A meteor streaked across the early-morning sky in Russia and exploded into a fireball on Friday over the industrial city of Chelyabinsk, in the Ural Mountains.
The shockwave injured 500 people, most of whom were hit by shattered glass from blown-out windows, media reports said. Chelyabinsk is 950 miles east of Moscow, according to Reuters.
The meteor’s white contrail was visible up to 125 miles away in Yekaterinburg, Reuters reported. The 10-ton space rock set off car alarms and disrupted mobile phone networks as it broke upon entering the atmosphere at 33,000 miles per hour, faster than a bullet.
Scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences said the meteor exploded 20 or 30 miles above Earth, according to a statement quoted by The New York Times. Reuters said 112 people were hospitalized and 297 buildings were damaged.
The meteor strike bears eerie parallels to one that exploded over Siberia in 1908 and has been invoked often over the past several days in comparison to the flyby of asteroid 2012 DA14, which will happen today at around 2:30 p.m. That one will pass 17,200 miles from Earth, which is within the orbit of communications and weather satellites (which are 22,000 miles up) but does not pose a threat.
What seemed to resonate most with the judges in the 2013 Scholastic Art Awards contest was the sophisticated level of talent shown by the hundreds of students who entered works of art.
One judge, Tonnie Wolfe, wrote that he found the students did “incredibly mature work for most categories.”
“Loved the vision of all entrants,” Wolfe wrote as part of his comments.
Another judge, Carm Pierce, appreciated the high level of creativity and technical execution shown by the students.
“I really enjoy seeing great young artists emerging from our local school programs,” Pierce commented.
Schack Art Center will present artwork from the 2013 Scholastic Art Awards in its main gallery.
Among the pieces on display will be the works done by the five outstanding American Vision/Best of Show recipients:
Megan Davis, from Glacier Peak High School; Orlando Esquivel from Henry M. Jackson High School; Marcela Gaspar from Lake Stevens High School; and Holly Hillman and Annalissa Winters, both from Stanwood High School.
There were more than 800 entries received from 37 Snohomish County schools for this year’s contest.
Since 1996, Schack Art Center has been the only regional affiliate in Washington state for the National Scholastic Art Awards, exhibiting thousands of 7th- through 12th-grade Snohomish County artists in the process, according to a press release.
Schack will exhibit all the award-winning entries in its main gallery from Feb. 18 through 24. An opening reception will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 20 at Schack Art Center, 2921 Hoyt Ave., Everett.
A public recognition of the winners will be given starting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 20 during the Scholastic Art Awards Ceremony at the Everett Civic Auditorium, 2415 Colby Ave., Everett.
A number of salmonella illnesses traced to Foster Farms chicken in Washington and Oregon last year prompted health officials in both states to issue a warning Thursday.
“While these outbreaks are unfortunate, they’re also preventable if people take the proper steps when storing, handling and preparing raw poultry products,” said Washington state Health Department spokesman Tim Church in a news release.
There were at least 56 cases in Washington — including four in Snohomish County — all linked to a specific strain of salmonella Heidelberg bacteria found on Foster Farms chicken. There were no deaths.
Salmonella’s symptoms — fever, stomach cramps and diarrhea — can last four to seven days. The illness can be deadly in the young or old or other vulnerable people, Church said.
Foster Farms said safety and quality are its priorities, and there is no recall related to the salmonella announcement.
Consumers are urged to separate raw poultry from other foods in the shopping cart with plastic bags. Don’t let drippings from chicken or packaging contaminate cutting boards or other surfaces in the kitchen. And, cook chicken to 165 degrees to kill the bacteria.
MUKILTEO — Snohomish County Business Watch plans to offer training this spring for business professionals about what to do in case of a mass-shooting.
The training costs $5 and is planned for 11:30 a.m. April 16 at Mukilteo City Hall,11930 Cyrus Way.
“The training is geared toward businesses but has an overall common theme that is applicable to everyone,” Mukilteo crime prevention officer Cheol Kang said.
Speakers are set to include Everett police officer Eddie Golden and Stillaguamish tribal police officer Matt Nelson.
