Click the highlighted link below to download the January 21, 2015 Tulalip See-Yaht-Sub
Month: January 2015
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and City of Sequim Partner
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and City of Sequim Partner to Connect Blyn Facilities to Sequim Wastewater Treatment Plant
By: City of Sequim
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and the City of Sequim are pleased to announce their partnership to connect the Tribal government facilities and businesses in Blyn to the City of Sequim Wastewater Treatment Plant.The project has been under consideration by the Tribe since 2005, when Clallam County Commissioners first approved extension of sewer lines both east and west of the City.
In 2010, the City’s Wastewater and Reclamation facility was expanded to make such extensions possible, and the City Council expressed its goal of becoming a regional service provider and fostering partnerships within the city and the county.
Sequim City Manager Steve Burkett said “We are very excited about this new opportunity to work in partnership with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and utilize the capacity of our Wastewater Treatment Plant to provide service to the region. This agreement will benefit members of the Tribe, City residents, and have a positive impact on the environment.”
In 2011, the Tribe undertook a long-term comprehensive study, its Utility Master Plan, to determine whether to replace Tribal septic systems with an on-site wastewater facility, or to connect to Sequim’s existing utility.
“In the short and long run,” said Tribal COO Annette Nesse, “this plan is more cost-effective and better for the environment. Connecting to the sewer system allows the Tribe to move waste disposal away from the Sequim Bay ecosystem and its precious resources.”
Pumping wastewater away from Sequim Bay to a state-of-the-art facility furthers the Tribe’s support of the Clean Water District and reduction of harmful nutrients to marine waters. In 2006, the Tribe completed the restoration of Jimmycomelately and Dean Creeks in Blyn, to recreate the habitat that has since fostered recovery of the summer chum salmon population. In addition, the Tribe has worked tirelessly to restore the south Sequim Bay habitat to a productive marine environment for natural and farmed shellfish production. All of these efforts, as well as the decision to connect to the Sequim Wastewater facility, are part of the Tribe’s comprehensive plan goal of preserving and protecting treaty rights. This Tribal goal translates to the shared benefit of environmental protection for the entire Clallam County community.
The project – installation of approximately 6.5 miles of pipe – is estimated to cost $8.3 million ($2.3 million less than the projected cost of building an on-site wastewater system), which will be paid for by the Tribe.
The expansion extends outside the city limits, beyond the bounds of the Urban Growth Area onto Tribal reservation lands. The Growth Management Act prohibits any connections to the system along the route. Other properties between Sequim and the Tribal properties will not be allowed to join in.
Although the agreement is between the Tribe and the City of Sequim, Clallam County is involved, and has offered its support.
“This seems like a well-considered decision. In my opinion regionalization of Sequim’s wastewater facilities will have long term benefits for all jurisdictions,” said Bob Martin, Administrative Director of Clallam County Public Works.
The next steps include convening internal Tribal meetings with engineering firm Parametrix to pin down more details of the “Sequim Connection,” and then meet with the City staff to draft a formal agreement before construction begins.
MPHS evacuated due to bomb threat
By Tulalip News staff
MARYSVILLE – Marysville School District received a bomb threat at approximately 1:45 today at the Marysville-Pilchuck High School according to a release from the district.
A notice to parents states the district has evacuated staff and students to the north lot off of Tomahawk turnpike. Local law enforcement is requesting that vehicles be left on campus.
District buses will pick up students out of the north lot. Special Education Life Skills students will be able to be picked up at the north lot as well.
Student reunification will take place at the church on 51st Avenue and 116th. Students may ride a bus home, get a ride with parent or guardian, or stay on campus at the evacuation site.
Vehicles will be available for pick up once the scene has been released by law enforcement. Families with students enrolled in the district will receive additional school messenger calls notifying them once they are available.
