Local Scouts build Hoquiam High concession stand

Scouts from troop 100 started building a concession stand for Hoquiam High School last summer, a project necessary for Boy Scout Caspin Darrin to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. On Saturday a group of several scouts gathered to sheath the roof of the stand which now has plumbing and electricity installed. The project is scheduled to be completed by the time soccer season begins in March.

Hoquaim photographer preserves 12th man memories

Sativa Miller, a photographer based in Hoquiam, spend Saturday making portraits of some of Grays Harbors most dedicated Seahawks fans. Families, friends and pets came, adorned in 12th man gear, to get their picture taken by Miller who is using the photos for a project depicting Grays Harbor’s love for the Seattle Seahawks.

Fandom at its finest: The Seahawk Girls

If you hear abnormally delirious shrieks of joy, disappointment or just plain revelry coming from the 8th Street Ale House in Hoquiam this coming Sunday, there is no need to call the police: it’s just the Seahawk Girls.

The group of diehard Seattle fans is made up of Tracy Dugas, Jennifer Durney, Vicki Jewell, Tracy Wood, Nancy Peterson and Jenna Garner, and for the past four years the women have convened at the bar to watch their team every Sunday.

But, this group of Seahawk supporters isn’t your average fan crew. The women pull out all the stops on game day, sitting at a table that is a consummate example of extreme fandom, lined with Hawk knick-knacks and odds and ends. A miniature Lego replica of CenturyLink Stadium’s Red Zone adorns the table, along with “Sherman” the stuffed lizard, a Russell Wilson doll, Seahawk beads, and a green-haired troll, to name a few.

Most of the items are brought by Wood, while the rest are provided by other members of the group, including a Seahawks banner festooned above the ladies’ table.

“This isn’t all I have,” says Wood with a grin. She explains that in her home she keeps a Seahawk shrine.

With this peculiar assortment of dolls and trinkets, fellow bar patrons might think the group was preparing for some type of voodoo ritual. And, the girls make it clear that the assumption might not be too far off. As an act of superstition, they move the items to different tables during the game.

If the Seahawks do well with the items at certain tables, they keep them there. If Seattle is struggling, they will be moved to a different location in the bar to see if their luck changes.

Durney and Dugas even brought a gnome from the table to a 49ers game this season as a good luck charm. Unfortunately, the doll was lost in a rental car during the trip.

“I’m down a gnome in case you run across one,” said Wood, who plays with a toy troll’s hair when she’s nervous during a game. During the NFC championship, she had one in hand quite a bit.

“He (the troll) lost some hair,” said Jewell. “She was choking it real bad.”

John Garner, Jenna’s husband, has seen the girls cheering for the Hawks first-hand and knows what rowdy bunch they can become.

“You can probably hear them outside on any given Sunday. They’re loud,” he said.

The group can go overboard sometimes, explained Durney.

“We’ve had people move from our table before,” she said.

As they are for any other game, the posse will be at the Ale House on Sunday for the big game, and they’re all optimistic about the outcome. But, at the same time, the anticipation hasn’t been easy to take.

“This is stressful,” said Durney, lamenting the days leading up to the contest.

Jewell said she had to take a Tylenol PM to fall asleep earlier this week. The comment could have been an attempt at humor, but with this group of nervous fans, it’s very hard to tell.

Simpson Bridge will see a return to original color

At 4 p.m. on Thursday, Polson Museum staff turned out the lights in glass display cases as the day winded down.

But up the stairs from the front entrance, down a long hallway and behind a door marked “private,” museum director John Larson scaled a few more stairs into the museum’s attic. He searched for a green binder amid the cluttered shelves, and spied it within seconds. Inside were copies of the original building plans for the Simpson Avenue Bridge.

Earlier on Thursday, state Department of Transportation spokesman Doug Adamson said the department plans to spend six to seven months cleaning and painting the bridge this summer. The bridge, he added, will take its original color, mitigating corrosion and bringing back the glory it had nearly 90 years ago.

But what color did officials paint the bridge in 1928? That was the million-dollar question.

Adamson couldn’t say what the color was on Thursday afternoon, so The Daily World went to the Polson Museum to find out. The answer, Larson said, was somewhere in the green binder.

When the project begins later this year, it will require closing the bridge and detouring traffic for six weeks during the summer, Adamson said. Sixty to 70 percent of the work, he added, will be done below the deck, away from traffic. The detour will route traffic to the Riverside Bridge, which will then become a two-way bridge.

“Our plan is to get in, get the work done and get out as soon as possible,” Adamson said. “We recognize the significance of this bridge for the community, families and people getting around in the region, hence the closure for only six weeks.”

The department, Adamson said, will advertise bids for the work later this spring. Officials expect to begin work in the summer and finish by the end of the year.

Though the cost of the work hasn’t been determined, about $4,400 will come from pre-existing funds, the department’s webpage says.

The bridge, which has served as a major thoroughfare for Grays Harbor drivers, was last painted in 1992.

Back at the Polson Museum, Larson flipped through the back pages of the green binder.

There, he found nearly every other detail about the paint, including the number of gallons it took to coat the bridge — 388 — and who made the paint — Rasmussen and Co. in Portland. But hiding a few pages closer to the middle was the million-dollar answer.

Detroit Graphite #501.

The bridge will be painted in steel gray, Adamson later said in an email.

Regardless of which shade of gray the bridge will have by the end of the year, Larson said he’s happy to see that it’s getting some attention.

“The bridge is a focal point of the community landscape,” he said. “I think it’s a good deal all around. We all drive over it every day.”

Reevaluation hearing doesn’t change Bassett’s sentence

Brian Bassett was denied any leniency on Friday on the three life sentences he received in 1996 for murdering his parents and brother. Friday’s hearing in Grays Harbor Superior Court aimed to reevaluate his case based upon a U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding juveniles and prison sentences.

Bassett, who shot both of his parents and drowned his younger brother in 1995, didn’t see his sentence change, and will still serve three life sentences without the possibility of parole for three counts of aggravated first-degree murder.

In 2012, the High Court ruled that mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole for juveniles are unconstitutional, stating that such mandidtory sentencing guidelines do not take into account the immaturity of juvenile defendants and their failure to appreciate the risks and consequences of the crime they commit. While a sentence of life without parole is still a permissable option, it cannot be the minimum sentence allowed, the court ruled.

Since Bassett was tried and convicted before the ruling, he was granted a reevaluation of his sentencing to determine a mandatory minimum. With the Supreme Court ruling, the sentencing court is not mandated to administer a shorter prison term, but needs to take into consideration mitigating factors in order to come to a decision.

These factors include, but are not limited to, the age of the individual, the defendant’s likelihood of being rehabilitated and the degree of responsibility the youth was capable of exercising.

Bassett’s defense attorney, Eric Lindell, tried to prove those mitigating factors were present with the 16-year-old killer. Lindell said Bassett was not mature enough to realize the consequences of his actions, but Grays Harbor Superior Court Judge Dave Edwards disagreed.

“He’s a boy,” Lindell said while pointing at a booking photo of Bassett that was taken shortly after the crime was committed.

Lindell, who was hoping Bassett would have to serve three 25-year sentences concurrently, also noted the progress Bassett has made since he’s been incarnated, which Lindell thought showed that he could be rehabilitated. Since being in prison, Bassett has married, taken college courses and done woodworking.

Joanne Pfeifer, Bassett’s wife, said she was impressed with the way he has taken initiative while incarcerated.

“He is always striving to educate himself and learn new skills,” she said.

Grays Harbor County Prosecutor Katie Svoboda argued that Bassett’s crime was not one of youthful impulsiveness, saying Bassett knew what he was doing and had planned his actions.

“(He) hired an accomplice, stole a gun and a getaway vehicle,” said Svoboda. “This crime was beyond horrific … it deserves the most serious sentence the court could impose.”

Bassett spoke during the hearing and expressed remorse and regret for his actions. He became obviously emotional when telling Judge Edwards his youthfulness played a major role in why he killed his family.

“I was too young to comprehend the totality of my actions. Given the chance I know I can be a valuable member of society,” Bassett said.

He told Edwards that the first night he was in jail he thought about what his parents would think, being so shaken up he didn’t take into consideration that they were no longer in the picture.

“It didn’t click,” he said.

Edwards agreed with Svoboda, saying that he found no evidence Bassett’s crime was an impulsive act. Edwards also stated that he believed Bassett was well aware of the consequences he would face based upon his actions.

“He (Bassett) did several things to try to reduce his risk,” said Edwards referring to Bassett’s use of a silencer when shooting his parents and his attempts to clean up blood from inside of his house after the murder.

Edwards said, too, that he wasn’t convinced Bassett’s progress in prison gave any indication that he wouldn’t be a danger to society when on the outside. “I don’t find his committing these crimes was evidence of the adolescent brain taking over his decision making. They were cold, calculated and very well-planned with the goal of eliminating his family from his life,” Edwards said.

Clam dig continues today through Feb. 6

OLYMPIA – Diggers will have a chance to spice up their Super Bowl parties with some fresh razor clams during a dig that continues today on several ocean beaches.

The state Department of Fish &Wildlife approved the opening, which runs through Feb. 6, after marine toxin test results showed the clams are safe to eat.

