JOURNALEDITORIAL
Sex offenders need somewhere to live, too E
arlier this week, the SheltonMason County Journal was informed that Adam Lee Inman, a level 3 sex offender, is believed to be hiding somewhere in Mason County near Shelton. For a description and picture refer to the story on page 2. Sadly this is only one of a few level 3 sex offenders taking up residence in Shelton over the last few weeks, although most others are doing so legally. According to information gathered by City-Data from the Wash-
ington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, one in about every 200 people in Shelton is a registered sex offender. That’s compared to one in 394 in Olympia or one in 1,001 in Lacey. The statewide average is one in 1,655. The prison could be a large part of that, but the Mason County Sheriff’s Department only lists 29 of Shelton’s 77 registered sex offenders as inmates, so even excluding the locked up offenders, that’s one in 250 or so. Not comforting figures especially considering that our closest
city, Olympia, while about five times our size, has less than three times the sexual assaults and barely twice as many registered sex offenders. It’s not comfortable living in a community where high-level sex offenders have images of themselves linked to their crimes in our doorways and this newspaper on a weekly basis, but it is something residents of Mason County have grown accustomed to. Still, by remaining registered with local law enforcement, most offenders have shown they are taking
steps toward rejoining society. The same cannot be said for Inman. There is a lot to love about Shelton, our resources, views, neighbors and community, but somehow over the years we have become a destination for sex offenders. It’s a problem that needs to be addressed and although we don’t have the solution, we hope the city and county governments and area landlords make it a priority. Water safety on all our minds The tragedy of a toddler, and possibly his father, drowning on
Lake Limerick this weekend should be a reminder to all of us of the importance of safety while enjoying Mason County’s great outdoors. Personal flotation devices, like seat belts, don’t do much good when not used, particularly for inexperienced swimmers. Take the time to learn to be safe on the water. The American Red Cross offers classes for aquatic safety and the Mason County Sheriff’s Department just finished a boater safety course. The sheriff’s department is available at 427-9679 ext. 313.
LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR
MC Board disregards citizen input Editor, the Journal Here we go again. The Mason County Board of Commissioners once again show us their complete and total disregard for citizen input and transparent communication without games. At the March 13 BOCC meeting they approved a token effort by implementing the Advisory Committee for the Belfair Urban Growth Area. Against every testimony offered that morning, they chose to “gerrymander” the makeup of the committee, thereby strategically (and I believe) purposefully eliminating the individuals and businesses owners from Belfair that have been most engaged, worked the hardest, and yes, been the most critical of the problems created by the mismanaged Belfair Sewer Project. Does this feel retaliatory? To those of us who have attempted to engage with them and seek solutions over the past year, absolutely. It seems that in order to sidestep the actual problem the commission created a committee that has no teeth just to satisfy (read shut up) those of us actually trying to come up with real solutions. This seems to be the typical “MO” for this BOCC as evidenced by the many commission meetings where every person who testified said essentially the same thing just to have our “representatives” ignore their constituents and vote the way they had already decided prior to the meeting. This sort of “representation” cannot continue, therefore come November we need to effect real change in hopes of having true, honest dialogue with elected officials that will actually listen and respect democracy.
