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 Friday morning, Pioneer Elementary first-graders planted pea seeds in the garden behind their school. Their classmates followed suit in the following days, the second-graders feeling the soil on their fingers while planting kale. Third-graders planted spinach and the fourth-graders lettuce. They will water, weed, harvest and eat the produce in the garden created and coordinated by the Harstine Island Garden Club. Along the way, the students will get exercise, create art in the space, and...
State Route 3 runs through Belfair and is the main artery connecting north Mason County communities. In Belfair, the intersection of Route 3 and Ridgepoint Boulevard has become a contentious topic of conversation between residents and the state. The intersection is the only entrance to the new Olympic Ridge and Olympic View developments, up the hill from the post office, McDonald’s and NAPA Auto Parts, among other businesses. Department of Transportation spokesperson Doug Adamson said about 17,000 vehicles per day use both directions of Route 3...
Five years after receiving state money, ground is finally set to be broken this summer for a village for homeless veterans in Shelton. The Shelton Veteran's Village will feature seven four-plexes, two duplexes and a community center on a triangle of land leased from the City of Shelton on North 13th Street in the Mountain View area, near Olympic College Shelton. Homeless veterans from Shelton and Mason County will be given preference in housing. Construction is expected to be completed in April...
Four receive parks advisory board terms The Shelton City Council on March 1 appointed four people to its Parks and Recreation Committee, two of them continuing their service and two new to the group. Debra Dozier and Sue Patterson will continue with new four-year terms. Melissa Stearns and Mel Schneider applied for the remaining openings. Stearns will serve a four-year term, and Schneider will fulfill the term vacated by Chris Wright through the end of this year. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the city...
Was it Bruce Jenner or Caitlyn Jenner who won the decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics? You can’t really be a lifelong resident of a place until you die there. Here’s a trait of some recently retired workers: They take the long route to rooms in their homes because it buys them some time before they have to figure out what to do next. It might be better to have pretension than hypertension. When did the phrase a “results-oriented person” become a workplace cliche? We overhear and we oversee...
The nature of racism Editor, the Journal, I was raised in the South by a single working mom, and much like Mr. Poirson’s story in his letter of March 3, was influenced at an early age by the admirable personal characteristics of our caregiver/maid. It is always rewarding to read letters to the Journal that express opinions and personal views that are free from the sneers and name-calling that fuel running feuds. Poirson may want to have some longer conversations with his experts on racial conflict because it is doubtful they accuse him that ...
The "Savannah hypothesis" holds that human evolution started in the woods but moved to meadows and grasslands. It's been used to explain everything from our stress levels to humans' love affair with the lawn. Permaculture values the diverse edges of habitats: where grassland meets forest, for example. In that interzone, flora and fauna from both mingle, enjoying the dynamics of changing exposure to wind, sun and rain. We may not think of our forested biome as home to meadowlands, but Port...
Commissioners sign SR3 Freight Corridor funding letter County commissioners signed a letter to the legislative transportation committees regarding the state Route 3 Freight Corridor. According to the information packet, the letter is addressed to Sen. Marko Lias, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, Sen. Curtis King, ranking member of the Senate Transportation Committee, Rep. Jake Fey, chair of the House Transportation Committee and Rep. Andrew Barkis, ranking member of the House Transportation Committee. The letter supports an...
The Mason County Sheriff's Office breakfast featured retired Brig. Gen. Stan Flemming as the guest speaker Feb. 25 at Little Creek Casino Resort. The Shelton NJROTC program presented the colors before Flemming took the podium. Fleming, who received his doctorate in osteopathic medicine and is board certified in family medicine and a retired officer in the Army and Army Reserve, talked about senior mental health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Flemming is a University Place city councilor and...
Pioneer Schools seek old photos of school buildings Pioneer School District seeks old photos of the schools – and former schools such as Grant, Oakland Bay and Harstine Island — and the community in general so they can be posted March 19 at the annual school board retreat in the school’s commons. The photos can be dropped off March 18 to Lynn Chakos in the district office. The name of the photo’s owner and a phone number should be on the back of the photo so they can be returned. The school board is hosting a special meeting and executi...
