Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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Speed dating Editor, the Journal, Thank you, Mason County League of Women Voters for organizing Speed Dating with the Candidates. Candidates moved from table to table with five minutes at each table. Being able to question the candidates directly was invaluable. I learned about the Port of Shelton and how it affects Shelton, I heard about recent issues with curriculum at the school district, and I was able to put a face to candidates. It was a great experience. I was sorry that a significant num...
Editor's note: As a matter of policy, the Journal does not publish original letters regarding candidates in the edition directly preceding an election because it doesn't allow time for a rebuttal or response. A matter of color Editor, the Journal, I read in the Journal where the anti-Taylor Shellfish people are losing the fight against the oyster bags. So, now they are arguing the color now makes a difference. They want the color to be something other than black. I have stayed out of the...
Judges and laws Editor, the Journal, Equity is a biblical principle – fear-mongering is not. "Woe to unjust judges and to those who issue unfair laws, says the Lord, so that there is no justice for the poor ..." – Isaiah 10 I consider it an honor to have witnessed Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown preside in the courtroom, to have listened to her share with children what it means to be a good citizen as they begin the school year, and to have seen her engage with the community. I have attended sev...
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...
Editor's note: The following letter is a rebuttal to a letter in the Sept. 14 edition of the Journal. Fair market value Editor, the Journal, Dear Mr. Ray, This is in response to a letter received from you dated Sept. 11, and I hope this helps you to understand the requirements of the Assessor's Office. I have also included some paperwork that covers these same requirements. From the time of statehood until the 1930s, property tax was the only major tax that supported most state and local...
Experience matters Editor, the Journal, I have seen the process of appointing a judge a few times, but most voters have no idea how a judge is chosen. In the case of Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown, she was chosen two years ago to replace retiring Judge Amber Finlay. Judge Ferguson-Brown was chosen by the Mason County Bar Association, an organization made up of lawyers who practice law in Mason County. MCBA members reviewed applications from four lawyers, including Judge Ferguson-Brown’s opponent. The MCBA membership then recommended Court C...
School support Editor, the Journal, I am writing this letter of support for Keri Davidson to retain her position on the Shelton School District school board. I have had the opportunity to work with Keri on school matters in the past. I have found her to be extremely supportive, kind and passionate about our community and its students' success. Keri will look at issues from many different perspectives, seek advice from others and get stakeholder opinions before making a decision and coming to a...
How trust works Editor, the Journal, Trust. Trust is everywhere in our lives. Look at the trust we have of the stuff we put in our mouths. Toothpaste, mouthwash, licking the glue on the envelope, the food we eat, the drugs (legal and illegal) we take and so on. Even our money says, "In God We Trust." Trust is also like a rubber band; sometimes it stretches. Take a relationship where one person beats the hell out of the other partner and they say, "I am sorry and I won't do it again." Well, "agai...
An excellent judge Editor, the Journal, Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown is running for election to the Superior Court. Over 40 years, I practiced in front of more than 15 local superior court and district court judges, as well as many court commissioners, and have been a commissioner myself in both juvenile court and probate-domestic court. We have been extremely fortunate here because of the really high quality of almost all of these judges. I have spoken at length to Judge Ferguson-Brown, and she...
Boys and girls Editor, the Journal, I am just so dismayed at the Shelton School District latest notification in the Community Link mailing that everyone in Mason County received last week. In the section on gender-inclusive schools, I just can't fathom what these people are thinking. The Shelton School District has acquiesced to the liberal mob logic now affecting and destroying many communities. They have made it a policy now to allow persons of one sex to identify as a person of another sex...
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...
Apparently qualified Editor, the Journal, I have recently read letters in your paper expressing support for our superior court judicial candidate David Stevens. I admit a lack of knowledge on a personal basis for the judicial qualifications of Mr. Stevens, as I also admit a similar lack of my personal knowledge of qualifications for the current serving superior court judge, Cadine Ferguson-Brown. As members of the Mason County electorate, it is difficult for us to obtain adequate personal qualification information for judicial candidates. In...
Editor's note: This letter is in response to a letter from Craig Anderson in the Aug. 3 edition of the Journal. Auditor response Editor, the Journal, Thank you for visiting the Auditor's Office earlier this week. I truly appreciated the opportunity to get to know you and share with you some of the work we've been doing to "shore up" the elections system. As we discussed, state law (RCW 29A.60.170 (3)) requires investigation of any discrepancy found during an audit no later than 48 hours after el...
Editor’s note: David Stevens is a candidate for Mason County Superior Court judge. The Journal does not allow original letters from candidates for public office during election season. This letter is being allowed because it’s a direct rebuttal to several previous letters to the editor. Legal experience Editor, the Journal, No judge is an expert on every area of law. What you look for in a judge is discernment, judgment and experience. Supporters of my opponent have written to the Journal that they believe that I only know criminal law, so the...
