THE WOMEN'S ENSEMBLE of the Harstine Island Community Choir rehearses for an upcoming community concert of Hungarian music. The choir's 35 members will sing several songs in Hungarian and one in German. Director Elizabeth Berndt assembled the program. She also founded and organized the chorus in 2004. Mary Beth Morris is the piano accompanist. This concert will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 10, at the Harstine Community Hall. There will also be a 3 p.m. performance on Saturday, June 9, at Saint Hugh Episcopal Church in Allyn.

SHOE'S STATE TO REMEMBER comes to sunny fruition Saturday in Pasco's Edgar Brown Stadium. That's the Climbers' reigning shotput champ Gabe Shoemaker, cutting loose en route to his 52-91/2 crowning achievement (inset left), obliging a reporter before mounting the awards stand (top) and posing with mom Susan, dad Michael and kid sis Elizabeth come snapshot time. Alas, certain shutterbugs on hand were apparently distracted (inset near right). Shoe's take on it all? "It feels pretty frickin' good," he said, grinning.

Hillary Evans (left) and Caral Martinson finished 34th and 19th, respectively, in the state 3A golf tournament.

 

They're having a field day

Flocking to the seventh annual Forest Festival Field Day at Panhandle Lake 4-H Camp are some of the more than 300 fifth-graders from schools in Mason County. They are seen visiting environmental education stations addressing forestry and forest ecosystems, including such topics as fire prevention, forest ecology, forest economy, Mason County forest history, salmon and riparian areas, reforestation, forest recreation, wildlife and logging. The field day on May 18 was sponsored by Green Diamond Resource Company and coordinated with the assistance of Mason Conservation District. Partners included Thurston Conservation District, South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, Washington State University Mason County Extension, Fungi Perfecti, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Shelton High School and local volunteers.

CELEBRATING THEIR state championship is this year's North Mason fastpitch team. In back, from left, are head coach Paula Grande, Emily Anderson, Dana Kuhn, Molly Coppinger hoisting the trophy and Katie Stanley; in the middle row are Alysia Frolhick, Melissa Nys, Hannah Marshall, Sarah Lyman, Emily Davis and assistant coach Heather King; and, in the front row, are Kayla Lopez, Jenniffer Hupper, Kylee Hull, Anna Heitstuman and Cristy Norcross.