Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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The Hood Canal Lions Club returns to Hunter Farms to sell curly fries and hamburgers every weekend in October. This is the nonprofit group’s only fundraiser. The proceeds are used to fund sight and vision assistance, scholarships, a food bank, Mason County Forest festival, backpacks for kids and more. The offerings at Hunter Farms in October include a pumpkin patch, corn maze and hayrides....
Mason County boosts a stunning array of outdoor recreation offerings. But what's there to do when the days get colder, wetter and darker? Ashley and Travis Kemp created a new opportunity for indoor all-ages fun last week when they opened Royalty Billiards at 22090 U.S. Highway 101 in Potlatch, just north of the Mason PUD 1 headquarters. "We understand the locals and they are bored," Travis said. "We wanted a place where people can do things on a rainy day," Ashley said. The couple had been...
Don’t expect any skyscrapers sprouting soon in downtown Shelton, but four-and five-story buildings might arise in the near future. The Shelton City Council on Sept. 3 gave preliminary approval to eliminating building height limits in almost all zones in hopes of encouraging affordable and multifamily housing and other development. No one spoke at the public hearing on the proposal. The council can make the move official with a vote at its meeting at 6 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Shelton Civic Center. If it passes, applicable building codes will still r...
The Shelton City Council on Sept. 3 gave preliminary approval to accepting a $200,000 grant from the state Department of Commerce for construction and design on the city's 2.5-mile crosstown trail. At the same meeting, the council gave preliminary approval to accepting a $275,000 grant from the state Department of Transportation for construction design for phase 2 of the project, from Kneeland Park to the Oakland Bay Marina. Both measures can pass with a vote by the council at its meeting at 6...
The City of Shelton's wastewater treatment plant and water reclamation plant both received the Outstanding Performance Award for 2023 from the state Department of Ecology. The awards were presented to staff members Sept. 3 at the Shelton City Council meeting. A DOE representative told the council the award goes "to plants that have basically had a perfect year, that being there were no violations or anything like that on their permit." Brent Armstrong, the superintendent of public works,...
Projected enrollment and school year operating budget Shelton School District — 4,200 students, $81.8 million North Mason — 2,357 students, $44.5 million Southside — 200 students, $4.5 million Pioneer — 714 students, $16 million Mary M. Knight — 170 students, $19 million (includes Washington Connections Academy) Grapeview — 200 students, $4.2 million Hood Canal — 320 students, $8.4 million Dramatically increasing costs in insurance, special education and supplies created budget challenges for the seven school districts in Mason County. The S...
The Shelton City Council on Tuesday evening gave preliminary approval to shopping cart ordinances designed to help prevent their theft and abandonment on streets, in the woods and in ravines. The council can make the new laws official with a vote at its Sept. 17 meeting. The laws would go in effect Jan. 1. An estimated 300 shopping carts are stolen from Shelton stores each year. No one spoke Tuesday at the public hearing on the proposal. The proposed requirements would not apply to any business...
Sharon Johnston remembers playing in the field at her grandparents' Peste Farm in Shelton before the U.S. government in 1941 exercised eminent domain and acquired the property for use by the U.S. Navy, which planned to build a Naval Air Station on the property and adjoining land. Now 86, Johnston on Aug. 19 stood on the property for the dedication of a plaque and two benches that celebrates it as the former site of the G. Peste Farm, established in 1909. In February 2023, the Port of Shelton...
The City of Shelton is working to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety at some of the city's most dangerous crossings. At its Aug. 20 meeting, the Shelton City Council gave preliminary approval to accepting a federal grant of almost $1.3 million for the design and construction of four Systemic Pedestrian Improvement Projects. The council can make the move official at its meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Shelton Civic Center. If passed, the grant will be used at four intersections. At the...
James Dale, the executive pastor at Shelton First Baptist Church, is the newest member of the Shelton School Board. On Tuesday evening, the Shelton School Board appointed Dale to represent District 1 on the five-member board during its regular meeting in the Mountain View Elementary School cafeteria. He replaces Karla Knudsen-Johnston, who announced her resignation at the June 25 board meeting. Dale's appointment extends to the November 2025 election, when the position will appear on the ballot...
The railroad tracks from the former Simpson Lumber Co.'s yard in Dayton and its mill on the Shelton waterfront used to rumble with activity. Simpson is gone and the rails are no longer used, except by the Vance Creek Railriders in the woods west of Shelton. Blackberry bushes, shrubs and small trees are sprouting through the tracks. At its Aug. 20 regular meeting, the Shelton City Council gave preliminary approval to accepting a $679,000 grant to remove the rails from three crossings. The...
Market on the Hill Saturdays in Hoodsport St. Germain Episcopal Church hosts its Market on the Hill from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 14 and 28 at 600 Lake Cushman Road, Hoodsport. Learn about meteorites at mineral meeting The Shelton Rock and Mineral Society sponsors Tom Prang’s talk about meteorites at its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Friday at Shelton Christian Church, 115 Arcadia Road. Prang will talk about the origins, composition and identification of meteorites and where they might be found in Washington. If you have what you believe is a m...
An estimated 300 shopping carts are stolen from Shelton stores each year, and the city is considering adopting laws governing them. The members of the Shelton City Council and city staff have devoted two work sessions, on June 11 and Aug. 13, to talking about adopting shopping cart ordinances designed to help prevent their theft. At the Aug. 13 session, they discussed a proposed ordinance to introduce at the council’s regular meeting Sept. 3. Mayor Eric Onisko said he hand-delivered copies of the proposed shopping cart ordinances to the m...