People interested in attending should RSVP to rsvp@thescbw.org or via the group[‘]s Facebook page. Lunch is included.
Additional training is planned later this year regarding disaster preparedness and preventing cybercrime and identity theft.
Some neighbors have used barges and boats to remove salvaged materials from their houses at Mission Beach. The residents have to remove their homes and be off the Tulalip Tribes property by the end of March. Photo: Dan Bates / The Herald
TULALIP — For 50 years, Jaime Erickson’s family has been spending summers and weekends at their cabin on scenic Mission Beach.
Bruce Agnew’s family has had a cabin on the beach since 1925.
Mike Carey’s in-laws have had a place there for 90 years.
None of them own the beachfront property on which their cabins sit, however. They’ve been leasing the land from the Tulalip Tribes, and the tribes want it back.
The 24 tenants had to be out by the end of December and the cabins have to be gone by the end of March. The buildings — some basic, some funky, some quaint — are being taken apart and torn down, one by one.
“We’re all real sad. It’s a lot of memories,” said Erickson, 55, whose full-time home is in Everett.
The quarter-mile section of beach is located southeast of Tulalip Bay, below 59th Street NW, also called Mission Beach Heights Road.
The cabins are built right on the beach, up against a steep slope. Most of the bank has been eroding for years and slides have been an issue, Tulalip spokeswoman Francesca Hillery said.
The tenants, most of them on long-term leases of up to 30 years, were given notice in 2005 that they had to be out by the end of 2012 — more than seven years ahead of time, Hillery said. They were sent reminder notices again in June, she said.
The leases stipulated that any structures on the property be removed at the renters’ expense when the lease expires, Hillery said. The leases also were intentionally timed to end simultaneously, she said.
The tribes haven’t yet decided what to do with the beach but the most likely choice is to restore it to a natural state, Hillery said.
“The likelihood of doing anything other than restoring the beach doesn’t look good because of the instability of the slopes” and because of salmon recovery efforts, she said.
Hillery declined to comment on whether the public would have access to the beach if it is restored.
Erickson said the leases had been renewed so many times over the years that few thought they’d actually have to leave.
“Everyone’s in denial,” she said. “I never believed it.”
Residents said there is some anger about the situation, but at the same time, they understand the property isn’t theirs.
“A lease is a lease, unfortunately,” said Carey, who lives in Bellingham. “It is what it is.”
Only a few of the tenants live at the beach full time, Erickson said. For most, the homes are part-time dwellings. Still, the families have spent so much time at their cabins over the years that leaving and tearing them down is difficult.
“The tribe has been working with us very closely but the reality is my family has been there since 1925,” said Agnew, a former Snohomish County Council member. “Tribal members who are very family-oriented can certainly understand the tragedy in losing a place we’ve had since 1925 with irreplaceable family memories.”
The beach has a significant, colorful history.
The beach was named for a Catholic missionary church established nearby in the earliest years of the reservation, in 1858 by the Rev. E.C. Chirouse, according to Snohomish County historian David Dilgard.
In later years, the atmosphere at the beach was anything but pious.
Agnew, who grew up in Everett, said that early in the 20th century, his great-grandfather and others frequented fishing shacks on Mission Beach.
“The mining and fishing barons of Everett would go over and play cards and get away from their families,” he said. “They’d take tugboats out there and drink and gamble and carouse away from the watchful eye of their families on Rucker Hill.”
That tradition did not quite die out, according to Erickson.
The wooden decks on most of the homes ran together.
“It was just one big family. Everybody walked the deck and had cocktails with each other,” she said. “It was a fun, fun beach.”
The strip of sand boasts southwestern exposure with sweeping views of Whidbey Island, Hat Island, Possession Sound and Everett.
“The best time to be out there was with the storms and the connection with nature, the wild storms and tides,” said Agnew, who now lives on Mercer Island. “Where else do you find white sandy beach 45 minutes from downtown Seattle without railroad tracks in front and without a ferry to take? There’s no substitute for it.”
