Author: Kim Kalliber
REI chief: outsider pick for Interior secretary
President Obama Wednesday named REI CEO Sally Jewell as his nominee to replace Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Selecting a businesswoman instead of a politician is unusual.
By Craig Welch, Jim Brunner and Kyung M. Song, Seattle Times Reporters
When President Obama picked REI’s chief executive to oversee the nation’s public lands, he chose a Seattle businesswoman steeped in Western land issues — a kayaker, skier and climber as familiar with a hard hat as she is with an ice ax.
Sally Jewell, 56, the Kent-based outdoor-retail co-op’s president and CEO, has worked as an oil-field engineer and a commercial banker. She spent years toiling behind the scenes on recreation, national-park and wildland conflicts, under Democratic and Republican presidents.
But Obama’s choice for secretary of the Interior — a post responsible for everything from wildlife refuges and coal leasing to national parks and offhore oil drilling — comes with markedly little experience in the often-combative ways of D.C. politics.
The post of Interior secretary is typically filled by an experienced politician from the West; Jewell has never held elected public office.
Still, her eclectic résumé and reputation as a low-key problem solver were enough to earn her quick praise from politicians and interest groups usually at odds with one another.
Environmental groups, including American Rivers and Trout Unlimited, applauded her conservation ethic, her efforts to find more funding for national parks and her work showing that environmental stewardship is also good for business. Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said Jewell has “a demonstrated commitment to preserving the higher purposes public lands hold for all Americans — recreation, adventure and enjoyment.”
At the same time, the Western Energy Alliance, which represents the oil and natural-gas industry in the West, also welcomed Jewell’s nomination.
“Her experience as a petroleum engineer and business leader will bring a unique perspective to an office that is key to our nation’s energy portfolio,” said Tim Wigley, the group’s president.
None of the applause surprisedRepublican Dirk Kempthorne, a former Idaho governor and U.S. senator who served as Interior secretary under President George W. Bush.
“Sally Jewell will be a terrific secretary of the Interior,” Kempthorne said. “She combines a keen intellect with equally keen hearing. She listens well, takes in the information and asks very, very pertinent questions.”
In making the announcement, Obama mentioned Jewell’s deep knowledge — and her relatively thin political résumé — as assets.
“Even as Sally has spent the majority of her career outside of Washington (D.C.) — where, I might add, the majority of our interior is located,” he said, “she is an expert on the energy and climate issues that are going to shape our future. … She knows the link between conservation and good jobs.”
In her remarks, Jewell said: “I have a great job at REI today, but there’s no role that compares to the call to serve my country as secretary of the Interior.”
Complex issues await
Jewell is the first woman among Obama’s second-term Cabinet nominees.
The White House had faced criticism that the new Cabinet lacked diversity after Obama tapped a string of white men for top posts. Obama then promised more diverse nominees.
Former Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire also had been named as a possible contender for the job.
In an interview with The Seattle Times in 2000, Jewell said she grew up wanting to be “a scientist, an oceanographer, a forest ranger — mostly outdoor-related things.”
If confirmed, she faces no shortage of complex issues.
The Interior Department is responsible for more than 500 million acres of public lands, from Yellowstone National Park to the Lincoln Memorial. It administers the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and is a major player in fighting wildfires.
It oversees the scrublands of the Bureau of Land Management and is responsible for leasing rights to oil, coal, gas and heavy metals even when found under land managed by other departments. Interior employs more than 70,000 people.
Jewell has served on the board of the National Parks Conservation Association, which for a decade has complained that budgets for the nation’s park system have been pared to the bone.
The next Interior secretary also will play a key role in deciding whether to protect sage grouse under the ESA, a move that would heavily impact oil and gas development in several Rocky Mountain states.
Interior also oversees the dwindling Colorado River, the lifeblood of several states and a source of water for Southern California, and nascent efforts to drill offshore in the Alaskan Arctic.
Jewell also would be thrust into the center of the battle over exporting coal from the Northwest to Asia. Interior oversees the leasing program that, under Obama, has opened more land in Wyoming and Montana to coal extraction just as domestic coal use has declined. That has prompted an industry push for more exports.
Earlier Obama call
Jewell’s pick was praised by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who said in a statement she had worked closely with Jewell on public-land policy and conservation initiatives in Washington state, including the effort to expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and create the Wild Sky Wilderness.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, ranking Republican on the Senate panel overseeing the Interior Department, offered a noncommittal statement Wednesday, saying she wanted to hear more about Jewell’s qualifications and “how she plans to restore balance to the Interior Department.”
