December 28, 1978 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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)0"I' J-" m
00anta,s tiny ooo an0 Bonnie Gosser and sons (frOm left) Monte,
Tim, Mike and Tom pose in the "courtyard" of their canvas domain,
reindeer certainly
0000idn't prance on their rooftop
camped out
PATCH
not that the Gossers
like camping, you
erstand.
"But after three months it
L get kinda old," admits Don
!er, who knows well of what
eaks.
elton native Gosser, you
|, is roughing it in the wilds of
|dia. In fact, the whole
r family - Don and wife
ate and teenaged sons Tom,
Mike and Monte - is
dng it.
[nee September, when they
their Bayview Road home
Wild a new one on ten acres
Ileighbotless fore,rand, de
lers have been living in three
on, a woodbumer to toast before
and a 5,000-watt generator to
light their lamps and illuminate
their television's picture tube.
"But that outdoor potty can
be awfully cold!" gripes Don,
good-naturedly, "-especially in
the middle of the night!"
Speaking of chilly, last
month's severe cold snap and
attendant snowstorm proved
only modestly inconveniencing
to the Gassers - even while they
were nearly paralyzing many of
their distant neighbors.
A couple of trees did come
down around their tents,
"scaring the living daylights out
tenting business. About ten years
ago, when they lived in Winlock,
they some four
months straight for the same
reason, only under decidedly
warmer conditions.
"The summer months are a
lot different," understates
Gasser.
Although he is quite ready to
cut short his family's latest
adventure in outdoorsmanship,
Gasser regrets that there's one
major hitch.
The building loan for which
he applied three months ago was
inexplicably turned down last
week, and now Gasser must
of us," as Do. puts it, but xlo scurry to fd some 9ther source
real damage was done. or else simply, reconcile himself
Y tents, one 14 by 16 feet "I'll tell you one thing," says
the other two 12 by 14. Gasser. "When all those people:
!Lest one be tempted to with their fancy homes were
kd the Gassers of sterner without heat and electricity, we
than that comprising the .still had heat, electricity, water
i ll homemaker, papa Don and everything else we needed."
"!inds that they've all got Actually, the Gassers have
full-sized beds to sleep had some experience with this
to the fact that he and his
family will be living life in tents
for a bit longer.
"I went through Farmers
Home before and never had any
trouble," says Gosser, a Simpson
logging truck driver by trade.
"So I'll probably give them a
try. But I just can't figure why I
was turned down by this other
company."
Meanwhile, the Gassers and
dog "Bandit" and 25 chickens
and nine ducks and one rabbit
and one kitten continue to live
as our pioneer forefathers did -
with only an occasional
discouraging word.
"It's not so much fun waking
up to find your sheets and
pillow all wet," says 14.year-old
Monte, by way of example. "But
otherwise I guess it's not so
bad."
"It could be a lot worse,"
adds dad.
As you bd the Gassers
farewell, and work your way
back out their long and muddy
"driveway," Don calls out one
more time.
"Whatever you do," he
cautions, grinning, "don't make
us sound like a bunch of
hippies!"
Nelson trial set in January
The retrial of Michiai R. Mason County Superior Court Nelson was returned to
Nelson, Shelton, on charges of jury and was sentenced to Mason County jail Friday and
second degree murder in prison, appeared in superior court before
connection with the shooting The state appeals court ruled Judge Gerry Alexander for a
death of Mason County Assessor Nelson should have another trial hearing on his trial date.
Willis Burnett has been scheduled because of the failure of the trial Ben Settle, Shelton attorney
to start January 22. court to give a manslaughter representing Nelson, asked the
Nelson was found guilty of instruction in the case. court to dismiss the charges
second degree murder by a because Nelson had not been
brought to trial within 60 days
after the appeals court ruling was
final.
Judge Alexander first ordered
the trial to begin Tuesday of this
week, but later set it for January
after Nelson agreed to waive the
speedy trial rule.
eltotl:
lourrLal
COUnty'J
i i
Thursday, December 28, 1978 Ninety-Second Year - Number 52 3 Sections - 34 Pages 20 Cents Per Copy
i
Shooting, knifing incident
investigation continuing
Mason County .sheriff's
deputies are continuing their
invesfisation of an incident in
which a young Shelton man was
cut with a knife and shot
thrc,'gh the shoulder in an
incident in the early morning
houl Stmday.
