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Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
November 15, 2007     Shelton Mason County Journal
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November 15, 2007
 
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00lournal of Opinion: So, was the general election last week a train wreck or just the citizens' normal positive exercise in transforming their many forms of government? We can't tell. For one thing, we can't tell who cares. With most of the votes counted Friday, 18,365 of Mason County's 30,116 registered voters, or 61 percent, had participated in the local political scene. Almost 12,000 didn't bother. If you extrapolate figures from the 2000 census to estimate how many people are of voting age, you come up with about 38,000. Just in time to honor the nation's veterans for all of their sacrifices to preserve our democracy, less than half of the eligible people exercised one of the greatest privileges of living here. Chances are many in the 52 percent who didn't vote will be taking their usual jabs for the next four years about an out-of- control government doing all the wrong things. In the City of Shelton, where much of the citizenry thinks the Tooth Fairy is going to provide the money to fix the streets, the populace gave incumbent Mayor John Tarrant and City Commissioner Mike Byrne a slight majority vote, but hardly a mandate, for the status quo. The two are committed to trying to solve Shelton's infrastructure problems and providing basic services in an age when a taxpayer revolution and inflation continue to squeeze local government budgets. But you're not going to get wild changes in priorities, with slashing of established programs and departments to find millions of dollars for streets, when you rehire incumbents who have already been sweating over priorities for years. We have the feeling Shelton hasn't heard the last from Byrne's opponent, Chase Gallagher. The young man pushing 24 years of age nearly unseated Byrne in his first try at political office, and if he learned anything at home from his father's "try, try again" attitude he'll be back. In that railroad family, it's likely Chase was raised on a heavy dose of The Little Engine That Could. The city's treet measure wasn't defeated. It was trashed. In a city where the residents allege that streets are their top priority, only 39 percent favored increasing their taxes to fix residential thoroughfares. The proposal had massive problems. First it was a property-tax measure. Plus most of the time when a school levy or civic improvement is proposed a booster group goes into action, but no such group existed for the street measure. In the weeks before the vote, it was almost as if Proposition 1 had more public enemies than friends. We sensed that many people didn't understand issues surrounding the measure. Even the city's sampling effort during the summer - and it was a pretty poor sample - indicated that the option chosen for the ballot was not favored by half of the citizens. With mayoral victory in hand, Tarrant is willing to take the voters' disapproval of his street proposal in stride and not give up working withShelton's neighborhoods to determine what kind of astreetreIi program they'd approve. As long as he goes into it knowing that people here have no money to spare, he'll be fine. Only $5 million a month is spent in this county's restaurants and drinking establishments. One editorial staple at election time is the contention that one vote can determine an election. Once again, it's not just an expression. Nicole Cougher leads Don Robbins 270-269 in a Southside School Board race. It is the voters' prerogative to smash a wrecking ball through the boards they believe they have carefully constructed a few years earlier, the way residents here like tossing out county commissioners after seeing them in action for a little while. It happened again last week to a couple of school boards built in 2003. Voters in the Hood Canal and North Mason districts completely changed the political makeup of their boards by turning out two incumbents apiece. It was like the incumbents and their challengers were running on tickets. Laura Boad beat Ken VanBuskirk 2,998-1,411, and John Campbell defeated Glenn Landram 2,984-1,401 in North Mason. Bob Sund outpolled Sara Endicott and Deborah Petersen bested Sheryl Kroneman by identical 55.44 percent margins on Hood Canal. The VanBuskirk family, however, batted .500 for the game when Peggy triumphed over two others in the only contested race for the Hospital District 2 board as North Mason residents emphatically established their own district to help fund a new Belfair medical clinic. Approving that district showed foresight. Election results are always fascinating, and county voters' willingness to stick themselves with a higher sales tax to fund improvements to the 911 system was as interesting as any outcome. It wasn't even close: 69-31 "yes." So does that mean the city could easily pass a sales- tax increase to fund repair of commercial streets? We can't tell. It depends on whether it's another train wreck or a community-improvement binge. -CG iiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiliii Electoral collage