Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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It's a lesson Pat Ford learned time and again since his days as an intelligence analyst for the U.S. Marines Corps. "We've all matured, grown up, and we see that life is fragile, so fragile, it behooves me when I see people gaff it off. You and I don't know when we're gonna die," he told the Journal. Ford enlisted in the Corps in 1966, and his aptitude tests showed him suited for interrogation work. "I was facing the draft and I had a choice. And I didn't want to be a grunt so I enlisted for...
A city beautification project that began before the pandemic is picking up its pace this year as several local artists and art groups contribute submissions and finances to the cause. The City of Shelton began decorating power boxes in town in 2019 with artwork chosen by the Shelton Arts Commission, out of a selection of submissions solicited from Mason County artists. Jordanne Krumpols, Parks and Recreation supervisor for Shelton, reported that six power boxes have been adorned, while another...
David Hamilton peered at a piece of apple wood and saw a face. That was four months ago, before the Shelton resident had ever carved anything from wood. Today, motorists who pass his Hillcrest house are stopping to admire and buy his finely chisled creations. He has been commissioned to carve silver steelhead, bottleneck dolphin, beavers, bears, sea turtles, otters and a cross bearing the image of Jesus. Hamilton's creative way with wood didn't emerge from nowhere - he's been a welder for 30...
When Tim Weber arrived in Shelton in 1977, he recalls that a small group of amateur or "ham" radio hobbyists gathered monthly in the upper room of Blondie's (then Timbers) restaurant. "It was informal then, and the main interests included DXing, 2-meters and computer use in packet radio," said Weber, who is Mason County Amateur Radio Club vice president. "I can't recall when the club became more formal, with bylaws and officers, but I know it held field days in the 1980s. I participated in just...
You knew our Declaration of Independence was signed and celebrated each July 4 of our county’s history. But did you know our War of Independence started when the Minute Men skirmished with British troops in April of 1774? And that was when the people of the 13 States, (or colonies as the British preferred) decided for the first time in modern history that a colony which answered to a higher government, England, would declare a right of self-rule. So, representatives of those states convened in a Congress from September to October, 1774, and d...
When the Hardware Distillery and Hood Canal Events teamed up to stage the fifth annual Fjordin Crossin festival on June 17 at the Port of Hoodsport dock and marina, the community responded. Co-founder Jan Morris, who's also the co-founder of the Hardware Distillery with her husband, Chuck, said the festival drew 300 attendees, and more than 70 kayakers, paddleboarders and canoeists for the Paddle the Canal challenge, organized by Kerry Myers of Hood Canal Events. "It was our biggest turnout...
After his wife of 75 years died in December, 94-year-old LakeLand Village resident Albert Stabler penned a bucket list that included skydiving for the first time. Stabler had always stayed inside the plane. He took his first solo flight at age 16. He piloted his own Cessna 140. He designed and constructed a plane, Fly Baby IA, that hangs prominently in the Museum of Flight in Seattle. "When we were flying, it was the old saying, 'Why would you jump out of a perfectly good plane?' " said his...
The 79th Forest Festival saw sunny skies and lots of smiles after four days of activities in downtown Shelton. Forest Festival Board President Mick Sprouffske said the weekend was great. "I believe the crowds were real large and seemed to be happy with the event," Sprouffske said. "Unfortunately, I don't get down to the parade so just judging from what I've heard from others and the photos that come through Facebook and the photos that one of our sponsors, Cooper Studios, has supplied, I think...
On a sunny day in May, Southside Elementary School physical education teacher Chris Meyer descended from 14,000 feet while reciting Dr. Seuss' words about the "grum grum" of a hippo chewing gum and the "pip" of a goldfish kiss. Meyer's book recital, while strapped to professional skydiver Luke Aikens of Skydive Kapowsin, was the culmination of Southside Elementary School's Read Across America Day event. During March, students brought home reading logs and submitted them weekly. Together, they...
From the moment she was born, Erin Ranney has been surrounded by the outdoors. Whether it was exploring her family's Mason County tree farm or tagging along on a fishing trip to Alaska before she could walk, Ranney has always heard the call of the wild. "I was surrounded by wildlife," Ranney said. "And I was always really excited by wildlife." Building upon that love and passion for the outdoors, Ranney has carved out a career as a wildlife cinematographer that has taken her around the globe. Ra...
Richard Knight, who was fire chief for Mason County Fire District 5/Central Mason Fire & EMS for 55 years, died May 20 at his home in Allyn. He was 87. A date for a memorial service had not been set when the Journal went to press. Knight joined what was then Mason County Fire Protection District 5 in 1955. The next year, he was named fire chief. He retired at the end of June 2011. "Chief Knight's dedication to the citizens and the members of Central Mason Fire & EMS will forever be remembered,"...
Consider the rapid-fire lyrics that kickstart the Gilbert and Sullivan tune "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General," probably the best-known song in the duo's 1879 operatta "The Pirates of Penzance": "I am the very model of a modern Major-General I've information, vegetable, animal and mineral. I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical From Marathon to Waterloo, on order categorical" That's the kind of flight of fancy you can expect when Shelton's Connection Street...
