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Mayor of Marysville establishes new Youth Council

Press Release, Office of the Mayor, Dec. 3, 2012

Mayor establishes new Youth Council; seeks student members to give young people a stronger voice in their community’s future

MARYSVILLE – The voice of Marysville’s youth needs to be a bigger part of the dialogue when talking about how the community builds for tomorrow.

Mayor Jon Nehring is establishing a new Youth Council to create that essential link among Marysville’s teens, the community and city government.

The Youth Council will advise the Mayor on issues affecting young people in Marysville and provide youth perspective on a range of community issues and topics. The Council will also provide a forum to engage with City leaders, participate in a community service project, and connect with their peers, and learn about civics and city government.

“I’m hoping that we get young people to become involved from a variety of diverse cultures and backgrounds, who are ready to share their valuable views with city government,” Nehring says. “My goal is that every young man and woman will leave the Youth Council with a better understanding of civic duty and a moral responsibility to our community.”

Nehring also believes young people willbenefit from involvement in the Youth Council through developing their personal and employability skills.

The Youth Council is open to Marysville teens ages 14-18 and enrolled in public or private school, or home-schooled (at the City’s discretion and under some circumstances, 13-year-olds may be permitted to join). Parent or guardian signature required for all ages.

Interested applicants are invited to download the application from the City website at http://marysvillewa.gov/youthcouncil. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10. Return in care of Youth Council/Doug Buell, Marysville City Hall, 1049 State Ave., Marysville, WA 98270. Or scan signed copy to dbuell@marysvillewa.gov.

The Youth Council will be structured to meet monthly for one-hour, after-school meetings in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. However, as a substitute for sitting in meetings, field trips such as the Police Department, a Fire Station, Municipal Court, Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center, and a spring community service project, could also become part of the annual agenda, as well as other recreation activities.

For more information contact Community Information Officer Doug Buell, Youth Council Liaison, at (360) 363-8086 or email dbuell@marysvillewa.gov. You will be notified of a kick-off meeting to be scheduled later in January 2013. Food and refreshments will be provided.

Pink Salmon Broodstock Spawned to Protect Elwha Run

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe hatchery technician Keith Lauderback sorts through pink salmon eggs at the tribe’s hatchery.

Source: Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Pink salmon are the most abundant salmon species in the Northwest, but the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe didn’t want to risk losing the Elwha River pink population with the current removal of the river’s two fish-blocking dams.

The deconstruction of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams are part of the massive project to restore the Elwha River after nearly 100 years of blocked flows and degraded salmon habitat. One result of the project is that high levels of sediment once trapped trapped behind the dams are now flowing downriver.

“We weren’t sure how the pinks were going to be affected by the dam deconstruction activity, so we wanted to take precautions to protect them,” said Larry Ward, the tribe’s hatchery manager. “The historical population of pinks in the Elwha River was 400,000 to 600,000. The current run is 200, making it a chronically depressed stock of fish.”

While pinks have a lower commercial value, they play an important role in a properly functioning ecosystem by providing food for other animals and contributing nutrients to the watershed.

“The habitat in the lower river for pinks wasn’t great when the dams were in place, but they were using it,” Ward said.

Pinks returning to the Elwha River in 2011 were collected and spawned. The fertilized eggs were incubated at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Hurd Creek Hatchery, then sent to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Manchester Research Station, where they were reared to adults. The fish, 300 males and 132 females, were then brought back to Elwha in August for spawning.

A portion of the fertilized eggs from this fall’s spawning will go back into the pink salmon broodstock program, while the rest will be reared to smolts and released from the Elwha Hatchery into the river in spring 2014. The broodstock program is expected to continue through the 2015 pink salmon cycle.

The tribe’s partners in this program are NOAA, WDFW, Olympic National Park, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and citizen volunteers.

It’s bingo time at the Senior Center

Article and photo by Jeannie Briones

TULALIP, Wash. – Tulalip tribal elders and community members started New Year festivities early on December 31st, with a game of bingo where the top three winners won cash prizes.

“We come down to have breakfast, socialize, and to see everybody,” said Tulalip elder April Moses.

The staff at the Tulalip Senior Center work to put together daily meals and provide a safe place for elders to feel comfortable.

For more information about activities, schedules, or other question, please call the Senior Center Main Line at 360-716-4684.

Jeannie Briones: 360-716-4188;jbriones@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Chief Spence urged to end hunger strike for her health

Article by Monica Brown

As Attawapiskat’s Chief Theresa Spence’s 17th day of her hunger strike over bill C-45 comes to an end she is being urged by the federal health minister and first nation’s leader to end her hunger strike since they fear for her health. They are suggesting she meet with Aboriginal Affairs Minister, John Duncan whom she has refused to meet and speak with stating that she wishes to meet with Prime Minister Harper. Chief Spence has only had fish broth and water for the last 17 days as she is camped out in a teepee on the island which is considered by the Anishinabe to be traditional territory.

In support of Chief Spence flash mobs of round dance protesting have begun all over Canada and recently across the globe urging this problem be addressed. People have been invited to support and join Chief Spence in her hunger strike for a four day fast.

New Democrat MP Charlie Angus has said that Chief Spence’s hunger strike has entered a deadly phase and is reaching out to other chief’s in order to solve what has become a national crisis. Stating that, “This is much bigger than Theresa Spence, it’s much bigger than an individual community, this is across the country now and it really needs the prime minister to take action.”