“Razor clam dip makes a scrumptious Super Bowl snack,” Ayres said. “Diggers can fill their buckets with clams Friday and Saturday ahead of the big game.”

Razor clam recipes, including for clam dip, are available on Fish &Wildlife’s webpage at http://ift.tt/18hSAzn.

Several beaches will be open — but likely a little quiet — on Super Bowl Sunday, providing lots of elbow room for diggers who aren’t football fans, Ayres said.

Under state law, diggers are required to keep the first 15 clams they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.

Upcoming digs are scheduled on the following dates, beaches and low tides:

• Today; 4:32 p.m., 0.2 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Copalis

• Sunday; 5:15 p.m., 0.0 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

• Monday; 5:53 p.m., -0.1 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

• Tuesday; 6:27 p.m., -0.1 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

• Wednesday; 6:59 p.m., 0.0 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

• Thursday; 7:30 p.m., 0.2 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

• Friday; 8 p.m., 0.5 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

The best digging typically occurs one to two hours before low tide, Ayres said. No digging is allowed at any beach before noon.

Fish &Wildlife also has proposed a dig set to begin Feb. 15, if marine toxin tests are favorable. That dig is tentatively scheduled on the following dates, beaches and low tides:

• Sunday, Feb. 15; 3:47 p.m., 0.2 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

• Monday, Feb. 16; 4:37 p.m., -0.5 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

• Tuesday, Feb. 17; 5:24 p.m., -0.9 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

• Wednesday, Feb. 18; 6:08 p.m., -1.1 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

• Thursday, Feb. 19; 6:51 p.m., -1.1 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

• Friday, Feb. 20; 7:33 p.m., -0.7 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

• Saturday, Feb. 21; 8:16 p.m., -0.1 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Copalis

• Sunday, Feb. 22; 9 p.m., 0.6 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks

All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2014-15 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available on WDFW’s website at http://ift.tt/1czn9Tv and from license vendors around the state.

Principal Patriots fan was a good sport

The spotlight shined on Jim Sawin, principal of Central Park Elementary School, on Friday morning during an assembly for ASB elections. Pricipal Sawin, one of the school’s few New England Patriots fans, kept a smile on his face as the entire student body, decked out in 12th man attire, surrounded him with blue and green and cheers of “go Seahawks!”

SBA offers disaster help to businesses and residents on Grays Harbor

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Low-interest federal disaster loans are available to Washington businesses and residents affected by the severe storms, flooding and mudslides in Grays Harbor County from January 3 - 6, U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet announced Thursday. SBA acted under its own authority to declare a disaster in response to a request SBA received from Gov. Jay Inslee on January 27.

The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties.

“SBA is strongly committed to providing Washington with the most effective and customer-focused response possible, and we will be there to provide access to federal disaster loans to help finance recovery for residents and businesses affected by the disaster,” said Contreras-Sweet. “Getting our businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA.”

“Low-interest federal disaster loans are available to businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters whose property was damaged or destroyed by this disaster,” said SBA’s Seattle District Director Nancy Porzio. “Beginning Monday, February 2, SBA representatives will be on hand at the following Disaster Loan Outreach Center to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help each individual complete their application,” Porzio continued. The center will be open on the days and times indicated until further notice. No appointment is necessary.

The Disaster Loan Outreach Center will be housed in the county’s Pearsall Building, 2109 Sumner Ave., Aberdeen, open Monday, February 2 at 8:00 a.m. and operating Monday - Friday, 8:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Businesses of any size and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to homeowners and businesses to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage.

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Interest rates can be as low as 4 percent for businesses, 2.625 percent for private nonprofit organizations and 1.938 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at http://ift.tt/UJSdRu.

Disaster loan information and application forms are also available from SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may call (800) 877-8339. For more information about SBA’s disaster assistance programs, visit http://ift.tt/1fmpZIz.

The filing deadline to return applications for property damage is March 30, 2015. The deadline to return economic injury applications is October 29, 2015.

Aberdeen resident heading to her first Super Bowl

Lifelong Aberdeen resident Danielle Fisher will get to do what so many Harbor residents wish they could this weekend when she attends Super Bowl XLIX to see the Seahawks take on the New England Patriots in Glendale, AZ.

Fisher got her ticket on Jan. 19 from Vivid Seats, an online resale ticket website after doing some research on where to look. She started thinking about going to the big game after the Hawks defeated the Denver Broncos last year, giving her plenty of time to prepare for what would happen if Seattle made it the Super Bowl again.

“I think I had it planned out pretty well. It’s really difficult to get the actual face-value tickets from Ticketmaster because they distribute them to season ticket holders,” she said. Fisher’s ticket is for a seat around the 15 or 20 yard line on the NFC side on the 400 level of the stadium.

Although she’s an avid fan, Fisher is not a season ticket holder and only went to one game this season. She said the decision to scout out tickets this year was a “bucket list thing” for her. This will be her the first time she’s attened the Super Bowl.

Fisher will is flying to Arizona from Portland International Airport, which she said is cheaper than leaving from Seattle. She’s also cutting expenses by staying with family in Arizona. However, they’re not going; Fisher says they’re Cardinal and 49er fans.

“They love me, so they’ll let me stay,” she joked.

A friend of Fisher’s from Seattle will meet her at the game, along with a group from the Tri-Cities that went to college with Fisher.

Before the game, Fisher is looking forward to taking in all of the surrounding festivities. She said she is most excited about Super Bowl Central, a number of events in downtown Phoenix that takes place throughout the weekend before the game, including live musical performances and national television networks broadcasting live.

“This is probably the only time I’ll get to do this. I looking forward to the whole experience,” she said.

Lt. Gov. Owen puts Quinault salmon on the line for Super Bowl

A friendly Super Bowl bet between the lieutenant governors of Washington and Massachusetts includes a number of products made by the Quinault Indian Reservation.

Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, in a statement released today, announced his wager with his counterpart in Massachusetts, Karyn Polito. The bet stipulates that, should the Patriots win on Sunday, Polito will receive a magnum bottle of Quilceda Creek wine from Snohomish; a box of apples from Yakima Senator Curtis King and Kershaw Fruit; and smoked salmon, albacore tuna, herbal tea and a variety of souvenirs from the Quinault Indian Nation.

If the Seahawks win, Polito has offered up cannoli and craft beer made in Worcester, Mass.

“We feel we can be extremely generous with our offer because it is a wager we won’t have to pay,” Owen said in the statement. “Go Hawks!”

Owen and Polito have also agreed to donate to a local food bank in the winner’s state.

Earlier this month, Owen collected his wager of cheese, brats and beer from Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch following the Seahawks’ win at the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers.

Lt. Gov. Owen stakes Quinault salmon on the line for Super Bowl

A friendly Super Bowl bet between the lieutenant governors of Washington and Massachusetts includes a number of products made by the Quinault Indian Reservation.

Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, in a statement released today, announced his wager with his counterpart in Massachusetts, Karyn Polito. The bet stipulates that, should the Patriots win on Sunday, Polito will receive a magnum bottle of Quilceda Creek wine from Snohomish; a box of apples from Yakima Senator Curtis King and Kershaw Fruit; and smoked salmon, albacore tuna, herbal tea and a variety of souvenirs from the Quinault Indian Nation.

If the Seahawks win, Polito has offered up cannoli and craft beer made in Worcester, Mass.

“We feel we can be extremely generous with our offer because it is a wager we won’t have to pay,” Owen said in the statement. “Go Hawks!”

Owen and Polito have also agreed to donate to a local food bank in the winner’s state.

Earlier this month, Owen collected his wager of cheese, brats and beer from Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch following the Seahawks’ win at the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers.

Incident management team organizes door-to-door assessment

The Region 3 Incident Management Team that has been housed at Coastal Community Action Program offices in Aberdeen worked with members of the Aberdeen and Hoquiam Fire Departments on Wednesday to respond to homes that were damaged by flooding and access each residents’ current situation.

Firefighters and IMT members went door-to-door responding to the approximately 300 inquires of flood-related issues that have been called into CCAP’s offices and took notes on what each residence needed, whether that was new insulation or mud removal.

The purpose of the assessments was to compile data and find out what work needed to be done on damaged houses and how those fixes could be completed. IMT Deputy Incident Commander Leonard Johnson said that after seeing the damage in Aberdeen and Hoquiam, volunteer groups could be contacted to help with repairs and cleanup.

“If we get to these work orders, we can figure out exactly what’s going on,” said Johnson. “There are much larger groups of volunteers outside of this community that are waiting for this information to come to them so they can help.”

IMT member Paul Counts stressed the fact that having a strong knowledge of damages allows volunteers to know what they need to do and how they can accomplish those tasks without wasting time.

“(The volunteers) only have so much time; they’ll come if they know what the work is. They aren’t just going to stand around and burn off that time they took off of work,” said Counts.

Another reason crews went door to door was to help the elderly or disabled. For those who weren’t able to get into crawl spaces or to different levels of the house to check for damage, this was an opportunity for them to be assisted.

Damages and requests for help were varied, with some houses needing more work than others.

Bridgett Ewings called CCAP due to black mold that had began to grow in her basement after she had two feet of standing water during the flood. She told firefighters that she has started to developed respiratory problems as a result.

“I’ve been coughing up my lungs,” she said.

