-
ple cohabiting with partner after partner after partner in rela-
tively short unions -"serial monogamous relationships," she
calls them - which greatly increases the odds of running into
someone who is HIV-positive.
Here's a scary thought to Riediger: The average time
between the date a healthy person contracts HIe and
the time he or she is diagnosed with AIDS is now 14
years (shorter for drug users, those with illnesses and
teens). Fourteen years ago, in the mid-'80s, women
weren't told they were at risk, she points out. The only
way they can find out their HIV status is to ask a doctor
for an antibody test. She emphasizes that the quicker a
person is diagnosed, the better chance for survival, be-
cause people in early stages of infection respond better
to medication. She likes to add that of the 54 people di-
agnosed here, 41 are still alive and needing love.
So some who think they couldn't contract the disease may be
at great risk. Most know that intravenous drug users are sus-
ceptible when theyshare needles. Women involved sexually
with men who arc former drug users make up the highest risk
group. |Jut young, poor, rural white women, of which Mason
County has plenty, now make up a high-risk group. The county
also has a large population of Hispanics, another high-risk
group. Those are the latest statistical realities for the groups
hit hardest, but if you're a white, middle-class person and as-
sume you're not at risk, you could be dead wrong.
Riediger takes a pragmatic approach in her AIDS edu-
cation, a risk-reduction path acknowledging that many
people aren't going to remain celibate in today's world.
Since AIDS is only spread through unprotected inter.
course or by blood entering a mucous membrane or
through the skin via a cut, puncture, etc., talking about
sex becomes a major part of her education program.
Make no mistake. Abstinence is the only way to guarantee
you won't contract AIDS sexually. Riediger, applauds those who
choose that lifestyle, but she also recognizes that a large seg-
ment of the population isn't going to stop having sex. So if she
is intolerant in her attitude toward that segment, she won't
reach them, and that is like condemning them to die, she said.
Condoms are 98 percent effective in preventing AIDS transmis-
sion, so she urges those insisting on having sex to practice
"safer sex" (not "safe sex':), by using condoms. That cuts their
risk, she said, from 100 percent exposed to 2 percent.
Among those at the AIDS Walk on Saturday will be
Ray Coleman, the tireless AIDS education crusader from
Agate whose son died from the disease in 1987. The advi-
sory council's co-chair does everything he can to make
sure someone else's son or daughter or loved one doesn't
suffer the same fate his son did. He's raised more money
for AIDS patients than anyone on the advisory council
and been available day and night to comfort those infec-
ted and affected by AIDS. But some people still haven't
gotten his message. The next casualty could be you if
you are careless; it could be your child if he or she
doesn't heed warnings. It's a matter of life and death.
Primary interest
Adults are fond of complaining about how standards have
been lowered in schools. They certainly would be the experts on
lowering standards. Take voting, for example.
After last week's primary - an election in which bal-
lots were mailed to every registered voter and citizens
had to go to all the trouble of finding a mailbox - a coun-
ty election official said he was happy with the turnout,
estimated at 38 to 40 percent. And who could blame
him? Turnout was 25 percent in the 1995 primary and 35
percent in the 1997 primary.
Those voting percentages are about as impressive as the
numbers of local students who have met state standards on
math tests. The percentages become even more impressive
when one considers that they reflect registered voters who
bothered to mark their ballots and don't include those eligible
to vote who didn't even register.
We're sure those in East Timer would appreciate the
way Mason County citizens cherish their precious right
to vote.
CG
Page 4- Shelto'n-Mason Count; Journal- Thursday, September 23, 1999
Hyped motion sickness
(motto: "The Endless Vast Ex-
panse of Wilderness State"). They
respond to this predicament
exactly as Lewis and Clark would
have: by holding long, whiny ar-
guments wherein they wave the
camera around and repeatedly
shout a very bad word that I can-
not put in the newspaper, so let's
just call it "darn." Much of the
dialogue sounds like this:
FIRST CHARACTER: Darn
you! You darned got us darned
lost in these darned woods! Darn!
SECOND CHARACTER: Go
darn yourselfi
SQUIRREL: Will you darners
shut the darn UP!?!
The characters are all so busy
arguing and yelling "Darn!" at
each other that, in the entire
movie, they actually travel a
grand total of maybe 7,5 linear
feet. You get the impression that
if they'd just shut up and WALK,
in 20 minutes they'd come to a
Wal-Mart. But they don't, and af-
ter several days they run out of
food. They do NOT, however, run
out of electricity for their cam-
eras, which apparently are pow-
ered by tiny, highly portable nu-
clear generators.