A more hostile response came from Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah, chairman of the House subcommittee on public lands, who said he had reservations about REI’s links to “special-interest groups” with “radical political agendas.”
Still, Jewell’s confirmation would put a prominent representative from the business community in the president’s Cabinet.
Jewell was born in England, but moved to the Seattle area before age 4 and is a U.S. citizen.
After graduating from the University of Washington with a mechanical-engineering degree, Jewell married and took a job with Mobil Oil, working in the oil fields of Oklahoma.
She spent three years in the industry before moving back to Seattle to work for Rainier Bank in 1981.
“Oil and gas isn’t found in the most pleasant places in the world and, being a woman, there were things I had to put up with that would be considered illegal now, and it just became tiresome. I also wanted to raise my children around grandparents,” she told Seattle Business magazine last year.
In 1996, she became an REI board member. She was named CEO at REI in 2005.
She has been a donor to Obama’s campaigns, and enjoys a bit of a personal relationship with the president. In 2009, she was sailing with her husband off Port Townsend when her daughter called her cellphone to say the president had invited her to the White House.
The president had asked Jewell and other business leaders from around the country to discuss health-care costs.
During the visit, Obama praised REI for providing health insurance for part-time employees, as well as full-time workers.
While Jewell is more closely identified with the Democratic Party than the Republican Party, she made a high-profile appearance with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in 2008 when he was running for president.
Royce Margo Johnson
Sunrise: October 31, 1938
Sunset: December 26, 2012
Royce Margo Johnson, age 74 years old, passed away Providence Medical Center Hospital in Everett, Washington on December 26th, 2012. She was born on October 31, 1938 in Seattle, Washington to Roy and Gretchen Lewis. As she started her new journey she was greeted by family members who had crossed to the other side ahead of her; her mother and father, mother and father-in-law Adolph and Muriel Newsome, niece Linda, and great-niece Crystal.
She leaves behind her loving husband of 54 years Edwin A. Johnson, her children Mark and Carolyn Johnson, Brad and Bert Johnson, Kevin and Jennifer Johnson, along with her special daughter Chrystal Starr and special niece Cindy, her siblings Suzanne Wilson, Rocky Lewis, Robert and Sarah Johnson and Ernest Johnson. “Nana” will be deeply missed by her grandchildren; Mary-Kay, Renee, Rita, Kasandera Lakins, Jessica Lakins, Danielle Johnson, Adam Johnson, Hannah Paul, Shaylene Lakins, William “Tanner” Paul, Hailey Johnson, Demery Johnson and Cypher Francis Celestine.
She spent her childhood and attended school in Seattle. Her family owned and operated the well-known hobby shop on Queen Anne Hill. She graduated from Roosevelt High and received her Medical Secretarial Certificate immediately following. Ed and Royce were married in Coeur d’Alene Idaho. She was a home-maker for most of her adult life. It gave her joy to be able to be home to raise her kids. Her professional career was in the Electrical Field. She was employed by Fluke Manufacturing in Everett, Washington for over 15 years prior to retirement.
She was an avid reader. Thanks to her Kindle she could enlarge any books’ font size which enabled her to continue reading up until the Creator called her home. She was an expert seamstress. She really was amazing with the help of her computerized Singer sewing and Serger machines. She could look at something and copy the pattern. She made intricate “Holly-Hobby and “Gunny Sack” dresses for her granddaughters. She once made a pink 7 ft. stunt kite for Jennifer to match Kevin’s. She was thrilled her homemade version cost less but was of higher quality. She was a self-taught pro in the kitchen. You name it she could prepare, make, cook, bake, can or dehydrate it! She didn’t follow written recipes; she perfected what she called her own “dump and pour” cooking style that was right on every time. She loved gardening and used those fruits and vegetables in the foods she prepared. Her humorous side could be seen whenever she made waffles or pancakes. She’d serve them up by tossing them across the kitchen as they came off the skillet. She made mealtime’s fun and said “if people smile and laugh when they eat it means they like the food you made for them.” Traveling was another one of her passions. Over the years they owned R.V.’s and belonged to Thousand-Trails, a camping club. She was a fan of sight-seeing and took in the beauty of nature any chance she could.
