bight | october 2012

October 2012 Shelton Mason County Chamber 1 1 Shelton Mason County Chamber October2012OctOber 2012

In ThE lOOp pumpkinFEST

Get in the Fall mood with fun for the whole family – including pumpkin

catapults & hayrides – 10

SHELTONMASONCOUNTY

October 2012 Shelton Mason County Chamber 2

SHELTONMASONCOUNTY Dear Fellow Members,

When you receive this newsletter we will be into the 4th Quarter of 2012… can you believe it?! This past month was once again a busy month for the Chamber. We held our second annual golf tournament in which we had a full field of players.

Message from chamber president, Drew Macewen

board of trusteespresident

Drew Macewen Falcon Financial, inc.

past president patti case

Green Diamond Resource Company

Vice president of marketing Kathryn Kamin

Hood Canal Communications

Vice president of member Services Melanie bakala

State Farm insurance

Treasurer rick Verbarendse

Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club

Steve AndrewskiCareerQuest

Janene bandespier 101 Gift Shop & Boutique

Herb baze Black Star, The Strip Steakhouse

Kevin cronquist prudential nW Real Estate

Kelly crabtreemaple Glen Senior Living

rod OlsenOlsen Furniture

Jennifer Owenspeninsula Federal Credit union

Shaun tuckerAlderbrook Resort & Spa

chamber Mission StatementToencourageandmaintainavibrantbusinesscommunity,promotetourismandfacilitateeconomicdevelopment.

produced by Image In Action Design and the Shelton Mason county

chamber of commerce All rights reserved.

Shelton Mason county chamber of commerce

Box 2389 |215 W Railroad AvenueShelton, WA 98584

426-2021 • (800) 576-2021• FAX 426-8678www.sheltonchamber.org

This event continues to grow and I anticipate it will become one of the major golf tournaments in our area going forward. Thank you to all who played, sponsored, or volunteered to make it happen. I especially would like to thank Kevin Cronquist for chairing this year’s tourna-ment… THANK YOU, KEVIN!

As our Chamber continues to grow we have hired a new team member. Janelle Rutter joined the staff in September and brings a wealth of knowledge from administration to market-ing and will be a tremen-dous asset and resource for our Chamber.

I would like to draw your attention to October’s monthly member meet-ing. It will be held at the Pavilion at Sentry Park in Shelton and our guest speaker is Washington

State Senior Economist Bret Bertolin. This an-nual meeting has always provided some keen insight into our state economy and what the economic forecast looks like. This can be a great tool for planning in your own business. So please mark your calendar for Thursday, October 18th, 6:00 PM at the Pavilion.

Our October meeting also serves as the official nominating meeting for next year’s board of trust-ees. If you are interested in serving on the board please contact Patti Case or the Chamber office.

Believe it or not, soon we will also be calling for nominations for our an-nual awards gala. So start thinking about the busi-ness, volunteer, or member that you believe deserves special recognition at our gala in January.

As we enter this final quarter of the year I want to extend my personal gratitude to each and every one of you.

Our Chamber is on solid footing and is constantly working hard to promote and foster a vibrant local business environment. I don’t know about you but I can feel the energy in the air.

We are seeing new busi-nesses open, planning to open, and others planning to expand. This is positive for our community and will help us weather future storms. Without your sup-port the Chamber would not be here to serve. Thank you for all you do.

I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming Cham-ber event.

Drew MacEwenPresident

cOVer pHOtO:Dedicated pumpkin chuckers Unite in UnionSeepage10-11forPumpkinFesteventdetails.PhotoscourtesyofKristinaWunsch,PoppiPhotography

October 2012 Shelton Mason County Chamber 2 3 Shelton Mason County Chamber October2012

Message from chamber executive Director

SHELTONMASONCOUNTY

Newest Members!DJM Designs photography

218 W Cota St, Ste 1Shelton, WA

(360) 285-3566djmdesignsphotos.com

Photography

edward Jones – eric r. thompson301 E Wallace kneeland Blvd, Ste 219

Shelton, WA (360) 426-8054

FinancialInvestments

Shelton liquor & Wine330 W Railroad Ave

Shelton, WA (360) 427-2168

Liquor&SpiritsRetail

know someone else who should join the Chamber?

please call (360) 426-2021 or email [email protected].

