Artwork celebrates Day of the Dead

Story and photos by Kayla Webley

Elvia Rodriguez of Pros Arts Studio in Pilsen uses artwork dedicated to the Day of the Dead to teach children about the holiday.

In the after-school program run by the art studio, children 6 to 12 craft papier-mâché skeletons, noise makers, gravestones and banners. The students will use the artwork they create as part of the annual parade through the neighborhood on Thursday.

Rodriguez said art gives the students a way to understand the holiday’s traditions firsthand. As the students work on the art projects she tries to insert small lessons about what they are making.

“Death is a less scary thing to talk about if you make it a celebration of life,” Rodriguez said. “This holiday is not about scaring people.”

She tells the students about the Day of the Dead and the importance of honoring the deceased.

“As long as we take time to remember the past, we don’t forget the past,” she said. “I tell them, ‘We are remembering our past and the people who affected our lives. Wouldn’t it be nice if people remembered us when we’re not around?’”

The Day of the Dead celebration, or Dia de los Muertos, culminates with two ceremonies honoring the deceased. Ceremonies on Thursday honor children who have passed away, called little angels, or angelitos. Friday’s celebrations are for adults.

Artwork at the “Dia de los Muertos: A new beginning” exhibit at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen, mocks death with brightly decorated sugar skulls, dancing skeletons and life-size papier-mâché skeletons playing cards and drinking Tequila.

The tradition of Dia de los Muertos is rooted in the culture of the ancient Aztecs and Mayans in Central America. In those cultures death was not something to fear.

“How could you fear death? The idea that death is something to be afraid of is a joke,” said Luis Tubens, 26, a tour guide at the museum exhibit. “Most of the artwork here is made to mock death – show that it is not something to be afraid of. If you make a joke of it, then there is no fear.”

Death is represented in the artwork in the form of skeletons, or calaveras.

Some of the calaveras are about the death of ideas and use satire to convey political messages. One skeleton made by artist Raul Lopez Reyes, called “Ecology,” shows the Earth dying as industry is developed. The skeleton is dressed in a suit with money spilling out of its pockets. It holds a skeleton head painted like the Earth, which has industry growing out of the top.

Other paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs focus on the theme of life springing from death. An example of this theme is Arturo Garcia Bustos’ painting called, “Life Emerging from Death.” Bustos depicts a skeleton holding a young child, raising her up from the depths.

“The child is an offering of new life from death,” Tubens said.

As part of the Day of the Dead celebration, families construct altars, or ofrendas, in their homes to honor their family members who have died.

Each altar is a work of art. The museum exhibit showcases different types of altars from the traditional to more contemporary.

Traditional altars must have the four basic elements: earth, wind, water and fire. Water is represented by a glass of water, fire by candles, wind by traditional tissue paper flags known as papel picado and earth is represented by bright flowers, often yellow-orange marigolds, known as cempazuchl.

Altars for adults often include treats such as Tequila and cigarettes, while those for children have toys and candy.

One contemporary altar at the museum, created by students from Big Picture High School in Chicago, is dedicated to 32 Chicago Public School students who were killed in street violence during the 2006-07 school year.

Empty desks are topped with school supplies and snacks as if they were left by the students who died. Framed photos of the murdered students are set throughout the altar. Their names and ages are written with chalk on two blackboards.

In honor of the students, a poem on the back wall of the altar reads:

“Hello, I am the spirit that always walks in the street trying to come to life.
I’m one of the students that died because of violence in the street.
Remember my school, I see my seat empty.
My presence is needed, but I am no longer here.”

Students Bring Newark's Murder Toll to 60 in 2007

By Kayla Webley
NPR


Billboards in Newark, N.J., read, "HELP WANTED: Stop the Killings in Newark Now!"

The new mayor, elected last year, ran on a campaign promise of reducing crime. Still, gun violence has become an all too common part of daily life.

Last weekend, four young adults, friends who were headed to college together in a few days, were shot at close range, killing three and critically wounding the fourth.

The brutal killings, along with another unrelated shooting over the weekend, brought Newark's murder total to 60 in 2007. That is three fewer than for the same period in 2006. The count is lower, but statistics show that 17 people have been killed in the city in the past eight weeks – a rate that, if it continues, would surpass 2006's total of 106 murders for the calendar year.

A month ago, Newark's mayor, Cory Booker, announced that crime in the city had fallen by 20 percent in the first six months of 2007, compared with the year before. The number of rapes, aggravated assaults and robberies has fallen. But shootings continue unabated. The murder rate is up 50 percent since 1998.

"This shows that we still have a problem," Booker said. "We're working to push it down and encouraged that we are going to deal with this. We're going to come together."

Booker said the father of one of the victims said he wanted his son's death to be a spark that will pull people together to fix the city's problems.

"We all have to be cognizant that there are things we could be doing to change the way we go about fighting crime, but more importantly preventing crime," Booker told NPR. "This is something we really have to face, gun violence in our country."

Some residents say Booker needs to do more.

"He doesn't deserve another day, another second, while our children are at stake," said Donna Jackson, president of the Take Back Our Streets organization. "Anyone who has children in the city is in panic mode. It takes something like this for people to open up their eyes and understand that not every person killed in Newark is a drug dealer."

Booker, in return, called for unity, saying this is "not a time to play politics and divide our city."

He said the community shows many signs of progress, and that residents, activists and clergy members are helping to turn the city around. Under Booker's watch, a specialized narcotics bureau was established. He has put more police officers on the streets, and the fugitive apprehension team has been successful at bringing in known criminals with outstanding warrants. The city is working on its prisoner re-entry program, helping former inmates reintegrate into society.

"We know Newark is heading in the right direction. We're really turning a corner by every measure," Booker said. "Newark was really doing a lot to challenge the stereotypes that people have often of our great city."

Looking for Clues

Killed in the apparent robbery attempt were Terrance Aeriel, 18, Iofemi Hightower, 20, and Dashon Harvey, 20. Aeriel's sister, Natasha, 19, is listed in fair condition at Newark's University Hospital after being shot in the head.

The friends were hanging out together outside an elementary school in a middle-class neighborhood, less than one mile from the campus of Seton Hall University. They liked to go there and listen to music.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine said the crime was "beyond comprehension," and "cold-hearted and cowardly."

Terrance Aeriel, Hightower and Harvey were forced to kneel against a wall behind the school and were shot at close range. Natasha Aeriel was found about 30 feet away, slumped near some bleachers.

Police are piecing together details of the crime from witnesses, including Natasha Aeriel, and are analyzing graffiti at the school. Security cameras were mounted at the school, but most were not working at the time. City officials said Wednesday the cameras may have been tampered with in the 24 hours prior to the shootings. Investigators are urging anyone with information to come forward and are offering a reward of more than $50,000.

Booker's office said Wednesday that after struggling to find clues, they are now close to identifying at least one suspect. They have not made an arrest.

'Good Kids with Bright Futures'

The four victims were all set to return to Delaware State University this fall. They played music together, and stayed away from drugs, alcohol, gangs and violence. None had criminal records.

"They were good kids," said Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow.

Friends since elementary school, Hightower and the Aeriels had played together in the West Side High School marching band. Terrence Aeriel took Hightower to prom in 2006, chauffeured by his sister. The three met Harvey at Delaware State. Harvey planned to graduate from Delaware State with a degree in psychology in 2009.

Terrence Aeriel was studying business management in college. He wasn't enrolled last spring but had re-enrolled for fall semester. He played the baritone saxophone and attended Delaware State's band camp last summer. He also worked with kids at a teen center.

His sister, Natasha, is a junior, majoring in biology. She played the alto saxophone in the Delaware State marching band.

In addition to school, Hightower held two jobs. One was at an assisted-living center where her mother also works.

"I'm very angry because they were good kids with bright futures," said Hightower's mother, Shalga. "They didn't deserve it. My daughter was a very sweet, loving young lady who would help anybody in need."

Written by Kayla Webley from NPR reports and The Associated Press.

Read the story on NPR's Web site.

List of Problem Chinese Imports Grows

by Kayla Webley

NPR.org, July 2, 2007 ·

Contaminated foods and other dangerous items continue to build an ever-growing list of unsafe products imported from China by the United States.

Chinese-made products have accounted for 60 percent of recalls this year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

For the most part, the businesses responsible for the faulty products and bad food have denied the problems, saying their products are safe.

In an effort to quell international fears over tainted and defective exports, Chinese officials have insisted that the safety of the country's products is "guaranteed." Chinese officials aim to downplay the safety and health problems before the 2008 summer Olympics, to be held in Beijing.

