Skokomish tribal member Annette Smith hauls in chum salmon in southern Hood Canal.
Source: Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
Fishermen in Hood Canal saw a record number of fall chum salmon return this year with an expected runsize of 1.4 million.
Tribal and state managers reported that tribal and non-tribal fishermen caught 1.186 million fall chum in Hood Canal when the expected return was only 324,000. Last year, fishermen caught nearly 582,000 from a final runsize of 674,000.
Skokomish Tribe fishermen in particular were inundated with the amount of fall chum, most of which are produced from WDFW’s Hoodsport and George Adams Hatcheries and the Skokomish Tribes’ Enetai hatchery.
“With the large amount of salmon returning this fall, our fishermen and buyers attempted to keep up with the non-treaty fleet consisting of purse seine and gillnet vessels,” said Joseph Pavel, the tribe’s natural resources director. “The market was flooded by the non-treaty purse seine fleet, landing more than 442,000 fall chum in the last week of October.”
Excess salmon were recycled at a composting facility on the reservation. A local yard and garden supplier has been brought in to manage the composting operation.
Special events leading up to 2014 include Seattle Center Winterfest, through Dec. 31; New Year’s Eve at the Space Needle, Dec. 31; Seattle Parks Polar Plunge Jan. 1.
It’s the last weekend of the holiday season and there’s still time to get out and experience light displays, the downtown carousel and other holiday happenings before it’s time to ring in the New Year.
Seattle Center Winterfest continues through Tuesday’s big New Year’s Eve celebration. Weekend entertainment includes Massive Monkees dance crew at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, and the Winterfest Ice Rink is open daily through Jan. 5.
Tuesday, New Year’s Eve, there’s a free, all-ages dance at Seattle Center Armory from 8-11:45 p.m. and the ice rink is open until 11:30 p.m. so there’s plenty to do before the up-close view of the grand fireworks show off our Space Needle to welcome 2014 at midnight.
Along with Seattle Center crowds, people at venues around the area with views of the Needle and TV viewers locally and around the world will admire the festive spectacle, one of the world’s largest structure-launched fireworks displays. First-time partner KEXP coordinates the music score for the show, broadcast on 90.3 FM for everyone watching the display, also broadcast live on KING-5 TV.
The Space Needle Observation Deck and restaurants close at 6 p.m. Monday for private, sold-out events. The Monorail is great way to get to Seattle Center, but for safety reasons, it’s closed from approximately 11:15 p.m. until the fireworks show is over, resuming about 12:20 a.m. and continuing until 1 a.m. to get you back downtown after the show.
For anyone looking for a bold, brave and kind of crazy start for your New Year, take a dip in Lake Washington at the Seattle Parks Polar Plunge Wednesday at Matthews Beach Park.
Be ready for anything in 2014 after immersing yourself neck-deep in the cold lake and earning your Official Badge of Courage to commemorate the adventurous achievement.
More than 1,800 people of all ages are expected at the event along with their fans and supporters, and registration is required to earn your badge, so come early; carpools or arriving by bus or bike is suggested. Warm beverages are provided and costumes are encouraged for the festive event.
For younger participants or anyone who needs a bit more room, the more low-key “Polar Cub Club” dip precedes the big main event. The official group plunge is at noon; some adventurous folks do both.
CARNATION, WA. – Inside the Snoqualmie Tribe Food Bank in Carnation, volunteer Fred Vosk said it is an all you can eat place where all are welcome.
Becky Fredrickson volunteers at the food bank too, and added that they do not ask a lot of questions.
“We don’t say show us what you make. They are here. They need food. We have food. We help them,” said Fredrickson.
But in a matter of days they will shut the doors.
“It breaks my heart because there’s many people who need extra food. I see a lot of children in here,” said Fredrickson. “It hurts.”
“We are open Christmas Eve and then that’s it,” said Vosk.
The Snoqualmie Tribe, which sponsors the food bank, decided it was time to close.
