a clarion voice

Artwork celebrates Day of the Dead

2007-11-08T12:09:00.001-08:00

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

2007-08-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-02T16:04:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-19T13:28:00.001-07:00

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

2007-06-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-17T12:09:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

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

Copyright 2007, kitsapsun.com. All Rights Reserved.

Gore brings inconvenient message to Congress

2007-04-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

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.

Where there’s smoke, there’s humor in museum show

2007-04-12T10:09:00.002-07:00

A cartoon by Gary Markstein, of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, criticizes the tobacco industry for targeting women and children. It is one of 60 on display at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington.
Collection of Dr. Alan Blum

Submitted on February 23, 2007 - 12:16pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - A man in a pinstriped suit sits behind his desk, a large smile encompassing his face. His nameplate reads "Big Tobacco."

Another man tells him that women's smoking deaths have doubled.

Good news?

It is for him.

"Finally, the focus is off is targeting kids!" he announces triumphantly.

The 2001 cartoon by Gary Markstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is one of 60 editorial cartoons in the National Museum of Health and Medicine exhibit "Cartoonists Take Up Smoking."

The exhibit presented by Dr. Alan Blum, director of the University of Alabama Center for the Study of Tobacco and Society, follows the 40-year debate over the use and promotion of cigarettes since the 1964 Surgeon General's report on the negative health effects of smoking.

"It's best to let cartoonists do the talking because humor motivates people better than finger wagging," Blum said.

The cartoons target a variety of actors in the smoking debate, including politicians and tobacco farmers, and issues such as taxation, indoor air laws, warning labels, lawsuits and settlements.

The exhibit's cartoons, most of them originals and some signed by the artists, are devoted to the tobacco industry's targeting of women and minorities, as well as its sponsorship of athletic events and the popularity of chewing tobacco among athletes.

Even though the museum is tucked away in one of the many buildings on the Walter Reed Memorial Hospital campus, the exhibit has been popular, especially with the many students who come on class trips, said Jennifer Heilman, public affairs specialist with the museum.

The exhibit has traveled to several other U.S. cities and will be shown next in Lincoln, Neb., after the exhibit closes here April 1. The museum is free and open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

In addition to the cartoons, the exhibit features newspaper clippings, advertisements and artifacts from the collection Blum began as a young boy.

Now, he has 2,500 boxes of archived material, including more than 1,000 videotapes of commercials, documentaries and debates over smoking, and 1,500 books. As far as he knows, he has largest collection of tobacco-related materials, Blum said.

"There's so many details to the story of smoking that people have forgotten about," Blum said.

As proof, Blum mentioned a photo of Patty Young tucked in a corner of the exhibit. As a flight attendant, Young, then 26, started a battle against smoking on airlines in the 1960s. Her photo is accompanied by ads depicting smoking on airlines as a way to glamorize flying and a cartoon drawn by Wayne Stayskal of the Tampa Tribune in 1984 that shows non-smoking passengers surrounded by clouds of smoke. One of them says, "Look on the bright side ... maybe there will be an emergency and the oxygen bags will drop down."

Young suffered chronic bronchitis and constant headaches that she attributed to second-hand smoke. Her battle led Congress to pass a law against smoking on domestic flights in the 1980s, which was later extended to international flights to and from the U.S.

"It's hard to believe how hard the tobacco industry and even airlines fought against the ban," Blum said. "Above all, the editorial cartoons have shown the most addicting thing about tobacco is money."

The museum added artifacts from its collection to the exhibit. One glass case holds three human lungs. One large, healthy looking lung from a non-smoker lies next to two shriveled, blackened lungs from smokers.

The museum also created a place for visitors to carry on the spirit of the exhibit by drawing their own cartoons. Younger visitors on class trips or with their families penciled most of them.

One shows a man in an ashtray being stomped out by a large cigarette. The caption reads, "Put it out before it puts you out."

Another, signed by Rebecca, 9, says simply, "Smoking is not cool."

Supreme Court to interpret sentencing guidelines ruling

2007-04-12T10:09:00.001-07:00

Submitted on February 20, 2007 - 5:49pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court heard two cases Tuesday about how to interpret an earlier decision that made criminal sentencing guidelines advisory.

The arguments questioned how the decision - made two years ago - should be applied. The court ruled in United States v. Booker in 2005 that mandatory federal sentencing guidelines violated the defendant's Sixth Amendment right to trial by jury by giving judges, rather than juries, the job of determining the length of sentence.

To avoid invalidating the guidelines completely, the court then made the guidelines "advisory," and directed judges to review sentences for their "reasonableness."

One of the cases argued Tuesday, Rita v. United States, questioned the reasonableness of Victor Rita's sentence. A retired Marine and former criminal investigator for the immigration service, Rita, 57, is in poor health due to injuries he sustained while fighting in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War.

He was convicted of obstructing justice and making false statements in a federal grand jury investigation about the sale of kits for making machine guns. At his trial, his lawyer argued for a sentence below the 33- to 41-month range recommended by the sentence guidelines because of his background. The trial judge imposed a 33-month sentence, a decision later upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va.

In the second case, Claiborne v. United States, Mario Claiborne, then 20, pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing cocaine. Under the sentencing guidelines, Claiborne was to receive 37 to 46 months in jail.

The district court judge felt the minimum sentence was too high, given the small amount of drugs involved and the likelihood that Claiborne would not commit similar crimes in the future.

The judge said a 37-month sentence would be equivalent to throwing Claiborne away and instead gave him 15 months plus three years on probation.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis reversed that decision. It said a sentence 60 percent lower than the low end of the sentencing guidelines could be justified only by extraordinary circumstances, which the judge did not find.

Claiborne has already served the 15 months. If the Supreme Court upholds the Eighth Circuit's decision, he would face re-sentencing and a possible return to prison.

Rita's lawyer, Thomas Cochran, assistant federal public defender from Greensboro, N.C., said the district court judge did not take into account Rita's military background or health concerns or offer specific reasons for the sentence.

"How can you say that?" asked Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who said the information was brought out in the trial and the judge didn't have to mention it at sentencing.

Justice Stephen Breyer agreed it wasn't necessary for a judge to state all factors contributing to a ruling. Breyer said his main question was about how free a judge should feel to deviate from the advisory guidelines.

"How much weight can a judge give guidelines without violating the Sixth Amendment," Breyer asked.

In the Claiborne case, Michael Dwyer, an assistant federal public defender from St. Louis, said the district court judge had given a reasonable sentence by consulting the guidelines and then treating Claiborne as an individual.

Several justices noted that Congress established the guidelines in the 1984 Sentencing Reform Act to prevent disparities among cases. The justices said that if every case were treated individually there would be a greater chance that inequalities would arise.

"It would be essentially a lawless system," Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. said. "There has to be a background to it so you know people usually get this sentence."

The court's decision is expected by the end of June.

Rep. Dicks leading trip to Middle East

2007-04-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

Submitted on February 20, 2007 - 5:45pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - With Congress in recesses for the Presidents Day holiday this week, Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., is spending his break meeting with leaders and Washington state soldiers in Iraq and four other countries.

In the nine-day trip, Dicks and a team of representatives from both parties will also visit Pakistan, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Germany.

In addition to meeting with foreign leaders, Dicks will meet with soldiers from western Washington. He hopes to meet with members of the Fort Lewis striker brigade, who are deployed in Iraq, and members of the Washington National Guard.

Dicks said he wants to talk to the Washington troops about whether they are getting the training and equipment they need and whether a lack of either is affecting their ability to do their job.

Joining Dicks for his third trip to the Middle East are three members of the defense appropriations subcommittee and two freshman representatives, one of whom served in Afghanistan and one in Iraq.

Dicks and the other committee members will be responsible for voting on the supplemental defense budget next month. He said it is important for them to get a firsthand update of the situation.

Dicks is one of many members of Congress who openly oppose President Bush's plan to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq.

Dicks spoke Wednesday in the House debate over the a nonbinding resolution that opposes the president's plan. He supported the resolution, which the House passed on a vote of 246 to 182. Over the weekend, the Senate was unable to get enough votes to bring the resolution up for debate.

"These troops have not let us down, to be sure," Dicks said in his speech. "They have been let down by a policy that ignores the reality of their situation and by a commander in chief whose only response to what is unmistakably a civil war in Iraq is to place more American troops in harm's way while sectarian violence plays out in the streets of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities."

On the trip, Dicks plans to meet with President Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan and Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. He is also meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Iraq.

Dicks said a major challenge is making sure the Maliki government is prepared to govern the country and take charge of its own security, particularly in dealing with the conflict between the Shia militia and Sunni insurgents.

"No one wants a failure here," Dicks said in an interview Wednesday. "The key thing here is the Maliki government must perform like they've never performed before."

Traveling with Dicks are Reps. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio; Steve Rothman, D-N.J.; Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., and the two veterans, Reps. Christopher Carney and Rep. Patrick Murphy, both Pennsylvania Democrats.

Bush praises black leaders at history month celebration

2007-04-12T10:06:00.002-07:00

Submitted on February 12, 2007 - 6:54pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - President Bush celebrated an audience filled with black leaders Monday - astronauts, sports stars and his own cabinet member Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - to mark African American History Month.

Bush said he couldn't think of any better way to celebrate black history than by highlighting the achievements of "ordinary citizens who do unbelievably fine things."

"Their stories speak a lot louder and a lot clearer than I could have," Bush said at an East Room speech. "The strength of the African-American community has always lied in the hearts and souls of our citizens, people who refuse to allow adversity to diminish the spirit and extinguish the drive to make America live up to its promise."

Noting the theme of this year's African American History Month, "From Slavery to Freedom: Africans in the Americas," Bush told of the suffering blacks endured and how they overcame adversity.

"Yet despite these assaults on culture and humanity, the children of Africa persevered," he said.

Bush pointed out several audience members, describing their influence and achievements in black history.

There was Tyrone Flowers, who as a young basketball star was headed for college when he was shot, leaving him paralyzed in a wheelchair, Bush said. Flowers, who earned a law degree, and his wife went on to found Higher M-pact in Kansas City, dedicated to helping "high-risk urban youth become tomorrow's leaders."

"The interesting thing about this good man is a lot of people would have either quit or sought revenge. But not him," Bush said. "He picked a different path and found a different calling."

Bonnie St. John, who grew up in San Diego, didn't let losing a leg at age 5 stop her from reaching her dream of being a skier, Bush said. She won medals in downhill skiing in the Paralympics. St. John stood to thank the crowd for its applause, her medals on a red, white and blue ribbon hanging from her neck.

Bush praised astronauts Robert Curbeam and Joan Higginbotham, who were aboard a shuttle mission in December. As the audience laughed, Bush said in jest their job was "not much of a job, just to rewire the International Space Station. It sounds complex."

Among the crowd sat many sports stars, including several Black Ace members and their founder Jim "Mudcat" Grant. Black Aces is an organization of professional baseball pitchers who have won at least 20 games in a single season. Bush also recognized Sylvester Croom of Mississippi State University, the first black head football coach in the Southeastern Conference.

Though they did not attend, Bush applauded football coaches Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of Chicago Bears. The two became the first black coaches to meet at the Super Bowl two weeks ago.

"It might just have been a game for some, but for a lot of folks it was a moment, an historic moment," Bush said.

Bush also introduced the Jackson High School Black History Tour Group choir from Jackson, Mich. Their first song "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," often called the Black National Anthem, clearly express the event's celebratory message.

"Sing a song full of faith the dark past has taught us," they sang. "Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us march on ‘til victory is won."

Climate debate grows heated during House hearing

2007-04-12T10:06:00.001-07:00

Submitted on February 9, 2007 - 4:30pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - Boulder researcher Susan Solomon defended her stance on human-caused climate change amid challenges - including a question about her scientific credibility - from House Republicans at a hearing Thursday.

Solomon is co-chair of an international scientific team that released a landmark climate- change study last week in Paris.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report said there is a greater than 90 percent likelihood that human-caused emissions of heat-trapping "greenhouse" gases are to blame for most of the planet's warming over the past 50 years.

But Republicans on the House Committee on Science and Technology have a different idea.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., submitted a list he said contains the names of "hundreds of scientists who disagree with this concept that climate change is caused by human activity."

The IPCC report said that levels of carbon dioxide, the most important human-produced greenhouse gas, are higher today than at any time in the past 650,000 years, and that "the primary source . . . since the pre-industrial period results from fossil fuel use."

Committee members acknowledged that the planet has warmed by slightly more than 1 degree Fahrenheit over the past century. Still, some questioned the cause.

Rohrabacher asked about the origin of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and whether the majority came from nature or humans.

Solomon, a senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory, said the increase is almost entirely due to human activity.

Rohrabacher responded: "That wasn't the question. This is very dishonest. You're supposed to be a scientist."

Solomon, 51, was awarded the nation's highest scientific honor, the U.S. National Medal of Science, in 1999 for helping to identify the mechanism that produces the Antarctic ozone hole.

In 2004 she received the Blue Planet Prize, a prestigious international award for contributions to solving global environmental problems.

Two other Boulder scientists also testified. Gerald A. Meehl and Kevin E. Trenberth, both of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, helped write the climate report.

Washington’s Bainbridge memorial one step closer to reality

2007-04-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

Submitted on February 7, 2007 - 4:01pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., uttered the Japanese words "nidoto nai yoni," which mean never let it happen again, as he spoke to House members Tuesday.

Inslee was urging representatives to pass a bill that would give national park status to a site on Bainbridge Island, Wash., from which Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps during World War II.

The measure passed 419-0.

"We will be making a strong American statement ... that the power of fear will never again be allowed to overcome the promise of liberty," said Inslee, who represents Bainbridge Island. "America is a country that makes mistakes, but learns and improves."

The memorial will commemorate the 227 Bainbridge Island residents who were the first Japanese Americans taken on March 30, 1942, after President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 and Civilian Exclusion Order No. 1. More than 100,000 Japanese Americans were held in camps during the war.

The Bainbridge residents were taken from the old Eagledale ferry dock, where the memorial will be located, to Seattle where they boarded a train to Manzanar, a camp in California. The group was later moved to Minidoka internment camp in Idaho. The residents were among the last allowed to return home.

As he spoke, Inslee stood in front of large black and white photos.

One showed the Eagledale dock and the Japanese Americans who were taken alongside members of the U.S. military holding rifles. Another showed a young mother holding her 13-month-old child in her arms. That woman is Fumiko Hayashida, a Bainbridge Island resident who at age 95 is the oldest known former internee.

A third photo showed a group of children. One is dentist Frank Kitamoto, 67. He was 2 in the photo when he was taken to the camp, and didn't return to his home on the island until he was 6.

Kitamoto said he doesn't remember leaving the dock at such a young age, but the memorial there has been a long-held dream. He has traveled to schools and civic groups, speaking and showing slide presentations of the internment. He wants to pass on a message of diversity.

"Not having everyone the same is actually a plus, something that helps us," Kitamoto said. "It's important for people to know something like this can happen if we're not careful about how we care for one another."

The bill now moves to the Senate, which must approve it before it can go to the president to be signed into law.

Inslee said he is working with his colleagues in the Senate on this issue. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., introduced the same bill last year.

Inslee said he hopes to have good news to report when he meets with community members and former internees Feb. 19 at the memorial site on the 65th anniversary of the executive order signing.

A memorial is under construction. It includes a symbolic representation of the old dock.

Rep. Inslee writes book to spark action on climate change

2007-04-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

Submitted on February 6, 2007 - 5:55pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - Outside Rep. Jay Inslee's office stands a large photo of a polar bear looking rather glum. The caption reads, "The impacts of climate change are ruining my home."

While there may not be polar bears in his district, Inslee, D-Wash., said global warming has hit too close to home.

As global warming has become a hotter issue, with recent media attention and Hollywood depictions of the enormity of the problem, Inslee has been writing his way toward a solution. In his forthcoming book, "Apollo's Fire: Igniting America's Clean Energy Revolution," Inslee offers tangible ways to fix the problem.

Washington state is faced with a decline in the alpine meadows in Mount Rainer and Olympic National Parks, increasing water temperature, reduced stream flows and declining snow pack combined with summer drought.

"We can't let people feel overwhelmed. They could just seize up and not act. We can't become frozen by this problem, we have to move," Inslee said in an interview Monday in his Capitol Hill office. "That's what this book is about. It's really trying to build confidence in our abilities in America to develop a new clean-energy future."

The book, which he wrote with Bracken Hendricks, a senior fellow at Center for American Progress here, is being edited and should be released in early fall. The book highlights companies and individuals, many of them in Washington state, already working to make a difference. The authors said they wanted to include citizens in the process, not just policy makers.

"We felt it was more important than trying to scare people into action," Hendricks said. "We need to inspire them to action. ... What is at stake is a huge economic and social opportunity if we can rise to the challenge."

Though the book's release is still months away, Inslee wants Congress to tackle global warming right now.

He introduced the New Apollo Project designed to invigorate the economy while providing fixes to global warming, he said. The bill would cap carbon dioxide emissions and provide a trade system for them, which would require industries to limit their emissions or pay others with lower emissions. The bill would also require the use of more renewable energy sources, give manufacturers incentives to make plug-in hybrid vehicles and generally improve energy efficiency.

Some Democrats would like delay legislation to address global warming until a more environmentally friendly president is in office, Inslee said, or at least until next year when they could use it as leverage against Republican candidates.

"Mother Nature does not pay attention to the election cycle," Inslee said. "We just don't have two years of luxury here. We should be aggressive and assertive and quick. Delay is often an excuse for inaction."

Travel industry wants government to help attract more foreign visitors

2007-04-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Submitted on February 2, 2007 - 6:33pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - As chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts, Jay Rasulo said he spends a lot of time talking about magic. Most of the time, it has to do with fairy dust, mouse ears and talking cats, but he said America's people and culture are just as magical.

"People simply need to visit here to feel this magic," he said.

This is why Rasulo, along with colleagues in the travel industry, are urging lawmakers to make more of an effort to increase the number of foreign visitors to the U.S. each year.

Citing a research study by the Discover America Partnership, traveling to the U.S. makes visitors 74 percent more likely to feel "extremely favorably" about the nation.

Rasulo leads the partnership with Stevan Porter, president of the Americas InterContinental Hotels Group, and other travel industry business leaders.

The partnership's plan, "A blueprint to discover America," focuses on making the entry process at airports faster and more efficient, improving the visa system and communicating the idea of a friendlier United States.

According to the partnership's 2006 study, travelers rated America's entry process as the "world's worst," and two-thirds of the those surveyed feared they would be detained at the border because of a simple mistake or misstatement.

An independent polling firm conducted the study, which was based on a survey of more than 2,000 travelers worldwide.

The plan would expand an initiative introduced a year ago by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to increase travel with "secure borders and open doors."

The group views the Rice-Chertoff plan as a step in the right direction but wants the process expanded and expedited, said Porter, Discover America's chairman. The group's plan is a more comprehensive vision, a logical next step, he added.

Some legislators are backing the idea.

While many of the nation's allies have engaged in aggressive campaigns, fueled with substantial investments to bring visitors to their countries, the U.S. has become less aggressive, Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said Wednesday at a hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

"I believe that you can develop an approach that recognizes and addresses our security interests and at the same time does more to promote our travel and tourism," said Dorgan, chairman of the tourism subcommittee.

But the plan is not without critics. The main concern has to do with funding. The blueprint would require $300 million. It amounts to $50 million to reform the visa process, $50 million to fix the entry process and $200 million in promotion.

The group proposed that the funding come from tax-free bonds, a $5 exit fee on visitors leaving the U.S. on airlines, or from a charge of approximately $10 on airline tickets.

The Air Transport Association opposes any proposed fees on airline travel.

"Our airlines are eager to bring more international visitors to America so they can experience first hand what we already know: America is a great country to do business with, and to visit," James May, the ATA's chief executive officer, said in his testimony before the committee. "While I appreciate a warm welcome, it is really hard for me to support charging passengers a $5 fee to purchase a smile and a greeting."

Geoff Freeman, executive director of the Discover America Partnership, said the group was just making suggestions about funding options.

"We have to find a way to fund this that works for everyone," he said, adding that the group will work with other organizations to accomplish their goals. "This is going to require a lot of work, but we need to send a clear message to Congress that we need reform and we need it now."

Spelling book to make dreamers into champions

2007-04-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

R’ay Fodor, 9, watches Barrie Trinkle, co-author of “How to Spell like a Champ,” sign a copy of her book for him.
Photo by Kayla Webley

Submitted on January 30, 2007 - 1:34pm.

Kayla Webley
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

WASHINGTON - Unlike most fourth grade students, R'ay Fodor happily accepts extra homework. He studies spelling a lot more than his friends, but he said it's worth it if it helps him reach his dream of winning the national spelling bee and becoming "famous."

Fodor's dad started coaching him in spelling when he was just 5 years old. Now, four years later, he enters every spelling be he can, and made it farther than any other third-grade student in the Jewish Primary Day School Bee last year.

"I've gotten good grades in spelling since the second grade, so I thought I would give it a go," he said.

Fodor is like many would-be spelling bee contestants who will be poring over the new book, "How to Spell like a Champ."

It provides study tips, advice from previous winners, word games and puzzles for practice. It also offers students insight into what it is really like to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, including how big the stage is, how to get parents "to chill" and what losing feels like.

The book follows the recent spike in popularity of spelling bees. With the spelling bee being shown on prime time television for the first time last year, and with fictional portrayals of spelling competitions in books, movies and even on Broadway, spelling bees are at their height.

"The book is not only for a child to learn from but dream from," said Paige Kimble, a former champ who is a co-author and director of the national bee. "The demand from young people for information about the national contest is greater than ever. They want to learn how to become champion spellers, too."

The third author is Carolyn Andrews, whose son, Ned, won the bee in 1994.

The National Spelling Bee started in 1925 with just nine contestants. It was originally sponsored by the Louisville Courier-Journal. The Scripps Howard News Service and its parent, the E.W. Scripps Co., took over sponsorship in 1941. This year's bee is May 30 and 31 in Washington.

"This is an old-fashioned competition, so there is a big nostalgia factor. In the digital age, it is still something we can get together and do," co-author Barrie Trinkle said. "Plus, people enjoy watching kids compete and marvel at how someone 4 feet tall can know so many big words."

Trinkle, who won the national bee in 1973 with the word "vouchsafe," met recently with about 90 students from local elementary schools at the bookstore Politics & Prose to answer questions and sign copies of the book. The eager young spellers quizzed the author, asking her to spell "antidisestablishmentarianism" - which at 28 letters is widely accepted as the longest word in the English language.

It wasn't long before the table turned, with the students participating in an impromptu spelling bee, trying their best to spell words such as "incognito," "staccato" and "toboggan."

The authors hope the book will not only be useful to youngsters already involved in spelling but also attract interest from those who are curious about bees but haven't participated.

"I am hoping for a whole new audience. Those who have seen the bee on TV and thought it looked like fun but wondered how to get there," Trinkle said. "The book will give those kids a way to reach their goals."

For John Jay Daly, 78, who had books signed for a five of his 24 grandchildren, the book will allow him to pass on his own excitement over spelling.

