Smoke from wood fires—like the ones that keep your home warm and cozy in the winter—can be a health hazard for some people. Wood smoke and other air pollutants can be trapped near the ground when winter weather patterns cause stagnant air. Smoke contains fine particles and toxic gases that can be breathed deep into the lungs where they can cause immediate and long-term health problems. The level of air pollution that causes health problems is different for each person. Some people are at greater risk than others, and can have symptoms sooner, including: people with heart and lung disease, older adults who may have unrecognized health conditions, and children, whose developing lungs are more easily damaged. Often the pollution can’t be seen or smelled, so it can be helpful to check air quality before doing things outside, especially if you’re in a high-risk group. Real-time information on air quality conditions and statistics on air pollution for most counties is available online. You can check the Department of Health’s website for information on how air quality can affect your health.
Lots of people who are eligible for the WIC nutrition program haven’t applied
Washington State Department of Health
More than 65,000 children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers qualify for—but aren’t enrolled in—the state’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. WIC provides nutrition counseling, free healthy foods, and breastfeeding support and health screenings for babies. African American, Pacific Islander, and Native American women have particularly low participation in the program during pregnancy, yet have some of the highest rates of premature and low birth weight babies. WIC wants to provide more women with services that boost their health, improve birth outcomes, and contribute to healthier babies. Many eligible women don’t know about the program or don’t know that they—and their children younger than five—qualify. Cathy Franklin of the WIC program says that a woman may assume her family makes too much money if she’s working. But that’s often not the case. A household of four can make $3,554 a month and still be eligible. A family with two qualifying people, like a breastfeeding mother and her baby, would receive checks for up to $100 of healthy food a month (along with other services). WIC currently serves more than 315,000 women and children each year in its 205 clinics across Washington. Find more information about WIC and how to apply at the Department of Health’s WIC website or by calling the Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588.
Joining the Arbor Day Foundation is an ideal way to get in the mood for spring planting. Anyone from Washington who joins the Foundation in February 2013 will receive 10 free Eastern redbud trees to plant when the weather turns warm.
The free trees are part of the nonprofit Foundation’s Trees for America campaign
“Redbuds will help beautify Washington for many years to come,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “They will also add to the proud heritage of Washington’s existing Tree City USA communities.”
The Tree City USA program has supported community forestry throughout the country for more than 35 years.
The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting, between March 1 and May 31, with enclosed planting instructions. The 6- to 12-inch trees are guaranteed to grow, or they will be replaced free of charge.
Members also receive a subscription to the Foundation’s colorful bimonthly publication, Arbor Day, and The Tree Book, which contains information about planting and care.
To become a member of the Foundation and receive the free trees, send a $10 contribution to TEN FREE EASTERN REDBUD TREES, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, by February 28, 2013, or visit arborday.org/february.
MARYSVILLE — Marysville Police are asking for the public’s help in locating David Boyle, a longtime and well-respected resident of Marysville.
Evidence suggests Boyle left his residence of his own volition around 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 4, 2012.
Earlier the previous evening, Boyle had contact with law enforcement for a driving offense, and it’s believed he was distraught at the time he left home.
Boyle has not been seen or heard from since.
Boyle left his residence in his red 2006 Chrysler Pacifica, with the Washington license plate 169WNT, which also has not been seen.
Foul play is not suspected in Boyle’s disappearance, but because of his involvement in and commitment to local youth sports, there is community-wide concern.
Boyle is an assistant girls basketball coach at Marysville-Pilchuck High School, and has been active in the football and baseball programs at both the high school and middle school levels.
Boyle is a white male standing 6 feet tall and weighing 170 pounds with gray hair and blue eyes.
If you have any information about David Boyle or his disappearance, please contact Marysville Police Detective Craig Bartl at 360-363-8392 or cbartl@marysvillewa.gov.
ARLINGTON — A high-speed pursuit through north Snohomish County, Arlington and Marysville on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 22, resulted in the arrest of a 23-year-old Monroe man on multiple charges. The pursuit started at approximately 11:10 a.m. when Arlington Police officers located a stolen vehicle that, moments before, had been observed by a Snohomish County Sheriff’s deputy in Arlington.
Arlington Police officers initiated a traffic stop on the stolen vehicle at the intersection of Fourth Street and State Route 9. The driver of the stolen vehicle did not stop, and instead drove off northbound on State Route 9 at a high rate of speed. Five officers from the Arlington and Marysville police departments, as well as the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, pursued the vehicle for more than 20 minutes through north Snohomish County, Arlington, Lakewood and Marysville, at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour, before the vehicle was abandoned on the northbound on-ramp to Interstate 5 at State Route 531 (172nd Street NE). The driver was apprehended near the on-ramp and taken into custody by officers from the Arlington Police Department. Assisting in the apprehension were officers from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and the Stillaguamish Tribal Police.
