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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
December 25, 1975     Shelton Mason County Journal
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December 25, 1975
 
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Qrossenbacher Bros. Inc. 61. N. 6th Ave. Ore. 97209 By STEVE PATCH Even before assuming his official duties, Shelton's new mayor has decided there's something he doesn't like about being a politician. "Some people tend to see the office as having some sort of awesomeness about it," complained 31-year-old Jim Lowery, his eyebrows corrugated over darkly serious eyes. "That's the last thing I want as mayor." Indeed, while his dark visage at times might be mistaken for dour, Jim Lowery exudes a desire to communicate. Even now that he's left the campaign trail, he is a man given to frequent and spacious smiles. "I would hate to have people feel, just because I'm mayor, that they can't talk to me as they always have," Lowery said last week as he approached his January 13 inauguration. On that date, ousted incumbent Frank Travis will step down after 13 years in office and Jim Lowery the husband, father of three, business agent for IWA Local 3-38 and political tenderfoot will take the reins. The following is an exclusive Journal interview with the mayor-to-be: I understand a logger he's not the conservative, slow-thinking individual a lot of people make him out to be. One thing you can count on is he won't beat around the bush with you, and I like that. If this is "logger mentality," I would think we'd have a pretty open society. I believe the elite groups may be more responsible for this term. I don't think it applies to the community as a whole. Q. What's your attitude toward the use of violence to counter violence - one perhaps fundamental issue in the current debate on gun control? A. I'm basically nonviolent. I've never seen a fight yet that really accomplished anything. But when you're talking about something like a man's wife being raped, now there's a problem that talking can't solve. I might have the reaction to kick the hell out of the guy, but that's more passion than human reaction. Any time you get human passion involved it's difficult to say how you'll respond. We all have our boiling points, and once we get past that point we have the potential for violence." Q. What do you think of drug control and similar restrictions on potentially harmful, do you prohibit as well the sale of model airplane cement, the fumes of which doctors agree actually decompose the sniffer's brain tissue? personal freedom? A. First of all, the law is already there. The law says it is illegal to have certain drugs, and as mayor my prime responsibility will be to see to it that the police force acts as it should. As far as my personal opinions are concerned, I have mixed feelings. I know some people here who say they are into drugs, and they tell me there's a lot of heroin going through town, that Shelton is looked upon by outsiders as an easy hit, a good place to score hard drugs. I think the problem may be much more serious than the community would like to believe. Take a look at the crime rate and see how many are related to drugs or booze. If the effect they have on you has some violent effect on another, then maybe you shouldn't be allowed to use them. But, then, prohibition proved you're not going to keep booze away from people, and I suppose the same thing is probably true with marijuana, for instance. A. Hmmm. I don't know, to be perfectly honest. Q. What role, if any, should the city play in the shaping of educational policies? A. I'm not aware that it has any role in it, really, but if 1 could I would certainly like to be involved. Education obviously has a great effect on our community - and, besides, 1 have a couple of kids who are coming up through that system in Shelton, so I'm concerned as a citizen as well. Q. Do you have any quibbles with the school board? A. Hmmm. I don't know if an all.out war between the city and the school board would be good, you know? "Just because someone Q. Are Shelton's recreational has all the bucks doesn't facilities adequate? mean he should get A. No, I don't think so. preferential treat- Q. If the public should be Presently all we really have ment. . . " protected by law from things (Please turn to page two.) THIS YOUNG LADY, who seems more interested in something other than Santa Claus, was one of the youngsters who had a chance to talk to Santa during the annual Christmas party for children of hazardous dutyemployees in Mason County sponsored by the Shelton Chamber of Commerce. Youngsters watched entertainment and received treats from Santa during the program. O Isas assls nce availa Je several ereu groups resentatives of ten state, federal and private who have services which available to flood victims in the PUD 3 auditorium to give those who had damage in the flood this month assistance or to assistance. l'he meeting was arranged ay after Mason County federal designation as a area because of the flood cials stressed that is available from each agencies which participated that anyone who suffered damage can contact the one can give the-type of ante they need. persons from the Engineer J. C. Bridger this week his office is looking cost of obtaining and ; a Bailey Bridge to carry over Goldsborough Creek Matlock Road just west of city limits. bridge across the creek this month after water had resulted in deadline ir next week for the Journal will day early again next week Use of the New Year's Journal will be printed and distributed in the ednesday. deadline for society news will be noon Monday, the for classified advertising • m. Monday, for ~Spondents' columns noon for general-news and 5 p.m. Monday, and advertising noon Monday. county appeared during the time the group was at the PUD building to get information on assistance. La Verne Brodie, a representative of the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration, said both grant and loan programs are available through the various agencies represented at the meeting Monday. The purpose of the meeting, she said, was to offer all of the services available in one place at one time for flood victims. She stressed that assistance is still available and that those who suffered flood damage can contact any of the agencies involved. The participating agencies washing from under one of the piers on the bridge and the bridge settling. The Mason County Economic Development Council, which had appeared at the county commission meeting December 15 to urge the commission to move as rapidly as possible on repair of the bridge, assisted in locating Bailey Bridge sections which are available. Bridger said the temporary bridge sections are available from the State Highway Department. His office, he said, is investigating the cost of getting the bridge sections here and installed. A consulting engineer has been hired to prepare plans for the repair of the bridge. The county hopes to get federal assistance for the bridge project through its disaster area designation which was received last Friday. At the time the bridge was closed, Bridget estimated it would take from three to seven months to complete repair work. we re: Farmers Home Administration, 107 East Broa, dway, Montesano, Washington. Mason County Assessor's Office, Courthouse, Shelton. Department of Employment Security, P.O. Box 367, Olympia, Washington 98504. Department of Social and Health Services, P.O. Box 519, Shelton. American Red Cross, Mason-Thurston County Chapter, 2618 12th Court SW, Olympia, Washington 98507. Small Business Administration, Fifth Floor, Dexter Horton Building, 710 Second Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98104. Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service, Thurston-Mason County ASCS Office, 417 South Pear, Olympia, Washington 98501. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 630 Logan Boulevard, 500 Union Street, Seattle, Washington 98101. Soil Conservation Service, Mason County Conservation District, Kneeland Center, P.O. Box 130, Shelton. County Extension Service, 12 Federal Building, Shelton, Washington. Thursday is holiday for most City, county, state and federal offices and most businesses in the county will be closed Thursday for the Christmas holiday. The county commissioners voted Monday to allow courthouse offices to dose at 2 p.m. Wednesday, the day before Christmas. There will be no city or rural mail delivery, but mail will be sent from and arrive at the post office. Schools in the county started Christmas vacation Friday and will resume classes January 5. Q. How do you see Shelton, sociologically? A. When I first arrived, eight years ago, I was struck with the feeling that there were three distinct classes here: the elite, or the more or less untouchables who somehow felt they had more of a vested interest in the town; the working class, which included the general businessman and the guy who worked for Simpson; and the partially unemployed - your occasional brushpicker, for instance. I've mingled with all three since coming here, and I've come to the conclusion tha* the elite distinction does exist. But the other two groups aren't really separate, I don't think. In any case, it's not a problem. A molding of the three would be good, though, because the community could use their combined intelligence. Q. Does the majority necessarily know what's good for it? How does this affect a mayor's decision.making responsibilities? A. In futuristic planning there will be many instances when you don't have the same philosophies as the majority. I imagine I will have those kinds of decisions now and then. I don't think such dec!sions necessarily have to be popular with the majority, but you should listen to all arguments first before making a decision. Sometimes the best way to discourage change is to not accept a heckuva lot of input - and I just don't happen to go along with that. Q. Is there a prevailing "logger mentality" in Shelton? A. Hmmm. I've never heard that term here. I work for loggers a lot in my job, and if you "As far as the kids are concerned, they have ~p nothing now... Thursday, December 25, 1975 Eighty-ninth Year - Number 52 3 Sections -40 Pages 15 Cents Per Copy A 20-year-oid Yakima man, who was found missing from the Washington Corrections C~nter Friday morning, was caught in Yakima Monday morning. Richard Vernon, superintendent of the corrections center, said Brooks was caught by Yakima officers coming out of his brother's home about 11 a.m. Monday. He was being returned to the corrections center by Yakima authorities, Vernon said. Brooks had been discovered missing from the corrections center Friday morning. The Mason County Sheriff's Office was notified of the escape about 9: 30 a.m. Friday. Vernon said it appeared that Brooks, who was in the training center portion of the corrections center, went over the fence in the dense fog last Thursday night. The alarm system in that section of fence, Vernon said, was found to'be not working. The company which installed the system checked it out Saturday, Vernon said, and found that apparently a recent electrical storm'had blown out some of the electrical boxes, making part of the alarm system inoperable. Vernon said weekly checks on the alarm system will be made to be sure it is in good working order. ~~~~~~HHI~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ acci amages A former Washington Corrections Center inmate has been awarded $252,000 for the loss of his arm while he was working in the laundry at the corrections center in August, 1974. The former inmate, Rodney Harvey, was awarded the damages by a King County Superior Court jury recently. Harvey was serving a term in the corrections center for vehicle theft when he lost his right arm in laundry machinery which he was operating, the evidence in the case showed. The jury award was actually $280,000, but the jury found that Harvey was 10 percent negligent in the accident and the state 90 percent negligent. This special finding by the jury reduced the damage award to $252,000. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H~~~~~~~H~H~~H~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The superintendent said after Brooks was discovered missing they found a place where the fence appeared to have been beaten down. There were, he said, footprints on ~he other side of the fence and some clothes were found also. Vernon said Brooks may also have put a dummy in his bed. After the escape was discovered, patrols of corrections center officers and local law enforcement officers began checking the area and continued the patrols over the weekend. Vernon said Brooks had been at the corrections center about six months and had been conunitted from Yakima County on a life sentence for first degree murder. The superintendent said Brooks had been kept at the training center at the corrections center, although very few of those committed for an offense as serious as the one Brooks was charged with are kept here. Christmas baskets were packed and distributed to 130 needy families in Mason County Saturday through the 40 and 8-Journai Christmas project. Forty and 8 members began packing the baskets Friday and completed the job by putting the perishable items into them Saturday morning before they were picked up. Some of the baskets, destined for those who were unable to pick them up, were delivered. Contributions to the Christmas fund at the Journal as of Tuesday noon totaled $1,189.25, short of the amount needed to pay for the baskets which were given out. Contributions to the fund can be brought or mailed to the Journal office. Contributions received were from anonymous, $10; Rudie and Ada Oltman, $10; anonymous, $11.75; Mason County Chapter 14, Daughters of the Pioneers, $10; Shelton-Mason County Zonta Club, $25; Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Umphenour, $5; in memory of Warren and Mamie Earl by Robert and Phyllis TembrueU, $5; Bud Rietdorf, $25; Herb and Clara Angle, $10; anonymous, $5; Mr. and Mrs. O. J. Ashford, $10; Skip Clinton Willour, $15; Mason and Margaret Ness, $10; George County Auditor's Office, $26; and Catherine Cropper, $5; Rocky and Marian Hembroff, Dayton Nimrod Bingo, $25; $10. .... 40 AND 8 MEMBERS, left to right, Frank Travis, Harry James and Herb Schumacher, packed some of the 1_30 Christmas baskets which were distributed Saturday through the 40 and 8-Journal Christmas fund.