Letters to the Editor

A Pioneer thanks

Editor, the Journal,

On behalf of the students, staff, board of directors and parents of the Pioneer School District, I would like to thank all of those stakeholders who voted to support our recent levy.

The levy will give our district the necessary funding to continue our work in helping students recover from the delayed learning that occurred during the pandemic. It will also create opportunities for enrichment activities beyond the classroom that will only enhance the educational experience for our students.

Until we receive adequate funding from the Legislature, we will need to also use some of our levy funds to support our students in special education programs. We currently are funded at 13.5%, but 19.4% of our students receive special education services. Our levy funds will offset those costs so we can serve this population of students.

Again, thank you Pioneer supporters for your continued support of our students and our schools. We take our responsibility of educating each and every student at Pioneer seriously and will work to meet all of their academic and emotional needs in a safe and secure environment.

Jeff Davis, Superintendent, Pioneer School District

A good dog treat

Editor, the Journal,

I have to give a huge shoutout to Brent and Sophia whose passion is taking quality care of dogs in their fabulous boarding facility out on Cloquallum Road in Shelton.

Our dog lost her older buddy a few years ago and was having serious separation anxiety; she wasn't the same pup without her pack partner. A friend advised us to get a pair of littermate kittens, so I got two 8-week old kittens. She was a little better and seemed calmer but, it wasn't until we started taking her out to Pyr Hope Farm that she became completely contented.

The other dogs are all harmonious because of the farm's owners, Brent and wife Sophia. Caring for dogs is their passion and what they are doing in their retirement. Once we turn down the road to the Pyr Hope Farm, Alley knows exactly where she's going and her tail can't wag any faster. She's so excited to be with her adopted pack and loves hanging out with Brent and Sophia as well!

If you're a pet owner and need a purposeful and fulfilling place to board your dog, or just take out for a play date, check out their ad in the Shelton-Mason County Journal for more information. 360-482-3225. Your dog/dogs will thank you.

Karen Hranac, Shelton

New baseball rules

Editor, the Journal,

My take on the new baseball rules. In the interest of full disclosure, I used to play a little ball when I was younger (much younger). I'm 90 now.

They have fiddled around and ruined a great game. I don't like any of the rule changes made since I was a kid. I never liked the designated hitter. Who decided that pitchers can't hit? Babe Ruth was a pitcher. How about the kid from Japan playing for the Angels? How stupid is it to start extra innings with a runner on second base? The pitcher coming to bat changes the dynamics of the whole game. What is a manager to do? Let him bat, take him out, have him bunt? Bunt? Oh no, not the dreaded B word. A few good bunters could do away with the infield shift without outlawing it. You wonder why batting averages have dropped. It's because everybody is winging for the fences. The next thing you know they will outlaw spitting and scratching. And, they have overlooked codifying the most obvious rule we had when I was a kid, four foul balls and you are out.

Stan Walster, Grapeview

Learn from animals

Editor, the Journal,

Animals reproduce as configured by God without questioning their gender. If we don't want another Sodom and Gomorrah, maybe we should do likewise. I have appealed the public school portion of my property taxes.

Diane Eaton, Grapeview

Cast, crew needed

Editor, the Journal,

Healthy people make healthy communities. This is my heart's desire for my hometown of Shelton. This is why we have chosen to benefit local "Celebrate Recovery" groups with the two-act musical drama, "Moment of Truth." Ten percent of ticket sales will go to help local celebrate recovery groups purchase tools available to help anyone succeed. There will also be a donation box for those who are led to donate personally.

Every one of us has struggled with hurts, habits and hang-ups at one time or another. Some of us get stuck. I found that I didn't have to be a fall-down drunk or junkie to go through vicious cycles of guilt, shame and failure. When those things are healed, we can become healthy. Good mental health leads to healthy communities. Oh, how I want to continue this for myself and for Mason County.

