Northwest Briefly: Hearing Monday on Makah tribe’s whaling plan
Published 9:26 pm Monday, June 2, 2008
SEATTLE — The federal Fisheries Service is holding a public hearing in Seattle on the Makah Indian tribe’s request for a permit to hunt gray whales.
The 6:30 p.m. Monday hearing at the Lake Union Park Armory is one of three the National Marine Fisheries Service is holding on a draft of a whaling impact statement. Others are in Port Angeles and Silver Springs, Md.
The draft discusses a harvest of up to 20 whales in a five-year period with restrictions on the timing and locations in the Strait of Juan de Fuca near the reservation at Neah Bay.
The tribe has a treaty right to whaling and killed its first whale in 70 years in 1999. But the Makah did not have permission for the whale killed in September by five tribal members.
@3. Headline News Briefs 14 no:Art museum director Mimi Gates retiring
Mimi Gates says she’s retiring after 15 years as director of the Seattle Art Museum, effective July 1.
Gates announced her retirement on Monday. The museum’s Board of Trustees says Gates will be named director emeritus after her retirement.
The Board of Trustees says it’s in the process of forming a search committee to determine a successor for Gates.
Gates is married to Bill Gates Sr., father of the billionaire Microsoft co-founder.
@3. Headline News Briefs 14 no bold lede-in:University cracks down on off-campus parties
Seattle University shut down two off-campus parties by warning students they would be held responsible for any underage drinking or student code of conduct violations.
Assistant Dean of Students Glen Butterworth checks party announcements on Facebook and then visits students to make them aware of policies.
Some of the 7,500 students at the Jesuit university in Seattle complain administrators are snooping and the tactics are heavy-handed. But the university says its care for students doesn’t stop when they leave the classroom.
Bonney Lake: Boating parties disturb residents
Some residents of Lake Tapps are complaining about boaters who tie up together as a raft to party in a cove.
They drink, play loud music, yell obscenities, urinate in the lake and become a nuisance.
The Pierce County Council this week will consider raising the fine for rafting from $60 to $300.
Rafting in the lake has been banned since 2005 except for one large area of open water.
Ocean Shores: Oil cleaned up from beach
The Grays Harbor Emergency Management department says crews have cleaned up some oil that washed ashore near Ocean Shores.
The department deputy director, Anne Sullivan, says the public beach access Monday is back to normal.
The department had asked people to stay away after oil was reported Saturday from the Ocean Shores jetty to about a mile north.
Vancouver, Wash.: Cop shoots SUV’s tires
A Vancouver police officer struggled with a suspect during a traffic stop and the man took off, briefly entangling the officer in the seat belt.
The officer received a minor injury Sunday evening but was able to pursue the fleeing vehicle. Clark County deputies then spotted the vehicle.
The Chevrolet Suburban was seen parked on the side of the road. Deputies say the driver quickly got into the SUV. Police say the suspect put the vehicle in reverse and attempted to strike a deputy. But he fired at the Suburban striking the SUV’s front tires.
After a short pursuit, the driver ran into a field. A police dog found the suspect, who surrendered.
The 26-year-old Vancouver man has been booked into the Clark County Law Enforcement Center on several charges.
Olympia: Oregon native turns 109 today
Daisy Murphy celebrates her 109th birthday Tuesday at the Colonial Inn assisted-living home in Olympia.
She’s too modest to offer advice, but her 73-year-old son, Don Murphy of Olympia, says her long life is attributed to a positive attitude, a lifelong love of learning and a healthy lifestyle.
Born in 1899, Daisy Murphy grew up in Scappoose, Ore., and earned a teaching certificate from what is now Western Oregon University. She and her husband and three children moved to Olympia just before World War II.
Murphy has voted in every election since women got the right to vote. She keeps up on current events with the help of caregivers who read the newspaper to her.
Enumclaw: Logger statue nearly ready
A memorial statue to loggers is almost ready for the formal dedication on June 14 in downtown Enumclaw.
Larger-than-life bronze oxen and a driver are already in place, waiting for a 20-foot bronze log to arrive from a Tacoma foundry.
The Logging Legacy Memorial Park pays tribute to loggers who lost their lives in the past century.
The park foundation has raised close to $550,000 since 2002 for the memorial.
Oregon: 87-year-old attacked by dogs
Police say an 87-year old Estacada woman was attacked by four dogs that escaped from their kennel.
Police say Stella Severtsen was taking her nightly stroll Saturday when the dogs escaped from a well-enclosed, eight-foot, chain-link kennel area.
A neighbor who witnessed the event says Severtsen was on the ground and surrounded by the biting dogs. But as the neighbor approached her to help, the dogs began to wag their tails and act friendly.
Severtsen suffered injuries on her arms and leg and was taken to the hospital.
This is the first attack, but the dog owners were concerned about such aggressiveness and suggested it may be best to voluntarily euthanize the animals.
@3. Headline News Briefs 14 no bold lede-in:Blind man and guide dog climb Mount Hood
A legally blind mountaineer has climbed Mount Hood — making it to the top.
With the help of his guide dog, Rasha, and his best friend, Diego Joven, 37-year-old John Wimmer has already conquered about a half-dozen mountains across the western United States.
Wimmer says he lost his eyesight at age 5, but he has never lost his spirit. His message to others: Go after your dreams.
Wimmer said Sunday that people have stereotypes about abilities and limitations, and he would like to abolish those.
On Monday, the climbing trio headed north to tackle Mount Rainier.
Wimmer says they will also be using their trips to document the effects of pollution, raise money for UNICEF and raise awareness about climate change.
They are documenting their journey on the Web site WhatsYourImpossible.com.
@3. Headline News Briefs 14 no bold lede-in:First step in shipwreck salvage job complete
A contractor has completed the first major step in removing the New Carissa shipwreck — jacking up the first of two 170-foot barges that will carry away salvage.
Sunday’s task was critical, said David Parrot, owner and founder of Titan Maritime, the Florida company that landed a $16.4 million contract to remove the wreck, paid for by money the state got from the ship’s owner.
The New Carissa ran aground near Coos Bay in 1999, breaking apart and spilling 70,000 to 140,000 gallons of fuel oil.
Associated Press