Lady Hawks 3rd quarter rally not enough to overcome Orcas Christian, lose 27-50
Photo/Micheal Rios
by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
Coming off their first win of the season, the (1-11) Lady Hawks were looking to keep the momentum going when they hosted the (7-2) Orcas Christian Saints on January 13. The Lady Hawks had two new players making their home debut, sophomore center #40 Cyena Fryberg and junior guard #2 Kaenisha Herrera, giving the team eight active players for the first time all season.
The 1st quarter started off well as forward Jaylin Rivera collected an offensive rebound and scored off her putback field goal. Two possessions later guard Michelle Iukes made a 3-pointer to tie the game at 5-5. The team’s momentum then was halted as Orcas Christian switched into their ‘diamond defense’ that calls for full-court trapping of any Lady Hawk ball handler. The Orcas Christian defense forced seven turnovers and allowed the Saints to go on a 7-0 run to end the quarter.
Starting the 2nd quarter the Lady Hawks trailed 5-12. Orcas Christian continued to implement their ‘diamond defense’, forcing ten more Lady Hawk turnovers. When the Lady Hawks were able to break the Saints’ pressure and advance the ball to the frontcourt they were able to get quality looks at the basket. Point guard Myrna Red Leaf made two jumpers and Iukes nailed a deep 2-pointer and a free throw to give the Lady Hawks 7 points in the quarter. However, on the other side the Saints were getting easy looks from their forced turnovers and scored 19 points in the quarter. At halftime the Lady Hawks trailed 12-31.
During the 3rd quarter the Saints stopped playing their ‘diamond defense’ and went to a more typical half-court press. The Lady Hawks were able to advance the ball quickly and break down that defense, especially for their 3-point shooters. Both Cyena Fryberg and Iukes were able to get open and make a 3-point shot, followed by a pair of made free-throws by forward Jaylin Rivera. When Red Leaf hit her 2-point jumper the Lady Hawks had gone an 11-2 run to win the 3rd quarter 11-7. With more quarter remaining the Lady Hawks cut their deficit to 15 points, 23-38.
Red Leaf and Iukes connected on back-to-back jumpers following a Saints’ made free throw to open the 4th quarter. Their buckets pulled them within 12, 27-39 with 5:00 to play. Unfortunately, that was all the offense the Lady Hawks would get in the final quarter as the Saints closed the game on an 11-0 run. The Lady Hawks lost 27-50, but would be encouraged by their play in the 3rd quarter as a sign of how good they are capable of playing.
Hawks balanced scoring effort prevails over Orcas Christian, 83-70
Photo/Micheal Rios
by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
The (8-3) Tulalip Heritage Hawks hosted the (1-7) Orcas Christian Saints at Francy J. Sheldon court on Tuesday, January 13. It was the second matchup of the season for these two teams, with the Hawks edging the Saints 76-63 back in December. The Hawks were fresh off their disappointing showing to the Lummi Blackhawks and wanted to get back to their winning ways.
Shooting guard Dontae Jones caught fire in the opening quarter, scoring 11 straight points for the Hawks at one point. Taking advantage of the zone defense the Saints were running early, Jones hit three 3-pointers and then made two of three free-throws after he was fouled shooting another three-ball. On the defensive side, the Hawks were being challenged by the Saints’ speedy point guard Michael Harris and big man center Cyrus Amour. At the end of the 1st quarter the Hawks led 19-13.
A quickly made 3-pointer by forward Willy Enick pushed the Hawks lead to 22-13 to start the 2nd quarter. The Saints responded by pounding the ball down low to their center Cyrus Amour who was able to shoot over the smaller Hawk defenders. Amour also was busy collecting offensive rebounds for his team due to the Hawks not boxing him out. Point guard Jesse Louie took advantage of his size mismatch over Saints’ point guard Michael Harris by driving to the rim and shooting baseline jumpers. Louie led the Hawks in scoring in the 2nd quarter with 8 points. However, the Hawks led by only 3 points 34-31 at halftime.