Some of the tenants are paying Carey, who has a construction business, to tear down their cabins with an excavator. He said most are paying him between $9,000 and $11,000.
Friends, relatives, acquaintances and charity groups have been salvaging fixtures and appliances, according to Erickson.
“It’s kind of a free-for-all. Everyone’s just coming out here and taking what they want,” she said.
Some are having their places taken down piece by piece and hauled away by boat.
“I’ve worked down here for 30 years on people’s places that I’m tearing down,” Gary Werner, of Lake Stevens said.
“I’m taking apart stuff I built for people.”
Agnew said it will be easier for tenants to accept their loss if the beach is restored to a natural condition.
“Anything other than that would be really sad,” he said.
Hillery said the tribes understand the families’ emotional connection to the beach. Tribal members also feel a connection, she said.
“It’s ancestral land,” she said. “It’s a very important cultural area to the tribe.”
By Carley MacRae RD, CD, WSU Extension – Snohomish County Food $ense
Grains come in many different shapes and sizes and they vary in price almost as much as they vary in type. We can put grains into two categories – refined grains and whole grains. Refined grains are processed to remove parts of the grain so that it has a smoother texture. Whole grains contain every part of the grain and therefore have more nutrients and fiber than refined grains. The goal is to make sure that half of the grain foods we eat every day are whole grains. This is important for the health of our digestive system and our heart.
Unfortunately, marketing practices have made whole grain foods difficult to identify. The labeling is confusing so always read the ingredient list. Any product that names a whole grain ingredient first is a whole grain. Look for phrases such as, “whole wheat,” “brown rice,” “bulgur,” “buckwheat,” “oatmeal,” “whole-grain cornmeal,” “whole oats,” “whole rye,” or “wild rice.” These words and phrases are your clues to finding whole grain products.
If whole grains are new to your home or if they have been previously rejected, be patient. It is a big change to move from refined grains to healthy whole grains. Whole grains have a different texture and a different taste than refined grains so it may take a while for people to enjoy them. It can take at least ten to twenty times of tasting a food before kids start to like it. Here are a few tips to begin weaning yourself and your family off refined grains and onto whole grains.
When serving pasta mix white pasta with whole grain pasta. Each time add more whole grain pasta until that is all you serve. (Important tip: Whole grain pasta can have an unappetizing texture when overcooked. Be careful to follow the package’s cooking instructions).
A kid-favorite is a goofy grain sandwich. Make goofy grain sandwiches by using one slice of refined wheat bread and the other half whole-wheat bread. Make it your goal to eventually transition to using only whole-wheat or whole-grain bread.
When serving rice, mix white rice (a refined grain) together with brown rice or wild rice. Slowly add less and less white rice until your family prefers brown rice or wild rice to white rice.
Substitute whole-wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour that a recipe calls for when cooking baked goods. This is a great way to hide whole grains in your favorite foods.
Indian Country Today Media Network Staff, February 13, 2013
Having mentioned climate change in his inaugural address, President Barack Obama devoted a brief section to the crisis in his State of the Union message on February 12. Though cloaked in talk of energy independence, it did put the issue of Mother Earth’s changing climate squarely on the shoulders of Congress and the presidency.
The news stories are legion by now: melting ice and liquefying glaciers; fierce nor’easters and hurricanes moving farther north than ever before; drought in the southwest and the heartland; dropping water levels in the Great Lakes and major rivers; increased wildfires, with more to come; certain diseases increasing in both humans and animals; rising waters in the Pacific Northwest and in Alaska, and a proliferation of greenhouse gases fueled partly by melting permafrost.
“Now, it’s true that no single event makes a trend,” President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union speech on February 12. “But the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods—all are now more frequent and more intense. We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science—and act before it’s too late.”
He exhorted Congress to put partisan politics aside and tackle the issues emerging in this changing environment.
“I urge this Congress to get together—pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change, like the one John McCain and Joe Lieberman worked on together a few years ago,” Obama said. “But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will. I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.”
