Four bald eagles have been found shot dead in the Granite Falls area; three of the eagles were adults and the other a juvenile.
The Stillaguamish Tribe, state Fish and Wildlife, the Humane Society of the United States and Conservation Northwest have banded together to offer a $13,750 cash reward for the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for shooting the eagles.
The Bald eagle population has improved enough that they were removed from protection status under the federal Endangered Species Act several years ago and were counted to have an estimates 840 occupied nests in 2005. However, they are still protected under other state and federal laws.
Killing an eagle is a misdemeanor under federal law and also a state crime with a maximum penalty of $1,000 and 90 days in jail with a $2,000 fine per eagle.
MARYSVILLE, Wash. — A Marysville middle school student was beaten so brutally that the boy’s attackers left a footprint on his forehead. News of the attack spread like wildfire on Facebook, and many people in Marysville fear the beating may be part of a gang-related initiation. Police said the attacked appeared to be random.
Faint signs of Austin Calvin’s beating are still pressed into his head. But the 12-year-old looked much better Wednesday than when his father first heard his friends yelling a few blocks from their house Saturday night. Two cars full of high school-aged boys saw Austin and his two friends walking to the movies around 8:30 p.m.
“My friends, they ran. I tried to, but I didn’t get away fast enough,” said Austin.
He went down under a hail of punches, kicks and stomps that were so ferocious that tread marks were imprinted into his forehead.
“I was terrified — just speechless, and I didn’t know what to do,” said Austin.
He blacked out. His parents rushed him to Children’s hospital in Seattle He had three facial fractures and several chipped and fractured teeth. Doctors still haven’t cleared Austin to play football after his concussion and say he could have been injured far worse.
“I just don’t understand why kids are doing this, said Austin’s father, Scott Calvin.
While Austin has been recuperating, they’ve heard the same group of boys has been involved in two other violent attacks. Police have made two arrests so far and are continuing to look for others involved in the beating.
Tulalip Tribal member Braulio Ramos will be competing in the Poetry Out Loud regional competition.
By Jeannie Briones and Kim Kalliber, Tulalip News staff
MARYSVILLE, Wash – Braulio Ramos, Tulalip Tribal member, and senior at the Bio-Med Academy located on the Marysville Getchell High School campus, never realized that he could excel in public speaking, especially poetry recital, until he joined Poetry Out Loud, a nation-wide high school program that encourages youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation, while mastering public speaking skills and building self-confidence.
Ramos, along with six other students, participated in the second finals for the national Poetry Out Loud contest in December, held at Marysville Getchell. With his confidence and natural flare, Ramos won first place, making him eligible for the regional Poetry Out Loud competition in March.
Ramos chose to read ‘Bilingual/Bilingue’ by Rhina P. Espaillat and ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll, stating that Alice in Wonderland is one of his favorite books.
Each year over 300,000 students take part in the national poetry recital contest. 2012 marked Marysville Getchell’s first year entering the contest, which is funded by the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowments for the Arts. Participating students must choose two pre-approved poems from the Poetry Out Loud online poem anthology; one that has fewer than 25 lines and one that was written before the 20th century.
“By trying news things, you find that you are good at something that you never thought you would actually do,” said Braulio. “Two days it took me to memorize one of the poems. I would read it and listen to it and see if I could recite it without any help. A method my teacher showed us was to write down and compare what you know, and compare it with the actual poem itself.”
The judging panel for the December competition consisted of the Mayor of Marysville, John Nehring, Marysville School District Assistant Superintendent, Gail Miller and MSD Board of Directors Vice President Wendy Fryberg and Board member Pete Lundberg. Student’s scores are based on six main criteria: physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, level of difficulty, evidence of understanding and overall performance.
The Regional Poetry Out Loud competition will take place January 30th at the Burlington Library, located at 820 East Washington Ave. Winners of that competition move on to the state contest, which takes place in March, and then on the nationals, held in April.
These events are free to the public. For more information on the regional and state competitions, contact Nancy Menard at nmenard@newesd.org.
The State Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking for the public’s help in finding who killed at least three bald eagles in Snohomish County.
Officials said four eagles were found floating in a small lake near Granite Falls last week. Investigators confirmed that three of them had been shot with a small-caliber rifle. It’s unclear how the fourth bald eagle died. The species is protected under both state and federal law. A nearly $4,000 reward is being offered for information about the person responsible for killing the eagles.