During the halftime intermission Hawks coach Cyrus “Bubba” Fryberg did not hesitate to tell his players they needed to focus and lock-in defensively. “When they shoot you have to find your man and box-out. Number 31 (Amour) needs to be boxed-out. I want the post to be working. You guys are getting outworked down there. Number 31 (Amour) is killing us on the boards. That means everyone has to help rebound. Crash the boards. We are getting killed defensively and that’s the only reason why it’s a close game.”
The Hawks came out in full-on attack mode to start the 2nd half. They went on a 7-0 run that led the Saints to calling a timeout; Hawks led 42-31 with 5:45 remaining in the 3rd. After a pair of Anthony McLean free-throws the Hawks had a 13 point lead. Hearing the voice of their coach, the Hawks put major emphasis on shutting down Saints center Cyrus Amour. They held him to only 4 points in the quarter, but their focus on Amour allowed Saints’ point guard Michael Harris to take advantage of his one-on-one coverage. He scored 13 points in the quarter to keep his team in the game. At the end of the 3rd quarter the Hawks led 58-50.
In the 4th quarter the Hawks offensive barrage continued as center Robert Miles and guard Ayrik Miranda combined to score 17 points. As a team they scored a game high 25 points in the final quarter, more than enough to secure an 83-70 victory over the Saints. For the Hawks it was the best offensive showing of the season, scoring a season high 83 points and having five players score 15 plus points.
“Better job defensively in that second half,” coach Fryberg told the Hawks players following their win. “We have to continue to improve defensively. Where do we improve? In practice. We will be working hard on our defense so we’re better prepared during our games.”
New chair of Senate Indian Affairs committee backs KXL, By Brandon Ecoffey
Source: Lastrealindians.com
WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Thursday of last week, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) was elected chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. On Friday, he turned around and took a crap on the majority of his Native American constituents.
Barrasso was elected by his colleagues in the senate last Thursday to take the chairman position of the ever important Senate Indian Affairs Committee formerly occupied by Sen. John Tester (D-Mt). The committee is responsible for reviewing and developing legislation impacting Indian Country and has had its ups and downs. However, the committee has been effective recently in passing bills with strong bipartisan support.
Sen. Tester had been one of the most active chairmen of the committee in recent history but lost the position after Republicans took control of the senate during this fall’s midterm elections. Under Tester’s watch several important pieces of legislation designed to address everything from IRS harassment in Indian Country to those supporting language revitalization efforts were fast tracked for passage.
In a statement Sen. Barrasso said that he looked forward to continuing passing bills on behalf of tribes.
“I’m honored to serve as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. I look forward to working with Vice Chairman Tester and the members on the Committee to pass legislation that helps improve the lives of people across Indian country,” said Sen. Barrasso.
Sen. Barrasso was appointed to the senate in 2007, to fill a seat left vacant by Craig L. Thomas. In 2008 he won a special election for the seat and was reelected to the senate in 2012.
Despite spending nearly a decade serving in Congress, Barrasso, seemingly missed the memo outlining the position of tribes on Keystone XL. While speaking on the Senate floor last Friday, Sen. Barrasso, vowed to pass legislation that would force President Obama’s hand on the highly controversial pipeline.
“Now Republicans are going to show the leadership that the American people have been asking for and that they voted for last November. We’re going to bring a bill to the floor, force the President finally do to do something by putting it on the President’s desk. Democrats have been playing politics with this pipeline bill. The Republican majority will now get it done,” said Sen. Barrasso on the floor of the Senate.
The testimony on the Senate floor comes on the heels of statements clarifying his priorities while head of the Indian Affairs committee.
“As Chairman, I will focus on measures related to jobs, energy and natural resource development, health care, education and tribal self-governance. I will also make it a priority to remove red-tape and bureaucratic barriers to economic growth. Progress on these important issues will go a long way in helping tribal families, communities, and businesses succeed.”
