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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
October 6, 2011     Shelton Mason County Journal
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October 6, 2011
 
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Letters Continued from page A-4 plan, in one year OBJH staff was able to improve scores in 20 of 21 identified areas, several of those improvements were over 10 percent. During this process, the board dlso set three strategic academic goals for the district; refiding achievement, math achieve- ment and graduation rates. There were improvements in reading and math achieve- ment and they came dose to reaching their set goal of 80 percent with a graduation rate of 79.4 percent, i The current board has endeavored to include the community, administrators, faculty, parents and students through those groups input in the new strategic plan, su- pe~tendent search and the three-year levy plan, which passed with a 63 percent ap- proval. They were able to avoid a reduction in forde and layoffs for both budget dycles for most areas in the district. The cmTent board has shown fiscal responsibility to you, the taxpayer, by building the dis- trict reserve fund to just over 5 percent to offset future state and federal budget cuts. Finally, we have members who refuse to be yes men. They represent you, the citi- zen. They respect the opinions of other board members, creat- ing an atmosphere of honest, healthy open debate. For these reasons, my vote will be cast for Sue McCausland and Gene Crater. i are living on a scale equal to those in the countries where the manufacturing jobs are now being sent. Speaker Boehner sounded so desperate. I, being naturally generous, did tape two pennies to his request and filled out his survey indicating just exactly how I think, rm afraid he will feel my responses to his survey aren't quite as helpful as the two cents. '~ Charles 1. Winne Hoodsport Johnston should not be commish today. During Dave's short, 24-month term as an appointed official, I've witnessed a change in the depm~ment, which has been astonishing. More services to the public and openness in the public meetings than in the past 16 years. Reduced response ~nes and in station staffing 24/7, on weekends at this time, advanced certified training and increased professional- ism; issues which could have been implemented before now. Clearly, Dave is working with two commissioners collectively to produce high quality se~ice to the citizens of fire district 6. Vote for Dave, he's worldng for you; not because he has to, but because he wants to. Harold Parks Hoodsport Editor, the Journal I am writing today to express my concern regarding Mason County Fire District 6 F~re Commissioner Dave Johnston and his ability to represent the citizens of Union. I am a regular attendee at the commissioner meetings and have consistently witnessed Commissioner Dave Johnston show poor judgment on issues vital to the Union fire department. Commissioner Dave Johnston has zero experi- ence in the fire service, which has proven to be a significant liability in his decision malting. Commissioner Dave Johnston was appointed to fill a term left vacant due to an elected commissione£s resignation. In his two years of service he has shown a nature to argue with the public, speak in half- Vote Whitman Editor, the Journal I am afire guy. Itwas my pleasure to enjoy a 25-year career in the fire service here in our beloved Mason County. The final 11 years of my career were served as the fire chief of Mason County Fire District 6. I mention this only to point out that I have a fab- amount of understanding and experience with regard to the operational needs of a fire department. The citizens and taxpayers of Fire District 6 have another decision to make in this No- vember's election regarding the leadership provided by the board of fire commissioners. I have weighed the options carefully, and happily lend my Lone K. Vrabel truths and take full credit for endorsement to Tim Whitman Shelton others' hard work• The citizens for Mason County Fire District i of Union deserve a fire commis- 6 fire commissioner. Socialism: signer who is a positive influ- The exis~g fire district 6 ence and prepared to put the board of commissioners lacks needs of the community first, real world experience as it isn't I.