Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
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The Nov. 9 edition of the Shelton-Mason County Journal published statistics for the number of challenged ballots as of 8 p.m. on election night, "Mason County had the highest percentage of contested ballots in Washington's 39 counties, with more that 3.5% of the votes being cast contested." So, what's going on? The contested ballots included many rejected for "signature mismatch." Signature verification is done by trained, experienced elections staff. Despite training and experience, signature...
“To the earth you are scattered You’re going home, so what does it matter? To an atomic mind Scattered here while you travel time.” — The Kinks, “Scattered” My 64th orbit of the sun will be complete in a couple of weeks, and one thing that amazes me about this accretion of years is how slow it’s gone. I would have thought I’d be 100 by now. In the interest of taking stock from this vast vista, and sparing my survivors the burden of busy work, here’s my sanctioned obit: Kirk Ericson Kirk Eric...
Value of diversity Editor, the Journal, For 10 years, I was on the board of trustees for a small Christian college that emphasized the importance of educating students who would not otherwise have access. I loved meeting these students and hearing their stories and watching them throughout their four years grow into thoughtful, articulate, courageous, well-educated adults. As the student body, staff, faculty, administration, and board of trustees became more diverse, the lives of all involved...
Our state’s Climate Commitment Act was passed in 2021 with the stated goal of reducing and eventually phasing out carbon emissions. Among other things, the law promises protections for Washington’s agricultural sector and marine trade, and we were assured revenue resulting from the “cap-and-trade” approach would be spent only on projects that reduce carbon pollution. Gov. Jay Inslee claimed the CCA would raise fuel costs “pennies per gallon” at most. These promises have not been met. The Inslee administration refuses to be transparent...
I’ve made a promise to myself. If I ever see a homeless person sporting a sign that reads “Need $ for cellphone bill,” I’ll surrender $20 right there. There was a short period when I carried single-wrapped slices of Velveeta cheese in my back pocket to give out when someone asked for change. The cheese was left over from a Halloween when I gave cheese to trick-or-treaters who came to our house. One visitor asked for two slices, maybe because he wanted two cheese sandwiches. But mostly, I don’t...
Speed dating Editor, the Journal, Thank you, Mason County League of Women Voters for organizing Speed Dating with the Candidates. Candidates moved from table to table with five minutes at each table. Being able to question the candidates directly was invaluable. I learned about the Port of Shelton and how it affects Shelton, I heard about recent issues with curriculum at the school district, and I was able to put a face to candidates. It was a great experience. I was sorry that a significant num...
As of Sept. 30, $24 billion in child care stabilization funding passed as part of the American Rescue Plan has expired. The unintended consequences of allowing child care funding to lapse could have a long-term ripple effect on our economy, workforce, and the well-being of children in our community. This is why President Joe Biden requested $16 billion in child care funding in a supplemental budget to continue the stabilization of the child care industry. Here's where you come in. We have a...
Compassion is its own reward. Dave Pierik, the office administrator and the longest-serving employee at the Shelton-Mason County Journal, has been joining us lately in the newsroom, making corrections on pages on Wednesdays, our get-the-paper-out-the-door day. We’ve learned he’s got a quick wit: ■ We were working on a front-page headline about the Shelton homicide suspects who were being sought by police during the first week of October. The A1 headline was “Homicide suspects at large....
Editor's note: As a matter of policy, the Journal does not publish original letters regarding candidates in the edition directly preceding an election because it doesn't allow time for a rebuttal or response. A matter of color Editor, the Journal, I read in the Journal where the anti-Taylor Shellfish people are losing the fight against the oyster bags. So, now they are arguing the color now makes a difference. They want the color to be something other than black. I have stayed out of the...
Oliver Svenningson is 8 years old. He’s the son of friends of ours, friends who used to be neighbor-friends, but they lost neighbor status when mother, father and Oliver moved to Germany in summer 2021 for a job. I told the father, Brad, a couple of years ago that he should be saving Oliver’s observations because Oliver makes comments worth remembering. Here are some Brad has sent me: October 2020: Oliver saw a woman and man working on their roof, and dad explained what was going on. Oli...
Judges and laws Editor, the Journal, Equity is a biblical principle – fear-mongering is not. "Woe to unjust judges and to those who issue unfair laws, says the Lord, so that there is no justice for the poor ..." – Isaiah 10 I consider it an honor to have witnessed Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown preside in the courtroom, to have listened to her share with children what it means to be a good citizen as they begin the school year, and to have seen her engage with the community. I have attended sev...
We eventually become what we’ve left behind. I was at a bookstore in downtown Olympia two weeks ago to buy a book for Mrs. Ericson, and I found a paperback copy from one of her favorite authors, “Bel Canto” by Ann Patchett. While standing in the fiction aisle at that bookstore — Last Word Books — I flipped through “Bel Canto” and found a lavender-colored note containing a name and a phone number. I walked the note up to the fellow behind the counter and suggested he keep the note, in the remote...
