You know it’s a hip city when the first thing you see at its history museum is a neon beer sign and a fiberglass truck with fat pink toes.
And it gets better from there inside the new Lake Union digs of Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry, known as MOHAI.
In the atrium, the first Boeing plane hangs overhead and a 65-foot spiky wooden sculpture made from schooner planks perforates the ceiling.
Upstairs, there’s Nirvana music, a Lusty Lady sign, 99 bottles of beer on the wall and a replica of the duct-taped recliner from the TV show “Frasier.”
And, yeah, you can sit in that chair, and hold the stuffed version of Frasier’s dad’s dog Eddie on your lap.
This is a fun museum. So fun, in fact, that the movie about the 1889 fire that destroyed downtown Seattle (but took no lives) is a slapstick comedy.
The Seattle’s Great Fire gallery’s sound-and-light show, complete with the glue pot that started it all, is among the many highlights to behold.
The museum moved from smaller quarters in Seattle’s Montlake neighborhood to the 1940s art deco building that formerly served as the Naval Reserve Armory. It has 50,000 square feet of exhibit space — plenty of room to show off the big stuff, such as the 1920s UPS delivery truck and the funky pink Lincoln’s Toe Truck.
“They did a great job setting it up,” visitor Kathryn Hain Martin said.
That great job came with a $60 million restoration price tag.
The museum has a cafe, gift shop, conference rooms and rooftop deck. Rooms have stunning views of the harbor, with window etchings that accent the maritime romance of the region.
The city’s timeline is exhibited on multilevels in multimedia from sticky notes to touch screens and in galleries that from Gold Rush to Tech City.
To prevent sensory overload, the museum is arranged in a maze of galleries and towers. Tower themes include: Boeing Takes Off, Seattle’s World’s Fairs and The Microsoft Story.
There’s a nice balance between new and old. On display are some of those stiff black-and-white family portraits where nobody smiled.
Down the hall, Elvis Presley gyrates on one of the silver screens in the Celluloid Seattle exhibit, which has vintage theater seats, drive-in speakers and a cigarette machine.
Seattle iconic artifacts in the museum include: the SuperSonics NBA Championship trophy in a sports gallery, a World War II rivet gun, a first-generation Kindle E-reader and the original Starbucks sign.
The list goes on …
Plan to spend a few hours and not see everything. You’ll want to come back for more.
Celluloid Seattle: A City at the Movies, through Sept. 8. Curated by The Herald’s movie critic, Robert Horton, it shows Seattle in the movies and how the idea of “going to the movies” has changed.
Punctum/Poetry, through May 27. MOHAI’s historic photo collection is showcased in poetry and the spoken word produced by high school students.
Still Afloat: Seattle’s Floating Homes, on display June 15 to Nov. 3. Centered on the floating home community, with photos, oral histories, diagrams and a scale model floating home.
Upcoming event: Parents Night Out: 6 to 9 p.m. March 29. Kids, ages 5 and older, will make cardboard cars for a “drive-in” and then watch a movie.
If you go
Where: 860 Terry Ave. N., Seattle (in Lake Union Park).
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; open until 8 p.m. Thursdays
Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
Cost: Adults, $14; senior (65 and older)/student/military, $12; no charge for ages 14 and younger, with adult. Free admission the first Thursday of every month.
SEATTLE — The National Weather Service says a storm blowing into the Northwest will peak Friday afternoon with 20 mph to 30 mph winds and gusts to 40 mph in Western Washington, including the Seattle metro area.
Forecasters expect 1 to 2 inches of rain in Western Washington and 1 to 2 feet of snow in the Cascades by Saturday morning.
Windy conditions and heavy mountain snow will extend across Eastern Washington and continue Saturday.
Forecasters say a series of wet Pacific systems will continue to roll through Washington most of next week.
Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon announces his resignation, effective May 31, at the conclusion of his State of the County speech to members of Economic Alliance Snohomish County at the Everett Golf and Country Club in Everett on Thursday morning. Photo: Mark Mulligan,The Herald
Enough is enough,’ county executive says after latest controversy, battle with County Council
EVERETT — Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon announced Thursday he will resign effective May 31, a move that came as he and his staff faced mounting calls for an investigation to determine whether laws were broken in a campaign that appears designed to harass and conduct surveillance on Reardon’s political rivals.Reardon’s announcement came at the end of his 10th State of the County address before business leaders in Everett.He also said he supports an independent investigation, not only of himself and his staff, but of others in county government.The executive alleged that since before his re-election in 2011, he has been the focus of “false and scurrilous accusations” leveled against him. It’s part of “a concerted effort by groups that oppose” him that are intent on undermining his ability to lead, he said.
Reardon was investigated last year by the Washington State Patrol, and never charged, for allegations of misusing county money during an extramarital affair. He is the focus of a state Public Disclosure Commission investigation into using county resources on political campaigns, and he has been subject to repeated efforts by a Gold Bar blogger to recall him from office.
Reardon said that defending himself has taken a toll on his marriage, his ability to govern and has cost him “tens of thousands of dollars” in legal fees.
“Candidly, I don’t know how much a family can take or should take …” he told the crowd. “Enough is enough.”
Reardon’s announcement came the day after the County Council voted unanimously to remove his authority over the county’s computers and records management system.
That step was taken in response to articles last week in The Herald, detailing evidence that members of Reardon’s staff engaged in a campaign against his political rivals using public records requests, spoof email addresses and attack Web pages.
Many of those targeted were interviewed as part of the State Patrol investigation.
Reardon last week said that activity didn’t happen at his direction, but he condoned the conduct, reasoning it was OK because he was told it occurred outside the office.
It’ll be up to the Snohomish County Democratic Party to nominate three candidates to replace Reardon. A majority of the County Council will have to agree on the final choice after they receive the list of nominees.
The person appointed to be the next executive would serve until November 2014. Then it will go to the winner in an election for someone to fill out the remaining year of Reardon’s term, which ends in 2015, county elections manager Garth Fell said.
No election is possible this year because Reardon’s resignation is to take effect after filing week, which closes May 17.
The County Council will have 60 days after Reardon’s resignation to appoint a successor. If the council is unable to reach a decision during that time, Gov. Jay Inslee will have 30 days to decide.
The state Republican Party called Reardon’s decision to resign on May 31 a “final act of defiance” because it will extend by a year the term of whomever county Democrats nominate for the appointment.
“After everything he’s put the voters through, it’s time for Reardon to do the right thing and resign effectively immediately. Residents in Snohomish County deserve a chance to pick a replacement on Election Day 2013,” the GOP press release said.
State Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, also said he found the timing of Reardon’s resignation interesting because of the additional year it would give the appointee.
Before the day was out, people who watch politics closely were buzzing about who could be tapped to fill the opening.
Reardon’s announcement came after he spent the better part of a half-hour delivering a speech about government and economic growth.
He began by stating that it has been an honor and privilege to serve for a decade in the community where he was born and raised. He said he was proud of accomplishments that should position the county to retain its place as a hub for aerospace jobs.
Then he acknowledged the controversies that have dogged him since November 2011. It was almost exactly a year ago that the County Council was urging Reardon to go on leave while he was being investigated by the State Patrol.
The Herald’s editorial board endorsed Reardon two of the three times he ran for county executive. On Thursday, the editorial board wrote that Reardon’s response to the recent revelations had created an “integrity vacuum.”
County Councilman Dave Gossett, who attended Thursday morning’s speech, said he was “totally surprised” by Reardon’s resignation announcement.
Council Chairwoman Stephanie Wright also appeared caught off guard, but said she appreciated signs that Reardon wants to focus on collaboration during what are likely to be his final two months at the helm of county government.
Regardless of what happens next, the council still wants an investigation into the records requests linked to Reardon’s staff, but they are not sure what form that probe will take, she said.
Prosecuting Attorney Mark Roe was not at the gathering. In recent days he’s been talking with police agencies about staging an independent, outside investigation of conduct by Reardon’s staff.
Last year, he asked the State Patrol to investigate after a county social worker came forward to County Councilman Dave Somers as a “whistleblower” and reported that she had been traveling with Reardon for out-of-town rendezvous she believed were paid for using county money.
Patrol detectives became the focus of a formal complaint by one of Reardon’s aides. Other people involved in the investigation, including witnesses who were approached by police, have been accused by Reardon and his backers of orchestrating a political smear.
