Toys for Tots in Mason County is gearing up for a busy December, and the need is higher than usual. Jeff talks with Marcus Kennedy, one of the local coordinators, about how many kids rely on the program each year, how the donations stay local, and why teens are often the most overlooked age group when it comes to gifts.

Marcus shares how he and his wife got involved back in 2017–18, how the program has grown, and what the donation process looks like from collection day to distribution at Mountain View.

This Saturday, Toys for Tots volunteers will be downtown at First and Railroad from 10–2 during the Christmastown events, taking toy and cash donations. They’ll also appear in the parade, and drop-boxes are available at many Mason County businesses including OCCU and Walmart.

If you’re able, consider adding an extra toy to your shopping list this weekend—especially something suited for teens. Every donation stays in Mason County and goes straight to local families.

Links and ways to donate or request assistance are in the show notes.

https://shelton-wa.toysfortots.org/

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This is the full uncut recording of the 2026 Legislative Send-Off hosted jointly by the Shelton-Mason County Chamber, the North Mason Chamber, and the EDC of Mason County. Senator Drew MacEwen, Representative Travis Couture, and Representative Dan Griffey sit down with moderator Jeff Slakey to walk through the issues that will shape the upcoming short session in Olympia.

The conversation covers taxes, the regulatory environment, business competitiveness, housing pressures, permitting timelines, infrastructure investments, public safety, apprenticeships, and how state-level decisions land on Mason County employers.

You’ll hear direct remarks from the Chambers and EDC, a breakdown of the unified 2026 legislative priorities, and a wide-ranging Q&A that touches on workforce, inflation, public safety staffing, copper theft, and challenges local governments face with shrinking revenue and rising costs.

If you’re a business leader, local government partner, or anyone trying to understand how the 2026 session could affect Mason County, this conversation gives useful context straight from your elected officials.

Image: “LD 35 – 2024” by Washington State Redistricting Commission, used under CC BY 4.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Superintendent Wyeth Jessee joins Jeff for a Thanksgiving-week check-in on what’s happening across the Shelton School District. They talk about the installation of new board member Andrew Wilford, how the district brings a new director up to speed, and ongoing community feedback around the Mountain View situation.

Wyeth also digs into how the district stays focused heading into winter break — from strategic plan priorities like literacy and safe, welcoming schools to keeping politics out of the classroom.

Jeff and Wyeth spend time on the value of the community forums, what families really want to know about their schools, and why gratitude has been a big theme for Wyeth this year. He also shares a couple great stories — including students reading Everest stories at OBJH and a fun exchange about cufflinks at Olympic Middle School.

#SheltonSchoolDistrict #SheltonWA #MasonCountyWA #SheltonSchools #EducationUpdate #SchoolBoard #CommunityForum #SheltonCommunity #ThanksgivingWeek #PublicSchools #OBJH #OlympicMiddleSchool #SheltonHighclimbers