Journal Mason County
Locals get update on new Shelton mill PAGE A-3
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015
The Voice of Mason County Since 1886 - Vol. 129, No. 38
Handing out high-fives
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City will seek grant to identify toxic sites Mayor, business groups leery about EPA funds By GORDON WEEKS gordon@masoncounty.com
CANCER, THE FIRST TIME For more than a decade, Dorothy has been battling breast cancer with conventional methods such as chemotherapy. In 2005, Dorothy found a lump in her breast and was surprised to learn that she had cancer. Doctors quickly prescribed six weeks of intense chemotherapy. “I feel like I was unconscious most of the time,” she said. “The doctors would tell me when to show up and I’d be there, but I didn’t want to know the details or what was happening.” At the end of six weeks, doctors told Dorothy she had beat the cancer for the time being and sent her home. “We were super optimistic that it wouldn’t come back,” Vanessa said. “It was like, ‘Well, we’re done with
The Shelton City Commissioners on Monday voted to pursue grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify, assess and clean up brownfield sites on First Street to attract developers. While passing the measure by a 2-1 vote, Commissioners Tracy Moore and Mike Olsen said they felt reassured by Steve Goins — the city’s director of community and economic development — and the city attorney that the city wouldn’t be forced by the federal government to clean up any toxic sites identified in the study. Mayor Gary Cronce, the third commissioner, voted against pursuing the grant. “I’ve talked to old-timers who have dealt with the EPA for 40 years. …. They said, ‘Approach with caution,’ ” he said. The commission twice postponed voting on the measure so city staff and the city’s attorney, Kathleen Haggard, could further study the guidelines and possible ramifications of accepting the EPA grant. Both the Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Council of Mason County urged the commission to postpone the grant application. At the Sept. 8 commission meeting, Chamber Executive Director Heidi McCutcheon warned of “unintended consequences” of accepting grant money from the EPA. At Monday’s meeting, EDC Executive Director Lynn Longan asked the commissioners to delay its decision because “moving so suddenly on this proposal could jeopardize the vitality of many community prioritized projects which the city has been supporting,” she said, reading from a letter. But when pressed for more details by Commissioner Moore, Longan could not name a project that would be “jeopardized” by the acceptance of the EPA grant. Olsen said he hadn’t seen or heard any evidence the city will be forced by the federal government to clean up a contaminated site identified during the assessment.
see FUNDRAISER, page A-22
see CITY, page A-22
Journal photo by Brianna Loper
Chief Deputy Ryan Spurling of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office high-fives students after their first day of the school year last week in Belfair. For more photos, see page A-29.
Fundraiser nears $50K for cancer patient By BRIANNA LOPER brianna@masoncounty.com Piling her family into a bright blue Volkswagen van, Dorothy Ariens has spent most of her life traveling around the country to enjoy the great outdoors. Along the way, she amassed a network of friends. “People love her,” said Dorothy’s eldest daughter, Vanessa. “She has the gift of friendship and she makes it a priority. She touches lives.” During the past week, that network of friends has stepped up to give back to Dorothy, an Allyn resident, in the form of more than $47,000 in an online fundraising campaign to help her pay for cancer treatments. Dorothy’s son, Johannes, set up a GiveForward account on Sept. 7, with a $50,000 goal to pay for nontraditional cancer treatments for his mother. The youngest Ariens child opened the campaign by accident after he donated to the account and it published a link to the campaign to one of his social media pages. Within minutes, dona-
tion. “It’s so humbling, just such a blessing,” Dorothy said on Friday. “I’m so thankful, so grateful, and completely blown away.”
Journal photo by Brianna Loper
Dorothy Ariens, center, began pursuing alternative treatment methods earlier this month for metastatic breast cancer that spread throughout her body and bones. Her son, Johannes, not pictured, and daughters, Vanessa, left, and Corrie, right, started a GiveForward online campaign to raise money to pay for the treatments. tions were pouring in to the site. “No one wants to ask for help, so our choice to even start this thing was hard,” Dorothy said. “The old saying that it’s better to give than receive is really true.” The next day, Johannes received an email from GiveForward, telling him that his campaign raised more money in its first 24 hours than any of the other
15,671 campaigns on the site. In less than 48 hours, the Ariens family raised more than half of their goal amount. The family said they received donations from many people they didn’t expect to give, including childhood friends and community members they didn’t know well. The campaign even received an anonymous $10,000 dona-
Inside today City, county, EDC weigh state funding options Page A-6
Shelton man dedicates life to dogs Page A-23
Grapeview program aims to help young students Page A-28