"I'm trying to instill in them a love of words," said Daly, a semi-retired writer and public speaker from nearby Chevy Chase, Md. "I've been a word nut my whole life, but I tell them you only have to learn a little bit at a time."

He encourages his grandchildren to learn one new word a day, but he said they get permission to take their birthdays off.

That may sounds like a lot of work to those not committed to spelling, but for kids like Fodor it is an obligation well worth the time if the end result is a large trophy and the title of spelling champion.

***

Spelling tips from the experts

Tips from former Scripps National Spelling Bee winners, as featured in "How to Spell Like a Champ:"

Acknowledge you will be asked words you have not studied.

Pretend the rest of the audience is on Mars, and that you and the judges are sitting in your living room having a conversation.

Study Webster's Third New International Dictionary - the dictionary used for word list selection.

Keep a spelling notebook with you so you can review words any time you have a spare minute.

Delegates want an official chance to make their voices heard

2007-04-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

Submitted on January 23, 2007 - 6:51pm.

Kayla Webley

WASHINGTON - American Somoa has the highest per capita casualty rate of any U.S. state or territory in the war in Iraq, but its delegate cannot vote in Congress. Eni Faleomavaega wants to change that.

Faleomavaega, a Democrat, is in his 10th term representing American Samoa in the House of Representatives. As an elected delegate, he is sworn in like every other representative and allowed to serve on committees. But, unlike other members of Congress, when the time comes to vote, Faleomavaega can only stand by.

Faleomavaega is one of four delegates from U.S. territories, who although they do not pay federal income taxes, are allowed to have a small voice in the workings of their country's government.

"By and large, many members don't even know we exist," Faleomavaega said. "Give us a chance to represent our people ... allow us to participate in our democracy."

Like the territories, D.C. citizens also do not have a vote in Congress. They elect a non-voting delegate. But unlike the territories, D.C. citizens pay federal income tax, a grievance that runs high. The motto on D.C. license plates reads "Taxation without representation."

A resolution coming to the House floor Wednesday seeks to change that. The proposed changed to House rules would allow delegates to vote when a measure is being voted on by the "committee of the whole," a procedure used when the House debates and amends a bill before going to a final vote. The proposal also states that if a measure were to pass on a narrow margin, the full House would vote again without the delegates' participation.

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., is backing other legislation that would give the District full voting rights, making her like any other representative.

The rule to be voted on Wednesday would not be new to the House. It was used in 1993 and 1994 when the Democrats were last in control, but was abandoned in 1995 when Republicans came to power.

Republicans worry that the U.S. territories would essentially be receiving "representation without taxation," Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said Tuesday at the Rules Committee meeting. Because three of the four territorial delegates are Democrats, the party could use the extra votes to its advantage, allowing it to pass more legislation, including a tax increase, he said.

"This is not just about representation," Sessions said. "I am concerned that this is another opportunity for the majority party to add votes to their total."

Democrats insisted that would not be the case. With the revote provision for any bill with a margin of less than five votes, the delegates' votes would not be binding. Their votes would be largely symbolic, said Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass.

"We know full well our vote doesn't really count, but at least symbolically we will be able to represent our people," Faleomavaega said during the meeting.

Guam, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are the other territories without full voting rights in Congress.

For Delegate Madeleine Bordallo, D-Guam, the symbolism is all that matters.

"It is a terrible, left out feeling," she said.

Neighbors wonder what will become of bread sign atop factory

2007-04-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

June 28, 2006 Wednesday
Fourth Edition

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times staff reporter

Its large, once glowing red letters no longer light up the neighborhood.

They haven't for years.

But the Wonder Bread sign just south of downtown Seattle still looms high atop the now defunct factory where the soft white bread was made for many years. That may end soon.

The property where it sits is for sale, and who knows where the sign will land.

Residents of the neighborhood want to have a say in the sign's future should it be forced to come down from the metal supports it has rested on for some 50 years.

"The sign should be appreciated for what it is a wonderful piece of Americana," said Daniela McDonald, co-chair of the Jackson Place Community Council. "I mean, it's Wonder Bread. How much more American can you get?"

Fairfield Regional, which owns the property and had plans to develop it, put it up for sale a few weeks ago, said Mark Faulkner, a regional vice president for Fairfield.

Fairfield had planned for a mixed-use complex on the property, with retail on the street level and apartments above, Faulkner said. Any buyer would be expected to use that plan.

The development would likely require the removal of the sign as part of the demolition of the factory, he said.

Some residents would like to see the sign remain intact in the neighborhood.

Squire Park resident John Jeannot thinks the sign would be best in nearby Pratt Park. It would be an ideal way to start a sculpture gallery to bring more life and art to the park, he said.

Jeannot proposes tilting the "B" on its side so the sign would say "wonder read" a good message, he says, to spread to the children who play in the park.

McDonald also thinks the sign should remain intact, but she has other ideas for where it should go. She has been talking with ArtSpace, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and creating spaces for artists.

She thinks ArtSpace may be the best home for the sign. It might be easily incorporated into the artist lofts the organization is developing at 875 Hiawatha Place S. The lofts will consist of 61 rental units of affordable living and work space for artists and their families, plus 6,000 square feet of commercial space.

Cathryn Vandenbrink, ArtSpace's regional director in Seattle, said getting the sign is a wonderful idea, but the idea is still on the drawing board. ArtSpace must make sure it is financially feasible, she said.

Bill Bradburd, co-chair of the Jackson Place Community Council, proposes splitting the sign, giving the "Wonder" section to the Seattle Urban League to place on the top of the African American Arts and Cultural Museum. He suggests that the "B" be removed from "Bread" and that the "read" portion be given to a school or library.

The Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) has offered to store the sign until the neighborhood groups can afford to restore the sign and have decided where it should be placed.

MOHAI spokesman Feliks Banel said the Wonder Bread sign would fit right in, as MOHAI is home to many other industrial signs, including the old Rainier brewery "R" and the 2--story blue flame from the old Washington Natural Gas building.

The museum also is open to taking the sign permanently, Banel said.

But Banel and the residents would most like to see the sign left where it is. Neon signs should ideally "live where they were born," where everyone can readily enjoy them from their cars in passing, Banel said.

For the time being, those in the neighborhood can appreciate the sign where it is.

"The sign is very much a part of the neighborhood. People really remember the red glow," McDonald said.

Judge decides Gas Works concerts suit can go ahead

2007-04-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

June 28, 2006 Wednesday
Fourth Edition

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times staff reporter

Opponents of moving a popular summer concert series to Gas Works Park won a small court victory Tuesday when a judge ruled that their lawsuit against the city of Seattle and the concert promoter can go forward.

Both sides said after the King County Superior Court ruling by Judge Dean Lum that they were waiting for the other side to act, leaving unanswered the question of whether the city can host the Summer Nights series at Gas Works in the summer of 2007.

"It's all up in the air right now. We don't know what the plaintiffs are going to do," said parks spokeswoman Dewey Potter.

"The ball is in the city's court," said David Bricklin, attorney for the plaintiffs, Friends of Gas Works Park. That group claimed that its concerns over noise, parking and traffic were not heard when the city was deciding to move the series to Gas Works.

In past years the series has included 17 to 23 concerts per summer, with as many as 3,800 tickets sold per show.

If the group does go to court and wins its lawsuit, the city and concert promoter One Reel would have to do a full environmental review before holding the shows at Gas Works.

The city has claimed it should not have to do such a review because the concerts are a temporary entertainment event, not a wholesale change to the park.

Bricklin disputed that, saying the city's plans include building pathways, upgrading utilities and making other permanent changes.

The concert series began in 1991 at Pier 62/63 on Seattle's central waterfront on Elliott Bay. But because that venue needed repair, the concerts were moved in 2005 to South Lake Union. The concerts needed to move again for 2006 because of park construction at the Lake Union site.

After the lawsuit was filed, the city said it would suspend the shows for this summer but resume them next summer.

UW professor gives work to Indonesia

2007-04-12T09:43:00.002-07:00

The Seattle Times

June 27, 2006 Tuesday
Fourth Edition

He studied conflict in Southeast Asia - Retired researcher battling lung cancer

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times staff reporter

In decades of research on political conflict in Southeast Asia, University of Washington professor Dan Lev accumulated dozens of boxes filled with notes, documents and books.

Now seven years retired and battling lung cancer, he has decided to give his work to those he believes will benefit from it the most: young scholars in Indonesia.

Traditionally, when professors retire, they donate their collections to their university's libraries. And while the UW libraries will keep some of his materials, Lev, in an unusual move, is sending the bulk of it to The Center for Study of Law and Policy, a nongovernmental organization in Jakarta. The center is made up of 25 to 30 young lawyers who do research primarily on reform issues in the nation.

Lev, 72, began his teaching career at the University of California, Berkeley, and came to the UW in the 1970s. He retired from the UW in 1999, after years as a political-science professor and researcher. He also established the political-science honors program.

His research, accumulating materials dating from the 1950s, has focused on politics, religion, judicial change and reform, ideology, professionals and historical change, he said.

During his many trips to Indonesia, Lev worked closely with scholars, journalists, reformers and the military to further the cause of human rights in Indonesia, said Judith Henchy, head of the UW libraries' Southeast Asia section.

"His courage has been a great inspiration to a number of young scholars in Indonesia who often worked in an atmosphere of great fear and oppression," she said.

Lev worked to empower lawyers and political scientists who formed many of the nongovernmental organizations that contributed to the student movement against the government in the 1990s, Henchy said.

Lev also embraced the language and culture of Indonesia; he often speaks with colleagues in an Indonesian language, and much of the material he's sending back his own writings and those of others is in the native language.

His influence has been evidenced in recent months as many people have come from Indonesia to visit, debating policy for one last time or just saying goodbye to their friend.

"These visits have meant good conversation, a continuation and sometimes renewal of friendships," he said.

It was important to him to send the materials he utilized in his research over the years back to others to aid in their research, Henchy said. The most recent shipment involved 17 boxes, and some materials still remain. And though the UW libraries offered to foot the bill for shipping, he paid for the majority of the shipping costs, calling it a "debt of honor."

U.S. research in other countries has often involved bringing valuable materials back to U.S. libraries materials that would be just as valuable to their homelands, Lev said.

"I wanted to make sure the young scholars who desperately need them have them back," he said.

Lev hopes his actions will spread a larger message about the importance of setting up air-conditioned, archival resources in every nation, so research materials will be preserved and made available to all.

"We must convince people here and elsewhere to pay real attention to education," he said. "People need places to sit and study that are well-stocked with material. We must give young scholars the materials they need."

Rabbit roundup set for fall

2007-04-12T09:43:00.001-07:00

The Seattle Times

June 20, 2006 Tuesday
Fourth Edition

Woodland and Green Lake parks - Poor timing, high costs doomed initial effort

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times staff reporter

Feral rabbits continue to run amok in Woodland and Green Lake parks after a failed attempt to relocate them to a new home.

But now, the city of Seattle has a new partner to handle the relocation portion of the roundup and is scheduled to restart capturing the rabbits this fall.

Citing poor timing, poor communication and a lack of money, Seattle's Parks Department halted the program about two weeks after it began in late February with the capture of just 48 of the long-eared critters.

"We could have done a lot of things better, but we are willing to keep going and try again," said Barb DeCaro, resource-conservation coordinator for the Parks Department.

Although several hundred rabbits run wild in the parks, most were likely pets that owners abandoned.

The rabbits have damaged trees and dug holes and tunnels that can be hazardous to park goers. The animals also carry parasites.

The first relocation attempt, which was to have begun Jan. 15, proved to be too expensive to complete. It would have cost an estimated $20,000 to spay, neuter and delouse as many as 200 rabbits, DeCaro said.

The Rabbit Meadow Sanctuary, which was to house the rabbits as a partner in the project, had raised $7,000, and the Parks Department had pledged $10,000.

The city started the process, and by early March, 48 rabbits had been captured and temporarily housed at Magnuson Park. They were to stay there until sterilized, then were to be moved permanently to the Redmond sanctuary.

But the temporary home was being used by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency for drug-bust drills, and housing the rabbits there created too much stress on the animals.

The $7,000 in donations was used to sterilize and care for the 48 rabbits and house them at the sanctuary. The city and the sanctuary ended their partnership shortly after that, DeCaro said.

Another problem was warm spring weather. It's best to capture rabbits in colder months when they mate less. But an early spring heat wave meant many rabbits were pregnant when captured.

The program required sterilizing the captured rabbits, which would have meant terminating the pregnancies. Although a handful of rabbits were born, the Parks Department thought it best to postpone the roundup until this fall, when the weather is cooler, said Dewey Potter, Parks Department public-information officer.

Now the department has partnered with the Friends of Park Rabbits group to find a relocation site and funding for the project. The group has not started raising money but has been at the parks on weekends to educate the public about the rabbits. The group encourages people not to feed the rabbits and not to drop off unwanted rabbits at the site.

There are feral rabbits in other, smaller parks in the city, and the city may start a roundup in those parks, because it would be easier to clear out all the rabbits quickly and cheaply, before tackling Green Lake and Woodland parks, DeCaro said.

Tolls proposed for 520 bridge, pass on I-90

2007-04-12T09:42:00.001-07:00

The Seattle Times

June 20, 2006 Tuesday
Fourth Edition

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times staff reporter

The state Legislature will be asked to look at the possibility of installing tolls on some roadways in the state, including Snoqualmie Pass and the Highway 520 floating bridge, according to a study by the Washington State Transportation Commission.

The study estimates a $4 toll at the pass would raise $513 million for construction, plus $3.1 million for annual maintenance. Ordinarily, 27,000 vehicles cross the pass each day.

Money generated by a toll at the pass could help fund a proposed widening of Interstate 90 from Keechelus Dam to Easton, about 10 miles.

"If you want to get the work done up there, which most people agree needs to be done, tolls are worth examining," said transportation commissioner Dick Ford, former head of the Port of Seattle.

A nearby five-mile project to rebuild I-90 through an avalanche-prone corridor along Keechelus Lake would be funded by $388 million in gasoline taxes.

Before tolls at the pass could become a reality, however, the state would first have to get permission from the federal Department of Transportation because the pass is an interstate thoroughfare.

The proposals are hypothetical, but these are projects the Legislature might consider in the future, Ford said.

Other projects that could see tolls include the 520 floating bridge and bridges on the Columbia River.

Tolls were used in the beginning on the 520 floating bridge to cover the cost of construction. Tolls also are planned for the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge and for the car-pool lanes on Highway 167 between Auburn and Renton.

The proposals on tolls will be discussed at public forums in several cities beginning today.

The forums are designed to inform the public on how tolling could be used. Discussions will also include new tolling practices, and the roadways where tolling may be used. The commission's recommendations then will go to the Legislature, which ordered the study in 2005.

"We want to get a sense of what the public thinks," Ford said.

Putting tolls at Snoqualmie Pass was looked at because the majority of people travel the route only a few times per year and might not mind paying a toll, Ford said. He also said tolls at the pass could be a better option than tolls on some commuter routes, such as the 520 bridge, which would have people paying the tolls every day, causing a potential bottleneck if people take the I-90 floating bridge to avoid tolls.

For the study, the commission enlisted public feedback in focus groups, interviews and a survey of 1,118 voters who were also licensed drivers. They found residents generally support tolls if the money collected goes directly to improve the tolled roadway and if there were, for example, alternative free routes.

The report also concludes that the public would support tolls over further raising the gas tax, and tolls are generally seen as fair because those who benefit the most pay the most.

Tolling has changed from the traditional model of staffed toll booths, causing significant delays in travel times. Newer tolling methods include electronic tolling or conversion of existing car-pool lanes to high-occupancy toll lanes, where solo drivers can pay a toll to drive in the car-pool lane.

Staff reporter Mike Lindblom contributed to this report.

Public meetings

Vancouver: today, 5-7 p.m., DOT Southwest Division Building, 11018 N.E. 51st Circle

Mercer Island: Wednesday, 5-7 p.m., Mercer View Community Center, 8236 S.E. 24th St.

Bellingham: Thursday, 5-7 p.m., Hampton Inn, 3985 Bennett Drive

Yakima: June 27, 5-7 p.m., Clarion Hotel, 1507 N. First St.

Spokane Valley: June 28, 5-7 p.m., Center Place, 2426 N. Discovery Place

For more information, visit: www.watollingstudy.com/

Komen run a chance to celebrate survival

2007-04-12T09:41:00.001-07:00

The Seattle Times

June 16, 2006 Friday
Fourth Edition

Cancer survivor set for 8th race - About 15,000 people expected Saturday

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times staff reporter

On her 36th birthday in 1998, Kathy Kearney received something she hadn't expected: breast cancer.

Now, eight years later, she will join about 15,000 participants both breast-cancer survivors and their supporters in Saturday's 13th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

But this won't be Kearney's first race.

She has been the first breast-cancer survivor to cross the finish line for the past seven years. If she wins again this year, it will bring her that much closer to her goal of winning 10 in a row.

"I have learned if I can overcome breast cancer, I can overcome almost anything," Kearney said. More than 100 racing events associated with the Race for the Cure are held in communities nationwide, with about 1 million people expected to participate this year. Most of the money raised goes toward breast-health education, screening and treatment projects in the community.

Kearney's first race was just two months after she ended treatment in 1999. She remembers many of the women in the race that year. As someone diagnosed just a year before, seeing people who had survived for 10 or 20 years gave her hope, she said.

"Seeing all those women, you realize this is not a death sentence," she said. "This may not be what you would choose, but it is not the worst thing that could happen."

Even while undergoing treatment, Kearney continued to work four days a week and run with her dogs, Rex and Riley, along the Snoqualmie Valley Trail near her home in Carnation. It was all part of her therapy, Kearney said.

"I just thought, if I can still do this then I'm going to be OK," she said.

Being competitive, she wanted to run fast that first year, but the thought of winning never crossed her mind, she said.

But after she won, and kept winning for the next few years, each victory became a milestone.

"It's a good way to celebrate my survival," she said.

Kearney has formed a close bond with many of the women who gather each year to run or walk in the event. It has been especially meaningful for her to connect with other lifelong runners who have been struck by the disease but have remained in shape and athletic.

"It's great to connect with all these other people who are healthy and not letting it slow them down in life," she said.

Boy shoots at pit bull to help girl in attack

2007-04-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

June 9, 2006 Friday
Fourth Edition

West Seattle - Teen gets in van to escape dog

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times staff reporter

A 13-year-old girl who was attacked by a pit bull in West Seattle on Wednesday was able to get to the safety of a van after a neighborhood boy used his pellet gun to distract the dog.

Even after the girl got in the van, the dog kept circling it until police arrived.

The girl, who was visiting a home in the 3000 block of Southwest 106th Street, suffered minor injuries in the attack, which lasted several minutes, according to police. They didn't release her name.

Police don't know what provoked the attack.

Tyler Toycen, a 13-year-old neighbor, shot his pellet gun at the dog to compel it to release its grip on the girl, said the boy's mother, Karin.

"We were all shaking," Toycen said. "I would have been so frightened if I were her. It didn't look like the dog was ever going to let go."

When an officer arrived at the home, the girl was still in the van, and the dog was still circling it. The officer tried unsuccessfully to control the dog with voice commands, and later used a Taser to subdue it.

But the Taser appeared to have little effect on the dog, which eventually went into some bushes alongside of the home, said Jeff Kappel, a Seattle police information officer.

The dog was taken away and quarantined by Animal Control.

The girl suffered superficial injuries, including bites on her left arm, left leg and right thigh. She was treated on-site by the Fire Department and then taken to a local hospital.

While police were dealing with the dog, someone stole some gear from a police car. A suspect was later identified and arrested, and the gear was recovered.

Putting Mercer Island club on map

2007-04-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

June 3, 2006 Saturday
Fourth Edition

Youth group - '07 groundbreaking planned for state-of-art building

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

At 91 years old, the Mercer Island's Boys and Girls Club's current site shows its age.

There are cracks in the walls and electrical tape holding wiring together in the building where kids run, learn and play after school.

Club director Todd Bale jokes that the walls in the adjacent bus barn now used for storage aren't made of wood anymore they are just "termites holding hands."

"Love and duct tape is all that holds us together that's kind of our joke," Bale said.

The aging facility, the former East Seattle School, is why the club is campaigning hard for a new building. It already has a new site on the Mercer Island High School campus and has raised $8 million, half of its fundraising goal.

With some earlier roadblocks now resolved, the club is pursuing private donors so it can stay on track for a groundbreaking in fall 2007.

The club must reach 90 percent of the fundraising goal, or about $14.4 million, before breaking ground, Bale said.

"This is the largest public-private partnership for kids in the history of Mercer Island," Bale said. "The community not only has to support this, but sacrifice to make this project a reality."

The planned $16 million state-of-the-art building would put the Mercer Island club on the map as one of the best in the nation, Bale said.

The approximately 50,000-square-foot, three-story building would sit on the "North Mercer" area of the Mercer Island High School campus, located at 9100 S.E. 42nd St. The building is divided into three areas: a 19,000-square-foot field house, a teen center and club space for kids.

The "EX3" Teen Center would offer a music and video production studio, an Internet Café, learning lounge with tutoring and a teens-only games room.

The field house, the size of three full-sized basketball courts, would be equipped for badminton, baseball, basketball, dodge ball, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, track, volleyball and wrestling.

The field house also would include a weight room and cardio area, a top request heard from teens when they were surveyed nine months ago, Bale said.

A separate learning center, computer lab, arts and craft room and games areas would be designed for kindergarten through eighth-grade students. The facility would offer before- and after-school child care.

With the proximity to the high school, the Boys and Girls Club hopes to increase the number of teens who use the facility, Bale said. Of the 2,000 members, the majority 75 percent are in kindergarten through eighth grade.

The new center would free up space in the overcrowded high school, which plans to add four or five new classrooms when wrestling and gymnastics move to the new facility.

The project has raised concern from neighboring residents over potential traffic and parking problems.

A few weeks ago the City Council adopted a transportation improvement plan, which included modifications to deal with congestion along Southeast 40th Street, scheduled to begin in 2007, said Mercer Island City Manager Rich Conrad.

The parking issue has not been resolved, but the club is working with the school district and city to devise a plan, Bale said.

Called the PEAK project (a Positive Place for Kids and Teens for Enrichment, Education, Activities, Athletics, Kinship and Community), the new club would be built with public and private support, Bale said.

The largest chunk of the money raised so far came from resident Michael O'Brien, who signed a letter of intent to purchase the existing site's property for $6 million. Under the agreement the property will be leased back to the Boys and Girls Club for $10 per year for 10 years.

From the sale, $4.5 million will go toward the new facility, with the remaining $1.5 million going to the King County Boys and Girls Club capital reserve fund.

O'Brien also agreed to improve the current site, tearing down the old half of the building, keeping the gymnasium (built in 1991) and adding a Little League field, improved T-ball field and outdoor play area for $2 million. The additions at the existing site would be used primarily by sports teams, helping to reduce overcrowding at other play fields, Bale said.

In addition to the O'Brien funds, the club has raised $2.5 million in private donations and received $1 million contributions from the city and the school district, respectively.

Fundraising ideally should take no more than a year, Bale said. The club has been seeking money for the past two months and is approaching larger donors.

