May 10, 2007

	County's new elections building rolls into town
	$200,000 grant through the Help America Vote Act, which was created after the 2000 election scandal. By Dee Anne Shaw Vidette Editor The wheels of government turn slowly, but on Monday they rolled into Montesano in the form of a new elections building for the Grays Harbor Auditor's Office. It all started eight years ago, but Auditor Vern Spatz can remember "the Florida debacle" as if it were yesterday. Remember all of those "hanging chads" during the 2000 presidential election between George Bush and Al Gore? It all came down to the last ballot counted - or not counted, depending on your point of view - in Florida.		Traffic is guided Monday around two of the three pieces that make up Grays Harbor's new elections building. (Photo by Dee Anne Shaw)
	Learning English - and lots more
	An Elma woman has come a very long way since leaving her childhood home in central Mexico 14 years ago. By Tommi Halvorsen Gatlin Vidette Reporter "You want some spaghetti?" Lus Cardona asks a lively young girl eating lunch at the Head Start center in Elma. "Thank you," the 37-year-old tells another child who passes her the bowl of spaghetti. "Use both hands," Cardona encourages the girl trying to scoop the squiggly pasta out of the bowl. Cardona speaks softly to the youngsters, but her words are clear and seem to come naturally. No small feat. Though Cardona's lived in the United States for 14 years, she's been speaking English for less than two. "I can remember when Lus didn't speak any English at all," says the center's assistant, LaDonna Badgley, who knew her when Cardona's oldest daughter attended Head Start 10 years ago.		Elma resident Lus Cardona enjoys a moment with Head Start student Natalie Jarvis as Jesus Settles looks on. Since learning to speak English, Cardona, a native of Mexico, has been hired as a substitute classroom aide at the Elma Head Start center. (Photo by Dee Anne Shaw)
	Monte handles Forks in double dip
	1A Evergreen Baseball By Jerrad Kellogg Vidette Reporter   Montesano rode the left arm of Zach Fry and a four-run fourth inning to victory in the opener, and then capitalized on four Forks errors in the night cap to close out their regular season with a, 6-1 and 6-4, 1A Evergreen baseball sweep of Forks on Friday, May 4, at Vessey Park. With the pair of wins the Bulldogs, (10-2 in league play, and 13-3 overall), secured second place in the league and a spot in the post-season, which began Tuesday, and will be in next week's edition of The Vidette.		Montesano's Zach Vandiver beats Forks' pitcher Chase Moore to first base after Vandiver tapped a slow-roller in between the pitcher's mound and first base. (Photos by Jerrad Kellogg)