Ewings also asked for help moving items out of the basement that were lost as a result of water damage.

She can’t physically move the items herself and said that her husband is disabled, making it impossible for either of them to clear the area.

A freezer full of food was also lost, Ewings said. She was referred to a storm recovery resource guide that listed different local agencies that could help with providing food, clothing and household goods.

Ewing’s information was taken by Aberdeen firefighters J.R. Streifel and Steve Pratt and will be put into a database for local city and county officials to refer to.

At Monique Preston’s house, Streifel and Pratt were told that the driveway needed to bleached. The sewer backed up during the storm and flooded Preston’s driveway.

Preston said she had about three feet of water in her driveway at the height of the storm, which she referred to as her “own outdoor swimming pool.” Water in her driveway went into a freezer full of food in her garage and she said she lost a good many personal items.

“It looks cleaned up out here, but a lot of my stuff got ruined,” she said.

Anyone who needs flood assistance of any kind or questions about emergency relief should contact the Coastal Community Action Program at (360) 533-5100.

Renters and homeowners can report damages to Grays Harbor County Emergency Management at this link: http://ift.tt/1xZGupA

Harborites off to the big game

Two Harborites will be among the tens of thousands of fans headed to Super Bowl XLIX this Sunday for a chance to see the Seahawks win the league’s biggest game for a second time in a row.

Aberdonian Doug Cotton and Gary Vining, from Westport, both flew out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Wednesday. The two best friends will meet Vining’s father, a snowbird living in Scottsdale, and go to the big game as a group.

Getting the tickets, Vining said, started at last year’s Super Bowl in New York, where Vining’s son saw the Seahawks beat the Broncos. Vining’s son met a New York-based ticket broker and kept his information, then passed it along to his father. Vining will have the tickets in-hand when he arrives in Arizona.

Both Vining and Cotton booked their flights to Arizona long before they knew the Seahawks would be there, too. They had plans to be in town during the game just to partake in the festivities.

But when the Seahawks won the NFC Championship, they decided they should try to get tickets. Vining called Cotton last Saturday to let him know that the three would have seats inside University of Phoenix Stadium.

“He said, ‘I just want you to know that we’re going to the Super Bowl,’” Cotton said. “I said, ‘You’re kidding me.’ … Of course, I was pretty elated.”

Vining also called his father, who is 83, to let him know the news.

“It was pretty amazing,” Vining said, adding that his father’s knee had just been replaced, and that he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to walk. “He said, ‘No problem.’ He was so pumped.”

The three will stay at Vining’s house in Sun City West, a few miles northwest of Glendale.

Vining said he knows how rare this opportunity is.

“It’s a bucket-list thing,” he said. “It’s probably once in a lifetime it’ll ever happen.”

Cotton echoed the sentiment, adding a bit of topical comic relief following Marshawn Lynch’s answers to questions at Tuesday’s Media Day. “I’m just going,” he said, “so I won’t get fined.”

Hoquiam eyes federal funds to pay for Beacon Hill repairs

The City of Hoquiam has successfully applied for federal funding to repair damage to Beacon Hill Drive from a mudslide, but the funds likely won’t be available for another two months, a state Department of Transportation official said.

The city is still waiting for the bill it incurred for contractors’ clean-up of the hill following the landslide on Jan. 5, said Brian Shay, the city’s administrator. The cost of repairs, he added, would probably amount to nearly $800,000.

But as the city waits for a final number, it has already filed for federal disaster funding that would refill the coffers. The funds come directly from the Federal Highway Administration, and only cover damage to roads classified as federal roads. Expenses for soil removal, road repairs and fixes to the sewer system all qualify for reimbursement.

Neal Campbell, the DOT’s local programs engineer for the Olympic Region, said Beacon Hill Drive meets that classification as a minor collector of traffic from larger thoroughfares.

The first step of the process, Shay said, was estimating the damage accrued, providing photographs and filling out a detailed damage assessment. That’s since been filed, and Shay said all that’s left to do is wait.

Campbell added that because the program is a reimbursement, the city must collect a bill before receiving any federal cash. Once the expenses have been documented, it will take the city as long as two months to see the money, Campbell said.

But that typically only happens “in a perfect world,” he said.

“The world is rarely perfect though,” Campbell added. “Things need to be fixed, bills need to be adjusted, but that’s sort of the bottom line.”

With the funding mostly secured, Shay said the city will benefit substantially from the federal assistance. “It would be huge for the city to get federal funds because this specific damage and expense all has to be charged to our general fund, which is the fund that has the least amount of financial resources available,” he said. “Getting this funding would be a huge boost to the city that’s already in a tough financial position.”

New bill suggest splitting Washington in half

OLYMPIA — Eastern and Western Washington are so different they should be two separate states, says a new bill that would set up a way to split them apart.

If that sentiment sounds familiar, it’s probably because legislators from east of the Cascades have been saying it — and trying to find a way to divvy up the state — for at least 100 years. Wednesday was even the anniversary of a proposal introduced in the 1915 Legislature to split up the state, as recounted that day in Jim Kershner’s This Day In History.

Plans vary; results so far do not. Washington remains one state.

The most recent plan comes from a group of Republican representatives who introduced a bill Wednesday calling for a 10-person legislative task force to figure out the best way to split the state, divide up the assets like highways and prisons, money for schools and health and welfare programs. The task force would be appointed by the political caucuses of the two chambers plus the governor, have members from both sides of the state and have to report by Sept. 30.

“The Legislature finds that since statehood, the livestyles, culture and economies of Eastern and Western Washington have been very distinct,” the bill says in its first section. Urbanization and rapid growth on the west side “have progressively heightened this divergence” it says.

The bill echoes sentiments that have appeared in at least six bills or resolutions that have been introduced since 1985. Some of those wanted to ask the president and Congress to split the state, others would have set up some kind of panel to redraw boundaries.

A sponsor or co-sponsor of many of those previous proposals was the late Sen. Bob McCaslin, a Spokane Valley Republican. His son, newly elected Rep. Bob McCaslin, also a Valley Republican, is a co-sponsor of the latest proposal. His seatmate, Rep. Matt Shea, is the prime sponsor.

“It’s partly to honor my dad’s memory,” the younger McCaslin said Wednesday. The proposal is primarily a “messaging bill,” he said, with sponsors trying to make a pitch for equality in funding for state programs and infrastructure.

To do that they’ll need to at least get a committee hearing on the bill or a floor debate, something that has eluded many previous efforts.

But Rep. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, said annual accounting of the money coming into the state coffers and going out in services consistently show that nine counties usually pay more in taxes than they get back in services, and most of them are in Western Washington. The other 31 get more in state services and programs than the state collects in taxes, and almost all are in Eastern Washington.

East Side legislators are not alone in looking for ways to split the state. Jacob Kukuk of Arlington is mounting an effort, mainly through social media, that could eventually produce a ballot initiative to carve off part of Eastern Washington into a new state, called Madison.

It would be named after President James Madison, the prime author of the U.S. Constitution, he said. Supporters might be gathering signatures for an initiative in 2016.

Bobcats swim past Hawks in final dual meet

Aberdeen’s boys swimming &diving team sent out its six seniors with a dual meet win on Wednesday at the YMCA of Grays Harbor.

The Bobcats won nine of the 12 events to overpower River Ridge for a 116-59 victory.

Sophomores Robby Lewis and Dustin Young both accounted for four event wins — two individual and two relay — for Aberdeen.

Lewis scored a season-best time in the 200-yard individual medley and nearly qualified for the state 2A meet in the 100 butterfly. Young easily cruised past the district qualifying times in the 50 and 100 freestyles.

Young and Lewis were both a part of the winning 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays. In the 200 medley, Lewis and Young were joined by junior John Jugum and senior Levi Rose. In the 200 free relay, senior Britton Tatro and junior Jeremiah Smith took the first two legs before Lewis and Young.

Rose finished with two wins on the day, adding the diving event to his relay team win. Senior Ryan McElliott claimed the 500 free and sophomore Jeran Paris hit a personal best in winning the 100 back.

“I thought it was a great day,” AHS head coach Angie Durr said. “I am very proud of everyone’s hard work and I see the results of their work in practice in the last two meets.”

Coach Durr cited McElliott and senior Roman Langley for their swims in the 500 free and Paris’ PR in the 100 back.

After the diving event, the team honored its six seniors — Rose, Tatro, McElliott, Langley, Antoine Johnson and Jake MacKinder. Johnson, a Hoquiam student, swims for Aberdeen in the regular season and will represent Hoquiam in the postseason meets.

On Saturday, Aberdeen will finish the regular season with a trip to Longview for the Southwest Washington Invitational at Mark Morris High School.