At the same time, officials in Beijing are attempting to clean up the problems. Earlier this week, inspectors announced they had closed 180 food factories in China in the first half of this year, and that they seized tons of candy, pickles, crackers and seafood tainted with formaldehyde, illegal dyes and industrial wax.

Here's a rundown of the items that have been found hazardous since the massive recall of pet foods in early March:

Fish

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has placed a hold on five types of farmed fish and seafood containing traces of antifungal and antibiotic drugs that are potentially harmful to humans. Federal officials said that repeated tests on shrimp, catfish, eel, basa and dace imported from China revealed the presence of drugs not approved in the United States for use in farmed seafood.

The hold means the FDA is not allowing the import of these types of Chinese farmed seafood until the importers can prove the seafood is free from harmful contaminants. The FDA stopped short of ordering an outright ban because there is no immediate health risk.

The FDA said tests on some Chinese imported fish between October 2006 and May 2007 repeatedly found traces of the antibiotics nitrofuran and fluoroquinolones, as well as antifungals malachite green and gentian violet. The fluoroquinolones are of particular concern. These drugs are part of a family of widely used human antibiotics that the FDA forbids in seafood, in part to prevent bacteria from developing resistance to the drugs. The best known example is ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic sold under the name Cipro that is used to treat a variety of infections. The drug made headlines as a treatment option during the 2001 anthrax attacks.

China is one of the top exporters of seafood to the United States . More than half of its global seafood exports are farmed, yet the FDA only inspects about 5 percent of farmed Chinese fish.

Toothpaste

The FDA increased inspection of toothpaste made in China because of reports that some of the products may contain an ingredient used in antifreeze.

The ingredient, diethylene glycol, is a thickening agent not normally used in toothpaste. The chemical has been used as a low-cost, but sometimes deadly substitute for glycerin – a sweetener commonly used in drugs.

Diethylene glycol was found in three products manufactured by Goldcredit International Trading in China: Cooldent Fluoride, Cooldent Spearmint and Cooldent ICE. The FDA also found the chemical in Shir Fresh Mint Fluoride Paste, which is manufactured by Suzhou City Jinmao Daily Chemical Co.

The FDA is not aware of any poisonings from toothpaste, but has found that the toothpaste was distributed in some U.S. bargain retail stores, including a Dollar Plus in Miami and a Todo A Peso in Puerto Rico. The toothpaste also was shipped to prisons in North Carolina and Georgia and hospitals in Florida and Georgia.

The chemical found in the toothpaste was blamed for the deaths of 51 people in Panama after they took tainted cough medicine. China has admitted it was the source of the deadly chemical but insists it was originally labeled as for industrial use only.

Drugs

Officials in Beijing banned 10 types of drugs for their exaggerated effectiveness and false claims.

The drugs were genuine, but the results they claimed to produce in fighting high blood pressure, diabetes and other ailments could not be supported in clinical testing. Stores in the city have been told to stop selling them, and media outlets that carried their advertising were told to print retractions.

It is unclear whether the drugs have been exported.

Ceramic Heaters and Toy Grills

Some 1.2 million ceramic heaters made in China and distributed by Lasko Products Incorporated, of West Chester, Pa., were recalled in June because of safety concerns. The heaters were recalled because of a possible fire hazard caused by the heater's cord, which can overheat where it enters the base of the unit.

Lasko received 28 reports of failed power cords, including six reports of minor property damage. No injuries have been reported. The recall only affects models manufactured in 2005. The heaters were sold at major retailers, home centers and discount department stores nationwide from September 2005 through April 2006 and cost $20 to $50.

The Play Wonder Toy Grill, also recalled due to safety concerns, is made in China and distributed by Schylling Associates Incorporated, of Rowley, Mass. The 2,300 products recalled posed a danger of laceration.

The circular ash tray attached to the stainless steel legs of the grill could contain sharp edges. No injuries have been reported.

The toys were sold in Target Stores nationwide from December 2006 to February 2007 for about $20.

Toy Trains

The popular Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway toys were voluntarily recalled in early June because lead was used in some of the surface paints. This recall was particularly troubling for parents whose children have been playing – and chewing – on the toys for years.

Two dozen items were affected by the recall, which amounts to about 1.5 million toys. The toys were imported from China and distributed in the United States by RC2 Corporation of Oak Brook, Ill. The contaminated toys were sold nationwide at toy stores and various retailers from January 2005 to June 2007. They retail from $10 to $70.

Yellow and red surface paint on the recalled products contain lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health and developmental effects, including long-term neurological problems affecting learning and behavior. No incidents of lead poisoning connected to the trains have been reported yet.

Parents can have a simple blood test performed to check the level of lead in their child's body. The company has not yet said whether they will reimburse parents for the costs associated with the blood tests and any further treatment needed. The company has said it will pay for the shipping of recalled products and for a free replacement.

Tires

U.S. regulators have ordered tire importer Foreign Tire Sales, based in Union, N.J., to recall as many as 450,000 tires. The company reported that the treads on light-truck radials manufactured by Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. in Hangzhou, China, might separate.

Foreign Tire Sales said many of the tires are missing a safety feature called a gum strip, which helps bind the belts of the tire to each other. The gum strip prevents tread separation, which can cause a tire to blow, possibly making a driver lose control of the vehicle and crash.

The Chinese-made tires were sold under at least four brand names: Westlake, Compass, Telluride and YKS. The tires, which were sold for use on vans, sport utility vehicles and pickups, have been linked to at least two deaths from tread separation.

Since the Chinese manufacturer does not have an office in the United States, the importer is responsible for anything that happens. But Foreign Tire Sales has said it does not have enough money to fund a recall. The small, family-owned importer is suing the Chinese manufacturer – the second largest tire maker in China – saying it should pay for the recall.

Foreign Tire Sales would have to pay for advertisements announcing the recall, hundreds of thousands of replacement tires and the environmentally safe recycling of all recalled tires. The cost of the recall could be upward of $60 million.

Pet Food

Wheat gluten imported from China was linked to the deaths of pets nationwide earlier this year. The FDA blocked the import of wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company in China, saying it suspected the gluten was contaminated with melamine, a chemical used to make plastic products.

The tainted food caused kidney failure in dogs and cats across North America. Distributors of the contaminated food recalled several varieties, following the deaths.

Menu Foods of Canada recalled nearly 95 brands of "Cuts and Gravy" pet food. Other companies including Nestle Purina Pet Care, Del Monte Pet Products and Hill's Pet Nutrition also recalled some varieties of their food products in the United States.

Many pet owners resorted to cooking homemade meals for their pets as a result of uncertainty as to which products in the market were contaminated.

Associated Press and NPR reports contributed to this piece.

Bald Eagle Leaves Endangered Species List

NPR.org, June 28, 2007 · The Interior Department said Thursday that it is removing the American bald eagle from protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The announcement by Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne caps a four-decade struggle to help the national symbol recover.

Once almost wiped out by hunters and DDT poisoning, the eagle not only has survived but is thriving.

Government biologists have counted nearly 10,000 mating pairs of bald eagles, with at least one pair in each of the lower 48 states.

"The rescue of the bald eagle … ranks among the greatest victories of American conservation," said John Flicker, president of the National Audubon Society.

The eagle population hit rock bottom in 1963, when only 417 mating pairs could be documented in the 48 states and the survival of the species was in question. It was one of the first species to be declared endangered.

DDT, a synthetic pesticide, was to blame for much of the species depletion. The pesticide was widely used in the 1940s to control mosquitoes; it seeped into lakes and streams and into fish, the eagle's favorite food, harming adult birds and their eggs.

Eagles also were targeted by hunters for their feathers. They were shot from airplanes, poisoned in some states and fed to hogs in others, until Congress passed a law in 1940 that made killing a bald eagle illegal.

The eagle has been the nation's symbol since 1782, when Congress chose its image for the country's official seal — over the loud protests of Benjamin Franklin, who preferred the wild turkey and called the bald eagle a "bird of bad moral character."

The interior department had been considering what to do about the bald eagle since 1999, when government biologists concluded its recovery was a success.

Earlier this year, a federal court directed the Interior Department to make a decision on the bird's status by June 29. The push for a decision came amid a lawsuit by a Minnesota developer who said the government's delays were keeping him from developing seven acres of land where an eagle had nested.

Damien Schiff, attorney for the Pacific Legal Foundation that represents the developer, said the delisting is a victory for property owners. But he worries that a proposed eagle protection plan using another law — the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 — will be too restrictive.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act would make it illegal to kill or disturb the bird.

The Fish and Wildlife Department determined what activities are disturbing to eagles — and one of those is building a house where bald eagles are nesting.

