'That's more like it!'

Brand-new commemorative plaque securely in place before them, Shelton's Joan Eaton (left) and Carol Bergeson mark the occasion at the library last week as representatives of the Climber Class of '48. Their peers and the Class of '53 went together in flagpole erection there a dozen years ago, and since then the plastic plaque beneath it wound up getting stolen, says Bill Valley, '48 class president. So this time he and Joan and Carol along with '53 classmates Billie Howard and Roberta Welch solicited enough in donation money to put in a more sturdily anchored bronze plaque.

Ghouls just wanna have fun?

You be the judge, sports fans that is, if you can get your hearts back down where they belong and commence t' breathin' again. The same lovelies captured in similar but benign pose inside, these mock-frightful lasses are merely Halloween-zombie-fied members of Climberville's resident dance team, all decked out for Friday's home football game. Can you identify them behind the whiteface? Turn to page 13 and find out.

VIRGINIA MERIFIELD has flowers and a smile after announcing that she is stepping down as a member of the Pioneer School Board after 15 years.

SURVIVING A hurricane during their honeymoon in Mexico are newlyweds Tarah and Kasey Cronquist.

Recognize 'em, do ya?

The dance-team Climbers in in an incarnation perhaps more recognizable than the one back on page one: In the very front is Kalea Christensen; in the second row from left Emily Bauder, Kristine Marshall, Kehli Kegg, Ashlee Henson, Rachel Smolinsky, Erin Hartley and Nancy Yuan; in the third row Hailey Hinkle, Ashlee Barham, Caitlin Magee, Jennifer Creekpaum, Jessica Hall, Captain Katie Miser and Hannah Lidington; in the fourth row Amanda Auwarter, Ellen Vail, Jenny Johnson, Jillian Araujo and Laurie Hartley, and in the very back Nicole Neff and Leah Rothrock.

It's looking a lot like fall

Leaves on the ground along Railroad Avenue herald a change of the seasons in downtown shelton.

EXPRESSIONS TELL ALL in Highclimber Stadium Friday night as the defending league champs relinquish their crown and exit the postseason chase altogether as well by way of their 10-27 loss to North Kitsap. The visiting Vikings finished in a tie with Shelton at 5-2 in league but claim the third and final postseason berth by head-to-head tiebreaker. That's quarterback Tyler Pacholke trudging long-faced back to the sideline and coaches Matt Hinkle (near) and Nate Grygorcewicz in the uppermost photo, and in the near shot the Climbers' postgame march past their victorious guests finds all-league lineman Erick Counts fighting back tears. Sadly seeing off the deposed champs including a somber Sam Leister, near right in the main inset are body-painted Climbers Rachael Forbis (left) and April Beasley. And in the other two insets the Vikings' Paul Stock looks up at the official after his successful coffin-nailing quarterback sneak into the end zone and Climber linebacker Gabe Shoemaker doubles over in anguish after the Climbers' fumble into the Viking end zone.

A LEAF-STREWN fairway finds Climber distaff standout Sarah Brownstein (546, near) and boy counterparts Charles Langdon and Dan Paine (left to right, inset) bearing down on the state-berth prize at hand during Saturday's district donnybrook in Lakewood. Junior veteran Charles just did succeed, outsprinting a rival in the final meters for the 40th and final berth.

SHELTON FIREFIGHTER Matt Shough shows some of the aging bunker gear that will be replaced thanks to a federal grant he researched and wrote on behalf of the Shelton Fire Department.