Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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Hoodstock cofounders Kelli Kohout and Shannon Crabb-Stanton are thrilled to take stock of the fifth year of the program they kicked off, which returned to Hood Canal in Union on Aug. 20. They agreed this year’s event exceeded their expectations. Kohout and Crabb-Stanton said support from concert-goers and event sponsors helped make 2022 the “biggest year yet” for Hoodstock. Among this summer’s crop of community partners, the Alderbrook Resort and Spa distinguished themselves, Kohout said, b...
Not many self-storage businesses can celebrate a decade in business with a performance by a two-time Grammy nominee, but Belfair Self-Storage plans to. Manager Barbara Treick invites the public to the 10-year anniversary of the business on Sept. 21 at 23270 NE state Route 3. Vince Redhouse, Native American Music Award winner and National Jazz Hero recipient, will perform at 1 p.m., with appetizers and beverages available, followed by a presentation at 1:30 p.m. and a prize drawing at 2 p.m....
I entered into the first two episodes of Amazon Prime Video's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" with considerably mixed feelings, and in spite of finding myself impressed by a lot of what I saw, I'm approaching the rest of the season with mixed feelings still. Thanks to the subsequent significant stumbles of the "Star Wars" film series, Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy seems even more flawless now than when it was first released, but Jackson's "Hobbit" trilogy was an...
The Port of Grapeview is set to convene a special meeting Sept. 13 to address its redistricting, which is required every 10 years for federal, state and many local government agencies. The purpose of redistricting the port is to balance the populations in each of its three districts to ensure equitable representation. Port Commissioner Mike Blaisdell, who’s leading the current redistricting effort, pointed out that since the 2010 census, the port district’s population has increased by 302 residents. Blaisdell cited “tremendous support” from Ma...
While the Grapeview School District has hired a handful of new folks and moved some familiar faces into new roles, even its biggest changes in the coming school year aim to keep the district on an even keel. Kurt Hilyard is no longer superintendent, but his replacement, Gerry Grubbs, is no stranger to Grapeview. Grubbs interned under Hilyard for the past two years as part of the Washington State University superintendent certification program. "I'd already known and admired Kurt, so I was happy...
The North Mason School District is helping students and families meet the school year with new events, faces and positions within the district, all of which are intended to foster a sense of belonging between the schools and those they serve. Amanda Marley-Clarke, communications specialist for the district, expressed pride in the district's back-to-school outreach event Aug. 25. The event's goal was to get school registration information, and resources from 17 of the district's community...
'Emily the Criminal' I went to see "Emily the Criminal" expecting a brisk, taut crime caper that would afford one of my favorite comedic actresses a well-deserved showcase to stretch her dramatic muscles, but what I also got was a political Rorschach test whose concerns seem especially relevant in light of debates about student loan debt forgiveness. It's easy to dismiss Aubrey Plaza's Emily as an adult child of squandered opportunities, who dropped out of college after racking up a felony...
Downtown Hoodsport business co-owner Katherine Yackel and the Port of Hoodsport appear to have settled their concerns about the community at the port’s Aug. 17 meeting. Yackel, instructor and operations manager of YSS Dive in Hoodsport, acknowledged using the port’s park without an event form April 30. She said she’d been unaware of such event forms beforehand. “I do apologize for that,” Yackel said. “We did instruct our divers to use the parking lot where we had our tents. We did have one te...
Port of Grapeview commissioners made Mason County’s latest free Wi-Fi hot spot official before following up on diver-safety matters during their Aug. 16 meeting. Art Whitson, District 1 commissioner, said this summer’s Grapeview Water Festival and Art Show saw its vendors exceed online capacity, leading to “a lot of internet drop-outs and frustrated folks,” before they were shifted over to Wi-Fi access on port property. “We already had everything ready to go,” said Jean Farmer, District 3...
This week's reviews are densely packed, including two well-received streaming shows and ... a book of poems? 'She-Hulk' Disney+ continues to expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe through surprisingly societally conscious streaming series. And now that Bruce Banner's cousin, up-and-coming career lawyer Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany from "Orphan Black"), has acquired Hulk powers of her own from accidental exposure to Bruce's gamma-irradiated blood, I look forward to the office sitcom promised...
The Aug. 18 meeting of the North Mason School Board saw Superintendent Dana Rosenbach congratulate Director of Transportation Maurine Simons and her crew for being recognized by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for their annual inspections over the past two years. She also shared details about OSPI’s 2022-23 education requirements and Inclusionary Practices Project. State school chief Chris Reykdal and State Patrol Chief John Batiste cosigned a July 22 letter lauding the N...
The Dewatto yard sale, barbecue and potluck scheduled for Saturday has been canceled because not enough people signed up to participate. During their Aug. 10 meeting, Port of Dewatto commissioners acknowledged the lack of interest in the event, with “only a couple of people” wanting to take part, in spite of the efforts of Port of Dewatto neighbors Rich and Kathy Kroll to stage the gathering. When Kathy Kroll asked port Manager Jeana Crosby what it would take to stage such an event, Crosby tol...