Some groups say the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act will restrict development, and they may go to court. Parcels of land that are desired both by developers and by bald eagles likely will lead to isolated disputes.

The bird is admired by some people, and viewed as a nuisance or a dangerous predator by others.

But conservationists say the eagle's recovery shows that the 1973 Endangered Species Act works. The Act has been under attack from property rights and business groups, and it is the subject of an internal review in the Interior Department.

Environmentalists worry that changes will weaken the law, making it harder to keep plants and animals from disappearing, especially those lacking the symbolism of the bald eagle.

"No other species has that advantage," said Michael Bean, an endangered species expert at Environmental Defense. "It's the national symbol."

Written by Kayla Webley from NPR reports and The Associated Press.

Recall of Chinese-Made Tires Faces Complications

Morning Edition, June 27, 2007 · A Chinese tire maker accused of exporting faulty tires to the United States denied the claims Wednesday.

U.S. regulators have ordered tire importer Foreign Tire Sales, based in Union, N.J., to recall as many as 450,000 tires after the company reported that the treads on light-truck radials manufactured by Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. in Hangzhou, China, might separate.

Hangzhou Zhongce replied in a written statement that it has not found fault in the tires. It said the tires met U.S. safety standards and the importer's specifications.

But Foreign Tire Sales said many of the tires are missing a safety feature called a gum strip, which helps bind the belts of the tire to each other. The gum strip prevents tread separation, which can cause a tire to blow, possibly making a driver lose control of the vehicle and crash.

The Chinese-made tires were sold under at least four brand names: Westlake, Compass, Telluride and YKS. The tires, which were sold for use on vans, sport utility vehicles and pickups, have been linked to at least two deaths after tread separation.

Tread separation is the problem that led Firestone to recall millions of tires in 2000.

Tire treads separate thousands of times each year, and usually nobody is hurt. But in August of 2006, two carpenters were on their way home from work in a cargo van when the tread separated on a rear tire.

The loose tread wrapped around the axle and locked up one of the rear wheels, causing the van to flip over, and both men were killed, said Sean Kane, a safety researcher hired by a lawyer for the men's families.

The lawyer found that those tires were made by Hangzhou Zhongce and imported by Foreign Tire Sales.

The tires have passed several U.S. safety tests, experts said, so it's possible the fatal accident was the result of a nail in the road, under-inflation or something else.

Because the manufacturer does not have an office in the U.S., the importer is responsible for the quality of the tires.

But Foreign Tire Sales has said it does not have enough money to fund a recall. The small, family owned importer is suing the Chinese manufacturer – the second largest tire maker in China – saying it should pay for the recall.

Foreign Tire Sales would have to pay for advertisements announcing the recall, hundreds of thousands of replacement tires and the environmentally safe recycling of all recalled tires.

Larry Lavigne, a lawyer representing Foreign Tire Sales, said the company would go bankrupt.

"We're thinking that the recall will cost in excess of $200 per tire," he said. "So you're looking at $60 million."

Foreign Tire Sales asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to help pay for a recall, but the agency refused. For now, drivers who want to get rid of the tires will have to pay for replacements themselves.

"If you have some of these tires on your vehicles, you're probably going to want to remove them," Kane, the safety researcher, said. "I mean, they could pose a serious danger."

Written by Kayla Webley from NPR reports and The Associated Press.

Police Seek Help Picking Killers from a Texas Crowd

by Deborah Tedford and Kayla Webley
NPR.org

June 21, 2007 · Austin, Texas, police and minority leaders appealed for community help in finding three to four people who beat a Hispanic man to death following an accident in a crowded parking lot.

David Rivas Morales, 40, died Tuesday night after being beaten outside the housing project where he lived, police said. The murder has sparked outrage because it was witnessed by more than a dozen people, none of whom has come forward to identify the killers.

Police said the incident happened shortly before 9:30 p.m., when a co-worker gave Morales a ride home after work. The co-worker was leaving the parking lot when his car "bumped" a 2-year-old child, a city official said.

Assistant Police Chief David Carter said the child was not seriously injured, but the incident enraged three or four people, who started beating the driver. When Morales tried to intervene, the men started beating him. Carter said Morales' co-worker drove away without knowing that his friend was being beaten. Police said there were 15 to 20 witnesses to the attack.

Carter urged the witnesses to come forward. "We need the public's help," Carter said. "We want to bring justice to the Morales family, as (well as) to the community."

"My family is taking it pretty hard," said Elizabeth Morales, the victim's sister. "I'm worried about my mother. He's my younger brother. He was a loving and caring person."

Assistant Chief Cathy Ellison said the department will leave no stone unturned in trying to find the killers.

"This poor guy was just trying to help a friend," she said. "We're grieving along with the Morales family."

Elizabeth Morales said she is angry that it took so long for her brother to be transported to the hospital.

"They took 30 to 40 minutes. My brother was choking and gasping for air," she said.

Richard Herrington, director of Austin's Emergency Medical Services, said traffic from the Juneteenth festival and incorrect information given in an anonymous 911 call contributed to the delay.

Juneteenth commemorates the day it was announced in Texas that slavery had been abolished.

Hispanic activist Rita Gonzales-Garza said the suspects are all believed to be black men, but she said she does not believe the killing was racially motivated.

Richard Franklin, president of the Black Austin Democrats, said the killing was a despicable act of violence that had nothing to do with race. "This is an animal that needs to be caged. We must police ourselves and take them out of our midst," he said.

Community leaders are concerned the death could spark tension between Hispanics and blacks in the normally quiet central Texas town. Franklin said Hispanic and black leaders are planning a series of community meetings to talk about underlying issues that plague the minority community.

Hispanic leaders said Austin has relatively few racial problems, although minorities have a history of problems with the police.

Gonzales-Garza said the Justice Department's Community Relations Service began trying to conciliate racial problems between the Austin Police Department and the minority community earlier this month.

And Ellison said the Special Litigation Section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has begun an inquiry that will focus on the department's use of force against minorities.

Ellison, who was acting police chief until Thursday, said the department is cooperating with the inquiry.

Gonzales-Garza said she is hopeful that the Justice Department and the city's new, Hispanic police chief will be able to improve the relationship between the police and the minority community. The Austin City Council confirmed Art Acevedo as the police chief on Thursday.

Gonzales-Garza, who is central Texas district director for the League of United Latin American Citizens, said the Justice Department's involvement stems from civil rights complaints made by minority groups after the shooting death of 18-year-old Daniel Rocha, who was shot in the back by a former Austin police officer in 2005.

However, Ellison said the inquiry stems from a complaint filed by the NAACP in 2004.

Susana Almanza, co-director of the civil rights group PODER, said her group was among three organizations that filed a complaint asking for a Justice Department inquiry.

"With Mr. Rocha's death, he was the 14th victim to die of deadly force by police from 1997 to 2005," Almanza said. All but one of the victims were black or Hispanic, and they were all poor, she said.

Investigation Launched in Dolphin Deaths

Morning Edition, June 19, 2007 ·

Four dolphins with fatal gun shot wounds have washed ashore in the San Diego area in recent weeks, and federal investigators are offering a reward for information about the deaths.

The long-beaked, common dolphins were all discovered between May 29 and June 5 between Carlsbad State Beach and Oceanside Harbor. Their normally sleek, gray skin was mottled and stained with blood from the bullet wounds.

A fifth carcass was found without bullet wounds, but there were lacerations on its pectoral fin.

"It's a horrendous thing that happened," said Mark Oswell, spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. "That someone would go out there and shoot four dolphins."

Necropsies, autopsies performed on animals, revealed that the dolphins were all healthy with fish in their bellies. They may have been shot at the same time with the same gun. Four had between one and three bullets of the same caliber in the same part of their heads.

NOAA is charged with the federal investigation and has offered a reward of $2,500 for any information relating to the deaths.

"We're hoping that a witness will answer their conscience that this is a wrong and illegal thing that's been done and call us and provide us with information that will lead to an arrest and hopefully a conviction," said NOAA investigator Michelle Zetwo.

Zetwo said it is likely the dolphins may have gotten caught in some fishing lines and the fisherman got angry. She said it could also be that someone was doing target practice on the water. Lacerations on the fifth, dead dolphin's fin appear to have been caused by a fishing line, she added.

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Zetwo said.

NOAA investigators hope an eye witness will come forward. Otherwise, they will work with the U.S. Coast Guard to track the dolphins' course from where they were shot to where they landed on the beach using the tides.

The last time San Diego reported such a death was five years ago. Prior to that there hadn't been one in the area since the 1960s. Nationwide, federal officials say they usually get one report a year of a dolphin shooting.