Autumn is here. I have to say that though I hate to see the summer months come to an end, there’s just something about this season that I love. With the turning color of the leaves, cool evenings, and brisk mornings come hot beverages, comfy sweaters and cozy fireplaces.

Our second golf tournament was a great suc-cess! Thank you to the committee, chaired by Kevin Cronquist of Prudential Northwest Real Estate, for all your hard work and plan-ning – it was an amazing time. New phrases were mumbled across the greens (“that’s al-most licorice”) golfers talents were put to the test (“did they really land on the line?!”) and it was especially rewarding for me person-ally, as my team beat my husband & father’s team, which earned me huge bragging rights through the next year. It was a great day!

You may recall that the Member Services Committee recently sent out a survey to you via email asking what opportunities you’d like to see more of in the Chamber.

Your response clearly defined three priori-ties: marketing assistance, collaboration with the schools, and networking opportunities. This month marks the kickoff of a new networking opportunity, “Good Morning, Mason County!” On the 2nd Tuesday of each month we’ll be at Rooster’s Restau-rant from 7:30 – 8:30 AM where we’ll have

round table discussions on various topics over breakfast. Conversations will flow from questions such as, “Do you have a Facebook page?” and “How do you encourage your employees?” to “What kind of medical insur-ance do you have?” Bring both your business cards and your questions for this open conversation.

In October, we also begin looking toward the next year. At our membership meeting on October 18, we accept nominations for the Board of Trustees. Though we do have a Nominating Committee who works hard at selecting people to serve on the Board, we also open the floor for nominations from you, our members, at this meeting. If there is a Chamber member in good standing who you would like to nominate, you can do so at this meeting… just make sure that they agree for you to nominate them in advance. If you need more information about the role and duties our Board members serve, just let me know. I’m happy to share that information with you.

And, as we look toward the upcoming year, we’ve be-gun planning our Awards Gala. Save the Date of Friday, January 18, 2013. It will again be held at Little Creek Casino Resort and is already shaping up to be better than ever!

Start thinking now of who you would like to see named as Business, Volunteer and Citizen of the Year. There is no greater compliment that you can give someone than a nomination to honor them for their hard work and dedication over the past year.

Heidi McCutcheonExecutive Director

Administrative Assistant Hired to chamber StaffThe Chamber is pleased to announce and welcome Janelle Rutter as the Chamber’s Administrative Assistant. Rutter will provide a point of contact for walk in traffic, incoming telephone calls, granting access to the building, and supporting the highest level of customer service for members, staff, and visitors. She will also assist with the maintenance and operation of all information technology prod-ucts, communications and marketing efforts.

Chamber director Heidi McCutcheon says, “I was thrilled to receive a candi-date with Janelle’s qualifi-cations. She is a wonderful asset to our team and I have no doubt that she will greatly compliment the professional atmosphere and high level of customer service that our members have come to expect.”

Rutter joins Chamber staff, comprised of director Mc-Cutcheon and office man-ager Deidre Eaton, with a background in marketing, public relations, commu-nications, computer admin and community outreach. She is originally from the Shelton area and holds a degree in computer ad-ministration. Rutter says “I am excited about my new

position with the Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce. I am delighted for yet an-other great career opportu-nity and thrilled to become a part of the Chamber’s continued success.”

If you would like to contact Janelle, she can be reached at [email protected] or at (360) 426-2021.


Join us Thursday, October 18 from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Pavilion at Sentry Park. In addition to the 2013 Board nominations, Wash-ington State Senior Economist Bret Bertolin will present the economic forecast.

Bertolin has been with the Economic and Revenue Fore-cast Council (ERFC) since its inception in 1984. The ERFC is charged with preparing economic analyses and revenue forecasts for the Governor and the Legislature. He is well known within the gov-ernment and outside as an expert on the state’s economy and is highly regarded by his colleagues.

