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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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State health checks water (Continued from page 19.) County Commission approved the Oakland Bay Action Plan, report- ing that water samples taken thus far this year indicate slight im- provements in quality when com- pared to samples taken in 2006. Bob Woolrich of the Washington Department of Health confirmed Konovsky's report that things are looking up. "We've been monitor- ing Oakland Bay very frequently this year to see how the water quality is holding up, and so far it's holding up," he said. AS MANAGER of the Growing Area Section of the Shellfish Divi- sion of DOH, he is deeply involved in the process of determining which beds are producing shell- fish fit for human consumption. Woolrich said water quality dete- riorates in rainy weather and so he does not rule out the possibil- ity that the rains of later this year will wash enough pollution into the bay to force the downgrading (if Chapman Cove. "We've got half the picture and maybe we've seen the sunny half," he said. "Hopefully we'll learn a lot when the rains come. Hope- thlly we'll learn it's good." A large section of Oakland Bay around the outfall of the Shelton Wastewater Treatment Plant is permanently closed to shellfish harvesting, and the bay as a whole is automatically closed for the five days it takes to flush things clean after the area takes an inch or more of rain. "What we're able to show through our water-quality testing is that when we get a rain- thll like that, the water quality is degraded in Oakland Bay and it will not meet the water-quality standards," Woolrich said. The same testing program indi- cates that a section of Hammersly Inlet is not adversely affected by the wastewater treatment plant but is included in that part of the bay which is permanently closed. With this in mind, state officials are in the process of shrinking the no-go zone. "In order for us to open up the area we have to prove that it meets the water-quality standards, and that's what we're doing now and we're almost to the end of it" Woolrich said. STEPIIANIE KENNY of Ma- son County Public Health reports WATER SAMPLES like this may hold the key to one of the most productive shell- fish beds in Mason County. that 21 shelltish growers in Oak- land Bay produce approximately three million pounds of clams and 1.8 million pounds of oys- ters in any given year. She has been working on the ()akland Bay Action Plan sine(, November of last year, when state officials downgraded shellfish beds in the north end. A first step was taken in May when comn)issioners set the boundaries of the Oakland Bay Focus Area an(t a sec()nd step was taken this inonth when (.ore- missioners approved th(, ()akland Bay Action Plan. "All of the peoph, in Mason County benefit from the (luMity of life that clean water t)rovides," Dewey said. "Property wtlu(,s in Mason County are going to go down if all of our beaches in the county are posted 'closed lo har- vest because of pothJtion.' The fiwt that these waters support a shell- fish industry is a testament to the quality of lifi here in tim county." The action plan calls tbr state and local officials to respond to water-quality complaints that in- volve land use in critical areas, especially those about animal- feeding operations. Mason Coun- ty Public Health will t)e the lead agency when it comes to ch,anmg up failing septic systems. The plan calls for public education, shore- line and stream sampling, on-site testing and evaluation of systems, and changes to the county code regulating septic systems. Vicki Kirkpatrick, the county's director of public health, intro- duced the plan at last month's meeting of the Mason County Board of Health and expressed the hope that voluntary compli- ance would allow the county to focus on areas where people are not inclined to volunteer. County Commissioner Tim Sheldon ex- pressed some reservations about tbrcing the issue on recalcitrant property owners and elaborated on his views in a subsequent tele- phone interview. "IF YOU HAVE a tailing sep- tic you need to fix it right away," he said. "I am always leery about individual property rights and unlawful search. There has to be very probable cause betbre you go onto someone's propery and take the lid off someone's tank. You County may raise fees for Public Health (Continued from page 18.) the Washington Department of Social and Health Services and Mason County Public