Thursday, January 21, 2010 Year 124 — Week 3— 6 Sections — 52 Pages — Published in Shelton, Washington — $1.00

JournalShelton-Mason County

A look back at the events of 2009.

INSIDE

On theinside

Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

Births B-3 Classifieds D-2 CommunityCalendar B-6 Crossword D-5 Entertainment/Dining B-8 JournalofRecord C-5 Obituaries B-7 Opinions,Letters A-4 Sports C-1 Tides C-6 Weather A-8

Inserts:NewmanChiropractic

SeeHaitionpageA-7

By KEVAN MOORE

Top administrators at the at the City of Shelton, PUD 3 and the Port of Shelton are in the midst of ongoing, closed-door meet-ings to draft an agreement for providing city water services on Johns Prairie.

This latest effort comes on the heels of an earlier agreement between the city and PUD 3 allowing the public utility to extend city water lines to Johns Prai-rie and recoup the costs associated with that effort by charging latecomer fees. The new agreement will go

one step further and out-lines the roles that the port and city will play on Johns Prairie in future years.

Also at play in the midst of the negotiations is a huge alternative energy plant proposed on a 100-acre parcel on Johns Prai-rie.

Any agreement between the administrators will be subject to approval by elected officials at each of the agencies, but initial efforts point towards an effort to take any annexa-tion by the city of the Johns Prairie industrial area off the table for 20 years.

City Administrator Dave O’Leary, PUD 3 Manager Wyla Wood and Port of Shelton Executive Director John Dobson met on Tuesday of this week with attorneys from each of the agencies to pencil out a draft of the new agree-ment. Following a city com-mission meeting later that day, though, O’Leary said he was unwilling to release the draft agreement be-cause “it is a work in prog-ress” and won’t be present-ed to commissioners until next week. When pressed further, O’Leary could not cite any state law for with-

holding the document, but said the city’s attorney would be contacted.

Mason County Commis-sioner Tim Sheldon also re-fused to release documents related to the potential agreement when asked by a citizen last week. In ad-dition, Commissioner Ross Gallagher, who has docu-ments related to the poten-tial agreement, said he was unwilling to release any of those documents or cite details associated with the negotiations.

O’Leary was willing to

By KEVAN MOOREA group of Evergreen

Square property owners has filed a $1-million claim for damages at the City of Shelton over the city’s handling of the popular downtown parking lot.

Richard and Tai Gates, a husband and wife who own three properties adjacent to the lot, and Juan Rodriguez of JL Shelton LLC, which owns one property at the site, filed the claim late last year through Shelton attorney Richard Hoss. They say that the city has violated the terms of an agreement gifting the parking lot to the city. Further, they say that the city secretly issued a quit claim deed to do so and subsequently amended municipal code in a way that directly violates the agreement.

The Gateses and Rodriguez are claiming that the city’s decision to convert half of the parking lot’s roughly 82 spaces into leased stalls has reduced access and affected business in their buildings, thereby impacting the highest and best use of the properties.

“The City of Shelton interfered for an improper purpose or used improper means with its interference and claimants have suffered resultant damages (by an amount up to $1 million),” Hoss wrote in the claim for damages.

City Administrator Dave O’Leary said the claim for damages has been sent to the Washington Cities Insurance Authority for review by its lawyers. O’Leary also said he couldn’t comment on it at this time.

“If we’re gonna get sued, if somebody’s threatening to sue us, it’s probably not too smart to respond,” O’Leary said. “It’s probably gonna be worked out with the lawyers. In the meantime, we’re trying to facilitate a parking solution that has had some success and we’re working out whether or not we can continue to do that.”

A report by Shelton Realtor Keith Fuller, that is attached to the claim for damages, concludes that the city’s decision to lease parking stalls has reduced the per-square-foot value of each of the adjacent businesses by some $35 and reduced the overall value of the Evergreen Square

By DAVE CLARK

88-year-old Lawrence Godwin of Shelton saw a lot of brave sol-diers die the day he led a machine gun squad out of Italy’s Apennine Mountains in World War II.