This is a unique opportunity to gain insight to the status of the economy, where we have come,

Senior economist to present Forecast to chamber Members

what the impact is to you and your business and what is predicted for the near future. For more information or to RSVP, visit sheltonchamber.org/mmm or call (360) 426-2021.

Washington State Senior Econo-mis, Bret Bertolin

Members Make Second Annual Golf event a SuccessThe Second Annual Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament was held September 14 at the beautiful Alderbrook Golf Course. It was a fabulous day of networking and golf – raising more than $12,000 to support Chamber events and programs.

Nearly double the number of golfers participated in this year’s best-ball tournament and at the end of eighteen holes (and with the help of some licorice rope!) the competition was fierce. An array of high-end golf clubs, accessories, and prizes were awarded to the top four teams courtesy of Awards Sponsor Green Diamond Resource Company.

First place this year went to Team Gateway Property Man-agement - Kevin Cronquist, Bob Buhl, Curt Creswell, and Tom Uszynski; second place to Team West Coast Bank - Lisa Woodard, Cory Woodard, Kurt Chase, and Gregg Neff; third to Team Our Community Credit Union - Mark Nault, Leigh Devaney, Tracy West, and Brad Bosner; and last year’s overall winners, Team Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club - Rick Verbarendse, Marc & Karen Burns, and Ginny Chit-wood, held on to fourth place. The men’s Longest Drive went to Mark Schmidt from Team Green Diamond and Jamie Ogg from Team John L. Scott won for the Women; Matt Le-din from Team Career Quest

claimed Closest to the Line; and Dennis Pickard picked up the KP!

The day started off nicely thanks to Cart Sponsor West Coast Bank and the whole day’s play was filled with fun by way of a $10,000 Hole in One provided by Bakala State Farm as well as on-course games, giveaways, and “purchasable advantages”! As comedian Dave Hill says, “Golf is the hardest game in the world to play and the easiest to cheat at.” Our purchasable advan-tages made it a little easier for participants to uphold their moral character on the course.

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to this year’s golf tournament com-mittee led by Kevin Cronquist. Kevin and his crew (Drew MacEwen, Curt Creswell, Bob Buhl, Mike and Judy Cal-laghan) worked diligently with our staff to ensure this year’s tournament was a memorable

and valuable event– thank you!

Thank you to this year’s hole sponsors: Brady Trucking & Landscape Supply, Cut Rate Auto Parts, Fir Lane Health & Rehabilitation Center, Gardner Accounting, Hackney Fam-ily Dentistry, Heritage Bank, Hood Canal Communications, Lake Cushman Golf Course, Maple Glen Senior Living, Mason County Title Company, Newman Family Chiroprac-tic, Our Community Credit Union, Peninsula Credit Union, ProBuild Shelton, Prudential Northwest Real Estate, Richard C. Downing, DDS, Richard D. Thornbrue, CPA, SERVPRO of Mason County, The Strip Steakhouse, and Windermere Real Estate/Himlie Inc.; And to all of our member businesses who donated items for contest prizes: Dr. Richard C. Down-ing DDS, Arnold Smith Insur-ance, Dominos Pizza, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and Skipworth’s Saw Shop.

thank You tournament Sponsors!

TitleSponsor

AwardsSponsor

HoleinOneSponsorCartSponsor


preSIDent’S cIrcle

platinum Members

Gold Members

Silver MembersA Lighthouse on Hammersley Bed & Breakfast

Community Financial Center Skokomish Farms, inc.

Windermere Real Estate/ Himlie inc.

chamber board Gains recognized community leadersThe Chamber is proud to announce that two new trustees have joined the Board:

Janene bandes of pier 101 Gift Shop & boutiqueJanene Bandes, the owner of Pier 101 Gift Shop & Boutique in Hoodsport, is a Shelton High grad. Bandes was honored by the Mason General Hospital Foundation in 2010 as an American Business Women’s Award recipient for her involve-ment in a number of community groups such as the Hood Canal Business Association, Union Tourism Association, and the Evergreen Chapter of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association. Janene and her children live in Union and enjoy traveling.

rod Olsen of Olsen FurnitureRod Olsen Jr. is the owner of third-generation family business Olsen Furniture. As a 1994 Shelton High School Graduate, Olsen is a hometown success story. Olsen, along with his wife Gigi and their sons Owen and Cassius, continue to live in the Shelton area and to contribute both professionally and personally to the community.

