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Shelton may ban digging of well
By JEFF GREEN
It's another unfunded state man-
date and it's going to cost the City of
Shelton money.
The Municipal Water Law, as the
2003 state legislation is commonly
known, calls for Shelton to submit
goals for the city's Water Use Effi-
ciency Program to the Washington
Department of Health by January
22.
Under the law, the Department of
Health adopted a rule establishing
water use efficiency requirements for
all municipal water suppliers. The
rule is designed to help conserve wa-
ter for the environment and future
generations, as well as to enhance
public health by improving water sys-
tem efficiency and reliability.
"The spirit of this is to use less
water," said Tracy Farrell, the city's
recycling coordinator. "We do have
conservation measures we need to
fOCUS on."
THERE ARE funding elements
tied to the water use efficiency rule,
but no funds are available from the
state's Department of Health or De-
partment of Ecology now, Farrell not-
ed. "It is a mandate," she said, "lack-
ing funding."
"The range of costs will vary, de-
pending on system size and other
factors, such as installing service
meters on existing connections, costs
involved in water system planning
and costs of implementing a Water
Loss Control Action Plan," according
to a publication by the Department of
Health.
"Although the new rule requires
municipal water suppliers to pay
more attention to conservation and
rate structures, it is the responsibil-
ity of each water system to determine
which conservation measures best
apply to their system and whether
rates need to change," the publica-
tion noted.
A public hearing for setting goals
for the city's water use efficiency is
scheduled fir January 10. Mean-
while, commissioners will discuss
goal setting at their meeting on Mon-
day, December 10.
IN ANOTHER water-related
matter, commissioners set a public
Hospital is feeling the pinch
(Continued from page 1.)
the hospital and three associated fa-
cilities: North Mason Medical Clinic,
Oakland Bay Pediatrics and Mason
County Eye Clinic.
The budget projects revenue of
about $62.1 million next year and
spending of about $58.6 but must
address the challenges of "overall de-
clining volume" after votes to shrink
Hospital District 1 and create a new
Hospital District 2 for an area that
has been served by the medical clinic
in Belfair.
"I feel that we've got some wonder-
ful leadership within our hospital that
has the time and the expertise to stay
on top of that," said Nancy Truck-
sess, chair of the hospital board.
JOINING HER in voting to ap-
prove the budget on November 13
were her fellow commissioners, Don
Wilson and Scott Hilburn. Their
plans call for the North Mason Medi-
cal Clinic to be handed over to the
new hospital district and managed iff
cooperation with the staff of Harrison
Hospital in Bremerton. The District
1 budget accounts for this "transi-
tion in services" by projecting 9,000
fewer visits and the loss of $512,054
in projected revenue. Also subtracted
from the revenue side of things is an
unknown amount of tax revenue that
might have been collected on proper-
ties that are now in District 2. That
amount is a fraction of the $1.64 rail-
tion District 1 would expect to collect
from the entire county.
With surgeries down and the num-
ber of patient days in the hospital
expected to be flat, District 1 is chal-
lenged to make ends meet in a climate
of rising costs. The per-day operating
expense for next year is estimated at
$145,708, an increase of 8.3 percent
over a per-day cost of $134,538 this
year.
"The ongoing pressure will be in-
creasing salaries and benefits against
a low growth volume scenario," the
executive summary states.
Surgeries are expected to drop by
5.8 percent to 1,303 "due to decreases
in laparoscopic and orthopedic servic-
es," these being procedures for people
who are morbidly obese or have prob-
lems with their bones. The number
of babies delivered at the hospital is
projected to grow by 10 percent to 288
as a result of "planned stabilization"
in obstetrics and gynecology.
HOSPITAL OFFICIALS are
keeping their ears to the ground and
their fingers to the wind as they look
for signals from the federal govern-
ment. Mason General has been desig-
nated as a critical-care facility, which
allows for the billing of patients at
a somewhat higher rate than other
small hospitals. Trucksess makes
the point that without this designa-
tion Mason General would be losing
money by providing services to pa-
tients supported by federal prograins.
Larger hospitals in urban settings
can offset losses in federal-pay cases
by performing complex surgeries and
other treatments that generate a lot
of revenue, but smaller institutions
don't have that luxury.
"We have nothing that can com-
pare to that, and so the government
started this program as an aid to
small hospitals, and it's been a tre-
mendous help to us," Trucksess said.
Medicare and Medicaid, the two
major federal health programs, are
expected to generate about $36.8 mil-
lion for Mason General this year, an
amount that accounts for 68 percent
of the patient revenue. The 2008 bud-
get projects Medicare and Medicaid
revenue of about $40 million and ex-
pects this to account for an even larg-
er share of the total: 74 percent. Of
concern to Trucksess are rumblings
that the federal authorities might be
redesigning the system that supports
critical-care facilities like Mason
General.
