Other Headlines

Estes announces bid for commission
Ken Estes of Montesano wants to be the first Republican in 50 years to win election to the Grays Harbor County Commission. On Monday, the 70-year-old retired police sergeant, announced he’s joining the field of five Democrats jockeying to win the post Bob Beerbower of Elma is vacating after 12 years when his term expires at the end of the year. Commissioner Mike Wilson of Aberdeen is also up for election and has said he will seek a second term. So far, there are no announced challengers. It’s time for a change and time for a different point of view, Estes says.

Cell phone policy on Monte school board’s agenda tonight
The Montesano School Board will hold a study session at 6:30 tonight, April 10, to discuss whether the district should have a policy on the use of cell phones by students during school hours.
Superintendent Marti Harruff said the discussion is designed to be open-ended and members of the community are invited to give their views.

“The board wants to consider all opinions,” she said.
The meeting will take place in the board room at the district office.
Harruff said a packet of material has been collected for board members to get their discussion started. “We’ve taken from the internet a variety of articles from around the United States where school districts are working on crafting workable cell phone policies,” she said.

The board is very aware that many parents want their student to carry a cell phone, she noted, so the discussion is likely to run the gamut, everything from whether to ban them to when and under what circumstances students should be allowed to use them.

Several recent events, including a criminal case involving the sharing of sexually explicit photos, have brought the issue to the forefront. “The discussion we’re going to have is how do we create a policy that’s doable to ensure the quality of our learning environment so teachers can teach and students are safe,” Harruff said.

Elma Council changes its mind on ambulance fee
The Elma City Council reversed itself Monday, voting not to require the citizens to pay back Elma’s portion of the new ambulance availability fee for services Grays Harbor Fire District 5 provided in 2007 through January 2008. The residents also will not have to pay back this year’s payments for February, March and April, which needed to be paid to District 5 before the city could put the new charge on residents’ utility bills in May. The city’s monthly payments to the fire district are about $9,000. As a result of mediation in January, Elma, along with the city of McCleary and Grays Harbor Fire District 12 in rural McCleary, to whom District 5 also provides emergency medical services, agreed to pay District 5 a total of $163,000 for service from February through December of this year. Each entity will make 11 monthly payments for the same level of service the district has been providing. The three entities were to decide among themselves on the portion each would pay, and Elma’s share was determined to be $99,267. The settlement also included a total payment of $50,000 by the three entities for services District 5 provided in 2007 through January 2008, with Elma’s portion being about $28,850.

Tickets to the chamber’s annual banquet available
The Montesano Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual awards banquet on Saturday, April 19. Doors open at 6 p.m. at the Montesano Moose Lodge with dinner at 7. Awards will be presented for Citizen of the Year and Business of the Year. There also will be a silent auction and raffle with proceeds used to support chamber activities during the year. Cost is $25 per person with a choice of a prime rib or salmon dinner.
For tickets or more information, call Dan Olsen at 249-4021, Sandy Burkhamer at 249-2740, or Ken Albert at 249-3111.

Other Sports

Elma out guns Black Hills fastpitch, 12-9
ELMA – Both teams came out firing from the plate in the first inning, but Elma had a bit more firepower in the opening frame, which allowed the Eagles to withstand a late Black Hills rally and notch the, 12-9, 2A Evergreen Conference fastpitch victory on Thursday, April 3, at home. The visiting Wolves struck first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Eagle boys hold off T-birds
ELMA – An eight-run fourth inning gave Elma a big enough cushion to hold off a late Tumwater rally and maintain their advantage in a, 11-9, 2A Evergreen Conference baseball victory on Thursday, April 3, at Eagle Field. Tumwater and Elma were even through one inning, and then the Thunderbird took a one-run advantage in the second frame, before the Eagles responded with two runs in the third stanza..