Your Chamber of Commerce is run by its members and a Board of Trustees that determines policies and set goals. Trustees are eligible to serve two consecutive two-year terms and new members are nominated each October at the regular monthly meeting. As vacancies arise, the nominating committee and Board members invite interested members to join, fulfilling existing terms. See the article on page 8 for more information about the upcoming elections.

Senior center provides Outreach Opportunity for local businesses & OrganizationsResponding to the needs of the community, the Mason County Senior Activities Center in downtown Shelton offers low cost lunches to local seniors each Friday. The Center is currently seeking partnerships with local businesses and organizations to continue this service.

are prepared by the Senior Nutrition Program operated by Senior Services for South Sound. Their respected program is supported by funding from the Area Agency on Aging and through local fundraising.

To participate in the Friday Lunch Program, or for program details and requirements, please contact the Center’s Director Terri Shaw at (360) 426-7374 or email [email protected].

Participating groups are asked to assist in planning and to provide three or more volunteers to prepare and serve lunch for 25-35 people. The meal may be donated or may be purchased using the program’s limited budget. Groups are encouraged to sponsor two or more lunches during the year.

The Friday lunch program depends heavily on donations to supplement the proceeds of just $3 per person. Monday through Thursday lunches at the Center


October 105:30-7:00 pm

business After Hourspresentedandsponsoredby

19330 n uS HWY 101, Shelton

October 166:30 pm – 8:30 pm

candidates Forumpresentedby

Oakland Bay Junior High School3301 n Shelton Springs Rd, Shelton

SHELTONMASONCOUNTYOctober 5

11:30 am-1:00 pmbusiness builder WorkshopSmall business loan Success

Grove Street Brewhouse233 S First St, Shelton, WA 98584


ribbon cutting

330 W Railroad Avenue, Shelton

October 97:30 am – 8:30 pm

Good Morning Mason countyFreeMemberNetworkingBreakfast

Roosters Restaurant3001 Olympic Hwy n, Shelton


Membership Meeting & economic Forecast

Sponsoredby

The pavilion at Sentry park190 W Sentry Dr, Shelton

Keep up to date on chamber news and

events!

Text cHAMberneWS to 42828 to join our email list

*messageanddataratesmayapply.

OctOber EVEnTS

chamber’s Membership Vp receives prestigious Award

Melanie Bakala of State Farm Insurance was presented the prestigious ESGR "Above and Beyond" award on September 5, 2012.

The Above and Beyond Award is an employer recognition award presented by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). The Above and Be-yond Award was created by ESGR to publicly recognize American employers for providing “extraordinary support and cooperation to their employees, who like the citizen warriors before them, have answered their nation’s call to serve.”The award is given in limited numbers by state committees.

Bakala was nominated by her employee, Chris Meyer, who says, “Melanie has been so supportive of me and my military service. There were numerous reasons I nominated her for the award.” Meyer says that while he was overseas, his office sent

him care packages, kept in touch with him and his family, maintained his employee benefits, and put him right back to work upon his return. “Those were just a few of the reasons I felt she deserved more than just a basic award. I was excited to learn they selected her!”

Bakala has owned the local Shelton State Farm Agency since April 2010. Her of-fice strives to provide its customers with exceptional experiences, gaining acknowl-edgment both regionally and nationwide. She has over 17 years experience in mar-keting, sales, and sales management in the banking and insurance industries. She is married to Jim Belleville and has three children: Jimmy, Sierra, and Maddie.

The Chamber is proud that Bakala serves on its Board of Trustees– setting an exam-ple as amazing leader and an exceptional business woman.

Above from left: Bryon Burgess from ESGR, Chris Meyer, and Melanie Bakala.