Officers identified the victim
as Michael Heimbigner, 25,
Shelton. They said he was
treated at Mason General
Hospital tor his injuries and then
released.
Officers were called about
4:40 am. Sunday by personnel
at the Mason General Hospital
emergency room who reported
that there was a gun shot wound
victim there.
Officers said Heimbigner was
visiting 0"? girls at a residence in
the BrockdalC area when three
men can,e to the door and one
of them asked for one of the
girls.
Officers said after
Heimbigner allowed them to
enter the residence they began
going tl. ::,agh items in the
hot and when he told them to
stop, one of the three cut his
face and chest. Officers said in
the struggle which followed,
Heimbigner was thrown out the
door and tile three men followed
him out.
After they were outside,
officers said, one of the three
men pulled a small caliber gun
and fired one shot which struck
the young man in the upper
shoulder.
The three then left, officers
said.
Officers said Heimbiguer first
called friends for assistance, and
then because they were some
distance away, he decided to
drive himself to the hospital.
Officers said Heimbigner passed
out after getting to the Mason
General Hospital parking lot and
was later taken into the hospital
by the friends he had called who
found him in his car.
Officers said they are
continuing their investigation
seeking the identity of the three
men.
McNair disability request
denied by LEOFF board
The Mason County Law
Enforcement Officers and
Firefighters disability board
voted Friday to reject the
request of Sheriff Dan MeNair
for disability retirement.
McNair said this week he has
£ded an appeal with the state
LEOFF board asking that the
county board action be reversed.
The action of the local
[,EOFF board came after it
reviewed the reports of two
specialists which it had asked
examine McNair after he had
filed for disability retirement at
the group's November board
meeting.
McNair had asked for the
disability retirement on the basis
of back and pulmonary-respira-
tory problems.
Dr. Roland Ruhl, who made
the pulmonary-respiratory
examination, said in a letter that
McNair had no heart problems,
but did have a respiratory
problem which limits his exercise
tolerance.
He said the condition could
Eaglewood annexation plan
takes another step forward
The Shelton City
Commission, after a meeting
with the developers of the
Eaglewood subdivision south and
west of the present city limits
voted to accept the letter of
intent for annexation.
The commission was told the
project encompasses about 120
acres and is anticipated to
include 200 apartment units and
360 single family residential lots
when it is completed.
Ran Shipley, a representative
of the developers, told the
commission that it anticipated
that the full development will
take about I0 years, depending
on how rapidly the area grows
and the demand for housing.
City Engineer Howard Godat
told the commission the area was
proposed to be brought into the
city prezoned and that an
environmental impact statement
had been prepared and that the
30-day period for comment on
that would close this week.
The commission was told
that Division One of the
development had been submitted
in preliminary plat form and
would include 40 single family
week and installing the parking
time limit signs.
Mayor James Lowery
presented Police Chief Frank
Rains with a plaque citing the
city of Shelton for 16 years
without a pedestrian traffic
fatality.
Don Smith, commissioner
Monday
is holiday
City, county, state and
federal government offices along
with most businesses in Mason
County will be closed Monday in
observance of the New Year's
holiday.
Schools, which have been on
vacation since December 22, will
resume classes Tuesday morning.
The state driver's license
office here will be closed
Saturday in observance of the
holiday and will resume regular
hours Tuesday morning.
from Fire District 16, presented
a contract between the fire
district and the city for the City
Fire Department to provide fire
protection for a part of the
district.
Smith said the contract,
which has been in effect for
some time, was on a month to
month basis for a six-month
period this time. He said the
district is planning to build a fire
station in the Shelton Valley
which will serve the area.
Acting Fire Chief George
Hunter told the commission he
had no objections to the
contract. It was approved by the
commission.
Hunter told the commission
there was money provided in the
1979 budget for a compact
pickup for the fire department,
and that after checking with
local dealers, he believed the best
thing to do was to go with the
state bid which would cost the
city less.
be improved if McNair were were
to quit smoking and engage in an
exercise program.
The doctor recommended
that McNair be engaged in only
light work until the problem was
corrected.
