Week of November 21, 2024
Week of November 21, 2024
The Journal encourages Announcements and News Releases of local, timely interest to our readers. Local photo submissions are also welcome. Include information on the who, what, when, where, why and how of your news lead. Deadline is each Monday by 5 PM. All submissions should include the sender's name, address and daytime phone number which will be used for verification purposes only. Submissions are subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. To submit your Announcement or News Release: • Email [email protected] (preferred)...
A Belfair man suspected of DUI died in a head-on collision Thursday night, according to the Washington State Patrol. Juan F. Lopez Bautista, 41, was northbound in a Toyota Corolla on state Route 3 around 9:30 p.m. when he veered into the southbound lane just past East Island View Road. Bautista struck Port Orchard resident Tarah Yeary, 36, who was driving a GMC Yukon. The Corolla came to rest on its top on the northbound shoulder while the Yukon blocked the southbound lane. Bautista was deceased at the scene and his passenger, Felipe Mateo...
A man who allegedly thought aliens were attacking him was arrested for vandalizing the Mason County Sheriff's Office in downtown Shelton on Nov. 14, according to court documents. A deputy driving by the office around 6:45 p.m. saw Alexander Ivory, 21, inside the parking lot by the automatic gate, the MCSO probable cause document states. "As I pulled into the lot, I could hear Alexander yelling, followed by a throwing motion towards the records office window. I immediately heard the crash of...
A man shot in the head near the Belfair QFC around 2:30 a.m. Friday survived his injuries and was treated and released from the hospital the same day, Mason County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Matt Colbenson told the Journal in an email. Police arrested the suspect in Silverdale Monday, according to MCSO. “On Monday the 18th, MCSO detectives located the suspect vehicle in Silverdale and requested assistance from Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) detectives and patrol units. The suspect was observed leaving a local business and entering...
Mayor earns leadership certification Shelton Mayor Eric Onisko recently earned an Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities. The program recognizes city and town elected officials for accomplishing training in five core areas: roles, responsibilities and legal requirements; public sector resource management; community planning and development; effective local leadership; and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. "Being a city leader in...
Since being approved by Shelton voters in 2016, sales tax for the city's Transportation Benefit District has collected $5 million dedicated for transportation maintenance projects. The sales tax increase of 0.2% for 10 years has funded 10.2 miles of paving and chip sealing. Along with state and federal money, the TBD money has also helped pay for ambitious capital projects such as the Safe to Schools traffic improvements in front of Evergreen Elementary School and Shelton High School, and the...
In 1932, Norman Westfall, acting as publisher, editor and chief printer, established a newspaper he called The Hood Canal Courier in Hoodsport. The weekly paper offered local residents the opportunity to keep up with "who, what, where, when, and how" along the canal. In 1986, the Shelton-Mason County Journal interviewed Ralph Smith, who had gone to work at the Courier after graduating from college. As with all small papers at the time, the type for the paper was all set by hand. Smith related...
The Shelton City Council on Tuesday evening approved a budget of $46.1 million for 2025 at its regular meeting. No one from the public commented on the budget. The council gave preliminary approval to it at its Nov. 5 meeting. Mike Githens, the city’s director of financial services, told the council of changes to the general fund from the preliminary budget. In an email to the Journal, Githens explained the city increased the revenue by $150,000 and increased expenditures $212,500 for a net increase over the first budget hearing of $62,500....
A boil water advisory for the Grapeview School District, issued Nov. 8 due to E. coli, is still in effect, according to the state Department of Health. Pumps recently installed in a well that supplies water for the school may have allowed the contamination, Superintendent Gerald Grubbs told the Herald in an email. Students are receiving sack lunches from the kitchen until the advisory is lifted, he said. The school’s kitchen has been closed by Mason County Public Health due to the advisory, Environmental Health Manager Ian Tracy told the...
Port of Allyn commissioners are taking a “time out” on signing a water connection agreement with MTT Construction, Commissioner John Sheridan said at Monday’s special meeting to discuss the contract. “We are not going to make any decisions today” Commissioner Judy Scott said. MTT plans on buying lots in the Allyn plat from Batjack Holdings, J & J Development and Cedarland Homes, all governed by Joseph Cedarland, according to state corporate filings. Cedarland called the contract “burdensome” at the meeting. “There’s no way...
Improved student attendance, fewer expulsions and suspensions, improved English language arts test scores, and heightened critical thinking and analytical writing skills are among the goals of two schools in the Shelton School District. Each of the eight schools in the district annually produce improvement plans. On Nov. 12, the Shelton School Board heard the plans from Oakland Bay Junior High School and Olympic Middle School for the 2024-25 school year. Oakland Bay Junior High School Principal Maryann Marshall presented the improvement plan...
Heartwarming play staged on Harstine The Harstine Island Theatre Club stages the dramedy "The Curious Savage" at 7 tonight and Friday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Harstine Island Community Hall, 3371 E. Harstine Island Road N. Admission is free, with donations accepted. To get to the hall, take a left off the Harstine Island bridge and drive about 3 miles. Marmo Cafe & Gallery hosts poet Poet Nina Burokas reads her work from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Marmo Cafe & Gallery, 217 W. Cota...