SAVer cOMMIttee UpDAtepatti Case | Green Diamond Resource Company and SAVER Committee Chair

Your Chamber’s SAVER committee has been busy, as evidenced by the progress at First and Railroad… and other work.

SAVER stands for Shelton Alliance for Viable Economic Revitalization (only Bob Buhl could come up with an acronym that good!) and was created in 2011. Their mission is “to advocate and support en-hanced economic vitality and an improved quality of life for Shelton residents.” Toward that goal, the committee is cur-rently focused on downtown business core improvements though discussions range more broadly.

SAVER is unique, in that Steve Goins, Community Development and Public Works Director for the City of Shelton, sits on the committee so that a free and open exchange of ideas and potential proj-ects can occur. Other committee members include downtown business and building owners Scott Barnard, Holly Cahoon, Kevin Cronquist, Dave Mariano and Len Williams. Patti Case chairs the committee and serves as the Chamber board liaison. Additional committee members include Tracy Moore, who represents the City of Shelton Historic Preservation Commis-sion, Dick Taylor representing the Port of Shelton and Brad Patterson for Mason County Transportation Authority.

SAVER’s first project was to partner with the city and local businesses to revitalize the corner of First and Railroad to im-prove both pedestrian and vehicular traffic through the downtown business core.

The median, which is owned by the city, was sorely in need of an upgrade. The diseased trees, which were buckling the sidewalk, were removed and the sidewalk demolished by the city. New sidewalks were created, courtesy of Miles Sand & Gravel, who donated the concrete and by Kory Cline of Cline Construction, who performed the pouring of the sidewalks.

This fall, volunteers will add landscap-ing that will invite visitors to area busi-nesses rather than hiding them. Landscape design was executed by Keith Hansen of Oakland Bay Landscaping. The finishing touch for the intersection is a monument-style sign, designed by Foster & Williams Architects ,to compliment the clock tower just two blocks down, which will welcome visitors to historic downtown Shelton and direct them to businesses on Railroad Avenue.

Mark Tuson of Tuson Masonry will construct the sign which will have full up-lighting, thanks to the electrical work of Vic Strickland of Ares ElectricIn addition to the First and Railroad proj-ect, SAVER has also made several recom-mendations to the city asking for relief from transportation impact fees for new businesses occupying existing buildings and other short-term relief from fees and ordinances. These recommendations were designed to encourage new businesses while strengthening the downtown core. City elected officials were scheduled to be briefed on the transportation impact fees and voted to approve the recommendation at their retreat on August 30, 2012.Stay tuned for other news from SAVER as they partner with other groups to take a comprehensive look at how various eco-nomic, historic and other elements work together to connect our community and create a positive downtown experience.


board nominations to be Announced at October Meeting

Each year at the October Membership Meeting, nominations for the ensuing Board of Trustees term are announced, in accordance with the Chamber’s bylaws. Nominees are recommended by the Nominating Committee and must be mem-bers in good standing whom have consented to serve; additional nominations will be taken from the floor during the mem-bership meeting, so long as the nominee is also in good standing and has given their consent to serve.

The meeting will be held on October 18 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at the Pavilion at Sentry Park where the forum topic will be the Economic Forecast presented by WA State Senior Economist, Bret Bertolin.

Executive Director Heidi Mc-Cutcheon says that this nomi-nation and selection process is crucial to the organization's future. "Our success is based upon a strong Board who can represent an assortment of our member businesses," she said. "The Board

is charged with the strategic direction of the Chamber and provides valuable insight on behalf of our members."

Following the October Membership Meeting, ballots containing all nominations will be mailed to members in good standing via USPS. Newly elected Trustees will be announced at the Membership Meeting on November 29 and formally installed at the An-nual Awards Gala on Friday, January 18.

board candidates to Appear on november ballot

Current members nominated for Re-election Herb Baze — The Strip Steakhouse / Black Star (2nd Term)kathryn kamin — Hood Canal Communications (2nd Term)Janene Bandes - pier 101 Gift and Boutique (1st Term)kelley Crabtree — maple Glen Senior Living (1st Term)Rod Olsen — Olsen Furniture (1st Term) members in Good Standing nominated for Election Jill Himlie — Windermere Real Estate/Himlie inc. (1st Term)Russ Denney — pantorium Cleaners (1st Term)

bUSIneSS bIGHt| LESSOnS frOM a MOuSE wITh bIg EarS

With National Customer Service Week falling Octo-ber 1-5, 2012 it seems the perfect time to share these “magical” lessons:

1. Focus on the right stuff and the money will come – The top three priorities of Disneyland management is leadership excellence, cast excellence and guest satisfaction. The fourth priority is financial results. The interpretation is that if you do the first three things right, money is a natural outcome.