Gov. Jay Inslee announced the state mask mandate will end Saturday. Inslee announced the new end date Feb. 28 after receiving new guidance from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and continued decreases in hospitalization rates in the state. Masks won’t be required in schools, child care sites, libraries, restaurants, bars, houses of worship, gyms, recreation centers, indoor athletic areas, grocery stores, businesses and retail establishments. Masks will still be required in health care and medical facilities, long-term care s...
Mason County Superior Court penalized Fire District 6 $94,300 on Monday for violating the state’s Public Records Act. Judge Amber Finlay reviewed the courts findings, saying this was “a challenging case for a variety of factors.” Finlay said the court is concerned because the court found negligence due to altering records. Finlay said agencies need to be transparent. The penalty of $94,300 comes from the tax base multiplied by $50. Jeffrey Brittig was the plaintiff in the case against Mason County Fire District 6 and filed his lawsuit again...
State Route 302 near Victor closed until further notice Heavy rainfall triggered roadway settlement and sloughing, causing state Route 302 to close east of Victor in Mason County. According to a state Department of Transportation news release, An 80-foot section of highway settled more than 6 inches and WSDOT is in the process of identifying what work is needed to reopen the highway. Only local traffic is allowed from milepost 1 in Mason County to milepost 7.5 in Pierce County. People who usually use state Route 302 will need to use a 22-mile d...
MacEwen introduces bill to divest public funds from Russia Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, has introduced a bill that would require state agencies in the state to cancel outstanding contracts with Russian companies. Because the legislative session is slated to end March 10, the bill is unlikely to be heard this session. According to a news release from House Republicans, MacEwen co-introduced the bill with Rep. Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn. It would require the state investment board to divest from its pension and other investments Russian companies....
Since September 2016, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson has been working toward implementing gun changes that would prevent acts like the Mukilteo mass shooting July 30, 2016. Now, a ban on high-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds is on its way to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk for his approval. If signed by the governor, the bill would go into effect July 1. It makes manufacturing, importing, distributing and selling large-capacity magazines a gross misdemeanor. “Today is the fulfillment of years of hard work from so many,” Fergu...
In the early 1990s, when I lived in an apartment on Olympia's west side, I loved looking west to the southern peaks of the Olympics. You had a great view of them from Budd Inlet over the marina when walking along East Bay Drive. The Olympics felt immense, yet very close, making sense of the "gateway" term often used to describe Thurston County. Indeed, a few more years in the Olympia-Lacey area provided all the priming I needed to get me ready to leave the crowds and hustle off the Interstate 5...
With 2022's "The Batman," writer-director Matt Reeves has achieved something unusual within the broad field of big-screen adaptations of DC Comics' Dark Knight. In a story that spans Oct. 31 through Nov. 6, we're introduced to Bruce Wayne during his early days of leading a dual life, but it's not an origin story. We don't see his parents getting shot, and both the Batcave and Batman's tools have already been built. It's two years into Bruce's crusade, and he's questioning how much good he's...
The Belfair sewer public hearing March 1 went into more detail about how the project will affect Belfair residents. County Administrator Mark Neary highlighted the ways the county can pay for sewer debt. Neary talked about the rural county public facilities 0.09% sales tax, which is used for overall economic development. He also talked about the Real Estate Excise Tax, specifically the first quarter percent, which is 0.25% upon all real estate sales within unincorporated areas of the count. The...
Mary has been writing about this large plot of land that she and Sam were purchasing and I wonder if this is the Theler wetlands? As time has gone on in this diary, one can see how the Thelers became prosperous. They had rentals, the mercantile store with a gas station, tavern and did a lot of property development. I think they worked hard to get to this place in their lives. Laws and taxes were quite different. Remember when Sam and his help dug the holes for the gas station’s fuel tanks and i...
As the North Mason Regional Fire Authority's headquarters building at Fire Station 21 nears completion, the district aims to make it a place where they can get business done while also providing a place the public can enjoy. The fire district is seeking proposals for public art to be displayed inside the under-construction new headquarters at 490 NE Old Belfair Highway. According to North Mason RFA Fire Chief Beau Bakken, the goals of this project are to increase the community's interest in...
The HUB Center for Seniors in Belfair on Friday hosted a fundraiser for Belfair resident Cindy Signal, who lost her home in a fire in January and is staying at a motel. The spaghetti dinner and silent auction and other donations totalled $2,900. To make a donation, call the HUB at 360-275-0535....