Students engineer flights of fancy

2007-04-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

May 27, 2006 Saturday
Fourth Edition

Bothell school uses kites to help science, social studies make sense

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

Eight-year-old Shelby Pegel was disappointed. Her camo-patterned shirt was in the wash so she couldn't wear it to school. Her friend also forgot to bring the camo-patterned pants that would have completed the outfit.

The second-grader's camouflage outfit would have matched her green butterfly kite perfectly, she said. "I wanted to make my kite the best," she said.

Dozens of colorful kites filled the sky at Lockwood Elementary School in Bothell on Friday, part of a new partnership between the school and the Drachen Foundation, an organization dedicated to increasing knowledge about kites.

Each grade integrated kite-making into science and social-studies units, giving students a hands-on learning experience.

First-graders made bug kites, second-graders crafted butterflies, third-graders created Japanese fish, fourth-graders salmon kites, fifth-graders made box kites and sixth-graders designed tetrahedral kites.

Lockwood received a grant from the King County Arts Commission to expand the program next year. The money will allow the school to build kites in every classroom, hire an artist to assist in the process and plan a field trip to the Bellevue Arts Museum's kite exhibit next spring.

For the second-grade butterfly study, each child watched his or her caterpillar make the transformation into a butterfly, then the students released the butterflies into the wild.

"The kids are totally excited throughout the whole process. They would run into the classroom every day to see what happened," said second-grade teacher Mary Shanahan. "It makes the science unit more meaningful for them to have experience of making the kite and simulating the butterflies flying."

Eight-year old Anna Sabin labeled her butterfly kite Fire and Water.

The right-hand "fire" side glowed with red, orange and yellow designs, contrasting with the left-hand "water" side with its purple, green and blue blocks of color.

She yelled, "Fly like the wind, fly, baby, fly," as she took off running across the playfield holding her colorful creation as it took flight.

Downtown "renaissance" under way

2007-04-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

May 24, 2006 Wednesday
Fourth Edition

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

When City Manager Rich Conrad looked around Mercer Island's downtown not long ago, he had to admit it was bleak.

Businesses were failing: Only banks, dry cleaners and parking lots dotted the streetscape. There was no nightlife, few restaurants and hardly any people strolling the streets.

Now halfway through a downtown redevelopment, the changes are dramatic.

New apartment and condo buildings are opening, with shops, banks, real-estate offices and restaurants renting space on the ground level. Two mixed-used projects are already completed, and with four more to come, the developments will add more than 80,000 square feet of retail space, 24 condos and more than 700 new apartments.

"We are on the front end of a renaissance," Conrad said.

At Island Square, one of the largest projects, all but one of the retail spaces in the five-building complex has been rented. Among the new tenants will be Noah's bagels, Taco del Mar and Maggie Moo's Ice Cream. A few businesses are already open and serving customers.

Emerald City Smoothies has been open for more than a month, and sales have exceeded expectations, said owner Tom Napier.

The location provides a "built-in clientele" from the apartments above and passers-by on their way to Interstate 90, he said.

"There is a lot of enthusiasm about the development," Napier said. "People want to know when you are opening and what is going in here. Mercer Island is ready for expanded urban living."

Much-needed face-lift

Redevelopment is not a new goal for the island. As the city's population boomed in the 1960s and '70s, strip malls were put up hastily to meet the needs of new residents, said Susan Blake, a former City Council member and a resident for more than 50 years.

"The city knew downtown redevelopment was critical, but we weren't really plunged into it until the Growth Management Act initiative," said Blake.

Aimed at stopping suburban sprawl, the GMA was passed in 1990 and required urban areas to find ways to absorb the bulk of projected population growth. Mercer Island had to figure a way to include 3,000 more residents into the population, which now stands at nearly 22,000. Rather than force growth into existing single-family neighborhoods, the city looked to downtown.

City leaders saw an opportunity to give the city a much-needed face-lift, said Richard Hart, Mercer Island's development services director.

"Downtown just looked like one big parking lot," he said. A redesign process was started and plans were set by 1994, but it took nearly a decade more before property owners and developers thought there was enough demand and economic drive to begin construction.

Nurturing nightlife

So who's moving downtown?

The condo and apartment complexes are geared primarily toward islanders looking to downsize and toward the grown children of residents who are looking to leave the nest or return to the city after college, said Conrad. Newell Court and Avellino, two projects that together have 63 apartments, are almost completely rented, and Island Square has rented about 80 of its 235 apartments in less than four months.

With hundreds of people living downtown, the city hopes to jump-start the island's nightlife. The need for more restaurant and entertainment options was something residents stressed during the redesign phase, said Hart. Already there's an increase in people out and about at night, running errands or eating out, he said, and that trend will likely continue as more restaurants and shops open.

"Mercer Islanders wanted to be able to go out in their own neighborhood rather than crossing a bridge to Seattle or Bellevue," Conrad said. "We'd love to have a little more nightlife.

"Maybe we'll get some people who will stay out until 8:30 or 9," he joked.

Traffic, parking issues

The two primary concerns heard from residents in the design phase were traffic and parking. Anticipating a parking shortage, the city required each developer to install lots underground or behind buildings. To help encourage patronage, the parking spots will be free. Although the city does not anticipate traffic problems, it is installing a few traffic lights to replace four-way stops, Conrad said.

There were also some initial concerns about increased crime and strain on the school district as more residents moved in. But Conrad said the city's crime rates are low and have continued to decline in recent years.

To compensate for any increased strain on the school system, developers must give money to the district based on the number of children expected to move in. Developers estimate only one school-aged child for every four units in the complexes.

A lively downtown

Longtime resident Phil Flash said he looks forward to having more options for shopping and dining in the downtown area.

"There really isn't a nice restaurant for special occasions on the island. I think there is a market for it," Flash said. "We're looking forward to this. The new people and new shops might be a stimulus for the downtown. It could turn out to be a very nice thing."

Once all the buildings are completed, with the shops and restaurants open, city officials hope it will be a vibrant, lively place for residents, Hart said.

"Mercer Island is not like New York, San Francisco or places in Europe, but we're trying," he said.

Downtown developments

Island Square 2758 78th Ave. S.E. Two of the five, five-story buildings in the complex are completed. Construction to be entirely finished by June or early July. All together, 31,000 square feet of retail space and 235 apartments.

The Mercer 7650 S.E. 27th St. Scheduled for completion in October. To include 18,000 square feet of retail space and 235 apartments in a five-story, three-building complex.

7700 Central 2650 77th Ave. S.E. Construction to begin in early 2007, completion in early 2008. Expected to include 18,000 square feet of retail space and 189 apartments in a five-story building.

7800 Plaza 7800 S.E. 27th St. Construction begins in June, to be completed June 2007. Planned with 9,181 square feet of retail space and 24 condos in a five-story building, all of which have been sold.

Avellino Apartments 2836 78th Ave. S.E. Completed. Includes 2,600 square feet of retail space and 23 apartments, of which 21 are already rented, in a five-story building.

Newell Court 3011 78th Ave. S.E. Completed. Includes 2,542 square feet of retail space and 40 apartments in a three-story building; 38 apartments already rented.

Homemaker, Seattleite proud of Italian roots

2007-04-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

May 21, 2006 Sunday
Fourth Edition

"Food to her was the foundation of everything"

Kayla Webley, Seattle Times Eastside bureau

Sandra Dolce Hansen had a lifelong love of all things Italian. For her daughter's birthday every year, she cooked Italian potato dumplings known as gnocchi. For Christmas, she stuffed hundreds of raviolis to feed the entire family. For Easter, her specialty was ricotta pie.

"Food to her was the foundation of everything," said her daughter, Loretta Osborne. "It was her delight."

Mrs. Hansen died in her sleep Tuesday of natural causes, just two days after her 90th birthday.

She spent her birthday with several generations of loved ones, eating cake and ice cream and taking pictures with her grandkids.

Mrs. Hansen was born May 14, 1916, in Seattle. She graduated from Cleveland High School in 1935.

She married her husband of 64 years, Thomas Hansen, in November 1937. Mother and homemaker, she dedicated her time to her children.

Mrs. Hansen's parents were immigrants from Ortona a Mare (the city by the sea), and her love and appreciation of Italian culture never ceased.

She was an active member of the local Italian community, serving as president for three years of the Fidele Lodge, and as a member of Sons of Italy and the Italian Club.

Her enthusiasm for Italian culture influenced everyone around her, Osborne said. "Because of her we are all so proud to be Italian," she said. "I feel like I am 100 percent Italian, but really I'm only half."

Mrs. Hansen was also active in the Children's Hospital Foundation and Guild Association.

Always a giver, she befriended many women in the neighborhood who needed help getting around and would drive them to doctor appointments, Osborne said.

Mrs. Hansen spent the last year of her life in the Lakehills Home in Bellevue. Her caregiver, Adina Rus, said when she was able, Mrs. Hansen would visit other residents and ask them how they were doing. She was always willing to help out, she said.

Rus said Mrs. Hansen had a good sense of humor and would often joke about not wanting water because it would "rust her pipes."

Aside from her daughter, Mrs. Hansen is survived by her two sons, Tom Hansen of Bellevue and Gary Hansen of Tacoma, five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband in 2001 and infant son Fredric in 1949.

Memorial services will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. George Catholic Church, 5306 15th Ave. S., Seattle. Remembrances may be sent to the Children's Hospital Foundation and Guild Association at P.O. Box 50020, Seattle, WA 98145.

Immigrants receive help finding their way via bus

2007-04-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

May 12, 2006 Friday
Fourth Edition

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

George Chang was used to going out of his way to help non-English speakers learn about riding the bus. For years he has been helping his parents, friends and other relatives map out the often difficult task of getting from here to there.

But over the past five months, Chang became a bus-rider expert, attending training sessions to learn the ins and outs of every Metro program so that he could help other Chinese-speaking members of his community.

It's all part of a Metro program designed to boost bus use among non-English speakers. The program targets neighborhoods with high concentrations of foreign-born residents, training bilingual residents to help their neighbors use Metro services.

Chang spoke to community groups, set up booths at community events and answered questions from residents on a toll-free call-in line. He was one of five resident transportation coordinators in the Crossroads neighborhood who together spoke Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese and Cambodian.

"We have had significant growth in residents who are foreign-born," said Franz Loewenherz, senior transportation planner for the city of Bellevue, which was a partner in the program. "We are trying to help these people understand how to get around."

With the success of the Crossroads program in Bellevue, which ended this month, four identical programs will begin this summer in Kirkland, Redmond, Rainier Valley and Kent.

"Many people see the [Metro bus schedule] materials, but they are in English and most people who need the service are not English speakers," said Chang, who came to the U.S. at age 13 from Taiwan.

The Crossroads was the third site for the program, with the other two at housing developments in White Center and Rainier Valley. Metro funded the program with help from the city of Bellevue and Hopelink, a nonprofit community-action agency. Metro just received a federal grant that will go toward funding the program in other cities.

Crossroads residents who received assistance are being surveyed to determine the effect of the program on their riding habits. The feedback has been very positive so far, the coordinators say.

During the five months of the Crossroads program, the coordinators assisted 118 people on the phone, attended 35 events, and served a total of 454 hours, said Bob Flor, Metro's transportation planner. The number of people assisted is likely much higher since there is no way to measure the impact of the community sessions and word-of-mouth, he said. Chang estimates he helped about 250 people through phone calls, events and just running into people on the street or at bus stops.

"One person reaching that many people alone is just phenomenal, when you think of all their friends and co-workers that it will rub off on," he said.

Along with helping hundreds of strangers, Chang said he also changed the transportation habits of his family.

When his wife, Audrey, left on a recent trip to Beijing, instead of driving her to the airport, Chang worked out a bus route.

"It only cost $2.50 and I don't have to spend an additional 25 minutes to come back," he said. "Think about that."

Instilling a lifelong concern for the Earth

2007-04-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

May 4, 2006 Thursday
Fourth Edition

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

Her elementary students dubbed her "the recycling fairy."

With her fairy costume black garbage-bag skirt and shirt, mini-silverware earrings and a spatula wand Marie Hartford makes recycling fun for students at Henry David Thoreau Elementary School in Kirkland.

Hartford established a recycling program for bottles, cans and milk cartons and inspired students to start using and washing reusable lunch trays instead of plastic foam trays.

She and 17 others will be honored by King County Executive Ron Sims today in the fifth annual Earth Heroes at Schools ceremony at the Mercer View Community Center on Mercer Island.

The Earth Heroes program was established in 2001 to honor environmental work by teachers, students, staff members and volunteers at local schools. The goal is to recognize model efforts that can be adopted by other schools and organizations.

Hartford said she didn't want to force students to care about the environment; she wanted them to discover the importance on their own. So as part of a fifth-grade science project, she had them save their lunch trash and spread it on large tarps outside the school. They were amazed at the amount of trash, and specifically noticed how much of it was plastic foam, she said. She then provided information about plastic foam and the length of time it takes to break down into the Earth.

"Once the kids could see how much garbage [they generated] and know it wasn't a good thing, they were really upset," Hartford said.

The result: Students made a presentation to the Lake Washington School Board, got approval to switch to reusable trays, and committed to teaching younger students how to recycle their trash. Fifth-graders and vocational students volunteer to wash the trays each day.

The in-school effort is part of King County's Earth Legacy Initiative that recognizes programs, people and companies that work to improve the region's environment.

Among other Earth Heroes being recognized today:

Darin Detwiler, math and forensic-science teacher at BEST High School in Kirkland, who organized a schoolwide program to integrate environmental curriculum into home-room classes after the school's environmental-science class was discontinued.

"I was not satisfied with the fact that students were going to be missing out," Detwiler said. "This is the next generation of consumers and voters, and if they don't understand the cause and effect of their actions now, when are they going to learn this?"

Bellevue High School senior Lynn Spishak, who took over the school's Earthbound club as a sophomore and built the dwindling program into an active group of more than 20 members. As president for the past three years, Spishak has organized recycling drives for cellphones and used batteries, and started a "car-pool to school" day.

"We are trying to create an awareness of environmental issues at the school," Spishak said. "Maybe someone will notice what we are doing and think twice about what they are doing."

Other Eastside Earth Heroes

Teachers

Kay Moilanen, Hazelwood Elementary School in Newcastle, integrated environmental programs into her curriculum for more than 10 years, including development of a native-plant garden.

Staff members

Dave Holbrook, Newcastle Elementary School in Newcastle, increased recycling by collecting data, setting up visuals in the lunchroom on proper recycling and modifying equipment to make recycling more accessible to all students.

Wanda Peters, Waskowitz Outdoor School in North Bend, established an Earth Tub using six worm bins for all food waste. All students participate in a worm class to learn how to use what they learn at school in their homes.

Selim Uzuner, Tolt Middle School in Carnation, led the school district's recycling program for 10 years, starting a recycling club and leading efforts in energy conservation, environmental purchasing and environmental curriculum.

Program

Environmental Program, Redmond High School. Redmond teachers and others have worked to include environmental education in students' lives through the school's design curriculum, environmental club, organic vegetable gardens and recycling program.

Rubber bands, rockets propel science champs

2007-04-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

April 29, 2006 Saturday
Fourth Edition

Bothell kids earn national contest berth

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

Evan Twedt and Sam Berkman, both ninth-graders, twist a rubber band 17-1/2 times before releasing their elastic-powered car down the hallway outside their Canyon Park Junior High School classroom.

In a nearby playfield, seventh-grader Julia Gabriels test-launches her bottle rocket. Powered with pressurized water, it takes off, shooting straight up into the sky. The parachute didn't open, so it's back to the drawing board.

And ninth-grader Allen Zhang and eighth-grader Abby Sloan are finding just the right amount of weight to affix to their balloon for the balloon-race competition. In that contest, the last balloon to reach the ceiling wins.

These are just a few of the 18 Canyon Park Junior High students headed to the National Science Olympiad May 19-20 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.

The Canyon Park students beat out about 20 other Washington teams at the state competition April 8. Canyon Park of Bothell, along with the Excel home-school program from Vancouver, will represent the state.

In 13 years of competition, Canyon Park has never made the trip to nationals. Two years ago the team placed second in the state, but only the top team went to the national competition; last year, Canyon Park placed third, and the top two teams traveled to the national competition.

Each year, the number of teams traveling to nationals varies, based on the total number of teams participating across the state and the country.

This year's first-place win left no doubt. The students practice for two hours, three days a week after school.

"It's hard to say what keeps them so driven, but even kids who are not totally motivated in science class come," said Sheila Guard, who teaches eighth-grade science at Canyon Park and is the team's coach. "I know what we are doing here is creating a lifelong passion for science."

Berkman and Twedt built a car, about a foot long, assembled with wood, rubber bands and a plastic propeller.

At nationals, the judges will give them an exact distance that the car must hit to the nearest centimeter; they must also correctly predict the amount of time it will take the car to travel there for the win.

During practice, the team hit their mark within just a few centimeters and came within a few seconds of the correct time.

Twedt competes in the maximum of six events. The majority of his events have to do with building, a skill that he believes will help his future career as an engineer.

Already thinking like a college student, Twedt said he enjoys Olympiads because of the future benefits, and because he gets to have fun with his friends, travel without his parents and eat free food.

"This will look great on college applications," he said. "I don't mind if people say it's `geeky' because it is going to take me farther in life."

Mercer Island to separate its police, fire departments

2007-04-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

April 15, 2006 Saturday
Fourth Edition

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

After 31 years as a combined unit, Mercer Island's public-safety department will split into separate fire and law-enforcement departments on June 1.

The split coincides with the retirement of longtime Public Safety Director Ron Elsoe.

Police Commander Ed Holmes will serve as the city's new police chief, and Fire Commander Walt Mauldin will become fire chief. The change is largely administrative, designed to increase efficiency and improve communication, Elsoe said. A new position of deputy fire chief will head up the city's emergency-management program.

Residents will see no decline in service or additional cost, Elsoe said.

The two departments were combined in 1975 with the goals of increasing efficiency between the two departments and reducing the number of management positions, Mauldin said.

The original goals were met: Some management positions were cut and a bond developed between the fire and law-enforcement departments.

But hiring directors with both a fire and law-enforcement background able to serve both departments proved to be a challenge.

"Having come up with a police background, my fire knowledge was limited I didn't have the technical knowledge a normal fire chief would have," Elsoe said.

Elsoe, who served as director for more than three years, recommended the change.

Elsoe, Mauldin and Holmes said they believe both departments will be better served with the new system.

Mauldin and Holmes, who will each lead roughly 30 people in their respective departments, plan to continue the tie between law enforcement and fire by holding joint staff meetings and training sessions, they said.

Elsoe has been with the department since 1972. Before serving as public-safety director, he was the police commander for 18 years.

Under Elsoe's watch, the public-safety department made some significant technological improvements, including the addition of computers in all police and fire vehicles, he said.

He also contracted out the dispatch system, improved equipment and training programs and put an emphasis on the development of future leaders.

"Ron has been a mentor of mine and a great leader," Holmes said. "Walt and I have some big shoes to fill."

Transfixed by trilliums

2007-04-12T09:26:00.002-07:00

The Seattle Times

April 8, 2006 Saturday
Fourth Edition

Retiree amasses hundreds of flowers in backyard

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

Ervin Nalos calls his backyard a forest.

With its tall trees, ferns and wildflowers, it is distinct from many suburban backyards and their groomed lawns and flower boxes. His has huckleberries, ferns, towering cedars, spruce and Douglas fir trees with woodpecker holes.

But what really sets Nalos' backyard apart is the trilliums.

Nalos and his wife, Margaret, have been collecting trilliums since 1964.

Through a friend who worked on housing developments, Nalos would hear about places with trilliums that were about to be bulldozed. He would "rescue" them, he said, with his wheelbarrow and yard tools.

He got 30 to 40 from Snoqualmie Ridge before the housing development came.

When his collection reached about 50, he started more plants from the seedlings and watched the collection multiply to about 400 in his Bellevue backyard.

He tried to grow them on his own once, but out of 200 seeds not one came up.

"Nature just has that special touch," he said.

Now there is a small weathered sign stapled to a tree trunk at the beginning of the trail that leads down into Nalos' forest: "Trillium Blvd," it reads.

The white petals and three large leaves of the Northwest native plant dot each walkway and trail through the 1.2-acre property.

Nalos grows the variety called Trillium ovatum, also known as Western trillium.

While some species of trillium are rare or even endangered, Trillium ovatum still thrives from British Columbia to California, said Carrie Bowman, technical assistant with the University of Washington's Elisabeth C. Miller Horticulture Library.

The trillium is a woodland flowering plant that likes shaded areas, particularly under evergreen trees, she said.

Nalos, an 81-year old retired Boeing engineer, became interested in trilliums not long after he moved to the Northwest from Switzerland in the early 1960s.

He was wandering through a park one day and saw the "delicate" flower and wondered if it could be transplanted.

As it turns out trilliums have hearty bulbs, he said. And so the collecting commenced.

Ask him what he loves so much about trilliums and he pauses, searching his brain to explain what draws him to the flower.

"It's just when you walk and get a great, beautiful smell and perfume," he said. "And watching them come up every year."

The perennial trilliums are blooming now and will continue to do so for 10 to 12 days before their pristine white petals turn a reddish-purple color and die off.

To make sure their neighbors and church friends get to enjoy the short-lived bloom, the couple is hosting the fourth annual "Trillium Tea Party" today at their home in the Bridle Trails neighborhood.

The invitation reads "children welcome." Nalos said he loves to see kids using his forest, with its winding trails and dark nooks, for hide-and-seek amid the trilliums.

BCC gets approval to offer 4-year degree

2007-04-12T09:26:00.001-07:00

The Seattle Times

April 6, 2006 Thursday
Fourth Edition

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

Bellevue Community College has received the initial go-ahead to begin offering bachelor's-degree programs in radiation and imaging sciences.

BCC and three other community colleges gained preliminary approval yesterday from the state Board for Community and Technical Colleges to offer four-year degree programs.

The programs were created in response to 2005 state legislation approving development of four pilot-degree programs to focus on high-demand fields at community and technical colleges.

The state board also gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bachelor of science in nursing program at Olympic College in Bremerton, a bachelor of applied-science-management program at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, and a bachelor of applied science in hospitality-management-program at South Seattle Community College.

The intent is to give more students access to four-year degrees, specifically in programs like BCC's that are not offered elsewhere in the state.

"Our state is not producing enough four-year-degree holders because people don't have access to a degree in their communities," BCC President Jean Floten said. "When people go out of state, evidence shows it is more likely they will not come back. We are losing people who wanted career advancement enough to leave their jobs, and that is not good for the state."

The state Higher Education Coordinating Board and the college's accrediting agency, the Northwest Association of Colleges and Universities, have not yet given final approval to the plan.

If it's approved, administrators would begin offering informational sessions for prospective students this fall and would begin program enrollment in September 2007.

The bachelor of science degree program at BCC, in radiation and imaging sciences, would be the first in Washington and one of few in the nation. The program was designed for working professionals, who could complete the degree as part-time students. The classes would be conducted primarily in evenings and on weekends and would be available via the Internet and interactive television at four sites statewide.

The primary emphasis is on filling management and supervisory positions in radiology or imaging departments, said Dr. Paula Boyum, vice president for work-force development at BCC.