The Haven in Allyn, an assisted living and home-care agency, invites the community to attend Aging Smarter, a presentation from 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 25 that’s designed to help people “prepare for life’s unexpected turns” as they age, according to Debra Jamerson, director of resident care. Jamerson, who’s been the resident care director at the Haven since 2007, said she’s seen an increase in people “who are in crisis” and don’t know where to start when it comes to arranging proper care for their elderly loved ones. “Aging comes with a unique...
The nonprofit organization Friends of Lake Cushman Dog Park is one of 20 finalists for PetSafe "Bark for Your Park" grants of $25,000 each. Four communities will receive one of those grants. Friends of Lake Cushman Dog Park Secretary Bill Long thanked Mason County commissioners and County Parks & Trails Manager John Taylor and staff for their support of the planned dog park, and called upon the Mason County community for assistance. "We desperately need the help of our community to vote for us...
Cofounders Kelli Kohout and Shannon Crabb-Stanton are presenting the fifth year of Hoodstock, which runs from just before 11 a.m. to well after 8 p.m. on Aug. 20 near the Hood Canal Marina in Union. A hallmark of Hoodstock has been its evolution, most notably when COVID prompted the concert to move to the water last year. This year, event sponsor Alderbrook Resort & Spa in Union has contributed the use of the Lady Alderbrook private ship, which has scheduled three sailings for concert...
A common criticism of certain films is that they're "formulaic," which I dislike as a criticism, because it's imprecise. A formula, after all, is simply a set of descriptions and measurements of specific ingredients, illustrating how and when to combine them, in order to achieve the results you're looking for. In that sense, a formula is a rudimentary story, and while it's true certain stories can feel hindered, or perhaps even trapped, by their underlying formulas, it's a mark of a versatile...
Section of SR 302 closure begins today A nine-day closure of a section of state Route 302 at Little Minter Creek is set to begin at 9 p.m. today. Construction crews working for the state Department of Transportation will install two culverts to improve fish migration under the highway. During the round-the-clock closure, detours will be in place. Passenger vehicles should follow a detour between 118th Avenue Northwest and 134th Avenue Northwest. Semitrailers and oversized loads should follow a detour using Routes 302, 3 and 16, which will add...
Quirky comedic New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi has more than earned my love over the years, but after watching "Thor: Love & Thunder," I'm starting to wonder whether someone should be exercising control over his sugar and caffeine intake. Waititi's 2017 "Thor: Ragnarok" elevated the Marvel Cinematic Universe's "Thor" franchise from its competent yet uninspired onscreen origins, in the Norse God of Thunder's previous two MCU films, by abandoning the mock-Shakespearean aspirations for which...
Last year's Allyn Days was reduced to a single day due to COVID-19, but this year will see the full three-day weekend lineup run from Friday through Sunday. Allyn Community Association President Jason Ilarraza said he's thrilled all three Allyn Days will be presented this year, though he acknowledged the event is still recruiting volunteers to conduct some of the event activities. If you're willing to pitch in, call Ronnie Colburn at 360-275-5002. "Our sponsors have been absolutely fantastic,"...
The North Mason School Board heard from Director of Information Technology Clint Forsythe on June 16 about this year’s technology uses and upcoming plans for technology for the district. Forsythe said while the district has gained more computers, it’s created more challenges and complications, especially with the number of aging computers still in use. He said the district has achieved a 1:1 ratio of computers to students across its schools, even though several of them are more than three yea...
As the summer recreation season gets underway, the Port of Hoodsport is ensuring its park facilities are safe for visitors after the damage caused by last winter’s storms. Port of Hoodsport Commissioner Lori Kincannon told the Shelton-Mason County Journal how the port’s 80-acre trail park, which includes the 20-acre Hoodsport Hills Disc Golf course, is awaiting the removal of hazardous damaged trees, along with hundreds of trees that fell during winter storms. “After a forestation plan, and p...
June 30 and July 1 were some rough streaming viewing days for fans as the ninth episodes of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” Season 1 and “Stranger Things” Season 4 bid final farewell to a pair of fan-favorite characters. As much as I miss them both, and as much as I’m trying not to spoil too much of either episode, I feel like other TV shows and movies could glean storytelling lessons from these two characters’ deaths. In two franchises dominated by their fictional histories and recurring c...
The Port of Allyn and Mason County resident Bradley Carey agreed to settle lawsuits June 9 concerning alleged violations of Washington’s Public Records Act, Open Public Meetings Act and related claims, according to port Operations Manager LeAnn Dennis, who released copies of the settlement agreement to the public June 23. According to the settlement, Carey had asserted claims related to the state acts and other statutory claims against the port and individuals. Carey served lawsuits to Port o...
The Port of Dewatto continues to cope with vandalism at its Dewatto River Campground. The most recent incident of vandalism was “the carving of racist comments” on the campground’s trees, the port announced on its Facebook page June 8. The port had already devoted a portion of its commissioners’ May 11 meeting to sorting out the financial effects of an incident of vandalism that had occurred just days before. Dewatto River Campground Coordinator Joe Newman told commissioners that on May 8 someo...
After three years of searching for a suitable location for a dog park, members of the nonprofit organization “Friends of Lake Cushman Dog Park” have found a home. Bill Long, secretary of the organization, pursued options that included a proposed arrangement with the Port of Hoodsport, whose commissioners had spoken favorably of the group and its proposal during their April and May meetings, even though they ultimately declined to take part in a partnership. But it was the group’s discu...