"It's very uncommon," Zetwo said. "I've been an agent with NOAA here in San Diego for approximately nine years, and I've never heard of an occurrence like this. It's very unusual."

If caught, the perpetrator could face civil penalties of up to $12,000 or a criminal fine of up to $20,000, as well as jail time.

Harassing or killing dolphins is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, a federal law that protects seals, sea lions, dolphins, whales and other marine mammals.

Written by Kayla Webley from NPR reports and the Associated Press.

Test Scheduled for Space Station Computers

NPR.org, June 18, 2007 ·

The international space station's recently repaired computers face a final test Monday to determine if the station can function on its own, which would allow the shuttle Atlantis to return to Earth.

Monday's test will determine if the two Russian computers can control the station's orientation in orbit, which allow the station's solar array to point toward the sun and generate power for oxygen generators and other vital equipment.

If the test goes smoothly, Atlantis will decouple from the station Tuesday and return to Earth on Thursday.

After all six of the space station's computers crashed last week, Atlantis' thrusters were used to help the station maintain its position.

During the test, Atlantis' thrusters will take control of the joined craft so it can change positions to dump waste and water. Then, the Russian thrusters onboard the space station will take over. During the second part of the test, U.S. computers will send commands to the Russian thrusters.

"That's a big step in our checkout of the computers to make sure everything is working correctly," said flight director Holly Ridings. "It's one of those things we want to see before we undock."

Atlantis, which has been docked at the station since June 10, will stay another day only if needed.

The station's computers were up and running following Saturday's computer malfunction that had left NASA and Russian flight controllers with a set of frustrating options if the problem couldn't be resolved. Two of the processors took longer to revive and are now on standby mode, but can be used, if needed.

Astronaut's completed their fourth and final spacewalk of the mission on Sunday. NASA's Patrick Forrester and Steven Swanson activated a rotating joint so a new pair of solar wings can track the sun and provide power to the station. The solar arrays were delivered to the station by Atlantis as part of its mission of continued work on the long-running construction project on the space station, scheduled for completion in 2010.

Early Monday morning flight controllers successfully tested the rotating joint, moving it five degrees. During a more thorough test later in the morning, the joint began rotating automatically, allowing the solar arrays to track the sun.

Written by Kayla Webley from NPR reports and the Associated Press.

NASA Eases Heat Shield, Computer Worries

NPR.org, June 15, 2007 ·

NASA astronauts ventured out to fold down a loose flap of a thermal cloth on the space shuttle Atlantis, using a medical stapler to secure the fold in place. The shuttle is docked to the International Space Station, which is showing signs of recovering from a massive computer failure.

Two Russian cosmonauts began to get crucial computers up and running Friday, four days after they crashed at the International Space Station and curbed the outpost's ability to orient itself and produce oxygen.

The progress came after days of frustrating effort and, for the time being, removed a set of troubling options lying ahead for NASA and the Russian space agency if the computers continued to fail.

"They're up and operational and this is good news for all," said Lynette Madison, a NASA spokeswoman in Houston.

The space agency is still trying to find the cause of the failure. The leading theory is that a newly installed power-conducting truss caused the glitch — the Russian computers blinked out at about the same time the connector went on line.

Mike Suffredini, NASA's space station program manager, said they are unsure whether the connector caused the problem, but the connector isn't required for station operations until a later power hook-up. Astronauts disconnected it as part of their space walk.

Without the navigation systems, the station's orbit would have dropped to about 200 miles above the Earth by September. The drop of about 37 miles from the current position isn't an alarming amount, said Vladimir Solovyov, Russian mission control chief.

"We have enough time to calmly deal with the situation," Solovyov said. "There is no need to rush."

The space shuttle Atlantis may stay docked at the space station so its thrusters can help maintain the station's position, if necessary. The shuttle's mission was already extended from 11 days to 13 days so astronauts could conduct a spacewalk to repair a rip in the protective thermal blanket.

Astronauts James Reilly and Danny Olivas, armed with a medical staple gun and a needle and thread, repaired the thermal blanket that peeled back during Atlantis' launch. The six inch by four inch rip exposed some of the shuttle's outer skin.

The cloth is used to protect the shuttle from the 1,000-degree heat generated at re-entry. NASA engineers don't believe the rip would have endangered the spacecraft during landing, but it could cause enough damage to require repairs on the ground.

Atlantis launched June 8, carrying seven astronauts to the space station, to continue work on the long-running construction project, scheduled for completion in 2010. The shuttle's cameras, laptop computers and some lights were shut off Thursday to save energy in case it needs to stay another day to help at the space station.

This type of massive computer failure had never been seen before on the space station, although individual computers do fail periodically.

NASA said that in the worst-case scenario, the space station's three crew members would have been forced to return home to Earth early if the computers cannot be fixed. But that scenario is still a long way off, said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space operations. Gerstenmaier said abandoning the space station is a remote possibility.

Suffredini agreed, saying there are no plans to de-man the space station.

"There is nobody in this agency, or as far as I know in the Russian agency, that thinks this vehicle is at risk of being lost, not even remotely," he said. "We work problems like this all the time."

Written by Kayla Webley from NPR reports and The Associated Press.

Former U.N. Chief Kurt Waldheim Dies at 88

Former U.N. Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim, who hid his Nazi past while leading the world body for nine years, died Thursday at age 88.

Waldheim died of heart failure at his home in Austria, just weeks after being hospitalized for an infection, according to the Austrian broadcasting service ORF.

In a written statement, Austrian President Heinz Fischer expressed his "deepest condolences" and had the flag lowered outside his office to half-staff.

"We have lost a great Austrian," Austrian Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer said.

Waldheim served as U.N. secretary-general from 1972-81, but it was not until he ran for president of Austria in 1986 that his military service in Nazi Germany came to light.

Waldheim was 19 years old when his native Austria was annexed by Hitler's Nazi army. He signed up with a Nazi unit later that year and served until 1945. During that time, he served in the Balkans as an aide to a Nazi general, who was later executed for war crimes.

Waldheim lied about his military service, omitting the detail from his autobiographies. He eventually admitted to serving in the Nazi military after the World Jewish Congress published evidence, but he maintained that he did not commit war crimes or know about many of the atrocities carried out by the Nazis.

The revelations of his Nazi service sparked international criticism and investigations that led to international censure. In 1987, U.S. officials put his name on a watch list that prevented him from visiting the United States. That ban was never lifted.

Waldheim's election to the Austrian presidency led to controversy among Austrians and damaged the country's reputation worldwide. He was largely shunned by foreign leaders during his 1986-92 tenure.

After leaving office in 1992, he wrote that his military service was necessary to survive the war.

Waldheim is survived by his wife of 63 years, Elisabeth, and their three children.

Written by Kayla Webley from NPR and Associated Press reports.

Famed medical examiner tends to Va. Tech victims

Submitted on April 19, 2007 - 2:35pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard

Her office handled victims of the sniper who terrorized the Washington area in 2002. She is an acclaimed expert on "mass fatality events" and the model for the heroine of a best-selling string of crime novels.

Now, Dr. Marcella Fierro is the last doctor to tend to the victims of Monday's carnage at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.

As chief medical examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Fierro's job is to deliver medical findings to family members, the campus community and the world - all waiting anxiously.

Fierro is charged with directing a staff in four regional offices on how to proceed with autopsies amid tragedy. Currently, she has more than 30 families desperately seeking details of how the last minutes of their loved ones' lives played out.

"We still see them as patients. We're their last doctor, the last one to care for them," said Dr. Kim A. Collins, a forensic pathologist at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She has worked closely with Fierro in national pathology organizations over the years. "Dr. Fierro has always conveyed that when I've worked with her."

In the relatively small, close-knit community of medical examiners, fellow doctors say Fierro rises to the top.

"There is no one better prepared than she is. She is absolutely spectacular," said Dr. David Wilkinson, chair of the department of pathology at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond. He has worked with Fierro for 15 years.

"Under pressure, she is solid as a rock."

Fierro is also known as the inspiration for author Patricia Cornwell's fictional protagonist, Virginia Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta, the main character in a series of 14 mystery novels.

In a press conference Tuesday morning at the university, Fierro stressed that the process of identifying and examining the deceased will not be rushed.

"This is a process that cannot take place in haste," she said. "This will take several days. ... We will work as quickly and as carefully and as efficiently as we can, so that families can be assured we have taken care of their child."

Fierro said her team will first work to confirm the presumptive identities of those who have been killed and to find the identities of any unknown persons. As needed, they will work with the families to collect information to confirm identities, she said. They will also work with police to recover physical evidence to reconstruct the crime.