"You never know what they're go-
ing to do, so we just hang in there,"
she said. "We want to stay within
their parameters. We're always sort
of watching and trying to figure out
what's ahread."
MASON GENERAL will work to
recruit two primary-care physicians,
one orthopedic surgeon and an OB/
GYN, this being doc talk for a phy-
Criminal court has run of mistrials
(Continued from page 3.)
were identified after fingerprint tech.
nicians from the King County Sher-
iffs Office took prints at the Seattle
medical center.
Stokley allegedly was under the
influence of" alcohol when he drove his
pickup truck north on Highway 101
after he and Smith followed a friend
to her residence. He said he had not
consumed alcohol since around 10:30
a.m. but Smith testified he had been
drinking with her and her friend.
Investigating officers said his
vehicle left the roadway about two
miles north of Lilliwaup and struck a
series of power poles, shearing off one
pole and downing another pole, cans-
ing some transformers to fall on the
vehicle. He and Smith were trapped
inside the vehicle by live power wires
and had to be extracted.
A blood sample was taken from
Stokely when he was at Mason Gen-
eral Hospital about two hours after
the crash, according to testimony at
the trial, and a forensic scientist for
the Washington State Patrol Labora-
tory testified it was analyzed and the
blood alcohol level was 0.11. The le.
gal level is 0.08.
JUDGE SHELDON declared the
mistrial saying "one juror had ad-
ditional information on the law that
had not been provided by the court
to the jury." Sheldon's instructions to
jurors warned them not to seek out
information on their own and looking
up information on the Internet is one
of the specific examples she gave of
what not to do.
Jurors began their deliberations
around 1 p.m on November 15 and re-
turned at 9 a.m. November 16. That's
when one of the jurors reported go-
ing "on-line" to review the Revised
Code of Washington statutes regard-
ing driving under the influence and
blood alcohol levels. Members of the
jury were Kimberly Metcalf, Terri
Butler, Melissa Bergland Cosin, Tim
Kingery, Marian Nordland, Charles
King, Dorotea Pineda, Dennie Bow-
ers, Lorraine Coots, Sharon Chan-
dler, Cheryl Allen and Barbara Pe-
terson. Kerry Fraser was excused as
the alternate juror.
This is the second time in less than
a month that a mistrial has been de-
clared in a felony case involving seri-
ous or fatal injuries suffered on the
roads of Mason County.
Shelton Floor Covering
is proud
co introduce
JIM
BARR
1:O our
Mason County
cust.omecs
Jim brings 35 years of experience in heavy
commercial, schools, hospitals, new and
multi-story construction
Knowledgeable in specialty floors
You're invited to stop by or call today!
(360) 427-2822
on Hillcrest
1306 Olympic Hwy. S.
Shelton,WA 985B4
Cont. #SHELTFC968QP
Page 8 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, November 29, 2007
A mistrial was declared October
18 as a jury began deliberations in
the vehicular-homicide trial of David
Jensen, 49, of Port Hadlock. He was
accused of driving under the influence
and causing the death of 57-year-old
Paul C. Parker of Seattle on June 30,
2006 in a head-on collision on State
Route 3 near the intersection with
Judy Lane in Belfair. Parker died at
the scene and Jensen was airlifted to
Harborview.
As jurors began their deliberations
an evidence box was given to them.
The items in the box included all the
evidence from the trial, not just evi-
dence which had been admitted. An
order signed by Judge James Saw-
yer, who presided at the Jensen trial,
states this was declared a mistrial
"based upon inadvertent submission
of excluded exhibits to the jury dur-
ing deliberations."
We
have
fishing
supplies!
Skokomish Indian Tribal
Enterprises (S.I.T.E.)
Premis Carton
+ tax
Bud &
Bud Lit00
6949
12 12 oz. cans u
3 Chicken Strips
& 8,1Io Jo
sician who specializes in the health-
care needs of babies and their moms
- obstetrics and gynecology.
The budget allows for pay hikes of
up to 6 percent for non-union work-
ers, with the cost of providing medi-
cal benefits to about 500 employees
rising 10.9 percent to $5.3 million.
Officials envision the spending of
$267,977 to pay the holders of about
five new jobs and $125,000 tbr a med-
ical director who will work on "qual-
ity improvement initiatives focused
on implementation of clinical best
practices based on evidence-based
medicine."