During the pursuit, the driver of the stolen vehicle rammed two police vehicles multiple times, rendering one of them inoperable. An Arlington Police vehicle received substantial damage in the ramming incident, while the condition of the Marysville Police vehicle that was struck by the fleeing vehicle has yet to be assessed. Two officers involved in the ramming were later evaluated by medical personnel and released with minor injuries.
The driver of the stolen vehicle was transported to Cascade Valley Hospital by the Arlington Fire Department and will be subsequently transported to Snohomish County Jail. Multiple charges are anticipated against the 23-year-old suspect, including being in possession of a stolen motor vehicle, felony eluding of a police vehicle, and vehicular assault.
Back to the River tells the story of the treaty rights struggle from the pre-Boldt era to tribal and state co-management. The movie includes the voices and personal accounts of tribal fishers, leaders, and others active in the treaty fishing rights struggle.
The premiere will take place at 7pm on February 1, 2013 at The Seattle Aquarium (1483 Alaskan Way, Pier 59, Seattle, WA 98101)
Seating is limited to 250 people.
Please RSVP to Peggen Frank
pfrank@salmondefense.org
360.528.4308
Hors d’oeuvres will be served.
Salmon Defense is very thankful to the BACK TO THE RIVER SPONSORS who made this project possible.
The Upper Skagit Tribe and the University of Washington (UW) are doing a two-year study examining seasonal habitat preferences for yearling chinook and steelhead in the Skagit River.
Not all juvenile chinook salmon migrate out to sea right away. They spend a few months to two years in freshwater and estuarine habitat. This study will help researchers learn more about the fish that stay in the Skagit watershed’s freshwater habitat during the first year of life.
The research addresses a known data gap in the Skagit River Chinook Recovery Plan and will help inform recovery efforts for Puget Sound steelhead. Both populations are listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.
“We’re finding out about habitat preferences for a very significant life history type,” said Scott Schuyler, natural resources director for the Upper Skagit Tribe. “That will help us decide where to focus our rebuilding efforts.”
The research team is a partnership between the UW’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and the Upper Skagit Natural Resources Department. The team is conducting night snorkel surveys over a two-year period to monitor where the fish are each season. Juvenile habitat use varies throughout the year, because of factors including water temperature, stream flow and competition pressure from other fish.
“We expect to see the largest number of juveniles in the late summer, when the habitat could reach its carrying capacity,” said Jon-Paul Shannahan, a biologist for the Upper Skagit Tribe. “The habitat needs for each species changes over time as the fish grow, and we are hoping to better understand this relationship.”
For each snorkel survey, the researchers collect detailed habitat data. The types of channels surveyed included large mainstem channels, secondary channels, tributaries, and floodplain channels throughout the known spawning distribution of chinook.
For information, contact: Jon-Paul Shannahan, Upper Skagit Tribe, 360-854-7089 or jonpauls@upperskagit.com; Kari Neumeyer, NWIFC, 360-424-8226 or kneumeyer@nwifc.org.
Treaty tribes in Northwest Washington are working with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to use caged mussels to analyze toxic chemicals in Puget Sound.
The National Mussel Watch Program, run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has been monitoring toxic contaminants in lakes and coastal waters since 1986.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recently began a pilot project in conjunction with NOAA to assess the feasibility of using caged mussels for contaminant monitoring. In previous years, Mussel Watch harvested from resident populations, but putting mussels in cages gives researchers more control over the sampling area.
Mussels are filter feeders that retain any chemicals in the water for two to four months. After they are retrieved, the caged mussels will be analyzed for 150 toxic chemicals commonly found in Puget Sound, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, benzenes and trace metals. The program also has added pharmaceutical and hormone detection to the list of toxins analyzed.
Stillaguamish biologists Franchesca Perez, left, and Jennifer Sevigny anchor a cage of mussels off Camano Island.
The Stillaguamish Tribe has partnered on this effort since 2006. For this season, the tribe adopted two sites in Port Susan Bay.
“I think it is essential to monitor the presence and trends of toxins in Port Susan Bay, given the impacts of contaminants on salmon recovery and overall wildlife health,” said Stillaguamish biologist Jennifer Sevigny. “There are also important links between toxin loads and tribal shellfish harvest.”
In November, Sevigny and biologist Franchesca Perez placed bags of Penn Cove mussels in cages anchored in the intertidal zone in two Port Susan locations.
The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe joined the program in 2012. Staff members and citizen volunteers placed three cages in Port Gamble Bay and at Point No Point in November. Both tribes retrieved their cages in January.