The department sent KIRO 7 Eyewitness News pictures of the slaughtered birds. Warning; graphic images.
Astrid Holt-Marshall, Arts & Crafts Specialist for the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club, is creating eagle hats with club member Tauveiy Chrismay.
By Jeannie Briones, Tulalip News staff
TULALIP, Wash. – Art is a broad spectrum of stimulating activities that help kids to grow and expand their minds. Since October 2012, the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club has been offering, “Let Your Art Out,” an art program that is open to all club members, every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Astrid Holt-Marshall, Art & Crafts Specialist for the Club, organized the program with the intent of providing a safe place where club members, families, and friends can gather to experience a wide range of intriguing art projects together.
“I love the kid’s energy,” said Astrid. “It’s nice to be able to teach them how to use the materials, and they can take off from there. They show me new things and it’s totally cool and it helps them with their self esteem.”
Every Saturday club members can enjoy a meal and participate in a themed art project. The kids have participated in a wide range of projects such as, coloring and designing tiles, working with clay, ceramics, paper mache, expressive art, woodcrafting, and painting, along with cultural arts like making dream catchers, weaving, and creating cedar plank masks. The kids also learn basic skills like cooking and sewing.
“It’s inspiring. I can teach my little cousins how to make clay sculptures,” said tribal member Tauveiy Chrismay.
Astrid is always looking for new ideas, like having the kids participate in making theatre costumes. Astrid encourages participants to volunteer their creative ideas, because she feels they can all learn from each other.
What makes Astrid’s job rewarding is when students want to give back by volunteering their time and assisting other kids with their art projects. The Club is open for members to join the community of artists in motion.
For information on the program and to volunteer, please contact Astrid Holt-Marshall at the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club, 360-716-3400.
The event began today with and opening prayer and is scheduled to run until 3:30 p.m. Breakfast was served with the intention to inform about healthy options for people either with diabetes or wanting to ward off diabetes. Tribal member Hank Gobin gave a informative speech about diabetic care.
Lunch will be served from noon to 1:30pm. Clinic staff will be offering comprehensive Diabetic Services for all Tulalip Tribal members and authorized patients of the Karen I Fryberg Tulalip Health Clinic.
Hank Gobin speaks at Diabetes Day.Breakfast for Diabetes Day, fresh fruit, otameal, greek yogurt, eggs and tea.Diabetes Day at Tulalip Health Clinic today
Source: Arlington Times
January 15, 2013 · 1:36 PM
Snohomish County is one of three counties in which the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has lowered the air quality burn ban to Stage 1 until further notice.
“Air pollution levels throughout the region have dropped, likely due to clouds and warmer temperatures,” said Dr. Phil Swartzendruber, forecaster for the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. “The drop in pollution could also be due to the help of our communities following the burn ban. Calm, cold and clear weather conditions are likely to continue over the next few days, so ongoing cooperation with the burn ban will help keep our air healthy.”
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency will continue to closely monitor the air quality and weather situation.
During a Stage 1 burn ban:
• No burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves. Residents should rely instead on their homes’ other, cleaner sources of heat, such as their furnaces or electric baseboard heaters, for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled.
• No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires, and the use of fire pits and chimineas.
• Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.
• It is okay to use natural gas, propane, pellet and EPA-certified wood stoves or inserts during a Stage 1 burn ban.
The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit their time spent outdoors, especially when exercising. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to people with lung and heart problems, people with diabetes, children and adults older than 65 years.
The Tulalip and Stillaguamish tribes are likewise among the six Native American reservations on which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 will continue a burn ban on all outdoor burning until further notice, due to stagnant air conditions that are forecast to prevail over the next few days.
This burn ban applies to all outdoor and agricultural burning, including camping and recreational fires within reservation boundaries. Ceremonial and traditional fires are exempt from the outdoor burn ban.
The EPA also requests that reservation residents reduce all sources of air pollution, including excess driving and idling of vehicles, and the use of wood stoves and fireplaces, unless it is their only source of heat.
Air pollution can have significant health impacts. Cooperation from the community will help people who are at risk during this period. Those most at risk are children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with difficulty breathing, and with heart and lung problems. Those at risk should avoid outdoor exercise and minimize their exposure to outdoor pollution as much as possible.