The school plans to enroll approximately 50 part-time students a year and to graduate approximately 20 a year, Boyum said.

Teens get their turn to talk

2007-04-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

April 1, 2006 Saturday
Fourth Edition

Forum provides chance to express concerns to state leaders - Bellevue

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

It's not often teenagers talk and expect adults to not only listen, but carry out their ideas.

But Bellevue Youth Link's Youth Involvement Conference held Friday at Meydenbauer Center sought to do just that by giving more than 400 Eastside students a forum to make their voices heard by state and local leaders.

"We are probably some of the most fortunate kids in the U.S. ... to have a direct link where we are actually heard by our government," said Grace Shim, co-president of the Bellevue Youth Council and a senior at Newport High School.

Shim should know Friday was her third conference and she has seen many ideas proposed by teens turn into action, she said.

Take the challenge course and climbing wall at the South Bellevue Community Center or the Crossroads skate park. Or the Teen Café, a coffee shop run for and by students that is in the planning stages.

All came from the minds of teens at the 2004 conference when they brainstormed about employment and recreation options.

"Being in high school you don't think you have much impact, but coming here you see people taking this seriously. We have a voice and they are listening to us," said Gemma Ortlipp, a senior at Bellevue High School and member of the Youth Involvement Conference action team.

Among this year's popular ideas: more elective courses, more safe hangouts and bike paths, healthful school-lunch offerings, and increased after-school bus services.

In the morning students participated in workshops on time management, preparing for college, résumé writing and job interviewing, staying healthy, and how to negotiate with parents, teachers and employers.

Students then gathered in the afternoon to talk about what matters most, breaking into small groups focused on one of six topics: education, employment, safety, health, transportation and recreation.

Groups brainstormed a multitude of ideas and narrowed the list to a few top priorities. The priorities were read to the crowd and entered into a list to be sent to city officials and other area decision leaders.

Some issues raised by the students are also being debated at the local and state level, such as eliminating the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, and reinstating a drug- and alcohol-awareness program known as D.A.R.E.

"I noticed this year topics came up like the WASL and the D.A.R.E. program that are current events happening right now. That shows that kids are paying attention to what's going on around them and they want to change things," said Thomas Abel, Bellevue Youth Council co-president and a junior at Newport High School.

A dozen state and local leaders including state senators and representatives were in attendance to encourage students to continue their involvement and take in the ideas.

"This is a way to include kids in city issues," said Attorney General Rob McKenna. "There are so many opportunities for students now to be involved. There was nothing like this conference when I was a teenager in Bellevue."

Youth conference top concerns
Some of the top priorities listed by students this year:

Education: reinstate the D.A.R.E. program, get rid of the WASL, add more elective-course options

Safety: safer student hangouts, emergency phones located around the community

Health: healthful food for school lunches, anonymous student help line

Transportation: longer bus service, more after-school shuttles, more bike trails, sidewalks and bike lanes

Employment: a career center or Web site to help students prepare résumés, find jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities, host an in-school job fair

Recreation: establish an arts center and an arcade center run for and by students

Hounded by an obsession

2007-04-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times

March 31, 2006 Friday
Fourth Edition

Beauty and the basset

Kayla Webley
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

Before you even reach the front door of Gary and Patti Greene's home, there's plenty of evidence that the couple love basset hounds.

There are the signs affixed to the garage, one that reads "Basset Hound Lane" and another that warns visitors the hounds can reach the fence in 2.8 seconds (Can you? it asks). There's the wreath hanging on the door with miniature basset figurines sitting among flowers.

As soon as you knock on the door, the dogs perch in the window howling and watching for who might arrive.

Once inside, the signs of basset "obsession," as Gary called it, are everywhere. Pictures, light-switch covers, drawings, posters, figurines and, of course, the three long-eared hounds.

Downstairs in Gary's office, the pictures and sketches of their pets, both current and former, color the walls.

"My son once commented that I have all these pictures of the dogs and only one of him," Gary said, pointing out the one picture of his 33-year old son, Gregg, that peeks out from behind four other pictures of the hounds on his work station.

This kind of basset love befits the couple who started Woodinville's Basset Bash and Brigade 23 years ago. What was once a gathering of about 30 dogs has grown over the years into an event drawing more than 300 hounds from across the nation. This year's event takes place Saturday.

The dogs come together to waddle in the All Fools' Day Parade, part of the annual Celebrate Woodinville festival.

This year, the 13th anniversary of the city's incorporation, attendees can participate in a community art show, City Hall open house, a crafts show and a children's activity and resource fair.

"This festival has a unique identity," said Marie Stake, spokeswoman for the city of Woodinville. "I don't know of any other community that does five separate events on one day."

The Greenes' dogs George, Grrtrude and Watson participate in the parade but don't wear costumes or compete in events to avoid accusations of "nepotism," the Greenes said.

Grrtrude, sister of Watson and daughter of George, is allowed to enter one contest the most freckles competition because they feel no one can accuse them of nepotism for something natural. She has won the past two years she competed, but as Gary put it, "There is some stiff competition out there."

During the Basset Bash, hounds compete for prizes in a variety of categories including longest ears, best trick, best howl, funniest name and costume. At the end, king and queen hounds are crowned.

People who have bassets "are weird," Gary said with a laugh. "Even people who don't have dogs just come to enjoy people making fools out of themselves."

Same-sex marriage ruling expected in Washington

2007-04-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)

March 20, 2006 Monday
Sunrise Edition

KAYLA WEBLEY
The Oregonian

OLYMPIA --State Rep. Ed Murray expects a much quicker resolution to the debate about same-sex marriage in Washington than the 30 years it took for lawmakers to approve civil rights protections for gay people.

"It will take time, but not decades," said the Seattle Democrat, an openly gay lawmaker who has been a longtime champion for gay rights. "We as a culture in Washington state are moving ahead in our understanding of who lesbian and gay people are. Some of the myths have faded away."

The state Supreme Court is expected to release a decision any day on Washington's Defense of Marriage Act passed by the Legislature in 1998. The law says marriage must be between a man and a woman.

Two Superior Court judges have found the law unconstitutional. Now, the state's highest court will decide whether Washington will become the second state to start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Massachusetts became the first state in 2004.

If the court sends the issue back to lawmakers to decide, Murray said he'll introduce legislation next year that would allow same-sex marriage. If the court permits the law to stand, Murray said he would introduce legislation to offer same-sex couples the same rights that marriage guarantees other couples.

This all comes as supporters of equal rights for gays won a dramatic victory in the Legislature this session that hinged on a Republican lawmaker who changed his vote from the year before.

Sen. Bill Finkbeiner of Kirkland turned the tide in favor of adding sexual orientation to the state's anti-discrimination law, which includes race, sex, religion, martial status, disability and other categories.

The civil rights bill originally surfaced in 1977 in the Legislature, but had failed every year since. Murray introduced the bill 11 times before the final success. Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the legislation immediately, and it's scheduled to go into effect in June unless opponents succeed in putting a challenge before voters in November.

Tim Eyman, a conservative activist who has filed previous initiatives, is leading a drive to collect signatures for two measures to overturn the new law.

He contends the law gives preferential treatment to a distinct minority in violation of a state ban on affirmative action that he successfully put to voters in 1998.

His referendum would allow voters to approve or reject the civil rights law. His initiative would bar similar legislation in the future, making it illegal for "the government to ever require any private entity to give preferential treatment to anyone based on sexual orientation," he said.

The Christian Coalition of Washington supports Eyman's measures and has thousands of petitions to distribute to its members, said Rick Forcier, the group's executive director in Washington.

Eyman needs 112,440 valid signatures by June 7 for the referendum and 225,000 signatures for the initiative by July 7 to put them on the November ballot. If he gets enough, the law wouldn't go into effect pending the vote.

Murray said he's disappointed with what he calls Eyman's attempt to "confuse the issue saying it allows affirmative action and quotas, when the legislation prohibits their use."

"We fought for this for 30 years and we will fight Tim Eyman for 30 more years if we have to," Murray said.

Gay rights groups are mobilizing against Eyman's effort. Equal Rights Washington, the Pride Foundation and other groups from around the state have formed Washington Won't Discriminate.

"Anytime civil rights are put up to a public vote it's not a good thing, anytime the majority makes a decision for a minority it's just not good," said Fran Dunaway, executive director of Equal Rights Washington.

"I think the vast majority of people in Washington state don't want to see their neighbors and friends discriminated against just because of who they are," she said.

Detoxifying the Duwamish

2007-04-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

The Sunday Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)

March 19, 2006 Sunday
Sunrise Edition

KAYLA WEBLEY
The Oregonian

SEATTLE --Huge puffs of steam rise from the Lafarge North America cement plant. A barge at a nearby shipping yard gets packed with building supplies, food and cars bound for Alaska. Trucks rumble by on muddy roads hauling wares in and out of the working waterfront on Seattle' extreme south end.

Just a few blocks away, the small South Park neighborhood --one of the city's poorest areas --holds its own in what has become an industrial wasteland on the bank of the lower Duwamish River.

Some houses are just feet from the river's edge. When the weather gets warmer, children play in the dirty sand or pile in inner tubes and head to the water.

This is the kind of place that Gov. Chris Gregoire is targeting in a wide-ranging plan to clean up Puget Sound, the 90-mile inner arm of the Pacific that encompasses four of Washington state's largest cities.

Work on the Duwamish --in the heart of Seattle's industrial core --is under way and serves as an example of what state leaders hope will happen elsewhere around the Sound.

The Legislature just approved $52.4 million for more than 20 additional cleanup projects from Commencement Bay in Tacoma to Bellingham Bay --$10 million more than Gregoire requested.

The Duwamish highlights the urgency of the overall initiative to scrape up or cap toxic sediments throughout the region. The federal government put the river's lower reaches on its Superfund list of the nation's most contaminated sites in 2001. The sediment is laden with polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, mercury and other deposits from the city's historic heavy industries.

"The area is clearly a threat to the environment and human health," said Rick Huey, the state Department of Ecology's project manager for the Duwamish cleanup.

"The fact that people fish in the river, the nearby tribes use the river and the residents in the area raised our concern on the human health side more than an area farther away from human life would."

Public warnings

In South Park, every public access point to the waterway has warnings about contaminated fish and other marine life written in multiple languages, including Spanish for the mostly Latino residents.

The Department of Ecology holds an annual community gathering to warn people about the danger in their backyard. About 5,000 people live in the neighborhood of apartment buildings and houses lining one side of the Duwamish as it empties into the Sound.

The Duwamish looks nothing like it used to. Wetlands once lined the free-flowing river on either side. But by the early 1920s, it was confined into a straight channel, with excess mud from digging the 50-foot-deep waterway dumped on either side, creating uplands and islands.

Industry thrived then on the Duwamish: chemical plants, slaughterhouses, steel mills, food processing plants, asphalt facilities, and log and rail yards are among the obvious contributors to some of the contamination in years past.

The area is still home to shipyards, Boeing manufacturing plants and cement plants, but they must follow strict environmental regulations that have helped curb pollution.

Today, the upper five-mile stretch of the Duwamish shows no signs of significant contamination. The problem is the last 5.5 miles before it reaches the Sound.

The worst deposits are PCBs, commonly used years ago as coolants and lubricants in transformers, capacitors and other electrical equipment. They break down extremely slowly, said Allison Hiltner, the Environmental Protection Agency's project manager for the Duwamish cleanup. PCBs have been linked to cancer and other health problems, and their use has been banned in the United States since 1977.

The Duwamish also has other toxins, including mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, commonly found in coal, tar, crude oil and creosote, and phthalates, substances used to make vinyl and plastic flexible.

Overflow from sewage pipes and more than 100 storm drains also often runs directly into the Duwamish during heavy rains.

Targeting hot spots

Government agencies have been well aware of the Duwamish pollution since the 1970s. The Environmental Protection Agency, the state Department of Ecology, the Port of Seattle and Boeing are working together on the Superfund cleanup.

The Department of Ecology identified seven known hot spots on the river, or as Huey put it --no brainers for cleanup. The agencies also are doing a study to pinpoint other contamination in the lower Duwamish and determine how extensive it is.

So far, Seattle and King County have paid $8 million to dredge up contaminated sediment at one of the seven sites, and two more are set for similar dredging within the next two years. Once the study is complete, dredging will begin at the rest of the sites. Some contaminated sediment isn't in danger of shifting, so it will be covered with clean soil and left as-is.

Six-year South Park resident Bill Pease said he's glad the neighborhood is finally getting some serious attention, but he's gotten used to taking precautions.

"Most of us would like to see the river cleaned up, of course, but it's not like we live in fear," Pease said. "So long as we're not swimming or walking in the river or eating things that are walking around the bottom of the river, it is not an immediate threat to our health."

***

Link to accompanying sidebar.

Crews mine the muck to obtain a pollution profile

2007-04-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

The Sunday Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)

March 19, 2006 Sunday
Sunrise Edition

Kayla Webley, The Oregonian

SEATTLE --A boat pulls forward and then reverses several times to zero in on the spot plotted by a global positioning system. Crew members raise a long tube called a vibracore into place and plunge it through the murky waters and into layers of sediment below.

The workers are taking samples along a 5.5-mile stretch of the lower Duwamish River in Seattle to pinpoint pollution and figure out what to clean up next. They're from Windward Environmental, a contracting company hired by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The crew members pull the tube out of the water after a few minutes and spray the outside to wash off the mud and get rid of any contaminants before bringing it aboard. They lay the tube flat, cap off the end to keep all the sediment inside and then load it into a truck for a trip to a makeshift lab in an old warehouse a few miles away.

At the lab, other workers, wearing yellow and orange rubber suits and tall boots, cut open the tube from end-to-end and discard mud that touched the inside to make sure they get accurate readings.

They use sterling silver spoons to dig out chunks of sediment at various intervals and mix them in a bowl to get a broad sample. They note the color, smell, composition and consistency and put it into jars to be processed elsewhere.

The samples will help determine where to turn next in cleanup of the lower Duwamish.

***

Link to accompanying story.

Session ends with boost for Clark County

2007-04-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)

March 15, 2006 Wednesday
Sunrise Edition

KAYLA WEBLEY
The Oregonian

OLYMPIA --State lawmakers say Southwest Washington fared better in this year's legislative session than in years past, pointing to funding for the Vancouver crime lab and the Columbia River Initiative as major victories for the region.

Bipartisan maneuvers and last-minute deals kept projects alive and in the budget, legislators from both houses said.

"We didn't think we were going to get everything, but we pulled a lot off at the eleventh hour," said Rep. Bill Fromhold, D-Vancouver. "I don't think we can complain at all."

The highlights:

Columbia River: The Legislature passed what's being called a historic compromise to balance fish protections with commerce in the Columbia River Basin. The $200 million, 10-year bond package will be used to increase water storage in the basin by building new reservoirs. Two-thirds of the extra water will go for out-of-stream uses such as industry, agriculture and commerce, and one-third to enhance in-stream flows, said Rep. Daniel Newhouse, R-Sunnyside.

The river's management will have implications for Southwest Washington as it continues to expand, Newhouse said. "As the population grows there is more demand on the river, water is an essential part of any kind of growth," he said.

Capital projects: The Legislature set aside $2.94 million for the Washington State Crime Laboratory in Vancouver, making it the fifth full-service crime lab in the state. The lab can now do DNA testing on firearms, drugs and trace evidence that it previously had to ship off to other parts of the state or nation.

The Legislature also approved $57,000 to help build a Miracle League Baseball field for people with disabilities, provided several million dollars for no- or low-interest loans to the Clark County for water, road and sewer improvements, and $500,000 for the Lewis and Clark Confluence Project, a series of environment- and history-themed artworks in the Columbia River Basin.

Criminal justice: The Legislature devoted much of its time to cracking down on methamphetamine abuse and sex offenders. Attorney General Rob McKenna spearheaded bipartisan omnibus legislation on each issue.

McKenna's meth package unanimously passed both houses and was delivered to Gov. Chris Gregoire on the final day of the session last week. The state hopes to curb meth production by targeting cleanup of contaminated sites, increasing community protection and providing more treatment.

Rep. Deb Wallace, D-Vancouver, also won approval of a bill to restrict the purchase of two main ingredients used in meth cooking: iodine and methylsulfonylmethan (MSM).

Lawmakers also passed a package of bills that will keep some sex offenders in prison for a minimum of 25 years. Other bills require around-the-clock monitoring of released sex offenders and increase penalties for those who fail to register with authorities.

One measure prohibits repeat sex offenders from living close to schools and from going to parks, playgrounds, swimming pools and community centers.

Other legislation will increase the penalty for sex offenders who communicate in a sexual nature with minors over the Internet or possess child pornography.

Rep. Bruce Chandler, R-Granger, said he was disappointed that the Legislature failed to take action against auto theft and identity theft.

"These are two crimes we hear the most about and they are about the most challenging crimes in our generation," Chandler said. One of the failed bills would have restricted access to a person's credit history and prohibited financing in their name if they reported their credit cards stolen.

Environment: Legislators took action to jump-start the state's biofuels industry, requiring biodiesel to make up 2 percent of the overall diesel market in Washington by Dec. 1, 2008. The bill also requires gasoline to be a 2 percent ethanol blend.

Lawmakers also approved a bill by Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, to require manufacturers to develop and implement a recycling program for televisions and computers. "E-waste was landmark legislation," Pridemore said. "States all over the country are looking to that to follow our lead."

Development: Urban redevelopment got a boost with a bill that will give money to developers in private-public partnerships to help pay for local infrastructure for renewal projects.

Under the bill, $500,000 would go to Killian Pacific to build housing, retail, offices, parking and possibly a public library on a four-block downtown Vancouver site. The lot is currently home to an auto dealership.

Legislation aimed at makingVancouver's annexation process easier failed to make much progress. Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, said legislators are waiting to hear more from residents before taking the next step. But he said he expects the issue will be raised again next year.

The transportation budget included $24 million to help fund rail and road projects across the Clark County area, including an additional $4 million for the Interstate 5-Interstate 205 widening at Salmon Creek.

To provide more direct access to Battle Ground, $8.6 million was set aside for the new Interstate 5-Highway 502 interchange near the Gee Creek rest area. The budget also included $1 million for a sound wall near the Pioneer Meadows neighborhood to relieve the roar of traffic near Fourth Plain Road and Northeast 162nd Avenue.

Assisted Suicide Bill Offered in Olympia

2007-04-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

A Seattle senator's proposal, like Oregon's law, allows doctors to prescribe lethal doses of drugs.

KAYLA WEBLEY
The Oregonian

February 8, 2006

OLYMPIA -- Sen. Pat Thibaudeau knows what it's like to watch someone die in terrible pain. Her husband, Roger, suffered from congestive heart failure, kidney failure and other ailments for more than six years before he died in 2004.

Thibaudeau, D-Seattle, said the two discussed what type of care they would want at the end of their lives, but they didn't talk about doctor-assisted suicide.

That's one reason why she's raising the issue in the Washington Legislature. "I think people ought to have a choice in this matter," Thibaudeau said, though she noted that her husband probably wouldn't have taken that route.

She introduced a bill this session similar to Oregon's one-of-a-kind law, allowing physicians to prescribe lethal doses of medication to patients who request it in writing. Two doctors would have to agree independently that the patient had fewer than six months to live and was of sound mind to make the decision.

The bill failed to make much headway, but Thibaudeau said she didn't expect it would. She simply wanted to restart the discussion.

In the meantime this week, former Washington Gov. Booth Gardner, who has battled Parkinson's disease for more than 14 years, told The Associated Press that he plans to campaign on behalf of an "assisted death" ballot initiative next year, though he hasn't decided on its scope.

He apologized to those who might be offended by his plan, but said it should be his decision when and how he dies.

Gardner said he plans to have innovative "deep brain surgery" in a few weeks to implant a type of pacemaker that will help restore control of his body. He said doctors tell him he has about 8 percent of the normal control and that the surgery should give him at least five productive years of life, with half the medication.

"When I go, I want to decide," he said. "That's why I plan to work on getting 'assisted death' in this state."

Assisted suicide has remained in the background in Washington since voters narrowly defeated a ballot initiative in 1991. The measure would have allowed doctors to prescribe lethal doses as well as provide lethal injections if patients couldn't administer the drugs themselves. Thibaudeau's legislation wouldn't allow doctors to give lethal injections.

Thibaudeau and supporters in other states were waiting for the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Oregon's assisted suicide law before making their moves. The high court left Oregon's law intact, saying the Justice Department couldn't punish doctors for prescribing lethal doses of medication to dying people.

Since the law passed, 208 people have ended their lives under the statute through 2004, according to the Oregon Department of Human Services.

"Though very few people use it, a lot of people get comfort in knowing it exists," said Robb Miller, executive director of Compassion and Choices of Washington, an advocacy group that supports assisted suicide.

The time may be right for Washington voters to reconsider their earlier decision, said Stuart Elway, an independent pollster in Seattle. Though he hasn't done any surveying on the issue yet, he said the state is pretty tolerant on various social issues including abortion rights and that he could see assisted suicide "getting a pretty good hearing here."

The public debate in Washington hasn't reached much more than low-level exchanges at this point, with people on both sides agreeing the state will benefit in focusing attention on end-of-life care.

"We know that about 5 percent of seriously ill folks have pain that can't be controlled," said Peg Sandeen, executive director of the Death with Dignity National Center, based in Portland. "Dying in uncontrolled pain in this time with this technology is unacceptable."

Opponents say they worry that the legislation would place more emphasis on dying and less on care.

"We think that the answer is love and care at the end of life and not eliminating patients," said Dan Kennedy, chief executive of Human Life of Washington. "This turns (care) 180 degrees and asks doctors to be complicit in something we find morally offensive."

The Washington State Medical Association has a policy stance against physician-assisted suicide, but Jennifer Hanscom, a spokeswoman, said the group's members are divided on the issue.

In this short legislative session, Thibaudeau's bill has stalled in committee without a public hearing. She plans to reintroduce the legislation next year.

The decision most likely will go to voters again by referendum or by initiative, but Thibaudeau said she hopes to pass the bill without taking it to the people.

"I think legislators are in the business of making laws . . . that's our job to make and craft legislation that responds to the public's needs," she said.

Bill on drivers using cell phones likely to die with session

2007-04-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)

March 7, 2006 Tuesday
Sunrise Edition

KAYLA WEBLEY, The Oregonian

OLYMPIA --A bill to force Washington motorists to "hang up and drive" has advanced further in the Legislature than before, but it's likely to wind up on hold for another year.

Sen. Tracey Eide said she introduced the bill after reading a New England Journal of Medicine report that equated talking on a cell phone in the car to drunken driving.

It would require people to use headsets or other hands-free alternatives when talking on their cell phones while driving. Violations would become a "secondary infraction," meaning police couldn't pull over drivers for the offense, but could cite people and issue $101 fines if they were stopped for other reasons.

Exceptions include people using a handheld cell phone to make emergency calls or people driving emergency vehicles.

The bill passed the Senate 28-18 and is now in the House Rules Committee waiting to be scheduled for a floor vote. It made it out of the House Transportation Committee, where an identical bill stalled last year.