And thus they are able to keep
videotaping, which enables you,
the viewer, to experience the ter-
rifying things that happen right
outside their tent at night, name-
ly: It's hard to say. Apparently
SOMETHING terrifying is hap-
pening, but you can't really tell
what it is, because pretty much
all you see is the ground, or total
darkness. Much of the footage
near the end appears to be shot
deep inside a sleeping bag.
I won't reveal the terrifying
and shocking surprise ending of
the movie, because I don't want to
spoil it, plus I have no idea what
it is, since it's not actually IN the
movie. The characters all get
killed and are unable to videotape
it. But at least the darned camera
stopped moving.
I hope I don't appear to be
criticizing The Blair Witch Proj-
ect. I happen to think it's a great
film, because despite its flaws, it
meets the ultimate artistic test: It
will make over a hundred million
dollars. This inspires me. In my
college days, I spent my summers
working at Camp Sharparoon as
a counselor for disadvantaged
youths, and one of my key coun-
seling techniques was terror.
When we were out in the woods
at night, I could make the youths
at least briefly stop hitting each
other and making bodily sounds
by telling them scary bedtime sto-
ries. Not to brag, but some of my
stories were a lot scarier than The
Blair Witch Project, as deter-
mined by the standard unit of
measurement for bedtime-story
scariness, which is Bedrolls Wet-
ted.
So I'm thinking I can cash in
on my Camp Sharparoon stories
by turning them into terrifying
low-budget films. I'll start with
"Hunt for the Latrine Demon,"
which will be about an ill-fated
attempt to make a documentary
about an entity that dwells, ac-
cording to legend, in a primitive
hand-dug campsite toilet facility.
I've already got a script written
("It's got me by my darned
ankles!"). All I need now is some
unknown actors, a video camera
and a huge promotional budget.
And of course a seal.
By DAVE BARRY
Recently, it came to my atten-
tion that I was one of the eight re-
maining Americans who had not
seen The Blair Witch Project.
In case you're one of the other
seven, I should explain that The
Blair Witch Project is a hugely
popular movie that was featured
simultaneously on the covers of
both Time and Newsweek
(mottoes: "We Both Have The
Same Motto"). The Blair Witch
Project stunned the Hollywood es-
tablishment, because it proved
that, to make a hit movie, you
don't need big stars, an expensive
production and a huge promotion-
al budget to generate hype. All
you need is a huge promotional
budget to generate hype. The
movie itself can cost $34.
Not wishing to be a cultural
holdout, I went to see The Blair
Witch Project, which tells the
story of three young actors who
attempt to make a documentary
without a tripod. This means the
camera constantly moves around,
as though it is strapped to the
head of a hyperactive seal. (For
some reason, the camera is often
pointed mo.r'e or less at the
ground, as though the seal is
hunting for ants.) The effect of
this technique is to create a mood
of intense realism for several
minutes, after which it creates a
mood of intense motion sickness.
The three movie characters are
looking for the Blair Witch, who
according to legend is a mean
witch who is never actually seen
because of the high cost of special
effects. The characters set out
and almost immediately become
lost in the legendarily huge unin-
habited forests of Maryland
Tests step in right direction
back two rows.
When I switched over to pri-
vate schooling in 10th grade,
much to my displeasure I found
myself in classrooms with desks
arranged in circles, no place to
hide anymore, but voild, my
grades went back up to B's.
One of the few things I like
about the Washington Assess-
ment of Student Learning
(WASL) tests is that instead of fo-
cusing our attention on the front
half of the classroom where help
is needed least, we'll be forced
into putting the spotlight on the
back half of the classroom, where
help is needed most.
Without a doubt this will be a
great challenge with many prob-
lems to solve along the way, but I
believe it's the first of many need-
ed steps in the right direction.
Hopefully by the year 2006, if
not much sooner, the teachers left
standing in our classrooms will be
justly rewarded for any true suc-
cess we manage to attain.
Rich Kispert
Matlock
Editor, The Journak
When I attended public school
back in Massachusetts many
moons ago, I realized where you
sat in class had a great effect on
how much you were challenged by
teachers and ultimately upon
your final grade. The A's sat in
the front and answerec most of
the questions, B's and C's in the
middle and D's and F's could usu-
ally be found having all the fun in
the back two rows." I challenge
anyone to come up with the name
of an A student who sat in the
Oh my gosh!