Aug. 30 used to be a depressing date for Shelton resident Jamie Ellertsen. That's the birthday of her brother, who overdosed on drugs and died at age 21. Then Ellertsen, who overcame her own drug addictions, discovered eight years ago that Aug. 31 was International Overdose Awareness Day. She messaged Abe Gardner, another recovered addict, about staging an event in Shelton. "I didn't think anyone would show up," Ellertsen said in an interview with the Journal. About 25 to 30 people did show up a...
Council OKs license plate cameras at city entrances The Shelton City Council on Tuesday evening gave final approval to contracting with Flock Safety to install 12 cameras at city entrances that read vehicle license plates and within 20 seconds alert Shelton Police of stolen plates or cars, missing persons or abducted children. The council gave the measure preliminary approval at its Aug. 6 meeting. A two-year subscription to Flock Safety will cost the city $40,800 the first year, $36,000 the second. The first year’s cost includes startup f...
Youth open mic night at Kneeland Park in Shelton The Shelton Youth Connection hosts Youth Open Mic night from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Kneeland Park in Shelton. People ages 12-24 are invited to perform music, stand-up comedy or poetry. The event also features yard and field games and snacks are available. Admission to the event is free. Visit www.sheltonyouthconnection.org for more information. Learn about meteorites at mineral meeting The Shelton Rock and Mineral Society sponsors Tom Prang’s talk about meteorites at its regular meeting at 7 p...
WWU honors Shelton High grad Shelton High School graduate Kimy Peterson was named an Outstanding Graduate Student at Western Washington University for 2024. The honor is awarded to one student in each graduate program or department, the university stated in a news release. The students are selected based on their leadership skills and the outstanding work done during their graduate studies. Petersen earned a master of science degree in experimental psychology. Her work “Epistemology of Ignorance and the Invisibility of Indigenous Peoples” was...
Marmo Gallery in downtown Shelton is asking people of all ages to create and submit a 4-by-6-inch postcard capturing something special about Shelton for an exhibit called "Community Correspondence." The postcard exhibit will be displayed at the gallery in September and October. The deadline is Sept. 6 to submit your postcard to the gallery at 217 West Cota St. Gallery owner Isa Radojcic, who curates the shows at her business, said she's seen other cities sponsor postcard creation contests to...
Allyn native C.J. Allen's quest for an Olympic medal in the 400-meter hurdles came up a fraction of a second short, but he hasn't ruled out a run for the 2028 games. On Aug. 7, Allen finished fourth in his heat in the semifinals of the 400-meter hurdles at the Olympic Games in Paris with a time of 48.44. He failed to advance to the finals two days later. The North Mason High School graduate returned home to Atlanta Aug. 12. He talked to the Journal about his experience at the games and what...
Arriving at work one Monday morning, Kathleen Blanchette found remnants of a fire at the front door of Forest Funeral Home on West Railroad Avenue in downtown Shelton. "I have installed outdoor cameras at my business at the advice of the police," Blanchette told the Shelton City Council at its Aug. 6 meeting. "I have also put in extra lighting, but I still have human feces, both front and back at different times, in the built-in planters out front. There has been soiled men's underwear, there...
State Sen. Drew MacEwen, R-Shelton, will face Democrat Emily Randall in the Nov. 5 general election in their bid to replace Derek Kilmer as the District 6 represenative in Congress. If MacEwen wins, the Republican Party will choose someone to complete his term in the state Senate. MacEwen spent a decade in the state House before being elected to the Senate in 2023. The 35th District includes all of Mason County and parts of Thurston and Kitsap counties. In the most recent ballot count released...
Forty-three years ago, the City of Shelton was ordered to develop a plan to clean up its toxic former C Street dump. That plan was finally executed last year at the 17-acre landfill west of downtown Shelton and U.S. Highway 101 and north of Miles Sand and Gravel. Now the city is dealing with the post cleanup and monitoring. At its Aug. 6 regular meeting, the Shelton City Council gave preliminary approval to adding $147,219 to its contract with Aspect Consulting and extending the monitoring...
Music from land and sea at Hoodstock An eclectic lineup of rock, country and funk bands can be enjoyed from land or sea at the seventh annual Hoodstock Music and Arts Festival staged today through Saturday at the Union Marina and a new venue, Robin Hood Village Resort in Union. For ticket information, go to www.hoodstock.org. Tickets can also be booked aboard the Lady Alderbrook. Concertgoers can park at the New Community Church at 951 E. Dalby Road and the Mason County Fire station 6 at 50 E....
The success of the inaugural Shelton Art Walk on July 27 might help the city secure state money to establish a Downtown Shelton Creative District. The event hosted by the City of Shelton, the Creative District Committee and the Shelton Downtown Merchants featured more than 80 local vendors and artists on West Cota Street. About 20 businesses exhibited works by artists. The city spruced up the street by painting new angle-in parking spaces and adding streetlights and 18-inch planter boxes with tr...
Allyn native C.J. Allen on Wednesday finished fourth in his heat in the semifinals of the 400-meter hurdles at the Olympic Games in Paris, and was 0.15 seconds off the pace of qualifying for the medal round. The 2013 North Mason High School graduate had a time of 48.44. He advanced to Wednesday’s heat by placing second with a time of 48.64 on Monday. The finals are Friday. The former Washington State University track star, now a 29-year-old Atlanta resident, qualified for the Olympics on June 30 by placing second in the 400-meter hurdles w...
