STACEY ANDERSON, an award-winning teacher at CHOICE Alternative School, likes the school's small size that allows her to get to know all the students. She was named Teacher of the Year by the Washington Association of Learning Alternatives.

DARCY BURNER, on left, chats with Oscar Larsen at last Saturday's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner sponsored by the Mason County Democratic Central Committee.

A class act

Hovering over photographs of the 1966 graduating class at Mary M. Knight School in Matlock is an owl carved by Ralph Milholland and now on display in the lunchroom. The owl is the MMK mascot. Milholland was recently recognized for his service to the school and so was Johnny Black, who helped students make flower boxes and wishing wells in Mrs. Herman's shop class.

FINGER-WAGGING between events on behalf of Climber teammates Erin Ranney (left) and Rachel Fennel Friday evening in Yelm is standoutjunior Jacob Hanes, who won the discus and took second in the shot put in the dozen-school donneybrook. That's sophomore Ranney gliding to fourth in her heat and 11th place overall in the girls' 100-meter hurdles, inset.

AND WHY NOT? After all, from the pregame grins (top) evoked byjunior veteran Austin Case's officially questionable shin pads (ref saying they were too small, Austin convincing him otherwise) to the postgame press of flesh (near, with our friend Austin again and teammate #21, Jerman Sandoval), almost everything was happily memorable for Shelton's hosts Tuesday night as they knocked off the Yelm Tornadoes 3-2 in a Western Cascade Conference matchup. In the inset, senior veteran Chad Trogstad (16) charges past a would-be attacker to clear the ball as the hosts hold off Yelm's late charge. Identifiable at the top are (from left) Taylor Case, Alex Potts, Trogstad, Michael Geddings, Austin Case, Charlie Vernon, Camillo Condido and coach Brian Fairbrother. The hosts' goals were scored by junior Potts (assist senior Vernon, 31st minute), Case (assist senior Humberto Loza, 41st) and senior Condido (assist Vernon, 50th). Yelm scored in the 67th and 68th minutes to make it interesting, but the Climber D stiffened and the hosts improved to 4-2 in league. Shelton's jayvee team won as well, registering a 6-nil shutout at their Yelm counterparts' expense.

JOHN REISCHMAN & the Jaybirds will take the stage at the Shelton High School Auditorium for the third annual Bluegrass from the Forest festival next week. Tickets are $12 per show and $30 for a weekend pass to all events to be held April 27-29. Proceeds benefit community projects of the Kristmastown Kiwanis.

STATE TRANSPORTATION officials along with officials from Mason County Public Works are set to discuss the Belfair Bypass project during a public forum April 25.

THE LATEST proposed areas to be removed from Mason County Public Hospital District 1 include the white areas in the map above. A meeting held this past weekend showed strong public support for the proposal.