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WORK ON THE Basin 2 Inflow and Infiltration Project
is evident above with a trench for a new sewer line and
catch basin at Second and Franklin streets. The work
forced Shelton firefighters to park their fire trucks
away from the station during work hours.
Firefighters park it
during sewer work
On weekdays since Wednes-
day, September 26, Shelton Fire
Department has been forced to
park its fire trucks away from
the downtown fire station.
The reason? Work on the Ba-
sin 2 Inflow and Infiltration Proj-
ect has progressed down Second
Street to Franklin Street and
the street in front of the station
has been torn up while crews
added new sewer lines and a
catch basin.
So during the work day, fire-
fighters parked the trucks near
the former gas station at First
and Franklin. In the evenings,
after the workers had finished
for the day and installed steel
plates over ditches dug in the
roadway, the firefighters moved
the trucks back into the station.
"Yhey've been real good about
communicating with us," Assis-
tant Shelton Fire Chief Dave
Salzer said of the project con-
tractor, Gary Merlino Construc-
tion of Seattle. So far, there
have been no problems and the
arrangement has worked out
well, Salzer added.
As of this Wednesday, fire-
fighters were able to keep the
trucks in the station during the
workday, as the project pro-
gressed to another area.
Salzer said the workers will
be back to resume work on
Franklin Street within a few
weeks. When they return, the
trucks will be able to stay in the
station full time, but firefight-
ers must alter their route to get
them onto First Street, turning
right onto Second and right on
Cedar to get to First.
l>Jot a gun, 00still a strike
By MARY DUNCAN
A Union man who acquired his
first strike under the state's per-
sistent-offender sentencing law for
assaulting another man by point-
ing an imitation firearm at him
protested his incarceration at a
sentencing hearing held Monday
in Mason County Superior Court.
Jeffrey Sterling Walter
Wooldridge, 29, of 11 East Union
Ridge Road, was sentenced to nine
months in the Mason County Jail
for assault in the second degree
and to a concurrent sentence of 90
days for malicious mischief in the
second degree.
"I'm not a threat to society
and I don't see a need to put me
in an already crowded facility,"
Wooldridge said, referring to con-
ditions at the jail.
Judge James Sawyer told
Wooldridge the sentencing range
is fixed by the Washington Legis-
lature and with an offender score
of one, the standard sentencing
range is from six to 12 months on
the assault charge.
Wooldridge changed his pleas
last month, at which time Sawyer
told him: "This is a strike against
you; three strikes and you're out."
The state's persistent-offender
sentencing act mandates a sen-
tence of life in prison without the
possibility of parole for persons
convicted of three strike offenses.
According to court documents,
Wooldridge was taken into cus-
tody at gunpoint on July 18 after
threatening Brandon D. Wellborn
with a gun which resembled a
semi-automatic weapon but was
later identified as an "air soft
pellet gun," according to a prob-
able-cause statement by Sergeant
Jerry Lingle of the Shelton Police
Department.
Wellborn reported seeing
Wooldridge, his former friend,
parked in a white Suburban in the
700 block of Birch Street. Well-
born walked up to the rig with his
girlfriend and Wooldridge pointed
a weapon at him through a closed
window and told Wellborn to get
away o2 he would shoot him. Well-
born said he was convinced the
gun was real and that Wooldridge
was going to shoot him.
Wooldridge was transported to
the police station and placed in a
(Please turn to page 11.)
Shelton Auto Parts/Wrecking
NOW BUYING 00HICLES!
Bring your unwanted, complete vehicle
to our yard and receive S$$1
BEST PRICES IN MASON COUNTY!
Towing available-- call for detailst
Some resnctlons apply, legal vehicle papenorl
required, no garbage in vehicles.
J I00uying Aluminum Cans 30/Ib00
i "o,, yo,r to the d,,,p." [
1501 W. Dayton,Airport Road, Shelton I
|360} 4F-$150
Page 2 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, October 4, 2007
City's proposed budget has
more spending than revenue
By JEFF GREEN
Shelton city commissioners got
a sneak peak at the city's 2008
preliminary budget Monday eve-
ning.