-'11-" n pertains to real world fire t~llllntj Chris De Capua department operations and leadership. With a strong core the nation Union groupofvolunteerfirefighters and two highly motivated and Editor, the Journal enthusiastic chief officers, our fire department has the ingre- House Speaker John Beeh- clients to advance fire district ner sent me a letter that really Johnston 6 to a level of service unheard insulted my intelligence. His of in the volunteer fire service. opening sentence thanked The missing piece of the puzzle me for helping him to unseat Editor, the Journal however, is appropriate fire Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I~e then knowledge and eXperience indicated I was "one of the few Even though I don't live in within the board of commis- loyal Republicans" in Mason Union, I spend a great deal of signers. County and the only one in my my time there working on dif- Tim Whitman possesses unique voting district, Hood- ferent projects for my church those characteristics ofknowl- sport, to receive his survey and and mysel£, edge and experience. Tim made The other day I was en- a career of the fire service in request for a donation. I'm well into my 80s ~mdgaged in a conversation about which he devoted in excess of I have, quite oi~n, pleaded fire d~partment leadership 30 years to the citizens of Ed- senility, but I have neve~ voted and the composition of its mends, where he finished his Republican, the party of corpo- governing body, the board or career at the rank of assistant ratism, Mussolini's term. commission. A~r 50 years of chief. He rose through the ranks More than 80 percent of watching our government fail and studied the many nuances repeatedly to prowde goods of both operational needs and Americans depend on wages for the biggest part of their and service to the public, it has administrative needs neces- income. Anybody that can't see been refreshing to see someone sary to ensure the success of his the threat ofCorporatism to a who genuinely cares about ser- department. Mr. Whitman is a decent life standard for t~ose vice .~elivery to the public, proven fire service leader. citizens should go back in his- This is why rm writing this Many of us in Union know tory and learn what the right letter m all ofthe readers of Tim on a personal level by vir- to use collective bargaining, this paper. Dave Johnston is a tne of his many volunteer activi- labor unions, has done for that manager; not a fireman. Even ties throughout the community. segment• During the period though he's a Viet Nam vet and We also know him as a hard- covered by Ralph Chapifl's a medic (EMS is 80 percent of working, stand-up kind of guy book '~¢obbly" any thought fire department service), he's that we can count on in a pinch. against corporate rule was au- not a fireman. He's educated Please help me put the best tomatically termed communis- and skilled in public sector man for the job where we need tic and, in many cases, resulted management; human resources him by voting for ~iim Whitman, in brutal retaliation. Now any and risk management. That's Mason County Fire District 6 thought against corporate rule why be needs to be retained. Board of Commissioners. is ca~l,, ed "nation-killing social- Firemen are trained, trained ism: ! and t~ained to fight fires, notRichard/k Heinrich One could wonder ffthe cur- litigation or risk management Fire Chief/Retired rent downturn won t level off or any of the thousands of gov- Mason County Fire until the 80 percent segment of ernmental issues our elected District 6 the people who work for wages officials are confronted with Union Fairgrounds need tenants By NATALIE JOHNSON Fair Association to become a 501(c) 3 nonprof- it and take over the lease of the fairgrounds. Anyone want to rent a slightly used set of As of a fair board meeting Wednesday night, fairgrounds? Dobson said those efforts have been unsuc- Since the Port of Shelton took over control cessful. of the fairgrounds in February 2010, it has Dobson said he would do everything in his been trying to entice a non-profit organiza- power to find a party to take over the lease tion to lease the grounds until the Federal and management of the fairgrounds. Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandat- Port Commissioner Jay Hupp expressed ed that the port convert the land to awatmn frustration at the lack of progress in the mat- use in 2013. ter. The port has done 'extensive wor~ to the Until another organization can take over fairgrounds over the last almost two years, the fairgrounds for a few years the port will including tearing dowfi two buildings and re- continue to do upkeep and maintenance on doing elect:%al work in several others, the slightly dilapidated fairgrounds. This year alone, port Executive Director John Dobson said the port could lose as much as $16,000 on the fairgrounds. John and Rachel Hansen, who put on the fair with their company, Northwest Event Orgamzers. for the la#t two years, planned to rent the fairground for 2011, 2012 and 2013, but decided against running the fair again after facing pul~lic opposition. The port has encour&ged the Mason County The commission directed Dobson to con- tinue working toward finding a nonprofit to take over the fairgrounds. In other port news, Port of Shelton will begin to put together its 2012 budget. Dob- son said port staff plans to give a formal budget presentation at the Nov. 1 commis- sion meeting, have a public hearing on Nov. 15 and bring the budget to Mason County on Dec. 5. per bundle of 6 FARM FRESH 1 GALLON PUMPKINS FALL MUMS 29¢/Ib. 4.29 iii:i!i iiiii!i! f DAFFODIL BULBS KING ALFRED 100 per package After =10 Mail-in Rebate. 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