Please call 1-800-424-4EPA and ask for the Federal Air Rules for Reservations Hotline, or visit the FARR website for the current burn status at www.epa.gov/region10/farr/burnbans.html.
Do you know a senior who will be home alone this Valentine’s Day? You are invited to nominate him or her to receive a free Valentine’s dinner at home with gifts and companionship. This contest is the brainchild of Emeritus Senior Living, the nation’s largest assisted living and memory care provider. One local senior from every city where an Emeritus community is located (See below for list of cities within WA) will be chosen as the recipient from among those nominated by the public.
“At the time of year, it’s important to extend caring and friendship to the senior generation,” said Jayne Sallerson, Executive Vice President at Emeritus. “For those who have lost spouses, Valentine’s Day can be a sad occasion that contributes to feelings of loneliness. Family and friends may live far away, and perhaps physical challenges limit their ability to get out into the greater community. We hope to brighten the day for one of these seniors through festivities and friendship.”
Bringing Valentine’s Day festivities to a local senior is part of the philosophy of Emeritus’ assurance that seniors are living “safely somewhere.”
“What that means is we believe it is crucial for seniors to live in environments that enhance their well-being, whether they reside with us or somewhere else. That is why we would like to offer this special occasion on Valentine’s Day,” explains Sallerson.
Stillaguamish to Invest $5 Million to Enhance MicroGREEN Polymers’ Strategic Growth Plans. MicroGREEN to Provide Stillaguamish with Environmentally Responsible Packaging
ARLINGTON, Wash., Jan. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ —
MicroGREEN Polymers, Inc. (MicroGREEN) today announced that the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians has made a strategic investment of $5 million in MicroGREEN. This round of funding, the first closing in a $20 million round, will enable MicroGREEN to expand its commercial production capabilities to produce a wide range of environmentally responsible cups and trays for consumer use. The Stillaguamish Tribe will also use MicroGREEN’s cups in their Angel of the Winds Casino and other businesses.
“We are very excited to have the Stillaguamish Tribe as both an investor and customer,” said Tom Malone , president and chief executive officer of MicroGREEN Polymers, Inc. “Our sustainability ethos resonated with the Stillaguamish Tribe, and while we have investment from venture capital and corporate strategic funds, including Waste Management and WRF Capital, we have refocused our funding efforts toward other like-minded Tribes.”
Koran Andrews , CEO of the Stillaguamish Tribal Enterprise Corporation commented, “We first approached MicroGREEN about purchasing their InCycleTM cup for use in our casino but immediately recognized how the InCycle products could be a strategic fit in our sustainability and economic diversification goals. We are committed to a strategy of diversifying our investment portfolio into enterprises whose goals, values and products align with those of our people, protecting our planet for generations to come while also contributing to the economic health of the Tribe.”
“There’s a convergence of sustainability and economic return at MicroGREEN,” Malone said. “Our technology allows us to use less plastic to produce high quality products. The recycled content and recyclability of InCycle products, coupled with their lightweight nature means that we are creating some of the greenest packaging products available, while having the advantage of being a low cost producer. Our investors are excited to see us developing products for airlines, food processors and quick serve restaurants which address a $25 billion market.”
“MicroGREEN has a breakthrough technology with fantastic traction across a number of packaging applications,” said Andrews. “They are truly an innovative player in packaging; reducing waste while lowering cost and improving product performance. We see a huge opportunity for growth both in supplying Native American owned casinos and convenience stores as well as broadly across the economy.
MicroGREEN is an innovative plastics company that uses its patented Ad-air® technology to create its own InCycle brand of insulating and temperature resistant cups, trays and other items are made from expanded, recycled PET (recycled water bottles). The production process makes PET lightweight without using chemical blowing agents, and because the plastic is not chemically altered, it can be recycled at the end of its life. The technology lowers the raw material cost and reduces the weight of plastic products while improving functionality. By using recycled content and insuring that InCycle products are recyclable, MicroGREEN is contributing to the groundswell of support for #1 PET resin, the most widely recycled plastic in the world.
MicroGREEN’s commercial production facility in Arlington, Washington has the design capacity to convert at least 20 million pounds of PET per year. Arlington Mayor Barbara Tolbert commented, “MicroGREEN currently employs 45 people and expects to significantly expand its workforce to handle demand over the next 12 months. Arlington is thrilled to be home to MicroGREEN.”