City Administrator Dave
O'Leary and Financial Services
Director Kathy Beierle presented
an overview of the preliminary
budget, which includes a wish list
of all requests made by the vari-
ous department heads.
But not all of those wishes will
come true, as administrators will
be sharpening their red pencils
and keeping their erasers handy
as they work in coming weeks to
pare down the budget, which cur-
rently is out of balance in nearly
all categories.
The General Fund, for exam-
ple, has requested expenditures
totaling $11,161,314, with pro-
jected revenues of $9,177,499, a
budget shortfall of $1,983,815 for
now. "It's not unusual to have a
large shortfall at this point," Bei-
erle said.
"THIS IS THE request phase,"
noted Mayor John Tarrant of the
annual budget process. At this
time last year in the General Fund,
requests by department heads to-
taled $8,924,493, with revenues
estimated at $7,663,914.
"Things will be much more
aligned," promised O'Leary, who
said he'll meet with department
heads, then come back to the
commission with a budget that
works.
The budget calendar calls for
a formal preliminary budget pre-
sentation on Monday, October 29,
followed by a public hearing about
the preliminary budget on Mon-
day, November 5. A final budget
public hearing is scheduled for
Monday, December 3.
"We're doing a lot, but you can't
do a lot everywhere," O'Leary said
of city operations and the problem
of increasing public expectations
and decreasing revenues to the
city.
Shelton is facing a decreasing
fund balance. "We're about as far
down as we should take that,"
O'Leary told the commissioners.
In addition, the economy is "soft"
and he said residential develop-
ment is not doing as well as it
used to.
THE CITY HAS increased
charges for connecting new homes
to Shelton's water and sewer sys-
tems and is talking about adding
traffic impact fees, O'Leary said.
Higher development costs will
mean less development until the
housing market adjusts, he add-
ed.
There is significant residential
growth on the horizon and, while
that will strengthen the city's ca-
pabilities, it will also come with
limitations, he said. The city's tax
structure will remain the same
and the city still has pretty poor
infrastructure, he explained.
As for city streets, the prelimi-
nary budget includes $650,000
to maintain the existing commit-
ment to streets, including funds
for street maintenance, traffic sig-
nal costs, street signs and more.
The budget is currently writ-
ten to assume the proposed six-
year property-tax levy lid lift will
be approved by city voters on No-
vember 6. If the ballot measure
passes, the levy lid lift would gen-
erate $4,015,184 over six years
tbr residential street repairs and
maintenance. That would begin
to alter the appearance of the city
even in the first year, O'Leary
said.
THE SEWER FUND is the
sole city fund showing a surplus
thus far in the budget process.
The proposed spending plan for
that fund calls for $13,245,553
in expenditures while project-
ing $13,381,567 in revenue and a
$136,014 surplus.
A summary of budget propos-
als for other 2008 city funds with
their requested expenditures, es-
timated revenue and amount of
budget shortfall includes: Region-
Free septic workshop scheduled
A free workshop on septic sys-
tems will be presented from 6 to
8 p.m. on Monday, October 15, at
the PUD 3 Auditorium, 307 West
Cota Street in Shelton.
Officials of the Mason County
Extension of Washington State
University and Mason County
Public Health will conduct this
event describing the components
of a septic system and how such
systems work. Participants will
learn what to flush and how to
make sure a septic system prop-
erly treats and disposes of its con-
tent.
Participants will learn how to
protect and inspect home septic
systems, how to avoid problems
and when to call in the experts.
Those who attend will receive
manuals and other reference ma-
terials to take home. Homeowners
who are unsure where their sep-
tic systems are or what kind they
have can get help researching re-
cords that may be on file.