According to Ballotpedia.com Barrasso is likely a sure bet to support legislation reflecting conservative ideas, “Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Barrasso is one of the most reliable Republican votes, meaning he can be considered a safe vote for the Republican Party in Congress.”
Will Sonobuoys In The Pacific Help The Navy But Harm Whales?
By Ashley Ahearn, KUOW
The Navy conducts training and testing in a stretch of the Pacific roughly the size of Montana.
It wants to continue and expand its activities in these waters off the West Coast from Washington to Northern California. But first, the Navy must renew its permit under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The plan calls for detonating explosives, moving vessels, and deploying 700 more sonobuoys per year. And that’s drawing criticism from environmentalists who say the increased use of sonar poses increased risk for whales and other marine mammals.
Sonobouys are three-feet-long cylindrical floats are dropped from aircraft into the water. They use active sonar for the audible clues that can help them locate enemy submarines.
“It’s a critical mission for the Navy to be able to identify and locate submarines and utilizing these types of equipment is how we do that job,” said John Mosher, the environment program manager for the Navy in the Northwest.
The Navy says it keeps a lookout for marine life before conducting tests. It estimates that the added buoys will lead to more than 100,000 potential sonar exposures for marine life.
Mosher acknowledge that “exposure numbers” for marine mammals will increase if the Navy gets its way.
“But I’d like to stress that those exposures are at the low level of behavioral disturbance,” he added. “The animals may hear the device but it’s that simple. No injury, no long-lasting impact whatsoever.”
EarthJustice lawyer Steve Mashuda said increased use of active sonar will disrupt marine mammals’ feeding, breeding and calving.
“It’s behavioral disruption, which doesn’t sound bad until you realize this is happening over and over and over again,” he said.
Mashuda said the Navy is increasing the potential risk to marine mammals without increasing the precautions it’s taking to avoid harming them during testing.
Environmentalists takes particular issue with the Navy’s proposal to conduct tests within the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. It’s an area known to be frequented by blue whales, humpback whales, gray whales and endangered orcas.
“We have been saying for a long time that we’re not attempting to stop the Navy from training,” Mashuda said. “But what we are saying is there are areas on the coast, particularly the Washington coast, where we know that there are higher concentrations of marine mammals.
The Navy did not respond to requests to comment about its need to conduct testing exercises in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
The Navy recently has been criticized by residents of the Olympic Peninsula for proposing to conduct electromagnetic warfare testing in the Olympic National Forest.
Residents of the island communities in Puget Sound report recent increases in loud fighter jets, or “growlers” overhead.
The Navy is expected to release a final environmental review of its proposed marine training and testing activities this summer. The public will have a final chance to comment then.
In preparing that final review, the Navy is holding open house meetingsand taking submitted comments until Feb. 2.
Upcoming public meetings:
Tuesday:
Grays Harbor College HUB
1620 Edward P. Smith Drive
Aberdeen, WA 98520
Wednesday:
Isaac Newton Magnet School Gym
825 NE 7th St
Newport, OR
Friday:
Eureka Public Marina, Wharfinger Building, Great Room
1 Marina Way
Eureka, CA 95501
Navy Seeks Permits To Expand Testing Off Northwest Coast
U.S. Navy
By Ashley Ahearn, KUOW
SEATTLE — For the past several years the Navy has been in the process of renewing the permits it needs under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to continue detonating explosives and performing sonar tests and other military activities along a large swath of the Northwest coast, from Northern California to the Canadian border.
Starting Monday, the Navy is asking for public comment on asupplement to its initial environmental impact statement. The supplement includes consideration of an increase in escort vessels and other traffic and anti-submarine warfare training using sonobuoys. Sonobuoys are 3-foot long buoys that are dropped from aircraft into the ocean. The devices use active sonar to detect submarines beneath the surface. The sonar is harmful to whales and dolphins.
