Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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Did one of the country's greatest novelists, John Steinbeck, spend a week in Hoodsport during the 1940s? And did a Hoodsport logger named Ernie Dahman teach the author of "Grapes of Wrath," "Of Mice and Men" and "Cannery Row" how to shoot a gun? The answers to these questions are "holy grails" to Gig Harbor historian Michael Kenneth Hemp, author of "Cannery Row: The History of John Steinbeck's Old Ocean View Avenue and Its Connections to the Pacific Northwest." "That's the crucial part of it...
On Tuesday evening, four members of the Shelton City Council were sworn in for new terms. Eric Onisko and Joe Schmit are beginning their second four-year terms. Onisko ran unopposed as council member No. 4 in the Nov. 2 general election, while Schmit defeated Tyler "Mad Dog" Elliott to return as member No. 6. Onisko owns two local gas stations and serves on the emergency food and shelter committee, the emergency planning committee, and the Mason County Housing and Behavioral Health Advisory...
For more than a week, City of Shelton public works crews worked around the clock de-icing streets, plowing snow and dropping sand to help motorists navigate an extended snap of snow, freezing rain and ice. "They've been grinding it out," Mike Albaugh, the city public works department's maintenance supervisor, said Tuesday. "We've definitely been keeping up to the best of our abilities," he added. The city owns four snowplows, one road grader and one de-icer. Crews of four or five employees...
Parkinson’s support group in Shelton The Parkinson’s Support Group meets from 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Mason County Senior Activities Association Center at 190 W. Sentry Drive in Shelton, behind Gillis Motors. All attendees must be vaccinated and wear a face mask. You do not need to be a member to attend. For more information, call Carroll or Marilyn at 360-462-0230. Blood donations needed at Shelton church The winter weather conditions have caused canceled appointments to donate blood, and Bloodworks Northwest is accepting blood don...
JANUARY Sanderson Field in Shelton is one of six western Washington airports being considered to become a hub for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The state's Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission (CACC) announced on Jan. 15 that Sanderson Field could be selected to help alleviate cargo and passenger traffic at Sea-Tac, the eighth busiest airport in the country with 24 million passengers in 2020. The other five finalists are Bremerton National Airport, Arlington Municipal Airport,...
A mountainous landscape line featuring a single tree received the most votes for the City of Shelton’s new logo, but the Shelton City Council has decided to go back to the drawing board. In online voting on the city’s website from Nov. 3 through Dec. 8, residents preferred the logo to two other choices, one that featured a blue heron, another that showed a two-person handsaw. The poll received 626 responses, said Mary Ricker, the city’s communications and government relations specialist. At a Dec. 14 work session dedicated to the new logo, all...
Skydive Kapowsin soon won't be the only Sanderson Field tenant to enable people to plummet thousands of feet to Earth. The Seattle-based company SQRL has leased land at the Shelton airport, and plans to erect a building in the spring, said Port of Shelton Wendy Smith. The company will manufacture wingsuits, skydiving gear and base-jumping equipment. "We have been part of the Skydive Kapowsin crew for a few years now, since 2013, and that is how we came to know Shelton and the airport," company p...
A majority of teachers in the Pioneer School District have given a vote of "no confidence" to Superintendent Jill Diehl, and have asked her to resign. The Pioneer Education Association submitted the letter to the Pioneer School Board at its Dec. 14 meeting. In the letter, the group states that if Diehl does not resign, the board should ask her to do so. "We all believe these problems directly stem from an inability or unwillingness of the Superintendent to provide effective, competent,...
The Shelton School District plans to begin recruiting employees for the 2022-2023 school year in February, a few months earlier than usual. "We'll know what we're doing early on, and that's going to make such a huge difference, I believe, in the quality of people we'll get," Linda Arnold, the district's executive director of human resources, said at the Shelton School Board's Dec. 14 meeting. Arnold added, "The crux of this (hiring) was happening during the summer, and it stymied us, because by...
Among the Mason County school bus drivers, James L. McCallister was known as a joker and prankster who was great with kids and took new drivers under his wing. COVID claimed the life of the 58-year-old Elma resident on Dec. 4, leaving a hole at the Mason County Transportation Cooperative bus barn across the street from Shelton High School. On Friday, the bus drivers paid tribute to their fallen co-worker with a parade of buses that filed past the schools in the Shelton School District....
Nonprofits can apply for vans Nonprofit organizations can apply for a Mason Transit Authority grant for two used 12-passenger vans. Jan. 10 is the deadline to apply for the grant. The grant application, selection criteria and other information is at www.masontransit.org/vangrantprogram. Both vans are 2006 Ford Econolines with about 94,000 miles, automatic transmissions and no wheelchair lifts. The Van Grant program awards surplus transit vans to help solve transportation issues and benefit Mason County residents. The application process is...
City of Shelton residents can prepare to say goodbye to monthly visits from water meter readers. The city is in the process of exchanging aging Sensus brass water meters, which are read manually monthly by city employees, for new Sensus Imperl meters with radio antennas that transmit water use information to city staff as they drive by. The city last summer approved the purchase of the new water meters and transmitters, and the purchase of new meter boxes and lids this fall. The Shelton City Council on Dec. 7 approved spending $451,815 on...
The recount of two close races in the Nov. 2 general election did not change the results, with Miguel Gutierrez beating George W. Blush by five votes for a seat on the Shelton City Council, and Arla Shephard Bull defeating Michael Curtin for another term on the North Mason School Board. The vote counts remained the same from the most recent results released on Nov. 22, Mason County Auditor Paddy McGuire wrote the Journal in an email Friday morning. Gutierrez received 728 votes for 49.59% and Blush 723 votes for 49.25% in their race for a...
