Royce Margo Johnson

Royce Margo JohnsonSunrise: October 31, 1938
Sunset: December 26, 2012

Royce Margo Johnson, age 74 years old, passed away Providence Medical Center Hospital in Everett, Washington on December 26th, 2012.  She was born on October 31, 1938 in Seattle, Washington to Roy and Gretchen Lewis. As she started her new journey she was greeted by family members who had crossed to the other side ahead of her; her mother and father, mother and father-in-law Adolph and Muriel Newsome, niece Linda, and great-niece Crystal.
She leaves behind her loving husband of 54 years Edwin A. Johnson, her children Mark and Carolyn Johnson, Brad and Bert Johnson, Kevin and Jennifer Johnson, along with her special daughter Chrystal Starr and special niece Cindy, her siblings Suzanne Wilson, Rocky Lewis, Robert and Sarah Johnson and Ernest Johnson. “Nana” will be deeply missed by her grandchildren; Mary-Kay, Renee, Rita, Kasandera Lakins, Jessica Lakins, Danielle Johnson, Adam Johnson, Hannah Paul, Shaylene Lakins, William “Tanner” Paul, Hailey Johnson, Demery Johnson and Cypher Francis Celestine.

She spent her childhood and attended school in Seattle.  Her family owned and operated the well-known hobby shop on Queen Anne Hill. She graduated from Roosevelt High and received her Medical Secretarial Certificate immediately following. Ed and Royce were married in Coeur d’Alene Idaho. She was a home-maker for most of her adult life. It gave her joy to be able to be home to raise her kids. Her professional career was in the Electrical Field. She was employed by Fluke Manufacturing in Everett, Washington for over 15 years prior to retirement.

She was an avid reader. Thanks to her Kindle she could enlarge any books’ font size which enabled her to continue reading up until the Creator called her home. She was an expert seamstress. She really was amazing with the help of her computerized Singer sewing and Serger machines. She could look at something and copy the pattern. She made intricate “Holly-Hobby and “Gunny Sack” dresses for her granddaughters. She once made a pink 7 ft. stunt kite for Jennifer to match Kevin’s. She was thrilled her homemade version cost less but was of higher quality. She was a self-taught pro in the kitchen. You name it she could prepare, make, cook, bake, can or dehydrate it! She didn’t follow written recipes; she perfected what she called her own “dump and pour” cooking style that was right on every time.  She loved gardening and used those fruits and vegetables in the foods she prepared. Her humorous side could be seen whenever she made waffles or pancakes. She’d serve them up by tossing them across the kitchen as they came off the skillet. She made mealtime’s fun and said “if people smile and laugh when they eat it means they like the food you made for them.” Traveling was another one of her passions. Over the years they owned  R.V.’s and belonged to Thousand-Trails, a camping club. She was a fan of sight-seeing and took in the beauty of nature any chance she could.

Her love of life was evident; as she was always up for an adventure. Although this life had dealt her some major health obstacles; she overcame them on several occasions. She rarely complained and never let them slow her down. She was not shy with her words and offered her opinion to anyone who’d listen. Royce really was quite the character. There are many things that can be said to describe this unique, charismatic woman. She was quick witted and had a great sense of humor. In years to come when people reminisce about Mrs. Royce Margo Johnson, it will be how much she loved her family that’s remembered most. How she cherished time with them; especially on holidays. Friends and family will keep memories in their hearts and remind her grandchildren how much she valued them and that they truly were her earthly treasures.

Royce Margo Johnson will be missed by the relatives mentioned above as well as by numerous nieces, nephews, great- nieces and nephews, and the others she considered family, you know who you are. Her family held a Remembrance Memorial Service in her honor earlier this month; it was an awesome celebration of her life.

Artist known for Native American ledger paintings has died

SPOKANE  (AP) — Artist George Flett, a member of the Spokane Tribe, has died at the age of 66.

Flett was skilled in sculpture, bead working and silversmithing, but was best known for his ledger art.

The Spokesman-Review said Flett died Wednesday of complications from diabetes

Ledger painting is a Native American art form dating to the mid-1800s, when artists started drawing pictures of heroic deeds and sacred visions on pages torn from U.S. Army ledger books.