For more information or to reg-
ister, call 427-9670, Extension
680.
al Sewer Fund, $12,599,233
expenditures, $12,534,222 in r
enue, $65,011 shortfall; Capit
Improvement Fund: $4,180,5
in expenditures, $4,023,413
revenue, $156,843 shortfall; "
ter Fund: $2,522,763 in exp
ditures, $1,630,601 in revert
$892,162 shortfall; Regional V
ter Fund, $2,479,362 in exl
ditures, $2,431,000 in revent
$48,362 shortfall;
Street Fund: $2,221,758 in
penditures, $1,808,816 in re
nue, $412,942 shortfall; 911 Cot
munications Fund: $1,323,4305
expenditures, $1,098,516 in r
enue, $225,089 shortfa.ll; Sto
Drainage Fund: $1,022,331
expenditures, $980,000 in r
enue, $42,331 shortfall; Equ
ment Maintenance and Ren
Fund: $943,445 in expenditur
$748,187 in revenue, $195,t
shortfall.
HAVING MORE :I
RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS
IS NOT THE SAME
AS RAVING MORE MONEY.
There can be risk in having
muhil,h; n.tircvnent accounts.
Wilt... a singh; focus, it
can be diflicuh to keep track
of your inw,stments and to
st;t; if w.t'rc moving toward i:
your goals. At the very least, !
multiph ac,'ounts usually i
mean multildc fies.
Ib learn why (msolidating
your retirement accounts
to Edward Jones makes
sense, call today.
Armin Baumgartel
Dan Baumgartel
Financial Advisors
821 West Railroad Avenue,
Suite A. Shelton
426-0982 1-800-441.0982
www.edwardlones.com
The News
Call for Parties,
Meetings, Receptions FRESH A Wide Vi,ty of
& Special SH ELLFISH Seafood & Other at I)tshes .
Occasion Lunches DAILY with Chef Xinh T. Dwelley's Asian lValo
(360) 427-8709 Open for Supper Tuesday-Saturday. z,
Downtown Shelton Comer of 3rd and West Ra!!road r'Jr
Microclean Filtration Energy Efficient
Financing Available Chemicals
Mobile Service Repair
III I I
.Fireplaces
Stoves .Inserts
III
H IEAT00' I..0..
,.-.._
WORK ON THE Basin 2 Inflow and Infiltration Project
is evident above with a trench for a new sewer line and
catch basin at Second and Franklin streets. The work
forced Shelton firefighters to park their fire trucks
away from the station during work hours.
Firefighters park it
during sewer work
On weekdays since Wednes-
day, September 26, Shelton Fire
Department has been forced to
park its fire trucks away from
the downtown fire station.
The reason? Work on the Ba-
sin 2 Inflow and Infiltration Proj-
ect has progressed down Second
Street to Franklin Street and
the street in front of the station
has been torn up while crews
added new sewer lines and a
catch basin.
So during the work day, fire-
fighters parked the trucks near
the former gas station at First
and Franklin. In the evenings,
after the workers had finished
for the day and installed steel
plates over ditches dug in the
roadway, the firefighters moved
the trucks back into the station.
"Yhey've been real good about
communicating with us," Assis-
tant Shelton Fire Chief Dave
Salzer said of the project con-
tractor, Gary Merlino Construc-
tion of Seattle. So far, there
have been no problems and the
arrangement has worked out
well, Salzer added.
As of this Wednesday, fire-
fighters were able to keep the
trucks in the station during the
workday, as the project pro-
gressed to another area.
Salzer said the workers will
be back to resume work on
Franklin Street within a few
weeks. When they return, the
trucks will be able to stay in the
station full time, but firefight-
ers must alter their route to get
them onto First Street, turning
right onto Second and right on
Cedar to get to First.
l>Jot a gun, 00still a strike
By MARY DUNCAN
A Union man who acquired his
first strike under the state's per-
sistent-offender sentencing law for
assaulting another man by point-
ing an imitation firearm at him
protested his incarceration at a
sentencing hearing held Monday
in Mason County Superior Court.
Jeffrey Sterling Walter
Wooldridge, 29, of 11 East Union
Ridge Road, was sentenced to nine
months in the Mason County Jail
for assault in the second degree
and to a concurrent sentence of 90
days for malicious mischief in the
second degree.