Marine mammals like porpoises, gray and fin whales and endangered orcas travel through the Navy’s training range. That’s raised alarm among marine mammal advocates who have voiced concerns about the Navy’s activities. EarthJustice and others conservation groups are opposed to the Navy’s desire to conduct testing and training within the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
The Navy says it will keep a lookout for marine life during the exercises.
The public has until Feb. 2 to submit comments.
Upcoming public meetings:
Tuesday:
Grays Harbor College HUB
1620 Edward P. Smith Drive
Aberdeen, WA 98520
Wednesday:
Isaac Newton Magnet School Gym
825 NE 7th St
Newport, OR
Friday:
Eureka Public Marina, Wharfinger Building, Great Room
1 Marina Way
Eureka, CA 95501
One More Try: A Renewed Push To Pass Klamath Agreements
Amelia Templeton
By: Jefferson Public Radio; Source: OPB
Supporters of a trio of agreements meant to settle the rancorous water disputes in the Klamath Basin are gearing up to take another run at getting Congressional approval for the deal. A Klamath bill by Oregon’s Democratic senators was not included in a massive funding measure passed in the frantic final hours of the last Congress.
Now – amid signs that support for the agreements is growing, the spotlight is turning toward the region’s Republican congressman.
The failure of the Senate bill that would have implemented the Klamath water agreements left a big question mark: what would happen now?
Among stakeholders in the region, the answer was largely that, somehow or another, the deal would move forward.
“Of course we’re going forward,” said Glen Spain with the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, a commercial fishing group.
“There is no alternative on the table other than going back to the kind of chaos we saw a decade ago,” he said.
Farmers and ranchers in the Klamath have waged a long and bitter battle with fishermen and Indian tribes over the region’s scarce water, with periodic irrigation water shut-offs and fish die-offs raising the stakes.
Over the course of years, the three water agreements were hammered out as the various stakeholders eventually negotiated compromises most felt they could live with. One federal official said what finally brought everyone to the table was the realization that “part of something is better than all of nothing.”
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Now – with three interlocking agreements awaiting Congressional approval – stakeholders say it’s crucial to wrap it up.
“This is how we’re going to have stability in resource management in the Klamath Basin as we move forward,” said Greg Addington, who heads the Klamath Water Users Association. It represents farmers and ranchers on the federal Klamath Irrigation Project. Addington says, at this point, making major changes in the deal isn’t feasible.
“As you look at the complexity of these issues and the work that went into crafting these agreements over the last eight or nine years – we’ve been at this for a while – it just makes you more confident that you’ve really crossed all the t’s and dotted all the i’s and looked at all the potential solutions,” he said.
In recent months, a growing number of previously-skeptical groups have come to back the water deal, including the Klamath Falls City Council, the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce and the Klamath Cattlemen’s Association.
One key player who hasn’t yet signed on is Republican congressman Greg Walden. The Klamath is in Walden’s district and so far he’s had reservations about the agreements, in particular the part that would remove the four hydropower dams on the Klamath River. The dams have blocked fish passage for more than fifty years.
As more Klamath agriculture groups have swung their support to the deal, they’ve urged Walden to get behind it. But if Walden hopes to substantially change the dam removal part of the deal, Don Gentry, who chairs the Klamath Tribal Council, would beg to differ.
“It’s pretty clear that the parties are all on board that that’s a part of the package and without that dam removal component, the agreements will unravel,” he said.
Gentry says removing the dams is crucial to restoring the endangered fish populations the tribes have a treaty right to.
Just as the new session of the US Senate convened this month, Oregon Democrats Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley re-introduced their Klamath water bill that died last session. Merkley says with the probability of another dry summer approaching, time is running out.
“This has to happen in legislation, to lock in the components as a group,” he said. “And so we could have a major water war or water catastrophe, however you want to put it, for the ranching-farming community if we don’t get this done.”
While there are still parties opposing the agreements – the Klamath County Commission and the Hoopa Indian tribe among them — the success of this effort would seem to hinge on Greg Walden’s support. Walden’s office declined to comment except to say he’s been meeting with stakeholders and “shares a common goal of finding a viable path forward.”