Mason General expects to provide
about $1.9 million in charity care this
year and a little more than that in
2008. Dollars generated by its criti-
cal-care status are instrumental in
this care and maintaining that status
is a consideration when it comes to
staffing the hospital.
"We add people to stay in compli-
ance so that we can stay on top of ev-
erything," Trucksess said. "It's very,
very important. It is important that
we serve the community to the great-
est extent that is possible."
hearing for 6 p.m. on
cember 3, about a
to prohibit new wells within
limits.
Public Works Director 3a'
said there currently is
Shelton Municipal Code
wells within the city. There
between 20 and 30 wells in
most of them used for irri
"Staff is suggesting that
to promote public health,
potential revenue in the way
ter system connection
monthly water consum
and to help reduce the risk
fer depletion, that all city
tamers be required to connect
water," Ebbeson wrote in a
memo to the commission.
private wells in the city
"grandfathered" under the
and allowed to continue
until they fail, he added.
Free home buyers class
this Saturday, 3 p.m.,
Shelton. Loads of free
information on the Ma-
son County home
and current o
for home loans. No
and no obligation. For
those who request it,
on-site confidential Ioa0!
assessment. Limited
call to reserve: Exit
Boardwalk,
and A+ Mortgage.
Still
C0me to the Cove. relax, touch and eni.og
in all her beauqr Bug ifg0u lille, or
FREE Amethgsts
FREE Nature center tours
FREE Educational material
Complete Flooring Showroom
Full Lapidarg Shoppe
Zen gardens
New expanded gift selection
Artist onsite. Aroma therap!l
Books & tapes
P,0ck mineral & driftwood galler!l
Open 10:30AM-6:OOI'M Tuesda!i-Saturdatl. II:OOAM-5:OOrM
510 $E 01d Arcadia load 426-8111
2.3 miles out Arcadia Road, Shelton, WA 98584
wwtu.covecrgstals.com Linda Glendenning & Elson Baugh
19390 North U.S. Hwy. I01
Skokomish Nation, WA 98584
At the intersection of Hwy. 101 & Hwy. 106
minutes north of Shelton on the Skokomish Indian Reservation
Located next to the Casino 427-9099
Camel
Carton
Winston
s300? ..........
2-pack .................. ":' ":",'
}illNlOll
varieti
Basic
Marlboro
$1.59/BAG
SURGEON
Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon
Monoxide.
Shelton may ban digging of well
By JEFF GREEN
It's another unfunded state man-
date and it's going to cost the City of
Shelton money.
The Municipal Water Law, as the
2003 state legislation is commonly
known, calls for Shelton to submit
goals for the city's Water Use Effi-
ciency Program to the Washington
Department of Health by January
22.
Under the law, the Department of
Health adopted a rule establishing
water use efficiency requirements for
all municipal water suppliers. The
rule is designed to help conserve wa-
ter for the environment and future
generations, as well as to enhance
public health by improving water sys-
tem efficiency and reliability.
"The spirit of this is to use less
water," said Tracy Farrell, the city's
recycling coordinator. "We do have
conservation measures we need to
fOCUS on."
THERE ARE funding elements
tied to the water use efficiency rule,
but no funds are available from the
state's Department of Health or De-
partment of Ecology now, Farrell not-
ed. "It is a mandate," she said, "lack-
ing funding."
"The range of costs will vary, de-
pending on system size and other
factors, such as installing service
meters on existing connections, costs
involved in water system planning
and costs of implementing a Water
Loss Control Action Plan," according
to a publication by the Department of
Health.
"Although the new rule requires
municipal water suppliers to pay
more attention to conservation and
rate structures, it is the responsibil-
ity of each water system to determine
which conservation measures best
apply to their system and whether
rates need to change," the publica-
tion noted.
A public hearing for setting goals
for the city's water use efficiency is
scheduled fir January 10. Mean-
while, commissioners will discuss
goal setting at their meeting on Mon-
day, December 10.
IN ANOTHER water-related
matter, commissioners set a public
Hospital is feeling the pinch
(Continued from page 1.)
the hospital and three associated fa-
cilities: North Mason Medical Clinic,
Oakland Bay Pediatrics and Mason
County Eye Clinic.
The budget projects revenue of
about $62.1 million next year and
spending of about $58.6 but must
address the challenges of "overall de-
clining volume" after votes to shrink
Hospital District 1 and create a new
Hospital District 2 for an area that
has been served by the medical clinic
in Belfair.
"I feel that we've got some wonder-
ful leadership within our hospital that
has the time and the expertise to stay
on top of that," said Nancy Truck-
sess, chair of the hospital board.