2. Take care of your employees (cast members) – Disneyland has “team centers” to serve the needs of its employees. These centers provide insurance, dis-counts, tickets, transportation services and payroll services. The message is “be good to your employees, and they’ll be good to your customers.”

3. Everybody should do the “dirty jobs” – How many peo-ple are there in the park sweep-

ing up trash? Take a guess. The right answer is an astoundingly low number: eight. This is pos-sible because every employee is supposed to keep the park clean, not just the janitors.

4. Everybody is customer service – How long do you think the training is for the people with brooms sweeping up the trash? Six weeks. This is necessary because guests ask janitors questions, so the folks with brooms must be experts about the park. The training for parking lot attendants can be as long as eight weeks.

5. Pay attention to the details – Walt Disney himself specified the type of trash can for the park. These cans are currently swapped out every two years and Disney repaints them every four months.

6. Pay attention to even more details – A hairdresser in the wig department takes 30-45 minutes to wash and set the

wig for Ariel. Then it takes 90-120 minutes to dry it. Finally, there’s another 30 minutes to comb it out. This is for a wig. Most entrepreneurs don’t spend this much time prac-ticing their pitch for venture capitalists.

7. Make your customers feel close and important – The buildings on Main Street are 5/8th scale. This is to make people feel like they are closer to the action and important. Most companies erect edifices to make their customers feel small, and their bosses feel big. Disneyland does the opposite. Walt Disney used to crouch down to see Disneyland from a child’s perspective.

8. Know the facts – What is the ratio of adults to kids at any given moment in the park? Believe it or not, there are four adults for every kid. I would have never guessed that. This has big ramifications: Dis-neyland can’t just be a place

for kids since kids are only 20 percent of the customers.

9. Green is good – The floats are all battery-powered. The fireworks are launched with compressed air, not explosive charges. The trains are bio-die-sel and burn the oil from the park’s restaurants. Currently, 80 percent of the 1.3 pounds of trash that each guest produces per day is recycled.

9. Keep customers coming back – The Star Wars inspired ride called Star Tours has six different destinations, two beginning scenes and three ho-lograms. This means that there are 54 different combinations. If you’re very lucky, you can see all the combinations in three rides—or, much more likely, you’ll have to keep coming back for more.

Adapted from the article What I Learned From A Mouse With Big Ears, Guy Kawasaki Co-Founder, Alltop


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OysterFest preview, A long-Standing tradition Shelton Skookum rotary hosts business after hours

Shelton Skookum Rotary Club hosted the Chamber’s Business After Hours on Wednesday, September 20. The member networking social was well attended as guests vied for a preview of the upcoming festival.

Nearly 50 Chamber members and guests gathered at St. Edward’s Catholic Church, where Skookum Rotary meets weekly, for an unveiling of this year’s premium label wine and a sneak-peak of what's up and coming for this year's OysterFest! And as always, there was an amazing collection of OysterFest posters, buttons and vintage clothing from years past.

The 31st Annual OysterFest will be held October 6 & 7 at the Mason Fairgrounds & Events Center. With five stages going full time, delicious fare, the shucking com-petition, cook-off, and Art & Photography competitions, it's sure to be their best year yet!

OysterFest is a community service project planned, organized, staged and evalu-ated by Skookum Rotary Club. Over 100 Mason County non-profits, organiza-tions, and governmental agencies support OysterFest to make this Small Town/Big Event happen!

All income earned from these activities support a wide variety of community projects, services, charities, and educational endeavors.

