Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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The Port of Allyn will be posting applications on its website for the District 2 Commissioner position, current commissioners said at the Feb. 5 meeting. The post is open after Commissioner Ted Jackson’s sudden resignation Jan. 19. Jim Freeman, a prospective candidate, introduced himself at the meeting and said he “wanted to give back to the community.” Freeman grew up in Port Orchard and currently lives in LakeLand Village. He’s spent most of his career in the waterworks industry and works at the Belfair water district. “There’s certainly b...
StreamTeam is looking for Hood Canal-area interns to help with a variety of research projects that help protect wild salmon and restore their habitat. The organization is part of the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group and based at the Pacific Northwest Salmon Center in Belfair. Interns can expect to hike in rugged areas, perform wading surveys, drive on remote logging roads (with company vehicles) and perform basic data entry using MS Excel and MS Word, according to the job description. Interns will gain skills in field work and research that...
In 2022, fire killed 81 civilians in Washington, according to the most recent figures from the state Fire Marshal’s Office. More than 30,733 fire incidents resulting in $330 million in property damage happened that year. Most of these events are preventable, state officials say, by taking steps such as installing multiple smoke detectors, having fire extinguishers handy and having an escape route. Rural Mason County residents may face additional challenges with fires, including increased response times, limited driveway access and lack of a...
North Mason School Board members met the Sasquatch on Jan. 22. James A. Taylor High School's new mascot made its debut at the monthly board meeting. "I think it looks strong right before it gets scary," District 2 Director Leanna Krotzer said. The logo features a stern bigfoot face popping out of evergreen trees and holding "JTHS" with its claws. Superintendent Dana Rosenbach said staff used artificial intelligence to design the logo so that it's "totally original" and students approved it. "I...
Port of Allyn commissioners were expected to vote on a proposed change to the gazebo rental policy at the Jan. 10 meeting that happened after the Herald went to press. Patty Noel, who was appointed interim executive assistant at the Jan. 1 meeting, proposed changing the current rental schedule that's set at 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., to a minimum four-hour rental with an additional hourly charge after four hours. "Right now, the gazebo is only able to be rented twice in one day," Noe...
Master Beekeeper Debra Langley-Boyer, a North Mason resident, has filed a claim with the county for reimbursement for the loss of her bees due to herbicide spraying. Langley-Boyer is asking for $4,035.48 and provided the county with an itemized list for the deaths of her bees in 2020 and 2023, including $800 for the loss of queens, $483 for honey lost and “unrecoverable” for native bee loss. “This is the second time (May 2023) Mason County has killed my honeybees and native bees due to spraying herbicides along the Tee Lake county road. The h...
Port of Allyn commissioners observed a moment of silence at the regular meeting Jan. 1 for interim Executive Director LeAnn Dennis, age 55, who died Christmas Day. “LeAnn will be greatly missed. She left a big hole,” Commissioner Judy Scott said. Scott read a statement from Dennis’ daughter, Alena Dennis, at the meeting. “Anyone who ever met LeAnn would tell you that their lives changed forever after knowing her. She made everything brighter and gave her whole heart to anyone who showed her kindness and love. Her commitment to caring for her...
Taelor Schooler, a 2023 graduate of North Mason High School in Belfair, completed 13 weeks of recruit trailing at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Schooler was assigned squad leader duties and meritoriously promoted to private first class. Schooler graduated from 3rd Training Batallion, Lima Company, Platoon No. 3249. Schooler, whose father, Josh, is a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, will be on active duty. Her grandfathers were also veterans, one serving in the Navy and another in the...
JANUARY The state Department of Transportation in early January used a blog post to update North Mason on the state Route 3 freight corridor project, pushing back the expected construction year to 2026 instead of 2024 as it had been projected. According to the blog post, the Move Ahead Washington funding package included two more roundabouts for the project, which are located at the intersection or state Route 3 and state Route 302 near North Mason High School. The connections of the roundabouts will allow new local roads to be built by Mason...
The North Mason School Board unanimously voted for Nicholas Thomas to replace retiring District 4 Director John Campbell at a special meeting Dec. 14. During his interview for the position, Thomas said “being a dad” is one of his reasons for applying for the position. He said he really wanted to get involved. “I can only do so much as a Pee Wee football coach,” he said. Thomas has lived in the area for 20 years and works in instructional design for the Navy as a civilian. He told the board he can help improve communication with communi...
If you're thinking about owning honeybees, Belfair & Beyond Beekeepers group says answer this question: Why? Do you want honey? Do you want beeswax? "What do you actually want to do?" Debra Langley-Boyer, president of the group, asked workshop participants at the North Mason Timberland Library Dec. 9. Secretary Brian Stefanko jumped in with his answer. "I keep bees because they're awesome!" Most people keep bees for honey, Langley-Boyer said, but before you decide, get to know the bees....