What is a weed? Plants such as dandelion, horsetail, cat’s ear, fireweed, Scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry all come to mind. Some of these, like dandelion, horsetail, cat’s ear and fireweed, are just “a plant out of place.” They are growing where we don’t want them, but they often aren’t causing harm. Some of the others listed, however, are plants that Washington has deemed noxious weeds because they are invasive, nonnative plants that threaten agricultural crops, local...
Free online workshops to prepare preschoolers The Shelton School District is offering free online workshops to the parents and caregivers of preschoolers to help prepare them for kindergarten. The workshops are open to parents and caregivers in the Shelton School District of children ages birth to 5 years old. The format is online and self-paced — you can pause any time. Each workshop lasts about an hour. After registering, an email will arrive with approval to begin. Participants who complete the workshop can receive a free tool kit while...
Shelton bowling The Shelton High School girls bowling team won its season opener Nov. 14, defeating Rochester 1,679 to 1,648 at Westside Lanes in Olympia — the Highclimbers’ home alley. Shelton and Rochester split the opening two regular games, and the Climbers won the second baker game to pull away for the win. Alivia Holte led the team with a high game of 210 and averaged 166.5 for the night. Kai Aronson was second, averaging 163.5. “The team is already showing amazing depth with a number of first- time bowlers,” Shelton coach...
The Shelton-Mason County Journal encourages original letters to the editor of local interest. Diverse and varied opinions are welcome. We will not publish letters that are deemed libelous or scurrilous in nature. We reserve the right to reject any letter for any reason. When submitting a letter, please observe the following guidelines: Writers are limited to one original letter plus one rebuttal or counter-rebuttal per calendar month; Letters should be no more than 300 words; Letters will be edited for grammar, spelling, style, clarity and...
Tempers flared last week, as Democrats sought to cast blame for the Republican landslide — I was particularly galled when a friend laid the blame on, “newspapers who are too chicken to …” Hold it right there. Losing my cool was a regular occurrence 30 years ago, but it takes a lot to get my Irish at age 64. Journalists, particularly the people in the newspaper business, are the most courageous people I know. Yes, soldiers and cops are brave but in my industry we don’t carry guns, at least not yet. When I started in this business,...
An election idea Editor, the Journal, In this election, as Journal reporter Gordon Weeks pointed out, Mason County voted solidly Republican, with all local partisan races being won by Republicans. However, the vote itself was not as one-sided as it might appear. Historically, Mason County has been roughly divided, with 45% of voters identifying as Democrat and 55% as Republican. This means Republicans hold just over half of the votes, but under our current system, the majority - about 55% - also holds 100% of the representation. This is a...
“Boy, those French: they have a different word for everything!” — Steve Martin ■■■ What do you get when you cross a polar bear with a seal? A polar bear. ■■■ “When I was a kid, I got no respect. I had no friends. I remember the seesaw. I had to keep runnin’ from one end to the other.” — Rodney Dangerfield ■■■ One winter day in northern Minnesota, Ole asked Lena to walk across the lake and get him some cigarettes from the store. Lena said, “OK, give me some...
The Union-based Great Bend Chorale and an orchestra perform George Frideric Handel's classic oratorio "Messiah" at 7 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Sunday at Shelton United Methodist Church, 1900 King St. General admission is $24, $20 for seniors and military. The "Messiah" oratorio is the best-known work of the Baroque composer, born in Halle, Germany, in 1685. Handel wrote operas, oratorios and instrumentals. His best-known works include "Water Music" (1717) and "Music for the Royal Fireworks...
This review is going to cost me some fans, I suspect. Robert Zemeckis' "Here," based on the 2014 graphic novel by Richard McGuire, succeeds at doing what it seems like Zemeckis wanted to do with this movie adaptation. But that doesn't make "Here" a good movie, even if it is a visually impressive one. It brings me no joy to write this. Once upon a time, Bob Zemeckis was a wide-eyed wunderkind in the mold of his mentor, Steven Spielberg. "Back to the Future" practically imprinted itself on my...
William W. McDonald, 90, a resident of Shelton, passed away November 13, 2024, at home, with Hospice and his wife by his side, Arrangements by Harrison Family Mortuary in Aberdeen, WA. Juan Lopez Bautista, 35, a resident of Belfair, passed away November 14, 2024 in Grapeview. Arrangements are by Forest Funeral Home and Crematory. Jana Justice, 49, a resident of Shelton, passed away November 14, 2024, at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, WA. Arrangements are by McComb & Wagner Family Funeral Home and Crematory. Patricia Starks, 87, a...
Lonnie Austin, 69, of Shelton, WA, passed away of cancer on November 13, 2024, born on October 10, 1955 in Shelton, WA. He was a devoted husband to Jan Austin of 49 years and a loving father to Kevin Austin and Stacie Hutchinson. Lonnie was a hard-working and dedicated husband, father and employee. He spent 32 years working at the Washington Department of Corrections and 11 years at Simpson Timber Company. Though Lonnie may not have liked being the center of attention, he deserves to be honored...
Barbara Martin, resident of Glendale, Arizona passed away peacefully November 11, 2024. Barbara was born February 4th 1930 in the Philippines to Frank and Roxie Howard. She spent most of her childhood in Oregon graduating high school from Grants Pass, Oregon. She then graduated from the University of Oregon earning a teaching degree. She began her teaching career at Yelm High School from 1964 to 1966. After obtaining her Masters Degree in Counseling, she worked at Shelton High School as a...
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