But Eide, D-Federal Way, said it doesn't appear to have enough House support to pass during the short session that ends Thursday. She plans to reintroduce the bill next year if it dies.

Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C., have similar laws on the books.

An estimated 10 percent of drivers use cell phones during daylight hours, whether they're handheld or hands-free, according to study last December by the National Highway Safety Administration and the National Center for Statistics and Analysis.

Of those drivers, about 6 percent use handheld phones, up from 4 percent in 2004. That translates to 974,000 drivers at any given daylight hour holding a cell phone and driving, the study said. It also noted that the use of headsets is increasing --up last year to 0.7 percent from 0.4 percent in 2004.

The New England Journal of Medicine report found that the risk of a collision increased four times for people using a cell phone. "This relative risk is similar to the hazard associated with driving with a blood-alcohol level at the legal limit," it said.

At the same time, the 1997 report said researchers didn't find a difference in safety when people drove with handheld cell phones vs. hands-free phones. They're distracted either way, the report said.

The cell phone industry is split on the issue. While Verizon, Cingular and Qwest were neutral on Eide's measure, Sprint/Nextel testified against the bill as too narrow.

"There are many distractions that can detour a driver from focusing solely on driving: Changing a CD, putting on makeup, eating and disciplining children can be just as distracting," said Mary Beth Lowell, a Sprint/Nextel spokeswoman of Redmond.

Instead, Lowell said, drivers need to learn reasonable driving behavior. The company has a program called "Focus on Driving" designed to teach high school students about destructive driving and catch them before they develop bad habits, she said.

Other cell phone companies recommend the use of headsets to their customers and see the legislation as a balance between cell phone use and safety.

"We want people to be able to stay productive in their cars. The most reasonable approach is to allow people to have a conversation on a cell phone, but at the same time keep two hands on the wheel," said Dan Youmans of Redmond, a spokesman for Cingular Wireless.

The Washington State Patrol supports the measure. In January, troopers started tracking accidents linked to cell phone use in cars, but are waiting for a longer study to compile results.

"I know I personally have observed and experienced while driving that it is much harder to put on your turn signal and you don't necessarily do clearing checks when changing lanes if you have your ear to the phone," said patrol spokesman Jeff DeVere. "Even just talking can be distracting."

Washington idea reduces techno trash

2007-04-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)

February 21, 2006 Tuesday
Sunrise Edition

KAYLA WEBLEY
The Oregonian

OLYMPIA --Philip Whiley says he picks up computers that look barely used, some a year old or newer.

Even though he's in the trash business, the owner of Happy Haulers in the Seattle area says he wishes people weren't always so eager to toss out some of their techno gadgets.

"It's amazing to see what people will put in the trash bin when you think of other people in the community, around the country and the world that would maximize the potential of the wasted product," he said.

The Washington Department of Ecology estimates that people will discard 2.8 million computers and 900,000 televisions in the next five years. By 2010, 9 million computers will be running in Washington homes --more than one computer per person, the department estimates.

The mounting pile of e-waste captured the attention of Washington lawmakers, who voted for a bill that establishes a statewide recycling program for people to unload their outdated computers, TVs and other electronic gear.

It would require manufacturers to organize and finance the program to haul away, take apart and dispose of unwanted items.

"Since the 1980s, the number of computers sold in the United States has been increasing exponentially," said Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, the bill's main sponsor. "In recent years, we're seeing the amount of electronic waste reaching landfills increasing in the same pattern."

Pridemore's bill passed 41-8 in the Senate and is now in the House.

Manufacturers would pay $6 to $10 for each computer and television set, but not for other electronic gear such as fax machines, printers, cell phones and batteries.

The money would go into a recycling system. Manufacturers could create their own programs, band together with other manufacturers, contract with private companies or plug into a program created by a new state agency, the Washington Materials Management and Financing Authority.

Pridemore's bill takes a different approach from California, which became the first state to control e-waste with a recycling fee. Instead of manufacturers, retailers in California collect $6 to $10 from consumers of cathode ray tubes, liquid crystal display screens and plasma devices.

The Environmental Protection Agency favors Pridemore's approach because it doesn't burden government with the responsibility for the recycling system, said Viccy Salazar, leader of the agency's waste, resource, conservation and stewardship team.

The program also would bring e-waste recycling to areas where it doesn't exist, she said. "Typically, there has been more access on the west side of the mountains. In rural areas, there is no access to recycling."

Pridemore said the fee would be easier to collect from a relatively few manufacturers compared with hundreds of stores charging a fee to thousands of customers.

Manufacturers are on both sides of the issue. Hewlett-Packard officials like the bill's flexibility in allowing companies to devise their own programs as long as they meet the requirements under the law.

HP already has a recycling program in place for consumers to pay a fee for HP to pick up their products for recycling.

Renee St. Denis, product recycling solutions manager at HP, said the program probably would stay intact, but that the company could devise other ways to get the products back, such as working with local groups and retailers to host collection days.

Some television manufacturers, including Sony, Sharp and Panasonic, oppose the measure because they say it would be difficult to administer. Manufacturers distribute their wares nationally and internationally, making it hard to get an accurate count of the number of sets sold in Washington, they said.

They favor paying the fee at the point of sale so they could better track the number of sets. Other manufacturers that oppose the fee say it will raise the cost for consumers.

"We are troubled by the idea that when you place the fee farther away from the point of sale, it will get more marked up as it moves to distribution. Every time someone handles the product, the price goes up," said David Thompson, director of Panasonic's Corporate Environmental Department. "Consumers may pay $7.50 when they only had to pay $5."

But Pridemore said the time is now to address the problem.

"We are probably a few years late in getting ahead of this program, but we can still make a major impact if we start now," he said.

The state considers proposal to mandate alternative fuel

2007-04-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

The Sunday Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)

February 5, 2006 Sunday
Sunrise Edition

KAYLA WEBLEY
The Oregonian

OLYMPIA --No one has invented a car that runs on Starbucks coffee --yet --but state Rep. Janea Holmquist is hoping for the next best thing: Cornering the Northwest market on an alternative fuel made with vegetable oil.

Holmquist has introduced an ambitious package of legislation that's making its way through the Washington Legislature with bipartisan support. It would require all diesel sold in the state to contain 2 percent biodiesel by Dec. 1, 2008.

"We can provide the market to jump-start the biofuels industry in Washington --using Washington renewable fuels instead of bringing them in from somewhere else," said Holmquist, R-Moses Lake.

Biodiesel is refined from vegetable oil, derived from soybeans, rapeseed and canola or used cooking oil, then blended with diesel fuel. The fuel can be used in conventional diesel engines, and biodiesel emits 48 percent less carbon monoxide than regular diesel.

The Washington State Ferries system started using a 20 percent biodiesel blend in its fleet in 2004, and King County Metro in the Seattle area will make the transition to all-biodiesel fuel in their buses by the end of this year.

However, as much as Holmquist and other backers cherish the dream of a biodiesel world, they acknowledge the realities of starting a home-grown industry almost from scratch, which meant moving back the original July 2007 deadline to the 2008 target. The bill also calls for a 2 percent market share for ethanol, which is distilled from corn and grain and blended with gasoline.

"The July (2007) time line did not give the infrastructure enough time to get up and running," Holmquist said. "This will allow our farmers to complete another growing cycle."

Similar legislation in Oregon failed last year. One of the primary sponsors, Rep. Jackie Dingfelder, D-Portland, said she's preparing a package of bills for next year's session and looking to Washington to see what direction lawmakers take.

Backers in Oregon hope to get an initiative on the Nov. 7 ballot that would set up research centers at universities to promote biofuels; provide tax breaks; and require an 8 percent renewable fuel blend for all gasoline and diesel sold in the state by 2010.

Minnesota leads industry

Minnesota became the first state to require a biodiesel blend, starting last year. While many states offer incentives to produce biofuels, no other state has a biodiesel standard such as Minnesota's, though several states require the use of biofuels in state-operated vehicles, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Last summer, in the midst of skyrocketing oil prices, President Bush signed a bill setting up a federal blend requirement starting this year and offering tax incentives.

State and federal tax breaks --for such things as growing the right kind of crops or buying machinery to convert the grain into oil --are intended to lower the cost for producers, and ultimately consumers, making the alternative fuel more attractive.

Diesel use --and consequently the biodiesel market --is still a relatively small share of fuel consumption compared with gasoline use: 44 billion gallons of diesel last year through November (mostly in commercial and government vehicles) compared with 127 billion gallons of gas.

But biodiesel's piece of the pie is growing fast: Last year, producers generated 75 million gallons of biodiesel, triple the output of the year before --making it the fastest-growing alternative fuel in the nation, according to U.S. Department of Energy figures.

The Washington Legislature's efforts offer hope for bolstering the retail market for personal cars, sponsors say.

Not enough canola

In Washington, opponents argue that the state's canola crop won't be ready to produce enough biodiesel by the end of 2008. That would mean Washington would be forced to import canola and other crops from other states and Canada to meet the standard.

"I'm not sure if our state is ready to produce the total number of acres to supply the product for the mandate. I know growers want to, but I'm not sure all the tools are in the toolbox yet," said Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, sponsor of a bill that would give incentives to farmers, but not institute a required blend. "A mandate has the potential to get the cart in front of the horse."

And then there's the question of equipment to turn crops into oil, then refineries to turn the oil into fuel. There are no crushers in the state that could produce the high volumes that the biodiesel standard would require. Any crops produced for biodiesel in the state would have to be shipped out of state to process, then returned for use.

Adrian Higginbotham, director of sales for McKay Seed Co., a producer of canola for more than 20 years with facilities in Almira and Moses Lake, said his company is considering buying a crusher to refine the canola it grows. The company had a small-volume crusher last year, but sold it because it needs a larger one.

He supports the idea of a biodiesel standard. "We've (agriculture) been beat up really bad, I just don't know if we could make it fly without a renewable fuel standard," Higginbotham said. "I don't see that it would be economically feasible for us."

Farmers hopeful

David Taylor owns a small ranch in the Yakima area and runs Spectrum Renewable Resources, a company that grows canola. He's looking into the possibility of making a $100 million to $200 million investment for biodiesel equipment and operating expenses.

Taylor doesn't like the 2008 requirement because he's generally "not a big fan of government mandates," but he does like the idea of tax breaks to help producers in the market.

"I think it comes down to reassuring the farmers this isn't just another hope-and-a-prayer type of crop, that there will be a demand for it," he said. "The potential is there. I personally think not only the demand, but the supply will be there."

Members from the petroleum industry have testified against setting a biodiesel standard, saying they support the biofuels industry and incentive programs but don't want to go further.

"You cross the line when you mandate a minimum percentage --you are messing with people's personal choice," said Bill Kidd, a spokesman for BP's crude oil refinery in Blaine. "A lot of people feel good about biodiesel and choose to use it, but it is a very different thing when the government tells you: You have to do it."

Democrats ask GOP for apology over ads

2007-04-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)

January 31, 2006 Tuesday
Sunrise Edition

KAYLA WEBLEY
The Oregonian

OLYMPIA --Rep. Deb Wallace, D-Vancouver, and six other House Democrats have asked for an apology from Republican leaders for a series of ads that claim they refused to impose life sentences for violent sex offenders.

The postcards, automated phone calls and radio and television ads have scared some people who have mistaken them for announcements that sex offenders are moving into their communities, Wallace and others said in a letter to Minority Leader Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis.

"Fear-mongering, exploiting children for political gain, lying to the public --these are the kinds of stunts that should not be acceptable here in Washington state," the letter reads.

DeBolt doesn't plan to apologize for the advertisements because he wasn't directly involved in the campaign, said John Rothlin, spokesman for the House Republican Caucus. The ads were sponsored by the Speakers Roundtable, a Republican political action committee.

Wallace and the other Democrats all are in swing districts and face re-election this year. The others are Assistant Majority Whip Tami Green of University Place; Bill Grant of Walla Walla, Derek Kilmer and Pat Lantz, both of Gig Harbor; and Geoff Simpson and Pat Sullivan, both of Covington.

The ad campaign focuses on a vote taken the first day of the legislative session when House Republicans made a motion on the floor for an immediate vote on a GOP-sponsored bill that calls for a lengthy mandatory minimum sentence for all sex offenders. The motion failed on a party-line vote, defeated by the Democrats who control the House 55-43. It now must go through the standard committee hearing process.

Though some Democrats support parts of the bill, they said they worry about how the state will pay to keep people in prison longer. The bill doesn't explain where the funding will come from.

Rep. Jan Shabro, R-Enumclaw, the bill's prime sponsor, said the state might end up saving money by keeping offenders in jail because costs devoted to defending the cases, monitoring offenders after their release and protecting victims will be unnecessary.

The postcards and ads started to show up in the past week. The postcards show a man with his eyes and name blacked out to conceal his identity. It reads, "This violent predator lives in your community." The man actually lives in Pierce County, but the card with the same man was distributed to all the counties where the Democrats were targeted.

Wallace said she has received numerous phone calls from people worried about the danger presented to their children because the postcard looks like an actual notification, commonly sent out when a sex offender moves into a community.

The legislation, House Bill 2476, had a public hearing before the Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee, but members have yet to vote it out. The cutoff date for all bills to be voted out of committee is Friday, otherwise they die.

Washington wants tougher meth laws

2007-04-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Sunday Oregonian (Portland, Oregon)

January 22, 2006 Sunday
Sunrise Edition

The Northwest | Olympia

KAYLA WEBLEY
The Oregonian

Washington state lawmakers want to put more time, money and cops on the case of methamphetamine cooks and abusers, but they aren't ready yet to follow Oregon's lead in requiring prescriptions for cold and allergy medicines that contain a key ingredient used to make the drug.

As the legislative session opened two weeks ago in Olympia, party leaders put fighting methamphetamine near the top of their agenda and rolled out a series of bills that would increase sentences, provide more effective treatment for users while in prison and help local law officers target distribution.

"We want to see fewer addicts getting out and going right back to their old behaviors," Attorney General Rob McKenna said. "This would keep some of the worst offenders in prison . . . and make them think twice before risking the stronger penalties."

Washington has recorded a drop in clandestine meth labs for the third year in a row: 806 reported in 2005, down 30 percent from 2004, according to the Washington State Patrol. The state patrol also recorded a 20 percent increase last year in the number of people seeking publicly funded help for their addiction.

But none of the Washington bills puts further restrictions on medicines containing pseudoephedrine, found in common decongestants such as Sudafed. Last year, Washington legislators passed a law requiring stores to put such cold medicines behind a counter and keep a log of customers who buy them.

Retailers started the counter system in October, and the logs began this month. Buyers must be 18 and older and present valid photo ID, and store employees must write down their name, address and date of birth and get their signature.

Legislators say they first want to see what effect the new law has before going further, such as making the medicines available only at pharmacy counters or requiring a prescription as Oregon will starting in summer under the country's most restrictive law on pseudoephedrine.

"There is still a large market of people who use over-the-counter pseudoephedrines and cold pills who aren't at all interested in making meth," said Sen. Mark Doumit, D-Cathlamet, co-sponsor of the omnibus meth bill in the current session. "It's a balance between an honest practice and trying to regulate people who are breaking the law by distorting the use of a drug."

Now, legislators in Oregon worry that meth cooks will head to Washington to get pseudoephedrine and bring it back.

Oklahoma's approach

"I'm not even asking (Washington) to go to prescription, just go to the Oklahoma law and put them behind the pharmacy counter," said Rob Bovett, legal adviser for the Oregon Narcotics Enforcement Association and an assistant county counsel for Lincoln County. "We know it works; the data is in. I don't understand why Washington is still not willing to adopt the full rule."

Oklahoma was first in the nation to limit the sale of pseudoephedrine, putting the drugs behind the pharmacy counters. Since the law passed, 39 other states have adopted similar standards, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Some stores and lawmakers resist limiting the cold medicines to pharmacy counters because many groceries and convenience stores don't have pharmacies.

But Sen. Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, said anything short of a prescription for pseudoephedrine isn't enough. Before passing the prescription law in Oregon, she and fellow lawmakers took a shopping trip to see how much pseudoephedrine they could buy even though it was behind a counter.

Shopping results

In one hour, the group bought enough to make 200 hits of meth, which is enough to keep an addict going for close to six months, Burdick said.

"Some people in the Legislature argued it was too inconvenient for people to have to get prescriptions . . . when you weigh that impact with the horrible scourge on our communities, a little inconvenience might not be a big thing," Burdick said. "We wanted to go the extra step in Oregon because we've got communities that are just being destroyed."

Oregon's pharmacy board is drafting rules for the change that are scheduled to go into effect July 1.

In the end, lawmakers from both Oregon and Washington said states can do only so much. The federal government needs to step up, they said.

Burdick said federal legislation restricting access to pseudoephedrine, along with establishing international controls cutting off illegal pseudoephedrine trade and superlab production of meth, would be "justified, given the impact of this drug on our nation." But she doesn't see the legislation passing because of strong lobbying against the bill by pharmaceutical companies.

Market forces

More likely than federal restrictions, she said, is the possibility of pseudoephedrine being phased out of the market entirely. Some pharmaceutical companies, anticipating the regulation of pseudoephedrine, have reformulated their drugs to use phenylephrine, a decongestant that cannot be used to manufacture meth.

"If we get enough states doing what Oregon did, you will see pseudoephedrine being phased out," Burdick said. "We can cut off the supply and have a direct impact on the use of meth . . . but people won't have to be suffering an untreated cold."

Thesis & theater

2007-04-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Kayla Webley
2006-06-01
The Daily

It's the sign of a new director.

"I'm always nervous to stop you guys mid-scene," John Pangelinan says to his cast.

But he does. After all, it's his play and he has to get it right.

Pangelinan jumps onto the stage, because, as he says, there are some scenes you can't tell someone how to do. You have to show them. He demonstrates to lead actor Casey Wynecoop precisely how a barista should stand when he makes a drink.

The black, somewhat barren stage is set. Just a few tables, stools and some benches pushed together to make a couch set the scene. With a little imagination you can picture the scene set before you -- a coffee shop, espresso machine whistling, releasing steam and a warm aroma into the air, baked goods stacked on shelves, patrons sitting at each table, morning coffee and newspapers before them.

The stage, the actors and the script they read are the culmination of Pangelinan's unusual senior thesis project. It started with an inspirational book and ended with a 42-page script, a cast of characters and a play Pangelinan produced, directed and stars in.

While many students opt to do research for their senior thesis, Pangelinan sought a project more apt to fit his creative interests, while still fitting the requirements for his Comparative History of Ideas (CHID) thesis.

"CHID gave me the freedom to do this play for my thesis," he said. "It gave me this incredible opportunity for me to a better idea of what I want to do after I graduate."

To craft his play, called Elemental, Pangelinan looked to The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream by Paulo Coelho, one of his favorite books. The Alchemist is a story about a person transforming something ordinary into something extraordinary by following their dreams, with the help of spiritual leaders.

'Pop-culture theater'

Pangelinan extracted the book's theme of making your own destiny and adapted the message into the storyline to appeal to a younger crowd. He thinks of it as "pop culture theater," where he can use things that most people can relate to like music, in order to present larger themes to the audience.

Elemental follows the life of Santino ("Sonny") as he works his way from a coffee barista job to become a renowned music producer and disc jockey.

The play begins in the cafe where Santino works, serving others day in and day out rather than actively trying to reach his goals. An old man encourages him to quit his job and move to a new city in pursuit of his dreams.

"You are responsible for creating your reality ... you can always better yourself with the choices you make," he tells Santino in the play.

And so Santino's journey starts. He leaves town and meets a kind man who takes him in and offers him a job and an education in Wing Chun Gung Fu, a form of Kung Fu.

Santino makes connections in the music industry, eventually making a name for himself as a disc jockey, ends up in a successful business partnership with an old friend and -- of course -- gets the girl.

Creative license

For his CHID thesis, Pangelinan discovered he could do anything he wanted -- including a play. He always wanted to write short stories, but said he never had the incentive until the thesis project arose.

Pangelinan wrote the dialogue fall quarter, but has been tweaking it throughout the year. He then enlisted the help of the Undergraduate Producing Project, a program offered by the Ethnic Cultural Theatre (ECT).

The undergrad-producing program gives students the chance to produce a play by giving them the guidance and management to get their production off the ground, but the student is responsible for the rest of the project -- from pre-production to rehearsal and the production.

The majority of students enrolled in the program are not in the School of Drama, so the directing project might be their only chance to see their production realized.

It was an easy transition for Pangelinan, who works at the ECT. He cast a handful of actors and actresses, mainly people he worked with as a stagehand for ECT productions. The group has practiced twice a week for the past few weeks, gearing up for Saturday's show.

The final product will be a play reading, which is essentially the same as a normal play production, though the characters have scripts on stage with them and are not required to memorize all their lines.

Putting himself in the script

The script reads right from Pangelinan's own background and life experiences.

"Good writers put themselves into their work. It's much more effective to write about yourself and what you know best rather than making it up," he said. "To write it any other way can take the human element out of your story."

Pangelinan's main character works as a barista because it's a job he knows well. He has worked as a barista for more than four years at various coffee shops, and knows firsthand about serving others every day, and seeking to meet a customer's needs.

In making coffee, baristas learn to mix ingredients that are essentially nothing by themselves, blending them to the customers' satisfaction, said Wynecoop, who plays Santino in the production.

During his years as a barista, Pangelinan noticed there is a formula for the way to mix coffee, just as there is a formula for how a DJ would mix music, he said.

"It's the ability to take something out of nothing, starting from somewhere and developing a skill," Wynecoop said. "Blending coffee, making music or learning a martial art is taking something that at one point in time was unfamiliar to you. Then you become an expert in it."

Just as Santino perfects the art of blending coffee and music, Pangelinan spent his year working to perfect his story, his script, the characters and his vision.

"This is my first real piece of writing, and sometimes I get embarrassed," he said. "I really exposed a lot about myself, I'm usually more reserved and so it's kind of like throwing it out to the wolves."

As Santino's journey unfolds on stage this Saturday, Pangelinan will not only see his year of work realized, but his own writing, culture and life.

"This has been very helpful. It's forcing me to explore more about myself and what I might want to do after I graduate," he said. "It's been a very helpful transition."

From students, to doctors

2007-04-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-12-07
The Daily

It's the morning before her anatomy final, and Stacie Beck couldn't be calmer.

"Well, if you don't know it by now, when will you?" she said. But she admits she's "so nervous."

Her classmate Noel Hastings agrees. Most people don't study right before the test; it's better to take the time and clear your mind so it is free while you are taking the test, he said.

Half the test is multiple-choice, "just like you would take for any class," Stacie said.

The other half is on cadavers.

There are two labs containing cadavers, four students per body.

The instructors will find a healthy part of the cadaver and stick a pin in it for the students to identify; there are two pins per cadaver and students have one minute with each.

Then come the questions.

"What arteries provide the main blood supply to this tissue?"

"What is the embryological origin of this structure?"

"What is the innervation of this structure?"

This test is on the head and neck and concludes their study of the "trunk" -- everything from the head down through the pubic region. The limbs won't be looked at until second year.

"I had to kind of prepare mentally for a long time," Stacie said, of seeing the cadavers. "Walking in on that first day -- it was surreal to be there with two rows of gurneys holding bodies. I had to gather my wits that first day."