Health in the amount of $8,025 for the link- ing of Medicaid-eligible children to Medicaid medical services. * Authorized a contract between Thurston County Emergency Man- agement and Mason County Pub- lic Health to provide $20,000 to develop a Medical Reserve Corps in Mason County. . Extended a contract with As- sured Home Health and Hospice, which will be paid $19,893 to help people afflicted by AIDS and HIV, the virus that causes the disease. Shelter to break ground A shelter for domestic-violence victims is one step closer to open- ing. Turning Pointe Domestic Violence Services will host a brief "shovel" ceremony at 11 a.m. to- morrow, November 16, at the building site. This is located off of Railroad Avenue going west out of town, on what would be 15th Street. Those planning to attend should meet at the Shelton Civic Center, 525 West: Cota Street, at about 10:30 in order to slmttle by bus to the construction site. This will alleviate parking dilticul- ties. A reception will iblh)w at the Shelton Civic Center. Offender to get treatment (Continued from page 18.) DOSA, Judge James Sawyer set late 2005. When she pled guilty to the forgeries she admitted that she started doing metham- phetamine and went on a forgery spree in the summer of 2005. "All the police reports and all the prior history indicate she has a serious drug problem," defense attorney James Foley said. In imposing the residential a review hearing for l)ecember 3. He ordered Miller to pay a $1,000 drug fine, $500 to the crime vic- tims' compensation fund, $450 for court-appointed attorney tes and $489.50 in court costs. "I think treatment would bene- fit me a lot," Miller said. She said she was motivated to get through treatment and to stay sober. "I just want to be niyself lgain." ThomPS °O YOur exhaust exhaust Page 20 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, November 15, 2007 have to smell it, see it." Sheldon is also a state senator who said he plans to introduce to the next session of the Washing- ton Legislature a bill that would generate funds for local projects that improve and protect water quality. He thinks the 12 counties that border Puget Sound should be able to keep a fraction of the sales tax collected by the state if the lo- cal authorities agree to spend the money on water-quality projects. He said he is looking for a stable source of funding that will address the problem of pollution. "This is really the cause of why you have a shellfish protection system," Shel- don said. "This is not something coming out of a pipe. It's coming from failing septics, stormwater and animal waste." quali Although most of the to this has to do with some of this nonpoint may also be coming the Shelton city limits. the city has sewers waste to the Shelton Treatment Plant, a by Sheldon at the ing of the Mason County Health produced the that .there may be parcels inside the city on the sewer system. Debbie Riley of the rice of environmental mates the number of the sewer lines ranges 600 and 1,600. "We are .with the city on that," Commissioner Lynda son said. Living historian takl look at frontier just00 (Continued from page 13.) County Historical Societi deputy sheriff and U.S. fisheries commissioner. He actively pro- meted the building of a railroad to Port Townsend, believing it still possible when he died in 1900. This will be a return visit for Ricketts. The first time in 2002, he presented a program on the histo- recognized him as Year in 1993 and 2003. a Society of American certified forester and pla i net in the Port Townsel! munity Orchestra and s in the Port Townsend C 11 Band. The program will ry of exploration and the early fur p.m. on November 18 in trade. He is a volunteer at the Fort um at 427 West Railroad/ Nisqually Living History Museum in downtown Shelton. A / and a member of the Jefferson " . ! is free of charge, i Call today for a FREE ESTIMATE on a new Trane systemV. @ TjW" Olympic Heating & Coolin * Sales * Service * Installations It's>HaM TStopA ane: • Repairs • Heating • Air Conditioning • Refrigeration * 426-9945 " 754-1235 " 1-800-400-9945 OIYMPilC96BBA Annual check-ups, birth control, emergency contraception, early abortion, HPV vaccine, testing for pregnancy and STIs, education and treatment. Next to Les Schwab Tires at 2505 Olympic Hwy. N., Suite 400, in Shelton www.ppww.org 1.8oo.13o.PLAN VISA Ask if you qualify for FREE Services. We'll bill most major insurance companies. Plann(m Parenthood" of Western Washington Planned Parenthood ® is a 