Bobcats 116, Hawks 59

200 MR — 1:53.96 — Aberdeen (Lewis, Jugum, Rose, Young), River Ridge, Aberdeen. 200 Free — 2:08.54 — Provost (RR), McElliott (A), Langley (A), Smith (A). 200 IM — 2:17.27 — Lewis (A), Francom (RR), Scroggs (A), Eberl (RR). 50 Free — 24.21 — Young (A), Johnson (RR), Tatro (A), Bridges (A). Diving — 189.50 — Rose (A), Paris (A). 100 Fly — 58.94 — Lewis (A), Rose (A), Cannizzo (RR), Wagner (A). 100 Free — 53.73 — Young (A), Provost (RR), Smith (A), Johnson (RR). 500 Free — 6:14.94 — McElliott (A), Langley (A), Massey (RR). 200 FR — 1:44.73 — Aberdeen (Tatro, Smith, Lewis, Young), River Ridge, Aberdeen. 100 Back — 1:12.07 — Paris (A), Tatro (A), Phelps (RR), Crowell (RR). 100 Breast — 1:13.98 — Francom (RR), Jugum (A), Johnson (A), Cannizzo (RR). 400 FR — 4:12.51 — River Ridge, Aberdeen, Aberdeen.

It’s Hawku week

Get your blue and green on! We all know what week it is - especially if you happen to live in Hawkuiam. You have to appreciate the spirit Jack Durney, mayor of Hoquiam — excuse me, that is, Hawkuiam this week — for his town spirit. In our neck of the wooded Washington state, colors are flying over both harbors and spirits are high. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know well that the home team is once again in the championship.

It is all anyone talked about last week. Grab your blue and green and pull out your pen, because this section is not to be overlooked by any of the others. And just for the record, did you see the blue and green food section way back in November? Time to pull out those recipes again, because you can’t get enough blue and green on your buffet table.

Way back here in the C section, we are not to be outdone. We have two surprises for you in the next two editions. Make that three. I can only tell you about the third one. Haiku, excuse me, HAWKU! We are on the same page, Jack.

Send us your Hawku and we will publish it in the next two editions of the C Section. Be quick! Get it in early. We will start publishing in Thursday’s edition and publish the rest on Saturday, just in time for the big game so you can read them to your friends and family when you mute the TV after tiring of the same Super Bowl ads.

To get you all started, I asked friend of mine, Claudia Wohlfeil, of Pullman, a serious Hawk fan and bookstore manager, to get one started for us.

I think she nailed it.

Wall of blue and green

Maxwell, Sherman, Thomas, Kam

The Legion of Boom

Now remember a traditional Haiku must be three lines. Each line has to have the appropriate amount of syllables. It can either be 3-5-3 or 5-7-5.

To get your prose in print, you must email them to me at rbarger@thedailyworld.com

I realize you only have a few days, but c’mon! the Seahawks had but 5 minutes to make history.

You can do it. Heck, it is the least you can do for your team. Let’s see your spirit.

Here’s another by C. W.:

We don’t need to cheat

By deflating our footballs

Seahawks are the best

Both the above had the 5-7-5 rule. You can make your’s shorter by using the 3-5-3 rule. If you have questions, you are welcome to email me. Here’s one from me:

I could not believe

seeing the score third quarter

Sad. But then, amazed!

CCAP lets flood relief coordinator go

Barb McDowell, who was hired by Coastal Community Action Program to help with flood relief efforts, was terminated by CCAP yesterday and believes her criticism of operations within the organization, along with her inability to emotionally detach from victims, got her fired.

McDowell first got involved in flood relief as part of citizen-led volunteer efforts. She was hired by CCAP with funds from the Grays Harbor Community Foundation after the storm in early January left Aberdeen and Hoquiam residents displaced and was tasked with answering phone calls from flood victims and referring them to organizations that could cater to their specific needs.

The decision to hire McDowell was made after CCAP was deemed the hub for anything flood-related.

McDowell said she believed CCAP, a local non-profit social service agency that typically deals with programs to help low income families, was taking on more than it could handle. She is upset that the County’s Department of Emergency Management, which is equipped to deal with disaster relief in the event of an emergency, didn’t play a bigger role in the flood effort.

She voiced these opinions while at CCAP and believed that played a part in her being fired.

“This needs to be at the Emergency Operations Center or Department of Emergency Management level because it’s not fair for this to be housed at CCAP,” she said. “I was very action-oriented and very direct,” while interacting with CCAP officials and that was “deemed unprofessional,” she said.

McDowell also said she believes she was let go because she stretched her job responsibilities when CCAP officials didn’t see fit. She said she worked on getting individual families resources they needed when city and county agencies could not, forcing her to work on a case-by-case basis.

McDowell admitted that her getting too involved with individual families was not what was asked of her.

“I broke the protocol and did not follow my directives 100 percent,” she said.

Craig Dublanko, CCAP’s CEO, said the decision was made as a way to streamline flood relief operations, saying McDowell struggled to keep up with the tremendous amount of phone calls the organization was getting from residents who needed help.

Dublanko said McDowell was a “well-meaning person with a workload that wasn’t manageable.”

Jackie Jamieson, who played a large part in organizing the “Harbor Strong” cleanup that took place on Jan. 10, will replace McDowell. Jamieson will be trained on Wednesday and start immediately.

“She (Jackie) knows how things need to be set up for success,” said Dublanko.

However, Dublanko also made clear that many residents were given the resources they needed while McDowell was with CCAP and he didn’t want people to lose sight of that.

“A lot of people got helped,” he said.

An incident management team comprised of firefighters, police officers and emergency management experts has been housed at CCAP since last week and has helped with coordinating the effort. Dublanko says with the team at CCAP, operations have gone far smoother and added if those resources were present earlier, McDowell might still have a job.

“Had the volume been that high with these systems (incident management team), the outcome might have been different,” he said. “We appreciate all the work that Barb did and look forward to what Jackie will do.”

McDowell said she will continue to help flood victims on her own time and hopes that those affected can get the help they need in order to fully recover.

Dublanko made it clear that CCAP is still the place to call if anyone needs flood assistance. He added that he is confident the incident management team is pointing relief efforts in the right direction.

Wisconsin governor wins GOP straw poll at Ocean Shores event

OCEAN SHORES – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker won the straw poll as the preferred candidate among Republicans at the annual Roanoke Conference at Ocean Shores over the weekend. Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was the runner-up, while Mitt Romney and Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana tied for third place.

The conference wrapped up after a weekend of panels, networking events and a banquet that featured nationally syndicated radio host Michael Medved.

“2015 was another fantastic year for the Roanoke Conference in Ocean Shores,” said Lisa Shin, President of the Roanoke Board. “Every January we’re pleased by the attendance at our event and by what happens when our elected leaders, prominent political thinkers, and grassroots activists come together under a big tent to exchange ideas, share laughs and create relationships that energize so many important causes.”

At Saturday’s dinner program, the Roanoke Board awarded Washington’s Secretary of State Kim Wyman with its “Rising Star Award.” Wyman is the second woman Secretary of State in Washington’s history and the only statewide elected Republican official on the West Coast.

This year’s agenda featured panels on a variety of topics and issues debates on common core education standards and a proposal to increase tax on gasoline.

We’re not number one any more — Harbor jobless rate holds steady in December

We’re no longer number one.

Grays Harbor’s unemployment rate held steady at 10.6 percent in December, and after spending much of 2014 with the highest jobless rate in the state, the county fell to the eighth highest in December.

In Pacific County, the unemployment rate fell by .1 percent over November, keeping it below 10 percent at 9.8.

The list of top 10 jobless rates was dominated by Eastern Washington counties in December, a shift from Southwest Washington’s usual showing. Though Grays Harbor County remained in the top 10, Pacific County fell off of the unenviable list. Grays Harbor was one of only two Southwest Washington counties with double-digit unemployment in December, the other being Lewis County.

Franklin County in the southeast corner of the state registered the highest unemployment rate at 11.3 percent, followed by Columbia County in the same region at 11.1 percent. Rounding out the 10 highest rates in the state were the trio of northeast corner counties — Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille — tied for the third-highest rate at 10.9, followed by Yakima (10.8), Lewis (10.7), Grays Harbor and Grant (both at 10.6) and Adams county (10.5).

Body Believed To Be Missing Man Recovered From Willapa River

RAYMOND – The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office has recovered a body from the Willapa River that is believed to be that of Ross A. Baun, a 31-year-old McCleary man missing since Jan. 5.

Just after noon on Monday county dispatchers received a call from a citizen who said he and his wife located the body while on a kayak outing on t he river. The caller said the body had been secured to one of the kayaks.

Deputies responded in the office’s marine patrol vessel to recover the body and help the kayakers. The general physical attributes, clothing descriptions and identifying tattoos provided to investigators at the time of the disappearance matched the recovered body, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Baun had last been observed alive on Jan. 5, about one half mile up river on the bank next to the river from where the body was recovered. The body was released to the Pacific County Coroner’s Office. The cause of death is still undetermined.

Lamb to re-purpose family buildings for whiskey bottling

The son of a Hoquiam dynasty plans to put the city on the map as the next best place to find American single-malt whiskey.

Emerson Lamb, whose family ties to Hoquiam go back five generations, wants to use a portion of the closed Lamb-Grays Harbor Co. plant for a bottling facility to package the single-malt whiskey he’s been distilling in Seattle’s Sodo Neighborhood since 2009.

For years the Lamb-Grays Harbor plant was one of Hoquiam’s largest employers, making heavy equipment and machinery for the logging and milling industries. It closed in 2001.

Emerson Lamb was at Tuesday’s Hoquiam City Council meeting to explain the next venture for his Seattle-based Westland Distillery. The plan includes using the paint shop building on the Lamb campus. Since 2010, barrels of the whiskey have been aging in his family’s fabrication shop.

