November 15, 2007 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
©
Shelton Mason County Journal. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 20 (20 of 44 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
November 15, 2007 |
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader ![]() |
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.