Jaime Martin, the Communications and Public Relations Officer for the Snoqualmie Tribe, emailed the following statement:
“The Snoqualmie Tribe is always looking to become more efficient and because of that the Snoqualmie Tribal Council has made their decision to close the Snoqualmie Tribe Food Bank. The tribe was going to close the Food Bank in September but they decided to keep it open through the holidays. The Tribe has donated more than $3.5 million to Puget Sound nonprofits, including multiple food banks, and will continue to do so.”
Vosk said the Snoqualmie Tribe has kept the food bank going for 38 years.
“They backed us so nicely,” said Vosk.
Now food bank volunteers hope to work with the city of Carnation. If they can get a new building to operate out of and a truck, they will try to reopen.
Everett, Wash. Dec. 16, 2013—It’s time to head over to the Skagit River and see one of the largest wintering populations of bald eagles in the lower 48 states. Visitors can view and learn about them from volunteers with the Eagle Watchers Program hosted by the US Forest Service. Three viewing stations with off-highway parking along North Cascades Highway 20 provide spotting scopes and binoculars to help you see the birds up close. Volunteers will staff stations Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 21-Jan. 26.
Eagle Watcher stations are located at Howard Miller Steelhead Park in Rockport, Sutter Creek Rest area (milepost 100) and the Marblemount Fish Hatchery. Look for the yellow signs. View a map showing the viewing sites and learn more about Skagit River wildlife. Call 360-856-5700 ext. 515 for more information.
Tulalip Bay Fire Dept. annual Santa Run and food drive
Santa and the family of Christina Leea singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Article and photos by Andrew Gobin/Tulalip News
Tulalip Bay Fire Department brought a little Christmas cheer to the neighborhoods of Tulalip. A parade of the department’s two fire engines and ambulance had Santa riding along on an engine, jumping off to pass out hugs and candy canes to kids from one to ninety-two, all the while trumpeting horns and blasting sirens to let people know that Santa had come to town.
Kids and their families lined the streets on December 14th and 15th as Santa rolled through with his firefighting elves. The children’s faces lit up as soon as they saw him, or maybe that was from all the lights decorating the fire engines. A few times Santa and his elves joined families for a chorus of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Passing neighborhood traffic didn’t seem to mind Santa parading down the street, many times passing cars stopped to join the holiday festivities.
The Holiday Santa run started at 5pm each day and lasted five hours, all the while collecting food and monetary donations for the Tulalip Food Bank. Santa and his elves filled the ambulance with donations over the course of the weekend.
There are many photos of Santa visiting children and their families. To view them please visit tulalipnews.com, or see our new facebook page; search Tulalip News.
That night she finished ahead of Jennifer Smolen of Marysville and Deborah Parker of Tulalip in the final round of balloting by the district’s precinct committee officers.
County Council members interviewed the three nominees before voting 5-0 to install Robinson in the $42,106-a-year job representing residents in Everett, Tulalip and a slice of Marysville.
Smolen, an Iraq war veteran, worked as an aide for state Sen. Steve Hobbs in 2011 and then for Snohomish County Councilwoman Stephanie Wright in late 2011 and early 2012.
Parker is the elected vice chairwoman of the Tulalip Tribes. She formerly worked as legislative policy analyst for the tribes.
Republican Councilman John Koster, a former state lawmaker, praised the talents of the three women, calling them “the best group of people we’ve ever interviewed” for a political appointment.
“This was probably one of the most difficult decisions this council has had,” he said.
Councilman Brian Sullivan, a Democrat and another onetime legislator, described the trio as an “an all-star cast.”
And Councilman Dave Somers, also a Democrat, said the three women are shining examples of public service and each would be a star in the Legislature.
Robinson has spent her career involved in programs dealing with human services and community health care. She told the council she would like to serve on House committees that deal with those issues.
She’s worked as a program manager for King County Public Health since 2012 and said she’ll take a leave of absence when the Legislature begins its 60-day regular session in January.
She formerly served as executive director of the Housing Consortium of Everett and Snohomish County which focuses on expanding affordable housing in the community.
She also is a member of the city of Everett’s Salary Commission and its Human Needs Committee. And she is on the steering committee of the Northwest Neighborhood Association.
Robinson ran unsuccessfully for Everett City Council in 2011 and 2012. She had been seeking an open seat on the council until Sen. Nick Harper resigned in early November.