Additionally, Lamb will build another warehouse near the two buildings to accommodate his growing supply of whiskey. His collection currently sits at about 3,000 barrels.

The collection of aging whiskey, Lamb said, is the largest aging stock of single-malt whiskey that has ever been produced in North America.

Lamb is the son of David Lamb, who was president of Lamb-Grays Harbor. At Tuesday’s meeting, Lamb explained to the council why it was important to him to bring more of his business back to the town he grew up in, and to re-purpose the buildings his family made its living with.

“This place is a huge part of my inheritance,” Lamb said to the council. “I’m sure that all of you have driven out past the old Lamb-Grays Harbor plant. It is not the thing that it once was. But it is my intention in a new way to bring activity, to bring new life to that which I have inherited.”

In addition to bringing a piece of his business back to his roots, Lamb added that this area of the state is one of the best areas to age whiskey, thanks to its climate. Whiskey’s interaction with the wood of the barrel it’s stored in, Lamb said, is what gives the drink its color and sweetness. The steady temperatures allows the aging environment to remain stable year-round, giving the whiskey a unique taste.

When it begins production in a few months, Lamb said the bottling facility will also package products for Anchor Brewing, a craft brewing company based in San Francisco. Though Lamb admits the bottling facility wouldn’t solve all of the area’s problems surrounding unemployment, he said it would provide several jobs.

Lamb ended his presentation by telling the council he’s often asked why he decided to distill whiskey in Seattle and bottle it in a small town like Hoquiam.

“This is an industry that has a history of supporting people in places that have the audacity to support it,” he said.

Hoquiam Mayor Jack Durney solicited Lamb’s presentation to the council after hearing Lamb talk at a Lions Club meeting.

“To come up with something completely different like distilling whiskey, I think that’s an amazing thing,” Durney said after the meeting. “They could put a bottling line anywhere.”

Durney also spoke to the quality of Lamb’s product — using firsthand experience.

“They also make a hell of a good product,” he said. “It’s an excellent sipping whiskey that you want to drink neat.”

Washington state officials unaware at first of November oil spill

WASHINGTON, D.C. — State and federal officials are investigating an oil spill from a railroad tank car at Washington state’s largest refinery last November, but key agencies were kept in the dark about it for at least a month.

The delayed notification of the spill highlights gaps in communication and enforcement as more crude oil shipments travel by rail.

According to reports reviewed by McClatchy, when the tank car arrived Nov. 5 at the BP Cherry Point refinery, Federal Railroad Administration inspectors discovered oil stains on its sides and wheels. A closer inspection revealed an open valve and a missing plug. The car was also 1,611 gallons short, enough to fill the gas tanks of 100 Subaru Foresters.

Neither the railroad, nor the third-party company that unloaded the oil at the terminal, however, could determine where the missing oil had spilled, making it likely that it had leaked somewhere along the train’s 1,200-mile path between the loading terminal in Dore, N.D., and the refinery, near Ferndale, Wash.

The oil train route to Northwest refineries passes through national parks, along rivers and through the region’s population centers.

An oil release of that size from a marine tanker, a refinery or a storage facility would automatically trigger a well-established set of notification requirements that would result in the information about the incident flowing promptly to local, state and federal agencies.

There are state and federal hotlines for reporting an oil spill, yet the November incident was not initially reported to any local or state officials. The Washington state Utilities and Transportation Commission found out on Dec. 3 when it received a copy of the report BNSF Railway submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Railroads have 30 days to file such reports.

Courtney Wallace, a spokeswoman for BNSF, said that the train “was not in transit, not on our property and not in our custody” when the spill was detected and that the company submitted the required reports to state and federal regulators. She also said that no one reported evidence of spilled oil along BNSF track, which follows the Columbia River and parts of Puget Sound and passes through at least five of the state’s 10 most populous cities.

Scott Dean, a spokesman for BP, said the company “took this issue very seriously” and notified BNSF and Savage Services, which unloads the tank cars at the refinery. He added that federal regulators confirmed that the company had fulfilled its responsibilities.

The information never reached the Washington state Department of Ecology, which responds to inland oil spills; the U.S. Coast Guard, which responds to oil spills along navigable waterways; or the Whatcom County Unified Emergency Coordination Center. All three first learned of the incident last week from McClatchy.

The report BNSF filed to federal regulators indicates that no local emergency services were notified at the time of the incident.

State law requires railroads to report any hazardous materials release to the state emergency operations center within 30 minutes of learning of the incident.

The center’s 24-hour duty officer shares spill information with all levels of government. Karina Shagren, a spokeswoman for the state Emergency Management Division, said the department has no record of anyone calling to report an oil spill from a rail car at the refinery in November.

State and local officials could have known about the spill sooner if it had been reported to the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Response Center hotline. The center shares information about reported spills to state and local agencies.

Federal and state regulators are investigating.

“If we discover that the shipper or the railroad ran afoul of federal safety regulations,” said Kevin Thompson, a spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration,” we will take appropriate enforcement actions.”

Kathy Hunter, rail safety manager at the state Utilities and Transportation Commission, said the commission is assisting with the federal investigation.

The Department of Ecology also has launched an investigation.

“There may have been a gap in reporting protocol,” said David Byers, spill response manager for the department. “We’re investigating to determine if there was one.”

The rail industry and its regulators have been working to improve communication with state and local emergency response officials following a series of high-profile oil train derailments and spills in the past few years. Still, the November oil spill shows the kinds of hidden risks that continue to emerge in communities where the oil is transported by rail.

It also has shown enforcement gaps, especially at the state level. Washington state has four inspectors on its payroll who are certified by the Federal Railroad Administration, one each for track, signals, operations and hazardous materials.

The state, however, does not have an inspector for locomotives and equipment. A state inspector would report any oil spill immediately to other state agencies. Had a state inspector been present at the Cherry Point refinery when the oil-stained car arrived in November instead of just federal ones, the state would have been notified sooner.

Jason Lewis, transportation policy adviser with the Utilities and Transportation Commission, said the commission has requested funding to add a fifth inspector.

“Right now, the resources are very thin at the state level,” he said.

WDFW approves razor clam dig starting Friday

OLYMPIA – Diggers will have a chance to spice up their Super Bowl parties with some fresh razor clams during a dig beginning Jan. 30 on several ocean beaches.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved the opening, which runs through Feb. 6, after marine toxin test results showed the clams are safe to eat.

“Razor clam dip makes a scrumptious Super Bowl snack,” Ayres said. “Diggers can fill their buckets with clams Friday and Saturday ahead of the big game.”

Razor clam recipes, including for clam dip, are available on WDFW’s webpage at http://ift.tt/18hSAzn.

Several beaches will be open – but likely a little quiet – on Super Bowl Sunday, providing lots of elbow room for diggers who aren’t football fans, Ayres said.

Under state law, diggers are required to keep the first 15 clams they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.

Upcoming digs are scheduled on the following dates, beaches and low tides:

Jan. 30, Friday; 3:43 p.m., 0.5 feet Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

Jan. 31, Saturday; 4:32 p.m., 0.2 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Copalis

Feb. 1, Sunday; 5:15 p.m., 0.0 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

Feb. 2, Monday; 5:53 p.m., -0.1 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

Feb. 3, Tuesday; 6:27 p.m., -0.1 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

Feb. 4, Wednesday; 6:59 p.m., 0.0 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

Feb. 5, Thursday; 7:30 p.m., 0.2 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

Feb. 6, Friday; 8:00 p.m., 0.5 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

The best digging typically occurs one to two hours before low tide, Ayres said. No digging is allowed at any beach before noon.

WDFW also has proposed a dig set to begin Feb. 15, if marine toxin tests are favorable. That dig is tentatively scheduled on the following dates, beaches and low tides:

Feb. 15, Sunday; 3:47 p.m., 0.2 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

Feb. 16, Monday; 4:37 p.m., -0.5 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

Feb. 17, Tuesday; 5:24 p.m., -0.9 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

Feb. 18, Wednesday; 6:08 p.m., -1.1 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

Feb. 19, Thursday; 6:51 p.m., -1.1 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors

Feb. 20, Friday; 7:33 p.m., -0.7 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks

Feb. 21, Saturday; 8:16 p.m., -0.1 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Copalis

Feb. 22, Sunday; 9:00 p.m., 0.6 feet, Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Mocrocks

All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2014-15 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available on WDFW’s website at http://ift.tt/1czn9Tv and from license vendors around the state.

Monte Drill Team collects honors at River Ridge

The Montesano Drill Team competed at River Ridge High School on Jan 24, their second competition of the season. The team brought home a first place trophy in Military and a third place trophy in Pom. There were 26 teams competing and Montesano was the only 1A school there competing against 2A, 3A, and 4A schools, according to MHS drill team coach Kelsey Cole.

Body of Missing Hiker Recovered from Elwha Valley of Olympic National Park

Searchers, aided by several dog teams, yesterday located and recovered the body of missing hiker James Thomas Griffin in very rugged terrain near the Boulder Creek trailhead, Olympic National Park officials said Monday morning. Griffin, 60, of Port Angeles was the subject of an intensive five-day search that began on Christmas Eve, December 24.

Griffin’s remains were found by a search dog team in a very steep, rugged and densely forested area about a third of mile and nearly 1,000 vertical feet above the trail. An investigation at and around the scene showed no indications of foul play or wildlife interactions.

