THE BLOGS AND BLASTS of a year full of mudslinging takes a back seat to some old-style campaigning by Ross Gallagher. He leads Jayni Kamin by a few hundred votes in the race for county commissioner.

AN OFFICIAL OF the Skokomish Nation drives north after inspecting the mudslide that continued to block Highway 101 through this morning.

FRED SEMINARA received this glass medallion for taking the Hood Canal Pledge and has been spreading the word about the program ever since. Persons who take the pledge promise to use "septic sense," take measures concerning stormwater runoff and use canal-friendly landscaping techniques. He won a 2006 Hood Canal Environmental Achievement Award for his volunteer work.

MASON COUNTY Assessor Dixie Smith, on left, and Karen Herr, a candidate for Mason County Auditor, are on pins and needles as election results are read Tuesday night. Both women are Democrats and both cruised to victory in their respective races.

She's the cat's meow

The people at PUD 3 held a goodbye party for Norma Webber, front and center, on the occasion of her retiring after 17 years of service. She'll be devoting all her energies to Kitten Rescue now. Pictured with her are, counter-clockwise from her left, Season Eddings, Scott Geist, an unidentified woman, Tina Ward, Joe McClanahan, Ilene Olson, Bellaine West, Jay Himlie, an unidentified woman, Joel Myer, Dale Knutson, Jennifer Beeby, Renee Porter, Nancy Bolender, Suzanne Auders, Salem Shankel, Sherry Speaks and Teri Oberg.

TOM DIDONNA, a registered nurse and the education coordinator at Mason General Hospital, was recently asked to lead a delegation of physicians and nurses to represent the American Heart Association in a voluntary, international advanced resuscitation educational endeavor in Paraguay the end of this month. He will join with two American physicians and physicians from Costa Rica and Panama to teach upwards of 30 Paraguayan physicians the skills necessary to implement the new guidelines for advanced cardiac life support and pediatric advanced life support for the patients in their country.

AND WHY NOT? First-ever state tournament qualifiers in the history of their sport at Mary M. Knight where prep volleyball has been played some three decades the Lady Owls are the talk of the town in bitty Matlock these days. From left are Amanda Vera, Melissa Kingery, Kelsey Kingery, Teryssa Toppano, Alicea Scott, Cassy Willey, Shelby Adsero and Carissa Connors.

FINGER-POINTING ASIDE, all was lighthearted for the chlorine Climbers last weekend in the district 3A championship showdown at Hazen High School in Renton. Taking in the forefinger-accompanied words of manager Jimmy Riley by way of prerace pep talk, above, are (from right) Kelsey Frazer, Melissa Griffith and Candice Johnson. In characteristic good humor amidst teammates in the nearmost shot is senior veteran Amaira Gallagher, and clockwise around her from left are Ms. Griffith, Ms. Johnson, Lauren Smith, Mary Benn and Cara Appel. Although none advanced to state, the Climbers nevertheless had PRs all around and put a fitting flourish on a season already encouraging for its wealth of young talent, say coaches Rob Phelan and Chad Youngquist.

RAIN-MATTED BROWS notwithstanding, a good time was had by all last Saturday at the Johns Prairie soccer park, scene of the championshipfinale of the local Mexican league's fall season. Shelton's own "Colmenna" contingent (inset near) wound up prevailing for the fourth time in five years, nudging runner-up (for the second year in a row) "Brazil" from Bremerton by a score of 4-3. From left in the front row of the champs' team-photo pose are Juan Zacarias, Hipolito Guijosa, Andres Olguin, Jesus Rosales, Luis Vasquez and Jose Hernandez. In back are head coach Rodrigo Vasquez, Luis Torrez, Pedro Apaez, Salvador"Chava" Nunez, Nicolas Rosales, Mario Munoz, Jesus "Chewy" Mendiola, Jose "El Toro" Apaez and Jose Loza. Not pictured are teammates Roberto Cornejo, Melchor Camacho, Hector Loza and Rocky Ramiro-Delgado. Veteran director Jeremias Escobar of Shelton praised all involved in the 16-team affair and rewarded the champs and their vanquished runners-up too with not only specially designedtrophies but individual medallions as well.

SUFFICIENTLY MOMENTOUS to temporarily rein in even prepubescent fidgetitis, last week's presentation of a $25,000 award to last year's fourth-graders at Grapeview School finds the whole school turned out in the Gators' gymnasium. Presented by state school administrators in recognition of top-10 statewide achievement in WASL test results, the check is held by the honored students in the nearmost inset. From left in front are Samantha Wilson, Hailey Hickson, Kathy Marsh, Ty Garland, Madison Johnson, Madasen Dowler, Brianna McCubbins and Connor McCubbins. Second row: Joel Quigley, Amanda Clifford, Brennan Ayers, Jordan Sandine and Taylor Curtin. Third row: Myles Lewis, Brian Cook, Jordan Marshall, Samantha Arkin, Angie Valdovinos and Xylvia Young. Fourth row: Teacher Barb Goodell, Sami Mueller, Nick DeYoung, Nathan Humphries, Jeffery Snyder, Season Rovang, principal Joan Jensen, Rachel Sprouffske and Office of the Superintendent representative Jill Severn.