German soldiers lying in wait ambushed his company with the 10th Mountain Division using gre-nades and heavy machine gun fire. A sudden explosion filled the air with shrapnel that killed the lieu-tenant standing next to him. Soon

most of his men were either dead or badly injured. Everyone was pinned down. Godwin described what happened next as “foolish.”

“You see your men getting slaughtered and picked off, and something just takes you over and you just get up and do what you have to,” he said.

Godwin snatched up his squad’s .30-caliber air-cooled machine gun, and as enemy fire tore through the grass at his feet and alongside

him, he bolted for cover behind the corner of a two-story stone house.

He was outnumbered and out-gunned, against a gun nest with four Germans manning two ma-chine guns each capable of firing twice as many bullets as his.

Godwin positioned his gun where he was concealed from view, while still having a clear shot at the enemy. He fired, killing all four.

Shelton High School stu-dents Dylan Helser, left, and Chase Lund, center, help Rotary Club of Shelton president Jon Eaton load decommissioned hospital beds into a U-Haul truck bound for Haiti through a staging area at the Port of Shelton Tuesday. Eaton and others plan to send up to 600 hospital beds to Hai-ti in an effort to get the flat-tened medical infrastruc-ture back up and running some day.

Rotary sends help to HaitiBy GREG SKINNER

As a large aftershock Wednesday dropped more buildings and sent the survi-vors of last week’s 7.0 Haitian temblor that killed hundreds of thousands scurrying, the Shelton Rotary Club prepared to send much-needed hospital equipment.

“It’s long-term help,” Shel-ton Rotary president Jon Ea-ton said.

After striking a deal with

Shelton Health and Rehabili-tation Center, Eaton said, he will see to it that at least 76 decommissioned hospital beds make it to the beleaguered island nation that has an es-timated 250,000 wounded quake survivors. Some will need long-term medical care, he said.

There is no place to put them yet because the wa-terfront in the main port to

Group focused on long-term aid

Journal photo by Greg Skinner

Journal photo by Dave Clark

World War II Bronze Star Medal recipient Lawrence Godwin proudly displays his award inside his home south of Shelton.

WWII veterans, families eligible for military award

BRONZE STAR MEDAL

Honoring service

City, port and PUD 3 work on water deal

City faces $1-million claim over Evergreen Square

SeeServiceonpageA-7

SeeDealonpageA-7 SeeClaimonpageA-7

This is our Honor Roll of Thanks to those hundreds

of residents who took time during 2009 to write and share their

opinions with us and with all of you, our readers.