Good Samaritans Editor, the Journal, Perhaps the city authorities – particularly those who attend church – could speak to their church pastor asking them to accommodate the homeless just like Jesus said to do. I might surmise that a few church pastors and priests are aware of Shelton’s park “tent city.” I suspect Shelton pastors have sometime in their long list of religious sermons preached about the good Samaritan story where it’s recommended to stop and help a man in trouble when others wouldn’t. Have not these Shelton pastors read the scri...
Journal letters policy regarding election season The Journal does not publish letters to the editor from candidates for public office - including those running unopposed - or their immediate family members, including spouse/partner, parents or children during election season. Election season is defined as from the moment a candidate declares for public office through the conclusion of the fall general election. This includes letters endorsing or opposing candidates in other races and endorsing o...
Pride and pub Editor, the Journal, Cathy Gallagher wrote that she didn’t like City Councilman Jim Boad’s vote on the Pride proclamations so would boycott the Wilde Irish Pub. Her letter had three errors. The first said Jim Boad voted against the proclamation. There was no vote. Two other board members confirmed this. There was a discussion; Mr. Boad simply stated his opinion. The second error was calling the proclamation “simple.” The last few years Pride parades have become very close to pornographic with children present and aggressive with a...
Defense of 300 words Editor, the Journal, Unlike Scott Peterson and others who are not happy with the 300-word limit, I am. My high school journalist teacher taught, in the mid-1970s, if you could not catch the attention and make your point in the first 50 words you have lost your reader. I appreciate the 300-word limit because it will limit the superfluous comments and name-calling. Writers will have to take a hard look at what they are writing and decide if the insult is worth the loss of...
Real experience Editor, the Journal, Superior Court Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown is being challenged by David Stevens. You should consider each candidates’ work history by reviewing their resumes and applications submitted to the Governor’s Office. Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown is the only candidate with judicial experience – first as Mason County Superior Court commissioner and currently as judge. Her strength in civil and family law, which represents 75% to 80% of Mason County court filings, is an asset to this busy court. She is also exper...
Doing good work Editor, the Journal, Thanks to the volunteers from the Shelton Rotary Club for the condition of the Huff’n’Puff Trail. It is clean, friendly and welcoming and feels safe. Once again, local people here do something very good for the community. If you haven’t been for a while, you will be impressed. We couldn’t understand how it had become so exceptional until we happened to hear about the Rotary members’ work. Also, thanks to the Mount Rose trail crew. For almost 40 years, they have been doing great work on many local trails, s...
Remember the orcas Editor, the Journal, As summer is here again and we are enjoying amazing weather, I want to remind your subscribers about Matt Baide’s article dated Aug. 11, 2022, reporting on killer whales and their visit to Oakland Bay. It was so exciting for my neighbors and I to have witnessed these glorious creatures firsthand; I will never forget it. With that in mind, I need to ask my fellow Mason County neighbors to do all they can to reject Taylor Shellfish’s proposal for a 99-year lease to install a 50-acre commercial aqu...
Verbose condensation Editor, the Journal, I enthusiastically applaud the Journal's new policy regarding letters to the editor. Though some regular contributors' freedom of grievance speech may be restricted by a paragraph or two, I'm serendipitously wishful it may broaden or even enlighten their understanding of the world. It's said brevity is the soul of wit. And wisdom. Craig Anderson, Shelton Who you are Editor, the Journal, A few words about you. You are without an agenda. You are confident...
Wonderful article Editor, the Journal, Wonderful article by Justin Johnson, featuring Erin Ranney, the young wildlife photographer from Mason County. She is certainly becoming an elite member of her profession. Her passion for helping other young women to reach their career goals is outstanding. Tim Sheldon, Potlatch Bathrooms, locker rooms Editor, the Journal, Ms. Holliday asked for definitions of diversity, equity, gender and inclusion. Webster’s New Third International Dictionary defines diversity: being different or having differences. B...
Editor's note: The Journal generally does not publish original letters by candidates for public office during election years, however in the interest of public debate, we're publishing this letter from Superior Court Judge Cadine-Ferguson-Brown to serve as her response to previous letters appearing in the Journal regarding her actions in a case involving a woman accused of shooting her boyfriend in Shelton in February. Judge responds Editor, the Journal, Dear Mason County residents, I am Cadine Ferguson-Brown, one of your Superior Court...
‘Suspect’ responds Editor, the Journal, Since I was one of the subjects of Mr. Graham’s letter of May 11 “The Usual Suspects,” I would like to respond. I’ll try to make my points quickly. As I said in my letter of May 4, I will always defend Mr. Thomas’ right to be heard, just as I said the same for Mr. Graham. Mr. Graham has said that I do not want to discuss or debate issues. Actually I have said before these letters are opinions and discussions of issues. Let’s learn how and why we think th...