When it seemed clear either McCoy or state Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett, would be chosen to fill Harper’s seat, she ended her council pursuit to focus on securing whichever seat opened. She said a number of people encouraged her to do so, including House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle.
Robinson is married and has two sons who are both in college.
Complimentary photos with Santa’s helpers at the main east entrance from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM!
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Players must be present to win. Card activation required between 12:00 PM (noon) and 12:00 AM (midnight) on all drawing dates, except Christmas Day between 6:00 AM and 12:00 AM (midnight). All winners will be drawn by virtual selection through the player tracking database. Must be 21 and over.
Originally published on Thu December 12, 2013 5:58 pm
By ASHLEY AHEARN AND KATIE CAMPBELL AND ANTHONY SCHICK
China has suspended imports of shellfish from the west coast of the United States — an unprecedented move that cuts off a $270 million Northwest industry from its biggest export market.
China said it decided to impose the ban after recent shipments of geoduck clams from Northwest waters were found by its own government inspectors to have high levels of arsenic and a toxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning.
The restriction took effect last week and China’s government says it will continue indefinitely. It applies to clams, oysters and all other two-shelled bivalves harvested from the waters of Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Northern California. U.S. officials think the contaminated clams were harvested in Washington or Alaska. Right now they’re waiting to hear back from Chinese officials for more details that will help them identify the exact source.
State and federal agencies oversee inspection and certification to prevent the shipment of tainted shellfish. Jerry Borchert of the Washington Department of Health said he’s never encountered such a ban based on the Chinese government’s assertion that these U.S. safeguards failed to screen out contaminated seafood.
“They’ve never done anything like that, where they would not allow shellfish from this entire area based on potentially two areas or maybe just one area. We don’t really know yet,” Borchert said.
The biggest blow could fall to those who farm or harvest the supersized geoduck clams. In the Northwest, they’re concentrated in Washington’s Puget Sound, where about 5 million pounds of wild geoduck are harvested each year. Aquaculture accounts for an additional 2 million pounds, according to estimates from the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
Blake Severns inspects a wild geoduck just plucked from the bottom of Puget Sound. Severn is a diver with the the Washington Department of Natural Resources Aquatics Resource Division. Courtesy of KOUW news
A barricade around the Chinese consumer market means trouble for those in the Northwest who rely on Asian trade.
“It’s had an incredible impact,” said George Hill, the geoduck harvest coordinator for Puget Sound’s Suquamish Tribe. “A couple thousand divers out of work right now.”
The U.S. exported $68 million worth of geoduck clams in 2012 — most of which came from Puget Sound. Nearly 90 percent of that geoduck went to China.
Geoduck are highly prized in China, where the clams sell for retail prices of $100 to $150 per pound. Although geoduck are harvested year round, demand peaks during the holiday season leading up to the Chinese celebration of the lunar new year — which falls on Jan. 31 for 2014.
The geoduck (pronounced “GOO-ee-duck”) is a the world’s largest burrowing clam. It’s slow-growing, regularly reaching 100 years old and often weighing as much as 10 pounds.
Harvesters are waiting for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to negotiate with the Chinese government to come to an agreement on how to move forward and reopen shellfish trade. NOAA stopped issuing certification for shellfish exports last Friday.
Officials say the investigation is ongoing but the closure could last for months. While the industry awaits a resolution at the international level, it is adjusting to the new reality.
The Suquamish Tribe is trying to develop other markets in New York, California and locally at seafood markets in Seattle, Hill said.
Bill Dewey, a spokesman for the largest shellfish supplier in Washington said his company, Taylor Shellfish, is looking at other solutions.
“I was just talking to our geoduck manager and he’s got two harvest crews and three beach crews essentially doing makework,” Dewey said. “He’s too nice a guy to lay them off during the holidays but there’s only so much you can be charitable about making work for people and eventually you’re going to have to lay them off.”
Please join Red Eagle Soaring Native Youth Theatre on Sunday, December 15th for a performance of As Long As The Rivers Run, an original musical play by Roger Fernandes (Lower Elwha Klallam) about the historical and contemporary relationship between salmon and Northwest Native peoples. Reception and refreshments following, all are welcome.