Griffin, 60 years old, was last seen by other hikers about 4pm Monday, December 22 at Olympic Hot Springs. He was reported missing on December 24 when he did not arrive at a Christmas Eve dinner as planned.

Griffin’s daypack was found on Dec. 25 about a half-mile from the trailhead. Despite the five-day search involving over 20 people and several search dog teams, no other clues were located until Sunday.

Griffin’s body was transferred to a funeral home late yesterday.

Six dog teams from the all-volunteer group German Shepherd Search Dogs searched on Saturday; two teams searched Sunday.

Wine draws a crowd in Elma

Linda Sue Evans and her husband Roy Evans sample wine from the Northwest Mountain Winery Saturday during the Elma Chamber of Commerce Winter Wine Festival at the Grays Harbor County Fair and Event Center.

Kilmer holds town hall meeting in Westport

Grays Harbor residents had local issues in mind, including struggles facing small businesses, and the Navy’s plans for electronic warfare training on the Olympic Peninsula, when they got a chance to address Congressman Derek Kilmer at his town hall gathering Saturday afternoon in Westport.

Attendees filled about two-thirds of the 100 seats set up in Ocosta High School’s commons room. The stop in Westport was the last of the Democratic congressman’s six town hall meetings over the last two weeks.

“I think it’s important for elected officials to make themselves available and accessible and accountable to the people they represent,” Kilmer said before taking the podium. “I’ve made it a priority to do meetings like this so folks can be heard and they can hear what I’m working on.”

The town hall began with a slideshow showcasing progress — or lack thereof — in Congress surrounding the economy, employment and work across party lines.

Kilmer didn’t mince words when expressing his feelings about Congress’s recent sessions.

“‘Sequestration’ is a Latin word that I believe translates to ‘stupidity,’” Kilmer said, inciting laughter among supporters.

Kilmer was also critical of lawmakers’ tendency to add provisions to bills just before sending them to a committee. “Congress has to stop doing things at the last minute. It’s not good for business.”

After his presentation, Kilmer opened the floor for public comment, giving constituents an hour to voice concerns to him directly.

Among the first issues raised was flood relief, and whether Kilmer has the capacity to help with efforts to restore Grays Harbor following its worst natural disaster in recent years. He urged anyone with property damage to have that damage assessed as soon as possible. Doing so, he said, leads to progress toward getting any assistance from FEMA.

“Part of the trigger for support out of FEMA is it has to cross that threshold of seeing a significant amount of damage done,” he said. “That means that folks who were impacted can be part of the solution by getting their damage assessed.”

Local and state officials said this week that they don’t expect FEMA funding to be a large part of the recovery effort.

Help for struggling local businesses also sat at the forefront of discussion on Saturday. Among those concerned was Carol Glover, who owns Mermaid Deli & Pub in Westport.

After opening her restaurant at the height of the Great Recession, Glover said she hasn’t been able to keep up with the numerous federal, state and municipal regulations. With Westport’s status as a seasonal town, Glover said she continually hires an influx of workers for the summer, but is forced to lay them off during the winter months. As a result, she said she’s hit with an unemployment rate every year.

“That is ridiculous in an area like this,” she said during public comment, adding that her outreach to the Small Business Administration didn’t yield any solutions. “We have no support from anyone. … The one time we contacted them, they said they only loan to businesses that are profitable.”

Kilmer, who had a background in economic development before going to Congress, said that although the Small Business Administration does offer valuable programs, its response to Glover “didn’t make sense.”

“This is something that the state has grappled with with regards to seasonal employment,” he added. “I’m not sure that the state has appropriately threaded that needle, and I think your business is a fine example of that.”

Grays Harbor College President Ed Brewster was at the gathering and said Kilmer has been an important resource for small business locally. He pointed to Kilmer’s help keeping the local small business development coordination office from closing its doors a year ago.

“He, frankly, personally was the one who turned around the closure of that center,” Brewster said. “He doesn’t just talk about things, but he takes action and has done specific things to help the community.”

Kilmer also fielded comments from supporters and opponents of the Pacific Northwest Electronic Warfare Range project on the Olympic Peninsula. Though the issue remains divisive, Kilmer said the most glaring mistake has been the Navy’s lack of outreach to gather public comment on the plan.

“I think they’ve done an inadequate job on engaging the public on this,” he said. “The Navy has said they informed 100 public officials. Frankly, I’ve not talked to a single one.”

The meeting came to a close with Kilmer congratulating Westport Mayor Michael Bruce on the city’s centennial in 2014. The congressman had originally planned to speak at the ceremony last year, but was unable to attend due to a family illness. Kilmer gave Bruce a flag flown at the U.S. Capitol, a gift Bruce said he had previously asked for, having never been able to go Washington D.C. himself.

After the town hall, Bruce lauded Kilmer for his accessibility to constituents.

“I’ve never had an issue that Congressman Kilmer and his staff wouldn’t get to the bottom of,” Bruce said. “I may not have always been happy with the answer, but they do listen, and he’s very responsive.”

Incident Management Team called in to help with flood relief

Grays Harbor has recruited the Homeland Security Region 3 Incident Management Team to help coordinate flood relief efforts after receiving requests from both Aberdeen and Hoquiam officials for assistance.

The team was called in by County Emergency Management and will be housed at Coastal Community Action Program’s offices for roughly a week or so to help set up a unified command structure and streamline flood recovery operations, said Grays Harbor Sheriff Rick Scott.

Incident management teams are set up throughout the U.S. to respond to emergencies and natural disasters, with the Region 3 team covering jurisdictions in Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties. The team is made up of firefighters, police officers, dispatchers and volunteers that specialize in emergency relief.

According to Scott, a unified command structure will delegate different leaders from Hoquiam, Aberdeen and the county to coordinate resources for flood victims. Specifically, Scott said the team is here to better identify and activate resources that could be helpful for flood victims, which is something CCAP has had trouble with due to a high volume of phone calls they’ve received since the storm.

“We’re just trying to make it flow more smoothly … take a little bit of the burden off of CCAP as far as doing all of the coordination,” said Ed McGowan of Grays Harbor Emergency Management.

Before the incident management team was brought in at the request of the county, Aberdeen and Hoquiam were handling the disaster on their own. Scott said Emergency Management was only asked to take care of compiling resident damage report forms as part of assistance efforts, but no actions beyond that had been requested by city officials.

“The County Emergency Management wasn’t asked to do anything until just the other day,” said Scott on Friday.

Aberdeen Mayor Bill Simpson said with CCAP becoming overwhelmed, the city needed further assistance.

“We got to a point where everything was disjointed. (CCAP) just got flooded with all kinds of requests and everything else. When you’re in the middle of a disaster, you’re just trying to take care of what you can,” said Simpson.

Hoquiam Mayor Jack Durney said he hopes the team coming to Grays Harbor will improve the likelihood of the right information getting out to both city officials and residents.

“One of the things I think we’ve needed a great deal is communication. There’s been a lot on Facebook, but there has been some misinformation,” he said. “You need a single authoritative source on disasters.”

Having the team in town is a huge weight off of CCAP’s shoulders. The organization was getting roughly 100 calls per day from residents during the week of the flooding and mudslides, with that number tapering down to around 50 since.

For residents who need flood assistance of any kind, they should still call the CCAP offices at (360) 533-5100.

Renters and homeowners can report damages to Grays Harbor County Emergency Management at this link: http://ift.tt/1xZGupA

County Commissioners terminate clerk to the board

The Grays Harbor County commissioners terminated their clerk to the board, Donna McCallum, during a special meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 21, by a 2-1 vote. Commissioner Frank Gordon voted against the termination of employment.

“I was unhappy with it,” Gordon said. “It was a personality thing. To me, Donna was one of the best county employees we’ve ever had.”

McCallum was contacted by The Daily World on Friday and said she is working on a prepared statement but wasn’t ready to comment at that time.

On Dec. 31, 2014, the commissioners drafted a severance agreement. Cormier voted against the agreement while Gordon and then-commissioner Herb Welch voted for it. During the meeting, Welch noted that McCallum wanted to end her employment under the terms of that agreement, which would have included severance pay, continued benefits and a payout of accrued vacation time, an uncommon agreement for an exempt county employee Cormier said.

“I felt the separation agreement was unprecedented and I didn’t think there was cause there,” Cormier said on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Jan. 14, the commission (Gordon, Cormier and Commissioner-elect Vickie Raines) unanimously revoked the severance agreement. Raines then made a motion to terminate McCallum “with cause.”

McCallum had been excused from work for medical reasons. A doctor’s note said McCallum would return to work on Jan. 12, however, she didn’t, according to commissioners’ comments following Raines’ motion for termination.

“One, job abandonment for no attendance or communication since Monday, Jan. 12, and number two, for just unfit as item G relates to an inability to work with the commissioners,” Raines said during the Jan. 14 meeting.

McCallum’s employment contract (section 4.5, item G) states, “Any other act or failure to act within the judgment of the Board of County Commissioners is sufficient to show the administrative assistant to be an unsuitable and unfit person to hold the position of administrative assistant,” as read during the Jan. 14 meeting.

That violation directly relates to McCallum’s opinions of Raines.