Dr. Louis Roser, who made
the back examination, reported
that McNair had a history of
chronic low back pain, but that
there was no histo[y of serious
back injury.
He said McNair should not
be in a position where he would
have to put sudden stress on his
back or lift more than 30
pounds.
McNair, commenting on the
report, said he had never pulled
a 30-pound person from a car,
they all weighed more than that.
County Commissioner Floyd
Cole, a member of the LEOFF
board, said it appeared to him
the results of the tests were
inconclusive, and that the
conditions could be corrected
with treatment.
The motion to reject the
disability retirement was made
by Michael Longan and seconded
by Bob Finney.
Shelton Mayor James
Lowery, chairman of the LEOFF
board, said it appeared that
McNair should seek additional
information if he intended to
appeal the board's action.
The board also rejected a
verbal request from McNair for
six months disability leave. The
request came after the board had
voted to reject the disability
retirement request.
Finney had been seated as a
member of the board at the start
of the meeting after votes were
counted in a recent election for
a law enforcement representative
to replace Deputy Sheriff Bruce
Sellig who resigned after leaving
the sheriff's office.
Mc¢lanahan considered
installation of streets and all
utilities would be paid for by the
developer. The city, he said,
would have to extend
administrative and technical
services to the area.
state criminal law violations in
the Pierce County racketeering
charges.
Federal charges have been
filed against a number of Pierce
County residents including
The bar association president
heads a committee which has
been asked to select a special
prosecutor.
McClanahan said he told the
bar association president he
would be willing to take on the
responsibility if some
arrangement could be made to
have someone come here to
assist with the work in his office
during the time he was busy in
Pierce County.
The committee, he said, is
Mason County
sheriff's deputies last Wednesday
warrants from
. Canyonvflle, Oregon.
released to
authorities to be
uu
The next step will be for the
developer to submit a petition
for annexation which will be
followed by a meeting of the
review board.
Public Works Manager Dennis
Calvin told the commission the
city crews would be removing
the parking meter heads next
Sheriff George Janovich.
The Pierce County
prosecutor has removed himself
from any association with the
case because of a social
relationship with one of those
charged by federal authorities.
McClanahan said he has been
contacted by telephone
scheduled to meet today to
discuss the special prosecutor
appointment.
McClanahan said this is the
third time he has been contacted
about the appointment.
He said he did not seek the
job, but now that he, is being
considered, he is interested. It
would be a challenge, he said.
This would not be the first
time McClanahan has served as
special prosecutor in another
county. He prosecuted a murder
case in Thurston County about
three years ago after the
Thurston County prosecutor had
disqualified himself because he
had represented the defendant
prior to becoming prosecutor.
Godat stated that the prosecutor to prosecute possible prosecutor.
00t00veral are arrested by officers
t,erry M. Adams, 28, 306 Jeffery J. Pill, 20, Rt. 5, Box Center and on a fraud warrant Box 713, Hoodsport, were
Second, Port Angeles, was 940, Shelton, was arrested about from the Bellingham police arrested by M
,;t.qed by Mason County 1:10 a.m. Wednesday at that department, sheriff's deputies
h"s de uties about 11'50 address on charges of rendering He m being held m Mason night on wa
: lSUnday ". ' criminal assistance in the second County jail without bail. Canyonvflle, Oreg,
:tle was booked into the degree, on escape warrants from A Hoodsport Couple, Margie _ They were
County jail on a parole the King County sheriff's office E. Hayden, 37, and Jerry Oregon au
- " and from Firlands Corrections Hayden, 44, both of Post Office returned there.
IF HuuuuuuuHMuu
residential lots. It would be
served, the commission was told,by extensions of 16th Street and aS special prosecutor
,i THAT FAINT GLOW from the main tent? Why, it's merely the gammas
emanating from the Gosser television set. (And you thought they were Harvard Street.
t. roughing it.) City Commissioner Brad Mason County Prosecuting Wednesday morning by the
Owen asked what cost, if any, Attoruey Byron McClanahan is president of the State Bar
the city would be asked to bear among those being considered Association about the
in the proposed project.
P
P
P
P
[uHummuu'a for a pointment as a special a o i n t m e n t a s s e c i a I