Her office did not respond to a request for an interview for this story.

Fierro has worked with colleagues in Virginia to develop "Guidelines for Reporting and Managing Mass Fatality Events with the Virginia Medical Examiner System." To develop the guidelines, Fierro studied how the autopsies were conducted following the Oklahoma City bombing and the 9/11 attacks, Wilkinson said.

"They will be going through a well-planned, well-rehearsed game plan to handle this," Wilkinson said. "They won't be making it up as they go along."

Collins said that when the cause of death is clear, other details become important. Gunshot wounds to different parts of the body cause different times of death. She said Fierro will work to determine the interval between injury and death, something that is often important to family members.

Fierro has worked in forensic pathology for more than 40 years, according to her biography on the Web site of the State University of New York at Buffalo, where she earned her medical degree. She coordinates between 700 and 800 autopsies per year in the Richmond area alone, Wilkinson said. Fierro has a great deal of experience with trauma, including work on the 2002 sniper deaths in Virginia, he added.

Colleagues said Fierro's experience, expertise and care will help her now. Collins spoke of Fierro's ability to focus on the job at hand while working compassionately with the families. Fierro echoed that Tuesday.

"Our staff grieves with Virginia Tech families, friends and those who survived, those who died in the event," Fierro said. "We're as heartbroken as they are."

Europe on a dime, or a bit more

This boat serves as a traveling fruit market, delivering fruit from mainland Greece to the island of Aigina. Markets are an economical source of fresh ingredients for preparing your own meals. SHNS photo by Kayla Webley


By KAYLA WEBLEY
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire
2007-04-17

In decades past, Europe was a bargain for Americans travelers. The euro did not exist. The dollar was worth more than most European currencies, and the true age of backpacking from country to country with pocket change was at its height.

Even with worse exchange rates, it is still possible to take in the history, food and culture of European countries without breaking your budget.

As you plan your summer trip, here are some things to consider, whether you are a college student booking hostels and living on bread and cheese or a family trying to pinch a few euro cents.

How far to hop?

To stay within budget, choose places that are relatively close together. Your trip's cost will greatly increase if you want to hop around the whole of Europe in a short time. If you have less than a month, pick a region and hit all the places in that area. For your next trip, choose a different area. If you try to do too much, you'll end up broke and exhausted.

The great debate: Airlines vs. trains

Check rail passes. If you plan to take the train a lot, buying a pass is the way to go because individual train tickets add up quickly. Trains cost a lot more than you might expect, so compare them to airfares. I found the least-expensive airfares on Ryan Air and Easy Jet. Easy Jet is often a little more expensive, but it does not have a weight limit for baggage.

Is Ryan Air really that cheap?

When you are cruising for flights on Ryan Air and one pops up for 0.01 euro cent, it can be awfully tempting. But you will still be charged taxes, about 20 euros. Ryan Air flies into tiny airports at least an hour outside the city. The airports always have buses or trains into the city center, but that will add 15 to 20 euros to the price of your travel.

Weight limits on Ryan Air

Ryan Air has strict baggage weight limits (part of the reason its fares are low). Under the most recent regulations, the maximum for checked bags is 15 kilos (about 33 pounds) and 10 kilos (about 22 pounds) for carry-on luggage. The airline charges 8 euros for each kilo over the weight limit - five extra kilos means a 40 euro bill. Also, the weight limit is not per bag, it's per person.

How to book a hostel

You can book hostels online. I suggest hostelbookers.com. It offers the same services as other Web sites but doesn't charge a fee. You must pay a 10 percent deposit. If your plans change and you cancel by the hostel's deadline, that's all you will lose.

How to book a hostel

You can book hostels online. I suggest hostelbookers.com. It offers the same services as other Web sites, but doesn't charge a fee. You must pay a 10 percent deposit. If your plans change and you cancel by the hostel's deadline, that's all you will lose.

What a hostel is like

Hostels all have pretty much the same features -- nothing grand. They offer small and large rooms with bunk beds. The price varies by the number of beds in the room. Most are co-ed. Generally, the more beds per room, the lower the price. Some have free linens and towels, others charge a few bucks. There is usually a shared bathroom in the room, but some are in the hallway. Most hostels include breakfast, usually bread, butter, jam and cereal. Some step up with fruit or cheese and meat. Some charge a few euros for that.

What to look for in a hostel

Almost every hostel claims a great location. But take such boastings with a grain of salt. Do a little research. Accordingly, try to determine ahead of time how social a hostel is. Some hostels sponsor events. This is important, especially if you are traveling alone. You can have a new best friend every day to sightsee with, but some hostels make it easier to meet people than others.

Are hostels safe?

As a 22-year-old female, often traveling alone, I never had a problem. That said, it doesn't mean theft never happens. I always felt safe and never worried much about my belongings. Most everyone I met was just like me: students traveling as cheaply as they could. I always locked my bags before leaving for the day and used the lockers in the hostels that offered them. I often left some loose clothing on my bed. I never lost a thing.

How to eat well

I usually ate one dinner out per city. I got to experience the cuisine without spending too much. Look for places that are off the beaten track. You can often find less expensive, more authentic eats at smaller places away from the town center. As a general rule, the farther away from the main tourist areas you can get, the cheaper the food will be. For lunch, I grabbed something from a take-away for no more than 5 euros. I cooked my other meals in hostel kitchens after buying fresh, super-cheap produce at outdoor markets. Often, other travelers will be in the kitchens, so it is a way to meet people.

Seeing the sights

Hostels often offer inexpensive tours and events, another good way to meet other travelers. Even if you are not staying at a hostel, you can usually join a tour, so it is worth stopping into hostels to see what they are offering. Most city sites can be viewed without a tour guide. Get yourself a map, figure out the public transit system and go at your own pace. If you have done some research, you won't miss too much of the history that tour guides offer.















Onlookers watch performers on the stairs at the Sacre-Coeur basilica in Paris. The steps overlook the city and are a great place to spend an evening with fellow travelers for free. SHNS photo by Kayla Webley


Are hostels safe?

As a 22-year-old female, often traveling alone, I never had a problem. That said, it doesn't mean theft _ or worse _ never happens. I always felt safe and never worried much about my belongings. Most everyone I met was just like me: students traveling as cheaply as they could. I always locked my bags before leaving for the day and used the lockers in the hostels that offered them. I often left some loose clothing on my bed. I never lost a thing.

How to eat well

I usually ate one dinner out per city. I got to experience the cuisine without spending too much. Look for places that are off the beaten track. You can often find less expensive, more authentic eats at smaller places away from the town center. As a general rule, the farther away from the main tourist areas you can get, the cheaper the food will be. For lunch, I grabbed something from a take-away for no more than 5 euros. I cooked my other meals in hostel kitchens after buying fresh, super-cheap produce at outdoor markets. Often, other travelers will be in the kitchens, so it is a way to meet people.

Seeing the sights

Hostels often offer inexpensive tours and events, another good way to meet other travelers. Even if you are not staying at a hostel, you can usually join a tour, so it is worth stopping into hostels to see what they are offering. Most city attractions can be viewed without a tour guide. Get a map, figure out the public transit system and go at your own pace. If you have done some research, you won't miss too much of the history that tour guides offer.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.net)

Tips for your summer trip to Europe

Travelers along the harbor area of Chania a small town on Crete, a Greek island. Tourists browse shops and stop to eat at waterfront restaurants, or just sit back and take in the view.
Photo by Kayla Webley

By KAYLA WEBLEY
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire
2007-04-17

Planning a trip to Europe can be hard if you don't know an experienced traveler to ask for advice.

I recently spent five months living and traveling in Europe. As my friends gear up for summer trips, these are some of their most common questions.

How long to stay?

For most places I would suggest three nights. Of course you can stay longer, but I would not advise staying less than two nights - it just gets too hectic. Traveling from place to place generally takes a whole day. Even if your flight or train ride is short, traveling takes a bit more energy than other days and you won't feel like doing much sightseeing when you first arrive. Don't plan to do much else on travel days. That way if you end up doing something, it's a bonus. You could spend a week in some places. I easily spent a week in Barcelona, Spain, but a week in other places, such as a beach resort out of season, could be too long.

The positives and negative to train travel

The best part of a train ride is the view. It's a way to see the countryside even if you are only visiting cities. Trains are a great way to relax and regroup, meet people with interesting stories and make you feel like a real traveler. They make travel without a firm itinerary easy, as you don't have to book them weeks in advance like airlines. But foreign trains can be tough to figure out. Double check that you've got the right train before getting on. Trains often change platforms, and announcements aren't made in English. Always validate your ticket in countries that require it (most do). Otherwise you could be stuck with a large charge. Sometimes you will get a ticket, but no seat assignment. Always request a seat when booking. If there aren't any left, you can usually find an empty seat for at least part of the ride.

