The following was forwarded by Shelton Athletic Director Jim Judson:
September 23, 2011

Final Score: Chelan 35 – Foster 7
A nice thing happened today as we prepared to drive to Foster High School in Tukwila (right by SeaTac Airport). The Foster Head Football Coach Jim Sutrick sent an email with exacting bus directions on finding Foster High School down to which school entrance to turn into and where to park the bus. Once the bus actually arrived we were met by an assistant coach who then showed our boys the locker room and from the locker room how to march out to the play field. Some of this is done at many schools when a new team shows up for the first time, but this isn’t the end of the story. The assistant coach explained that Foster High School is the most diverse high school in the United States with over 40 nationalities and speaking 64 languages. Tukwila is an inner city area and the town and regional around Foster High School has made it there business to be a refugee sanctuary for the whole world. They have made it there business to help the hurting and it pervades everything they do. Coach Sutrick made a point of introducing himself before the game and explaining they do things a little different and emphasize sportsmanship before and after a football game. At 10 minutes prior to the game each team lined up across the football field on the 40 yard line and sang the Star Spangled Banner. At the conclusion of our National Anthem each team came together and shook hands including coaches. Announcements were made of the starters on each team and then the game began. A very clean game, with few penalties played out for four quarters and the usual lineup to wish players and coaches ensued across the field, with the most different feeling – true words were spoken between teams and coaches, with Foster head coach reminding our team to stay out for just a minute on the 50 yard line as the Foster team win or loss went to sing their school fight song to their family and fans. At the conclusion of their school song all of the coaches and players came back to the 50 yard line and took a knee facing our team. Chelan followed there lead and took a knee facing back eye to eye as Coach Sutrick from Foster praised our teams play and sportsmanship, thanked us for driving so far to play this game, and wished us well. Coach Sutrick then opened a giant box and explained that their team and booster club had made each of our players a goodie bag filled with snacks for the road. Coach Sutrick then pulled out an envelope and said that their team and booster club wanted to give us a small token of their appreciation for coming over to play them, and presented our team with $200.00. I have been around football my whole life as the son of a head football coach, as a high school athlete, and as a college football player. I have never witnessed anything like what happened at this football game before and it touched our hearts in a way that is so uncommon in the hurried world we all work and live in, but it was real and it showed what can happen, when you have a mission and a calling to make our world a better place. Thank you Foster High School and Coach Sutrick for stepping out and taking the lead in real and true sportsmanship.

This is one of those games that our players will remember for ever, because of the way we were treated from the beginning of the game to the very end. Foster High School and Head Coach Sutrick's classiness was a model for all other programs. The genuiness of Foster Coaches and Players and the sportsmanship shown was something we had never seen on that level before. It will certainly impact our hearts and minds and hopefully change us all forever.

Sincerely,

Darren Talley - Head Football & Ass't Track Coach Chelan H.S.

It has ofter been said that 'the more things change the more they stay the same', and the proceedings by which Stever Bloomfield was appointed County Commission, District #3, does little to upset that sage observation.

To be fiar, County Commissioners were thrust into a lose/lose situation by haveing to fill, not only an elected postition by appointment, but also the shoes of one of the most loved and respected figures in local history, Jerry Lingle. Needless to say, the process was not without its detractors, of which I count myself.

Here's what happened:

By refusing to enter into Executive Session, Commissioner Tim Sheldon set the stage for what cann only be described as an awarkward eleventh hour moment, during which Commissioners Sheldon and Ring-Erickson debated a procedural point of Robert's Rules of Order, resulting in something less than a seamless nomination process.

Procedural wonks were aware that Commissioner Ring-Erickson, as Chair, was restricted from makiing a nomination; she could only Second a nomination. And because Stever Bloomfield was the first name nominated by Shelton and immediately Seconded by Ring-Erickson, the attending public never got to hear the descending order of candidate preference of either Commissioner. (More importantly, I lost a $20 bet.)

After enduring one of the longest agenda items in recent BOCC history, the public was understandably foaming at the mouth in anticiaption of the nomination process. But instead of being carried to the clamatic moment on a symphonic wave of procedural competency, we were bumped over the finish line by a political clown-car skidding out of control.

With this one, therre's enough blame to go around. First: If Tim could have resised the temptation to "on up" Lynda by agreeing to enter into Executive Session, the public might have been spared an embarrassing moment. Second: If Lynda would have gone the extra step to question the advice of our spanking new Prosector, she could have saved herself from looking like a novice, especially when seeking higher office. And finally: If the Prosecutor had shown up for the meeting (as Lynda had requested) we would have all been spared the backside of Emmett Dobey trotting out the chambers in a futile attempt to fetch said Prosecutor.

And so it was into this circus, big tent, that Steve Bloomfield emerged as Mason County's newest Commissiooner. Which brings me full circle to my original thought: The more things change, the more they stay the same.
 

Tom Davis, Shelton

While there is no intent to endlessly continue this back and forth dialogue over issues surrounding the 160 acre rezone south of the airport, it is important to point out another glaring error as a result of Mr. Davis’ comments in his 29 Sept. posting.

The Port’s legal actions against the City have had nothing to do with delaying any of the potential projects that Mr. Davis claims are being held up. For example: Davis claims that Shelton Hills Equities, Mr. Hall, is being held up on development of a 24 acre park surrounding a lake. We must assume he is talking about the famously contaminated Goose Lake. If Mr. Hall wants to clean up the lake and develop the property he will first have to buy. It is still owned by Rayonier Properties LLC. Obviously it’s not any Port action that might have kept that project from proceeding during the past three years. In fact, if Mr. Hall decides to buy that property he will have no problem building houses on it because it is already zoned Residential even though it shares a property line with the City of Shelton Satellite Sewage Treatment Plant.

Despite the undesirable situation where development of the Goose Lake property would bring houses way too close to the runway, the Port has not, and will not, protest. That is because Residential zoning on that land was part of the compromise accepted by the Port in order to get the protective Airport Overlay Ordinance in place in 2005.

Jay Hupp