County ? usPs 492-800 4" POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Shelton-Mason County Journal, P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584. Published weekly by Shelton Publishing Inc. at 227 West Cota Street, Shelton, Washington Mailing address: P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584 Telephone (360) 426-4412 • www.masoncounty.com Periodicals postage paid at ShaRon, Washington Member of Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $31.00 per year in-county address, $45.00 per year in state of Washington $55.00 per year out of state Charles Gay, editor and publisher. Newsroom: Seen Hanlon, managing editor; Steve Patch, sports editor; Jeff Green, general assignment, city government, schools, Port of Shelton; Rebecca Wells, society editor, county government; Mary Duncan, police, courts. Advertising: Stephen Gay, advertising manager; Dave Pierik and Harvey Morris, ad sales. Front office: Julie Orme, business manager; Kathy Lester, circulation; Donna Kinnaird, bookkeeper; Cricket Carter, mailroom supervisor. Composing room: Diane Riordan, supervisor; Margot Brand, Jan Kallinen, pagination; Frank Isaac, pagination, photo technician; Koleen Wood, typesetter, computer system manager; William Adams, ad builder, computer system manager; Clinton Kendall, proofreader. Pressroom: Nick Cart, pressman; Jon Hughes, pressman's assistant. i Page 4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, November 15, 2007 :,,;. ' -. I00eaders" r]ournal: Teacher in best sense of Editor, The Journal: It was with great sadness that I heard of the death of my first-grade teacher, Betty Wolf, longtime edu- cator, valued community member and an inspiration to hundreds, if not thousands of students over the years. I will never forget my first day of school at Southside in 1961. I looked up at her twinkling eyes, scared to death in this new envi- ronment, and immediately felt welcomed into her classroom. I didn't know that a wonderful year of learning and fun was ahead of me. Mrs. Wolf was a teacher in the very best sense of the word: enthusiastic, focused, kind, dis- ciplined, dedicated to her stu- dents, and fun! She made learn- ing a pleasure, not a burden or task. I believe it was her goal to set children on the path of want- ing to learn and for that to become a lifetime stopping once the student school environment. Her own love and zeal forl ing never stopped and her love for the children through her classroom. is truly an example of a lived, and the world is having lost her. Susan Rains Some good news and some Editor, The Journal: There is still good news. Local vets are honored in recent ceremo- nies. Some who left school to serve their country have been awarded their graduation diplomas (about time). Allyn has a new veterans memorial. Unlike the presidential administration, there is not a draft dodger in the bunch. Hawkins Middle School at North Mason has had a fantastic football season. They did their best. Bad news is protesters blocking the right-of-way on public streets and sidewalks. They are attempt- ing to force their will on the rest of us, not with guns but creating hardship for us. If there was still a military draft, they would be in Canada or some other country. Or they could be given shotguns to go hunting with Dick Cheney, possi- bly in Iraq. Other bad news is that the people who did not vote in this last election have no right to com- plain. Pedophiles still in the news. They should not be allowed to make an Alford plea, where they do not admit guilt but concede that the evidence against them would prob- ably lead to a conviction. If they are allowed to live, they should be completely neutered. Thoe who are now loose and required t ister an address and fail to should face castration. The death penalty is evaded by criminals with lawyers. The lethal called cruel and unusual. that it is unusual as it felon to sleep without the think most of us would like away in our sleep. The and chamber should be as usual penalties in this Or another alternative to execute them in the killed their victims. Take 'liberal' as com Editor, The Journal." I appreciated the thoughtful let- ter to The Journal written by Jes- se Thompson (November 8, "Tell us about their religion"). Jesse is "right on" that freedom to believe in any religious view is vastly dif- ferent from trying to impose one's religious views on others through the government. Separation of state and religion is absolutely necessary to maintain the values of this great country in which we live. I also applaud Judge Victoria Meadows for taking the Mason County commissioners to task (November 8 letter, "Probation system threatened"). There is considerable data that shows the value of the probation programs as an effective way to reduce re- peat offenders. The deletion of this money from the Mason County budget is a gross mistake by the commissioners in my opinion. My suggestion is spend a little less on road maintenance and fund the probation program. Regarding the commentary by Bill Hrbacek (November 8 letter, "Talk radio is market product"), I agree that talk-radio shows re- spond to their listeners essentially in a supply-and-demand fashion. However, I find the assertion that Bill seems to make