I believe I was raised in the sweetest time in the history of Mason County. I graduated in 1974, the last class in the old Reed building. I co-wrote my first script as a sophomore at SHS 50 years ago. I've been writing, directing and producing faith-based dramas off and on for 35 years. For me, the '60s and '70s were filled with lumber mills, skating, swimming, blackberry picking, family firewood gathering, camping, lazy days on Mason Lake and Hood Canal, and a family who taught us that nothing is more important than the truth. I am a grateful Peste girl and proud to be a Johnston. Though I have lived in Thurston County for 20 years now, my heart's desire is to own a home once again in Shelton.

Celebrate Recovery was established in 1991. Its success has led to over 35,000 groups in churches nationwide and is in 10 countries. Shelton has dinner meetings at Gateway Christian Fellowship on Friday nights and the First Baptist Church on Thursdays. I grew up in the First Baptist Church and found my way to Jesus there. Now I attend Gateway. I have been a believer for 52 years and understand that anyone can become healthy while walking closely with their creator.

Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered 12-step program based on godly principles that produce healing when we actually take the steps to understand that inner peace and freedom is possible when we partner with the Lord. The "Moment of Truth" production has been delayed to now run at the SHS Performing Arts Center May 19, 20 and 21. The delay has caused a few openings in cast and crew and I hope that anyone interested in joining this drama ministry will call me to audition. I am trusting that the impact of this very production will be a healthy contributor to this community I so love.

Laura Lee Roznowski, Shelton

Remember the judge

Editor, the Journal,

Appointed judge ignores officer's advice and releases a woman suspected to be a violent criminal to roam our streets. On or about Feb. 12, Chantel Dawn Peterson was arrested for allegedly shooting Elijah Gossett with the intent to cause great bodily harm. According to the arrest records, Elijah had gunshot wounds to his chest, arms and face and that wounds to the chest and facial area create a high probability of death. But Elijah did not die.

The arresting officer answered the question, would the safety of an individual or the public be threatened if the suspect (Peterson) is released on bail or recognizance, with a "yes." The prosecuting attorney asked for $500,000 bail. Mason County Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown elected to set bail at a mere $5,000. Peterson posted bail and is now free to walk the streets until the next court date set for April 10.

All these facts can be found online, case 23-1-00050-23 State of Washington vs Chantel Dawn Peterson.

Everyone should be outraged by this. Our law enforcement told the court that we are all in danger if Peterson was released on bail and Judge Ferguson-Brown chose to disregard law enforcement's advice. Who is protecting us? Judge Ferguson-Brown is protecting the criminals. Elijah Gossett almost died in the attack. Where is his protection? Cadine Ferguson-Brown was not elected in Mason County. She was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to finish the term of a retiring judge. Ferguson-Brown is up for election in 2023. Remember her name. Our public servants work for us and when they stop doing that, they need to be voted out.

Pam Berger, Shelton

A history of smog

Editor, the Journal,

A short history of Los Angeles smog, which was a major problem by the mid-1900s.

The summer of 1943 was so bad that visibility at times was reduced to a few blocks and emergency rooms began to fill with complaints of burning eyes and lungs.

The turning point in the smog dilemma reached a peak on Sept. 8 when even sunlight was filtered by the smog. The residents of L.A. had had enough; their outrage was a catalyst to change.

By 1948, California had curtailed emissions by various industries that belched out obvious dirty smoke from their smokestacks but still, the L.A. smog persisted.

Then in 1949, Berkeley hosted a state football game that drew thousands of fans and created large traffic jams of idle and creep. The weather was such that automotive emissions were not dissipated and hung over the city for hours and caused intense eye and lung irritation.

This smog event was so unusual the cause was investigated and since no industrial facilities were in Berkeley, it became apparent the only unusual event that day was the football game and the resulting mass of automobiles. This event was likened to the smog problem in L.A.

L.A. decided to take a look at its 2 million autos and the estimated 50 million miles traveled by those cars in one day and the battle was on.