Flett based his mixed-media paintings on Spokane Indian legends, history and cultural events.

Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com

Heated hearing airs distrust over SPD drones

A public hearing Wednesday on the Seattle Police Department’s plans to deploy drones drew sharp criticism from numerous speakers.

By Christine Clarridge, Seattle Times

There was no shortage of strong opinions — or strong words — when a Seattle City Council committee took up the issue of unmanned police drones during an often heated hearing Wednesday.

“You’re more dangerous than Nazi,” Alex Zimmerman, an activist with Stand Up America, told the members of the council’s Public Safety, Civil Rights and Technology Committee. “You’re more dangerous than Communist; more dangerous than Gestapo; more dangerous than KGB.”

Another speaker called committee members “idiots” for even considering an ordinance that would govern the Seattle Police Department’s use of drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Systems.

“Not only ‘no drones,’ but no more council. You guys are crooks. You guys are idiots. You’re telling us they got them already, we have to use them … You guys are becoming a police state … The people do not want this,” said Samuel Bellomio, also with Stand Up America.

The meeting, called to discuss a proposed ordinance that would set restrictions on how and when the police department can use the tiny aircraft, ended with committee Chairman Bruce Harrell saying the conversation had been helpful and would likely lead to the measure being refined.

The proposal is to go back before the committee for a possible vote Feb. 20, then on to the full council Feb. 25.

Jennifer Shaw, the deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, said the ACLU would prefer that Seattle police did not have drones. However, since the department had purchased two with money from a federal Homeland Security grant, she said, it’s important for the city to establish “strong restrictions.”

She recommended that the ordinance be refined to include a more “robust audit provision” and language stating the drones are part of a pilot program.

“We’d like to be able to see if it’s effective and then have the council determine if it should still be going on,” Shaw said.

The proposed restrictions were written after the police department received approval last year from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate drones, sparking an uproar among residents, privacy advocates and civil-rights activists.

The FAA approval was granted after President Obama signed a law that compelled the agency to plan for safe integration of civilian drones into American airspace by 2015.

The restrictions would ban the use of drones for general surveillance or for flights over open-air assemblies.

It also would require a warrant be obtained in all but “exigent” or emergency circumstances, such as situations involving hostages, search-and-rescue operations, the pursuit of armed felons, bomb threats and the detection of “hot spots” in fires, or for the collection of traffic data.

The proposed restrictions would ban the use of drones for the collection of information on anyone not specifically named in a warrant, but specify that information collected inadvertently while an unmanned system was being operated in good faith would not violate the ordinance.

That last clause was troubling to members of the audience, including Chris Stearns of the Human Rights Commission, who said the city should make it illegal to use data inadvertently collected by drones in criminal prosecutions.

Committee member Nick Licata said the term “exigent” was too broad and that he would like the ordinance to specify that the drones can only be used for hostage situations and bomb threats.

He also suggested the ordinance specify that the use of drones in emergency circumstances would require the written authorization of an assistant police chief or captain, instead of a lieutenant as proposed.

The ordinance also states that any data collected by drones would be deleted after 30 days unless there was a “reasonable belief that the data is evidence of criminal activity or civil liability.”

The measure would also set up provisions for audits and an annual review.

The issue has ignited strong feelings among opponents. During a public meeting in October, protesters shouted down police speakers during a presentation on the aircraft.

Wash. toxicologist: No spike yet in marijuana DUIs

The state toxicologist says she hasn’t seen a spike in positive blood tests for marijuana since pot became legal under Washington law.

The Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The state toxicologist says she hasn’t seen a spike in positive blood tests for marijuana since pot became legal under Washington law.

Voters last fall passed Initiative 502, allowing adults over 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. The measure, which took effect Dec. 6, set a driving-under-the-influence limit designed to be similar to the .08 blood-alcohol content for drunken driving – 5 nanograms of active THC per milliliter of blood.

State toxicologist Fiona Couper told a legislative hearing in Olympia on Wednesday that the Washington State Patrol’s toxicology lab has completed tests on all blood samples taken from drivers in December, and has started on samples from last month. She says there’s no spike, but notes the law has only just taken effect.