Recently MicroGREEN was awarded a Silver prize by prestigious DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation as well as a Silver prize for manufacturing by the Green Washington Award. The company was also named to the 2012 Washington Green 50 list. MicroGREEN has also been recognized by the Wall Street Journal’s Innovation Awards as well as awards from Green Washington and Washington Manufacturing in previous years.
The biological father: Dusten Brown claimed the right to his daughter under the Indian child Welfare Act, which claims to preserve parental rights and tribal sanctity.
When Matt and Melanie Capobianco watched the birth of their adoptive daughter in 2009, they had no idea their love for this little girl would put them at the center of a decades-old national debate with racial, cultural and political overtones.
But that’s exactly where the James Island couple have found themselves after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed this month to take up their long-running custody battle with 3-year-old Veronica’s biological father, Dusten Brown, a Cherokee Indian.
The decision, which surprised many legal scholars, marks the first time in more than two decades that the high court has taken up a case involving the Indian Child Welfare Act, a 1978 federal law aimed at preserving American Indian families, tribes and their heritage.
Among other things, the act gives American Indian parents preference in custody disputes involving Native American children.
South Carolina courts cited the act in forcing the Capobiancos in late 2011 to turn over Veronica to Brown, who was a stranger to the child.
He returned home to Oklahoma with Veronica, and the Capobiancos haven’t seen her since.
Oral arguments are expected as soon as April, and the case is being closely watched by a variety of groups with a stake in its outcome — tribal groups, adoption agencies and attorneys, Indian law and constitutional-rights experts. It has the potential to affect the way thousands of adoptions are handled each year and alter the playing field for Native American groups from coast-to-coast.
Predicting the way the high court will rule is always a dicey proposition. But the speed with which the court grabbed the case leads many observers to suspect that the justices intend to make a bold statement on this contentious subject. After all, the high court hears only about 1 percent of the roughly 10,000 cases submitted for its consideration each year.
But the justices’ aim remains a mystery.
“I’m a little bit perplexed by this,” said Lorie M. Graham, a professor and Indian law scholar at Suffolk University Law School in Boston. “You would really have to look long and hard to find ambiguity in this legislation. There is not a lot of room for interpretation here.”
Marcia Zug, an associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law and an expert in American Indian law, agreed. But that doesn’t mean the court isn’t looking toward change, she said.
“The Supreme Court doesn’t take up cases just to affirm them,” she said.
Zug said she believes South Carolina courts ruled correctly, and she can find no legal basis for the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case. She fears the high court is looking to dismantle the Indian Child Welfare Act, which she said many consider to be the most important piece of American Indian legislation ever passed.
“It strikes me that the Supreme Court is looking for a way to overthrow (the act), and I really don’t see how they can do that,” she said.
Tribal groups have similar fears, and they worry that the court is preparing to roll back protections put into place to keep outsiders from legally stealing children from their tribes through coercive adoptions and deceit.
The law aims to preserve parental rights and tribal sanctity, placing a child first with blood relatives and, in their absence, with a tribe member.
“We are very concerned,” said Terry Cross, executive director of the Oregon-based National Indian Child Welfare Association. “We don’t want to go back to those times when those deceptive practices were the norm and people felt like they could take our children away in this manner.”
Others say the law is complicated, confusing and applied differently from state to state and from tribe to tribe. They argue that a Supreme Court review is much needed and would likely result in clearer guidelines for all to follow, potentially avoiding the heartache and drama surrounding Veronica’s case.
“What we are looking for is some clarity, not necessarily a dismantling of the act,” said Washington state attorney Mark Demaray, immediate past president of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, which has submitted briefs in the Veronica case. “We need to know what the rules of the game are.”
Divisive decisions
Before Veronica was born in September 2009 in Oklahoma, her biological parents canceled their engagement and went separate ways. Brown, an Army soldier, acknowledged paternity in text messages to the mother, but did not give her financial support.
The Capobiancos, who had been through seven failed attempts at in vitro fertilization, met Veronica’s mother through an adoption agency, developed a close relationship with her and adopted the baby at birth. The mother is not an American Indian.
Brown filed for paternity and custody after learning of the adoption four months later, and, as an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, argued his case under the Indian Child Welfare Act.