Her love of life was evident; as she was always up for an adventure. Although this life had dealt her some major health obstacles; she overcame them on several occasions. She rarely complained and never let them slow her down. She was not shy with her words and offered her opinion to anyone who’d listen. Royce really was quite the character. There are many things that can be said to describe this unique, charismatic woman. She was quick witted and had a great sense of humor. In years to come when people reminisce about Mrs. Royce Margo Johnson, it will be how much she loved her family that’s remembered most. How she cherished time with them; especially on holidays. Friends and family will keep memories in their hearts and remind her grandchildren how much she valued them and that they truly were her earthly treasures.
Royce Margo Johnson will be missed by the relatives mentioned above as well as by numerous nieces, nephews, great- nieces and nephews, and the others she considered family, you know who you are. Her family held a Remembrance Memorial Service in her honor earlier this month; it was an awesome celebration of her life.
Artist known for Native American ledger paintings has died
SPOKANE (AP) — Artist George Flett, a member of the Spokane Tribe, has died at the age of 66.
Flett was skilled in sculpture, bead working and silversmithing, but was best known for his ledger art.
The Spokesman-Review said Flett died Wednesday of complications from diabetes
Ledger painting is a Native American art form dating to the mid-1800s, when artists started drawing pictures of heroic deeds and sacred visions on pages torn from U.S. Army ledger books.
Flett based his mixed-media paintings on Spokane Indian legends, history and cultural events.
Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com
Heated hearing airs distrust over SPD drones
A public hearing Wednesday on the Seattle Police Department’s plans to deploy drones drew sharp criticism from numerous speakers.
By Christine Clarridge, Seattle Times
There was no shortage of strong opinions — or strong words — when a Seattle City Council committee took up the issue of unmanned police drones during an often heated hearing Wednesday.
“You’re more dangerous than Nazi,” Alex Zimmerman, an activist with Stand Up America, told the members of the council’s Public Safety, Civil Rights and Technology Committee. “You’re more dangerous than Communist; more dangerous than Gestapo; more dangerous than KGB.”
Another speaker called committee members “idiots” for even considering an ordinance that would govern the Seattle Police Department’s use of drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Systems.
“Not only ‘no drones,’ but no more council. You guys are crooks. You guys are idiots. You’re telling us they got them already, we have to use them … You guys are becoming a police state … The people do not want this,” said Samuel Bellomio, also with Stand Up America.
The meeting, called to discuss a proposed ordinance that would set restrictions on how and when the police department can use the tiny aircraft, ended with committee Chairman Bruce Harrell saying the conversation had been helpful and would likely lead to the measure being refined.
The proposal is to go back before the committee for a possible vote Feb. 20, then on to the full council Feb. 25.
Jennifer Shaw, the deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, said the ACLU would prefer that Seattle police did not have drones. However, since the department had purchased two with money from a federal Homeland Security grant, she said, it’s important for the city to establish “strong restrictions.”
She recommended that the ordinance be refined to include a more “robust audit provision” and language stating the drones are part of a pilot program.
“We’d like to be able to see if it’s effective and then have the council determine if it should still be going on,” Shaw said.
The proposed restrictions were written after the police department received approval last year from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate drones, sparking an uproar among residents, privacy advocates and civil-rights activists.
The FAA approval was granted after President Obama signed a law that compelled the agency to plan for safe integration of civilian drones into American airspace by 2015.
The restrictions would ban the use of drones for general surveillance or for flights over open-air assemblies.
It also would require a warrant be obtained in all but “exigent” or emergency circumstances, such as situations involving hostages, search-and-rescue operations, the pursuit of armed felons, bomb threats and the detection of “hot spots” in fires, or for the collection of traffic data.
The proposed restrictions would ban the use of drones for the collection of information on anyone not specifically named in a warrant, but specify that information collected inadvertently while an unmanned system was being operated in good faith would not violate the ordinance.
That last clause was troubling to members of the audience, including Chris Stearns of the Human Rights Commission, who said the city should make it illegal to use data inadvertently collected by drones in criminal prosecutions.
Committee member Nick Licata said the term “exigent” was too broad and that he would like the ordinance to specify that the drones can only be used for hostage situations and bomb threats.
He also suggested the ordinance specify that the use of drones in emergency circumstances would require the written authorization of an assistant police chief or captain, instead of a lieutenant as proposed.
The ordinance also states that any data collected by drones would be deleted after 30 days unless there was a “reasonable belief that the data is evidence of criminal activity or civil liability.”
The measure would also set up provisions for audits and an annual review.
The issue has ignited strong feelings among opponents. During a public meeting in October, protesters shouted down police speakers during a presentation on the aircraft.