Couper says that every year, about 6,000 blood samples from drivers are submitted to the lab. About 1,000 to 1,100 of those come back positive for active THC, with the average being about 6 nanograms

Visit Slahal Floral for Valentine’s Day

Salal Floral Boutique – Beauty by design

Few things on earth combine art and architecture as beautifully as a flower. And rarely are flowers combined in such dramatic and stunning style as they are at Salal Floral Boutique, an all compassing floral shop located on the lobby level of the Tulalip Resort.

An eye for perfection

Salal Floral Boutique’s team of floral designers lends their remarkable talents to everything from boutonnieres to bouquets, wedding arrangements to centerpieces for a 100-table event. No matter the creation, Salal Floral Boutique embodies a philosophy of perfection: Every leaf should be turned just so. Witness our Signature Rose Collection. We take a classic floral design and elevate it to something magnificent.

Variety and Beauty

Our flowers are delivered fresh by local wholesalers. Depending upon the season, you can choose from any number of gorgeous varieties, from classics such as roses and hydrangeas to dramatics such as birds of paradise and ginger. Thanks to the nurturing environment in the nearby T Spa, Salal Floral Boutique is even able to offer orchids and other tropicals seven days a week. And because we can take advantage of our exclusive relationships, we’re able to offer more types of flowers more often, at significant savings when compared to a typical florist.

Hours:
Sunday – Thursday
9:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Friday & Saturday
9:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Orders:
360.716.6847
1.888.272.1111

We suggest ordering floral designs 24 hours in advance. We will always do our best to accommodate all requests.

Valentine’s Day Flower Tips

http://www.angieslist.com/

Love is in the air and florists are busy filling Valentine’s Day orders, but many consumers have learned the hard way that everything doesn’t always come up roses.
 
In 2012, florists were among the most complained about service categories on Angie’s List.  Most complaints stemmed from the quality of the flowers as well as issues with delivery.
 
The consumer ratings site surveyed highly rated florists for advice on placing an order for delivery.
 
  • Act now: Don’t wait until the last minute to place your order for flowers. Give the florist plenty of time because Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year for any florist.
  • Buy local: If there is a reputable florist in your area, buy directly from them when you can and think beyond the roses. Your florist can help you find the freshest blooms and find something a little less traditional, too. National companies take your order and pass it along to a local florist to fulfill the order anyway. You’ll have better luck with a correction if something goes wrong.
  • Include delivery information: The more information you are able to provide about the recipient, the less likely there will be a delivery mishap. Include both home and cell phone numbers and the correct address. If it’s a business, will the delivery person be stopped at the front door? Offer any access information you know about to the delivery driver.  
  • Take advantage of the freshness guarantee: Flowers are a perishable product, and depending on the flower, it will have a life span from 2 to 10 days. If the flowers delivered are not in good condition, call the florist right away (less than 24 hours) so they can correct the problem.
  • Care for the special delivery: Keep them in a cool place and change water regularly. Cut the stems back about an inch with a knife or gardening clippers every other day as you change the water.

 

Everett artist was well-known across the U.S.

By Theresa Goffredo, Herald Writer

Alden Mason, one of Everett’s most well-known artistic native sons, ventured into his art studio up until the age of 92.

He also traveled the globe, lived with an aboriginal tribe in New Guinea when he was in his 70s and could include another famous Everett artist, Chuck Close, among his students.

Mason died Wednesday at age 93.

“Alden Mason was my teacher, my mentor and my friend. He has probably had more impact on my work and my career than any other person. I wouldn’t be who I am today — or as successful — if it weren’t for Alden,” wrote Close in a prepared statement.

Close, an artist whose massively scaled portraits have been on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and who was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2000, called Mason one of the greatest painters to come out of the Pacific Northwest.

Close studied with Mason from 1960 to 1962.

“He was encouraging, inspiring and often tough on me — probably when I needed it,” Close wrote. “Luckily, we talked a week ago and I was able to tell him about the impact he had on me, my life and my work and that I loved him like a father.”

Mason’s work can be seen in numerous museums across the country. His work has also been represented since 2002 at Foster/White Gallery in Seattle, which sent out a statement Wednesday.

“Mason was an adventurous and enthusiastic naturalist and painter,” wrote Phen Huang, director of Foster/White. “He loved the northwest landscape, color, birds, natural concretions and to dance to rock and roll.”