“The tribe is conducting its own human health risk assessment and we want to see how the contaminant levels in Port Gamble Bay compare to Puget Sound and the rest of the nation,” said Rory O’Rourke, the tribe’s environmental scientist. “The results also will allow us to find existing pollutants we’re not aware of and need attention.”
Mussel Watch provides state-to-state comparisons and baseline data ahead of oil spills and large storms. In the long-term, the research will establish trends of toxic chemicals in the Puget Sound nearshore.
For more information, contact: Jennifer Sevigny, biologist, Stillaguamish Tribe, 360-631-2372 or jense@stillaguamish.nsn.us; Rory O’Rourke, environmental scientist, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, 360-297-6289 or rorouke@pgst.nsn.us; Kari Neumeyer, information officer, NWIFC, 360-424-8226 or kneumeyer@nwifc.org; or Tiffany Royal, information officer, NWIFC, 360-297-6546 or troyal@nwifc.org.
Kimberly Lee Simpson of Tulalip, WA, born on April 14, 1963 to Curtis “George” Taylor and Betty Gobin passed away peacefully at home on January 18, 2013.
She was preceded in death by her brother, Gordon Taylor; aunts, Virginia and Ida Schlosser and Genevieve Williams; uncles, Dallas Taylor Jr. and Ron Kona; niece, Shannon Taylor; nephew, Dallas Taylor; and father, “Papa Smurf” Curtis George Taylor.
Kimberly is survived by her loving husband, Rodney Jr. of 36 years; sister, Connie (David); brother, Calvin (Marguerite); brother, Clifford (Janet); sister, Sharon (Steve); and brother, Lance (Tammy); her children, Lavon, Malory, Rodney III (Jaedean) and Shana. She also leaves behind her very special grandchildren, Wanisa, Cruz, Elyssa, Meriel, Shylah, Ashlynn, Ryelon, Caleb, Solay, Tiyanna, and newest granddaughter, Kiley.
She worked at Casey’s Grocery Store in Tulalip at a young age and then moved on to working at the Tulalip Bingo, Tulalip Family Services, Tulalip Police Dept., and was also a proud Business Owner of Native Grounds Espresso, in Tulalip.
Kimberly was a very dedicated mother and grandmother, she loved to spend time with her family and pets. She enjoyed sharing her creativity through her bead work and art work, and trying new recipes, cooking and baking delicious dishes for her family.
Kim had the most beautiful smile that could illuminate any room no matter how big, her laugher lifted many spirits. She left behind strong family teachings and values that her husband and family will always remember.
A visitation will be held Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 1 p.m. at Schaefer-Shipman Funeral Home followed by services at the family home at 6 p.m. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, January 23, 10 a.m., at the Tulalip Tribal Gym with burial to follow at Mission Beach Cemetery.
PUEBLO WEST, Colo. – About 2,800 groups applied to be part of the Inaugural parade on Monday. The president’s inaugural committee chose 60, including one with deep roots in this land.
They often perform to a sound of pageantry centuries old. They are the first Native American Women Warrior color guard: all veterans, all proud of their ancestry and the nation they serve.
Mitchelene BigMan is the group’s founder. Sgt. Big Man served 22 years in the Army, including two tours in Iraq.
“We’re like the heartbeat of America,” BigMan said. “We’re Native Americans. We’re still here, and I think we’re even stronger now than we were before.”
Nearly 5,000 Native American women have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. BigMan’s grandmother served in WWII.
“She was small,” she said. “She was only five feet and maybe 100 pounds but they said she was one of the meanest ones they had.”
BigMan laughed and admitted she wasn’t that different from her grand mother.
BigMan was born and raised on the Crow reservation in Montana. Unemployment was high. Alcoholism and domestic violence were chronic. So, she enlisted at age 21 and went on to become a mechanic supporting a combat battalion.
Mitchelene BigMan served as a mechanic in the Army. / CBS News
“It was an all-male battalion,” she said. “When I showed up, they were really disappointed, and the tension, I could just see it. First of all I’m female, a minority and a Native American. I had to prove myself three times as hard sometimes.”
And she did. When she retired after two decades, she formed the Native American Women Warriors. The group includes all ranks and branches of service. They promote diversity and equality in the military and on reservations.
In today’s parade, they displayed their badges of military service on their native warrior dresses — dresses worn during a traditional dance for prayer and healing.
“I think it’s time for us to heal, not only as veterans but as a nation,” she said.
“Healing” for the warriors and for the nation they served is something worth a dance about any day including today, each said.
Mitchelene BigMan served as a mechanic in the Army. / CBS News