Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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About 12,000 to 13,000 people enjoyed sunny skies, seafood and live music during the 41st OysterFest last weekend at Sanderson Field in Shelton. That's the crowd estimate from the host, Shelton Skookum Rotary Club, which met Monday morning to discuss how it went, said Laurie Brown, the group's public image director. Paid admission was 11,000, with children admitted free Saturday and Sunday, she said. More than 1,200 people were vendors and volunteers, Brown added. More than 420 RV sites were...
Freda A. Rodgers Schnitzer of Shelton, Washington passed away peacefully at the age of 93, on September 24, 2023. Freda was born in Moore, Montana on October 24, 1929, which she is quick to point out was the day the stock market crashed, precipitating the Great Depression. As the youngest of eight children, Freda had happy memories of her early childhood on the Rodgers family ranch. Her parents, Russell and Cora Ellen (Lee) Rodgers homesteaded 160 acres adjacent to the Yogo Sapphire Mine site...
Joseph Castelluccio, Sr., of Olympia, Washington, passed away on September 3rd, 2023. He was 76. Joseph, fondly known as Joe, was born in Genoa, Italy, on April 10th, 1947. He came to the United States at the age of 15; he met Juanita at the age of 19 on October 28th, 1966, while serving in the U.S. Army at Fort Lewis, Washington. Joe and Juanita were married on March 1st, 1969. Joe is survived by his loving wife Juanita and their two children, Joseph Castelluccio, Jr., his wife Jamie...
Clarence "Gene" Eugene Hoosier, 79, passed away September 29, 2023, at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle. He was born November 27, 1943, to Ted and Helen Hoosier in Shelton. Gene married Carolyn Fletcher on November 26, 1960. He worked as an Aerospace Machinist at Certified Aerospace and Olympic Tool in Shelton until he retired in 2006. Gene enjoyed spending time with his family, hunting, fishing, and cars. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Carolyn Hoosier; daughters Connie (Reid) Smith a...
Father Paul Allen Kaech went home to the Lord Jesus unexpectedly, on Monday, October 2, 2023, in his home in Shelton. Born in Chehalis, Washington, on February 8, 1964, to Edward and Louise Kaech, he was the youngest of seven children. Paul grew up in Frances, Washington, and attended Lebam Elementary and Willapa Valley High School in nearby Menlo, Washington. At a young age, Paul would be found playing on the small family farm with cousins, many of whom lived within a five-mile radius. As a...
Judy Fae Hankin October 7, 1947 ~ September 14, 2023 Judy filled many important roles during her life on earth. Judy Hankins was a faithful wife to Dan Hankins for nearly 50 years. They raised three children, and enjoyed many family camping adventures on the Oregon Coast. Judy loved riding her 3-wheeler along the beach, as fast as it would go, and playing follow the leader in the sand dunes. Her Pancakes always tasted better, when made over a camp stove with a little dust and dirt blown into the...
Cheri Marie (Orr) Huck, passed away at the age of 62 in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 24, 2023. Cheri was born on August 26, 1961 and was a loving wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend. She is preceded in death by her father Raymond Orr, and survived by her husband, Hugh (Skip) Huck, her mother Bernice (Bunny) Orr, her children, Christopher Crawford and Melissa (Anthony) Marth, her grandchildren, Eleanor and Lorelei Marth and her brother, Gary (Shannon) Orr. A celebration...
In Loving Memory of Douglas Bianchi It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Douglas James Bianchi, 62, of East Wenatchee. Douglas was a pillar of strength, resilience, and love-whose spirit touched all those fortunate enough to know him. He leaves behind a lasting legacy in the hearts of his beloved family and the countless lives he touched. Douglas was born November 21, 1960, in Burien, WA to Jim Francis Bianchi and Dena Marie Schorno. He grew up in Belfair and attended...
Katherine Lee Gibbeson, 67, a resident of Shelton, passed away October 3, 2023, at Mason General Hospital. Arrangements are by Forest Funeral Home and Crematory. David Craig Moss, 76, a resident of Shelton, passed away October 3, 2023, at Mason General Hospital. Arrangements are by Forest Funeral Home and Crematory. Michael Short, 67, a resident of Allyn, passed away October 4, 2023, at home. Arrangements are by McComb & Wagner Family Funeral Home and Crematory. Navonne Waterhouse, 89, a resident of Shelton, passed away October 4, 2023, at...
The Mason County Assessor’s Office asks residents to report anyone claiming to be assessor “volunteers” after a constituent called about a suspicious encounter that happened Oct. 8. The landowner said someone claimed to be a volunteer with the Assessor’s Office, but refused to answer questions. The man was about 40 years old, slender, about 185 pounds and riding a KTM-like motorcycle, according to the landowner. The Assessor’s Office does not have volunteers and only sends out field appraisers who travel in marked county vehicles and wear visi...
Mason County ballots should begin arriving this week in residents’ mailboxes for the Nov. 7 general election. The ballots were mailed Tuesday. Each voter must sign their own Declaration envelope and then the signature is matched to the signature in the voters’ registration record, Mason County Election Superintendent Marie Stevenson said. If voters do not receive a ballot, they can call the Vote Center at 360-427-9670 ext. 470 to request a replacement. Ballot drop boxes are open until 8 p.m. on Election Day and no postage is required to ret...