Backpack vs. suitcase

If you are planning to hike or camp, go with the traditional backpack. But if you plan to go city to city, hotel to hotel, you have options. Sometimes it's helpful to be able to put everything you own on your back - long staircases in metro stations, for example. Many bags with wheels are also equipped with backpack straps. Just remember, if you plan to carry it on your back a lot, the wheels add excess weight. Be sure to get a pack that will evenly distribute the weight and is well made - it's worth the extra money. My bag broke while I was in Greece and it was an aggravating process to get it fixed with my limited knowledge of Greek.


















Two American travelers studying in Greece last fall packed all they needed in their backpacks for a weekend camping trip on Aigina, a Greek island.
Photo by Kayla Webley


Packing

Do not under any circumstances leave for Europe with a full suitcase. Even if you don't plan to buy anything (trust me, you will), you don't want to travel with a full bag. You will be packing and re-packing so often that you do not want to deal with sitting on your suitcase, jumping up and down and praying it zips every time you're heading to a new destination. You can repeat clothes in every city and no one will be the wiser. A lot of hotels and hostels have laundry services, or they will know where the closest laundry is.

Be sure to pack ...

A fold-up bag for your dirty clothes so you don't have to haul your whole pack to the laundry. Converters and outlet adaptors for electronic devices. All your chargers for electronics, such as your camera and iPod. Flip flops, a must for hostel showers.

Money exchange

Before you go, change some dollars into euros. Call ahead to order them from a bank, which might not have them on hand. It is much easier to have euros when you arrive (especially after the long flight) to get where you need to go. You will be jet-legged and will not want to use your brain any more than absolutely necessary. And you will avoid the hefty charges from the airport money exchanges. Check with your bank to see how much it charges to use an ATM. The cards can be a great way to get cash on the go, but can cost a lot in transaction fees.

Passports

Your passport will become your most important travel companion. If you lose everything and still have your passport, you will be fine. Before you go, make photocopies of your passport, drivers license and credit cards. Take copies with you, keeping them separate from the originals. Leave some copies at home with someone who can fax them to you if you have a problem. The photocopies won't take the place of your passport, but they can help you get a new one more quickly.

Pickpockets

Exercise the same precautions you would in any city. Carry a bag that zips. Hold on to your purse by the zipper. Don't carry anything in the pouches on your backpack that are easy to get into without your knowing. Exercise extra caution when riding public transportation. Most important, always be aware. The only people I know who had things stolen were careless and not holding onto their belongings.

***

Helpful resources

Train knowledge (especially to and from the UK): http://www.seat61.com/

Eurail passes: http://www.eurail.com/

Advice from travel guru Rick Steves: http://ricksteves.com/

Lonely Planet books, especially "Europe on a Shoestring": http://www.lonelyplanet.com/

To book hostels: http://www.hostelbookers.com

For travel advisories and government cautions: http://travel.state.gov


(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.net)

Kitsap's Heavy Hitter: Finally, It's Norm's Time

Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., chairs a recent session of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Environment. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre


Decades of patiently biding his time until a leadership opportunity presented itself has finally paid off for the 6th District congressman.

Story by Kayla Webley, For the Kitsap Sun
April 8, 2007

WASHINGTON

For 30 years, Rep. Norm Dicks waited for his opportunity to be in the spotlight.

He sat on Republican-controlled committees for half that time, voted on budgets written by conservatives and spoke up when leaders gave him the opportunity — all the while waiting, planning and preparing to take the lead.

"The only reason I stayed is because I really wanted, at some point, to have a chance to get good things done for my state," Dicks, D-Belfair, said. "Now is my chance."

Since the November mid-term elections put the Democrats in charge of Congress and elevated Dicks to a powerful Appropriations subcommittee chairmanship, others have noticed his high spirits.

"What, the big smile on his face?" Sen. Patty Murray, a fellow Washington Democrat, said, noticing Dicks’ outermost reaction to his newly gained power.

Dicks sat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Interior and Environment, which controls funding for environmental and arts programs, for 30 years before taking his seat at the head of the table. It isn’t a very large table, but it means a lot to someone who has waited so long.

"I think it’s a historic record. I haven’t gone back and checked, but I don’t think anybody has ever been on a committee for 30 years in Appropriations and never chaired a subcommittee," Dicks said.

But it isn’t just a seat at a table. His chairmanship means more power and influence in a Congress that has many members fighting for the opportunity to shine.

The 12 chairmen of the Appropriations subcommittees are known as the College of Cardinals because of their extraordinary power to guide federal spending. In fact, Congress.org, part of a nonpartisan publishing firm that focuses on Congress and civic participation, now ranks Dicks as the 11th most powerful member of the House.

Dicks sits directly across the table from those who have come to testify. His build, left over from his days as a linebacker, commands respect. When he talks, the rest of the room listens. His booming voice carries.

He conducts hearings with authority. Nothing harsh — but just a steady, firm hand, said Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., the ranking minority member on Dicks’ subcommittee.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Dicks is a key leader.

"Having worked with Congressman Dicks for many years on the Appropriations Committee, I know that he has been, and will continue to be, a strong representative for his constituents," Hoyer said.

STARTING OUT

Dicks was elected to the House in 1976. He was 35 and ready to jump in to the action.

He had learned from two of the state’s most notable leaders. He worked as Sen. Warren Magnuson’s legislative and administrative assistant, who worked closely with Sen. Henry "Scoop" Jackson.

"I learned from Magnuson and Jackson that you’ve gotta get things done," Dicks said. "You gotta accomplish things, you gotta make it happen. That’s the real test — what do you get done?"

In his first term, he negotiated a seat on the Appropriations Committee, an unusual assignment for a newcomer.

Since then, he has won 15 elections. He attributes his election victories to his dedication to the campaign trail. Even with 31 years of name recognition, he campaigns door to door and puts out yard signs.

"On the football team, we always said you can never take anything lightly, you have to be prepared for every game," said Dicks, who played football for the University of Washington from 1959 to 1962. "That’s the way we approach elections. We want to make sure people know we still want the job."

Last year, his Republican opponent, Doug Cloud, a Gig Harbor lawyer, received 29 percent of the vote.

"I got creamed," Cloud admitted. "Mr. Dicks is popular in the area. He is certainly a representative of the military-industrial government complex and that is popular in the district at the present time."

Dicks said he faced his toughest races were in 1980, when Ronald Reagan was running, and in 1994, when Republicans took control of the House. He was one of two Democrats in the state to survive the 1994 Republican revolution. The other was Rep. Jim McDermott, who represents heavily Democratic Seattle.

"I guess if you work hard and do a good job, people will keep sending you back here," Dicks said.

But his positions on issues aren’t likely to please all his constituents all the time.

The American Conservative Union, a lobbying organization, rates each member of Congress based on where it believes the lawmaker falls on an ideological spectrum. The organization put Dicks on its "House Worst of the Worst" list in 2006, ranking him an 8 for that year and at 10.4 for his career. Zero is the most liberal and 100 is the most conservative.

However, Americans for Democratic Action, a liberal lobbying organization with a ranking system that assigns a zero to the most liberal and 100 to the most conservative, rates Dicks at 74, below the Democrats’ average, which is in the mid-80s.

"ADA wouldn’t consider him a strong liberal. He’s on the conservative side of the Democratic caucus," said Don Kusler, ADA’s communications director. "But it does look like his rating has gotten higher over the years."

Some of his votes demonstrate that Dicks doesn’t always follow the party line. He voted against troop withdrawals from Iraq in 2005 and against a 2002 amendment that would have restricted the president’s ability to take further military action without the approval of Congress.

WORKING AS A TEAM

Dicks and Murray have a strategic alliance, especially on appropriations. Both serve on Appropriations defense subcommittees and military construction and veterans affairs subcommittees. Both also serve on committees related to homeland security.

Murray said those chairmanships give the pair an ability to have a real impact on two of the state’s big issues — transportation and environment.

Dicks has said that reopening Mount Rainer National Park and cleaning up Puget Sound are among his top priorities this year.

He is working to get more federal money for Gov. Chris Gregoire’s Puget Sound Partnership and President Bush’s centennial project for national parks, which could total $3 billion.

He is charged with reviewing the $27-billion Interior Department budget, which includes funding for the national parks and forests and the Environmental Protection Agency. The budget work gives him larger influence because everyone wants something to be included, he said.