5o1(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. © zoo7 Planned Parenthood ® of Western Washington. State health checks water (Continued from page 19.) County Commission approved the Oakland Bay Action Plan, report- ing that water samples taken thus far this year indicate slight im- provements in quality when com- pared to samples taken in 2006. Bob Woolrich of the Washington Department of Health confirmed Konovsky's report that things are looking up. "We've been monitor- ing Oakland Bay very frequently this year to see how the water quality is holding up, and so far it's holding up," he said. AS MANAGER of the Growing Area Section of the Shellfish Divi- sion of DOH, he is deeply involved in the process of determining which beds are producing shell- fish fit for human consumption. Woolrich said water quality dete- riorates in rainy weather and so he does not rule out the possibil- ity that the rains of later this year will wash enough pollution into the bay to force the downgrading (if Chapman Cove. "We've got half the picture and maybe we've seen the sunny half," he said. "Hopefully we'll learn a lot when the rains come. Hope- thlly we'll learn it's good." A large section of Oakland Bay around the outfall of the Shelton Wastewater Treatment Plant is permanently closed to shellfish harvesting, and the bay as a whole is automatically closed for the five days it takes to flush things clean after the area takes an inch or more of rain. "What we're able to show through our water-quality testing is that when we get a rain- thll like that, the water quality is degraded in Oakland Bay and it will not meet the water-quality standards," Woolrich said. The same testing program indi- cates that a section of Hammersly Inlet is not adversely affected by the wastewater treatment plant but is included in that part of the bay which is permanently closed. With this in mind, state officials are in the process of shrinking the no-go zone. "In order for us to open up the area we have to prove that it meets the water-quality standards, and that's what we're doing now and we're almost to the end of it" Woolrich said. STEPIIANIE KENNY of Ma- son County Public Health reports WATER SAMPLES like this may hold the key to one of the most productive shell- fish beds in Mason County. that 21 shelltish growers in Oak- land Bay produce approximately three million pounds of clams and 1.8 million pounds of oys- ters in any given year. She has been working on the ()akland Bay Action Plan sine(, November of last year, when state officials downgraded shellfish beds in the north end. A first step was taken in May when comn)issioners set the boundaries of the Oakland Bay Focus Area an(t a sec()nd step was taken this inonth when (.ore- missioners approved th(, ()akland Bay Action Plan. "All of the peoph, in Mason County benefit from the (luMity of life that clean water t)rovides," Dewey said. "Property wtlu(,s in Mason County are going to go down if all of our beaches in the county are posted 'closed lo har- vest because of pothJtion.' The fiwt that these waters support a shell- fish industry is a testament to the quality of lifi here in tim county." The action plan calls tbr state and local officials to respond to water-quality complaints that in- volve land use in critical areas, especially those about animal- feeding operations. Mason Coun- ty Public Health will t)e the lead agency when it comes to ch,anmg up failing septic systems. The plan calls for public education, shore- line and stream sampling, on-site testing and evaluation of systems, and changes to the county code regulating septic systems. Vicki Kirkpatrick, the county's director of public health, intro- duced the plan at last month's meeting of the Mason County Board of Health and expressed the hope that voluntary compli- ance would allow the county to focus on areas where people are not inclined to volunteer. County Commissioner Tim Sheldon ex- pressed some reservations about tbrcing the issue on recalcitrant property owners and elaborated on his views in a subsequent tele- phone interview. "IF YOU HAVE a tailing sep- tic you need to fix it right away," he said. "I am always leery about individual property rights and unlawful search. There has to be very probable cause betbre you go onto someone's propery and take the lid off someone's tank. You County may raise fees for Public Health (Continued from page 18.) the Washington Department of Social and Health Services and Mason County Public Health in the amount of $8,025 for the link- ing of Medicaid-eligible children