Environmentalists lauded the speech and its attention to climate change, citing the decisive nature of the actions that Obama will take if Congress sits by. But it was not lost on them that his speech, by focusing mainly on energy independence, left open the door to approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.
“The Sierra Club thanks President Obama for his strong words in his State of the Union address, and we applaud his vow to prioritize innovative climate solutions, including investments in jobs-producing solar and wind energy as well as a focus on energy and fuel efficiency,” Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune said in a statement.
“These are critical steps forward in the fight against climate disruption, but that progress would be rolled back by more destructive oil drilling and gas fracking, and the burning of toxic tar sands,” Brune said. “President Obama has the authority to create a robust clean energy economy and lead the world on climate solutions. He also has the executive power to reject the dirty Keystone XL pipeline, stop natural gas exports, reject trade agreements that put our air and water at risk, put an end to destructive Arctic drilling, and hold polluters accountable for their pollution. He has our full support to wield that power, and we will push him every step of the way to ensure a safer future for Americans.”
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) noted the way Obama made adapting to and preventing climate change a cornerstone of economic policy. NRDC President Frances Beinecke applauded Obama’s “assertive agenda for reducing dangerous carbon pollution more broadly, promising to lead a national effort to cut energy waste in half by 2030 and advance our use of renewable power,” she said in a statement.
“Unchecked climate change endangers our environment, our communities, our health, and our economy,” Beinecke added. “It demands a comprehensive approach, and President Obama laid out some of the most critical elements of such an approach on Tuesday night.”
All Nations Rising in Indian Country (Save Wiyabi)
Jessica Danforth, February 14, 2013; Source: Indian Country Today Media Network
February 14 has significance for many different people—Valentine’s Day, V-Day (a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls), and now 1 Billion Rising. But in Indian Country for more than 20 years, it’s always been a strategic day to organize, resist and unite in song to demand action.
The year 2013 marks the 22nd annual Women’s Memorial March, started in the downtown Eastside of Vancouver to honor the lives of missing and murdered women. Now with a global reach and ripples of determination to organize that can be felt across Turtle Island, the marches have become critical in ensuring violence from the state, including systemic, structural, and institutional violence, does not go unaccounted for.
Audrey Huntley, one of the founders of No More Silence who have been organizing the memorial marches in Toronto for the last 8 years shared this context on a recent blog for Battered Women’s Support Services: “We choose to come together at police headquarters in order to highlight the impunity that Canada affords killers of poor and marginalized women—women not deemed worthy of state protection and Indigenous women targets of the genocidal policies inherent to a settler state. We do not ask for the state’s permission in doing so and instead honour the sovereignty of the Indigenous peoples that have shared the caretaking responsibilities of this land for thousands of years.”
“Indigenous women remain targets for violence(s) as we have been since the European invasion. For me and for Families of Sisters in Spirit, the focus always starts with and goes back to the voices of Indigenous women and families and what is happening in our everyday lives under colonialism. We are the ones living it, and we are the ones who know what is best for our families, communities and Nations. It is meaningless if our actions are not led by us.” Colleen Cardinal, Plains Cree from Treaty 6, Saddle Lake Alberta, with Families of Sisters in Spirit (FSIS).
As Colleen Cardinal says, it is crucial that events on February 14 realize this historical legacy but also the long legacy of Indigenous women leading, organizing and mobilizing events to rise up against the violence. And with that, 2013 has also seen the creation of “All Nations Rising in Indian Country” started by the Save Wiyabi Project:
“My co-founder; Jessa Rae Growing Thunder, decided we needed to put out a call to action to Indian Country to rise on V-day, because what better way for us as people to stop violence against us than to dance it away. Dancing is how we heal, pray, socialize and tell stories so it’s important for us to include our voice in 1 Billion Rising. All Nations Rising was created so people could find out what events were happening in their community, or post their events for others to see.” Lauren Chief Elk, co-founder of Save Wiyabi Project.
So whether you’ve been marching for the last 22 years or are just beginning to dance this year, may the love, legacy and actions of February 14 be a time to remember that you are not alone. We’re rising with you.