Honor Roll of Thanks

William E. Burrows

Jim Gibbons

Gordon Personius

Steve Gray

Laura West

Emily Wilson-Hoss

Melanie Eacrett

Deb Kirpes

Sandra Mitchell

Eugene Morehouse

George Noone

Rhoda Pykonen

Jo Ann Ridley

Rhonald Whitney

Karen Aumend

Susan Baker

Kenneth Bragg

Todd Nelson

Rick Ryan

Peg Stock

Pamala Dierker

Stephanie Holter

Roger Lewis

John Tarrant

Patti Case

Kathy Johnson

Donald Jones

Adelheid Krohne

Dave O’Leary

Dick Taylor

Dana Anderson

Frank Dare

Don Gardner

Robert Hoit

Laurel Wolff

Jacquelyn W. Johnson

Gene Johnson

Donna Noone

Dawn Pannell

Patty Ayala Ross

Jim Mullins

Ann Peters

Bill Sloane

Stan Walster

Tom Chambers

Darrell Franks

Joyce Galaktionoff

Winston C. Marx

Merlyn Flakus

Kaylee

Steve Ness

Nancy Byrd

David C. Pifke

D.L. Stave

Mary Wyatt

Suzanne Close

Fred Finn

Arline Goldsby

Kris Mansfield

Susie Wong

Judy and Richard Bidwell

Larry Martin

Vern Morgus

Katherine Austin

Jack Neiers

Dave O’Connell

Tammy Johnson

Sandy MacLeod

Ardean A. Anvik

Dave Dixon

Lucy Kee

Clinton Ferrara

Rachelle Wallace

Rachel Thoe-Schechter

Fred Albert

Lee Geist

Jack Krause

Peggy Olsen

Herb Vonhof

Norma Webber

Ann Wilson

Vivian Mitchell

J. Paul Everett

Judy McAulay

Robert Meacham

Dick Oltman

Tom Pearson

Bill Quigley

David Beers

Linda Chastek

Don Liss

Jo and Joe Reasons

Steven Rosenow

John H. Whalen

Emily Aceto

Frank Bishop

Toby Kevin

Annette S. McGee

Karen Skinner

Steve Van Denover

Michael Young

Casey Carr

Sandy Tarzwell

Lee Hatch

Ryan, Nicole, Rachel and Mikayla Miller

Kate Dugan

William F. Johnston

Don Minor

Susan Dodd

Theresa Ratzer

Shari L. Swidecki

Robert M. Giroux

Jerry Horstman

John Komen

Earl Millinger

Bill Weed

Marylou Downey

Bob Hoit

Barry Betsinger

Fred Burgdorf

Ferde Grofé

Robert Ott

Mike Boyle

Arlen Frances Morris

Jennifer Fitchitt Coots

Greg James

Earl Mallinger

Shirley Beélik

Betty Brown

Beverly Godwin

Jim Killoran

Joe Robertson

Dinah Dubble

Norma Webber

Pam Ward

Robert A. Shaw

Dahle Roessel

Mary Reller

Vern Morgus

Angie Ragan

Bill and Helen Timm

John Hadwin

Carol Crosswhite

Wes Martin

Allen Roth

Ralph Wingert

Gary A. Backlund

Paul Holden

Jack Krause

Thomas Ross

Karlene Zimmerman

John and Dorothy Buckwalter

Lois Jones

Cindy Wright

Barbara J. Bodin

Mrs. Leslie L. Miller

Shari Stormo

Ardyne Williams

Jim Frykholm

Sharon Brown

Billie Latzel Howard

Kelley McIntosh

Mike Sobotka

Karen Pentony

Norma A. Vincent

Ken and Pat Remine

Susan Baker

Darrell Franks

Michael J. Snyder

Joe Boyd

Elaine Perron

Tommy Thombs

Iris Wells Van Ackeren

Carol VanderWal

Janet K. Anderson

Shirley Aries

Annette S. McGee

Sheri Staley

VFW Post 1694

Robert Aaron

Charles L. Winne

Gayle James

Stan Walster

Nancy C. Williams

Ken and Patti Perry

Dave O’Connely

Bob Burbridge

Judy Daum

Judi Manke

Carl Mease

Sandra Herndon

Lois Omdahl

Brian Walsh

Jane Bennett

Bill Busacca

Norman J. Eveleth

Jeremy D. Lickar

Richard Reineman

Jane Roush

Dixie Smith

Bill Young

Brenda Hirschi

Thomas R. Armstrong

Betsy Close

Lynn Goodwin

George D. Funk

Kent Hillesland

Michael Wittenberg

Cherie Blake

Wendy Ervin

Phil Wolff

Jim McElroy

John Thompson

Beverly Godwin

Wendy Allen

Gwen Avery

Jamie Bariekman

Bruce J. Casebolt and Ruth A. Casebolt

Ione K. Vrabel

Keith Stavrum

David Vimont

Terri Allred

Robert Grandaw

Bill and Mary Jean Hrbacek

Theresa Jacobson

Toby Kevin

Sheri Staley

Robert D. Wilson-Hoss

Dennis Teague

Bruce J. Casebolt

Tom Aaron

Jay Hupp

Michael A. Sargent

Ginny Murphy

Ben Daugherty

Larry Taylor

Mary May

Judy McNeal

Ellie Nevers

Katherine Austin Price

Rahn S. Redman

Fred and Debbie Barrett

Lawrence Martin

Sandra L. Herndon

Thursday, July 23, 2009 Year 123 — Week 6— 0 Sections — 00 Pages — Published in Shelton, Washington — $1.00JournalShelton-Mason County