It was Stacie's first experience seeing a dead person, and her first time cutting into one seemed unreal.

"It was very apparent there was no spirit left," she said.

Stacie said before she took the class she never understood what a gift it is to give your body for research. The class took a moment of silence before beginning the first day of the quarter.

"It's a real honor what we've been able to learn," Stacie said.

The cadaver lab is different for every student, because everyone deals with things differently, Noel said.

Noel's group named their cadaver "Ishmael."

"It's a person," he said.

During the first few weeks of class students didn't see the head or hands of the cadaver; seeing the personal aspects might evoke stronger emotional reactions. For Noel, being able to see the head in the last week was a way to say thank you.

Though it's not religious, Noel said the cadavers have been "born again" for med students' use. For five weeks they give everything to the students.

"We have no idea what kind of person they were before, but they made the ultimate sacrifice -- it's complete selflessness," Noel said. "Whatever mistakes they made are completely nullified by this."

As for the smell, it's "just bad," Noel said.

"Not like rotten -- just permeating. I feel like I can smell it on my clothes."

The smell is so bad that some students have stopped eating meat, Noel said, though it hasn't affected his appetite. It just doesn't seem very appetizing to some, he said.

Life beyond the classroom

Noel isn't the "traditional" student, though by appearance the med school does have a somewhat broad age range. He's 35 and has already gotten his feet wet in emergency medicine by volunteering as an EMT for a few years in New Mexico and then again on Vashon Island.

He also served as the director for the Emergency Medical System in New Mexico and was a medical assistant in the UW Medical Center emergency room while finishing his pre-med requirements.

Noel's academic background is in physics. With his accomplishments in that field, medicine could be seen as a step back.

"It's hard for some of us that are in a place in life where we certainly have some standing in our field," he said. "I've been published in other fields and now 23-year-olds are kicking my butt."

While serving as a teacher's assistant for a UW undergraduate anatomy course, Noel received his acceptance letter from the Medical School -- a welcome delivery since he had been rejected the year before.

"I know people who applied five times," Noel said.

Stacie was one of the lucky ones to be accepted on the first try.

"Every now and then you have a student who you can identify from the beginning is going to make very significant contributions in medicine -- Stacie is one of those people," said Dr. Raye Maestas, Stacie's assigned mentor and instructor of Introduction to Clinical Medicine.

Stacie has been married for three and a half years. Her husband, James, is a lawyer with Gordon Thomas Honeywell in Tacoma. Between law school and med school, a lot of Stacie and James' time has been spent apart.

They have two residences -- an apartment in Seattle and a house in Olympia. Before she started school, Stacie and James lived together in Olympia. The apartment in Seattle is for Stacie; it's near school so she doesn't have to worry about commuting. She calls it her "study nook," because she only really spends time there during the week. James lives in the house in Olympia and commutes to work from there.

They get together for dinner during the week some nights but mainly see each other on the weekends. They are in the process of looking for a place where they can live together but still each have a reasonable commute.

On the weekends they stay in either Seattle or Olympia, but often take weekend trips. Both are very passionate about outdoor activities including rock climbing, mountaineering, hiking and bicycling, also cross-country skiing and snowshoeing "when it's too wet to climb rocks," Stacie said.

A seven-hour class

Notoriously known for being the toughest class in med school, anatomy has lived up to its reputation. The schedule is demanding -- four hours in the morning, three hours in the afternoon, rounding out to be a solid 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. day.

There is no other word to describe anatomy more accurately than "overwhelming," Noel said.

The lectures have more than 100 PowerPoint slides. Noel misses most of them, but goes back later to fill in the information with what he learns out of the books.

"There's so much to know, no matter how much you try, you will never know it all," he said. "I am barely grasping any of it. It's an overwhelming amount of information to assimilate in a short amount of time."

The competition in class is fierce -- these are students who have always been at the top of the class. But even in a class full of overachievers, someone has to be on the bottom.

The first week, everyone walks around with "giddy, glazed eyes," Noel said. They're thinking that after all the hard work, entrance exams and interviews, they are finally in med school.

"At the beginning I felt like I was on the top, but now I'm at the back end," he said. "Even if you think you are doing great and you are learning tons, it doesn't feel like it's enough. There are definitely people who spend a good amount of time crying because they feel they can't keep up."

To help, the school offers counseling for students and their family members and partners if needed.

Noel said he just trusts that the school administrators didn't make a mistake. They wouldn't let him in if they thought he couldn't do it.

Third-year medical student Anna Shope can relate. She remembers crying a lot during those first few days of her first year, until she realized she had to give up the notion that she could learn it all.

"As soon as I had that realization that I can't know everything, everything fell into place," she said. "I had to give up."

In her class, throughout the year everyone had their own "breakdown" where they would reassess and strategize to take on the task at hand.

The only face-time first-years get with patients is in their Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM) course, where they conduct patient interviews. The purpose of the interviews is to obtain the patient's social history and an illness narrative, from which students learn the patient's life story and what is wrong from the patient's point of view.

"Our science classes can sometimes seem far removed from patients. ICM helps me remember what made me want to become a doctor in the first place," Stacie said. "[It] teaches us the art of medicine -- how to communicate with patients and how to listen."

It's still a long way from the patient contact they will have in their third year when they will spend six weeks at a time circulating though pediatrics, surgery, psychiatry, family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology. They also spend 12 weeks in internal medicine -- six weeks of inpatient care and six weeks of outpatient care.

"I know our time in the classroom is necessary to prepare us for third and fourth years, but learning in a hospital or other clinical setting seems like one step closer to being an actual doctor," Stacie said.

They are eager to get into the rotations, where they will gain hands-on experience.

"There is no way to really learn this stuff without getting into the hospitals and putting it into use," Noel said. "Right now my favorite part of medical school is my clinical opportunities. That is where I actually see patients that exhibit all the things I am learning in class, and then I see how the treatments work."

36-hour shift

It's 4 a.m. and third-year medical student Steve MacLean wakes up for school. He is on call today so he will serve a regular shift from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Harborview Medical Center. He will still be on call until noon of the next day -- but it doesn't end there.

Steve has lecture today, so after he is done at Harborview he will trek over to the UW to fight sleep in a lecture hall until 5 p.m. Then he is free -- until 5 a.m. the next day, that is.

"Surgery is one of those things that, up front, people fear naively, but in fact the human capacity is much greater than we all give it credit for," said Dr. Hugh Foy, an attending physician on Steve's surgery team. "People can do so much more than 9 [a.m.] to 5 [p.m.]. Steve's holding up under the strain just fine."

Before starting surgery rotation Steve was excited. He thought surgery was what he wanted to pursue for residency and for an eventual career.

But now he's not so certain.

The long hours of surgery wear on Steve; he is thinking of going into another concentration in medicine. So far, he hasn't felt a kinship with any of the rotations he has been assigned to, but he remains optimistic.

After serving a 36-hour shift on Thursday, he was back for more on Monday. He went to bed at 8:30 p.m. to catch up on sleep, not his idea of a fun-filled Sunday night.

"The hours are brutal," he said. "I want a family -- I want to have some fun. I knew it would be time- consuming, but I didn't realize it would affect me as much as it did. This is what [surgeons] live for. I have way too many outside interests."

Steve spends a lot of time with his sister Danielle, who lives in University Park near Tacoma; she's his nearest family tie since his parents live in Arizona. He and Danielle used to get together one night a week for dinner or a movie, but haven't since Steve started the surgery rotation. There's just no time.

Before the rotation is over he has to complete four essays and a final, but the long hours don't leave time for studying, and the surgery final is rumored to be the toughest there is. The redness in his eyes is the most immediate sign of his exhaustion.

"None of us have picked up a book -- we still have to work," he said.

With only two weeks left of the rotation, Steve is looking forward to more free time. He asked his parents to sign him up for a sushi cooking class for Christmas. He's excited, and has already bought all the supplies and a book.

"If I was stranded on a desert island, and I could only eat one thing, it'd be sushi," he said. "Even though it would be sick, because it would get all warm and shit."

Steve said his social life has been non-existent; he went from being someone who went out every Friday and Saturday night to someone who can barely remember the last time he spent a night out.

He doesn't even have much time for the basic necessities. He just went to Costco to get new contacts. He had the last pair in for a month, and he is only supposed to wear each pair for a week.

Two weeks before his surgery rotation ends, Steve considered general surgery for residency again. He changes his mind almost by the day.

"I just don't know what I want to do," he said. "I've never been so lost."

After ruling out OB-GYN, psychiatry, family medicine and maybe even surgery, Steve thinks he might pursue anesthesiology, emergency medicine or pediatrics, his original interest upon entering med school.

"I need to make sure I'm happy," he said. "If you're not happy, you're not going to be as good of a doctor and your patients will suffer. I know I'll find something that fits my personality and interests."

The real world

Steve spent six weeks living in Powell, Wyo., a "friendly spot," according to the Chamber of Commerce's Web site. He completed his first rotation in family medicine at Powell Valley Hospital.

Powell is an agricultural town of less than 6,000 people that prides itself on its sugar beets, malt barley, seed beans and cattle production.

"It was a huge culture shock -- small town USA," he said.

After moving back to Seattle, Steve served his rotation at Madigan Hospital at Fort Lewis in OB-GYN and then moved on to psychiatry at Harborview.

Partway through his psychiatry rotation, Steve came in contact with a female patient who showed him the human side of medicine. Steve was able to put a face to problems he had previously only read about in textbooks.

The patient had been diagnosed with depression and psychosis, which means on top of depression she heard voices. The medication wasn't having much of an effect, and the doctors chose to administer electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Steve said the procedure is by no means inhumane or as intrusive as it is generally thought to be. The patient is given succinyl choline to paralyze them so when they get the seizure they don't feel it, he said.

"It's not very painful -- some people complain of headaches, but it has [fewer] side-effects than anti-depressants," he said.

The change in the patient was profound, due to the ECT treatment.

"Now she is happy and joking around all the time," said Steve. "Before she would break into crying mid-sentence -- she was almost catatonic. It felt really good. To be honest, she was making me depressed. Just to talk to her."

The woman felt she was a bad mother and couldn't care for her children before treatment, Steve said.

"Now she's like a completely different person -- it's almost surreal," Steve said. "To see someone who couldn't hold a job or take care of her kids [become] someone who could hold a job and is excited to get her kids back."

Finding a calling

Anna remembers her first week in pediatric rotation as being "really hard."

She was placed at Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho, a city in the western foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

The night after her first day, a newborn died. Anna said the infant never really took a breath on its own, but the doctors tried to resuscitate it for three hours. She wasn't there that night, but went to the autopsy the next day.

On her fourth day, a 19-year-old suffering from cystic fibrosis passed away. The girl had been in and out of the hospital her whole life, and everyone felt connected to her. Anna said the nurses were like her second mothers.

"I don't know if I could have handled that every week," Anna said. "There's something very wrong about pediatric death."

Luckily for Anna, there were no more deaths in the remaining weeks of her rotation.

Anna is now completing a rotation in family practice at a primarily Spanish-speaking facility in Seattle's South Park neighborhood. She is fluent in Spanish due to extensive language courses and traveling in Spanish-speaking regions, but she still had to brush up on medical Spanish.

"There is so much need for Spanish-speaking health care providers, so if I can, I'd like to get it down," she said.

Anna said when doctors use translators, part of the meaning can be lost. Patients don't always get the same quality of care.

But in a patient interview at Sea Mar Community Health Center, Anna's medical Spanish was almost flawless. She paused only a few times to ask the attending physician, Dr. Julio Jimenez, how to say certain words.

Even after completing rotations in general surgery, psychiatry, pediatrics and now family medicine, Anna said she still feels she is meant for a career in women's health.

Though she hasn't had her OB-GYN rotation yet, she anticipates it will be a good fit. She said in college she was the student sporting the book Our Bodies, Ourselves. She would help her peers whenever health-related issues would arise.

"I've always been really comfortable talking about more intimate issues," Anna said. "I've always been the person my friends would talk to if they had a question on a sexual issue. I work well with women -- making them feel comfortable."

Anna sees a need in women's health due to a "neglect" of women in health care in years past.

"I'm really interested in working with and serving women in a sense, because historically they haven't had great health care," she said. "Part of me feels there's a lot that's unknown."

Watching and waiting

Barely four hours into his on-call duties in Harborview's ER, Steve and team member Matt Lyons, also a third-year student, heard of a surgery to remove an abscess coming into the operating room (OR).

The surgical team, including at least one attending physician, a chief resident, a third-year resident and two interns, along with Steve and Matt, have been working together for four weeks now, and it shows.

"Do you want to scrub in on this?" Matt asked. Since they are on surgery rotation, either Steve or Matt will assist in the operation. In the OR they are mainly responsible for holding retractors, which pull back the skin. Occasionally they get to staple or cut string.

The majority of time is spent waiting around and then completing small tasks. The students are there to observe and are not given as much responsibility as in years past.

Foy said when he was in medical school about 30 years ago, residents and students were in charge of patient management, particularly after-hours. The physicians rarely came in to perform after-hours surgery.

Now, attending physicians are there all the time, and after-hours they will come in to perform operations if they are not already on-site, Foy said.

"On the one hand, students and residents don't have as much direct responsibility. They have much more supervision now, which may be the negative part," he said. "But the positive part is, they are taught by people who have much more experience, it's not the blind leading the blind."

The student's main responsibility while in surgery is to know about the patient, the disease and the anatomy. They get "pimped" while in surgery, meaning the physician will quiz them on all the information.

"It's the worst part," Steve said. "It's so stressful if you don't know an answer."

Steve has seen abscess surgery three or four times. It's not the most exciting surgery; an incision is made and the abscess is drained, but one of them still has to help out.

"We're going to fight, and I'll most likely lose," Matt joked, adding that he could lose an arm and still have to scrub in.

"I'll go," Steve said.

They usually rotate, and whoever scrubs in on this one will most likely miss out on the next procedure. Steve said instead of rotating, they shouldn't count the abscess in their running tally; that way he doesn't risk missing out on "cool" procedures. Matt offered to pull Steve out of the abscess surgery if something better came in.

"No, don't pull me out," Steve said. "We'll just rock, paper, scissors for the next one."

The 'bipolar' quarter

Surgery is far in the future for first-years, who are still concentrating on things such as mapping the nervous system and understanding the inner-workings of the human heart. This year's anatomy class had a different experience than in past years. Anatomy is usually taught concurrently with four other classes that last the entire quarter.

This year the school is trying a different model. The first-years take anatomy by itself for five weeks, and for the remainder of the quarter the students take four classes at once.

For the last nine weeks of the first quarter, first-year students take systems of human behavior, Intro to Clinical Medicine, histology and biochemistry.

The course load is a lot lighter, especially after the rigors of anatomy.

"I feel like I'm an undergrad again," Noel said. The lack of coursework is stressing Noel out, more so than when he had too much to do in anatomy class.

Noel described the quarter as the "bipolar" quarter because of the difference between the extreme demands in the first five weeks as compared with the "severe" lack of demand in the last seven weeks.

"Don't get me wrong. The material is challenging, but there is a lot of time to deal with it," he said. "In anatomy we would get truckloads [of material] everyday and few hours to deal with it before the next truckload came along."

But the lack of rigorous coursework has led to positives; the class has an interest group for students looking into emergency medicine.

The group met one evening to prepare for when they were scheduled to train with the Bellevue Fire Department to learn preliminary information about advanced cardiac life support.

As a former EMT, Noel had all kinds of tools and books to show off at the meeting. Noel said he just threw everything in a bag at the last minute.

One neatly organized bag contains all the makings of a "jump kit," or portable medical kit, including splints, gauze, a stethoscope and a pulse oximeter among other things. He also had a retractable neck brace. "If you get to the ER you will be embarrassed if you don't know how to take one of these off," said one attendee.

"These little bags are great for people vomiting," Noel said to a classmate, adding that these are things only fellow EMTs would get a kick out of.

"Oh, wow, those are great," his classmate replied.

Noel was disappointed more people didn't come to the meeting. "I really thought people would want to play more" (with the supplies he brought).

In the Bellevue Fire Department's training facility "Kelly" is sprawled out across the floor. He can moan, cough and make vomiting sounds. Kelly is a training dummy that costs between $8,000 and $9,000. Students can practice starting IVs, taking blood pressure and inserting chest tubes on the "patient."

Noel joked about how loud the dummy's sounds are compared with those of an actual patient as he inserts the chest tube and listens for "lung sounds," signs that the dummy is breathing. The dummy squeaked and he had his answer.

"He seems to be breathing," he said, while lying on his stomach, propped up by his elbows. "Love those lung sounds, I can hear them from here."

"These don't look like the lungs did in the cadavers," he added with a smile.

Clerkships valuable to law students

2007-04-11T08:45:00.002-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-11-15
The Daily

UW School of Law professor Stewart Jay refers to the time he spent clerking for then Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger as "the best job [I] ever had."

"We were like family," he said. "He treated us like sons. He would cook us lunch on Saturdays."

Jay first clerked on the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. While clerking for Burger from 1977-78, Jay influenced the first case about the interpretation of the endangered species law.

While doing research on the law as Congress had intended it, Jay found an interpretation that differed with the courts. He presented the information to Burger, which changed the court's final decision.

"It's hard to think of a job in the U.S. where a 27- or 28-year-old can have such influence over the development of public policy and such responsibility," Jay said.

Burger's court is most noted for its major decisions on abortion, capital punishment and school desegregation. Burger, who served as Chief Justice from 1969 to 1986, wrote the court's opinion in the Watergate case and a case over the desegregation of school buses. He was in the majority on Roe v. Wade, and assigned the justice who wrote the opinion.

Clerkship allows any graduating law student to take a year or two to work under judges before going off to practice law on their own. Law clerks assist judges by completing legal research and editing opinions.

Some are even permitted to draft opinions, said law professor Clark Lombardi, who clerked for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito when he served on the third circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals.

"Many people see it as a postgraduate fellowship," Lombardi said. "It is very much a part of the legal education."

Though clerking is by no means a requirement upon graduating law school, the extra year can provide many benefits for students.

"You see [law] from the other side," said Lombardi. "Being a person doing a first read [gives] you a better ability to predict how a judge will reason."

Lombardi's experience as a clerk gave him skills he used long after leaving he stopped clerking.

"It taught me to be a much better reader of cases and reader of statues and also a more measured and careful thinker," he said.

Many future professors apply to clerk knowing they may pursue a career in law education.

"As a teacher [it gave me] teaching tools. I am still relying on what I learned in that year," said law professor Peter Nicolas, who clerked for Judge Michael Boudin on the first circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. "It is certainly a quasi-pre requirement for going into law teaching."

Jay said clerking can be more than just a valuable credential -- it can teach skills not taught inside the classroom.

"I learned more in two years as a clerk than I learned in three years of law school. You get to actually see the process work," he said. "It is when I learned how to do legal research -- not in law school."

Licenses still available to dorm residents

2007-04-11T08:45:00.001-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-11-03
The Daily

After more than a month of availability, less than half of the UW's eligible students have signed up for the Napster downloading program.

The UW and Dell purchased licenses for 3,000 residence hall students to use the music downloading service, which allows students to access the more than one million songs in Napster's music library.

As of Oct. 31, Napster reported 1,283 residence hall students had signed up for the service.

"This project is very much an experiment. I don't think we have specific goals set -- we're sort of watching to see how it goes," said Oren Sreebny, director of client services in computing and communications. "I'm not sure what to make of the number of signups to date. It seems a little slower than I anticipated, but who knows what to expect in these matters?"

The UW receives periodic reports from Napster on the number of students who have registered with the program. According to a report released after the first three days of classes, 585 students were registered to use the service. The report showed that an additional 698 had signed up since the first week of classes.

Sreebny said the UW is less concerned with overall signups and more concerned with whether students are continuing to use the program.

"It's fairly easy to sign up, but do they keep using it over time?" Sreebny asked.

Residence hall students have been able to use the Napster program for free thanks to an agreement negotiated between the UW, Napster and Dell last summer.

Though Napster has similar partnerships with 13 other universities nationwide, the UW is the first university to include a hardware provider in the agreement.

The UW spent $24,000 for 1,500 licenses for residence hall students to use the music service. Dell paid the remaining expenses, which included an additional 1,500 licenses and 10 PowerEdge servers. The servers are valued at $52,887, not including a $7,200 installation fee.

The UW has yet to conduct any survey to gage students' thoughts on the service, though Sreebny said focus groups might be conducted in the future.

"I haven't heard many people talking about it because there are other ways of getting music," said Marley Blonsky, the Resident Hall Student Association's (RHSA) programming director.

Blonsky said she has heard mixed results from those using the program. The downside to Napster is that songs can only be used on the Web site, not saved onto a student's hard drive. Napster songs cannot be stored on iPods, either.

Blonsky said the Napster Web site is "confusing," adding that some students do not know how to get the free music once they go to the site.

"It's nice because you can find a lot of songs on there that you can't download from other places," she said. "But it's annoying because you can't do anything with the songs. If you could put it on your iPod, it'd be a lot more helpful."

Blonsky thinks there should be more advertising and promotion for the service. Many students probably still don't know it exists, she said.

Several activities promoting the Napster program went on during orientation, including a Dell launch event negotiated in the contractual agreement. The UW also agreed to exclusively promote the pocket DJ, Dell's version of the iPod; have Dell kiosks on campus; and host Dell information on the UW's Web site.

The residence halls have not hosted any events designed to promote the Napster program.

"If [Dell or Napster] approached us we could definitely sit down and have a conversation about the type of program they'd like to have," said RHSA resident M'Liss Dewald. "We are definitely open to people coming to us with program ideas."

Undergrad education under scrutiny

2007-04-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-10-25
The Daily

With the departure of Ernest Morris, the UW's longtime vice president for student affairs, the arrival of Provost Phyllis Wise and a new Dean of Undergraduate Education, administrators are saying the time for change in undergraduate education has come.

Change will be implemented through the Committee on Improving the UW Undergraduate Experience, appointed to evaluate the system for undergraduate education and determine what new directions, if any, the UW should be taken in.

"The president and the provost have called for the campus to examine how we're serving undergraduates -- what is working well, what could work even better," said Christine Ingebritsen, the acting dean and acting vice provost for undergraduate education.

The committee is scheduled to report to Wise and President Mark Emmert by Nov. 30.

The task at hand

The committee is charged with four issues: what attributes of an excellent undergraduate experience should be, strengths and weaknesses of the UW experience, the best practices nationally and what models can be adopted for the UW.

To best tackle these issues, the committee has established subcommittees designed to map out the entirety of a UW experience, including pre-entry, first-year experience, exploration and discovery leading up to the selection of a major. The committee will also address what happens after students have decided their majors and what comes next -- departure, graduate school and the alumnus' or alumuna's continuing relationship with the UW.

"We need to think about the undergraduate experience in many ways -- not just in the classroom," said committee head Gerald Baldasty, chair of the communication department.

The committee is holding open forums for faculty, staff and students in order to get the widest range of feedback, he said.

"The committee members draw broadly from campus, [but] we can't get everyone on the committee," Baldasty said. "We're talking broadly to a lot of different people."