But he wants to use his power to show that the public was right by giving the Democrats control.

"I have to come up with a bill here that people are going to say, ‘Wow, the Democrats are doing great things on the environment and they support the arts and the parks,’" he said.

‘THE ADMINISTRATION IS WRONG’

Like many Democrats, Dicks originally voted for the Iraq war. But in the succeeding four years, he has changed his tune.

As part of Democrats’ efforts to gain more control over the war, Dicks helped to get committee approval for a supplemental appropriations bill that includes a timetable for troop withdrawal. The Senate passed a similar measure. President Bush has said he will veto the bill, and Democrats do not have enough votes to overturn the veto.

Dicks said he and his fellow committee members know they have to approve funding for the troops and will work toward something the president will sign. The conflict over the war has put Appropriations members in a tough spot.

"We’re the ones who have to put up the money for this," Dicks said. "The American people want funding for the troops, but they also want us to have an exit strategy. That’s where the administration is wrong."

Dicks is concerned with the war’s increasing cost.

"At some point, this war is going to be an issue of affordability," Dicks said. "I mean, how can we just continue to borrow, borrow all this money and pile up the debt?"

Dicks led a bipartisan group of representatives to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Pakistan in February. He met with Gens. David Petraeus and Raymond Odierno in Iraq and top government officials in each country.

He wanted to get a firsthand view of the conflict and was not pleased by what he saw. He said the military is doing its job, but he is concerned that the Iraqi government has failed to meet crucial benchmarks and reconcile Shias and Sunnis to end violence.

"If the Iraqis were living up to the commitments they made on these benchmarks, that would be one thing, but they’re not," Dicks said. "They say the right things, but they’re not doing anything."

Dicks said he hopes Petraeus and Odierno will be successful.

"We’ve spent all this money, all these lives have been lost and all these people have been injured. I would like this thing to turn out right," he said. "I have my fingers crossed, hoping this thing can turn in the right direction, but it’s really up to the Iraqis, and so far they haven’t done the things they have to do."

HOMETOWN BOY

Perhaps it isn’t uncommon for a sitting congressman to have a building in his hometown named after him. But even after three decades Dicks has never forgotten his roots.

Bremerton Mayor Cary Bozeman said that when Dicks visits his home district, the two sit down over a glass a wine and discuss the area’s needs. He called it practicing politics the old-fashioned way.

"If we put a handshake on deal, it’s a deal," Bozeman said. "If he gives me his word, it’s good."

Dicks recently helped secure federal funding for Bremerton’s plan to make the city more pedestrian friendly. A planned tunnel will route traffic off ferries underground through downtown. Dicks got about $20 million for the project, about two-thirds of the tunnel’s cost, Bozeman said.

"This project will have a big impact on the quality of life in our downtown, and without his help it would not have happened," Bozeman said.

Dicks helped secure funding for a similar downtown development project in Tacoma.

"I’ve kidded Norm for some time that they should rename Tacoma ‘Dicksville’? They could call it ‘Normtown,’ too, I suppose," said Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Bainbridge Island. "I think you probably won’t find a congressman in the country who has had such a meaningful impact on the local infrastructure and jobs in their community."

Dicks’ mother, Eileen, lives just a block away from the two-year-old Norm Dicks Government Center, in the same house Dicks grew up in.

Dicks’ father, Horace, who died in 2001, and grandfather worked at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the same shipyard for which Dicks has secured funding to help continue as an economic driver.

"He’s hometown boy," Bozeman said. "He loves his community. He delivers for his community."

And perhaps, with the Democrats now in charge, that loyalty will become even more visible.

"I’ve been blessed in many ways. I can’t complain. Even though I wasn’t chairman, I still got a lot done for my state and my district," Dicks said. "But now we can do more. Now we’re in a position to get more done."

• • •

THE CONGRESSMAN’S BIO

NORM DICKS

Sixth District (1976-Present)

Home Life: Dicks is 66 years old and is married to the former Suzanne Callison. They have two children, David and Ryan.

Education: Graduated from the University of Washington in 1963. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Washington School of Law in 1968.

Work Experience: In 1968, he joined the staff of Sen. Warren G. Magnuson. He served as Legislative assistant until 1973, when he became the senator’s administrative assistant. He resigned from that post in early 1976 to campaign for Congress in the 6th Congressional District, and he has been re-elected in every election since then.

Key Committees: Rep. Dicks currently serves as the third-ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee. He is a member of three key Appropriations Subcommittees — Defense, Interior and Environment, and Military Construction/Veterans Administration. He is Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee and also serves as a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and on two of its Subcommittees: Intelligence, Information Sharing & Terrorism Risk Assessment and Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response

A Career Highlight: In Bremerton, Rep. Dicks co-chaired an effort to preserve and restore the Admiral Theatre, and is currently supporting the concept of a downtown/waterfront retail development.

• • •

RECENT VOTING HISTORY

Rep. Norm Dicks’ Most Recent Vote

Mar 29: Aye — H.Con.Res. 99: Revising the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2007, establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2008, and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2009 through 2012. Passed 216-210, 7 not voting

Rep. Dicks’ Most Recently Sponsored Bill

H.Con.Res. 96: Expressing the sense of the Congress that there should be enacted a mandatory national program to slow, stop and reverse emissions of greenhouse gases.

Statistics

Norm Dicks has sponsored 19 bills since Jan. 6, 1999, of which 16 haven’t made it out of committee and 0 were successfully enacted (which is average relative to peers). Dicks has co-sponsored 876 bills during the same time period.

Dicks missed 159 of 4826 votes (3%) since Jan. 6,1999 (Average relative to peers).

Source: www.govtrack.us

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Gore brings inconvenient message to Congress

Submitted on March 21, 2007 - 5:20pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - Movie stars often champion favorite causes on Capitol hill. But it's the rare movie star who was once a member of the very committees holding the hearing.

And when the star is former vice president Al Gore, Congress listens.

Gore spoke before House and Senate committee hearings Wednesday, urging Congress to find a bipartisan solution to the climate crisis.

"Our world faces a true planetary emergency," Gore said. "What we're facing now is a crisis that is by far the most serious we've ever faced. The way we're going to solve it is by asking you on both sides of the aisle to do what some people have, as you know, begun to fear we don't have the capacity to do anymore. I know they're wrong."

Gore's lecture about the environment became a movie and won an Academy Award last month.

He sat beside several boxes in the House committee room that he said were filled with messages and petitions from 516,000 people who support his cause. He wanted to show he is not alone in his fight to end global warming, he said.

Gore testified before a joint meeting of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on energy and air quality and the Science and Technology subcommittee on energy and environment. Later in the day, he spoke before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

He called for an immediate freeze on carbon emissions and then a reduction from current levels. Gore also had a long list of recommendations for Congress, including banning incandescent light bulbs, raising standards for auto emissions, negotiating a new international environmental treaty and starting a national mortgage program to promote the use of home energy-saving technologies.

Gore's words were met with support from many committee members. They offered greetings of, "Welcome home," or "Welcome back," to the former vice president, who served on both the House and Senate committees as a representative and senator.

But some Republicans' tone was cooler. They said that, while they supported some of Gore's recommendations, they were concerned about the cost.

"Who's gonna pay for it? Ask China what they think about paying for it. Ask Mexico. Ask India," said Rep. Ralph Hall, R-Texas.

Gore agreed some of the solutions to the climate crisis would be costly, but he said others would save money by adding to the economy, creating jobs and reducing energy spending. The key is to pick and choose among strategies, he said.

Other Republicans were concerned that the research behind Gore's statements is too uncertain for them to move forward. They challenged many of the claims in Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth."

The House committees also invited Bjorn Lomborg, a Danish political scientist at the Copenhagen Business School and author of "The Skeptical Environmentalist," to testify. In his prepared remarks, he said many of Gore's claims are "wildly exaggerated," or "simply incorrect."

"Global warming science is uneven and evolving," said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas. "We need to be deliberative and careful when we talk about so-called scientific facts"

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who once called global warming, "the greatest hoax ever perpetuated on the American people," echoed those concerns.

But Gore urged critics in both hearings to act now.

"The planet has a fever," he said. "If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor. If your doctor says you need to intervene here, you don't say well, I read a science fiction novel that tells me it's not a problem. If the crib's on fire, you don't speculate that the baby is flame retardant, you take action."

Women can’t catch enough ZZZs

Submitted on March 6, 2007 - 5:42pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - College student Crystal Broadwater can't fall asleep until 3 or 4 in the morning. It isn't that she doesn't want to go to bed earlier, she just can't.

