Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 191
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...
North Mason School Board members marked the deaths of two people before recognizing the civil service of two others during their May 19 meeting. District 4 Director John Campbell moved to amend the meeting’s agenda to discuss sending the board’s condolences to the family of Shelton-Mason County Journal columnist Mark Woytowich, who died May 6. Campbell described Woytowich as an environmentalist, activist and “very good friend” of the North Mason School District who helped make the communi...
Erik Youngberg, the new director of District 1 on the North Mason School District Board of Directors, assumed another role during the board’s May 19 when District 3 Director Laura Boad nominated him to be the board’s Washington Interscholastic Activities Association representative for the 2022-23 school year. Youngberg accepted the position. District 5 Director Arla Shephard Bull said the WIAA is “the organization governing athletics, interscholastic activity and competitions in Washi...
After many delays, Mason Transit Authority’s Belfair Park & Ride officially opened May 23 on Northeast Log Yard Road. “I’ve been hearing from a couple of drivers that have been up here that they’re really enjoying having a space to work out of and happy to have a permanent place to be for their breaks and rest breaks up in the north county area,” MTA General Manager Amy Asher told the Herald. “Our park and ride’s getting used. We have a lot of the folks from the worker-driver program parki...
North Mason School District Transportation Director Maurine Simons shared with the school board May 19 details about the return of the “Fill the Bus” event, scheduled to take place Aug. 20 at the QFC parking lot in Belfair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. “QFC does a great job of putting together packages that have the school supplies all together, right near the front,” Simons said. “The bus drivers will be out there. It’s all volunteer time.” She added, “We’ll have our little ‘Buster Bus’ out there for...
The Port of Dewatto has been ensuring it maintains enough money in the bank to address expenses. During the port’s April 13 meeting, campground coordinator Joe Newman reported the campground’s initial turnout numbered “just a few” campers, although he said a camping group reserved quite a few more slots by mid-April. Newman said about 25 volunteers helped out at the campground for its cleanup March 26, and with a few more hours during that week, he was able to get the rest of the leaves and bru...
Hawkins Middle School eighth-graders Bradley Williams, Dylan Prideaux, Sophia Mairs, Owen Oblizalo and Yariel Barajas presented their "Project Citizen" to the North Mason School Board on May 19. Williams described Project Citizen as teaching students to work with government to create public policies to help solve community problems. "Our class voted from a long list of problems," Williams said. "The majority picked school shootings, so we came up with policies to prepare for and prevent these...
The North Mason School District selected Erik Youngberg on May 10 to fill the District 1 School Board position left vacant by Art Wightman, whose resignation was accepted at the board's March 24 meeting. In his letter to the board, Youngberg described himself as a fifth-generation resident of Mason County who wants to make a difference in the community by doing what he can to ensure future residents "continue to have a great school system." Youngberg said he learned to cope with childhood...
When the Port of Allyn followed up on Sweetwater Park during the port commissioners' May 2 meeting, Port Executive Director Lary Coppola said Kathleen Barrantes, the grant writer the Salmon Center hired, had come up with a plan for a series of grants from various agencies to fund the project. "Because of the delays in moving this project forward, the cost has more than doubled, which is why a professional grant writer was brought in," Coppola said. He added that the local arborist, qualified und...
The Port of Allyn reviewed several technical matters during the port commissioners’ May 2 meeting. Port Executive Director Lary Coppola said he sent a letter to Mason County commissioners to say the port was reducing its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy request for its water system project from $500,000 to $100,000. “However, there is a new set of hoops we have to jump through for the federal government, and we are just now navigating that maze,” Coppola said. “We should have the bid...
North Mason School District Superintendent Dana Rosenbach spoke out at the school board’s April 21 meeting about how the decade-old McCleary v. Washington decision has affected funding for smaller school districts. Rosenbach criticized the effect of “regionalization” on the legal funding mechanisms for school salaries and compensation. “A group will present the 2023 Legislature with a report on how it’s working, with some recommendations for adjustments,” Rosenbach said. “The committee is...
Mendy Harlow, executive director of the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, provided an update to the Mason County commissioners on the Sweetwater Creek Waterwheel Park project at the April 18 commissioner briefing. The park is planned for the Schindelheim property, which is south of Belfair Elementary School off state Route 3 and across from the Early Childhood Learning Center. The plan for the park is to have a freshwater fishing pond, public restroom, picnic shelter and a natural play area...
7 p.m. on May 13 marks the first of North Mason High School’s six presentations of its spring musical production “The Addams Family,” which NMHS Drama Club Adviser Hilary Gennaro noted is long overdue. “We were set to produce this two years ago, right before COVID hit,” Gennaro said. “It’s been a long and winding road to get to this point. Some of the same students who were cast two years ago as sophomores now have the chance to play these characters as seniors, right before they graduate.” “The Addams Family” was a production Gennaro...
Port of Grapeview officials received a monthly update last month on the work of the Case Inlet Fishery Task Force from task force facilitator Brad Pomroy. The task force is supported by the Grapeview and Allyn ports, with Grapeview Commissioner Art Whitson and Allyn Commissioner Ted Jackson representing their ports. Pomroy said the task force has spent the better part of the past year getting up to speed on salmon matters in Case Inlet and working to understand who stakeholders are. Pomroy cited...
The Port of Grapeview agreed to put property up for sale for a minimum price of $100,000 after a public hearing at the port’s March 15 meeting didn’t draw any negative reactions. The 1.74-acre parcel designated as 12108-21-90041 is zoned commercial residential and sits on Grapeview Loop Road on the corner of Okonek Road. It was previously part of the port’s industrial development district before the port commissioners unanimously voted to remove it from the district March 15. The removal of property from the industrial district required commi...
The Port of Dewatto closed out its regular meetings for the winter with an update from port campground coordinator Joe Newman, who said he visited the campground several times during the winter to clean up debris. Newman told port commissioners Feb. 9 that a "large amount of debris" remains scattered through the campground and predicted it would take "quite some time" to get it removed. Newman pledged to do as much cleaning as he could before the March 26 cleanup of the campground. The...
Port of Allyn commissioners initially agreed last month that they were ready to move forward with a comprehensive scheme update before two of the three commissioners reacted favorably to a suggestion on how to solicit more public comment before taking action. But in spite of posting the community survey for its comprehensive scheme update on its website and Facebook page, plus adding links to it on every Facebook group covering Mason County and contacting local media, Port Executive Director Lary Coppola said only “a small number” of sur...
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...
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....
Port of Allyn Executive Director Lary Coppola presented updates on the port's finances, a community survey, the well project and the status of the Oyster House. Coppola said Feb. 7 that the port received its staging area expense reimbursements from the state Recreation and Conservation Office, but only the construction cost portion, which was slightly more than $41,000. "We have not yet gotten the amount we spent for staff payroll, which is approximately $9,000," Coppola said. "They seem to...
The North Mason School Board hosted a public hearing Feb. 17 to discuss the proposed transfer of surplus Theler Wetlands property to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Board member Leanna Krotzer read an opening statement for the public hearing, stating that any land transfer, the district will retain the right to use the classroom space and use the exhibit center for school-related purposes. It would also be subject to the public's continued use of the trails and property. There was no...