A failed applicant Editor, the Journal, Dave Stevens asks the people of Mason County to hire him as a judge. Before hiring, potential employers normally establish the job qualifications and review the candidate's application. We know what we need in a judge: stability, community commitment, experience in impartial roles and knowledge of the law. Stevens did complete an application when he unsuccessfully tried to get appointed as a superior court judge in 2022. So, let's review that application...
Dozens of TVs, refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and abandoned cars had either been gunshot, torched or both. This place of destruction was what some locals called "Carnage Canyon," roughly 30 acres off Lefthand Canyon in Boulder County, Colorado. It was a shocking sight, but was it unique? Think about your own nearby public lands. This canyon's history began with mountain biking. Sometime in early 2000, a mountain biker discovered the canyon and developed a trail through it. Then, more...
Becoming aware of the love around you is the only price you must pay to feel joy. A recent headline on the cover of a health magazine: "One woman's 8-year journey with nasal polyps." I didn't read the story, but I did imagine some of the wonderful places in the world she could take those polyps of hers. I was at Safeway the other day to get fish, and while I was talking to the fishmonger about something or other, he said, "You can't believe anything reported in the news. They're all bad." I...
Editor's note: The following letter is a rebuttal to a letter in the Sept. 14 edition of the Journal. Fair market value Editor, the Journal, Dear Mr. Ray, This is in response to a letter received from you dated Sept. 11, and I hope this helps you to understand the requirements of the Assessor's Office. I have also included some paperwork that covers these same requirements. From the time of statehood until the 1930s, property tax was the only major tax that supported most state and local...
“The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack.” – Freedom to Read If you have never read the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read statement, it is worth your time to read this powerful document. Published in 1953, eight years after the end of World War II, the statement feels timeless, as if it were written today, taken directly from recent headlines about banning books and defunding libraries. The Freedom to Read statement serves as a foundational...
We had a trampoline in the backyard for our kids when those two kids were kids, and for 10 years I had to put up with safety Nellies telling me how dangerous trampolines are, especially ones not surrounded by netting. I heard stories about broken backs and quadriplegia and fractures and dislocated shoulders and broken teeth. I heard people cite statistics about trampolines being a leading cause of emergency rooom visits. Sometimes, those people shared their own involvement in trampoline-related...
Experience matters Editor, the Journal, I have seen the process of appointing a judge a few times, but most voters have no idea how a judge is chosen. In the case of Judge Cadine Ferguson-Brown, she was chosen two years ago to replace retiring Judge Amber Finlay. Judge Ferguson-Brown was chosen by the Mason County Bar Association, an organization made up of lawyers who practice law in Mason County. MCBA members reviewed applications from four lawyers, including Judge Ferguson-Brown’s opponent. The MCBA membership then recommended Court C...
Since my last report, your Financial Services team completed the 2024 Mason County preliminary budget. I had the honor of formally submitting this budget to the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 12 and it includes total projected expenditures of $69,149,840. Budget workshops with the board and various department heads are scheduled for Oct. 3 and 4, where adjustments to requested expenditures may be made. The county commissioners will also hold a public hearing on Dec. 4 prior to...
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 drivel next week... —Kirk Mrs. Ericson and I were sitting on our living room couch recently while I did the crossword puzzle and she read the newspaper. This has become part of our morning plague routine. We sit on the couch in the early morning, drink coffee and I respond to comments she makes abo...
School support Editor, the Journal, I am writing this letter of support for Keri Davidson to retain her position on the Shelton School District school board. I have had the opportunity to work with Keri on school matters in the past. I have found her to be extremely supportive, kind and passionate about our community and its students' success. Keri will look at issues from many different perspectives, seek advice from others and get stakeholder opinions before making a decision and coming to a...
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 headlines with tales of growth and advancement, rural communities face an equally pressing but less-publicized need: the revitalization of their local economies to ensure the sustained well-being of their residents. Economic development isn't just about improving the bottom line of local...
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 rates, and hospitalizations and deaths, have been rising around the country for the past couple of months. Some of the symptoms have evolved, but the disease remains. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the latest dose to treat the current strain that’s going around, and those doses could b...
How trust works Editor, the Journal, Trust. Trust is everywhere in our lives. Look at the trust we have of the stuff we put in our mouths. Toothpaste, mouthwash, licking the glue on the envelope, the food we eat, the drugs (legal and illegal) we take and so on. Even our money says, "In God We Trust." Trust is also like a rubber band; sometimes it stretches. Take a relationship where one person beats the hell out of the other partner and they say, "I am sorry and I won't do it again." Well, "agai...
