Other Headlines

Drainage project detailed
MONTESANO — Last winter, the Seeley and Cascade Court neighborhoods were underwater. Residents who experienced flooding at or near their homes in the neighborhoods just off of Medcalf Street in Montesano hoped for a guarantee that the city’s new Storm Drainage Improvement Project would address the encroaching water issues when they attended a public meeting Wednesday, Sept. 2, at City Hall.

What they got was assurance that the drainage improvements designed by Parametrix, an engineering, planning and environmental sciences firm of Lacey, will be a substantial upgrade from what is a patchwork and woefully inadequate system.

Wynooche shooting ‘justifiable’
MONTESANO — The death of 25-year-old Westin Wolff of Olympia at Wynooche Lake on Aug. 29 has been ruled a case of “justifiable homicide” by the Grays Harbor County Prosecutor’s Office.

Interim coroner Dan Burns said last week that Wolff died about 1 a.m. as the result of a gunshot wound to the chest. The Sheriff’s Office completed its investigation into Wolff’s death late last week and filed the case with the prosecutor’s office for review, Undersheriff Rick Scott said Wednesday, Sept. 9. It’s the prosecutor’s responsibility to make a legal determination “as to whether this use of deadly force falls within the law as an allowable and justifiable act,” Scott said last week.

The undersheriff said his office received a letter of declination from the prosecutor’s office Wednesday morning, Sept. 9, and a finding that “the acts of (a) Port Orchard man were justifiable in accordance with the law and that this was ruled a justifiable homicide.”

McCleary council approves upgrades
McCLEARY — Tough economic times or not, things are happening in McCleary.

In July, the McCleary City Council approved making an offer for the purchase of the former Brookside Mobile Home Park, adjoining the city cemetery to the east on Simpson Avenue.

The offer was accepted, meaning the city will purchase the 2-acre parcel from Larry Birindelli for $150,000, with $50,000 down and the remainder, plus 5 percent interest, funded by retail estate excise tax revenue over a five-year period.

The plan for the property is to convert part of it into Brookside Park, with picnic grounds, a play area for children and Wildcat Creek running through it, Councilwoman Helen Lake said Friday.
Another part of the property could be used for cemetery parking and to expand and improve the cemetery, which currently has only 21 plots available, “which is very, very limiting,” City Administrator Busse Nutley told council members at their Sept. 2 meeting.

Preventing tragedy
ELMA — The death of an Elma High School student during last April’s spring break has heightened the concern of fellow students, school staff and many others in the community at large for the safety of young people.

Now, with the beginning of a new school year, the school has instituted some policy changes in the hopes of fending off similar tragedies in the future.

School staff took a number of immediate steps to help students deal with the tragedy of the death of Austin Burrows, the 18-year-old senior who died April 1 at his home. Interim coroner Dan Burns said Burrows died of “acute methadone intoxication.” Methadone, a pain reliever, has a number of purposes but can also be “a drug of abuse,” Burns said.

Outlaw Days in Oakville
A saloon trip turned into “outlaw” Jason Raynes’ last, as fellow “outlaws” Tom Johnson, and Larry Raynes took him outside to settle a score in the thoroughfare. See more Outlaw Days photos on page C-1.


More Sports

Snohomish’s Bergman and Canadian Beaulieu nab wins Saturday
ELMA — The first night of racing during the Big ‘E’ weekend saw Snohomish’s Seth Bergman take the top prize in the Wingless 360 Sprint feature, while Campbell River, British Columbia’s Chris Beaulieu picked up the feature win in the Northern Provincial Pipeline Late Model Super Stock class Saturday night at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma. Bergman’s triumph came thanks to a pass with just five laps to go, he then held it through the checkers on lap-30.

U12 Fastpitch try out
The U12 Montesano Bulldog fastpitch squad will hold try outs at 5:30 p.m., Saturday Sept. 12 at the Montesano High School softball field. For more information call Gary Galliner at (360) 249-0591 or (360) 580-8263.