Thursday, July 31, 2014 - Week 31 - The Voice of Mason County since 1886

HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT

Journal photo by Emily Hanson
Johnny Espeland of Madras, Oregon, holds on tight while saddle bronc riding Saturday evening at the 2014 Mason County NPRA Rodeo at Sanderson Field. For more rodeo coverage, see page B-1. For more photos of the fair, see page A-10.

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Local fire crews may return to help fight Eastern Washington fires

By Natalie Johnson
natalie@masoncounty.com

    Three weeks after wildfires began burning hundreds of thousands of acres in Eastern Washington, Mason County firefighters are still working to protect homes from the flames.
    Robert White, a firefighter with Mason County Fire District 4, helped keep flames away from homes for six days earlier this month, and may soon go back.
    “What stood out the most was the heat,” he said.
    Temperatures reached 105 degrees during the week White was working at the Mills Canyon fire near Entiat in north-central Washington.
    White was stationed with a group of firefighters assigned to protect houses and other structures in the nearby Wenatchee area.
    “We were there in case it … went in that direction,” he said. “It’s important for us to be there for those structures.”
    Central Mason Fire & EMS Chief Tim McKern said Lt. K.C. Whitehouse from Central Mason is still in Eastern Washington, as is a brush rig from Mason County Fire District 3.
    Crews may soon be deployed to more fires on the east side of the state, McKern said.

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Photo courtesy of Robert White
A brush crew walks on a hillside near the Mills Canyon Fire near Entiat earlier this month. Mason County crews traveled to the east side of the state this month to help battle wildfires threatening homes and cities.

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_Former Lady Climber plans to make most of college team

By Emily Hanson
emily@masoncounty.com

    Cassie Crabtree is going to make the next year count.
    By the end of spring 2015, Crabtree, a 2014 Shelton High School graduate, will have wrapped up her only year playing college fastpitch.
    “I’m trying to get in as much as I can because I know this will be my last year,” she said.
    Crabtree received a partial athletic scholarship to South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia for the next school year. She said she hopes to play third base for SPSCC’s fastpitch team.
    “I’m very excited, I’m ecstatic,” she said. “It’s the sport I love the most. I’ve had a lot of friends play there.”
    Crabtree began playing baseball and soccer when she was 5, but honed in on baseball. When she was 10, she switched to softball.
    “Softball is where I really excelled,” she said. “It’s a team sport and I’ve met so many friends. I’ve made friends with girls from opposing teams.”
    Crabtree played fastpitch for SHS for four years and competed on two select teams, MVP from Olympia, and the Rochester Rivals.
    At the end of her senior season with the Lady Highclimbers, Crabtree was named to the 3A Narrows League All-League First Team as a utility player.

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