"Sometimes I wish I could go to sleep before then, but my body says no," she said.

Broadwater, 23, has to wake up for class or her job as a pharmacy tech at CVS by 8 or 9 a.m., giving her just four or five hours in bed a night.

Broadwater isn't alone. According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, more than half of American women say they get a good night's sleep only a few days a week or less.

"American women are not sleeping well, and that is affecting all aspects of their life," said Kathryn Lee, a professor of family health care nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, who worked on the study.

The study found 80 percent of women who don't get enough sleep experience high stress. Others spend less time with family and friends, are too tired for sex, drive drowsy and are late for work, she said.

The study, released during National Sleep Awareness week (March 5 to 11) is based on a telephone survey of more than 1,000 women, ages 18 to 64. The study purposely over sampled pregnant and postpartum women. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Women are struggling to "do it all" and as a result sacrifice their sleep, Lee said.

When women are tired or run out of time during the day, they are most likely to cut out sleep. They also stop exercising, spending time with their friends and family, eating healthy and having sex. But work remains a priority. Only 20 percent of women put work on the back burner, the study found.

Single, working women spend the least amount of time in bed, generally less than six hours a night. Of these women, 54 percent wake up feeling un-refreshed a few days a week. Married women with children who work full time also spend less than six hours in bed at night and 72 percent have insomnia. They also have the highest rate of drowsy driving.

But working women aren't the only ones missing sleep. Seventy-four percent of stay-at-home moms said they rarely get a good night's sleep, and in the hour before bed, most are still busy with household chores and activities with children.

Dr. Meir Kryger, director of research and education for the Gaylord Sleep Center at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, Conn., who also worked on the study, said there is an illusion that stay-at-home moms have a lot of free time, but the study proved otherwise.

"A stay-at-home mom has a job. She's the last one to bed and the first one up in the morning," he said.

Moms who work part time reported getting the best sleep of any group. Half said they are in bed for more than eight hours a night.

Kryger said the ability to get more sleep is probably why some women choose to work part time when they have children.

Eighty percent of women simply accept their daytime sleepiness and keep going, but 65 percent turn to caffeine for an extra boost. Of those who drink caffeinated beverages, 37 percent consume more than three a day.

The study group recommends that women get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night. For those feeling tired or not getting enough sleep, the group suggests creating a more relaxing environment for sleep, exercising regularly, eating healthy and avoiding both caffeine and alcohol a few hours before bed.

"People have to make sleep a priority," Kryger said, adding that sleep should as important as healthy eating or frequent exercise.


Sleep Stats:

Of the more than 1,000 women surveyed by the National Sleep Foundation's study:

60 percent say they only get a good night's sleep a few nights per week or less.
67 percent experience sleep problems at least a few nights each week, with 46 percent experiencing sleep problems every night.
47 percent say they have no one helping them care for children at night.
21 percent spend the hour before bed doing work related to their jobs, and 60 percent spend that time completing household chores.
Women who allow children (9 percent) or pets (14 percent) to share their beds have the most disturbed sleep.
Working mothers (72 percent) and single working women (68 percent) are more likely to experience sleep problems, including insomnia.
Sleep Tips

The National Sleep Foundation's healthy sleep tips:

Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex.
Make sure your room is dark, quiet and cool.
Finish eating at least two to three hours before bedtime.
Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
Have a regular, relaxing bedtime routine.
Exercise regularly, at least a few hours before bedtime.
Keep a regular bedtime and wake schedule, including weekends.
If you have difficultly sleeping, talk with your doctor.

Washington state’s federal-state officials disagree on impeachment

Submitted on March 1, 2007 - 5:18pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - While the Washington state Senate is set to discuss whether Congress should impeach the president, four of the state's representatives in Congress say the answer is already a no.

The Washington state Senate's Government Operations and Elections Committee plans to hear the Senate Joint Memorial 8016, sponsored by Sen. Eric Oemig, D-Kirkland, on Thursday.

The memorial would call on Congress to investigate the activities of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, specifically their justification for the invasion of Iraq.

Washington Democrats U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Jay Inslee have said that, while they are not in favor of Congress taking up impeachment, they are not strongly lobbying against the state's hearing.

Inslee told a state legislator Feb. 22 that he did not think the impeachment hearing was a "productive thing to do," said Christine Hanson, Inslee's press secretary.

"Rather than grandstanding on impeachment, he is in favor of bringing the troops home," Hanson said.

Similarly, when she was in Olympia, Wash., Friday, Murray told Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, and other state leaders, "I have two words for anyone who's talking about impeachment: Dick Cheney," said Alex Glass, a spokeswoman for Murray.

"She wasn't there to lobby by any stretch of the imagination," Glass said.

"She is not interested in telling the legislature how to do their jobs, but on a federal level, it's not something we are focused on," Glass added.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., also oppose impeaching the president.

Impeachment can be a lengthy process, requiring much of Congress's focus, Hanson said. Inslee worries it would divert Congress from changing the course of the war in Iraq and force House and Senate members to invest all their focus on the impeachment, she said.

All other activities would come to a screeching halt as Congress is extremely interrupted in an impeachment, she added.

Murray agreed. Instead of spotlighting impeachment, she is interested in "righting the ship that has been heading in the wrong direction," Glass said. Murray is more interested in tackling issues such as stem cell research and applying the 9/11 commission's recommendations that have been overlooked by the administration, Glass added.

Inslee, who has been an outspoken administration critic, favors continuing with congressional oversight investigations and feels Congress is doing a good job of it, Hanson said. Since new session started in January, the House has hosted more than 70 oversight hearings to keep Bush and Cheney in check, she added.

Bush presents Medal of Honor to Vietnam hero

Submitted on March 1, 2007 - 5:11pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - Retired Army Lt. Col. Bruce P. Crandall smiled proudly Monday as President Bush fastened the Medal of Honor around his neck.

The Manchester, Wash., man was given the nation's highest military honor for his bravery on a South Vietnam mission that took place 41 years ago.

"In men like Bruce Crandall, we really see the best of America," Bush said. "For the soldiers rescued, for the men who came home, for the children they had and the lives they made, America is in debt to Bruce Crandall. It's a debt our nation can never really fully repay, but today we recognize it as best as we're able, and we bestow upon this good and gallant man the Medal of Honor."

Crandall, 74, was joined at the White House East Room ceremony by his wife, Arlene, three sons and three of his grandchildren. Military comrades were also there, including other Medal of Honor recipients.

Unable to attend the ceremony was Ed W. Freeman, Crandall's partner on the mission. Bush said the Idaho resident was stranded in Iowa by a snowstorm. Freeman was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2001.

At age 32, Crandall was stationed in Vietnam. When medevac helicopters refused to return to a landing zone called X-Ray in the Central Highlands, also called the "valley of death," Crandall decided he would deliver supplies and help the wounded get out. Spending more than 14 hours in the air, Crandall and Freeman made 22 trips - 14 after the landing strip had been closed due to heavy fighting and 12 after the medevac helicopters refused to go back.

They rescued 70 wounded servicemen and provided a lifeline of ammunition, water and medical support for hundreds of soldiers.

Over the day, Crandall flew three different unarmed helicopters, because two were damaged so badly they could not stay in the air, Bush said.

"Yet he kept flying until every wounded man had been evacuated and every need of the battalion had been met," Bush added.

Bush said that, to the men Crandall was coming to rescue, the image of his helicopter is one they will never forget. He quoted an officer who witnessed the battle: "Major Crandall's actions were without question the most valorous I've observed of any helicopter pilot in Vietnam."

Another said, "Without Crandall, this battalion would almost have surely been overrun." And still another officer said, "I will always be in awe of Major Bruce Crandall."

Bush said Crandall didn't see his actions as anything other than a necessity. Quoting Crandall, Bush said, "There was never a consideration that we would not go into these landing zones. They were my people down there, and they trusted in me to come and get them."

Crandall, a native of Olympia, Wash., did not speak at the ceremony. After retiring from the Army, he worked in local government in California and Arizona before moving to Manchester in 1999.

Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., fresh off a plane from his trip to the Middle East, attended the ceremony. Crandall lives in his district.

"It was a real honor to be there with such a brave, heroic American," Dicks said. "It's long overdue, but I'm glad he was recognized for engaging in one of the most heroic rescues in the Vietnam era."

Crandall was nominated for the award a few years ago, at the same time as Freeman. Crandall insisted his name be withdrawn because if only one of them was to win the award he wanted it to go to his "wingman," Bush said.

"Today the story comes to its rightful conclusion: Bruce Crandall receives the honor he always deserved," Bush said.