Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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Mason County Hearing Examiner Phil Olbrechts once again heard public comment and asked his own questions about the permit for Taylor Shellfish's proposed floating oyster bag farm in Oakland Bay. The public hearing continued Aug. 16 after a previous public hearing Aug. 9 in the Mason County commissioner chambers that drew a standing-room-only crowd. It began with Taylor Shellfish representative Erin Ewald asking Olbrechts for two weeks to provide written responses to the public comment received...
Inez "Nezzy" Glee (Benson) Jeffers was born on January 19, 1958 to Walter and Pearl Benson, in Seattle, Washington. She passed on July 16, 2023, at home with family and friends around her. She is survived by brother, Walter (Marjorie) Benson and sister Marilyn Kolcz, both parents. She is preceded in death by her brother Jimmy. Nezzy was engaged to Ronald Shipp, who passed away before their son Ron was born in 1979. She married Jeff Jeffers in 1980 and they had two sons, Jake and Aaron. Jeff was... Full story
Lady, my little Wigglebutt, was rescued by her Mom, Theresa Murray, at the Shelton-Mason County Journal, March 24, 2017. She was about 8 years old and had run away from home multiple times (she lived behind the newspaper) before she came to my house as her forever home. She loved walks, treats, her toys, and falling asleep on them, with them in her mouth. She would yap at any passerby, human or animal, and wiggle her little butt in excitement. She lived with her other favorite human, Tosha,... Full story
Leotta FiveThunders, 74, a resident of University Place, passed away August 7, 2023, at Tacoma General Hospital in Tacoma. Arrangements are by McComb & Wagner Family Funeral Home and Crematory. Peter John Gatto, 86, a resident of Elma, WA, passed away August 10, 2023, at home. Arrangements are by Coleman Mortuary in Aberdeen, WA. Joshua Thomas Jutte, 22, (active duty U.S. Navy) a resident of Roseburg, OR, passed away August 12, 2023, in Grapeview, WA. Arrangements are by Forest Funeral Home and Crematory. Sandra Bowen, 68, a resident of Shelton... Full story
The City of Shelton is awash in water matters. At its Aug. 15 meeting, the Shelton City Council gave preliminary approval to a wastewater facility plan and a water plan. The updated plans, required by the state, can receive final approval at the council meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 5. At that meeting, the council will have public hearings on adopting proposed water and sewer rates. Information on the proposed ordinances can be viewed at sheltonwa.gov/UtilityRates. Residents can comment at the...
If you live in the West Mason Fire District, fire chief Matt Welander wants to talk to you. The district’s August EMS levy failed despite getting a simple majority, with 436 votes or 54.5% of the votes voting “yes,” but it needed 60% to pass. The levy measure failed to get a majority with 423 “no” votes for 53.07%. Welander said he was sad to see the results of the election and wants some answers on what he needs to do to get some help from residents. “I’ve obviously not done a good enough job of explaining the realities of the position of t...
The Shelton School Board on Tuesday evening passed a $78.3 million budget for the 2023-24 school year. Instruction is the largest expense in the budget at 57.50%, followed by instructional support at 13.46%, central administration at 6.50%, maintenance and operations at 6.07%, the principal's offices at 5.64%, pupil transportation at 4.52%, food services at 2.80%, utilities and insurance at 2.25%, other services at 1.15% and public activities at 0.11%. That translates to $45,058,755 for instruct...
The Shelton Civic Center will get a facelift. The Shelton City Council on Aug. 15 gave preliminary approval to awarding a $55,357 contract to Rhizor's Painting to prepare and repaint exterior surfaces on the building at 525 West Cota St. The council can make it official with approval at its regular meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 5. Jordanne Krumpols - the city's director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities - told the council the project is budgeted at $90,000. The city received bids from six companies...
A one-scene play It’s late afternoon in a principal’s office at an expensive private middle school. In attendance are the principal, an 11-year-old boy, and the boy’s mother and father. The boy faces possible expulsion for several alleged offenses. PRINCIPAL: Let’s get to it, shall we? We’re all here to figure out what will be most helpful … SON: I didn’t do it! Whatever they say I did, I didn’t do it. They’re liars. You can’t prove I did anything wrong! MOTHER (patting her son’s knee): Now, n...
In our current election system, your signature on your ballot return envelope is of utmost importance. Your signature affirms the declaration printed on the envelope that under penalty of perjury you meet the qualifications to vote and you have not voted in any other jurisdiction in that election. The declaration also informs voters that it is illegal to vote if they are not a United States citizen; are incarcerated for a felony conviction; and that it is illegal to cast a ballot or sign a...
Bay at risk Editor, the Journal, I am a newer resident to Mason County and live nearby Oakland Bay. Part two of the hearing continued this last week and I must say, of all the information Taylor Shellfish Co. has either presented in its application for their proposed 50-acre industrial aquaculture and now production site in Oakland Bay, to me, is shocking in the abundance of misinformation and half-truths, unknowns and incomplete or minimized information. In my opinion, the lack of facts...
