Notice: Undefined index: HTTP_REFERER in /home/stparch/public_html/headmid_temp_main.php on line 4394
Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
October 18, 2012     Shelton Mason County Journal
PAGE 8     (8 of 22 available)        PREVIOUS     NEXT      Jumbo Image    Save To Scrapbook    Set Notifiers    PDF    JPG
 
PAGE 8     (8 of 22 available)        PREVIOUS     NEXT      Jumbo Image    Save To Scrapbook    Set Notifiers    PDF    JPG
October 18, 2012
 
Newspaper Archive of Shelton Mason County Journal produced by SmallTownPapers, Inc.
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information
Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader




Park Continued from page A-1 on the Goldsborough Creek, a block behind city hall, is no barrier. Park patrons have torn off boards to feed fires, entered the yard to steal furni- ture and rifle through bottles in the recycling bin, and on one occasion, urinate on Jack- ie while she was weeding. "I'd like to see the .seren- ity restored to the park ... but the city doesn't have the money or the time to enforce the rules," Jackie said. 'I~e Lautts shared their fkustrations on Monday night as the Shelton City Commis- sion considered what tO do with the tiny park. During the past year, the city's Parks and Recreation Department has removed wooden picnic tables due to vandalism, and barbeque pits to discourage fires. The Parks and Recreation Citizens Advisory Committee hosted a neighborhood meet- ing on Sept. 27 to discuss so- lutions to park issues, which include not just the rowdy and illegal behavior, but destroyed vegetation and grass trampled away into barren dirt. Shelton Parks and Recre- ation Department Director Mark Ziegler recommended that the city close the park on Oct. 30 by erecting a fence, and then spend the next eight months restoring the grass and native plants and installing a parking barrier establishing the park bound- cry. The park tentatively would reopen June 30. The commission passed the recommendation by a 3-0 vote, and the measure will be on the common consent agen- da at the commission's study session at 2 p.m. Monday. But Shelton Mayor Gary Cronce said he has qualms about reopening a restored park, only to see it again mis- used by patrons and continue to be a dangerous site. "I think (the negative be- havior) will all happen again unless something changes," he said. Cronce attended the Sept. 27 neighborhood meeting, and said he was shocked by what he heard. '~-hat they've gone through is World War Three," he said. "What they've gone through is unbelievable." long to the citizens," she said. Commissioner Dawn Pan- Jackie Lautt said she nell said she remembers supports the temporary clo- spending tranquil lunch sure, but agrees with Mayor times at the park a few years Cronce that the criminal ac- ago. Maybe if patrons fre- tivity will continue without quent the park in a positive some kind of rule or enforce- way, it will drive away abu- ment changes. sive patrons, she said. The Lautts pointed out Commissioner Mike Olsen that the landscape of the park said he favors the restoration makes enforcement difficult plan. "To rehabilitate it is the for Shelton Police officers. only way to save it ... reha- Law-breaking patrons at bilitate it and make it part of the river's edge are hard to the community," he said.see, and they can toss their Shelton resident Tristendrugs and alcohol into the Star told the commission she river when officers arrive. also supports rehabilitating Sometimes, they are notified the park, which provides per- by texts from other youths haps the only public access to positioned at the entrance to the river for people with dis- the park, the couple said. abilities. The park is an aes- Both Lautts said they have thetic asset to the city, "just watched open drug dealing picture perfect," she said. and use, youths poring al- Shelton resident Tracy cohol into water containers, Moore said she feels badly and frequent fistfights. for the park's surround- But "the most annoying ing neighbors, but said she thing to you is the noise," hopes the park is not closed Glen said. "The language, down permanently, and it's all yelled ... Every %Ve need to reoccupy our other word is an obscenity for public spaces because they be- some of them." l Located on Hwy. 101 between Shelton & Olympia 360,,'426o4 4,3 gall Far Details and Pric!ng to Other Areas Page A-8 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012 Mention source coder MCjSR] 012 i/ ~. " :~..,~ ~. ..... , ..... ...~ .: ...... +