Police are still searching for Shelton residents William Williams, 40, and Kennedy Karpf, 24 in connection with the shooting death of Janus Afo on Sept. 28 in downtown Shelton. A 1999 beige Toyota Camry allegedly belonging to the couple was found abandoned at 390 E. Batstone Cutoff Road in Shelton by police after they received an anonymous tip. The car is being processed for evidence. Prosecutors have charged Williams with second-degree murder and felony possession of a firearm. Karpf is charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance....
Known as "King of the High Climbers," Shelton resident Harold "Hap" Johnson was a champion high climber, treetopper, ax thrower, speed climber and all-around logger who performed at three World Fairs and doubled for actor John Wayne in the 1960 movie "North to Alaska." Swante Kyllonen was a lifelong logger who used springboards to top trees. He celebrated by dancing at the top of 200-foot trees until he was 70. Johnson and Kyllonen are two of the four local high climbers showcased in a new art i...
We eventually become what we’ve left behind. I was at a bookstore in downtown Olympia two weeks ago to buy a book for Mrs. Ericson, and I found a paperback copy from one of her favorite authors, “Bel Canto” by Ann Patchett. While standing in the fiction aisle at that bookstore — Last Word Books — I flipped through “Bel Canto” and found a lavender-colored note containing a name and a phone number. I walked the note up to the fellow behind the counter and suggested he keep the note, in the remote...
A failed applicant Editor, the Journal, Dave Stevens asks the people of Mason County to hire him as a judge. Before hiring, potential employers normally establish the job qualifications and review the candidate's application. We know what we need in a judge: stability, community commitment, experience in impartial roles and knowledge of the law. Stevens did complete an application when he unsuccessfully tried to get appointed as a superior court judge in 2022. So, let's review that application...
Dozens of TVs, refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and abandoned cars had either been gunshot, torched or both. This place of destruction was what some locals called "Carnage Canyon," roughly 30 acres off Lefthand Canyon in Boulder County, Colorado. It was a shocking sight, but was it unique? Think about your own nearby public lands. This canyon's history began with mountain biking. Sometime in early 2000, a mountain biker discovered the canyon and developed a trail through it. Then, more...
Board OKs money for Coroner’s Office Mason County commissioners approved $10,640.64 for the purchase of a new body lift, storage rack and walk-in cooler storage boards for the Mason County Coroner. County inmates to be housed at Nisqually center Mason County commissioners approved a jail services agreement at Tuesday’s meeting that will pay $130 per inmate per day to house inmates of Mason County in the Nisqually Detention and Corrections Center operated by the Nisqually tribe. Chief Deputy of Corrections Kevin Hanson said jail staffing “ha...
League schedules speed dating event for candidates The League of Women Voters of Mason County hosts “Speed Dating with the Candidates” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the PUD3 meeting room at 2621 E. Johns Prairie Road, Shelton. Candidates for Mason County Superior Court judge, Shelton School Board and Shelton City Council have been invited to participate. At this event, the public sits at tables around the room and the candidates rotate from table to table to answer questions directly from the voters. Contact [email protected] for more inf...
Shelton School District seeks Instructional Materials Committee members The Shelton School District is looking for parents and guardians, staff and residents to be on its new Instructional Materials Committee. The IMC monitors the evaluation and recommendation of instructional materials for adoption by the Shelton School Board. The IMC’s role is to review the recommendations of adoption committees and educational staff and ensure that recommended materials conform to applicable state and federal laws; goals and/or learning standards of the d...
In March 1985, the Journal published a special supplement celebrating Shelton's centennial. Several residents with deep roots in the community were asked to contribute their memories of the town's earlier years. The following was written by Ken Fredson. Ken's great-grandfather had come to the Oregon Territory in the late 1840s; his father was born in Oakland in 1888. (Oakland was the first town on Oakland Bay, established in about 1854 and eventually abandoned after Shelton began to take shape a...
Holiday bazaar Nov. 4 in Allyn St. Hugh Episcopal Church hosts its annual Holiday Bazaar from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 4 at 280 E. Wheelwright in Allyn. The offerings include colorful driftwood, seashell art, seasonal arrangements, soup mixes, handmade items and baked goods. The silent auction items include a Trader Joe’s Italian dinner basket, a Seattle Seahawks basket and a karaoke machine. Coffee, cider and freshly baked scones are available. Last year’s proceeds from the sale, and the church’s July patio and bake sale, generated more than...
Halloween in Mason County begins this weekend. Simpson Railroad hosts its Halloween Event starting this weekend at the former Simpson sorting yard 10 miles west of downtown Shelton at 10138 W. Shelton Matlock Road. Climb aboard the Pumpkin Pickers Special between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, or 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 21 and 22. Ride the rails though the sorting yard and visit the haunted coach. Children can enjoy activities at the destination and pick a pumpkin at the patch. Tickets...
Between the Oct. 5 premieres of the second seasons of "Loki" on Disney+ and "Quantum Leap" on Peacock, plus the Oct. 6 premiere of "Totally Killer" on Amazon Prime Video, it was a banner weekend for time-travel capers on streaming media. Before you dive into "Loki" Season 2, it's best to refresh yourself on Season 1, in which the Norse god Thor's trickster brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) - or rather, an alternate timeline variant of Loki who didn't die fighting Thanos - was recruited by the...
Shelton earned its first league win of the season 20-6 against Centralia on Friday night at Jack Stark Field in Shelton. "I think we battled," said head coach Mark Smith. "I don't think we played the cleanest game. We left some points on the field. We were down inside the 10-yard line a couple times and couldn't get it in, missed a field goal, missed an extra point so there's some points there we had an opportunity for. To Centralia's credit, they didn't let us have them. They played hard. They...