A student's role

Serving on the committees are three undergraduates and one graduate student, including ASUW President Lee Dunbar. Dunbar, along with Karen Clegg, Jon Lee and Adam Grupp, head of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate, are on committees to give administrators perspective about how students themselves feel about the educational experience.

"It's just really bringing the student perspective -- not just my own," Dunbar said. "One of the big things we've been [bringing up] is the need for students to be able to connect with faculty and other students."

Dunbar said he hopes to bring members from the residence halls, Greek community, commuters and south campus -- namely members of groups centered at the Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC) to forums.

"There's so many communities on campus that students identify with," he said. "We need to insert that perspective."

By hosting forums targeted at each living group and the ECC, the committee hopes to grasp all the issues that matter to UW students, Dunbar added.

"If you have a concern you will be able to voice it," he said. "[For example] how the University can address text book prices, relations with different communities, what is our identity and how we address transfer students."

Where to look

The committee is pulling inspiration from other universities nationwide, looking at what programs are strong and what would be good to implement at the UW, Baldasty said.

One item under consideration is a "common book." Ingebristen said she is working closely with student affairs and students to adopt a book, with common themes of identity and community. The book being proposed for next year is Carlos Bulosan's autobiography America is in the Heart.

"It is an experiment to have the entire campus community reading one book," Ingebristen said.

The committee is also looking at programs already in place at the UW, such as the Center for Learning and Undergraduate Education (CLUE) and the Freshmen Interest Groups (FIGs).

Strengthening undergraduate education

"We're not saying anyone is doing a bad job -- the title is to improve," Baldasty said. "There are a lot of good programs here that we can broaden and strengthen."

Not all programs the UW offers need to be revised, Dunbar added.

"There are challenges and problems at the UW, but there [are] also things we do well," Dunbar said. "Don't reinvent wheel, don't change things that don't necessarily need to be changed."

Dunbar noted the Office of Minority Affairs (OMT) as an example of a program he would not want to see changed.

"OMA does incredible work without question," he said. "[It] should be seen as a model for what advising can be."

Undergraduate advising is a different story.

"[We're] looking to change [advising] in Mary Gates and also in each department," said Dunbar. "[We want to transition to] holistic advising where you are not just getting academic advice, but having someone from the financial aid office close by collaborating more."

Dressed for fright and fun

2007-04-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-10-24
The Daily

Finding the perfect Halloween costume can be daunting while weeding through the bloody hands, bold wigs of every color and rolls of fabric in any print imaginable.

Luckily there are a slew of costume shops in the Seattle area for renting, buying or making your own Halloween hit.

Change up the old

At any given college party you will find a girl dressed as a slutty nurse, cowgirl, cop, cat, angel, devil, school girl -- you get the idea. Well everyone wants to look hot for the Halloween, try spicing up the traditional.

Instead of being a normal nurse add in some dead makeup. Instead of being a traditional cowgirl, why not pose as Annie Oakley?

Many costumes come prepackage, ready-to-wear in a bag. These costumes could be very generic, but not if you take the time to add a personal touch. This is also a great way to ensure you will not match 10 other girls at the party.

Erika Marsh, costume rentals employee at Champion Party supply, suggested adding a funky wig in an offbeat color to jolt your outfit to the forefront. If you opt to go with your natural hair, don't just do your normal style as well. Research the style of the decade your costume came from and try your best to copy it with your locks.

Costume shops also offer numerous accessories such as jewelry, glasses, crazy shoes and hats.

It's in the bag

Every costume shop offers bagged outfits with many of the necessary accessories ready to wear.

One clever idea was Daphne from Scooby Doo, which included a bright purple dress, hot pink boot covers, a green necktie and a neon orange wig. For those not bold enough to wear orange hair, they also have a Velma costume, brown wig and orange turtleneck included.

Other bag varieties include Flintstone characters, hippies and disco divas.

If you can't buy -- rent

By the time you buy the outfit and all the appropriate accessories the price tag can seem a little high for one night of use.

Champion Party Supply has books full of rentals, ranging from $35 to $200. The average price is $55, and not many reach the $100 mark.

The most expensive costumes in stock are Star Wars faves Darth Vader and Chewbacca. Chewy goes for $150 and Darth tops out at $200 a night. Display & Costume has the Darth costume for sale, for a mere $800. Despite the price, Toby McKes, floor manager at Display & Costume, said many Vader costumes do sell, adding that you "get what you pay for. It is really detailed with 13 or 14 different pieces."

Another pricey costume is the "curly clown" that includes its own air pack, which supplies the 12-foot inflatable clown with a constant airflow.

Some of the more creative costumes to rent including playmates, closely resembling the Teletubbies dolls, and full bunny costumes.

"A lot of people rent to win costume contests, which kind of is a rip off for people who spent the time at home," said Mary Milliron, costume rentals employee for Champion Party Supply.

Save money -- do-it-yourself

Some costume shops have books upon books of costumes they rent. The plus side to this is that you can look through the books, pretending to be interested in renting, and get your own ideas which can easily be recreated.

For men who want to have a good costume while still maintaining their suaveness, the mobster or gangster costume is a safe bet. At Champion, the gangster costume is $50 to rent, but you can find a cheap pin striped suit and fedora hat, you can pull off the same look for a fraction of the cost.

Champion also offers a Mad Hatter costume for $65, however the same look could be achieved with obnoxiously bright plaid pants, a bold overcoat and a tall hat.

Prices for the southern belle ensembles range from $40-65, but if you are lucky to find a dress that fits the style at a thrift store, the look can be yours for less. Add in a frilly hat and parasol and you will quite literally be the belle of the ball.

Or as one Champion employee suggested, the most economical option is, of course, taking a white sheet and cutting two holes for eyes and one for the mouth.

Stabbing victim collapses on Ave.

2007-04-11T08:42:00.002-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-10-21
The Daily

A man stabbed in the U-District collapsed after staggering to the corner of 47th Avenue Northeast and University Way Northeast between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. last night, eyewitnesses said.

According to the initial Seattle Police Department (SPD) report, the 17-year-old victim had been stabbed once in the abdomen.

The stabbing allegedly occurred in the parking lot behind the Bank of America location on University Way Northeast, although SPD public information officer Rich Pruitt said police are uncertain if that was the incident's actual location.

"[The victim] was treated at the scene by the Seattle Fire Department and transported to Harborview Medical Center with what appeared to be a non-life-threatening wound," Pruitt said.

Members of the outreach program TeenHOPE were giving out food and blankets across the street when the victim appeared "limping" east on 47th holding his left side and yelling "I've been stabbed," they said.

A witness called 911 while others brought blankets to aid the man.

When TeenHOPE member Angelika Bowerman brought the victim a blanket, she said she saw "an actual stab wound, but it wasn't bleeding very much."

The suspect ran away in an unknown direction, and has not been taken into custody, Pruitt said.

SPD had yet to determine the motive behind the stabbing. Bowerman, who spoke to the victim, said he told her he had no idea about the suspect.

"[The victim] said [the suspect] came out of nowhere -- he didn't even see him," she said.

Shaking up the admissions process

2007-04-11T08:41:00.002-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-10-13
The Daily

In the past, a student who applied to the UW with a 3.95 grade point average (GPA) would almost assuredly be admitted, assuming they had average or above average standardized test scores.

The application of a student with a lower GPA would most likely have ended up in the pile to be comprehensively reviewed.

That may no longer be the case, according to Philip Ballinger, the UW's director of admissions.

In previous years, the UW automatically accepted the top half of its applicants based solely on grades and test scores. The other half would be reviewed by the admissions board, which considered, among other factors, the student's course load, economic background and whether or not they are a first generation college student.

Under the new system, all applications -- regardless of a student's grade point average or test scores -- will be reviewed.

The new admissions system will be used to evaluate applications for autumn quarter 2006.

The new process may make a difference to many prospective students.

Now, the high school course load of the student with the 3.95 GPA will be evaluated. If the student only completed the minimum requirements and chose to forgo taking math or Advanced Placement (AP) classes during his or her senior year, those choices will affect whether or not they are accepted to the UW, Ballinger said.

Conversely, if the student with the 3.4 GPA had gone above and beyond the requirements by taking calculus during his or her senior year, three years of a foreign language or several AP courses, the student would be considered more seriously than before, Ballinger said.

"We are less concerned with GPA and more concerned with the rigor of courses," Ballinger said. "The thing that is important for students is to use their high school years as preparation for their university studies."

While there have been reports that some are unhappy with the new admissions policies, UW administrators have been overwhelmingly positive about the new system.

By taking into account a student's multi-dimensionality and background, the admissions officials say the UW might admit students who would not have had a chance in previous years.

"Many [applicants] have faced a lot of challenges. The new admissions process will allow those who have faced a lot of challenges in their lives to get here and show us what they can do," said academic counselor Kay Balston. "They may never have had that opportunity before because of the [admissions] index they might not have been admitted at all."

The change in the admissions process began when administrators threw out the old admissions index, the numerical scale traditionally used to evaluate applicants, Ballinger said.

"This is a way for us to broaden the scope [from] the traditional numerical assessment to more of a richer, broader conception of excellence," said Christine Ingebritsen, acting dean of Undergraduate Education.

The change also aligns with the University's emphasis on accepting students based on their potential to contribute to the UW community.

"We are looking for what a student can contribute to the educational experience at the University of Washington," said Ballinger. "How they will add to the student body here and help make this a superb institution."

The new process is designed to admit students who are more prepared to enter the rigorous coursework at the institution than students in the past.

"Many of them just aren't aware of the challenges that they are going to face in an institution," Balston said. "They were very good in high school [but] the bar gets raised here and it takes time to adjust to that."

By searching for preparedness, the UW is hoping to admit students who have had to take on a lot in their lives and may be able to take on a tough course load as well, Ingebritsen said.

"If they had been involved with the community or taken time off to care for a sick friend or family member -- that may have actually [done them] damage in earlier cases," Ingebritsen said. "[By looking] at the candidate, spending more time, more eyes, more human time reviewing a person. [It] can actually create more opportunity for students who the University of Washington was not an option for."

With the more time -- and more eyes looking over each application -- comes more money the University must spend.

The admissions office will be adding three or four fulltime staff members to handle applications. In addition, they are hiring 20 graduate student readers to help tackle the approximately 16,000 applications for freshmen enrollment the UW is expecting to receive for autumn quarter.

To cover the additional expense, the UW -- as part of a statewide mandate -- is raising its application fee from $38 to $50.

Each application will be reviewed by two readers or staff members. Should discrepancies arise, a third reader will evaluate the applicant, Ballinger said. The readers will also receive substantial training from the studies of prototype applications assessed by faculty.

The readers' results will be constantly monitored, said Ballinger. Should any inconsistencies arise, the reader in question will be given additional training, he added.

The internship vs. the part-time job

2007-04-11T08:41:00.001-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-10-05
The Daily

As a marketing intern for Ticketmaster, senior Erin Ayers is working for free.

Ayers said she chose to intern this quarter because she thought it would help her stand out among the masses of eager college grads entering the job market each year.

"I need the hands-on experience to be competitive in the career field [I] want to go into," Ayers said. "I feel it gives a me a real edge in interviews to be able to relate stories of what I've done. When employers know that you've been out there working, I believe they tend to give more credence to your opinions and ideas in an interview."

Ayers did not have to take out additional student loans to compensate for the lack of income. But she does spend her evenings tutoring on campus to make some extra money.

Ayers is not alone -- in today's competitive job market, many students feel internships have become an essential part of the undergraduate college experience. Students wanting to get an edge on the competition are left to decide whether they will take an internship that may or may not get them a better job later at the cost of giving up part- or full-time jobs that provide them with an income.

According to the UW Center for Career Services, both paid and non-paid internships are available in Seattle. Ultimately, it is up to the student to decide if he or she is willing to accept an internship without monetary compensation.

"Internships can be paid or non-paid ... the employing organization decides whether to provide compensation for an internship," said Diana Martin, associate director of the Center for Career Services. "It is a student's decision whether to accept a non-paid internship. Students will accept a non-paid internship if it is feasible to do so."

Students can also use internships to supplement classroom learning.

"An internship should be viewed as an extension of the education experience," Martin said. "Internships allow students to apply the theoretical training they acquire in the classroom to real-world work situations.

According to David Sherman, director of student services for the school of communication, 70 percent of communication internship positions are unpaid, leaving few paid internships for students who need income in addition to work experience.

Christina Kerr, an academic counselor in the political science department, views the cost of not being paid for a quarter of work as an asset for a future career.

"Very few [internships] are paid," Kerr said. "[But] my feeling about that, having done an internship in college, is it is an investment you are making in your salary potential."

Kerr said an internship can make the difference between earning $8 an hour because the applicant has some experience working in his or her chosen field, as opposed to the $6 an hour they could earn without experience.

"I believe [my internship] will add at least a few thousand dollars more a year to my base-salary that I otherwise would not have had when I get my first job," Ayers said.

Kerr said internships can also evolve into paid jobs, whether at the same place a student interns or in a related field.

Whether paid or unpaid, internships are a great place to form a network that can be helpful when it comes to looking for a real job, career specialists said.

"[Internships] are often a good way to be involved in a network," said Kerr. "You may become aware of upcoming jobs, and if a job becomes available where you are doing an internship, you may be offered the opportunity to apply."

Almost as important as the internship itself is the recommendation a student can get from a supervisor after they have completed the internship, Kerr said.

Lindsay Scola, who graduated from the UW with a degree in political science last year, held several internships as an undergraduate. She attributes her job -- office manager and scheduler for Washington Congressman Adam Smith at his Washington, D.C. office -- to her interning experience.

"I would say that having my internship on my resume accompanied by positive recommendations from it increased my chances of getting my first job which led me to where I am now," Scola said.

One of Scola's internships was in Washington Senator Maria Cantwell's office. Though it cost her some extra money, Scola said the experience she gained more than compensated for it.

"When I went to Washington, D.C. for my Senate internship I had to borrow extra money to be there, but I found housing and the experience was definitely worth it," she said. "Regardless of the money aspect, the experience will pay for itself eventually."

My day as a freshman

2007-04-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-09-26
The Daily

I knew my day as a freshman would be a little rough. I asked a friend the night before, "What do freshman wear? Is there a special shirt or something?"

"Wear whatever you want," he replied. "They aren't a different species."

I immediately comprehended my stupidity in asking the question, but it showed me it has been awhile since I was brand new at the UW. Now in my fourth year, I decided to take a second chance at the life of a freshman -- for one day.

I walked into convocation with my head held high repeating the line "I'm a freshman. I AM a freshman" in my head. Though confident, I felt myself wishing I had what almost all the other freshmen had: my mom.

Toting parents along seemed to be the perfect accessory for the freshman outfit.

Though a friend offered to call his mom in order for her to accompany me, I decided I would have to face the experience alone. Eager to try out my, "Hi, I'm a freshman," pick-up line, I walked aimlessly looking for a target.

But being a freshman was harder than I imagined. I suddenly felt what it must be like to not know anyone. I tried to force myself not to talk to the upperclassmen I knew, which proved to be difficult.

In a room full of the unfamiliar, I found myself rushing to familiar faces and friends.

I listened to the Convocation speeches --- an event I did not attend when I was actually a freshman. I was amazed at the number of times I (as a freshman) was praised just for being at the UW. An endless slew of inspirational tidbits and stories highlighted each speech and though somewhat cheesy, they reminded me of where the UW can take you.

Forcing myself to meet new people, namely freshmen, I sought out greater success at the next event.

Next on the freshman agenda was an ice cream social, hosted by the Alumni Association. Here I was surprisingly happy to see the parents had headed for home. With no parents as their guard, I was free to try my luck at making friends with the freshmen who were newly alone.

I sat down with a group of very sweet girls who, though I felt horrible doing it, bought my "I'm a freshman" routine from the get go.

I asked if I could join them saying I didn't know anyone here. Eager to make friends, they agreed. I found myself skipping down memory lane as I retraced the exact conversation I would have had at this event just three years ago.

I apologized for asking so many questions, but I wanted to learn all about how these freshman felt. Two were from a small town in Eastern Washington like me, which gave us an instant commonality. I gushed about wanting to get out of the small town and hit the city, but also related to the scariness of it all.

One of my new freshman friends commented on the ease of the U-District. She said it was great how everything was right here. I agreed, remembering my freshman year when it was probably months before I ventured out of the comfortable surroundings of the Ave. and U-Village.

My cover was almost blown when a friend stopped by to say hi, but I anxiously whispered, "You don't know me, I'm a freshman." After I repeated this a few times, he walked away laughing.

After chatting with my new freshman friends for a while I decided to move on to see what other freshmen had to say about their experiences thus far. Many students seemed to travel in packs of people they went to high school with. In these groups they felt comfortable enough to meet other groups of people -- I didn't see many (like me) walking alone.

Two freshmen, Heidi Hohn and Amanda Joslin, knew each other because, though they went to different high schools, they grew up in the same town. Joslin said she wasn't as scared to start at the UW as she expected, because of reassurances from friends.

"[UW] is basically the last school to start ... all my friends have started and are all getting along fine," she said.

Following my Dawg Daze schedule, I headed to the freshman kick-off. "You've been waiting all summer and it's finally here -- you are now an official Husky," stated the event schedule.

Excited to become an "official" Husky, I anxiously trekked down to the stadium, wondering what, at this event, could make me an official Husky.

The stadium was filled with an intimidating mass of people holding signs with numbers ranging in the hundreds. Around each sign lay a group of freshmen, looking far less than ecstatic. I heard some murmur, "Why do we have to be here?" and "Why couldn't they let us have one last day of summer?"

Eager to fit in with my freshmen friends, I acted accordingly. Lazing around the stadium I finally selected a group to sit with and watch the freshmen react to the event. A few noteworthy people, such as Tyrone Willingham, spoke, but with the echo of the stadium no one could understand them, except when Willingham asked us to clap in unison.

This must be part of my transformation into an "official" Husky, I think. As I clapped in unison on Willingham's cue I realized I had completed my transformation into a freshman student at the UW, and without a doubt so had the real freshmen surrounding me.

ASUW plans for the year ahead

2007-04-11T08:37:00.001-07:00

Kayla Webley and Garrett McCulloch
2005-08-17
The Daily

With the academic year still more than a month away, members of the incoming ASUW Board of Directors are already making plans for the months ahead.

Student involvement is near the top of the list of the organization's goals for next year, whether in influencing decision-making or facilitating activities. Jon Lee, the director of faculty, administration and academic affairs, said the organization has hopes of better reaching UW students.

"Previously we've had this mentality of having everyone come to us, and this year one of our main goals is to reach out," said Lee. "It's more a reversal of roles for us this year."

ASUW Vice President, Ashley Miller, highlighted the importance of aligning the board's goals with that of the students in order to be most effective.

"[We want] to get as many students involved as possible," said Miller. "I have a general idea of what students want [but] we will be doing as much outreach as possible to make sure our goals align with the rest of the student body."

In Olympia

Along with involvement in ASUW itself, several directors hope to get students involved in the state legislative process. ASUW President Lee Dunbar said bringing UW students with him to Olympia -- instead of lobbying just on his own -- is among his goals for the next year. Currently, the only large-scale UW student legislative effort is the annual Lobby Day, held during the state legislature's session.

Gov. Christine Gregoire's Washington Learns program will be in full swing in the coming months. The 18-month study will look at ways to improve public education in the state, including the six state-funded universities and colleges.

"We are going to need a lot of student perspective, so that whatever comes out of that study has a student voice," said Dunbar.

Administration

Dunbar and the board also hope to take the side of students in the ASUW's dealings with the UW administration.

Advising issues are at the forefront of their efforts. Lee said now the UW provides too few advisors for the number of students.

"We need to work with the administration to see how we can help improve advising on this campus, to make sure students are getting the best educational experience possible," said Lee.

Dunbar also affirmed the ASUW would ensure there is student involvement in the administration current restructuring of undergraduate education.

Inside work

One area the organization will be taking an internal look at is the organization's bylaws and constitution, said to director of operations, Karl Smith.

"We're going to go through and clean it up the best we can," he said.

Another issue Smith plans to take on is the voting system, saying that implementing an instant runoff voting system would give students the option to rank candidates in the order of preference, rather than just voting for one choice.

Programs and events

After the success the ASUW saw with The Shins' concert last spring, director of programming, Ezana Emmanuel, said the entertainment side of ASUW hopes to put on more large-scale events, though he said he isn't sure the organization can get an event of the same magnitude.

Emmanuel also has a goal of boosting RainyDawg Radio. He said the station, currently broadcast only over the Internet, needs to pick up listeners before considering a jump to the airwaves.

"If you asked me if we should put it on the air now, I would say no, because no one listens to it," he said.

Late-night stabbing on Ave. leaves one injured

2007-04-11T08:36:00.004-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-08-10
The Daily

A man was stabbed on the 4300 block of University Way Northeast early Tuesday morning.

According to Rich Pruitt, a spokesman for the Seattle Police Department, the injured party was stabbed in the lower, left abdomen and left unconscious by two unknown suspects.

The suspects were described as a black male in his 20's wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and a Hispanic male also in his 20's wearing a black sweatshirt, said Pruitt.

The suspects fled westbound on foot.

UW appoints director for student-athlete academics

2007-04-11T08:36:00.003-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-08-03
The Daily

Student athletes have a new leader to help propel them to success -- in the classroom.

Athletic Director Todd Turner named Kim Durand, head of UCLA's athletic academic services, to the position of associate athletic director for student development at the UW last week.

Once Durand assumes the position on Aug. 16, she will be in charge of the organization, administration and supervision of the student-athlete academic-support program and student-athlete life-skills program.

The life-skills program consists of a series of programs that bring student athletes "beyond the classroom" by providing opportunities for personal development, which includes community service, leadership, career development and programs such as nutrition, said Jeff Compher, executive associate director for the athletic department.

Durand joins the UW administration after six years in a similar position at UCLA, where she served as the assistant athletic director for academic services. In the position, Durand was responsible for overseeing the academic department, which provides academic and student services for 650 student athletes in 22 sports, according to gohuskies.com.

"She is by far one of the best candidates in the country for this job," said Compher. "She has been a national leader in student-athletes academic programs."

Durand will coordinate the student-athlete program by working with other campus academic services, including career services, CLUE and the advising office, said Compher.

A longtime Pac-10 native, Durand earned her bachelor's and graduate degrees from the University of Oregon. She also served as a student assistant and recruiting assistant in U of O's athletic department.

"She knows the conference well," said Compher. "She has been in the Pac-10 a long time and loves the Northwest."

Durand has also served as the University of Kansas' assistant and associate director of degree and career counseling, and has coordinated academic support for seven of the university's teams. When working with the Kansas football program, the team dramatically raised its graduation rates and improved the overall team grade point average, according to gohuskies.com.

Biocontainment lab scrapped due to lack of finances

2007-04-11T08:36:00.001-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-07-27
The Daily

The UW abandoned plans to build a Regional Biocontainment Laboratory on campus due to a lack of funds and community support.

The UW had until July 23 to outline a fundraising plan to raise the $35 million needed to receive the $25 million federal grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

"We were asked to tell them if we had successfully identified the sources for the funding ... and the answer was no," said Norm Arkans, UW executive director of media relations and communications. "They want to give a grant based on the premise that you have the funds to build the building and we don't -- as a result they probably won't give us the grant."