that there are political talk shows in radio land that provide "verifiable sources and fcts" to be absurd. I don't lis- ten often to talk radio, but when I do I find a total lack of objectivity and facts and an ample supply of slander to anyone opposed to the views of the talk-show host. Most of these shows repre- sent the conservative-right view and have a similarity to e-mails I receive from my conservative friends, who in most cases par- rot what they have heard from the conservative media, a talk show or some servative source. I these friends if they have ten how to think for They seem almost in their blind adherence to sources. By now I'm sure most will have deduced that I a those "hated liberal and proud of the fact can think for ing to From The American tionary in my home, a fined as "having, lowing views or policies the freedom of individuals to express themselves in a their own choosing." You me a liberal anytime, and I cept it as a compliment. Merlyn He won't pay for any Editor, The Journak November 11, 11 a.m., Armi- stice Day, Veterans' Day. Remem- ber, Remember, REMEMBER! All through this last fall we have been revisited by memories of those who "gave," those who "laid down their lives" so that we could, uh, what? Well, for one thing, so that one extremely wealthy American fam- ily could bring forth an eldest spoiled son who to this day has nev- er paid one cent for any of his suc- cesses or any of his failures. When his time came for him to "give" or possibly "lay down his life" he was able to stay out of harm's way and be placed at the head of a long line of applicants gaining a spot in the Texas Air National Guard. He had better things to do than "give." After becoming an officer in the Texas Air National Guard, he still had better things to do and, ap- parently, went AWOL. The family father was able to persuade the then-lieutenant governor of Texas to make all this possible. This "frat boy," who aged but never grew up, didn't need this to come to light af- ter 35 years, because he was aspir- ing to be President of the USA. It did, though, and when Bush was questioned about it by a reporter, he smiled and said, "That's old politics." This man was put in the Oval Office twice by us ("Fool me once, shame on you," etc.). I think like Pogo, "We have met the enemy and he is us." This wannabe Com- mander in Chief, War "Hero" Pres- ident, Decider, as he puppeteer "Buck Shot" ("Buck Shot" had better do during Vietnam also) has become possibly the most dangerous man. By the aforementioned "us" include me. I did not vote either time. George W. for any of his failures tions to come will. term he will leave office He plans to retire and on the lecture circuit of his coffers with Hey, to ql didn't make this up. yourself." Charles L. I 00lournal of Opinion: So, was the general election last week a train wreck or just the citizens' normal positive exercise in transforming their many forms of government? We can't tell. For one thing, we can't tell who cares. With most of the votes counted Friday, 18,365 of Mason County's 30,116 registered voters, or 61 percent, had participated in the local political scene. Almost 12,000 didn't bother. If you extrapolate figures from the 2000 census to estimate how many people are of voting age, you come up with about 38,000. Just in time to honor the nation's veterans for all of their sacrifices to preserve our democracy, less than half of the eligible people exercised one of the greatest privileges of living here. Chances are many in the 52 percent who didn't vote will be taking their usual jabs for the next four years about an out-of- control government doing all the wrong things. In the City of Shelton, where much of the citizenry thinks the Tooth Fairy is going to provide the money to fix the streets, the populace gave incumbent Mayor John Tarrant and City Commissioner Mike Byrne a slight majority vote, but hardly a mandate, for the status quo. The two are committed to trying to solve Shelton's infrastructure problems and providing basic services in an age when a taxpayer revolution and inflation continue to squeeze local government budgets. But you're not going to get wild changes in priorities, with slashing of established programs and departments to find millions of dollars for streets, when you rehire incumbents who have already been sweating over priorities for years. We have the feeling Shelton hasn't heard the last from Byrne's opponent, Chase Gallagher. The young man pushing 24 years of age nearly unseated Byrne in his first try at political office, and if he learned anything at home from his father's "try, try again" attitude he'll be back. In that railroad family, it's likely Chase was raised on a heavy dose of The Little Engine That Could. The city's treet measure wasn't defeated. It was trashed. In a city where the residents allege that streets are their top priority, only 39 percent favored increasing their taxes to fix residential thoroughfares. The proposal had massive problems. First it was a property-tax measure. Plus most of the time when a school levy or civic improvement is proposed a booster group goes into action, but no such group existed for the street measure. In the weeks before the vote, it was almost as if Proposition 1 had more