JOINING HER in voting to ap-
prove the budget on November 13
were her fellow commissioners, Don
Wilson and Scott Hilburn. Their
plans call for the North Mason Medi-
cal Clinic to be handed over to the
new hospital district and managed iff
cooperation with the staff of Harrison
Hospital in Bremerton. The District
1 budget accounts for this "transi-
tion in services" by projecting 9,000
fewer visits and the loss of $512,054
in projected revenue. Also subtracted
from the revenue side of things is an
unknown amount of tax revenue that
might have been collected on proper-
ties that are now in District 2. That
amount is a fraction of the $1.64 rail-
tion District 1 would expect to collect
from the entire county.
With surgeries down and the num-
ber of patient days in the hospital
expected to be flat, District 1 is chal-
lenged to make ends meet in a climate
of rising costs. The per-day operating
expense for next year is estimated at
$145,708, an increase of 8.3 percent
over a per-day cost of $134,538 this
year.
"The ongoing pressure will be in-
creasing salaries and benefits against
a low growth volume scenario," the
executive summary states.
Surgeries are expected to drop by
5.8 percent to 1,303 "due to decreases
in laparoscopic and orthopedic servic-
es," these being procedures for people
who are morbidly obese or have prob-
lems with their bones. The number
of babies delivered at the hospital is
projected to grow by 10 percent to 288
as a result of "planned stabilization"
in obstetrics and gynecology.
HOSPITAL OFFICIALS are
keeping their ears to the ground and
their fingers to the wind as they look
for signals from the federal govern-
ment. Mason General has been desig-
nated as a critical-care facility, which
allows for the billing of patients at
a somewhat higher rate than other
small hospitals. Trucksess makes
the point that without this designa-
tion Mason General would be losing
money by providing services to pa-
tients supported by federal prograins.
Larger hospitals in urban settings
can offset losses in federal-pay cases
by performing complex surgeries and
other treatments that generate a lot
of revenue, but smaller institutions
don't have that luxury.
"We have nothing that can com-
pare to that, and so the government
started this program as an aid to
small hospitals, and it's been a tre-
mendous help to us," Trucksess said.
Medicare and Medicaid, the two
major federal health programs, are
expected to generate about $36.8 mil-
lion for Mason General this year, an
amount that accounts for 68 percent
of the patient revenue. The 2008 bud-
get projects Medicare and Medicaid
revenue of about $40 million and ex-
pects this to account for an even larg-
er share of the total: 74 percent. Of
concern to Trucksess are rumblings
that the federal authorities might be
redesigning the system that supports
critical-care facilities like Mason
General.
"You never know what they're go-
ing to do, so we just hang in there,"
she said. "We want to stay within
their parameters. We're always sort
of watching and trying to figure out
what's ahread."
MASON GENERAL will work to
recruit two primary-care physicians,
one orthopedic surgeon and an OB/
GYN, this being doc talk for a phy-
Criminal court has run of mistrials
(Continued from page 3.)
were identified after fingerprint tech.
nicians from the King County Sher-
iffs Office took prints at the Seattle
medical center.
Stokley allegedly was under the
influence of" alcohol when he drove his
pickup truck north on Highway 101
after he and Smith followed a friend
to her residence. He said he had not
consumed alcohol since around 10:30
a.m. but Smith testified he had been
drinking with her and her friend.
Investigating officers said his
vehicle left the roadway about two
miles north of Lilliwaup and struck a
series of power poles, shearing off one
pole and downing another pole, cans-
ing some transformers to fall on the
vehicle. He and Smith were trapped
inside the vehicle by live power wires
and had to be extracted.
A blood sample was taken from
Stokely when he was at Mason Gen-
eral Hospital about two hours after
the crash, according to testimony at
the trial, and a forensic scientist for
the Washington State Patrol Labora-
tory testified it was analyzed and the
blood alcohol level was 0.11. The le.
gal level is 0.08.
JUDGE SHELDON declared the
mistrial saying "one juror had ad-
ditional information on the law that
had not been provided by the court
to the jury." Sheldon's instructions to
jurors warned them not to seek out
information on their own and looking
up information on the Internet is one
of the specific examples she gave of
what not to do.
Jurors began their deliberations
around 1 p.m on November 15 and re-
turned at 9 a.m. November 16. That's
when one of the jurors reported go-
ing "on-line" to review the Revised
Code of Washington statutes regard-
ing driving under the influence and
blood alcohol levels. Members of the
jury were Kimberly Metcalf, Terri
Butler, Melissa Bergland Cosin, Tim
Kingery, Marian Nordland, Charles
King, Dorotea Pineda, Dennie Bow-
ers, Lorraine Coots, Sharon Chan-
dler, Cheryl Allen and Barbara Pe-
terson. Kerry Fraser was excused as
the alternate juror.