Wash. toxicologist: No spike yet in marijuana DUIs
The state toxicologist says she hasn’t seen a spike in positive blood tests for marijuana since pot became legal under Washington law.
The Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The state toxicologist says she hasn’t seen a spike in positive blood tests for marijuana since pot became legal under Washington law.
Voters last fall passed Initiative 502, allowing adults over 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. The measure, which took effect Dec. 6, set a driving-under-the-influence limit designed to be similar to the .08 blood-alcohol content for drunken driving – 5 nanograms of active THC per milliliter of blood.
State toxicologist Fiona Couper told a legislative hearing in Olympia on Wednesday that the Washington State Patrol’s toxicology lab has completed tests on all blood samples taken from drivers in December, and has started on samples from last month. She says there’s no spike, but notes the law has only just taken effect.
Couper says that every year, about 6,000 blood samples from drivers are submitted to the lab. About 1,000 to 1,100 of those come back positive for active THC, with the average being about 6 nanograms
Visit Slahal Floral for Valentine’s Day
Salal Floral Boutique – Beauty by design
Few things on earth combine art and architecture as beautifully as a flower. And rarely are flowers combined in such dramatic and stunning style as they are at Salal Floral Boutique, an all compassing floral shop located on the lobby level of the Tulalip Resort.
An eye for perfection
Salal Floral Boutique’s team of floral designers lends their remarkable talents to everything from boutonnieres to bouquets, wedding arrangements to centerpieces for a 100-table event. No matter the creation, Salal Floral Boutique embodies a philosophy of perfection: Every leaf should be turned just so. Witness our Signature Rose Collection. We take a classic floral design and elevate it to something magnificent.
Variety and Beauty
Our flowers are delivered fresh by local wholesalers. Depending upon the season, you can choose from any number of gorgeous varieties, from classics such as roses and hydrangeas to dramatics such as birds of paradise and ginger. Thanks to the nurturing environment in the nearby T Spa, Salal Floral Boutique is even able to offer orchids and other tropicals seven days a week. And because we can take advantage of our exclusive relationships, we’re able to offer more types of flowers more often, at significant savings when compared to a typical florist.
Hours:
Sunday – Thursday
9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday & Saturday
9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Orders:
360.716.6847
1.888.272.1111
We suggest ordering floral designs 24 hours in advance. We will always do our best to accommodate all requests.
Valentine’s Day Flower Tips
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Act now: Don’t wait until the last minute to place your order for flowers. Give the florist plenty of time because Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year for any florist.
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Buy local: If there is a reputable florist in your area, buy directly from them when you can and think beyond the roses. Your florist can help you find the freshest blooms and find something a little less traditional, too. National companies take your order and pass it along to a local florist to fulfill the order anyway. You’ll have better luck with a correction if something goes wrong.
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Include delivery information: The more information you are able to provide about the recipient, the less likely there will be a delivery mishap. Include both home and cell phone numbers and the correct address. If it’s a business, will the delivery person be stopped at the front door? Offer any access information you know about to the delivery driver.
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Take advantage of the freshness guarantee: Flowers are a perishable product, and depending on the flower, it will have a life span from 2 to 10 days. If the flowers delivered are not in good condition, call the florist right away (less than 24 hours) so they can correct the problem.
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Care for the special delivery: Keep them in a cool place and change water regularly. Cut the stems back about an inch with a knife or gardening clippers every other day as you change the water.
Everett artist was well-known across the U.S.
By Theresa Goffredo, Herald Writer
Alden Mason, one of Everett’s most well-known artistic native sons, ventured into his art studio up until the age of 92.
He also traveled the globe, lived with an aboriginal tribe in New Guinea when he was in his 70s and could include another famous Everett artist, Chuck Close, among his students.
Mason died Wednesday at age 93.
“Alden Mason was my teacher, my mentor and my friend. He has probably had more impact on my work and my career than any other person. I wouldn’t be who I am today — or as successful — if it weren’t for Alden,” wrote Close in a prepared statement.
Close, an artist whose massively scaled portraits have been on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and who was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2000, called Mason one of the greatest painters to come out of the Pacific Northwest.
Close studied with Mason from 1960 to 1962.
“He was encouraging, inspiring and often tough on me — probably when I needed it,” Close wrote. “Luckily, we talked a week ago and I was able to tell him about the impact he had on me, my life and my work and that I loved him like a father.”
Mason’s work can be seen in numerous museums across the country. His work has also been represented since 2002 at Foster/White Gallery in Seattle, which sent out a statement Wednesday.