Last week with a 3-0 vote and after more than two years of sincere and meaningful public testimony, Mason County created a token Belfair Urban Growth Area (UGA) Advisory Committee purposely limiting membership only to property owners who live on their UGA property. They knowingly eliminated about 90 percent of the real UGA stakeholders in Phase One of the Belfair Sewer project simply because we question a project nearly 100 percent over budget, behind schedule, deep in debt, laden with misrepresented loans and grants, troubled with obvious property takings, illegal sewer hookups and thus destined to imminent financial failure. Tim Sheldon and Linda Ring Erickson have repeatedly stated Belfair businesses should pay for the Belfair Sewer. These property owners are the real stakeholders entitled to membership yet denied a voice in their own destiny. Denying committee membership to most property owners, all community associations, all trade associations, 99 percent of all businesses, all churches, Belfair Fire District 2, the port district, our school district and all utility districts while at the same time limiting committee review to UGA boundaries and incorporation purposely ignored the immediate need to examine the mismanaged Belfair Sewer project. Tim Sheldon states, “The real stakeholders live there.” In reality, none of our misguided commissioners “live there” yet we have mistakenly empowered them to decide our future. November will hopefully bring three long awaited changes where democracy no longer takes a backseat to dictatorship. Let’s create transparency in Mason County government by ridding ourselves of censorship and three pompous monarchs. Bob Harris Belfair
Robert Drexler Allyn
In the U.S. Senate, both Washington Senators are female Democrats: Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell. In Mason County, all three county judges are females: Superior Court Judge Toni Sheldon, Superior Court Judge Amber Findlay and District Court Judge Victoria Meadows. In elected positions in Mason County Democrats are represented by women: Treasurer Lisa Frasier, Auditor Karen Herr and Assessor Melody Peterson. One of the three current county commissioners is a female Democrat, Lynda Ring Erickson. Women also hold significant management positions in Mason County, Washington state, the U.S. Congress and the Democrat President’s cabinet. The letter has many complaints about the treatment of women around the world. Please go fix those countries if you can, but don’t forget to pack your burqa, khimar and niqab, and travel with a male relative to escort you outside your home or to drive you to your appointments. (Fewer civil liberties than the oppressive USA?) You dislike the Catholic Church, which is your right as an American citizen. The letter also demands free choice for women in their own reproductive health. I don’t see anyone stopping you from getting birth control pills, condoms or an abortion in Washington state. Access to family planning for the uninsured is available in the US. According to the Guttmacher Institute www. guttmacher.org “Nationally, the annual per-client cost for contraceptive care in 2008 was an estimated $257… In total, $1.9 billion is estimated to have been spent on publicly funded family planning care in 2008…” The only civil liberties at risk in the U.S. are to the free speech and freedom of religion of those women and men who have the courage to publicly disagree with you.
spousal and survivor benefits are specifically excluded for domestic partners. Most of the many hundreds of rights that come automatically with marriage only accrue to domestic partners with prior formalization. In most states, for example, a domestic partner would not be allowed to a hospital bedside without having previously made their wishes known, in writing, to the hospital – with marriage it’s automatic. Et ridiculous cetera. In actuality, this is all moot. According to the Supreme Court, (Loving vs. Virginia, 1967) “Marriage is one of the basic civil rights of man …” Since “separate but equal” has been ruled unconstitutional more times than I can count, gay marriage is already constitutional. As proof, think about why the push is for a constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage, as opposed to a Supreme Court challenge. Because gay marriage would be ruled a constitutionally guaranteed right, no matter what state law says. Larry Taylor
What kind of choices will there be? Editor, the Journal Victoria Pavel observes (March 15) that women should be entitled to make their own life choices. Catholics will agree with her, and want to extend the same freedom to men as well. Our capacity to choose is rooted in the way God made us. Catholics will note that good choices are virtuous and meritorious. Bad decisions are sins. When decisions that infringe on my neighbors’ rights, when they are hurtful and vicious, when they rob a child of life, then they come under this second category. May Christ’s gentleness and accepting love be yours this Easter, Ms. Pavel.
Mary Jean Hrbacek (Rev.) Ronald H. Belisle Shelton Transparent Really? Shelton Women’s government Marriage is What are 99 civil liberties needed days worth are at risk? one of the Editor, the Journal In my opinion, Mason basic civil to you? Editor, the Journal County Commissioner meetRegarding Ms. Pavel’s letings have become mostly “dog Editor, the Journal rights ter, which was vitriolic, to say and pony shows.” Most deciFor most of us, 99 days the least: Women make up sions are seemingly already decided upon and they take public input only because law requires it. Public participation is unappreciated and unwanted. Do they prefer the “knock knock” enter office approach to running Mason County government?
50.2 percent of the Washington state population. In Washington state, we have a second term female Democrat governor, Christine Gregoire, who was the state’s Attorney General prior to holding her current office.