Mason’s most recent exhibit in Snohomish County occurred in 2010 when the Schack Art Center was based at the Monte Cristo Hotel. Mason’s work was seen alongside two other artists in an exhibit titled “Moments: Alden Mason, Steve Klein and Karen Simonson.”

Mason’s experimentation with watercolors and oils earned some fame worldwide in the 1970s with his Burpee Garden series of paintings, named after the seed catalogs of a Skagit Valley farm where Mason grew up.

Mason’s career spanned six decades. Born in 1919, he received a bachelor of fine arts degree in 1945 and a masters degree in fine art in 1947 from the University of Washington, where he returned to teach for 32 years.

Carie Collver, Schack Art Center’s gallery director, said Mason’s work was unusual in the way he used color. She had always thought it would have been fun to take a class from him.

“He was really taking a different route from the other teachers at the UW,” Collver said. “In his style and in the amount of paint he was using. He was really breaking boundaries.”

Mason’s exhibition work drifted over the years between abstract and figurative styles. At one point, Mason was forced to switch to acrylic paints after suffering an allergic reaction to the toxic fumes of oil paints.

Mason exhibited his work in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, B.C., and New York.

He traveled to South America, Mexico, Africa and Papua New Guinea. Mason’s most recent pieces were inspired by his appreciation for primitive cultures.

“His big head series was fantastic,” Schack gallery director Collver said. “Those pieces were like a crazy dream, but he loved primitive art and really had an appreciation for their colors and imagery.”

Of his own work, Mason called his paintings “a private world of improvisation, spontaneity, humor and pathos, exaggeration and abandon.”

“They reflect my travels and interest in tribal art and children’s art,” according to Mason’s artist statement. “Old-fashioned emotional involvement is still my main priority in painting.”

In his personal life, Mason loved to dance, flirt, tell stories and deliver puns, such as, “I have good genes and wear them everyday.” What Mason did wear all the time was his signature fedora and neck kerchief.

Collver recalled Wednesday that during Mason’s exhibit in Everett he was in a wheelchair in his late 80s yet surrounded by a group of young beautiful women.

“They were all googley-eyed at him and he was telling his stories,” Collver said. “And I thought, ‘God bless him. He’s still got it.'”

Death confirmed as sixth from flu

By Sharon Salyer, Herald Writer

A suspected flu death in Snohomish County has been confirmed, bringing the total to six who have died in the worst flu season since 2009.

The most recent death was of an Everett man in his 90s, who died on Jan. 24, according to the Snohomish Health District.

The previous deaths were of an Everett woman in her 70s, a Stanwood man in his 90s, a Bothell woman in her 40s and two women in their 80s, one from Everett and one from Edmonds.

For comparison, three people died of influenza during the previous two flu seasons combined, said Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer for the Snohomish Health District.

The number of people hospitalized with flu or its complications this season — 84 — also far exceeds the numbers from the past two flu seasons.

“This has been a particularly brutal, severe year for influenza deaths and hospitalizations,” said Dr. Yuan-Po Tu, who tracks flu issues at The Everett Clinic.

Statewide, 28 people have died from the flu, according to the state Department of Health. That’s the largest number since the swine flu epidemic of 2009-10 when 98 people died in Washington.

“What we’ve seen is an influenza that spread pretty widely, specifically for the older residents of the county, the state and nationally,” Goldbaum said. “It certainly is more severe.”

Flu this season, both locally and nationally, has caused the most serious illness in people 55 and up.

It’s not just the initial onset of influenza that can cause people to become so ill that they need to be hospitalized, Tu said.

Some people have several days of classic flu symptoms of high fever, sore throat, sniffles and body aches and seem to get better, but then get sick again two to four weeks later. “All of a sudden you develop a ‘late’ fever,” Tu said, indications of health problems such as more severe asthma or a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia.

The influenza virus damages the linings of the respiratory system in a way that makes it far easier for these health problems to occur, Tu said.

Although flu has hit older adults far harder than children, seven schools in Snohomish County have reported high absenteeism rates from students with flu-like symptoms.

Flu outbreaks also have been reported at 11 long-term facilities such as nursing homes and assisting living facilities.

