Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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On Tuesday evening, the Shelton School Board voted to reduce the number of classified and nonrepresented employees to help erase a $2.3 million budget deficit. In a 4-1 vote, the board authorized Superintendent Wyeth Jessee to prepare a plan to reduce employees to save the district about $750,000 this school year. Becky Cronquist cast the dissenting vote. In the resolution, the district states it doesn’t yet know how many vacancies will be created by retirements, resignations, leaves and discharges. The number of available certified positions f...
Three reappointed to advisory boards The Shelton City Council on Jan. 7 gave preliminary approval to reappointing three residents to two city advisory groups. The appointments can be made official with a vote by the council at its meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Shelton Civic Center. The city filled one of three openings on the Shelton Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. Kathy McDowell, a former member of the Shelton City Commission and the Shelton City Council, was fulfilling a partial...
The Shelton City Council on Jan. 7 gave preliminary agreement to a revised agreement with the WSU Cooperative Extension of Mason County on its Catalyst Garden. No one from the public or council commented on the proposal. The council can make the move official at its meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Shelton Civic Center. In its report, the city states that the revised agreement "is to clearly state the responsibilities of both parties regarding use of the property and operations." The proposed agreement would stay in effect "until terminated by...
League plans discussion on multimember districts The League of Women Voters of Mason County host a discussion on multimember electoral districts and how they work from noon to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Olympic College Shelton library meeting room at 937 Alpine Way, Shelton. The group’s business meeting will be conducted from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Everyone is welcome. Multimember districts elect multiple representatives — usually three, five or seven — instead of one. The group states that this approach is at the heart of redistricting refor...
Learn about Hood Canal school levies Members of the Hood Canal School Board will talk about the district’s two levy measures on the Feb. 11 ballot and answer questions from 5:30-7 p.m. Friday at Potlatch Brewery in Hoodsport. One proposal is a six-year capital levy to pay for infrastructure and technology upgrades that would include replacing an aging transportation center and creating spaces for art, music and pre-kindergarten. The other is a four-year replacement Educational Programs levy to sustain programs and services the district calls c...
A novelist who uses tarot readings to unlock creative blocks in writers and a musician/musical historian who specializes in the life of folksinger Woody Guthrie stage free events this month. Harstine Island Inquiring Minds presents musician and historian Joel Underwood and part two of “That Ribbon Highway: Woody Guthrie in the Pacific Northwest” at 2 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Harstine Island Community Hall, 3371 E. Harstine Island Road North. The event is hosted by the Harstine Island Community Club and Humanities Washington. Admission is free and...
Last Thursday morning, toddlers and their parents and guardians enjoyed music, movement and art during Toddler Storytime at the Shelton Timberland Library. An hour later, they were invited to head downstairs to twirl in colorful lights during the Cosmic Library event. Forty-five minutes later, Storytime for Grownups was underway, and 15 minutes after that, the Teen Art Club gathered. Then came the canines for Dog Tales, read to them by children. "We have 92 events for the month," said Erin...
Put out trees for recycling Shelton Public Works crew on Monday will begin picking up Christmas trees for recycling. Trees must be at the curb by 8 a.m. Trees should be clear of all decorations, including stands, lights, ornaments and tinsel. City crews will collect trees within the Shelton city limits only. Crews run the recycled trees through a chipper to create mulch. Collecting the trees usually takes the crews a couple of days to complete, so if your tree is still at the curb at the end of the day on Monday, leave it and crews will pick...
The sign on the door states "Park your broom and come on in." Debuting in late October, Raven's Charm Metaphysical Supplies on Johns Prairie Road offers tarot cards, books on spirituality and healing, oils, candles, fragrances, crystals, incense, sage and more. The store has a healing space, and another for tarot readings. A room behind the counter will be converted for classroom space. The building is the former home of Floyd's Cannabis, which moved next door and is now known as Sasha's...
What was it like attending the tiny rural schools of yesteryear in Mason County? An upcoming exhibit at the Mason County Historical Society Museum in downtown Shelton will shine some light on that experience. The staff is working on the exhibit, which will probably open at the end of February, said Liz Arbaugh, the museum's director. "We're focusing on schools because in early Mason County they were really the community centers," Arbaugh said. She added, "We can tell a lot about the families...
Hoodsport author Rebecca Holbrook will read from her novels "Omie's Well" and "The Deer Stone" from 4 to 5:45 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Shelton Timberland Library, 710 W. Alder St. Admission is free. Holbrook is also a singer and banjo player and will perform music references in her novels. Holbrook grew up in the American South, where her maternal line went back to some of the earliest settlers around Savannah, Georgia. Stories from her ancestors, passed down through the generations, inspired the...
The City of Shelton's wastewater treatment plant lost power during a major storm Dec. 18, which led to contaminants seeping into Hammersley Inlet and closing some shellfish growing areas. "The issue that occurred at the wastewater treatment plant (WTTP) was that an internal transfer switch did not engage our backup source (generator) when the power went out during the storm," Aaron Nix, the city's assistant public works director, wrote to the Journal on Monday. "The power was out at the main...