The Port of Allyn was set to vote on the final draft of a purchase and sale agreement for the Allyn Carey water system at a Wednesday special meeting occurring after the Herald’s deadline. Commissioners called a special meeting Nov. 27 to hammer out details of the proposed contract with Jeff Carey’s attorney and the port’s legal team. The port is hoping to use grant money to acquire Carey’s system, including the well and surrounding lots. “A number of moving parts remain,” said port attorney Peter Fraley, of Ogden Murphy Wallace. The propert...
Nine St. Bernard-mix dogs found with their owner, who had been dead in his home for almost two weeks, have been rescued by the Humane Society of Mason County and Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County. All of the dogs are receiving care at area shelters. HSMC Executive Director Katherine Johnson told the Herald her group worked with local emergency responders to get the dogs, who are between 5-10 years old, safely out of the home. "Our team worked diligently on the ground, providing all...
Tahuya and North Belfair residents suffered phone and internet outages Tuesday, after thieves removed copper wiring in the area, according to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. Two pedestals and one vault were broken into about one-fourth mile north of Dewatto Hills Road, Deputy Matt Colbenson told the Herald. The theft caused about $25,000 worth of damage to the phone lines according to the phone company, Colbenson said. Budget update at tonight’s school board meeting The North Mason School Board meets at 6:30 tonight in the board room of the...
Between mid-August and mid-October, 3,912 adult chum salmon returned to spawn on the Union River in Belfair. That's the count at the adult fish trap operated by the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group in Belfair on state Route 300. That's the fourth highest total counted in years when the fish were not supplemented on the river, said Josh O'Hara, the salmon and steelhead biologist for the group. "It was definitely a good year," he said. The annual counts have been conducted since 2000. The highe...
The HUB Center in Belfair hosts its fourth annual Haunted HUB Drive Thru starting at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at 111 N.E. Old Belfair Highway. The event is billed as kid friendly. Family fun packs will be handed to patrons in the first 150 vehicles that complete the drive, which will feature strange and spooky characters. Admission is the suggested donation of $5. The HUB (which stands for Hospitality, Unity and Belonging) is also seeking businesses, organizations and families who love Halloween to...
LeAnn Dennis will act as Port of Allyn interim director until a new executive director can be hired to replace Lary Coppola, who died Sept. 30. The Port board voted unanimously to appoint Dennis at an Oct. 9 special meeting. Coppola was the executive director of the port since 2015. Coppola died only a few weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, according to a statement by the Washington Public Ports Association. “Anyone who met Lary could see he was an honest and genuine person and a true professional, not to mention an avid s...
North Mason High School counselor Kim Walters shared information on the new YouScience program with the school board at the district school board meeting Sept. 21. North Mason High School will be implementing YouScience in order to support each student in completing their "High School and Beyond" plan. Hawkins Middle School will implement the first phases of YouScience for exploration beginning in the seventh grade. Walters said students would be tasked with completing the following courses in...
Sept. 13 marked the date when the Port of Dewatto’s remaining two commissioners were able to conduct their first regularly scheduled meeting since July 12. Port of Dewatto Manager Jeana Crosby told the Herald the port has found a “person of interest” to fill the port’s District 2 commissioner position, which was left vacant by the death of commissioner Ray Mow on April 8. Crosby said the potential commissioner has not been sworn in, but she did say Sept. 15 she expects that Wilson Sapp, a lieut...
Port of Grapeview Commissioner Art Whitson said several matters worthy of public interest were raised at the port’s special meeting Aug. 22. Under the port’s maintenance plan, landscaping, irrigation and septic systems were addressed, its trees have been trimmed, and its restrooms and gutters have been cleaned, although replacing the women’s restroom toilet requires some work. Whitson praised AAA Septic in Shelton, which had to deal with hundreds of pounds of invasive roots infiltrating the p...
The Port of Allyn’s special meeting Aug. 24 saw port officials and port district residents comment on the port’s comprehensive plan for harbor improvements, with Port Commissioner Ted Jackson suggesting that broadband expansion be added to the community survey regarding the plan. Jackson recommended a specific grant writer for his fellow commissioners to meet, and Port Executive Director Lary Coppola agreed a lot of unclaimed grant money is available that could help the port’s work on its infra...
Ralph Pulsifer came to art relatively late in life, in the wake of surgery three years ago that left him with a lot of time on his hands. "My children have always been artists, so it was also a way to connect with them," said Pulsifer, a Shelton resident and member of the Skokomish Indian Tribe. Indeed, Pulsifer credits "plenty of coaching from my kids" with helping him develop as an artist, along with what he referred to as "the University of YouTube." Pulsifer renders his pictures in a...
Port of Grapeview Commissioner Art Whitson has found several outlets at the port for his talents — particularly in the field of environmental issues — over the course of his decades spent working in commercial and government sectors. So it’s not surprising the port will be sending him to a statewide discussion of environmental concerns with fellow Washington port officials. On Sept. 21-22, Whitson will join the Washington Public Ports Association’s 2023 environmental seminar in Ruston, just no...