Given that history, Roe said he’s encountered “understandable reluctance by people who have too much to do already to delve into Snohomish County’s laundry hamper.”
But Reardon’s resignation and his stated support for an investigation may change that, Roe said.
“Hopefully that will make for a compelling reason for an outside agency” to take the case, he said.
Reardon told the crowd Thursday that he planned to cooperate fully with the investigation he’s requested.
On the advice of his attorneys, he declined to speak with patrol detectives last year.
Reardon’s wife, Kate Reardon, a spokeswoman for the city of Everett, joined him after the speech. They left the Everett Golf and Country Club, hand in hand.
Reardon did not acknowledge reporters’ questions except to say he had no comment.
Organized labor has typically been among Reardon’s largest political supporters, but the biggest union representing county employees said that the county executive’s troubles have made it difficult for members to work.
“You can notice the distraction when you’re doing the type of thing that our organization does, which is represent the employees,” said Chris Dugovich, president of Council 2, the AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) affiliate that represents about half of the county’s union employees.
Dugovich said their members continued to do their jobs, regardless.
“They’re pros, they’re doing the same jobs that they’ve always done, even though the past few years have been difficult because of the economy. Those have been exacerbated by the public records requests, which have been coming allegedly from the executive’s office,” he said.
Some union members were targeted by the records requests. Other county employees spent hours pulling documents together.
Quartet of Changes Will Evolve Over the Next 18 Months
Tulalip, Washington — Tulalip Resort Casino and Spa will soon be offering an array of new dining options as diverse as the property itself. Over the next 18 months, the food and beverage landscape will evolve with the arrival of an Asian concept, a sports bar, lobby bar, and a new steakhouse menu at Tulalip Bay restaurant.
This June, the four-star property will introduce a new, yet-to-be-named restaurant featuring time honored traditional Asian recipes alongside modern Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai favorites. This will be a Far East immersion course; a celebration of Asian culture. Featuring dishes such as fresh house-made noodles, rice, wok-fired items, hand-made dim sum, sushi, Pho and tempuras, the menu’s bold flavors and rich textures will come together in synergy.
The design will incorporate the use of wood, metal and glass elements creating a harmonious blend of Tulalip and Asian décor. In keeping with the Native American Potlatch tradition, as well as the Asian custom of family-style dining, the menu is the blueprint for individual or group dining. The bar will feature handcrafted cocktails, a large sake selection, and wine offerings from the Resort’s award-winning list.
About Tulalip Resort Casino
Award winning Tulalip Resort Casino is the most distinctive gaming, dining, meeting, entertainment and shopping destination in Washington State. The AAA Four Diamond resort’s world class amenities have ensured its place on the Condé Nast Traveler Gold and Traveler Top 100 Resorts lists, as well as Preferred Hotel & Resorts membership. The property includes 192,000 square feet of gaming excitement; a luxury hotel featuring 370 guest rooms and suites; 30,000 square feet of premier meeting, convention and wedding space; the full-service T Spa; and 6 dining venues, including the AAA Four Diamond Tulalip Bay Restaurant. It also showcases the intimate Canoes Cabaret; a 3,000-seat amphitheater. Nearby, find the Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve, Cabela’s; and Seattle Premium Outlets, featuring more than 110 name brand retail discount shops. The Resort Casino is conveniently located between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. just off Interstate-5 at exit 200. It is an enterprise of the Tulalip Tribes. For reservations please call (866) 716-7162.
Empowering women of color to make their health a priority
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash.— In honor of National Women and Girls HIV Awareness Day the Snohomish Health District is partnering with local and federal agencies to host a free Health & Beauty Fair for Women of Color on Saturday, March 9 at Edmonds Community College, and a free HIV testing day for women on March 12.
Racial and ethnic minority women experience higher rates of obesity, cancer, diabetes and HIV. “We want to remind women that with just a few simple steps, they can make great strides in preserving their health,” said Brenda Newell, Snohomish Health District HIV/STD/VHO program manager.
The Women of Color Health & Beauty is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 9 in the Woodway Building off 204th Street, near the golf course. It features inspirational speakers, health screenings, beauty services, community health resources, and a light lunch – all free.