Professor Stewart -
a gigantic meteorite is
hurtling toward
Earth!
Now remember,
Sarah - we call it
a meteor until it
hits Earth.
Mike S.
Buy clinic
Editor, The Journak
This is really addressed to the
residents of Belfair and those who
live nearby.
If those who have been pa-
tients of Dr. Mike Butler want to
keep him - and he wants to stay -
there may be a remedy.
You could band together and
buy the clinic. In small towns and
unincorporated areas all over the
U.S, residents have done that,
and even more. They have built
and furnished a clinic and have
even gone so far as providing a
home for the doctor they needed.
There are a lot of "ifs" involved
here but if the clinic owner would
sell and if Dr. Mike would stay -
could you do it?
There are a lot of businesses in
Belfair and their companies and
employees would gain a lot of
goodwill with donations.
Vivian Mitchell
Shelton
Editor, The Journal." is a dollar that it took
Three years ago one of the big and me, who as
Seattle newspapers took a poll als, had to earn it first.
among the state's Democrat and When Republicans
Republican leaders, asking them, the passage of Initiative
"Who is most responsible for the lier this decade,
well-being of people- government had just months
or the people?" the biggest single tax
Republican leaders answered, the history of our state,
"People." Democrat leaders an- ning around
swered, "Government." falling." Guess
Through policies promoted by didn't fall. Life went on as
Democrats (including their crea- and, because of 1.601,
tion of our current health in- stopped the tax.
surance crisis, which is quietly in- tices of the past and have
tended to push us into govern- alized a state budget
ment-run, rationed health care), more than $1 billion.
it becomes quite obvious that the 1-601 has been a thorn
Democratic Party believes that side of Democrats who
government knows best how to more money to spend
take care of you. government
So it comes as no surprise that your expense.
Mason County Democratic Chair- Nogler's article
man Neal Nogler and his central no surprise. It's a
committee are leading the local side of Democrats
charge against the $30 car-tab would deprive them
measure, Initiative 695. In Nog- to spend more of
ler's September 9 letter, "I-695 is on government. And
a bad idea," to the Shelton-Mason Nogler and his county
County Journal he says county central committee are
Democrats oppose the initiative ing out that "the
because it cuts the capacity of the Guess what? It won't.
county (government) to raise what 1-695 will do
money through auto license tabs ernment to live
and prevents any taxes from be- and make every
ing imposed without a yearly vote It will take the
of the people, taxes out of the
Once again, as we read in this happy politicians
article, Democrats defend govern- where it belongs m
ment over people. Republicans, on people, not
the other hand, defend people does what the
over government. And that is why been criticizing
the Mason County Republican not doing for a long
Central Committee is supporting the little guy the big
our state Republican Party's en- stead of"makingthe
dorsement ofi-695. Mason County
Republicans are the party of don't believe that
the people. We believe govern- us "find Big Rock C
ment must practice fiscal respon- tain, where the
sibility and allow individuals to lemonade springs...
keep more of the money they thing is free and
earn. We believe the best govern- able." Instead, we
ment is the one which governs puts people
least. We also believe that the It's time to allow
most effective, responsible and re- keep more of the
sponsive government is govern- earn. It's time to m
merit closest to the people. 1-695 ment fiscall)
accomplishes this. money it takes from
1-695 is an initiative of the it's time to fight the
PEOPLE, not government. It's an defended by
initiative of FEWER TAXES and stead, defend the
LESSER government. It's an ini- people- not government.
tiative which takes on the status That's why the
quo of government and its prac- Republican Central
tice of taxing everything we own. joins with the
It's an initiative which forces gov- Republican Party in
ernment to become more account- the November
able and efficient with our money PEOPLE'S initiative,
it spends. 1-695 defends people Craig
over government. Remember, Mason County
every dollar government spends
Hypocrisy
Editor, The Journal: At the state level,
You have to hand it to the poli- 695 and the
ticians.., they never let hypocrisy ment are
stand between them and a dollar, political mischief.
