Opinion
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THESE TIMES
This is a column that ran in the Shelton-Mason County Journal on March 4, 2021. Of the 308 columns the Journal has published of mine, this one is among my five favorites. I’ll return with original...
IGNITE MASON
In Mason County, as in many rural areas, economic development is more than just a catchphrase-it's the lifeline to a more prosperous and sustainable future. While cities and urban hubs often dominate...
Journal Letter Policy
The Shelton-Mason County Journal encourages original letters to the editor of local interest. Diverse and varied opinions are welcome. We will not publish letters that are deemed libelous or scurrilous in nature. We reserve the right to reject any... Full story
THESE TIMES
Remember in spring 2020 when we started hearing the phrase “a novel coronavirus?” We don’t hear that phrase much now. This particular coronavirus has lost all its novelty. COVID-19 infection...
These Times
A woman in our neighborhood many years ago was getting treatment for lung cancer. I saw her walking along the sidewalk in front of the house one day – she was getting chemotherapy or radiation, I...
These Times
I have a friend who grew up rich, but through hard work, grit and some lucky breaks, she overcame it. When people were losing their senses of taste and smell during the worst of COVID, did their sense...
These Times
A one-scene play It’s late afternoon in a principal’s office at an expensive private middle school. In attendance are the principal, an 11-year-old boy, and the boy’s mother and father. The boy...
From the Auditor
In our current election system, your signature on your ballot return envelope is of utmost importance. Your signature affirms the declaration printed on the envelope that under penalty of perjury you...
These Times
I’ve wasted enough time watching sports to know how they could be improved. Here, for your consideration, are some ways sporting events could become more entertaining … and violent. BASEBALL:...
OPINION
Ours is to question. Ink-stained wretches at weekly newspapers like this one were at one time content to put out the best newspaper they could muster, once a week. If something really big happened, like downtown burning to the ground, they’d put ou...
THESE TIMES
"We don't have to get fat, We don't have to get old. We don't have information that we have to withhold." -The Pretenders, "Let the Sun Come In" Mrs. Ericson and I are doing fine money-wise, but we...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Editor's note: This letter is in response to a letter from Craig Anderson in the Aug. 3 edition of the Journal....
THESE TIMES
We got a letter from the IRS last month. I nervously opened it, but it only sought our participation in a survey on what the IRS calls “taxpayer burden” – the amount of money and time taxpayers...
THESE TIMES
I've bought 10 cars in life, starting at age 17. All were used, save one, and only two had any dollar value when I finished with them. All, however, have story value. No. 1, 1977: A 1972 Volkswagen...
CITY MATTERS
Thank you, Shelton. Thank you for this opportunity to serve my hometown and the place I call home. There are many people who have had a role in why I am here today serving as the next city manager....
THESE TIMES
WE’RE NO. 51! In 2022, the number of (police) officers decreased by 70 to around 10,600 officers in Washington. The 4.4% drop brought the staffing rate to 1.35 officers per 1,000 people, putting Was...