"I'm not a threat to society
and I don't see a need to put me
in an already crowded facility,"
Wooldridge said, referring to con-
ditions at the jail.
Judge James Sawyer told
Wooldridge the sentencing range
is fixed by the Washington Legis-
lature and with an offender score
of one, the standard sentencing
range is from six to 12 months on
the assault charge.
Wooldridge changed his pleas
last month, at which time Sawyer
told him: "This is a strike against
you; three strikes and you're out."
The state's persistent-offender
sentencing act mandates a sen-
tence of life in prison without the
possibility of parole for persons
convicted of three strike offenses.
According to court documents,
Wooldridge was taken into cus-
tody at gunpoint on July 18 after
threatening Brandon D. Wellborn
with a gun which resembled a
semi-automatic weapon but was
later identified as an "air soft
pellet gun," according to a prob-
able-cause statement by Sergeant
Jerry Lingle of the Shelton Police
Department.
Wellborn reported seeing
Wooldridge, his former friend,
parked in a white Suburban in the
700 block of Birch Street. Well-
born walked up to the rig with his
girlfriend and Wooldridge pointed
a weapon at him through a closed
window and told Wellborn to get
away o2 he would shoot him. Well-
born said he was convinced the
gun was real and that Wooldridge
was going to shoot him.
Wooldridge was transported to
the police station and placed in a
(Please turn to page 11.)
Shelton Auto Parts/Wrecking
NOW BUYING 00HICLES!
Bring your unwanted, complete vehicle
to our yard and receive S$$1
BEST PRICES IN MASON COUNTY!
Towing available-- call for detailst
Some resnctlons apply, legal vehicle papenorl
required, no garbage in vehicles.
J I00uying Aluminum Cans 30/Ib00
i "o,, yo,r to the d,,,p." [
1501 W. Dayton,Airport Road, Shelton I
|360} 4F-$150
Page 2 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, October 4, 2007
City's proposed budget has
more spending than revenue
By JEFF GREEN
Shelton city commissioners got
a sneak peak at the city's 2008
preliminary budget Monday eve-
ning.
City Administrator Dave
O'Leary and Financial Services
Director Kathy Beierle presented
an overview of the preliminary
budget, which includes a wish list
of all requests made by the vari-
ous department heads.
But not all of those wishes will
come true, as administrators will
be sharpening their red pencils
and keeping their erasers handy
as they work in coming weeks to
pare down the budget, which cur-
rently is out of balance in nearly
all categories.
The General Fund, for exam-
ple, has requested expenditures
totaling $11,161,314, with pro-
jected revenues of $9,177,499, a
budget shortfall of $1,983,815 for
now. "It's not unusual to have a
large shortfall at this point," Bei-
erle said.
"THIS IS THE request phase,"
noted Mayor John Tarrant of the
annual budget process. At this
time last year in the General Fund,
requests by department heads to-
taled $8,924,493, with revenues
estimated at $7,663,914.
"Things will be much more
aligned," promised O'Leary, who
said he'll meet with department
heads, then come back to the
commission with a budget that
works.
The budget calendar calls for
a formal preliminary budget pre-
sentation on Monday, October 29,
followed by a public hearing about
the preliminary budget on Mon-
day, November 5. A final budget
public hearing is scheduled for
Monday, December 3.
"We're doing a lot, but you can't
do a lot everywhere," O'Leary said
of city operations and the problem
of increasing public expectations
and decreasing revenues to the
city.
Shelton is facing a decreasing
fund balance. "We're about as far
down as we should take that,"
O'Leary told the commissioners.
In addition, the economy is "soft"
and he said residential develop-
ment is not doing as well as it
used to.
THE CITY HAS increased
charges for connecting new homes
to Shelton's water and sewer sys-
tems and is talking about adding
traffic impact fees, O'Leary said.
Higher development costs will
mean less development until the
housing market adjusts, he add-
ed.