The problem is they think we citi- and his right-wing
zens are stupid. Sometimes I that for a few
wonder if they're not right, plate bucks they are
For instance, on the national bunches of votes
level, the House, with ballyhoo ing of government
and fanfare, passes a moderate effects even they
campaign finance reform bill for partisan
knowing full well that Senator are convinced you
McConnell and his well-paid bud- look beyond that
dies will never let such a thing license plate.
see the light of day in the Senate. And locally, ou
Then they have the temerity to the developer's
suggest raising the limits on indi- money interests a
vidual contributions.., knowing another loaded c0n
again that you and I are not going hire a powerless
to be able to make a dent in the lay any meanin
influence of the big spenders.., the Growth
but maybe they can get us to en- the, Skokomish
richen the coffers even further In Will Roger's
and be convinced we are "making stand you could
a difference".., all the while re- in political she
moving the processes of govern- they're just
ment further from the ordinary
citizen.
ul
00'he
Shelton-/fason
eoMn tg USPS 492-800
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Charles Gay, editor and publisher. Neweroom: Carolyn Maddux,
Patch, sports editor; Jeff Green, general assignment, city
society editor, county government; Scan Hanlon, police, courts,
Stephen Gay, advertising manager; Dave Pierik, ad sales. Front o
manager; Vicki Kamin, circulation; Donna Dooms, bookkeeper;
Composing room: Diane Riordan, supervisor; Margot Brand and Jan
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duction foreman; Roger Lawson, darkroom; Kelly Riordan, pressman, i
lll
00ournal of Opinion:
Life and death
[tow do you get people'to listen to a message they think has
nothing to do with them? That's a question the Mason County
HIV/AIDS Advisory Council is always exploring as it tries to
trunlpet the truth that the human immunodeficiency virus and
acquired immune deficiency syndrome affect homosexual and
heterosexual, man and woman, rich and poor, urban dweller
and rural resident.
This Saturday's Mason County AIDS Walk on Moun-
tain View is an opportunity for the community to raise
money to help those with AIDS, but it also serves as an
opening for the advisory council to raise awareness
about a deadly disease with no known cure.
'rlm advisory council is the group working on many fronts to
educate people about AIDS and help those afflicted with the
disease. It's the organization that holds the candlelight vigils
on World AIDS Day. The vigils don't draw big crowds, but each
year, in addition to the activists who always attend, there are a
few "new" people - a person recently diagnosed with AIDS who
needs support, a parent who's just lost an adult child to the dis-
asc and has decided not to surrender to the stigma surround-
ing AIDS, or someone else recently touched by the disease. By
the end, there aren't many dry eyes in the house. A lot of the
people in the room have watched death or await it.
It's a scene the "average" person never sees, or at least
thinks he'll never experience. Sadly, more and more
"average" people are living in the AIDS nightmare. It's
not as bad here as in Africa, where half of newborns are
llIV.positive. But 54 cases of AIDS have been diagnosed
in this county, one-tenth of one percent of the popula.
tion. Advisory council co-chair Jutta Riediger, an AIDS
educator, said there are undoubtedly more undetected.
A lot of people here ignore the risk, to their potential peril,
Riediger said. They may still believe AIDS is a gay man's dis-
case. They may believe they're immune because they are in a
monogamous relationship. They may believe they know their
partner well enough to know the partner couldn't have AIDS.
However, Riediger points out that our society is filled with peo-
ple cohabiting with partner after partner after partner in rela-
tively short unions -"serial monogamous relationships," she
calls them - which greatly increases the odds of running into
someone who is HIV-positive.
Here's a scary thought to Riediger: The average time
between the date a healthy person contracts HIe and
the time he or she is diagnosed with AIDS is now 14
years (shorter for drug users, those with illnesses and
teens). Fourteen years ago, in the mid-'80s, women
weren't told they were at risk, she points out. The only
way they can find out their HIV status is to ask a doctor
for an antibody test. She emphasizes that the quicker a
person is diagnosed, the better chance for survival, be-
cause people in early stages of infection respond better
to medication. She likes to add that of the 54 people di-
agnosed here, 41 are still alive and needing love.
So some who think they couldn't contract the disease may be
at great risk. Most know that intravenous drug users are sus-
ceptible when theyshare needles. Women involved sexually
with men who arc former drug users make up the highest risk
group. |Jut young, poor, rural white women, of which Mason
County has plenty, now make up a high-risk group. The county
also has a large population of Hispanics, another high-risk
group. Those are the latest statistical realities for the groups
hit hardest, but if you're a white, middle-class person and as-
sume you're not at risk, you could be dead wrong.
Riediger takes a pragmatic approach in her AIDS edu-
cation, a risk-reduction path acknowledging that many
people aren't going to remain celibate in today's world.