“Mason was an adventurous and enthusiastic naturalist and painter,” wrote Phen Huang, director of Foster/White. “He loved the northwest landscape, color, birds, natural concretions and to dance to rock and roll.”
Mason’s most recent exhibit in Snohomish County occurred in 2010 when the Schack Art Center was based at the Monte Cristo Hotel. Mason’s work was seen alongside two other artists in an exhibit titled “Moments: Alden Mason, Steve Klein and Karen Simonson.”
Mason’s experimentation with watercolors and oils earned some fame worldwide in the 1970s with his Burpee Garden series of paintings, named after the seed catalogs of a Skagit Valley farm where Mason grew up.
Mason’s career spanned six decades. Born in 1919, he received a bachelor of fine arts degree in 1945 and a masters degree in fine art in 1947 from the University of Washington, where he returned to teach for 32 years.
Carie Collver, Schack Art Center’s gallery director, said Mason’s work was unusual in the way he used color. She had always thought it would have been fun to take a class from him.
“He was really taking a different route from the other teachers at the UW,” Collver said. “In his style and in the amount of paint he was using. He was really breaking boundaries.”
Mason’s exhibition work drifted over the years between abstract and figurative styles. At one point, Mason was forced to switch to acrylic paints after suffering an allergic reaction to the toxic fumes of oil paints.
Mason exhibited his work in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, B.C., and New York.
He traveled to South America, Mexico, Africa and Papua New Guinea. Mason’s most recent pieces were inspired by his appreciation for primitive cultures.
“His big head series was fantastic,” Schack gallery director Collver said. “Those pieces were like a crazy dream, but he loved primitive art and really had an appreciation for their colors and imagery.”
Of his own work, Mason called his paintings “a private world of improvisation, spontaneity, humor and pathos, exaggeration and abandon.”
“They reflect my travels and interest in tribal art and children’s art,” according to Mason’s artist statement. “Old-fashioned emotional involvement is still my main priority in painting.”
In his personal life, Mason loved to dance, flirt, tell stories and deliver puns, such as, “I have good genes and wear them everyday.” What Mason did wear all the time was his signature fedora and neck kerchief.
Collver recalled Wednesday that during Mason’s exhibit in Everett he was in a wheelchair in his late 80s yet surrounded by a group of young beautiful women.
“They were all googley-eyed at him and he was telling his stories,” Collver said. “And I thought, ‘God bless him. He’s still got it.'”
Death confirmed as sixth from flu
By Sharon Salyer, Herald Writer
A suspected flu death in Snohomish County has been confirmed, bringing the total to six who have died in the worst flu season since 2009.
The most recent death was of an Everett man in his 90s, who died on Jan. 24, according to the Snohomish Health District.
The previous deaths were of an Everett woman in her 70s, a Stanwood man in his 90s, a Bothell woman in her 40s and two women in their 80s, one from Everett and one from Edmonds.
For comparison, three people died of influenza during the previous two flu seasons combined, said Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer for the Snohomish Health District.
The number of people hospitalized with flu or its complications this season — 84 — also far exceeds the numbers from the past two flu seasons.
“This has been a particularly brutal, severe year for influenza deaths and hospitalizations,” said Dr. Yuan-Po Tu, who tracks flu issues at The Everett Clinic.
Statewide, 28 people have died from the flu, according to the state Department of Health. That’s the largest number since the swine flu epidemic of 2009-10 when 98 people died in Washington.
“What we’ve seen is an influenza that spread pretty widely, specifically for the older residents of the county, the state and nationally,” Goldbaum said. “It certainly is more severe.”
Flu this season, both locally and nationally, has caused the most serious illness in people 55 and up.
It’s not just the initial onset of influenza that can cause people to become so ill that they need to be hospitalized, Tu said.
Some people have several days of classic flu symptoms of high fever, sore throat, sniffles and body aches and seem to get better, but then get sick again two to four weeks later. “All of a sudden you develop a ‘late’ fever,” Tu said, indications of health problems such as more severe asthma or a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia.
The influenza virus damages the linings of the respiratory system in a way that makes it far easier for these health problems to occur, Tu said.
Although flu has hit older adults far harder than children, seven schools in Snohomish County have reported high absenteeism rates from students with flu-like symptoms.
Flu outbreaks also have been reported at 11 long-term facilities such as nursing homes and assisting living facilities.
The good news is that flu season seems to have peaked about two weeks ago, based on reports from area clinics and the number of patients being hospitalized.
“I would hazard a guess that we’re in the last month of flu season,” Tu said.