The state was not a source of funding for the building, as the laboratory was not included in the capital projects budget, said Arkans.

"We were thinking maybe we could get additional money from the federal government, institutional reserves or private donations, but they didn't come together," said Arkans.

The proposed building, valued at $60 million, was one of many projects NIAID plans to build nationwide, using approximately $150 million in grants, said Arkans.

According to Arkans, UW President Mark Emmert had planned to meet with outside consultants to assess the safety and security of the building had the process moved forward. The Level 3 lab would have been used to study bioterrorism agents, such as anthrax.

"We held these community forums where a number of genuine concerns involving the safety and security of the building were addressed," said Arkans. "Before we would move ahead [Emmert] wanted to be satisfied that we could build a building that would be safe and secure."

UW to pay $24,000 for Napster deal

2007-04-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-07-27
The Daily

The financial details of the contractual agreement between the UW, Napster and Dell show the University will pay Napster $24,000 for student use licenses.

The $24,000 fee will cover a $2 per month academic license fee, for 8 months, for 1,500 students. Dell will also pay $24,000 for an additional 1,500 student licenses.

Dell will contribute a total of $84,087. Along with the student licenses, Dell will pay for 10 PowerEdge servers, valued at $52,887, and their installation -- valued at $7,200.

In exchange for their financial contribution Dell is allowed several opportunities to market to students on campus.

Under the provisions the University must exclusively promote the Dell branded DJ, secure two Dell kiosks on campus to feature Dell products and services, facilitate a Dell launch event in the back-to-school timeframe, host Dell information on the UW website, execute an email campaign and participate in a case study.

The UW's monetary contribution comes from the UW computing and communications department's discretionary fund, said Norm Arkans, UW executive director of media relations and communications.

"These are not state appropriated funds," said Arkans. "[The money is] not from the student technology fee, not tax funding and not tuition."

Instead the money in the fund comes from royalties generated by software and technology that is developed by the University and licensed to manufacturers and users.

Residence hall students will use the 3,000 student licenses purchased by the UW and Dell on the Dell servers. With the license, students will have full access to Napster's basic service.

The agreement makes the UW the first university to offer a free, legal music downloading service in coordination with a hardware provider.

Napster finance details still not released

2007-04-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-07-20
The Daily

Napster and Dell have until the end of the business day today to decide whether or not to release the contractual information in the agreement between the companies and the UW.

Financial details of the agreement remain unknown until the contract is released. Dell has agreed to release the information and Napster has yet to respond.

If Napster approves the release of the information or fails to respond by today, the UW will release the information Thursday, said Norm Arkans, UW executive director of media relations and communications.

The agreement makes the UW the first university to offer a free music downloading service in coordination with a hardware provider.

Because the UW is a publicly funded institution, Washington's open records laws state the contract must be released. However, both Dell and Napster can challenge the release in court if either company can show a substantial reason.

UW branch campuses adjust for future freshmen

2007-04-11T08:33:00.002-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-07-20
The Daily

When the Legislature awarded UW's branch campuses an increase of 600 enrollment slots, including spots for freshmen in 2006, it left the campuses a large task: accommodating for lower division students in their facilities, curriculum and services.

UW Bothell (UWB) and UW Tacoma (UWT) have both established committees to build lower-division curriculum, ensure the facilities can accommodate the increase, and expand student services and recruitment to meet the needs of first-year students.

"This is a time of great activity on both campuses," said UW President Mark Emmert. "Both campuses are working feverishly to make sure we're ready for those students."

Both branches are gearing their efforts to meet the needs of the target group, those students who meet the UW's admission standards but are denied due to limited space on the Seattle campus.

Meeting expectations

The original master plans for the branch campuses were designed to serve solely upper-division and graduate students, said UWT Chancellor Patricia Spakes.

The arrival of freshmen forces the campuses to meet the demand for services first-year students expect.

"The first two questions [incoming] students ask are, 'What do the residence halls look like and what do the recreation facilities look like?" said Spakes. "We can say we don't have residence halls and no plans to build any and we don't have any recreation facilities either. That's not a very good answer."

Though the campus has no immediate plans to build residence halls, Spakes said, they are working to refine the original campus' master plan to include additional services such as healthcare and to ensure the classrooms will fit student needs.

"We are looking at the question of whether we have the right kinds of classrooms and space for teaching lower-division students," said Spakes.

Expanded opportunity

The lower-division curriculum on the drawing board at both campuses involves different components, both in and out of the classroom, from the curriculum at the Seattle campus, said Emmert.

UWB is developing a signature, yearlong core course for freshmen. The interdisciplinary course will "reflect what is the most important about Bothell," said Tom Bellamy, vice chancellor for academic affairs at UWB. The course will specifically gear students toward the full range of majors offered at UWB, as well as helping them make the transition into college.

To attract students to campus, UWB plans to work closely with the high schools in the area.

"Working with the high schools is the best way to have students make good decisions on what is the best fit for them," said Bellamy.

The UW will also continue advertising campaigns to ensure students know they will be able to attend UWB or UWT as freshmen.

"We're certainly trying to make sure students know the opportunity is available to them by next summer," said Emmert.

Student life

UWB has a "long list" of student services they hope to provide, said Bellamy. To narrow down the list to a few top priorities, UWB has hosted focus groups consisting of high school students in order to gauge what services are the most important.

"Simply having a gathering place will be one of the most important things for commuters," said Bellamy. "Something like the HUB (on the Seattle campus)."

Emmert said though neither campus has immediate plans to build a recreation center or residence halls to keep students centralized on campus, as the amount of lower-division students to upper-division balances out, he expects to see increased student activity.

"They will still be commuter students, but that doesn't mean they can't be fully engaged with activity on campus," said Emmert. "I would expect to see clubs and activities you see on the Seattle campus emerge on those campuses as well."

UW signs downloading deal with Napster

2007-04-11T08:33:00.001-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-07-13
The Daily

UW students will be able to legally download songs without fear of prosecution by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) -- thanks to a partnership between the UW, Napster music service and Dell.

Beginning autumn quarter the approximately 4,975 residence hall students will have free access to Napster's basic service, which allows users to listen and download all Napster music files to their computers on the UW server.

The agreement also includes the installation of 10 Dell PowerEdge servers to use solely for storing the music downloads. The new servers will take pressure off the UW computer network, by displacing student downloading to the new system, said director of client services in computing and communications, Oren Sreebny.

While Napster has similar partnerships with 13 other universities, the UW is the first university nationwide to include a hardware provider in the agreement.

Details of the contract, including how much the UW is paying in order to provide the free service to students, are unknown due to confidentiality agreements with Napster and Dell, said Norm Arkans, UW executive director of media relations and communications.

However, because the UW is a public, state-funded institution the University is subject to the state's open record laws.

"There are provisions in the contract that deal with the confidentiality of the agreement," said Arkans. "But there are also provisions that acknowledge we are subject to state public records law."

The UW has notified both Napster and Dell that at least two public records requests have been submitted to the UW Office of Public Records, said Arkans.

"Under the public record law [Napster and Dell] have the right to ... go into court and argue why the information would damage them if released," said Arkans. "If the judge agrees then we don't have to release [the contract]."

Arkans said the UW hopes to know the companies' plans by the end of the week.

The UW sought the contract to keep up with changes in technology due to media distribution.

"Music is very important to lots of people, including students, but it has had a very contentious set of issues around it for many years," said Sreebny. "This is one avenue that might provide some direction for moving forward."

The new service will also help secure the UW network and student computers from outside dangers in the computer world.

"One of disadvantages of students going out on peer-to-peer networks is they don't have any idea where those files come from," said Sreebny. "At least with this service people know what they are getting and where it came from."

The initial contract only covers residence hall students, who can use the service anywhere but are limited to three computers, but expansion to include the entire UW populace is in the works.

"We are discussing with Napster how to make it more widely available to the rest of students and also to faculty and staff," said Sreebny. "But that most likely will not be free."

Some concern has been raised because the Napster service will not work on Macintosh computers or iPods, both widely used on campus.

"We are very interested in providing cross-platform solutions," said Sreebny. "We have been talking for the same length of time with Apple, but the problem is there is no program for us to take part in. We are still talking [with Apple] and would like it if they would provide a campus program."

Study locates UW alums in 130 countries

2007-04-11T08:32:00.003-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-06-01
The Daily

After receiving their diplomas, UW graduates have spread worldwide to more than 130 countries, according to a study released by the Alumni Association.

"It is our responsibility for keeping in touch with alumni and have them keep in touch with the University," said Sue Brockmann, UW alumni director of marketing communications and revenue development. "We want to know where our people are and what they are doing."

The study, designed to show how Huskies live all over the world, tabulates graduates in the nation and internationally. Usually, UW grads primarily end up on the West Coast; this year is no exception with the survey showing approximately 70 percent of UW graduates residing in Washington, California and Oregon, said Jon Marmor, communications manager for the UW Alumni Association.

"A lot of [graduates] remain in the area mainly because a lot come from this area," said Marmor. "Washington has a great pool of people to draw from. It is a great place to live and work, I believe once a lot of people graduate and they are familiar with the area they want to stay here."

Internationally, the majority of UW graduates spread to Canada and Asian countries, including Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.

The UW has a large presence and connection to Asia due to the University's geographic location and the continuing excellence over the years, which help sustain the relationship with those countries, said Marmor.

"By giving students an excellent experience, people who live away from this area will want to continue sending their family members here," said Marmor. "Word spreads as people go back to their homelands and tell of the experiences here and they find others who are interested in coming here."

The Alumni Association completes the study in order to show the UW's influence worldwide.

"The impact that the University has on the word is pretty amazing sometimes we lose sight of that," said Brockmann.

Basketball ticket prices to increase 10 percent

2007-04-11T08:32:00.001-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-05-25
The Daily

Season ticket prices for next year's basketball season increased minimally due to extra games, team success and increase costs, said University officials.

Season ticket holders will pay $375 for 17 games -- up from $300 for 15 games last year. The new ticket price is approximately $22 per game, an increase of $2 per game from this year's ticket price.

"The majority of the ticket increase is due to the fact that we have two more home games," said Leslie Wurzberger, assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions. "Also, our budget expenses go up every year. We thought a 10 percent increase in ticket prices was a reasonable increase to make."

The athletic department is in a position to increase ticket prices due to an increased demand after the team's success this season, said Wurzberger.

"It's exciting," said Wurzberger. "This is a different position than we have been at in the past with basketball."

Student tickets are being reworked, though. Wurzberger said the athletic department will continue to provide 1,200 seats for the student section.

The changes are being made to compensate for student seats that many times go unfilled. The average number of students who attend the games is 800 -- leaving 400 seats empty, said Wurzberger.

"When you're a in a sold-out venue, you don't want to have any empty seats," said Wurzberger. "We want to have 1,200 students in the building, but they are not coming to every game."

The athletic department is considering many options to solve the problem, including selling season tickets that do not include the games during winter break -- as many students are unable to attend, said Wurzberger.

"Winter break [attendance] is significantly lower, because if students aren't here, they can't come," said Wurzberger. "That would free tickets for those who just want to come to one game."

Another option would be to have an online system where students who hold season tickets could go online and say whether or not they would attend the game.

Unused tickets could be released for purchase 24-hours before each game for non-season ticket holding students, said Wurzberger.

Regardless of the final decision, Wurzberger said the goal is to make it as easy on students as possible

"We are focusing all changes on being easy and convenient, while still trying to help fill the seats in the building," said Wurzberger.

The athletic department hopes to finalize the decision on student tickets within a month, said Wurzberger.

Cigarette, liquor taxes hiked

2007-04-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-05-18
The Daily

Gov. Christine Gregoire signed the "sin tax" bill yesterday, leaving local businesses and UW students reaching deeper into their pockets when they reach for cigarettes and liquor.

The law will raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes by 60 cents starting in July -- an extra $175 million in revenue for the state in the next biennium. Additionally, the increase of $1.33 per liter of liquor will generate $50 million over the next two years.

While the excess revenue will aid the state's tight budget, Nasim Choudhry, co-owner of University Smoke Shop on the Ave., glanced around the store he has owned for 11 years and said he may have to consider getting out of the tobacco business.

"The tobacco business is hurting already," he said. "I know they are trying to get revenue out of tobacco, but they don't understand they are hurting so many small businesses. It's tough to survive and pay the bills. We are seriously thinking about starting some other type of business aside from tobacco."

At the bill signing ceremony yesterday, Gregoire was unapologetic, saying the taxes won't hurt the average citizen much and will produce a better state.

"We can stay stuck in the mud, we can be a second-rate state," said Gregoire. "But you know what? I love my state. That's not good enough for us."

Choudhry said he doesn't think smokers should bear the brunt of the budget battle.

"It is discriminating against smokers," said Choudhry. "Only smokers are paying the deficit in the state's budget, and that is total discrimination."

The tax will force UW students who smoke to weigh the cost of smoking with their addiction.

"I don't want to pay 60 cents more a pack," said UW senior Jason Trimmer, a smoker. "It is unfair that they only target smokers in particular. Once they break $5, I have a harder time justifying the expenditure."

Amjad Rey, a sales clerk at Sam's Smokes on the Ave., said he thought in addition to hurting business, some smokers will switch from their specialty cigarettes to generic brands.

"Some people are going to quit, but mostly people will go to generic stuff -- the cheap stuff," said Rey. "I am worried about the loss of health. The generic brands are too bad for you. All cigarettes are bad, but the generic is worse."

While smokers and smoke shops feel they will be greatly impacted, bars and liquor stores are confident the law will not seriously hurt their businesses.

"There will be an initial hit, but over the long haul ... people aren't going to stop drinking just because the tax went up," said Jeff Andrew, part owner of Tommy's Nightclub and Grill.

Andrew said the tax affects his ability to raise prices to compensate for inflation and force him to buy cheaper liquors for drinks.

"This will force me to look at low-end stuff," said Andrew. "I won't be able to carry high-end liquor as much. I will have to stick with generic Monarch-style [liquors] for wells and things of that nature."

But Bob Burdick, communications director for the Washington State Liquor Control Board, said the liquor industry is not anticipating a loss due to the increase tax.

"We're going to monitor the sales in our stores to see if there is an effect, but we don't think there will be -- we hope there isn't," said Burdick.

Greek Week to aid Theta Chi member with cancer

2007-04-11T08:28:00.002-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-05-10
The Daily

Members of 51 fraternities and sororities belted out songs and spiked volleyballs yesterday to kick off Greek Week, an annualphilanthropic event.

Funds raised from this year's Greek Week will primarily go to the Kyle Charvat Fund, which will benefit a UW Theta Chi member battling brain cancer. Charvat's insurance declined to cover experimental treatment he is undergoing to fight the tumor; Greek Week funds will be added to the $75,000 already raised for the cause.

"We can benefit a member of our own community," said vice president for Greek Relations, Andrew Ondrak, one of the week's organizers. "Paying for treatment for a condition that is threatening his life is an important and worthy cause."

Friends of Ravenna Park, an association dedicated to renovating Ravenna Park, will also receive funds from the philanthropies.

"More than in previous years, this year we really wanted to impact the community we find ourselves in," said Ondrak. "Since we are a part of this community, we really should be aiding the local community as much as we can."

This year's event includes -- for the first time -- the United Greek Council (UGC), which represents "non-traditional, non-residential," fraternities and sororities' at the UW, said Shine Kim, president of UGC.

"We thought this was a great opportunity to all unite as Greeks," said Kim.

Ondrak said he hoped to promote a more "well-rounded" Greek community not just consisting of the structured houses.

Emmert quizzes graduating seniors on pros and cons of UW experience

2007-04-11T08:28:00.001-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-05-06
The Daily

As part of his year-long effort to connect with students, UW President Mark Emmert visited an upper-level business course yesterday to hear about graduating seniors' experiences at the UW.

"From the seniors graduating [Emmert] wants to get a sense of what their experience has been like now that they are leaving the University," said Corey Phelps, an assistant professor in the Business School and instructor of Management 430, the class Emmert visited.

Emmert began his mission to connect with students by speaking to freshman interest group students in autumn quarter, stopping by sophomore and junior-level classes in the winter and finishing the year with seniors.

"When you are president of a university it is easy to not have as much contact with students as you would like," Emmert said to the class. "It's really easy to lose track of what's going around on the campus."

Emmert asked the students a variety of questions ranging from their experiences as freshmen to their post-graduation plans.

Starting out with the positive, Emmert questioned students about the best part of their experiences at UW.

Some students noted the high quality of professors, interdisciplinary work, scenery and the immense opportunities the UW offers -- if students take the initiative.

"The beauty of the University of Washington is you just can't outgrow it," said Emmert.

When one student commented about the strong sense of belonging she felt in her years at the UW, Emmert said building community is one of his worries for UW students, given its size.

To combat this problem, Emmert bounced ideas off the students to help ensure all students -- especially incoming freshmen -- felt "loved and wanted."

Ideas discussed included mandating that all freshmen live on campus and setting up more specific living groups -- such as adding more themed residence halls -- to fit each student in with a group immediately upon entering the UW.

A number of concerns came up when Emmert asked students what they did not like about the University, namely the disparity in funding across departments and majors, the 210-credit policy and problems with teaching assistants.

Emmert also addressed a concern of his own which is letting the "rest of the world" know how good the UW is.

"Part of it is we don't do a lot of reaching outside of the Pacific Northwest," said Emmert.

Emmert said it is difficult to remedy the problem because the UW is already overcrowded with Washington students and thus cannot recruit out of state and internationally.

In tough budget session, UW won significant battles

2007-04-11T08:26:00.002-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-04-27
The Daily

The UW fought, pleaded and managed to come out alive -- with some changes, improvements and disappointments along the way -- in the 2005 legislative session.

The state's legislative session ended when mallets dropped simultaneously in both houses of the state Legislature Sunday.

Even with less money to work with and more projects and entities to fund, the session closed with a budget awaiting a signature from Gov. Christine Gregoire.

Statewide diversity

UW administrators and lobbyists were in support of Senate Bill 5575 and its companion bill in the House, which, if passed, would have allowed race to be considered as a factor in college admissions.

The UW has not been able to use race in the admissions process since 1998 when Initiative 200 passed. Since then, the UW has struggled to increase diversity and, just this academic year, reached the levels of diversity present before I-200.

The UW's voice grew strong on the issue when UW President Mark Emmert wrote a guest editorial in support of the bill in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

The bill passed out of the Senate education committee, but went on to fail when it did not meet the deadline for a floor vote in the Senate.

House Bill 1515 failed on the floor by one vote. The bill would have included sexual orientation in the state's human rights code, protecting gays and lesbians from being discriminated against when seeking housing and insurance, as well as in the work place.

"It's upsetting that partisan politics played a role in the final outcome of this bill. Seventy-one percent of Washingtonians support House Bill 1515, yet 100 percent of Senate Republicans rejected [it]," said Leoule Goshu, director of the UW's Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian and Transgender Commission. "It would have guaranteed that people from all sexualities are treated equally and with fairness under the law. This bill can only strengthen our respect for all people."

Money, money, money

The Legislature increased taxes on some products in order to compensate for increases in budgetary funding.

So called "sin taxes" were approved, which raise the cost of getting a fix for both smokers and alcohol consumers. The tax will raise the cost of a pack of cigarettes by 60 cents and add an additional $1.33 per liter onto the cost of liquor.

The majority of increase in revenue from the sin taxes are slated go toward funding an education legacy trust fund which will reduce class size and increase teacher pay at schools statewide, in addition to funding higher education enrollment slots.

The gas tax was also approved and will increase the already high price of filling up by 9.5 cents a gallon over the next four years.

Revenue generated by this tax will go toward funding transportation projects across the state, including a plan to revamp and expand the state Route 520 bridge.

Building up and out

The UW's capital projects request was almost completely funded.

This plan includes the necessary funding to remodel Guggenheim and Architecture halls and the H-wing of the Health Sciences building.

In addition to the remodels, design money was also provided to remodel Savery, Clark and the Playhouse Theatre.

The UW has hoped for additional money to help transition both branch campuses, UW Tacoma (UWT) and Bothell (UWB), into four-year universities.

UWB was not given any of the money requested in the capital projects proposal and UWT received $7.5 million of the $13 million requested.

Accommodating the masses

As the state braces for its largest graduating class in 2008, the Legislature approved funding for 7,900 new enrollment slots across the state.

UW Seattle will receive 360 of the spots, which includes 80 fully-funded graduate spots. The branch campuses received a total of 600 spots, with about half being designated for lower division enrollments in 2007.

"We're very pleased that the Legislature decided to fund more enrollment slots at the University," said UW student lobyist Jamie Corning. "We want to make sure there are enough slots for everybody that wants a four-year degree."

Senator sorry for pairing Holocaust with gay rights

2007-04-11T08:26:00.001-07:00

Kayla Webley
2005-04-26
The Daily

UW faculty member Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, defended remarks she made comparing the Holocaust with the struggle for gay rights, which incited criticism from members of the Jewish community.

The remarks were made during a floor speech last Thursday when Kohl-Welles, a women's studies lecturer at the UW, spoke on House Bill 1515, which would have provided equal protection for Washington residents, regardless of sexual orientation. The bill failed by one vote.

During her testimony, Kohl-Welles referenced the Holocaust to provide historical perspective of what "horrors" in history have occurred from discrimination, she said.

Kohl-Welles was asked to publicly retract her statement in an e-mail from Robert Jacobs, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

"Use of the Holocaust in modern political dialogue is inappropriate and offensive, whether it comes from the political right, left or center," said Jacobs in an e-mail to Kohl-Welles sent Friday. "We're very sorry to hear you, in your support of 1515, equate the treatment of gays and lesbians in our country with the horrors of the Holocaust."

Kohl-Welles apologized and clarified what her comparison of the Holocaust and sexual orientation equality today.

"I am very sorry -- in fact extremely pained and chagrined -- that my floor speech fostered a perception that I equate discrimination of gays and lesbians here to what happened during the Holocaust," said Kohl-Welles in an e-mail to Jacobs. "My intent was to provide two examples of what I believe to have been among the worst cases of discrimination in history. ... This was meant to demonstrate the depths to which entire societies can plunge when the forces of discrimination and hatred are released."

Jacobs accepted her apology and response to the criticisms.

"Your response is beautiful, thoughtful, clear," said Jacobs in another e-mail. "The ADL and I accept your explanation that, in the heat of the debate with time restrictions, you shortened your statement and it came out differently than you intended."

Kohl-Welles said she thought the controversy over her remarks was because of the limits on the time she had to make the statement and also because of increased sensitivity following statements made by legislators who referenced the Holocaust during debate over stem cell research in previous weeks.

"There had been one senator and three house members, all Republican, who had compared in floor debate what happens in embryonic stem cell research to the Holocaust, [because they said] it would be killing millions of unborn babies," said Kohl-Welles. "I thought that was very offensive ... I think the context of how I mentioned the Holocaust was totally different."

Jacobs said unlike references to the Holocaust used by those opposing stem cell research, [Kohl-Welles] clearly understood how much equating the Holocaust to issues of modern political debate hurts those who were victims.