Plans for protests across Canada and the U.S. are still in the works for the coming week and hopes are that this will meet an agreeable end.

Tulalip fishermen spruce up their vessels for 2013

Tribal members Joe Hatch Jr and Joe Hatch Sr working together to install a rebuilt motor.

Article and photo by Jeannie Briones

TULALIP, Wash. – For Tulalip Tribal fisherman Joe Hatch Sr, fishing is in his blood. For 30 years he has fished the waters around Tulalip and is passing down his line of work to his son Joe Hatch, Jr. On December 28th, both father and son were in good spirits at the Tulalip Marina as they worked on transporting the rebuilt motor that the F/V WinterHalter will be sporting when it carries in the next catch of geoduck, clams and halibut.

Jeannie Briones: 360-716-4188; jbriones@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

MOHAI reopens in new location

Article by Monica Brown

The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) is reopening in its new location on the weekend before the New Year. The new location is at Lake Union Park within a restored facility which offers 50,000 square feet of exhibit space.

The two permanent exhibits comprise of, True Northwest: The Seattle Journey which features thousands of artifacts and images which tell the regions history and Waterways to the World a maritime gallery with artifacts from the MOHAI and Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society. The two temporary exhibits will on display are; Celluloid Seattle, examines Seattle’s relationship with film and how it has developed over history on display till Sept 8^th, 2013 and Punctum/Poetry, will help bring to life MOHAI’s historic photo collection through poetry and spoken word produced by Seattle high school students and will be on display till May 27^th, 2013.

Exhibits soon to come are; Still Afloat, Seattle’s Floating Homes and The Center for Innovation an exploration and showcase of the region’s history of innovation.

The MOHAI is located at:

860 Terry Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

Hours of Operation:

Open daily from 10am to 5pm and Thursdays 10am to 5pm, except Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Admission prices:

Free for youth, 14 and under (with adult)

$14 for adults
$12 for seniors (65 and older), Students and Military

Admission is free the first Thursday of every month.

For inquiries please either visit their site MOHAI or call at 206-324-1126

Paine Field possibly going commercial

Article and Photo by Monica Brown

The question on many minds of the residents in the Snohomish county; is Paine Field going to have commercial flights? On December 4th the FAA announced that they found no significant impact that would prevent Paine Field from taking on commercial flights.

In 2008, studies began to assess whether Paine Field would be able to support commercial flights. The study was so extensive it assessed the effect it would have until the year 2018 on subjects from noise to the economy. The Washington State Department of Transportation did an Economic Impact Study and estimated that the potential of commercialized flights at Paine Field would directly and indirectly produce 65,430 jobs and $5.5 billion in income.

Tulalip Tribes, along with other nearby tribes, were notified of Paine Field’s intention of establishing commercial flights and asked if they had any concerns they would like to address. The Tribes were assured if during construction for a new runway that any cultural findings came about further construction would be halted, but that the land intended for construction was “pre-disturbed land”.

Airlines interested include Allegiant Air and Horizon Air. The planes would seat 75 – 150 and would land and depart only a few times an hour. Before they can take on commercial flights parking will need to be expanded and another runway built. The Environmental Assessment found that air quality, noise levels, traffic would not be reason for concern.

Monica Brown: 360-716-4198; mbrown@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

EPA Awards $65,000 to the Comanche Tribe of Oklahoma to Improve and Protect Its Water Quality

Release Date: 12/21/2012
Contact Information: Jennah Durant or Austin Vela, 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov.

(DALLAS – December 21, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Comanche Tribe of Oklahoma $65,000 to provide continued support for the tribe’s water pollution control program. The funds will be used to take samples to assess surface water quality on tribal lands, compile data which may show changes over time and determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed. Sampling data will determine whether water quality standards are being met, note any changes in the quality or condition of the tribe’s water, and provide planning tools to improve the function and health of stream ecosystems.

The mission of the EPA is to protect public health and the environment. The EPA supports efforts to improve the quality of tribal land watersheds. This cooperative spirit supports work to protect water quality that ensures the health of watersheds that cross state and tribal boundaries.

Additional Information on EPA grants is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html

Census Bureau Projects U.S. Population of 315.1 Million on New Year’s Day

Release Information

CB12-255

Contact: Robert Bernstein
Public Information Office
301-763-3030

As our nation prepares to begin the New Year, the U.S. Census Bureau today projected that on Jan. 1, 2013, the total United States population will be 315,091,138. This represents an increase of 2,272,462, or 0.73 percent, from New Year’s Day 2012 and an increase of 6,343,630, or 2.05 percent, since the most recent Census Day (April 1, 2010).

In January 2013, one birth is expected to occur every eight seconds in the United States and one death every 12 seconds.

Four day fast to show support for Chief Spence

Chief Theresa Spence of the Attawapiskat First Nation in Ontario has vowed to die unless Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor General David Johnston to discuss the needed respect for aboriginal treaties which pertain to their housing, food and education. A four day fast has been called to honor Chief Spence who is now in her 17th day of her hunger strike.

People across North America are being asked to pray for Chief Spence and Canadian Prime Minister Harper that he “open his eyes and heart”. They have been asked to join her in a four day fast to show support. The fast will begin today December 27 and run to December 31.

Chief Spence will end her hunger strike if her request to meet with Canadian governmental officials is granted. No meeting has been granted or arranged at this time.