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Editor, the Journal In her March 15 letter to the Journal, Marilyn Gregory incorrectly claimed that domestic partners had all the same rights as married couples. She knew this because: “It is easy to look up on the Internet.” Perhaps so, but she failed to look in the appropriate place. It took me about 30 seconds to verify my recollection the Social Security
represents seven paychecks or three mortgage payments. To a high school student, 99 school days represents over half of a school year. For the Navy Junior ROTC program, 99 unproductive days could mean disestablishment. In November the Shelton School District was put on notice that they needed to increase enrollment in their NJROTC program or the
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Navy would disestablish their program and pull the source of this federal funding from this district. In November, the NJROTC Booster Club (not the Shelton School District) held a community meeting to gather ideas for ways to save the NJROTC program and this funding. Since that date support for this program has grown. It has come from parents, students, community members and the three veteran’s groups representing thousands of veterans in our community. Two parents have led the march to save this program and have spent hundreds of hours gathering support and pursuing suggestions made by supporters. One suggestion was given top priority. It was to get graduation credits for this program. Over the 35 years that this program has been in Shelton, various credits were assigned to match the curriculum being taught. Over time, and for unknown reasons, these credits were removed and the students were required to use electives to stay in NJROTC for the full four years. Program supporters requested that the school district review the curriculum to determine if credits could be assigned to meet graduation requirements and allow students to use their electives to satisfy college admission requirements or to explore other interests while in high school. Supporters believe that by recognizing the value of the curriculum and by helping students to stay in the program, enrollment numbers would increase. After 99 days of waiting and continually being told by the superintendent that this was being worked on, a meeting was finally held by school district administrators and teachers to discuss the curriculum and whether credits could be assigned. This meeting was held two days before the scheduled registration night for incoming freshmen. Shelton School District, why has it taken 99 days to start this process and what have you been doing while you let this federal funding flow through your fingers? The Shelton School Board supports this program and also asked for this review. District administrators have told them that this review will be done by the end of this school year. We will raise the question, why don’t the administrator (the former administrator) and the curriculum director know what the curriculum covers and why weren’t the proper credits already assigned? Isn’t this an expectation of their job? Why do we feel that once again, parents are not being listened to? We have had our requests ignored, and we have been treated like children. We believe that this is a stalling tactic by Shelton School District staff. If they wait long enough, either we will go away out of frustration or the
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program and funding will be lost and then they won’t need to do anything. Why is that? Some supporters believe that there are school district employees that don’t want a program in their school that has military connections. Others believe that we have administrators that have forgotten who they work for. It’s time for a refresher course in how this works. This leadership program comes with only one budgetary requirement. The school district picks up half of the salary of the two instructors. All other funding comes through the Navy with the requirement that you enroll a minimum of 100 students. You can’t get more cost effective than that. This program is growing leaders; something we can certainly use more of. As citizens, we create our schools. Through taxation and involvement we support them. As citizens we elect school board representatives and give them authority to represent us. The school board retains final authority within the district. The board delegates executive responsibility to the superintendent to manage the district. It’s time for parents and community members to take responsibility for their schools. Let your school board representatives know what is important to you for education in your community. Expect paid employees that are in positions of authority to do their jobs or call for their replacement when they fail. Don’t allow parents to be treated as inferior. Recognize the importance of cross crediting high school courses to allow students the option to pursue graduation requirements in courses that interest them. Some discretionary authority regarding course content and credits assigned is given to the local school districts to use and Shelton needs to start using it. What Shelton School District needs is leadership and yet we are driving out one of the best leadership programs offered to high school students. We call on the Shelton School Board to take the authority and responsibility that we have given each of you, chart the course this ship will take and demand excellence from your district leadership. So, what about the next 99 days? Will the NJROTC program reach their enrollment minimum? Will the school district address our request with positive results? This is all unknown. The only thing that is certain is that these two parents are not giving up. We will continue to fight for our students and the future of the Navy Junior ROTC in Shelton. We welcome your support. njrotcboosterclub@ gmail.com Helen Thomson, Shelloy Johnson
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