A city hearings examiner is considering Community Lifeline's request to expand the capacity of its downtown Shelton shelter from 35 beds to 50. On Monday evening, city hearings examiner Terrace McCarthy heard testimony from the City of Shelton, Community Lifeline board members and administrators, and neighboring residents about the shelter at 218 N. Third St. The nonprofit is requesting an amendment to an existing conditional use permit to expand its bed capacity. The City of Shelton recommends...
A 20-year addiction to methamphetamine left Jared Lee homeless, sleeping on the streets of Shelton or inside the Community Lifeline shelter. "You're just surviving, making sure your stuff doesn't get stolen, just trying to keep your head above water," the Tacoma native said. One Friday night, Lee received a free dinner at Crazy Love Ministries' weekly meal for people on the streets in the parking lot at Consejo Counseling. That's where he met Wendy Petty, who five years ago founded the group....
Register to receive Toys for Tots gifts Mason County families in need can register until Friday to receive holiday items from Mason County Toys for Tots. Shelton families can register online at http://shelton-wa.toysfortots.org, and click on “Apply Now.” The gifts will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 18 and 19 at the Shelton Church of Nazarene, 1331 E. Shelton Springs Road. This is the first year for distribution in Belfair. Families can register at the same site. The gifts will be distributed from noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 17, and 9 a.m. t...
Repeatedly blasting loud music, continuously revving your engine, or allowing your dog to bark excessively at night could land you a ticket if the City of Shelton passes a new noise ordinance. The Shelton City Council discussed the proposed new ordinance Nov. 23 at a study session. Under the proposal, residents who receive complaints about loud noise between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. would be issued a warning, and if police have to return, a $1,000 fine. The proposed ordinance aims to quiet down “loud music, house parties, those types of things,” sai...
Sally Brownfield and Sally Karr bid farewell to the Shelton School Board after serving for six years. The Nov. 23 regular meeting was the last for the two Sallys. At that meeting, Marilyn Stevenson of the Mason County Auditor's Office swore in new members Marilyn Ward and Matthew Welander, and swore in Marty Best for a new four-year term. The board also elected new officers - Keri Davidson is the new chairwoman, Best the new vice chairman. Brownfield and Karr received praise for their six years...
Tuesday is the deadline to comment on the state's proposed cleanup of the city's former C Street dump. The state Department of Ecology's draft cleanup plan calls for adding a soil cap to the site to cover the landfill waste to prevent contaminants from coming into contact with people and animals. Fencing, a gate and signage would be put in place to warn visitors of the site to the west of downtown Shelton, north of Goldsborough Creek and south of the proposed Shelton Hills development. The cap...
A "reverse" parade, Christmas karaoke, photos with Santa Claus, and performances by the Shel-Town Strummers are among the highlights of the Holiday Magic event staged from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in downtown Shelton. The Kristmas Town Kiwanis Club hosts the event on a stretch of West Railroad Avenue, which will be closed to vehicle traffic. That will allow a "reverse" parade, where the floats and performers are stationary and patrons walk amongst them. Attendees can pose for photos with...
The recount of two close races in the Nov. 2 general election did not change the results, with Miguel Gutierrez beating George W. Blush by five votes for a seat on the Shelton City Council, and Arla Bull Shephard defeating Michael Curtin for another term on the North Mason School Board. The vote counts remained the same from the most recent results released on Nov. 22, Mason County Auditor Paddy McGuire wrote the Journal in an email Friday morning. Gutierrez had 728 votes for 49.59% and Blush 723 votes for 49.25% in their race for a four-year...
A “reverse” parade, Christmas karaoke, photos with Santa Claus, and performances by the Shel-Town Strummers are among the highlights of the Holiday Magic event staged from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 3 and 4 in downtown Shelton. The Kristmas Town Kiwanis Club hosts the event on a stretch of West Railroad Avenue, which will be closed to vehicle traffic. That will allow a “reverse” parade, where the floats and performers are stationary and patrons walk amongst them. “We’re excited to put on an old favorite with a twist,” said Julie Wren, the event organizer...
The City of Shelton is moving forward on plans to transform its eastern Civic Center parking lot, including adding a basketball and pickle ball court, benches, garbage cans and landscaping. At its Nov. 16 meeting, the Shelton City Council voted to extend a contract with Transpo Group to complete the design of the project, on West Cota Street between Fourth and Fifth streets. The city also added another $37,480 to the contract. “Our partners will agree this is a well-loved project and something everyone is looking forward to seeing completed,” s...
The Shelton City Council on Nov. 16 approved a new art exhibit for display from Nov. 30 through Feb. 28 at the Rotating Art Gallery in the Shelton Civic Center. The council followed the recommendation of its Shelton Arts Commission to exhibit wood creations by Steve Charles, acrylics on canvas by Fen Hsu, works in acrylic dustman pour by Heather Rosborough, and photography by Deborah Chava Singer....
On Nov. 30, Shelton High School students eying careers in engineering, electronics and robotics will take their first steps into the campus' new Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology (MET) building. The 3,400-square-foot building, constructed on the site of the former employees' parking lot, was completed in time for the beginning of the second trimester of the school year. "It's exciting to see it finished and the signage going on," said Robert Herron, the district's director of facilities...