Since AIDS is only spread through unprotected inter.
course or by blood entering a mucous membrane or
through the skin via a cut, puncture, etc., talking about
sex becomes a major part of her education program.
Make no mistake. Abstinence is the only way to guarantee
you won't contract AIDS sexually. Riediger, applauds those who
choose that lifestyle, but she also recognizes that a large seg-
ment of the population isn't going to stop having sex. So if she
is intolerant in her attitude toward that segment, she won't
reach them, and that is like condemning them to die, she said.
Condoms are 98 percent effective in preventing AIDS transmis-
sion, so she urges those insisting on having sex to practice
"safer sex" (not "safe sex':), by using condoms. That cuts their
risk, she said, from 100 percent exposed to 2 percent.
Among those at the AIDS Walk on Saturday will be
Ray Coleman, the tireless AIDS education crusader from
Agate whose son died from the disease in 1987. The advi-
sory council's co-chair does everything he can to make
sure someone else's son or daughter or loved one doesn't
suffer the same fate his son did. He's raised more money
for AIDS patients than anyone on the advisory council
and been available day and night to comfort those infec-
ted and affected by AIDS. But some people still haven't
gotten his message. The next casualty could be you if
you are careless; it could be your child if he or she
doesn't heed warnings. It's a matter of life and death.
Primary interest
Adults are fond of complaining about how standards have
been lowered in schools. They certainly would be the experts on
lowering standards. Take voting, for example.
After last week's primary - an election in which bal-
lots were mailed to every registered voter and citizens
had to go to all the trouble of finding a mailbox - a coun-
ty election official said he was happy with the turnout,
estimated at 38 to 40 percent. And who could blame
him? Turnout was 25 percent in the 1995 primary and 35
percent in the 1997 primary.
Those voting percentages are about as impressive as the
numbers of local students who have met state standards on
math tests. The percentages become even more impressive
when one considers that they reflect registered voters who
bothered to mark their ballots and don't include those eligible
to vote who didn't even register.
We're sure those in East Timer would appreciate the
way Mason County citizens cherish their precious right
to vote.
CG
Page 4- Shelto'n-Mason Count; Journal- Thursday, September 23, 1999
Hyped motion sickness
(motto: "The Endless Vast Ex-
panse of Wilderness State"). They
respond to this predicament
exactly as Lewis and Clark would
have: by holding long, whiny ar-
guments wherein they wave the
camera around and repeatedly
shout a very bad word that I can-
not put in the newspaper, so let's
just call it "darn." Much of the
dialogue sounds like this:
FIRST CHARACTER: Darn
you! You darned got us darned
lost in these darned woods! Darn!
SECOND CHARACTER: Go
darn yourselfi
SQUIRREL: Will you darners
shut the darn UP!?!
The characters are all so busy
arguing and yelling "Darn!" at
each other that, in the entire
movie, they actually travel a
grand total of maybe 7,5 linear
feet. You get the impression that
if they'd just shut up and WALK,
in 20 minutes they'd come to a
Wal-Mart. But they don't, and af-
ter several days they run out of
food. They do NOT, however, run
out of electricity for their cam-
eras, which apparently are pow-
ered by tiny, highly portable nu-
clear generators.
And thus they are able to keep
videotaping, which enables you,
the viewer, to experience the ter-
rifying things that happen right
outside their tent at night, name-
ly: It's hard to say. Apparently
SOMETHING terrifying is hap-
pening, but you can't really tell
what it is, because pretty much
all you see is the ground, or total
darkness. Much of the footage
near the end appears to be shot
deep inside a sleeping bag.
I won't reveal the terrifying
and shocking surprise ending of
the movie, because I don't want to
spoil it, plus I have no idea what
it is, since it's not actually IN the
movie. The characters all get
killed and are unable to videotape
it. But at least the darned camera
stopped moving.
I hope I don't appear to be
criticizing The Blair Witch Proj-
ect. I happen to think it's a great
film, because despite its flaws, it
meets the ultimate artistic test: It
will make over a hundred million
dollars. This inspires me. In my
college days, I spent my summers
working at Camp Sharparoon as
a counselor for disadvantaged
youths, and one of my key coun-
seling techniques was terror.
When we were out in the woods
at night, I could make the youths
at least briefly stop hitting each
other and making bodily sounds
by telling them scary bedtime sto-
ries. Not to brag, but some of my
stories were a lot scarier than The
Blair Witch Project, as deter-
mined by the standard unit of
measurement for bedtime-story
scariness, which is Bedrolls Wet-
ted.