A Charleston County family court judge sided with Brown, and the Capobiancos were forced to surrender the girl to him on New Year’s Eve 2011. The couple then appealed that decision, but failed to win over the state Supreme Court, which upheld the family court ruling by a 3-2 vote in July.
The justices said they ruled with “a heavy heart,” but they were bound by law to give Brown an edge. Though Brown did not support the girl’s mother during pregnancy, his rights as a parent should not be stripped, the court confirmed.
The rulings have fueled strong feelings on both sides.
The Capobiancos’ supporters argue that the courts overlooked Veronica’s best interests, split a loving family and ignored the wishes of Veronica’s birth mother just because Brown is an Indian.
Johnston Moore, a founding member of the Coalition for the Protection of Indian Children & Families, had this to say in an opinion piece published in The Oklahoman, “It was the unfair exploitation of the law’s loopholes that gave rights to a biological father who would have had no rights under state law, resulting in an innocent little girl’s world being turned upside down in an instant.”
Brown’s supporters say the law was fairly applied, helping to reunite Veronica — dubbed “Little Star” by the Cherokee — with her loving father and preserve their culture. They are hoping the high court will do nothing to change that.
“Cherokee Nation believes that ICWA is one of the most important federal laws for the continued existence of tribes,” said Chrissi Nimmo Ross, assistant attorney general for the Cherokee Nation. “The Cherokee Nation is hopeful that the Supreme Court has accepted this case to confirm the lower court decisions and reaffirm the importance of ICWA at the federal level.”
Wide interest
The case and its emotional underpinnings have attracted widespread national attention as it moves through the courts.
The Capobiancos have appeared on the Dr. Phil show, and their story has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and other publications. They also reportedly have fielded offers from Oprah Winfrey’s network, CNN and People magazine to chronicle their legal journey.
For now, however, the couple is keeping a low profile and declining interviews on the advice of their attorneys before the Supreme Court hearing.
Family spokeswoman Jessica Munday would say only that “they are hopeful, and it lies in the hands of the court now.”
The couple has some heavy legal hitters on their side, including Washington, D.C., attorney Lisa Blatt. Blatt has won 29 of the 30 cases she has argued before the Supreme Court. Washingtonian Magazine named Blatt a “superstar” lawyer and one of the “100 Most Powerful Women in Washington.”
Paul Clement, U.S. solicitor general from 2005-08, is working on behalf of the guardian ad litem in the case and has filed a brief in support of returning Veronica to the Capobiancos.
On the other side, Washington, D.C., lawyer Charles Rothfeld is representing Brown and the Cherokee Nation. Rothfeld has worked on more than 200 cases that have gone before the high court, and the National Law Journal last year named him “one of the leading members of the Supreme Court bar.”
Charleston lawyer Shannon Jones, Brown’s local counsel, said Rothfeld also has law students from Yale University working on the case. He is founder and co-director of the Yale Law School’s Supreme Court Clinic, among the largest appellate advocacy programs in the nation.
A tough call
Zug, the USC law professor, said the case should have never reached this point. Had Veronica’s Indian heritage been properly considered from the start, the adoption likely never would have gotten to the point it did, she said.
“There shouldn’t have been this emotional heartbreak,” Zug said.
Yet here we are.
The Capobiancos have said they have been emotionally devastated by the loss of the daughter that became the center of their world.
Brown’s lawyer has said he too has been victimized, vilified for asserting his parental rights and rattled by the venom directed at him.
The Indian Child Welfare Act has been reviewed only once at the highest level. In 1989, Justice William Brennan’s ruling sided with Mississippi’s Choctaw tribe, which challenged an adoption of twins.
In a recent television interview with Charlie Rose, Justice Antonin Scalia, who joined with the majority in 1989, described the case as among the toughest of his career.
Now, Scalia will get another opportunity to weigh in on the law with a court that has a different makeup and, perhaps, a different perspective, said William B. Allen, emeritus professor of political science philosophy at Michigan State University and former chairman of U.S. Commission on Civil Rights under President Ronald Reagan.
Allen, who has been critical of the Indian Child Welfare Act, said the case carries the potential for the court to weigh the constitutional implications of the law and manner in which it is applied. But he is not surprised that the justices have sidestepped the issue for so long.
“I appreciate and understand the court’s reluctance to open this area because federal Indian law is an ugly morass and a big black hole in our law,” he said. “The court has probably wisely decided to stay away from it before now.”
