The most interesting news for me today is that the Mariners are going to play their first Home Game today. They are playing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Mariners are 5-2 in wins to losses, while the Angels are 3-3. I feel bad for the Angels because they are still grieving the death of their pitcher, Nick Adenhart, who was killed in a car accident. But I don’t feel so bad that I want them to win! Tickets to Mariners games make great gifts for clients.
Safeco field will be filled up with fans today. We are great baseball fans around here, and our games usually see a good turn out of fans. Many will go just to see Ken Griffey, now that he’s back with us. Our other sports teams enjoy good attendance, too. The new Sounders FC are getting very good attendance.
The news around Mason County is all about the cuts to the Sheriff’s department because of the budget constraints. One of the commission members, Tim Sheldon, has caused a lot of controversy with his off the cuff remarks. He made our county sound like the people here are all packing guns, and ready to shoot you.
“It certainly is ‘open season,’” said Tim Sheldon, chairman of the Mason County Commission. “There is no bag limit on criminals who try a home invasion in our communities.”
The commissioner suggests that if more people in his county armed themselves and got the proper training, it could help offset cuts to law enforcement. Sheldon also said: “You might expect a lead enema. I’m telling you, people in Mason County are fed up with crime. They know how to protect themselves.”
The sheriff’s department worries such strong language could push people to vigilantism - and that gun-toting civilians taking the law into their own hands would put an ever greater strain on the sheriff’s department.
I was embarrassed by Sheldon’s remarks, because it gives our County a false image. We do have our pockets of “red necks,” as people refer to some rougher characters, but for the most part we are not the gun-toting type.
Unemployment remains a problem in Mason County, and for the state we are at 9.2 % now. It is un-nerving that the unemployment rate just keeps going up. This situation is a good example of the downward spiraling trend that builds on itself to get worse. It is our hope that the Recovery Plan will interrupt that downward spiral before it cannot be stopped. As people lose jobs, they cannot purchase things, as people stop purchasing things, the sellers have to lay off more workers, who in their turn can’t purchase things, so more workers are laid off, and so it goes.
We have a new tourist attraction in our state. The vampire love movie Twilight was filmed partly in a high school at Kalama WA.
School Superintendent Jim Sutton estimates that 15 to 20 “Twilight” tourists have been showing up daily, a total of about 500 since the movie appeared. He says most come in groups and take turns posing in the same spot as actors in the film.
Many combine their visits to Kalama with stops in other Pacific Northwest locations where Twilight was filmed, including Forks and St. Helens, Ore., across the Columbia river and south of Kalama.
Tourists are helpful for the economy, and Mason County looks forward to the summer season when we get our share of visitors. We have miles and miles of magnificent waterfront, and great hiking trails in the Olympic Mountains. Lots of watersports on several lakes, and very good fishing. The saltwater parks and beaches bring many visitors from out of town. There are many places to stay, so come visit us — and spend your money while you are here! If you really like our region, give me a call and I’ll help you find and purchase either a vacation property, or a permanent residence. I will meet your needs with hometown flair!
Tags: kalama, mariners, Mason County, sheldon, sounders fc, unemployment
As a resident of Mason county, I say, “Cheer!” to Senator and County Commissioner Tim Sheldon’s comments. I find them refreshing. We should count ourselves blessed to be represented by a common sense politician. He may seem rough around the edges, but the truth is he’s a man who’s willing to put his constituents, the law, and his integrity on a higher priority than his next election. Because of things like this, I’ll keep voting for him.
Hi Jeremiah. I notice that Tim Sheldon has a lot of loyal fans. He must be doing something right. As you say, he is a little rough around the edges.