Free Health Screenings
– Cholesterol, diabetes and BMI Screening
– Rapid HIV testing
– Breast and cervical health resources
– Flu and whooping cough vaccinations
Free Beauty Services
– Eyebrow waxing and skin care demonstrations
– Manicures
– Natural hair styling tips
– Nutrition and exercise resources, plus a Zumba class
This event is sponsored by AIDS Project Snohomish County, Edmonds Community College, Medical Reserve Corps, Molina Health Care, Office of Women’s Health – Region X, Snohomish Health District Verdant Health and the YWCA. For more information on the event, visit www.snohd.org/events.
Women’s HIV Awareness Day Free Testing March 12
In honor of National Women and Girls HIV Awareness Day, all women ages 14+ who have had any risk for HIV transmission qualify for free, rapid HIV testing on March 12. The test involves a simple pin-prick to the finger, resulting in a tiny drop of blood, and only takes 30 minutes – including results.
No appointment is necessary, just stop by between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 12 at Snohomish Health District Suite 106, 3020 Rucker Avenue, Everett. For more information, call 425.339.5298 or visit www.womenshealth.gov.
Call out to community! Indigenous people, Two Spirits-Idle No More-Allies & everyone concerned about respect for the Earth and the rights of Native people and women. Hosted by Gabriel Teodoros & Storme Webber, this will be a community sharing of conversation & culture.
Elders and children are especially welcomed, as are those Native people who have been sharing at teach-ins and gatherings here in the Seattle area. Allies are welcome!
Community is invited to share songs, poems, words or any creative expressions~
We invite you to bring something for the potluck so we can share a meal &/or snacks.
Admission is free.
Any questions: write us at voicesrising@gmail.com
From the Idle No More website:
“INM has and will continue to help build sovereignty & resurgence of nationhood
INM will continue to pressure government and industry to protect the environment
INM will continue to build allies in order to reframe the nation to nation relationship, this will be done by including grassroots perspectives, issues and concerns”
TUCSON, Ariz. – Feb. 20, 2013 — Lowe’s is continuing its support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Shamrocks program.
Lowe’s started selling Shamrocks in February at its regional distribution centers, offices and more than 1,700 stores throughout the United States; the campaign will continue through March 31.
The home improvement retailer — with help from its employees and loyal customers — is attempting to raise millions to assist MDA in providing critical service programs and accessible summer camp experiences for individuals and families affected by neuromuscular diseases across the country.
Lowe’s teamed up with MDA in 2001 for its Shamrocks program in a number of states and became an MDA national sponsor in 2007. Lowe’s and its customers raised more than $7.7 million in 2012, setting a record for retailers supporting the Shamrocks campaign. To date, Lowe’s has raised nearly $30 million for MDA.
Lowe’s customers can purchase and sign $1 green, $5 gold and $20 platinum Shamrocks mobiles. Many Lowe’s employees decorate their store walls or create and assemble creative and amazing displays with Shamrocks to spotlight customers’ support of MDA.
“Thanks to the hard work of Lowe’s employees and their loyal customers, MDA families have benefited greatly through the years,” said Kevin Moran, MDA executive vice president and chief business development officer. “We’re honored to work with Lowe’s to offer help and hope to those we serve through the simple, yet meaningful, act of buying a Shamrock.”
About Lowe’s
Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. The company’s signature education grant program, Lowe’s Toolbox for Education®, has donated more than $34 million to 7,500 K-12 public schools, benefiting more than 4 million schoolchildren. Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together and the American Red Cross. In 2012, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $30 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.
About MDA
MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to finding treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education.
In addition to funding more than 250 research projects worldwide, MDA maintains a national network of 200 medical clinics; facilitates hundreds of support groups for families affected by neuromuscular diseases; and provides local summer camp opportunities for thousands of youngsters living with progressive muscle diseases.
Join the Arbor Day Foundation in March 2013 and receive 10 free white flowering dogwood trees.
The Arbor Day Foundation is making it easier for everyone to celebrate the arrival of spring through planting trees.
Join the Arbor Day Foundation in March 2013 and receive 10 free white flowering dogwood trees.