The good news is that flu season seems to have peaked about two weeks ago, based on reports from area clinics and the number of patients being hospitalized.

“I would hazard a guess that we’re in the last month of flu season,” Tu said.

Detectives witness carjacking on Tulalip reservation

By Rikki King, Heral Writer, http://www.heraldnet.com

TULALIP — A drug-related carjacking on the Tulalip Indian Reservation on Tuesday was interrupted when three undercover tribal police detectives happened by.

The detectives were in an unmarked car driving 81st Street NE about 4:15 p.m., according to a police affidavit.

Near the intersection with 30th Drive NE, they saw a maroon Honda Civic suddenly stop and block a white Cadillac Seville.

Two men got out of the Honda and approached the Cadillac. One of them reportedly had a large knife concealed behind his arm.

The detectives got out of their car, yelling, “Police! Stop!” according to court papers.

At that point, one of the men from the Honda reportedly took a plastic baggie from his pocket and threw it into the Cadillac through a window. The Cadillac’s driver then grabbed the baggie and threw it back outside.

The bag contained 5.49 grams of heroin.

Arrests ensued. Some of the people in the two cars apparently were acquainted.

Also recovered was the knife, the blade of which measured more than 10 inches.

The people in the Honda reportedly were trying to get the Cadillac back. It had been sold a couple of times, and they planned a carjacking to settle a related debt. Police have identified the car’s registered owner.

Two of the men from the Honda were booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of attempted first-degree robbery. One also is being investigated for possessing a controlled substance and resisting arrest.

Schools take proactive approach to safety

From left, Marysville Police School Resource Officer Dave White takes a moment during lunch at Marysville Getchell High School to chat with students Dalton Adcock, Curtis Combs and Bionca Perez. Photo: Kirk Boxleitner.
From left, Marysville Police School Resource Officer Dave White takes a moment during lunch at Marysville Getchell High School to chat with students Dalton Adcock, Curtis Combs and Bionca Perez. Photo: Kirk Boxleitner.

By  Kirk Boxleitner, Marysville Globe Reporter

MARYSVILLE — In the wake of December’s school shootings in Connecticut, schools across America have become more conscious of their safety and security procedures, and the Marysville School District is no exception.

However, the district’s security manager and one of its school resource officers from the Marysville Police Department explained that Marysville schools have already adopted a proactive approach to safeguarding their children.

Marysville Police School Resource Officer Dave White has built up a rapport with the students at Marysville Getchell High School over the course of the past four years, since a year before the campus opened, and while he also covers the district’s three middle schools, he credits his presence on campus at Marysville Getchell with elevating his visibility and approachability with students and staff alike.

“It’s been brought to my attention when students have been doing things they shouldn’t, and I’ve been lucky enough to talk to them in ways that have preempted them from committing criminal acts, either at school or elsewhere,” White said. “After [the Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn.], the staff has been even more interested in using our expertise to make the schools safer.”

Just as the Tulalip Tribal Police Department has donated a part-time SRO to cover the Quil Ceda and Tulalip elementary schools, as well as the 10th Street Middle School and the Heritage and Arts & Technology high schools, so too is the Marysville Police Department providing its two SROs to the school district free of charge, with White’s fellow SRO covering the Marysville-Pilchuck and Mountain View high schools. However, this leaves the rest of Marysville’s elementary schools relatively uncovered, which is why White explained that Marysville Police regular patrol officers are conducting walk-throughs of those elementary schools several times a day.

“We appreciate the huge service that the Marysville Police Department is doing for us here, because we have absolutely no money for it,” said Greg Dennis, security manager for the school district. “After Sandy Hook, everyone asked, ‘What if that happened here?’ Here at Marysville, we’ve been asking, ‘How do we prevent that from happening here?’”

The school district’s measures already include SROs, 11 FTE security guards, rapid-response maps that allow 911 responders to arrive at exact locations within 1-2 minutes, and regular drills for fires, lockdowns and earthquakes.

“Going forward, we’re working with our safety committee and law enforcement to review our campuses and our emergency plans,” said Jodi Runyon, executive assistant to the superintendent. “The city police and county sheriff’s office have been very willing to work with us. As the president and state legislators weigh in on what can and should be done, we will take a second and third look at our procedures to make cost-effective adjustments.”