Auditions Sunday for Neil Simon play The Harstine Island Theatre Club hosts auditions for its spring production of “Rose and Walsh” by Neil Simon at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Harstine Island Community Hall, 3371 E. Harstine Island Road N. This is the last play written by Simon, whose many hits include “The Odd Couple,” “The Sunshine Boys,” “Barefoot in the Park,” “Lost in Yonkers” and “Biloxi Blues.” “Rose and Walsh” follows two great literary figures and the depth and consequences of their enduring love. Rose, a celebrated but near pennile...
Writer/artist/dancer Kathryn Frey will read, and maybe sing, from her work in progress of lyrical poetry about "friendship, love, grief, death, moss and stones" at 4 p.m. Friday at the Shelton Timberland Library, 710 W. Alder St. The resident of Portland, Oregon, is working on the piece as an artist in residence at Hypatia-in-the-Woods in Shelton. In Portland, Frey guides one-on-one embodiment sessions, weekly yoga classes, monthly workshops and seasonal retreats. In a news release, Frey states...
In 1980, Karen Everett was a substitute teacher at Pioneer School when her husband died, leaving her to raise their two children ages 3 and 9. Pioneer students conducted a food drive for Everett for the three and staff gave her money to help her through the tough times. "I'm sure it changed us forever," Everett said. "Pioneer School became like a family." She added, "It was unheard of to have so much generosity shown to someone who wasn't really a full staff member." Everett became a full-time...
Simpson Lumber rail crossings last year were removed on Cota Street, 10th Street and Railroad Avenues in downtown Shelton in preparation for a 2.5-mile crosstown trail, and railroad tracks, ties and switches will be removed next year. But that doesn't mean every remnant of the historic line will disappear, Capital Projects Manager Aaron Nix told the Shelton City Council at a study session Dec. 10 on capital projects. "One of the things we are going to do is the remaining rail components - there...
By a 4-3 vote, the Shelton City Council on Tuesday evening rejected passing a sales tax increase of 0.01% on taxable goods in the city, designed to collect about $310,000 per year to help house the homeless and provide them services. Mayor Eric Onisko and council members Tom Gilmore and Miguel Guttierez voted for the tax. Deputy Mayor Sharon Schirman and council members Melissa Stearns, Lyndsey Sapp and George Blush voted against it. Eleven residents stepped up to the microphone during the public hearing — six of them said they favored the t...
The Shelton City Council on Tuesday evening gave preliminary agreement to extend MACECOM's lease through 2025 at the Shelton Civic Center. The council can make the move official with a vote at its Jan. 7 meeting. The agency that operates as a 911 center would rent a 2,472-square-foot space. In the new proposed agreement, MACECOM would pay $1,085 per month for rent and $3,936 per month for other expenses such as utilities, building maintenance, custodial services, supplies and communications. The...
Connection Street Theatre stages a play based on the movie "A Christmas Story" at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Faith Lutheran Church, 1212 Connection St. in Shelton. Admission is $10 at the door. The doors open 30 minutes before the show. Set in the 1940s and based on a book by Jean Shephard - who also narrated the movie - the story chronicles young Ralphie's attempts to convince his parents, teacher and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun really is the perfect Christmas...
The Bluegrass Regulators, Faddis & Adkins, The Dirty Birds and Runaway Train will perform at the ninth annual Midwinter Bluegrass Celebration starting at 6 p.m. Dec. 28 at the Shelton School District Performing Arts Center at Shelton High School. Kristmas Town Kiwanis sponsors the concert. Admission is $20, with kids younger than 15 admitted for free. Donations will be accepted for refreshments. Tickets are available at BluegrassFromTheForest.com and at the door. The event raises money for the...
Regular attendees of Shelton's Holiday Magic Christmas Parade know there's a big chance they will be standing in freezing rain. That was not the case Saturday on West Railroad Avenue in downtown Shelton. The skies were clear for the event hosted by Kristmas Town Kiwanis and Peninsula Credit Union. "I've been joking with club members that I've never had my prayers answered by the weather gods," Kiwanis member Julie Rowan, co-chair of Holiday Magic, said with a laugh. "It was beautiful." The...
The Shelton School District is facing a $2.3-million budget deficit. “Our picture has shifted to a negative fund balance,” Clinton Sherman, the district’s new executive director of financial services, told the Shelton School Board on Tuesday evening at its regular meeting at Mountain View Elementary School. Sherman replaced Brenda Trogstad, who also served as assistant superintendent and is retiring effective Dec. 31. The district’s 2024-25 budget had a beginning fund balance of $1 million. The district is now projected to end the school year w...
The Hood Canal School District has placed two levies on the Feb. 11 special election ballot. One proposal is a six-year capital levy to pay for infrastructure and technology upgrades that would include replacing an aging transportation center and creating spaces for art, music and pre-kindergarten. The other is a four-year replacement Educational Programs and Operations levy to sustain programs and services the district calls critical. The Hood Canal School District serves about 330 students in...
Students at Shelton, Cedar and CHOICE high schools who graduate in 2025 or 2026 are eligible for free tuition for up to four years at The Evergreen State College. Those students are also eligible for additional money for housing, books and living expenses. They’ll receive support and advising beginning in high school and lasting through the completion of a degree. On Nov. 26, the Shelton School Board heard a presentation on the “Evergreen’s Shelton Promises” program by Chelsea Brady, the district’s director curriculum & instruction grades 7-12,...
