Thursday, July 20, 2017 - Week 29
A GEODUCK AND A SMILE
Journal photo by Dana Kampa
Tamara Piñero, a volunteer with the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association, shows visitors a live geoduck at Allyn Days. For a full story, see page A-24.
Tamara Piñero, a volunteer with the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association, shows visitors a live geoduck at Allyn Days. For a full story, see page A-24.
County cuts not as drastic
By MICHAEL HEINBACH
michael@masoncounty.com Mason County Commission chair Kevin Shutty told the overflow crowd during Tuesday’s emotional commission meeting that “no one is going to walk out of here a winner today.” Shutty spoke to a mass that spilled into the hallway at commission chambers in Shelton and next door at the county Board of Equalization building, to watch a live stream of the proceedings. The crowd, made up of county department heads, elected officials, Mason County Sheriff’s Office employees and concerned citizens, was there to take in a public hearing to consider a proposed $2.1 million reduction in the county’s budget for the remainder of the year. However, some last-minute number crunching that extended into Monday evening resulted in an amended county budget reduction of $1,833,837, which was passed by a 2-to-1 vote, with Shutty as the commissioner casting the lone dissenting vote. “The decisions we face are difficult, that’s why we’re here, and I hope that why we chose to run for the positions that we ran for — because we wanted to make the hard decisions, because we wanted to have an impact on the future of our county,” Shutty said. “And I hope we take this as an opportunity to regroup and reevaluate our role, each of our roles in strengthening Mason County’s future.” Since the budget cuts were proposed in a letter to all county departments from the county commission June 27, the commission’s efforts to reduce the budget had been met with widespread criticism. The commission requested that 13 county departments slash their budgets by 7.3 percent, sparing only those departments considered budget neutral, or those that make as much money as they spend, from budget reductions. County departments were asked to submit their budget-reduction proposals by July 12. For more of the Mason County Journal, subscribe to our weekly edition. |
Texting and driving? Stiffer penalties coming
By MICHAEL HEINBACH
michael@masoncounty.com Washington Gov. Jay Inslee wasn’t entirely satisfied May 16 when a bill passed by the state Legislature aimed at reducing distracted driving crossed his desk awaiting a signature to become law. So with a stroke of his pen, Inslee vetoed the portion of Senate Bill 5289 that held new restrictions on distracted driving from becoming state law until 2019. Instead, Inslee pushed forward the timetable, and Washington drivers using cellphones while on the road will now face stiffer penalties beginning Sunday, 90 days after the bill was signed into law. The actions of the governor didn’t give local law enforcement as much time to prepare for changes in the law as it would have liked. But according to Casey Salisbury, Mason County sheriff, his road deputies will be ready to enforce the new laws. “I think there have been a few horrific fatalities on the road involving distracted drivers that received a lot of attention and that’s why the governor pushed to make it a law more quickly that it was proposed,” Salisbury told the Journal on July 14. “Normally, I would have liked to have more of an introductory period to inform the public and our deputies on a new law. But our men and women have been briefed and I’m confident our people will be ready.”The new law bans the use of handheld devices, such as cellphones, computers or tablets, and makes their use a primary offense, allowing law enforcement to pull over a driver only for using a cellphone. Fines for using handheld devices will begin at $136 and rise to $234. Insurance companies will be notified of infractions, allowing violators’ insurance rates to rise. A $99 ticket will be issued for additional actions taken while behind the wheel, including reading, eating, smoking or grooming while behind the wheel. The “minimal use of a finger” to start or stop a function on an electronic device will still be allowed by law, leaving interpretation of the law to the discretion of a law enforcement officer. For more of the Mason County Journal, subscribe to our weekly edition. |
Journal photo by Alexandra Smith
Jeremy Marsh releases a disc July 16 at the Shelton Springs disc golf course. The Mason County Disc Golf Association held a fundraiser tournament to help fund the amateur tournament the group is hosting Saturday and Sunday.
Jeremy Marsh releases a disc July 16 at the Shelton Springs disc golf course. The Mason County Disc Golf Association held a fundraiser tournament to help fund the amateur tournament the group is hosting Saturday and Sunday.
Mason County Disc Golf Association to host Northwest championships
By ALEXANDRA SMITH
alexandra@masoncounty.com
The Mason County Disc Golf Association hosted a BYO-partners doubles tournament July 16 at the Shelton Springs disc golf course on Shelton Springs Road.
The tournament was a fundraiser for the upcoming NorthWest Amateur Championship (NWAC) held Saturday and Sunday at Shelton Springs.
The doubles tournament July 16 was two rounds with one round as a standard doubles format and another in an alternate-shot format.
The upcoming NWAC will be a qualifying event for the 2018 USA Disc Golf Championships, but will offer the top-three players in the MA1 division a sponsorship opportunity.
Mason County Disc Golf Association will host the Saturday night players’ party at Little Skookum Shellfish. MCDGA will be providing the food and DGB Brewers will be providing adult beverages.
“We hope to help out the local Washington amateurs and help them become professionals,” Mason County Disc Golf Association member Josh Heideman said.
“It is an amateur-only event that grabs the best players around.”
There are 144 participants for the first-come-first-serve tournament.
The group raised $740 last weekend, $400 of which goes toward the NWAC. The other $340 was prize money awarded.
Some logistical preperations have been made for the upcoming tournament, Heideman said.
“You have to let the city know because of the watershed,” Heideman said. “We are only allowed to do it so many times a year. All the money that people pay in goes towards the grand prize for the tournament.”
For more of the Mason County Journal, subscribe to our weekly edition.
alexandra@masoncounty.com
The Mason County Disc Golf Association hosted a BYO-partners doubles tournament July 16 at the Shelton Springs disc golf course on Shelton Springs Road.
The tournament was a fundraiser for the upcoming NorthWest Amateur Championship (NWAC) held Saturday and Sunday at Shelton Springs.
The doubles tournament July 16 was two rounds with one round as a standard doubles format and another in an alternate-shot format.
The upcoming NWAC will be a qualifying event for the 2018 USA Disc Golf Championships, but will offer the top-three players in the MA1 division a sponsorship opportunity.
Mason County Disc Golf Association will host the Saturday night players’ party at Little Skookum Shellfish. MCDGA will be providing the food and DGB Brewers will be providing adult beverages.
“We hope to help out the local Washington amateurs and help them become professionals,” Mason County Disc Golf Association member Josh Heideman said.
“It is an amateur-only event that grabs the best players around.”
There are 144 participants for the first-come-first-serve tournament.
The group raised $740 last weekend, $400 of which goes toward the NWAC. The other $340 was prize money awarded.
Some logistical preperations have been made for the upcoming tournament, Heideman said.
“You have to let the city know because of the watershed,” Heideman said. “We are only allowed to do it so many times a year. All the money that people pay in goes towards the grand prize for the tournament.”
For more of the Mason County Journal, subscribe to our weekly edition.