After a four-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Mason County Historical Society's annual Cruisin' Through Time Car Show returns from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday on West Railroad Avenue from First to Seventh streets in downtown Shelton. The group Shelton Downtown Merchants is teaming with the nonprofit to host the event. The owners of the vehicles register from 8 to 10 a.m., and the judging begins at 10 a.m. The entry fee is $20. More than 25 awards will be given. The car show has traditionally...
Justice Center design study Mason County commissioners approved a request for qualifications for a community justice center design and development at its Aug. 15 meeting. According to the information packet, the county received $1,030,000 in grant money through the state Department of Commerce to study and design a Community Justice Center composed of a jail, mental health facility, and a substance use disorder facility. The Mason County Sheriff’s Office worked with experts in the county Public Health and Community Services Department to establ...
Central Mason crews douse fire sparked by burning vehicle Central Mason Fire & EMS extinguished a brush fire caused by a burning vehicle Friday on East Royce Road just north of Shelton. According to a news release, the fire was reported at 3:43 p.m. and crews arrived to find two vehicles on fire behind a residence. The fire spread to the surrounding brush and trees. CMFE crews deployed hand lines to attack the vehicle fires to protect nearby structures and upgraded the alarm. Multiple agencies...
Free writing workshop on 'Illness and Expression' Sarah Roth, the current writer-in-residence with the local Hypatia-in-the-Woods, presents a free workshop on life writing from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Sept. 1 at the Shelton Timberland Regional Library. Roth is a writer and doctoral candidate in anthropology at John Hopkins University in Baltimore. She recently completed training as a genetic counselor and is working on an ethnographic project exploring women's narratives of cancer care. Her writing works...
Kids at Hope speaker Thursday at Shelton High Rick Miller, founder of Kids at Hope and a professor at Arizona State University, talks about the power of Hope as a youth and community development strategy from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Shelton High School Performing Arts Center, 3737 N. Shelton Springs Road. Everyone is welcome. According to Southside Superintendent Paul Wieneke, the seven local school districts wrote and received a competitive grant from the state to install Hope Frameworks. According to the organization, “Hope Square i...
The Abbott and Costello comedy routine "Who's On First?," a dramatic telling of the song "You Got Trouble" from "The Music Man" and an original monologue by a local author are among the offerings at the Harstine Island Theatre Club's staging of "The Short Show II" this weekend at the Harstine Island Community Club. Directed by Daniel Frishman, "The Short Show II" is presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday at 3371 E. Harstine Island Road N. Tickets are $5 and are available...
Is 1985’s “Back to the Future” one of the greatest movies ever made? Opinions vary, but science says “yes,” and the city of Shelton agrees, because it’s running the sci-fi classic as the final installment of this summer’s free-admission “Movies in the Park” series, starting between 8:30-8:45 p.m. on Friday, in Kneeland Park. The 1970s and the 1980s produced scores of excellent films, but what the recent passing of William Friedkin, who directed 1971’s “The French Connection” and 1973...
The 25th annual Fuddpuckers Draft softball tournament will be Saturday and Sunday at Callanan Park in Shelton. The tournament, which generally celebrates the end of summer co-ed softball in Shelton, starts at 9 a.m. both days. It will run until 5 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Six teams, each named after tournament sponsors, will battle it out over five games to crown a winner. Seventy-two players will compete this year after being “drafted” this year to complete each team’s roster. Scotti...
North Mason’s wrestling gym was renamed the Amick Wrestling Center at a ceremony Saturday at North Mason High School in Belfair. According to organizer Milo Smith, about 200 people attended the ceremony, including a dozen from the wrestling team’s beginnings in the 1960s. Three of the four state champions under former coach Ed Amick were there, and the fourth had to work but called in to show his support. “I would like to thank the Bulldog boosters for their help with this and Super...
The Port of Grapeview’s Aug. 15 meeting saw commissioners consider renovations and spending, and as the port’s 100th anniversary approaches, celebrations. Port commissioners Jean Farmer and Mike Blaisdell agreed the anniversary in November isn’t the best time to mark the centennial because they prefer an outdoor open house that could take advantage of pleasant weather and draw “big names” to the festivities. Farmer and commissioner Art Whitson agreed such an occasion should also use the marin...
The Port of Dewatto canceled its scheduled Aug. 9 commissioners meeting because a personal emergency arose that would have left the board without a quorum, according to Port Manager Jeana Crosby. The port did have a special meeting Aug. 11, both remotely and in-person at the port office building in Tahuya, to sign vouchers that would allow the port to pay its bills and salaries. However, according to Crosby, the rest of the business that had been scheduled for the port’s August meeting will l...