The automotive corporations were quick to throw up a united front of "No, not us" that lasted for 50 years. During that time, those corporations used their considerable wealth to confuse and minimize the facts of automotive pollution by using similar tactics so prevalent today by big oil. They even went so far as to bring out a basically fake pollution fix - they called it the clean air package, which hamstrung cars' performance and in turn led to complaints against new laws seeking to curtail harmful emissions.

Those corporations had the resources to step up to the challenge and do the right thing for the health of their customers, but instead they wasted millions fighting change tooth and nail and eventually lost out to the automotive importers and the laws of the people.

Today's newer automobiles are many times more efficient smog-wise, but the downside is that carbon dioxide, the potent greenhouse gas, is a substantial byproduct of the combustion of fossil fuel. Multiply that by the billions of fossil fuel engines being used in one day worldwide.

Scott Peterson, Shelton

Kilmer meeting

Editor, the Journal,

Regarding the Feb. 23 edition of the Shelton-Mason County Journal titled "Kilmer hears constituents at town hall meeting" - I wish I'd known about this meeting. I'd like to have had the opportunity to express my strong opposition to this administration's governance and economic policies.

It appears as though U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer is a true believer in large, socialist-style government policies that have always led, in the words of the 1974 Nobel Prize-winning economist Fredrick A. Hayak, to the road to serfdom. (I prefer the concept that "the government which governs least governs best.") Whereas Congressman Kilmer lauded the achievements of President Joe Biden, I see not achievements, but rather the advancement of policies which lead to dystopia, obfuscation, confusion and monetary inflation.

What's the advantage of these expansive policies?

Former President Ronald Reagan once said, "Government is not the solution to our problems, government is the problem."

Assessing President Biden's and the Democrats' policies from a libertarian/classic economic perspective, I don't see how our country, or any country, can spend itself into prosperity. It's a false premise for governance, yet obviously successful in winning elections (buying the vote): something for everyone! Build back better ("don't worry - it's already paid for"). Forgive student debt. Give $7,500 to everyone buying an electric car! Give money to wealthy high-tech industries. And the list continues.The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the U.S. could become unable to pay all of its bills on time between July and September.

The Treasury Department ran up against the roughly $31.4 trillion debt limit in January, and that's just to pay our current debt. The more pernicious financial crisis is that the federal debt held by the public, not including intragovernmental holdings, reached 100.3% of gross domestic product in 2020, the result of a multitrillion-dollar fiscal response to the coronavirus pandemic and a sharp drop in economic output. (Source: Wall Street Journal, Feb. 16 page A4)

About five years ago, modern monetary theory was making its rounds throughout the economic wishful-thinking set. I haven't heard much about this recently because, upon analysis, the theory is based on "just print more money." The reality is that money (currency) is valuable because it's rare: When you print more of it it's no longer rare.

James Madison, an American patriot and intellectual, writing at the formation of our country wrote: "There are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."

The Weimar Republic (1913-1933) resorted to printing more money to the extent it became worthless, and then Mr. Hitler took over to save the German nation. As those of us who remained awake during history class, this didn't work out too well for the German people.

My libertarian principles, as stated by the CATO Institute are:

• Individual liberty

• Limited government

• Free markets

• Peace

James Poirson, Shelton

Bail matters

Editor, the Journal,

Your article on Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown was very in-depth but, a look into how she handles cases is worth another article.

This judge is consistently soft on crime and makes our community a more dangerous one.

For example, the man who lit two structures on fire used by Gethsemane Ministries, each one housing 20 or more people, was given a $25,000 bail. That means for $2,500 he could be out again to potentially kill several people.

Then there is the other recent case of a woman shooting a man. The arresting officers told the courts she would be a danger to the community.

Judge Ferguson-Brown then put bail at a very affordable $5,000. This resulted in the offender walking out the next day.

Another violent criminal who shot someone less than 24 hours prior out walking free.

Please look into how she is not doing enough to keep our community safe. Just because she overcame some impressive obstacles and is well-traveled does not mean she responsibly rules over cases.

Thank you for your time,

Steffen Robinson, Shelton