“White flowering dogwoods will add beauty to your home throughout the year,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Dogwoods are known for their showy spring flowers, scarlet autumn foliage and red berries that attract songbirds during winter.”
The free trees are part of the nonprofit Foundation’s Trees for America campaign. The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting between March 1 and May 31, with enclosed planting instructions. The 6- to 12-inch trees are guaranteed
to grow or they will be replaced free of charge.
Arbor Day Foundation members also receive a subscription to Arbor Day, the Foundation’s bimonthly publication, and The Tree Book, which contains information about tree planting and care.
To become a member of the Foundation and receive the free trees, send a $10 contribution to TEN FREE DOGWOOD TREES, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, by March 30, 2013. Or join online at arborday.org/march.
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Squaxin Island Tribe, the Port of Olympia, the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group (SPSSEG), and private landowners are joining together to clear toxic derelict pilings and other structures from much of the southern end of Budd Inlet in Olympia.
The work, which is funded by the 2012 Jobs Now Act, begins this week and continues through March 14. The project is expected to cost roughly $278,000.
The Squaxin Island Tribe’s involvement in the project began when they received three acres of tideland as a donation from a family estate. The tidelands included 224 pilings from a former industrial site.
“We saw this as an opportunity to restore these tidelands by taking out the pilings that are leaching pollutants into Budd Inlet,” said Andy Whitener, Natural Resources Director for the tribe. “There is a lot of work to be done in Budd Inlet to restore its ecological function. Getting these pilings out of here is a great start.”
By mid-March some 400 derelict pilings and 7,000 square-feet of abandoned docks and piers that represented the last reminders of a lower Budd Inlet shoreline once lined with lumber and plywood mills will be removed and shipped to the Roosevelt Landfill in Klickitat County.
It marks the latest step in a slow but steady transformation of West Bay Drive in Olympia from an industrial corridor to a collection of parks, office buildings and shoreline property undergoing hazardous waste cleanup and redevelopment.
The piling and dock removal project stretches across 1.2 miles of shoreline in lower Budd Inlet. It is spearheaded by the state Department of Natural Resources and also features four properties owned by the Port of Olympia, West Bay Reliable, the Delta Illahee Limited Partnership and the Squaxin Island Tribe.
Stephanie Spiering shares her poetry at the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center.
Article by Jeannie Briones and Kim Kalliber, photo by Jeannie Briones, Tulalip News Staff
Everyone faces their own challenges, the good the bad, the ups and downs, which happen in everyday life. For one young Native American woman, writing poetry is not only a therapeutic way of coping with stress, but also a way of expressing happiness.
Stephanie Spiering, a Southern Cheyenne Tribal member and student at the Northwest Indian College Tulalip site, shared her own poetry on February 7th, as part of the Poetry Series at the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center.
Stephanie’s interest in poetry began in grade school and has remained a large part of her life. Her mother and fellow poet, Renee Roman Nose, read poetry to her as a child, introducing her to a world of diverse forms of poetry.
After experiencing a traumatic event in her youth, Stephanie’s mother and aunt encouraged her to write down her feelings as part of her healing process. “It became a way for me to cope with things,” said Stephanie.
By high school, Stephanie had taken a serious interest in penning her words on paper. Now, just twenty-four years-old, she is busy creating poetry, working towards an associates degree in Native Environmental Science and serving as a court clerk for the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe.
Whenever she is overwhelmed with feelings of sadness, happiness or stress, poetry is her way of dealing with them. For instance in a recently written poem about feelings of homesickness, Stephanie writes about the loneliness she feels by being apart from her family and friends living in her home state of Florida, and dealing with cultures that she enjoys but is unaccustomed to.
Stephanie was delighted and nervous about sharing her poetry at the Hibulb Cultural Center. As she began speaking, her descriptive words and theatrical tones brought her poems to life, taking the audience on a journey through one woman’s self-revelations.
“When I write a poem, I put all my feelings into that poem and I go from there,” said Stephanie. “It gets stuff off my chest.”
Her choice of poems for the evening touched on a variety of subjects such as dealing with relationships, being a student, Native cultures, and the environment, and she encourages others to take the plunge and try writing their own poetry.
For more information on Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center events, please call 360-716-2600 or visit www.hibulbculturalcenter.org.