public enemies than friends. We sensed that many people didn't understand issues surrounding the measure. Even the city's sampling effort during the summer - and it was a pretty poor sample - indicated that the option chosen for the ballot was not favored by half of the citizens. With mayoral victory in hand, Tarrant is willing to take the voters' disapproval of his street proposal in stride and not give up working withShelton's neighborhoods to determine what kind of astreetreIi program they'd approve. As long as he goes into it knowing that people here have no money to spare, he'll be fine. Only $5 million a month is spent in this county's restaurants and drinking establishments. One editorial staple at election time is the contention that one vote can determine an election. Once again, it's not just an expression. Nicole Cougher leads Don Robbins 270-269 in a Southside School Board race. It is the voters' prerogative to smash a wrecking ball through the boards they believe they have carefully constructed a few years earlier, the way residents here like tossing out county commissioners after seeing them in action for a little while. It happened again last week to a couple of school boards built in 2003. Voters in the Hood Canal and North Mason districts completely changed the political makeup of their boards by turning out two incumbents apiece. It was like the incumbents and their challengers were running on tickets. Laura Boad beat Ken VanBuskirk 2,998-1,411, and John Campbell defeated Glenn Landram 2,984-1,401 in North Mason. Bob Sund outpolled Sara Endicott and Deborah Petersen bested Sheryl Kroneman by identical 55.44 percent margins on Hood Canal. The VanBuskirk family, however, batted .500 for the game when Peggy triumphed over two others in the only contested race for the Hospital District 2 board as North Mason residents emphatically established their own district to help fund a new Belfair medical clinic. Approving that district showed foresight. Election results are always fascinating, and county voters' willingness to stick themselves with a higher sales tax to fund improvements to the 911 system was as interesting as any outcome. It wasn't even close: 69-31 "yes." So does that mean the city could easily pass a sales- tax increase to fund repair of commercial streets? We can't tell. It depends on whether it's another train wreck or a community-improvement binge. -CG iiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiliii Electoral collage County ? usPs 492-800 4" POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Shelton-Mason County Journal, P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584. Published weekly by Shelton Publishing Inc. at 227 West Cota Street, Shelton, Washington Mailing address: P.O. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584 Telephone (360) 426-4412 • www.masoncounty.com Periodicals postage paid at ShaRon, Washington Member of Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $31.00 per year in-county address, $45.00 per year in state of Washington $55.00 per year out of state Charles Gay, editor and publisher. Newsroom: Seen Hanlon, managing editor; Steve Patch, sports editor; Jeff Green, general assignment, city government, schools, Port of Shelton; Rebecca Wells, society editor, county government; Mary Duncan, police, courts. Advertising: Stephen Gay, advertising manager; Dave Pierik and Harvey Morris, ad sales. Front office: Julie Orme, business manager; Kathy Lester, circulation; Donna Kinnaird, bookkeeper; Cricket Carter, mailroom supervisor. Composing room: Diane Riordan, supervisor; Margot Brand, Jan Kallinen, pagination; Frank Isaac, pagination, photo technician; Koleen Wood, typesetter, computer system manager; William Adams, ad builder, computer system manager; Clinton Kendall, proofreader. Pressroom: Nick Cart, pressman; Jon Hughes, pressman's assistant. i Page 4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, November 15, 2007 :,,;. ' -. I00eaders" r]ournal: Teacher in best sense of Editor, The Journal: It was with great sadness that I heard of the death of my first-grade teacher, Betty Wolf, longtime edu- cator, valued community member and an inspiration to hundreds, if not thousands of students over the years. I will never forget my first day of school at Southside in 1961. I looked up at her twinkling eyes, scared to death in this new envi- ronment, and immediately felt welcomed into her classroom. I didn't know that a wonderful year of learning and fun was ahead of me. Mrs. Wolf was a teacher in the very best sense of the word: enthusiastic, focused, kind, dis- ciplined, dedicated to her stu- dents, and fun! She made learn- ing a pleasure, not a burden or task. I believe it was her goal to set children on the path of want- ing to learn and for that to become a lifetime stopping once the student school environment. Her own love and zeal forl ing never stopped and her love for the children through her classroom. is truly an example of a lived, and the world is having lost her. Susan Rains Some good news and some Editor, The Journal: There is still good news. Local vets are honored in recent ceremo- nies. Some who left school to serve their country have been awarded their graduation diplomas (about