November 10, 2016 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
©
Shelton Mason County Journal. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 23 (15 of 34 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
November 10, 2016 |
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader ![]() |
Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 -Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page A-23
Fall colors splatter the
landscape of the Mary E.
Theler Wetlands last month.
Temperatures are expected
to dip into the mid-50s this
weekend with a chance of rain.
Herald photo by Gordon Weeks
continued from page A-20
county is in Shelton.
During the past two years,
the warming center opened at
7:30 p.m. on cold nights. Din-
ner.was served until 9:30 p.m.
and doors were locked at 10
p.m.
Volunteers ran the pro-
gram, which provided guests
with hygiene supplies, hand
warmers and three meals --
dinner, breakfast and lunch to
go the following morning.
Local restaurants often do-
nated food.
The Theler center usually
had about 18 volunteers, who
would rotate throughout the
year; four volunteers would
work each nightlong shift.
During 2015, the warming
center was open 42 nights,
Moore said.
Campbell said volunteer-
ing'at the center made him re-
evaluate his outlook on life.
"Your perspective is always
changing when you're dealing
with someone who needs to be
there," he said. "If they're here
tonight, when they may have
barely made it in ... where
will they be tomorrow?"
Campbell, who also sits on
the Mason Transit Author-
ity and North Mason School
boards, said he often empa-
thized with those using the
facility, adding that he knew
with just a few changes in his
own life, he could be the one
needing the warming center.
=It was always an opportu-
nity to learn from fellows and
these are your fellows," he
said, adding that there were
Herald file photo by Brianna Loper
A homeless man shuffles through a pile of clothing in search Of something in his size
during the homeless count Jan. 28 at North Mason Resources. A program that opened a
warming center at the Mary E. Theler Community Center closed this year after the North
Mason School District decided to repurpose the community center into an early childhood
learning center.•
usually only a couple people
using the center each night it
was open.
Campbell said he did not
know of any organization that
plans to step up and take over
the warming center program;
however, he added that nearby
churches may have enough
space.
Theresa Scott, executive
director for North Mason Re-
sources, said she'd heard of
one church looking into taking
over the program, but was not
far along in the process. She
did not name the church.
=It takes a lot," Scott said.
"There are different insurance
requirements, (and) you have
to have a generator that runs
for so many hours."
Scott said the closest warm-
ing centers she knows of are
shelters in Kitsap County and
Shelton.
Lydia Buchheit, community
and family health manager for
Mason County Public Health,
said the North Mason School
District applied for the state
contract that would grant it
funds to operate the warm-
ing center earlier in March,
but turned the contract down
when it was awarded this fall.
Buchheit said no organiza-
tion has come forward yet to
take over that contract, but
the county housing coalition
plans to start talking with
North Mason-based partners
about options in future meet-
ings.
"rm hoping someone will
(step forward to take it over)
because the north end deft-
nitely needs these services,"
she said, adding that there
are several similar services
available in the south part of
the county, but nothing in the
north part.
The Mary E. Theler Com-
munity Center and Wetlands
have long been an area of con-
tention for the North Mason
School District, which operates
the land and community cen-
ter. The property was willed
to the school district in 1968
after the death of Sam Theler,
Mar fs husband.
The trust that was intended
to perpetually pay for manage-
ment of the property was sub-
ject to large fees by the legal
team and the bank managing
the trust, which officials es-
timate will run out of funds
some time within the next 10
years.
Instead, Superintendent
Dana Rosenbach suggested im-
plementing an early childhood
learning center on the parcel
of land on which the communi-
ty center currently sits, which
could include a type of pre-
school for low-income families,
training center for preschool
teachers, and parenting and
English as a second language
classes through a partnership
wi h Olympic College.
"This is a good use of the
facility," Campbell said. "It
will be using the resources for
good. Generations of kids will
get a good start, and that's the
legacy of (the Theler family)."
Rosenbach said earlier
this year she estimates that
a learning center could serve
about 100 kids up to 5 years
old.
There is no timeline set for
the project.
MEMOIRS cont. from pg. A-21
some other things and got home
about twelve. Sam went duck
hunting in the a ernoon but fell
in the slough and got no ducks.
Had his good pants on and I.told
him if he had on his old ones he
would not have fallen in. Charlie
stopped at the Italian Villa on the
way home and had us about half
scared for he had considerable
money on him i t wgul.d!v# Ordered one hundred Christmas
been awful if t$ had 10st it: He " cards made like the ones of Sam
should know better. Sam gave
him a bawling out and then Char-
lie gets just a little drunker. He
seems never to learn. Mrs. Ander-
son sent up some flowers while
I was gone and wants to know
when we can come down. Grace
sent word that they are coming
down on Thanksgiving and stay-
ing until Sunday. Received two
more books and they are fine.
and I we had taken in front
of John's house.
Seyta Selter is a lifelong lover
of Hood Canal and resides in
Union. She is a visiting professor
at The Evergreen State College,
as well as a passionate amateur
genealogist, archivist, and family
historian. She can be emailed at
marythelersmemoirs@gmail,com.
Daniel R. Byrne, DMD, PS
Pediatric and Adult Dentistry
21 NE Romance Hill (next to Harrison Urgent Care Belfair)
(360) 275.6292 By y.corn
241611 Slate HW3
, mSilWg ,Shm11 l
Now introducing home delivery -Call for details "
,'bFd8 Sat&Sun8