“As the incoming commissioner, I’ve been made aware over the last 12-14 months of her (McCallum’s) vocalizing the inability and desire to work with me,” Raines said during that meeting. “She’s clearly stated that she will not work with me and I don’t think that provides a cohesive manner in which to move forward for the county as a commission.”

Cormier seconded Raines’ motion to terminate with cause. Gordon said he didn’t like the description of the termination.

“I would like to have terminated her without cause because, while it was childish what she did discussing Vickie and things like that, which I will agree with, I think that within the 11 years she’s been here, she’s been a good assistant,” Gordon said.

Gordon voted against Raines’ motion and it carried 2-1 for termination with cause.

The commissioners met with McCallum on Tuesday, Jan. 20, allowing her to contest her termination. The conversation is not public record.

On Wednesday, the commission officially terminated McCallum’s employment with cause.

Following the decision, the commissioners unanimously appointed Jenna Amsbury, the commission secretary, as clerk to the board.

“Jenna, the new lady moving into the position, is a jewel,” Gordon said on Wednesday.

Kilmer town hall meeting Saturday in Westport

Grays Harbor County will be the last stop for Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Washington, in a series of meetings his office is hosting with constituents this week, according to a statement from Kilmer’s office.

The town hall session, which is open to the public to field questions from constitutents, is scheduled for Saturday at Ocosta High School Commons at 2580 Montesano St. in Westport.

Check back at thedailyworld.com after the town hall for coverage of the meeting.

Timberland Bank donates $10,000 for flood relief

Timberland Bank President Mike Sand, right, presents a $10,000 check to community leader John Warring (middle) and Jim Daly, executive director of the Grays Harbor Community Foundation. The foundation has established an ad-hoc committee to administer funds received specifically for January 2015 storm relief efforts. The committee is developing guidelines and processes to expedite distribution of these funds to local agencies and nonprofits for local relief. “Grays Harbor is our home and we are humbled seeing local families and businesses affected by the storm. The Grays Harbor Community Foundation’s ad-hoc committee provides an excellent local resource for us to expedite these funds to help restore our friends and neighbors who have experienced flood damage,” Sand said. The committee is working to help government and relief agencies to understand the full extent of the disaster, and recommends that all who have had damage to their property, home, land, autos, etc. fill out a Damage Assessment Form with officials at the City of Hoquiam, the City of Aberdeen, or Grays Harbor County so that the disaster might qualify for FEMA relief. If citizens have specific emergency needs or questions regarding relief services available, they should call Coastal Community Action Program at: 360-533-5100 ext. 151, or a direct line is 500-4551 and toll free at 800-828-4883 or by e-mail: barbm@coastalcap.org.

State may allow wind-powered vehicles on beaches

Wind-based sports and passions have long inspired coastal enthusiasts with every sort of kite contraption from wind surfing to stunt kites often dancing across our local beaches.

Now, imagine a new wind-driven endeavour — one that enthusiasts believe could become a tourist attraction and potential new recreational draw, taking kite flying to a more grounded purpose.

The state Parks and Recreation Commission currently is considering whether wind-powered vehicles should be allowed on ocean beaches, and a meeting on proposed rule changes to allow their use will be in Ocean Shores next week.

“Based on requests from recreational users, we are considering modifying the rule that prohibits kite buggies, blo-karts, kite boards and other wheeled, wind-powered recreational vehicles to allow their use under certain circumstances,” the commission said in a recent news release.

Citizens may comment from 6-8 p.m. at the meeting Jan. 29 at the Ocean Shores Convention Center.

State Parks is asking for public comment on issues such as:

Where should wind-powered vehicle use be allowed and where should it be restricted?

What types of seasonal restrictions should apply to promote beach safety and protect important wildlife habitat?

How should the agency address issues such as maximum speed, vehicle visibility, and the potential for conflict with other beach recreation uses?

From 2010-2013, State Parks conducted demonstration events with wind-powered vehicle users, the news release said. “Based on these events, we determined that wind-powered recreation could potentially be allowed, provided we can ensure safety and protect important wildlife habitat,” the agency concluded.

The rule update will determine when and where this use is reasonable and appropriate, what limitations should be imposed, and what kind of monitoring may be needed.

“Wind powered vehicles are highly maneuverable and controllable vehicles powered by the wind,” said Evans Fletcher, a proponent who participated in some of the demonstrations already conducted. Flethcer first approached State Parks about 4-5 years ago asking to allow wind powered vehicles on Washington’s beaches.

“After a brief explanation of the vehicles in discussion, the commissioners directed Parks staff to move forward with a pilot program. After a few meetings, we were granted permission to fly in specific locations on Washington’s beaches, North Beach up by Moclips, Pacific Beach, South Beach area near Grayland and Klipsan Beach on the Long Beach Peninsula. Our dates had to be applied for in advance,” Fletcher said.

One form is like a three-wheeled tricycle with a kit attached to it. Another form is a blo-kart or land sailor. It is a similar vehicle but has a fixed sail like a sail boat. Another is a land board, a skateboard with larger wheels powered by a kite.

“During the two or three years of the pilot program we demonstrated our sport, visited with many beach goers, owners of property, businesses. All were very excited and interested. Currently wind-powered vehicle enthusiasts must travel to Oregon if we wish to sail. The beaches there are open. We are asking for the same opportunity that Oregon enthusiasts have,” Fletcher said.

“What we have proposed to Washington State Parks is similar to the rules governing vehicle traffic. We want to have the beaches open to wind powered vehicles, with seasonal (April-Sept.) closures in the highly congested areas, such as the areas within the city limits of Long Beach, and Ocean Shores. We would also like it to be possible for these cities to give special permission to fly during events like kite festivals.”

At Ocean Shores Kites, owner Andy Sias said he is in favor of the rule change and believes it could create a significant tourist boost for the area, especially if users are allowed to organize and sponsor events such as races. As a business, the local kite store already stocks some of the equipment even though Sias has to explain to prospective customers that using wind-powered vehicles is against current law.

“We have all-terrain boards, which are like overgrown skateboards with big balloon tires on them. The issue is that it hasn’t been legal here, so I can’t say we do a big volume in these items,” Sias said.

For the 22 years he’s been in business, Sias has watched the legal issues be debated, and he’ll be attending the State Parks meeting in support of changing the restrictions.

“I see this as bringing tourist dollars to town in the offseason when we need it, not only by those who do it but those who would come to spectate,” Sias said, noting that the most popular times would be in the seasons when the beaches are empty and the winds are strong.

The speed of the kite vehicles can be nearly double the wind speed, according to Sias, depending on the size of the kite. They use four-string kites harnessed to the three-wheeled vehicles steered with feet, and run 90 degrees to the wind for maximum speed.

“The big fear is the safety fear,” he acknowledged. “But the guys who do this have a lot of money invested in the goods. “

A full rig with kite could run as much as $2,000, including a “buggy” a harness.

“This will bring money into hotels, gas stations, grocery stores and everything else in town, and maybe some into the kite shop,” Sias said, figuring most of the users will likely have purchased their gear out of town.

“I really believe it will do a lot for the community I live in and have been a part of for 22 years,” he said.

View the current rule language, Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 352-37-190 “Excluded/limited recreation activities.”

This is the current law, which pertains to Washington Beaches. There is a permit system in place for one section of beach, which is marginal at best for buggying some years. This is also only available between mid April and Sept. 1. This was supposed to be reviewed a number of years ago but never did.

Excluded/limited recreation activities.

State Law: WAC 352-37-190

The following forms of public outdoor recreation activities or devices currently are prohibited on the ocean beaches unless specifically designated as a special recreation event.

(1) Vehicles not licensed and certificated pursuant to chapters 46.12 and 46.16 RCW.

(2) Wind/sand sailers.

(3) Parasails.

(4) Hovercraft.

(5) Powered parasail.

(6) Ultra-light aircraft.

(7) Powered hang gliders.

(8) Any violation of this section is an infraction under chapter 7.84 RCW.

For more information, contact Park Planner Randy Kiline, PO Box 42650 Olympia, WA 98504-2650, (360) 902-8632.

78-year-old Aberdeen man arraigned on child molestation and pornography charges

An Aberdeen man pleaded not guilty this week to child pornography and molestation charges in connection with accusations that he had been molesting a minor over the span of two years, from April of 2011 to November of 2013.

Willis Ray Whitney, 78, is charged with child molestation in the second degree and possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct in the first and second degree.

The Aberdeen Police Department was contacted on Nov. 4, 2013, regarding a DVD that allegedly belonged to the defendant and showed a juvenile male, along with other minors, being sexually assaulted by Whitney. When the minor shown in the video was contacted by police, he told law enforcement Whitney had done “unspeakable things” to him, according to court documents.

The minor told police he would go to Whitney’s house to play Xbox and watch television, court documents state. The minor also told law enforcement that Whitney would give him large amounts of money, sometimes hundreds of dollars at a time, knowing the boy’s family was not financially stable.

Court documents state the minor was 12 or 13 years old when he was first touched inappropriately by Whitney. The minor did not tell anyone of the assault at the time and continued to go over to Whitney’s house, according to court documents.

Over the next two years, the minor told law enforcement the abuse got worse, with Whitney touching and kissing the boy and forcing him to touch Whitney’s genitals.