So I'm thinking I can cash in
on my Camp Sharparoon stories
by turning them into terrifying
low-budget films. I'll start with
"Hunt for the Latrine Demon,"
which will be about an ill-fated
attempt to make a documentary
about an entity that dwells, ac-
cording to legend, in a primitive
hand-dug campsite toilet facility.
I've already got a script written
("It's got me by my darned
ankles!"). All I need now is some
unknown actors, a video camera
and a huge promotional budget.
And of course a seal.
By DAVE BARRY
Recently, it came to my atten-
tion that I was one of the eight re-
maining Americans who had not
seen The Blair Witch Project.
In case you're one of the other
seven, I should explain that The
Blair Witch Project is a hugely
popular movie that was featured
simultaneously on the covers of
both Time and Newsweek
(mottoes: "We Both Have The
Same Motto"). The Blair Witch
Project stunned the Hollywood es-
tablishment, because it proved
that, to make a hit movie, you
don't need big stars, an expensive
production and a huge promotion-
al budget to generate hype. All
you need is a huge promotional
budget to generate hype. The
movie itself can cost $34.
Not wishing to be a cultural
holdout, I went to see The Blair
Witch Project, which tells the
story of three young actors who
attempt to make a documentary
without a tripod. This means the
camera constantly moves around,
as though it is strapped to the
head of a hyperactive seal. (For
some reason, the camera is often
pointed mo.r'e or less at the
ground, as though the seal is
hunting for ants.) The effect of
this technique is to create a mood
of intense realism for several
minutes, after which it creates a
mood of intense motion sickness.
The three movie characters are
looking for the Blair Witch, who
according to legend is a mean
witch who is never actually seen
because of the high cost of special
effects. The characters set out
and almost immediately become
lost in the legendarily huge unin-
habited forests of Maryland
Tests step in right direction
back two rows.
When I switched over to pri-
vate schooling in 10th grade,
much to my displeasure I found
myself in classrooms with desks
arranged in circles, no place to
hide anymore, but voild, my
grades went back up to B's.
One of the few things I like
about the Washington Assess-
ment of Student Learning
(WASL) tests is that instead of fo-
cusing our attention on the front
half of the classroom where help
is needed least, we'll be forced
into putting the spotlight on the
back half of the classroom, where
help is needed most.
Without a doubt this will be a
great challenge with many prob-
lems to solve along the way, but I
believe it's the first of many need-
ed steps in the right direction.
Hopefully by the year 2006, if
not much sooner, the teachers left
standing in our classrooms will be
justly rewarded for any true suc-
cess we manage to attain.
Rich Kispert
Matlock
Editor, The Journak
When I attended public school
back in Massachusetts many
moons ago, I realized where you
sat in class had a great effect on
how much you were challenged by
teachers and ultimately upon
your final grade. The A's sat in
the front and answerec most of
the questions, B's and C's in the
middle and D's and F's could usu-
ally be found having all the fun in
the back two rows." I challenge
anyone to come up with the name
of an A student who sat in the
Oh my gosh!
Professor Stewart -
a gigantic meteorite is
hurtling toward
Earth!
Now remember,
Sarah - we call it
a meteor until it
hits Earth.
Mike S.
Buy clinic
Editor, The Journak
This is really addressed to the
residents of Belfair and those who
live nearby.
If those who have been pa-
tients of Dr. Mike Butler want to
keep him - and he wants to stay -
there may be a remedy.
You could band together and
buy the clinic. In small towns and
unincorporated areas all over the
U.S, residents have done that,
and even more. They have built
and furnished a clinic and have
even gone so far as providing a
home for the doctor they needed.
There are a lot of "ifs" involved
here but if the clinic owner would
sell and if Dr. Mike would stay -
could you do it?
There are a lot of businesses in
Belfair and their companies and
employees would gain a lot of
goodwill with donations.