For more information on this fun, com-munity festival visit oysterfest.org.

the Ferry Harstine II at Harriman’s Float House Justin Cowling, Executive Director | mason County Historical Society

Harstine II went into service ferrying passengers between Harstine Island and the main-land in March 1945. Its last official run was on June 22, 1969 – the day the Harstine Island Bridge opened. This picture, along with eleven others, is featured in the Mason County Historical Society's 2013 calendar, which sell for $10 each and are available at the Museum. The Museum is open Tuesday through Friday 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Saturday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM and is located on the corner of 5th and Railroad in downtown Shelton.


FAll bight | Union's pumpkin Festival brings together the best of lo-cal community and culture

The residents of Union bring in the fall season with a bang – or more specifically – a volley of flying pumpkins! Held in the fields of Hunter Farms, PumpkinFest celebrates the coming of fall with a mixture of the quaint country charm and innova-tive spark that makes the town of Union so unique. Throughout the celebration, visitors can participate in a number of fun, family-friendly events, including hay mazes and tractor hayrides to Hunter Farms' scenic pumpkin patch in the foothills of Mason County. Visitors are immediately immersed in the scenery, from the sprawling fields of orange pumpkins to the verdant mural of gold and green in the surrounding hills. Nearby you’ll find that merchants, artisans, and restaurateurs alike come forth with the season’s finest. Shop for a few seasonal items, take in the expansive panorama of Puget Sound with a glass of vintage wine in hand, catch a performance of talented local musicians, or sample some of the delicious cuisine.

PumpkinFest's month-long event builds up to a grand finale on Halloween week-end; which includes costume contests, parties, entertainment, tours of a genuine haunted house, and an exciting catapult contest where contestants gather in the fields of Hunter Farms to compete for the title of Union's masters of pumpkin-launching.

The catapult contest, which is one of PumpkinFest's most unique and defini-tive events, is open to any high school, nonprofit organization, business, or private group of people interested in entering. Both catapults and trebuchets – catapult-like devices that use counterweights rather than tension to propel the projectile – are acceptable for entry. Teams in each divi-

sion will compete for three cat-egories – accuracy, distance, and design – with trial runs available every Saturday of PumpkinFest until the competition. Winners will receive over $1,000 in cash, in addition to other prizes provided courtesy of sponsors Hunter Farms, Lucky Dog Casino, and Pro-Build.

Saturday, October 27, kicks off the grand finale with the famous catapult contest, which takes place in the Hunter Farms fields at noon. From 10:00 AM to 5:00

historical McReavy House will be exhib-ited and live attempts at communication with these entities will be made.

PumpkinFest's grand finale finishes on Sunday, October 28, with Robin Hood's “Haunted Village” event. This includes a Children's Costume Contest sponsored by the Union Tourism Association, trick-or-treating, and a live remote broadcast from 94.5 ROXY. The day concludes with Alderbrook Country Store's “Trunk or Treat”, which begins at 4:00 PM.

Go to visitunion.com for more event in-formation, ticket prices, and entry forms.

October is national book Month! Take advantage of the array of programs and resources available at Timberland Re-gional Library’s three mason County loca-tions. And, right now, you can participate in their Shop local scavenger hunt for a chance to win LOCALBUCK$!

Ballots drop this month for the novem-ber 6 General Election, remember to get out there and vote! To become better informed, be sure to attend the candidates Forum on October 16.

lIVe WOrK plAYSupport the organizations that make ma-son County an amazing place to live, work, and play. The annual OysterFest is a huge fundraiser for local non-profits. What a great excuse to indulge in spectacular seafood or a delicious elephant ear?!

in an effort to preserve nature and main-tain a safe environment, fire restric-tions have been announced on WDFW-managed lands, statewide, and here in mason County.

in addition to the month-long pumpkinFest celebration in union, October boasts several fun, safe commu-nity events planned to celebrate Hal-loween.

Going to the movies is a long-time American tradition! This month you can enjoy your favorite films – like Dr. no and The Godfather – while helping Shelton Cinemas to upgrade their equip-ment for the fun of future generations.