Murdered and missing aboriginal women deserve inquiry, rights group says
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has been studying issue in B.C. for 2 years
By: CBC News
A report into missing and murdered indigenous women in B.C. is breathing new life into an acrimonious debate between advocates of a public inquiry and the Canadian government, which says it is taking action to address the problem but refuses to call an inquiry.
The report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which is affiliated with the Organization of American States, said it “strongly supports the creation of a national-level action plan or a nationwide inquiry into the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.”
The report came to several conclusions, including:
- The high numbers of missing and murdered aboriginal women in B.C. are concentrated in Prince George and the Downtown Eastside.
- The police have “failed to adequately prevent and protect indigenous women and girls from killings and disappearances.”
- Multiple policing jurisdictions in B.C. have resulted in “confusion” between the RCMP and Vancouver police.
The report acknowledged the steps already taken by Canadian governments at both the federal and provincial levels to address some of the problems and challenges that indigenous women face.
Last fall, the federal government committed to a five-year plan to address violence against aboriginal women and girls.
Today, the office for Kellie Leitch, the minister for the status of women, said the government was reviewing the report.
“Our government has received the IACHR’s report and is reviewing the report’s findings, comments and recommendations.”
The report’s recommendations include calls for:
- Providing a safe public transport option along Highway 16 in Prince George.
- Mandatory training for police officers, prosecutors, judges and court personnel “in the causes and consequences of gender-based violence.”
- A national plan or public inquiry in consultation with indigenous peoples.
NDP aboriginal affairs critic Jean Crowder said it was “unconscionable” for the government to ignore growing calls for a public inquiry.
“It is time for the prime minister and [Aboriginal Affairs Minister] Bernard Valcourt to stop ignoring the sociological phenomenon of missing and murdered indigenous women and take federal action to address the crisis,” Crowder said in a written statement.
Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett also urged the government to heed the report’s recommendations.
“The prime minister’s shocking indifference to this ongoing tragedy is not only a national disgrace, but an international embarrassment,” Bennett said in a written statement.
Mobile users, view a chart of homicide rates among Canadians vs. aboriginal women
The IACHR has been studying the issue for more than two years.
Its investigation was requested by the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) and Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) in March 2012.
At a press conference in Ottawa to respond to the report, Dawn Harvard of the NWAC called it “truly groundbreaking.”
“This report is the first in-depth examination of the murders and disappearances by an expert human rights body. These women and girls are being stolen from our families, from our communities, and it is time that somebody is taking it seriously,” Harvard said.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in reaction to the recent slaying of Tina Fontaine that the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women was not part of a “sociological phenomenon,” but rather a crime and should be treated as such.
Holly Johnson, of the Feminist Alliance for International Action, said the commission has spoken “loudly and clearly.”
“Canadian governments have a lot of work to do,” she said. “Contrary to our prime minister’s assertion, that this is not a sociological phenomenon … [It] goes way beyond policing. Social and economic factors must also be addressed.”
The report includes recommendations on how governments at both the federal and provincial/territorial level can address the situation.
The Conservative government has so far refused calls for a national public inquiry on the issue, saying it is more interested in taking action. Last month, when CBC’s Peter Mansbridge asked the prime minister about launching a public inquiry, Harper said: “It isn’t high on our radar, to be honest.”
“The actions Harper is prepared to engage in are very slim, uncoordinated,” said Sheila Day, chair of the FAFIA human rights committee, at a press conference held by FAFIA and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs. Day said the report makes it clear that the consultation and participation of indigenous women and associations is essential.
At the press conference, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said the fundamental issue is racist attitudes toward indigenous women and girls. “We are going to continue to pursue this issue until there is justice,” said Philip.
Canada’s premiers are expected to hold a national roundtable on murdered and missing aboriginal women on Feb. 27 in Ottawa.
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