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Grapeview schools
eye reopening dates
By Gordon Weeks
gordon@masoncounty. com
The Mason County Public Health
Department reported 563 residents
have tested positive for COVID-19 as
of 4 p.m. Tuesday.
No new cases were reported on
Tuesday, but 10 new cases were re-
ported the day before. The number of
Mason County deaths remains nine. ~
Fifty-five of the cases are active, with
one person hospitalized in Mason
County, 14,127 tests have been con-
ducted.
Of the Mason County residents
who have tested positive for the dis-
ease, 97 are 19 years old and younger;
214 are ages 20 to 39; 141 are between
the ages of 40 and 59; 89 are between
the ages of 60 and'79; and 22 are 80
and older.
On Tuesday, the Grapeview School
District announced it is tentatively
' scheduled to begin bringing students
in kindergarten through second grade
back to the classrooms Nov. 5 — de-
pending on Mason County reaching
a “moderate” level of COVID cases as
outlined by the state Department of
Health, along with input by the Mason
County Public Health Department.
Under the proposal, Grapeview
would begin the “A/B hybrid” format.
Half of the students in each grade lev-
el would be at the school Mondays and
Thursdays, the other half Tuesdays
and Fridays. Parents will still have
the option to continue with all—remote
learning. '
The tentative dates to begin the by
brid home/on-site instruction are kin-
dergarten through the second grade
NOV. 5; students in grades three to five
on Nov. 23; and grades six to eight on
. Dec. 14.
The safety measures will include
wearing face masks, maintaining
distance, using proper hygiene and
keeping students who not feeling well
home. The water fountains have been
disabled, and students will need to
have and use their own water bottle.
For more information, go to the dis—
trict’s website at www.ng54.org.
To reduce the spread of the coro-
navirus, wash your hands often and
avoid close contact with others; cover
your mouth and nose with a mask
around others and always'cover your
coughs and sneezes; and monitor your
health daily and stay home if you are
sick or experiencing any COVID-19
symptoms.
Mason Transit adjusts
proposed 2021 budget
"sax ‘ ”
kbox/eitner@masoncounty. com
Mason Transit Authority General
,Manager Danette Brannin intro-
” duced the first draft of Mason Tran-
sit’s 2021 budget. to little fanfare dur-
ing the MTA’s regular meeting Oct.
20, acknowledging that the coming
year’s budget is not routine for Ma-
son Transit.
Brannin and Administrative Ser-
vices Manager LeeAnn McNulty pre-
sented the draft budget to the MTA
Board by deseribing it asmaintain-
ing “a conservative approach to rev-
enue forecasting” because revenue is
an area where they agreed that 2020
“has taught us that nothing is cer—
tain.”
Among the known unknowns of
revenue that the draft budget has
sought to anticipate is sales tax rev-
enue, which the 2021 draft budget
has kept flat with the 2020 budgeted
amount, and fare revenue, which has
decreased because of fewer riders.
Although sales tax revenue remains
at historic levels. for Mason Tran-
sit, Brannin and McNulty expressed
management’s belief that these re-
cord levels may not be sustainable,
and could experience a drop-off in
2021.
Among its other assumptions, the
draft forecasts wages and benefits
will be down 14% compared with
2020, due to layoffs resulting from
’COVID-related reductions in service
demands, and that operating such re-
duced service will result in lower fuel
and maintenance costs.
Brannin told the Shelton-Mason
County Journal that she doesn’t ex—
pect any of the staff Mason Transit
has laid offwill be called back to work
“anytime soon.”
Running concurrent with these re-
. duced expenses will be some COVID-
Hrwfigmzm: '.
related increased expenses. The “draft
provides a significant increase to Ma-.
son Transit’s supplies to cover safety
and cleaning supplies as the pandem-
ic persists, and increased operating
expenses, including money set aside
for public relations and increased
communication to the public to pro-
mote “a safe return to ridership.”
Brannin told the Journal that
these budget supplies include per-
sonal protective equipment for Mason
Transit staff and. riders to provide
passengers with masks if they have
none when they board. _
In non-COVID-related areas, the
draft budget factors in increases in
facility rent and Park and Ride costs
stemming from Mason Transit’s tem-
porary office location in Belfair for its
drivers, and money for a study to as-
sess the future Park and Ride needs
of the Hobdsport and Allyn areas.-
As of the 2021 draft budget, Ma-
son Transit’s contracted services now
include ongoing software license sub-
scriptions to maintain its Microsoft
compliance and to use the technology
already in place on the fleet.
“In addition, having received nine
new cutaways, along with the re-
placement of the worker driver fleet,
will result in fewer major repairs,”
Brannin said.
Brannin reiterated this is the draft
V budget for 2021, not the final budget,
and in addition to the tweaks and re-
visions she expects to occur, she invit—
ed the public to offer their comments
at two-public hearings in the MTA
Transit Community Center Confer-
ence Room at 601 W. Franklin St. in
‘ Shelton.
The first public hearing is at 4 p.m.
today, and the second is scheduled for
4 pm. Dec. 1, with the MTA Board
making its decision on the budget
in December after the second public
hearing.
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020 Shelton-Mason County Journal — Page A—11
VOTEFOR
Ted jackson (R)
for Mason County
Commissioner, District 1
- A proven leader with over thirty years in law enforcement
- Will always work for the best interest of Mason County '
- Protected Hood Canal, Puget Sound, and our natural resources
Wrote and managed government budgets
' Gives back to community as nonprofit executive director
- Believes transparency, integrity and accountability are
paramount in public service
Endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police Mountain Lodge #23,
Mason County Sheriffs Guild, Washington Council of Police and
Sheriffs, and Sheriff Salisbury
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3 The change we need
after eight years
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Elect Ted lackson (360) 801-0503
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