time). Allyn has a new veterans memorial. Unlike the presidential administration, there is not a draft dodger in the bunch. Hawkins Middle School at North Mason has had a fantastic football season. They did their best. Bad news is protesters blocking the right-of-way on public streets and sidewalks. They are attempt- ing to force their will on the rest of us, not with guns but creating hardship for us. If there was still a military draft, they would be in Canada or some other country. Or they could be given shotguns to go hunting with Dick Cheney, possi- bly in Iraq. Other bad news is that the people who did not vote in this last election have no right to com- plain. Pedophiles still in the news. They should not be allowed to make an Alford plea, where they do not admit guilt but concede that the evidence against them would prob- ably lead to a conviction. If they are allowed to live, they should be completely neutered. Thoe who are now loose and required t ister an address and fail to should face castration. The death penalty is evaded by criminals with lawyers. The lethal called cruel and unusual. that it is unusual as it felon to sleep without the think most of us would like away in our sleep. The and chamber should be as usual penalties in this Or another alternative to execute them in the killed their victims. Take 'liberal' as com Editor, The Journal." I appreciated the thoughtful let- ter to The Journal written by Jes- se Thompson (November 8, "Tell us about their religion"). Jesse is "right on" that freedom to believe in any religious view is vastly dif- ferent from trying to impose one's religious views on others through the government. Separation of state and religion is absolutely necessary to maintain the values of this great country in which we live. I also applaud Judge Victoria Meadows for taking the Mason County commissioners to task (November 8 letter, "Probation system threatened"). There is considerable data that shows the value of the probation programs as an effective way to reduce re- peat offenders. The deletion of this money from the Mason County budget is a gross mistake by the commissioners in my opinion. My suggestion is spend a little less on road maintenance and fund the probation program. Regarding the commentary by Bill Hrbacek (November 8 letter, "Talk radio is market product"), I agree that talk-radio shows re- spond to their listeners essentially in a supply-and-demand fashion. However, I find the assertion that Bill seems to make that there are political talk shows in radio land that provide "verifiable sources and fcts" to be absurd. I don't lis- ten often to talk radio, but when I do I find a total lack of objectivity and facts and an ample supply of slander to anyone opposed to the views of the talk-show host. Most of these shows repre- sent the conservative-right view and have a similarity to e-mails I receive from my conservative friends, who in most cases par- rot what they have heard from the conservative media, a talk show or some servative source. I these friends if they have ten how to think for They seem almost in their blind adherence to sources. By now I'm sure most will have deduced that I a those "hated liberal and proud of the fact can think for ing to From The American tionary in my home, a fined as "having, lowing views or policies the freedom of individuals to express themselves in a their own choosing." You me a liberal anytime, and I cept it as a compliment. Merlyn He won't pay for any Editor, The Journak November 11, 11 a.m., Armi- stice Day, Veterans' Day. Remem- ber, Remember, REMEMBER! All through this last fall we have been revisited by memories of those who "gave," those who "laid down their lives" so that we could, uh, what? Well, for one thing, so that one extremely wealthy American fam- ily could bring forth an eldest spoiled son who to this day has nev- er paid one cent for any of his suc- cesses or any of his failures. When his time came for him to "give" or possibly "lay down his life" he was able to stay out of harm's way and be placed at the head of a long line of applicants gaining a spot in the Texas Air National Guard. He had better things to do than "give." After becoming an officer in the Texas Air National Guard, he still had better things to do and, ap- parently, went AWOL. The family father was able to persuade the then-lieutenant governor of Texas to make all this possible. This "frat boy," who aged but never grew up, didn't need this to come to light af- ter 35 years, because he was aspir- ing to be President of the USA. It did, though, and when Bush was questioned about it by a reporter, he smiled and said, "That's old politics." This man was put in the Oval Office twice by us ("Fool me once, shame on you," etc.). I think like Pogo, "We have met the enemy and he is us." This wannabe Com- mander in Chief, War "Hero" Pres- ident, Decider, as he puppeteer "Buck Shot" ("Buck Shot" had better do during Vietnam also) has become possibly the most dangerous man. By the aforementioned "us" include me. I did not vote either time. George W. for any of his failures tions to come will. term he will leave office He plans to retire and on the lecture circuit of his coffers with Hey, to ql didn't make this up. yourself." Charles L. I