Jessica Danforth is the founder and executive director of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network that works across the United States and Canada in the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health by and for Indigenous youth.
The Atlanta Braves have announced that the team won’t be wearing hats featuring the “screaming Indian” logo in the upcoming baseball season after all.
When designs for the batting practice caps for all 30 Major League Baseball teams were released in December, the Braves’ cap instantly drew criticism for its use of a logo many Native Americans find offensive. The “screaming Indian” or “screaming savage” image had not been seen on a Braves uniform since 1989, and most baseball fans considered it retired, for understandable reasons.
Word I’m hearing through the grapevine is that last week’s ESPN column on MLB’s new BP caps generated so much controversy and backlash against the Braves’ “screaming Indian” design that the team may end up switching to another cap logo. If that happens, expect MLB to issue lots of revisionist-history talking points about how the Indian design was just “one option we were exploring” and that it was “in development but never finalized” and that the Braves simply “opted to go in another direction” or some such. But take it from me: That design was (and, for now, still is) good to go. As of today, it’s listed in the MLB Style Guide. If the Braves ultimately abandon it, it’ll be because they responded to the backlash, period. Which, of course, is precisely what they should do. Here’s hoping.
An article posted to the Braves official site on MLB.com yesterday makes it official: The batting practice cap will be adorned with the script “A” logo, not the Indian head. Although the Braves did (as Lukas predicted) say that the design given to the sports press was not final, the MLB.com reporter acknowledged that the design was controversial. In a post at ESPN.com, Lukas says the Braves explanation “doesn’t ring true.”
Leadership Snohomish County and Economic Alliance Snohomish County present Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs
Everett, WA – How does your own mindset allow you to make, not just find, opportunities in the world? What really drives the thinking of wildly successful entrepreneurs?
To find out, join Leadership Snohomish County and presenter Ian Ayers on Friday, April 12th, at Jackson Center at Everett Community College for Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs. Learn how your way of thinking can allow you to thrive in the face of uncertainty. Come for the morning workshop, from 8:00 to 11:00 AM, or stay and take advantage of the small group session from 11:30AM to 2:30PM as well.
“It’s essential that we all use entrepreneurial thinking to strengthen our communities, our companies, and our organizations,” said Sarri Gilman, Executive Director of Leadership Snohomish County. “We’re excited to offer this workshop because the information is very accessible and it’s relevant to every aspect of building thriving companies and communities.”
Presenter Ian Ayers is the creator of the Effectual Method, a system that teaches entrepreneurial expertise through doing. The morning workshop is a mix of theory, storytelling, exercises, and breakthrough moments. You’ll learn five principles you can apply right away to grow your business, develop your team, and solve problems. Based on research published in INC Magazine, “How Great Entrepreneurs Think,” you’ll grasp the fundamental differences between causal, or predictive thinking, and effectual thinking. And, you’ll leave with a set of practical next steps and a way to move forward.
Stay for the small group afternoon session (maximum 30 people) and continue to work with Ian Ayers, diving deeper and applying the principles learned in the morning workshop.
“Co-creation is central to this method, and the best way to improve is through doing, “ said Ayers. “So, to make sure you hit the ground running, we’ll try some live co-creation within our group and make new opportunities right before our very eyes.”
Shannon Affholter, Vice President of Business & Economic Development at Economic Alliance Snohomish County, endorses and is sponsoring the workshop.
“Attending the Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs workshop will help community leaders better understand the important qualities that make entrepreneurs succeed in our current economy,” said Affholter.
Co-sponsored by Economic Alliance Snohomish County, Everett Community College, and the Greater Everett Community Foundation.
Register for Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs at www.leadershipsc.org. Fee is per person: $65 morning only (includes coffee and snacks), $175 all day (also includes lunch). Please note: tickets may be transferred to another attendee but are not refundable.
About Leadership Snohomish County
Leadership Snohomish County develops leaders for a lifetime by providing education and opportunities for people and organizations to strengthen our community. Our program helps participants acquire an understanding of the critical issues affecting the region and the leadership and stewardship capabilities necessary to resolve them.