to Medicaid medical services. * Authorized a contract between Thurston County Emergency Man- agement and Mason County Pub- lic Health to provide $20,000 to develop a Medical Reserve Corps in Mason County. . Extended a contract with As- sured Home Health and Hospice, which will be paid $19,893 to help people afflicted by AIDS and HIV, the virus that causes the disease. Shelter to break ground A shelter for domestic-violence victims is one step closer to open- ing. Turning Pointe Domestic Violence Services will host a brief "shovel" ceremony at 11 a.m. to- morrow, November 16, at the building site. This is located off of Railroad Avenue going west out of town, on what would be 15th Street. Those planning to attend should meet at the Shelton Civic Center, 525 West: Cota Street, at about 10:30 in order to slmttle by bus to the construction site. This will alleviate parking dilticul- ties. A reception will iblh)w at the Shelton Civic Center. Offender to get treatment (Continued from page 18.) DOSA, Judge James Sawyer set late 2005. When she pled guilty to the forgeries she admitted that she started doing metham- phetamine and went on a forgery spree in the summer of 2005. "All the police reports and all the prior history indicate she has a serious drug problem," defense attorney James Foley said. In imposing the residential a review hearing for l)ecember 3. He ordered Miller to pay a $1,000 drug fine, $500 to the crime vic- tims' compensation fund, $450 for court-appointed attorney tes and $489.50 in court costs. "I think treatment would bene- fit me a lot," Miller said. She said she was motivated to get through treatment and to stay sober. "I just want to be niyself lgain." ThomPS °O YOur exhaust exhaust Page 20 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, November 15, 2007 have to smell it, see it." Sheldon is also a state senator who said he plans to introduce to the next session of the Washing- ton Legislature a bill that would generate funds for local projects that improve and protect water quality. He thinks the 12 counties that border Puget Sound should be able to keep a fraction of the sales tax collected by the state if the lo- cal authorities agree to spend the money on water-quality projects. He said he is looking for a stable source of funding that will address the problem of pollution. "This is really the cause of why you have a shellfish protection system," Shel- don said. "This is not something coming out of a pipe. It's coming from failing septics, stormwater and animal waste." quali Although most of the to this has to do with some of this nonpoint may also be coming the Shelton city limits. the city has sewers waste to the Shelton Treatment Plant, a by Sheldon at the ing of the Mason County Health produced the that .there may be parcels inside the city on the sewer system. Debbie Riley of the rice of environmental mates the number of the sewer lines ranges 600 and 1,600. "We are .with the city on that," Commissioner Lynda son said. Living historian takl look at frontier just00 (Continued from page 13.) County Historical Societi deputy sheriff and U.S. fisheries commissioner. He actively pro- meted the building of a railroad to Port Townsend, believing it still possible when he died in 1900. This will be a return visit for Ricketts. The first time in 2002, he presented a program on the histo- recognized him as Year in 1993 and 2003. a Society of American certified forester and pla i net in the Port Townsel! munity Orchestra and s in the Port Townsend C 11 Band. The program will ry of exploration and the early fur p.m. on November 18 in trade. He is a volunteer at the Fort um at 427 West Railroad/ Nisqually Living History Museum in downtown Shelton. A / and a member of the Jefferson " . ! is free of charge, i Call today for a FREE ESTIMATE on a new Trane systemV. @ TjW" Olympic Heating & Coolin * Sales * Service * Installations It's>HaM TStopA ane: • Repairs • Heating • Air Conditioning • Refrigeration * 426-9945 " 754-1235 " 1-800-400-9945 OIYMPilC96BBA Annual check-ups, birth control, emergency contraception, early abortion, HPV vaccine, testing for pregnancy and STIs, education and treatment. Next to Les Schwab Tires at 2505 Olympic Hwy. N., Suite 400, in Shelton www.ppww.org 1.8oo.13o.PLAN VISA Ask if you qualify for FREE Services. We'll bill most major insurance companies. Plann(m Parenthood" of Western Washington Planned Parenthood ® is a 5o1(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. © zoo7 Planned Parenthood ® of Western Washington.