PM, the Cameo Boutique will also be holding its' 29th annual Holiday Open House, complete with free wine tasting. Following this will be the Hood Canal School's annual Kiwanis K-8th Party at five o'clock. For the adults, there will be a Halloween Cocktail Party at Robin Hood Village from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, as well as a “Monster Mash” adult costume party at 8:00 PM. All proceeds from the Halloween Cocktail Party will benefit the Union Tourism Association. Finishing off the evening will be a “Ghosts of McReavy House” presentation and costume party from eight o'clock to midnight, during which evidence of paranormal activity at


OctOber cHAMber AnD cOUntY eVentSOctober 1-5

national Customer Service Week

October 1Chamber Governmental Affairs

Committee meeting 12:00 – 1:00 pm

Grove Street Brewhouse233 S First St, Shelton

October 2Chamber Ambassadors

Committee meeting12:00 – 1:00 pm

The Strip Steakhouse405 W Railroad Ave, Shelton

October 3union Tourism Association

meeting11:30 Am – 1:00 pm

Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club330 Country Club Dr, union

October 5Business Builder Workshop

Small Business Loans11:30 Am – 1:00 pm

Grove Street Brewhouse233 S First St, Shelton

Hood Canal Communication Customer Appreciation Day

9:00 Am – 4:00 pm 300 E. Dalby Rd, union

2218 Olympic Hwy, Shelton

puD 1 Customer Appreciation Event11:00 Am – 2:00 pm

puD 1 District Office21971 n Hwy 101, potlatch

Ribbon Cutting3:30 - 4:30 pm

Shelton Liquor & Wine 330 W Railroad Ave, Shelton

October 6-731st OysterFest and West

Coast Oyster Shucking Championship

mason Fairgrounds & Events Center

751 W Fairgrounds Rd, Shelton

October 7-12public power Week

October 8Columbus Day

Chamber member Services Committee meeting

12:00 – 1:00 pmRoosters Restaurant

3001 Olympic Hwy n, Shelton

October 9Good morning mason County

7:30 – 8:30 AmRoosters Restaurant

3001 Olympic Hwy n, Shelton

October 10Chamber marketing Committee

meeting8:00 – 9:00 Am

215 W Railroad Ave, Shelton

Business After Hours5:30 – 7:00 pm

Lucky Dog Casino19330 n uS Hwy 101, Shelton

October 13Safety Day

10:00 Am – 2:00 pm100 E Wallace kneeland Blvd,

Shelton

October 16Candidates Forum

6:30 – 8:30 pmOakland Bay Jr. High

3301 n Shelton Springs Rd, Shelton

October 18SAVER Committee meeting

7:30 – 8:30 Amnita’s Restaurant & Gallery325 W Railroad Ave, Shelton

Chamber membership meeting& Economic Forecast

6:00 – 8:00 pmThe pavilion at Sentry park190 W Sentry Dr, Shelton

October 21karen Hilburn Brest &

Cervical Cancer Fund’s 9th Annual Denim & Diamonds

4:00 – 7:00 pmAlderbrook Resort & Spa10 E Alderbrook Drive,

union

October 26Donnie J O’neill Orthope-dic Guild Holiday Bazaar &

Salad Bar Luncheon11:00 Am – 2:00 pmShelton Civic Center

525 West Cota St, Shelton

October 27pumpkinFest Catapult

Contest & Special Eventsunion, WA

October 28pumpkinFest “Trunk or Treat” & Special Events

union, WA

October 31Halloween

cOVer pHOtO: chuck a pumpkinUnion’sPumpkinFestCatapultContest,October27,issuretobeatreatforthewholefamily.PhotocourtesyofKristinaWunsch,PoppiPhotography


pRSRT STD RATE

uS pOSTAGE pAiD

SHELTOn, WA, 98584

pERmiT #60

Shelton Mason county chamber of commercepO Box 2389 | Shelton, WA 98584

SHELTONMASONCOUNTYNEWS

bight | october 2012

Documents

chamber president

chamber office

nual meeting

state economy

new team member

past month

major golf tournaments

years board of trust