Start thinking about salmon.See page C-1

On theinside

Mason County Fair and rodeon Special section inside n Meet fair guru Brooke Ogg, B-1 n Rodeo preview, C-1

Kelly CootsMissing: Oct.11, 1971Status: Unsolved

Monique BurnettMissing: Dec.14, 1987Status: Solved

Tracy WestMissing: Oct. 20, 1988Status: Unsolved

Lindsey BaumMissing: June 26, 2009Status: Unsolved

Missing in Mason CountyParT one of a TWo-ParT SerieS

By KEVAN MOORE

Lindsey Baum didn’t get the chance to celebrate

her 11th birthday with her family this summer and

11-year-old Kelvin “Kelly” Coots’ 3-week-old sister

never got the chance to get to know her big brother.

Both Lindsey, who disappeared while on her way

home in the small town of McCleary on June 26 of this

year, and Kelly, who vanished in downtown Shelton

in the fall of 1971, remain missing to this day.

Baum’s case has grabbed national attention

in recent weeks, but Coots’ disappearance, along

with those of two other missing Shelton kids in the

intervening years, has haunted local residents for

decades.

Who killed Kelly Coots?

Mason County Sheriff Casey

Salisbury was only a couple of

years older than Coots when the

younger child disappeared and

Salisbury knows what it was like

to be a young person living in

Shelton at the time.

“I can remember that my

life changed forever after that

because we used to run around

all over the place around here

and that disappearance put the

kaibosh on that,” Salisbury said.

By JEFF GREENAfter a 26-year career with the

Shelton Post Office, Janice Paradise

is making her last rounds today.

A familiar face in downtown

Shelton, she’s taking an early

retirement offer.“It’s been one heck of a ride,”

Paradise said. “I’m going to miss the

customers. They’ve treated me quite

well.”She said she’s watched little ones

grow up and become adults during

her tenure with the post office.

“I’m not going to miss trucking

around in the snow,” she said. Last

winter was a tough one and she had

to climb over snow piles left by plows

downtown.She also won’t miss the cold, rainy

days when the rain blew sideways

and she got wet inside her postal

van.“I don’t know how many miles I

walked on the downtown streets,”

Paradise said. Whatever the total, it

was a lot as she faithfully delivered

letters, parcels and magazines to

patrons throughout downtown.

When she started on her current

route in 1995, most of her deliveries

required her to walk into businesses.

She got to know many people that

way. But gradually over the years,

the post office required firms to put

up delivery boxes outside their doors.

There are still a few walk-in

deliveries she makes to Olsen’s

Furniture, Hair Affair, the Town

Tavern and the Mason County

commissioners’ office. As for other

firms, there are times she has to go

in to get signatures for parcels and

certified mail.“She’s been one of the more

recognized characters. She’s had the

“It’s been one heck of a ride.”

Journal photo by Jeff Green

Janice Paradise waves goodbye to her postal customers after

a 26-year career.

Carrier pushes envelope, cancels career

By KEVAN MOORETestimony was fairly

sparse, yet critical, during a

public hearing held Monday

night on the City of Shelton’s

recent development

moratorium.Only four individuals

testified at the hearing,

but each of them expressed

concerns about the city’s

decision to enact the

emergency moratorium last

month.That move came after

months of closed-door

discussions amongst

staff and a string of

executive sessions amongst

commissioners concerning

the city’s 30-year-old sewer

system operating beyond its

capacity. By law, the city is

able to declare an emergency

moratorium without prior

public notice or testimony.

Monday’s meeting was

a chance to hold a “post-

adoption public hearing,”

which is also necessitated

by law within 60 days of

such a declaration. The

moratorium decision will

also need to be reviewed

again no later than a year

after going into effect

and could be reversed or

extended at any time.

Ben Pentecost, who owns

a construction company out

of Spanaway, was the first

person to testify. He told

commissioners about a large

development project on

Shelton Springs Road that

Residents critical ofmoratorium

By GREG SKINNERMason County commis-

sioners are still looking to

plug a large portion of a

$756,000 hole in the 2009

budget.That shortfall has been

absent from public discus-

sion for several weeks while

commissioners fought politi-

cally and other elected offi-

cials began the 2010 budget

process and some commis-

sioners were gone for travel.