The minor also described to police looking at child pornography on Whitney’s computer. Based on the details given by the minor, the Aberdeen Police Department obtained a search warrant, seized Whitney’s computer and sent it to the Bellevue Police Department for a forensics investigation.

The warrant found photographs on Whitney’s computer that showed predominately young males, many appearing to be under the age of 18, engaging in sexually explicit conduct, according to court papers. A video found on Whitney’s computer showed a girl, expected to be approximately 4 or 5 years old, performing oral sex on an unknown adult male.

Whitney’s sexual contact with the minor male is the basis for the molestation charge, while the images found on his computer account for the child pornography charges.

A trial date has not yet been set.

Second Grays Harbor resident contracts measles

A second Grays Harbor resident has contracted the measles virus. An Aberdeen teen was diagnosed earlier this month.

The case comes after both patients visited Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., which has since been determined to be the apparent source of an outbreak. Since the outbreak, nearly 60 California residents have contracted the virus, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Joan Brewster, public health director for Grays Harbor Public Health and Social Services, confirmed on Thursday that a Harbor resident had contracted the illness. The second case, Brewster said, was a “close contact” with the first.

“This was not that unexpected,” Brewster said, adding that the second patient had been unimmunized from the virus. “Measles is very contagious.”

The earlier case marked the first time in 25 years that a Grays Harbor resident had contracted the measles.

Two weeks after disaster, Beacon Hill residents bounce back

From 23rd Street in Hoquiam, Lon Howell looked through the windshield of his work vehicle to the top of Beacon Hill.

Perched at the summit sat two houses, side by side. Nearly two weeks ago, both houses had back yards, visible from the road. Now, the deck of one house dangled over a cliff and the other’s foundation sat exposed.

At about 7:15 on the morning of Jan. 5, after a day of record rainfall, Howell, the city’s only building official, walked across the street from his own home atop the hill to both houses and told the occupants to get out immediately.

“I condemned them right there on the spot,” Howell said from inside his work truck on Tuesday afternoon. “When I saw what had happened and saw the back yards on the edge like that, I thought, ‘They have to get out.’ There was no other choice.”

It’s been more than two weeks since landslides destroyed much of Beacon Hill Drive and made seven homes on top of the hill and below on Queets Avenue unlivable. Beacon Hill Drive itself was blocked, leaving residents at the top of the hill only a logging road on the backside to get on and off the hill. The main road was reopened Wednesday afternoon.

“Fortunately that road was there so people had access, but it’s still been a great inconvenience,” Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay said, adding that the city added cones and barricades to keep drivers safe on the poorly lit road.

Repairs to the road — which include soil removal as well as fixing the asphalt, sewer and water mains — are expected to cost the city about $800,000, Shay added.

An apartment complex at the top of the hill, Shay said, appeared to be on stable ground after an examination by the city’s geologists. The city recommended that the owner of the complex hire their own geologist to take a closer look, he added.

Even with repairs under way, Shay said the city is still concerned for the residents whose homes were condemned after the slide.

“Those are probably $200,000 homes and they are pretty much an entire loss,” he said. “So my heart goes out to those people.”

Driving through a restricted stretch of Queets Avenue, Howell pointed to other houses that met their fate on the morning of the 5th. At 2535 Queets, the landslide removed a house’s lower floor, leaving the second story sitting in its place. Up the street at 2313, the homeowners’ vehicles, Howell said, remain buried under the dirt.

Signs that Howell himself posted on houses along the north side of the street read “Do not enter; unsafe to occupy.”

In the four decades Howell has spent in Hoquiam, he said this is the worst natural disaster he’s seen. When he started working as the city’s building official seven years ago, he didn’t think he would ever have to condemn the homes of his neighbors.

“I didn’t have any expectations or idea of ever doing that,” Howell said.

But in the wake of the disaster, Howell commended city workers, crews with Rognlin’s Inc. — the contracting company tasked with cleaning up the mess on Beacon Hill Drive — and especially the residents of Hoquiam.

“Everybody worked together to tend to everyone’s needs,” he said. “It was really a blessing.”

Howell also did his part to help. After condemning the homes across the street, he opened his own doors and let one of the families live with him and his wife for a week. But he said he wasn’t in search of any recognition.

“I didn’t need to do that, I wanted to,” he said. “I wasn’t going to let them live in a tent.”

Mayor Jack Durney said residents’ use of social media drastically helped the recovery effort, and although Durney was amazed seeing neighbors helping neighbors, he said he wasn’t surprised.

“People would just come and stop and get out of a truck and just start helping,” Durney said. “It was an inspirational thing to observe.”

Moving forward, Durney added that city officials plan to see what they can do to better prepare for disasters in the future.

“We had our 100-year flood maybe, but we could have another hurricane-like event or something of that nature,” he said. “Once it’s over, it’s not over. We need to be prepared … so that people know what the options are a bit sooner.”

FEMA assistance unlikely but still possible

Flood-stricken residents waiting patiently for federal assistance may find it wanting.

As it stands, the state has not documented enough damage to qualify for federal assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said Mark Stewart, a spokesman for state Emergency Management, a division of the Washington Military Department.

Stewart is encouraging residents to fill out damage assessment forms, keeping in tune with county and local officials who have encouraged the same since the evening of the Jan. 5 flood.

Two programs could be available for the Harbor. The first, The Public Assistance Program, would help fund repairs to public entities and infrastructure, like city buildings and water lines. The other, the Individual and Human Services Program, would assist homeowners and residents.

To qualify for the Public Assistance Program through FEMA, two financial thresholds must be met. At the local level, each county must incur damage amounting to at least $3.56 per person countywide. Additionally, the damage must total $1.41 per person statewide, or approximately $9.5 million, Stewart said.

“While it looks like Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum counties can make their thresholds, it’ll still be short on the state part,” Stewart said on Tuesday.

Another program, the Individual and Human Services Program would help individuals who were uninsured or under-insured. That program has no specified threshold, but it is selective, meaning some communities incurring more damage from disasters than the Harbor have applied but not received assistance.

“We’re not seeing the amount of damage that will allow us to seek Individual and Human Services Program assistance,” Stewart said. “We have fewer than 50 homes in that category right now. We’re hoping we can make the threshold, but we can’t guarantee anything.”

To put the situation into context, the Carlton Complex fire in Okanogan County last summer destroyed some 300 homes and did not meet the threshold, Stewart said.

Homes qualifying for that program will have claimed uninsured damages amounting to at least 40 percent of the home’s total value, Stewart said. If that program is put into motion, an inspection by FEMA representatives would take place and checks would be issued to cover some expenses for building materials, appliances, furniture, clothing and other necessities lost to the flood.

Additionally, if that program was put into effect, it wouldn’t act as a cure-all. The maximum amount residents could receive from the Individual and Human Services Program is $32,900. The average amount received nationwide is between $2,000 and $5,000.

“Sometimes folks think, ‘I’ve got FEMA to cover me,’ but it’s not what they think it is,” Stewart said.

The state’s Emergency Management division has been offering technical assistance to local governments to ensure damage assessments are readily available and easily accessible. The number of people who fill out damage assessment forms directly correlates to any federal assistance eligibility.

“Homeowners, if they were impacted and have not reported yet — they need to do that,” Stewart said.

Damage assessment teams have visited and received reports from Grays Harbor, Lewis, Pacific, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston and Wahkiakum counties, gathering information that will be sent to FEMA in applying for federal assistance. If all thresholds were met for FEMA assistance, the state would then need to make a formal request to President Barack Obama through FEMA.

Without FEMA, the Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Program, a federal program, could become available to residents — homeowners, business owners and renters alike — offering low-interest loans for repairs, rather than grants. Because that program offers loans, those who are approved will have to undergo a credit check.

The state must first seek assistance through the program before individuals can apply.

Stewart reminds residents that any residual cleanup should be completed immediately. At this point, more than two weeks after the flood, the water will have encouraged mold growth, which can be detrimental to personal health and can cause further damage to property.

“If anyone’s been delaying cleanup, they need to do that,” Stewart said.

Various state agencies have stepped forward to help residents of Grays Harbor after the flooding. The Small Business Administration has been coordinating with Emergency Management and FEMA to identify potential eligibility for relief funds to small businesses.

Technical assistance has been initiated to Grays Harbor by the state to assist in conducting a public infrastructure damage assessment and a joint, preliminary damage assessment with the Small Business Administration, Grays Harbor and an Emergency Management representative. Verification of reported losses has been scheduled for Wednesday.

The state Department of Transportation has worked with Emergency Management on a request from the county for deployment of variable message signs to advertise recovery centers. Any damage to state transportation infrastructure would require separate assistance not available to local communities or individuals.

The state Department of Ecology gave the county $30,000 in assistance to help in creating the flood debris removal voucher system that was approved by county commissioners last week and implemented throughout the weekend at the LeMay Enterprises Transfer Station in Aberdeen. The state Department of Commerce and Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay have been looking at Community Development Block Grants and other local government funds to replace permanently damaged sewer lines.

Anyone who needs flood assistance of any kind or questions about emergency relief should contact the Coastal Community Action Program at (360) 533-5100 ext. 151 or email barbm@coastalcap.org.

Renters and homeowners can report damages to Grays Harbor County Emergency Management at this link: http://ift.tt/1xZGupA