This is the second time in less than
a month that a mistrial has been de-
clared in a felony case involving seri-
ous or fatal injuries suffered on the
roads of Mason County.
Shelton Floor Covering
is proud
co introduce
JIM
BARR
1:O our
Mason County
cust.omecs
Jim brings 35 years of experience in heavy
commercial, schools, hospitals, new and
multi-story construction
Knowledgeable in specialty floors
You're invited to stop by or call today!
(360) 427-2822
on Hillcrest
1306 Olympic Hwy. S.
Shelton,WA 985B4
Cont. #SHELTFC968QP
Page 8 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, November 29, 2007
A mistrial was declared October
18 as a jury began deliberations in
the vehicular-homicide trial of David
Jensen, 49, of Port Hadlock. He was
accused of driving under the influence
and causing the death of 57-year-old
Paul C. Parker of Seattle on June 30,
2006 in a head-on collision on State
Route 3 near the intersection with
Judy Lane in Belfair. Parker died at
the scene and Jensen was airlifted to
Harborview.
As jurors began their deliberations
an evidence box was given to them.
The items in the box included all the
evidence from the trial, not just evi-
dence which had been admitted. An
order signed by Judge James Saw-
yer, who presided at the Jensen trial,
states this was declared a mistrial
"based upon inadvertent submission
of excluded exhibits to the jury dur-
ing deliberations."
We
have
fishing
supplies!
Skokomish Indian Tribal
Enterprises (S.I.T.E.)
Premis Carton
+ tax
Bud &
Bud Lit00
6949
12 12 oz. cans u
3 Chicken Strips
& 8,1Io Jo
sician who specializes in the health-
care needs of babies and their moms
- obstetrics and gynecology.
The budget allows for pay hikes of
up to 6 percent for non-union work-
ers, with the cost of providing medi-
cal benefits to about 500 employees
rising 10.9 percent to $5.3 million.
Officials envision the spending of
$267,977 to pay the holders of about
five new jobs and $125,000 tbr a med-
ical director who will work on "qual-
ity improvement initiatives focused
on implementation of clinical best
practices based on evidence-based
medicine."
Mason General expects to provide
about $1.9 million in charity care this
year and a little more than that in
2008. Dollars generated by its criti-
cal-care status are instrumental in
this care and maintaining that status
is a consideration when it comes to
staffing the hospital.
"We add people to stay in compli-
ance so that we can stay on top of ev-
erything," Trucksess said. "It's very,
very important. It is important that
we serve the community to the great-
est extent that is possible."
hearing for 6 p.m. on
cember 3, about a
to prohibit new wells within
limits.
Public Works Director 3a'
said there currently is
Shelton Municipal Code
wells within the city. There
between 20 and 30 wells in
most of them used for irri
"Staff is suggesting that
to promote public health,
potential revenue in the way
ter system connection
monthly water consum
and to help reduce the risk
fer depletion, that all city
tamers be required to connect
water," Ebbeson wrote in a
memo to the commission.
private wells in the city
"grandfathered" under the
and allowed to continue
until they fail, he added.
Free home buyers class
this Saturday, 3 p.m.,
Shelton. Loads of free
information on the Ma-
son County home
and current o
for home loans. No
and no obligation. For
those who request it,
on-site confidential Ioa0!
assessment. Limited
call to reserve: Exit
Boardwalk,
and A+ Mortgage.
Still
C0me to the Cove. relax, touch and eni.og
in all her beauqr Bug ifg0u lille, or
FREE Amethgsts
FREE Nature center tours
FREE Educational material
Complete Flooring Showroom
Full Lapidarg Shoppe
Zen gardens
New expanded gift selection
Artist onsite. Aroma therap!l
Books & tapes
P,0ck mineral & driftwood galler!l
Open 10:30AM-6:OOI'M Tuesda!i-Saturdatl. II:OOAM-5:OOrM
510 $E 01d Arcadia load 426-8111
2.3 miles out Arcadia Road, Shelton, WA 98584
wwtu.covecrgstals.com Linda Glendenning & Elson Baugh
19390 North U.S. Hwy. I01
Skokomish Nation, WA 98584
At the intersection of Hwy. 101 & Hwy. 106
minutes north of Shelton on the Skokomish Indian Reservation
Located next to the Casino 427-9099
Camel
Carton
Winston
s300? ..........
2-pack .................. ":' ":",'
}illNlOll
varieti
Basic
Marlboro
$1.59/BAG
SURGEON
Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon
Monoxide.