July 26, 2007

	Monte mayoral campaign heating up
	Incumbent Mayor Stone oversaw tree removal more extensive than planned at historic Bryan Park; mayoral candidate Schillinger involved in load of logs gifted illegally to football team fundraiser By Dee Anne Shaw Vidette Editor Bryan Park at the City of Montesano's east entrance is now bare of the four dozen stately poplars that had become weather beaten and prone to losing limbs or even toppling in high winds. The 80-some year old trees had become a definite liability. But the rhododendrons and other shrubs that lined the entrance are gone now, too, which is something city officials said would not happen. The plan was to remove just the poplars and leave all other landscaping in place until a new plan for the park could be developed.		In this view looking east, a backhoe is used to scrape the remaining shrubbery from Bryan Park in Montesano. (Photo by Dee Anne Shaw) Mayoral candidate Ron Schillinger has written a letter apologizing to the mayor and City Council for forgetting to tell them about a load of logs that was donated to the Montesano High School football team for a firewood fundraising project. The donation was an illegal gift of a city asset, City Attorney Dan Glenn concluded in a memo to the City Council. On Tuesday, the matter was referred to the council's Forestry Committee. Councilwoman Vini Samuel said the committee will look at the exact amounts involved, both in dollars and tons of wood. Schillinger said that since pulp logs are "barely break-even financially" he didn't think the city was giving away much.
	10th annual tour features gardens of East Grays Harbor
	'Earthly Delights' 2007 Garden Tour By Tommi Halvorsen Gatlin Vidette Reporter All that rain recently could only have helped area gardens become even more lush than they already were, creating an even better setting for the 10th annual Washington State University Master Gardeners Garden Tour on Saturday. "Earthly Delights" is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and though the midweek weather forecast was calling for clouds Saturday, there was no mention of further wet stuff, and temperatures were expected to be in the 70s. Sounds like a perfect day to stroll through the East Grays Harbor gardens that have been readied for their special day to shine.		John and Rena Thompson's sumptuous English Country Garden, pictured above, in the lush Satsop Valley is one of six that will be featured Saturday in the 10th annual WSU Master Gardeners' Tour, "Earthly Delights." From "Gardening Large in a Small Space" to "Listen to the Land," to a "Fairytale Cottage" and the "Abbott Arboretum" and more, those who stroll through this year's lovely gardens will be tempted to take up permanent residence there. The tour will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Start early and don't take a chance on missing a thing. (Photo by Dee Anne Shaw)
	Festival goers competitive, but out for fun
	Cribbage and watermelon eating contests, rock wall climbing, car show and more... By Jerrad Kellogg Vidette Reporter Some folks come to Montesano's Annual Festival of People for the food, others to get out and mingle, while some others head down to Fleet Park for both of the aforementioned attractions and also to mix it up with other competitive souls in one or more of the Festival's free games, blow-up sports activity stations and the Army Rock Wall Challenge.		Josh Walker, in mid air, takes a tumble, as Anthony Louthan, to the left, closes on the finish line. (Photo by Jerrad Kellogg) Shortly after 10:30 a.m., on Saturday, the games got underway with the early rounds of the Cribbage Tournament under the Whitney's covered area, where Charlie McBride and Al Royce slowly worked their way to a finals match-up, where McBride edged Royce for the title.