The shortfall was deter-

mined during a June 8 com-

mission briefing.The 2009 budget resur-

faced Tuesday during a fi-

nance committee meeting

in which Treasurer Lisa

Frazier reminded the coun-

ty’s decision-makers that

$584,535 needed to be found

and cut or the money would

come from the “ending fund

balance,” which is also com-

monly known as whatever

amount is left over – if any.

County looking to plug the holeCommission has

yet to act on June

budget decision

Could this be the face of

a killer? Leroy James Hu-

dack, seen here in an un-

dated photo, confessed in

1987 to killing Kelly Coots,

according to documents found in a sheriff’s office

case file dealing with the

boy’s 1971 disappearance.

See County on page A-7

See Missing on page A-7

See Residents on page A-7See Carrier on page A-8

CompromiseA compromise was

reached on Mason Coun-

ty’s attempt to vacate a

section of Bourgault

Road to enhance a state

wetland mitigation proj-

ect and turn over the

land to the Skokomish

Tribe. A-3

off to warThey’re old friends,

serve in the Army to-

gether and now are pre-

paring for a one-year

deployment to Afghani-

stan. B-1

Dobson raiseIn April, John Dob-

son was hired as execu-

tive director of the Port

of Shelton. On Tuesday,

the Shelton port com-

missioners, happy with

his performance so far,

voted to give Dobson

a $5,000-a-year raise in

pay. A-5

Late chargeYears after being ar-

rested in an investiga-

tion into marijuana

grow operations by the

West Sound Narcotics

Enforcement Team, two

local men have finally

been charged. A-6

WarrantsWarrants were is-

sued for the following

people who failed to ap-

pear July 20 for proceed-

ings in Mason County

Superior Court: Jesse P.

Thomas, $5,000; Clifton

Allen Parker, $9,528.61;

Melissa Anne Rodgers,

$8,074.03; Donald Lee

Lagasa, $9,137.56; Eliza-

beth Krstich, $6,829.13;

Lisa M. Connors, $972.06;

Colt Kamuela Blackburn,

$25,696.31 and $989.57.

Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

Births B-3

Classifieds D-3

Community Calendar B-2

Crossword D-6

Entertainment/Dining A-8

Journal of Record D-1

Obituaries A-2

Opinions, Letters A-4

Sports C-1

Tides C-5

Weather A-8

Special Sections:

Inserts:I n R e v i e wThursday, January 21, 2010

Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

Thanks to all for your interest. As always,

we’ll welcome your letters in 2010.

Publisher

Page S-32 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, January 21, 2010

More costsA second deadline

topayaMasonCoun-ty Sheriff’s DeputiesGuild contract ap-proaches, and MasonCounty CommissionChair Ross Gallagh-er caught his fellowcommissioners offguard at the closeof Tuesday’s regu-lar meeting when heaskedthemtoactontheissue.A-7

HomelessBecoming homeless

islikefallingoffalog;it’stheeasiestthingintheworldtodo.A-3

ChallengesFew people know

what challengeseachhigh-schoolseniorhasovercome to finallywalk down the aisleat graduation andreceive their high-school diploma. Theobstacles can comeearlier for some, andin greater numbers,oftenbeforetheybe-come aware of whattheywantinlifeorofthe things they needtogetit.A-8

Somehow ableNorth Mason was

able to earn the winat home againstNorth Kitsap on Fri-day, 54-40, with helpof a third-quartercharge.C-5

Annexation TheBoardofMason

County Commission-ers (BOCC) Tuesdayscheduled a publichearing on the con-troversial annexationprocess started bytheboardof theBel-fairWaterDistrictlastmonth.A-2

Parking pay City officials are

standing by their de-cisiontofundapark-ing enforcement andanimal control offi-cer position throughAugust, amidst mas-sivebudgetshortfalls,even though the em-ployeewillbeoffthestreetsinApril.A-2