Vivian Mitchell
Shelton
Editor, The Journal." is a dollar that it took
Three years ago one of the big and me, who as
Seattle newspapers took a poll als, had to earn it first.
among the state's Democrat and When Republicans
Republican leaders, asking them, the passage of Initiative
"Who is most responsible for the lier this decade,
well-being of people- government had just months
or the people?" the biggest single tax
Republican leaders answered, the history of our state,
"People." Democrat leaders an- ning around
swered, "Government." falling." Guess
Through policies promoted by didn't fall. Life went on as
Democrats (including their crea- and, because of 1.601,
tion of our current health in- stopped the tax.
surance crisis, which is quietly in- tices of the past and have
tended to push us into govern- alized a state budget
ment-run, rationed health care), more than $1 billion.
it becomes quite obvious that the 1-601 has been a thorn
Democratic Party believes that side of Democrats who
government knows best how to more money to spend
take care of you. government
So it comes as no surprise that your expense.
Mason County Democratic Chair- Nogler's article
man Neal Nogler and his central no surprise. It's a
committee are leading the local side of Democrats
charge against the $30 car-tab would deprive them
measure, Initiative 695. In Nog- to spend more of
ler's September 9 letter, "I-695 is on government. And
a bad idea," to the Shelton-Mason Nogler and his county
County Journal he says county central committee are
Democrats oppose the initiative ing out that "the
because it cuts the capacity of the Guess what? It won't.
county (government) to raise what 1-695 will do
money through auto license tabs ernment to live
and prevents any taxes from be- and make every
ing imposed without a yearly vote It will take the
of the people, taxes out of the
Once again, as we read in this happy politicians
article, Democrats defend govern- where it belongs m
ment over people. Republicans, on people, not
the other hand, defend people does what the
over government. And that is why been criticizing
the Mason County Republican not doing for a long
Central Committee is supporting the little guy the big
our state Republican Party's en- stead of"makingthe
dorsement ofi-695. Mason County
Republicans are the party of don't believe that
the people. We believe govern- us "find Big Rock C
ment must practice fiscal respon- tain, where the
sibility and allow individuals to lemonade springs...
keep more of the money they thing is free and
earn. We believe the best govern- able." Instead, we
ment is the one which governs puts people
least. We also believe that the It's time to allow
most effective, responsible and re- keep more of the
sponsive government is govern- earn. It's time to m
merit closest to the people. 1-695 ment fiscall)
accomplishes this. money it takes from
1-695 is an initiative of the it's time to fight the
PEOPLE, not government. It's an defended by
initiative of FEWER TAXES and stead, defend the
LESSER government. It's an ini- people- not government.
tiative which takes on the status That's why the
quo of government and its prac- Republican Central
tice of taxing everything we own. joins with the
It's an initiative which forces gov- Republican Party in
ernment to become more account- the November
able and efficient with our money PEOPLE'S initiative,
it spends. 1-695 defends people Craig
over government. Remember, Mason County
every dollar government spends
Hypocrisy
Editor, The Journal: At the state level,
You have to hand it to the poli- 695 and the
ticians.., they never let hypocrisy ment are
stand between them and a dollar, political mischief.
The problem is they think we citi- and his right-wing
zens are stupid. Sometimes I that for a few
wonder if they're not right, plate bucks they are
For instance, on the national bunches of votes
level, the House, with ballyhoo ing of government
and fanfare, passes a moderate effects even they
campaign finance reform bill for partisan
knowing full well that Senator are convinced you
McConnell and his well-paid bud- look beyond that
dies will never let such a thing license plate.
see the light of day in the Senate. And locally, ou
Then they have the temerity to the developer's
suggest raising the limits on indi- money interests a
vidual contributions.., knowing another loaded c0n
again that you and I are not going hire a powerless
to be able to make a dent in the lay any meanin
influence of the big spenders.., the Growth
but maybe they can get us to en- the, Skokomish
richen the coffers even further In Will Roger's
and be convinced we are "making stand you could
a difference".., all the while re- in political she
moving the processes of govern- they're just
ment further from the ordinary
citizen.
ul
00'he
Shelton-/fason
eoMn tg USPS 492-800
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Charles Gay, editor and publisher. Neweroom: Carolyn Maddux,
Patch, sports editor; Jeff Green, general assignment, city
society editor, county government; Scan Hanlon, police, courts,
Stephen Gay, advertising manager; Dave Pierik, ad sales. Front o
manager; Vicki Kamin, circulation; Donna Dooms, bookkeeper;
Composing room: Diane Riordan, supervisor; Margot Brand and Jan
Koleen Wood, typesetter and computer system manager; Karl Freer,
computer system manager; Cynthia Meyer, proofreader. Preaeroom:
duction foreman; Roger Lawson, darkroom; Kelly Riordan, pressman, i
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