There is significant residential
growth on the horizon and, while
that will strengthen the city's ca-
pabilities, it will also come with
limitations, he said. The city's tax
structure will remain the same
and the city still has pretty poor
infrastructure, he explained.
As for city streets, the prelimi-
nary budget includes $650,000
to maintain the existing commit-
ment to streets, including funds
for street maintenance, traffic sig-
nal costs, street signs and more.
The budget is currently writ-
ten to assume the proposed six-
year property-tax levy lid lift will
be approved by city voters on No-
vember 6. If the ballot measure
passes, the levy lid lift would gen-
erate $4,015,184 over six years
tbr residential street repairs and
maintenance. That would begin
to alter the appearance of the city
even in the first year, O'Leary
said.
THE SEWER FUND is the
sole city fund showing a surplus
thus far in the budget process.
The proposed spending plan for
that fund calls for $13,245,553
in expenditures while project-
ing $13,381,567 in revenue and a
$136,014 surplus.
A summary of budget propos-
als for other 2008 city funds with
their requested expenditures, es-
timated revenue and amount of
budget shortfall includes: Region-
Free septic workshop scheduled
A free workshop on septic sys-
tems will be presented from 6 to
8 p.m. on Monday, October 15, at
the PUD 3 Auditorium, 307 West
Cota Street in Shelton.
Officials of the Mason County
Extension of Washington State
University and Mason County
Public Health will conduct this
event describing the components
of a septic system and how such
systems work. Participants will
learn what to flush and how to
make sure a septic system prop-
erly treats and disposes of its con-
tent.
Participants will learn how to
protect and inspect home septic
systems, how to avoid problems
and when to call in the experts.
Those who attend will receive
manuals and other reference ma-
terials to take home. Homeowners
who are unsure where their sep-
tic systems are or what kind they
have can get help researching re-
cords that may be on file.
For more information or to reg-
ister, call 427-9670, Extension
680.
al Sewer Fund, $12,599,233
expenditures, $12,534,222 in r
enue, $65,011 shortfall; Capit
Improvement Fund: $4,180,5
in expenditures, $4,023,413
revenue, $156,843 shortfall; "
ter Fund: $2,522,763 in exp
ditures, $1,630,601 in revert
$892,162 shortfall; Regional V
ter Fund, $2,479,362 in exl
ditures, $2,431,000 in revent
$48,362 shortfall;
Street Fund: $2,221,758 in
penditures, $1,808,816 in re
nue, $412,942 shortfall; 911 Cot
munications Fund: $1,323,4305
expenditures, $1,098,516 in r
enue, $225,089 shortfa.ll; Sto
Drainage Fund: $1,022,331
expenditures, $980,000 in r
enue, $42,331 shortfall; Equ
ment Maintenance and Ren
Fund: $943,445 in expenditur
$748,187 in revenue, $195,t
shortfall.
HAVING MORE :I
RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS
IS NOT THE SAME
AS RAVING MORE MONEY.
There can be risk in having
muhil,h; n.tircvnent accounts.
Wilt... a singh; focus, it
can be diflicuh to keep track
of your inw,stments and to
st;t; if w.t'rc moving toward i:
your goals. At the very least, !
multiph ac,'ounts usually i
mean multildc fies.
Ib learn why (msolidating
your retirement accounts
to Edward Jones makes
sense, call today.
Armin Baumgartel
Dan Baumgartel
Financial Advisors
821 West Railroad Avenue,
Suite A. Shelton
426-0982 1-800-441.0982
www.edwardlones.com
The News
Call for Parties,
Meetings, Receptions FRESH A Wide Vi,ty of
& Special SH ELLFISH Seafood & Other at I)tshes .
Occasion Lunches DAI LY with Chef Xinh T. Dwelley's Asian lValo
(360) 427-8709 Open for Supper Tuesday-Saturday. z,
Downtown Shelton Comer of 3rd and West Ra!!road r'Jr
Microclean Filtration Energy Efficient
Financing Available Chemicals
Mobile Service Repair
III I I
.Fireplaces
Stoves .Inserts
III
H IEAT00' I..0..