“Footloose” at 7th St. Theatre

It was a time of neon colors, slouchy shirts, tight pants, big hair, rock ’n’ roll music and Kevin Bacon — the 80s.

Now you can experience all of that at the 7th St. Theatre this weekend, starting tonight, as the Hoquiam High School drama class brings “Footloose” to the stage.

The story is of Ren McCormack a Chicagoan — who can’t sit still — who comes to the small town of Bomont with his mother Ethel (McKenna Hansen). They are looking for an easier, quieter life with family in a small town after Ren’s father abandons them.

Ren is played by Drew Carley, a senior at HHS, and the play, says director Patty Sundstrom, was pretty much picked for him. “He was in my mind. … I wanted him to have a great role his senior year. He’s got so much talent,”she said.

“I like being on the stage and I like being a lead.” said Carley after a play practice earlier this week. “I really like expressing myself.” This is evident in the first scene.

This isn’t Carley’s first lead. He played Birdie in “Bye Bye Birdie” and the Zombie in “Zombie Prom.”

“He’s fun. He brings a lot of maturity (to the stage and) he knows when to get down to business,” said Sundstrom.

The first person Ren meets at school is the feisty and prone to fisticuffs Willard (Alex Ham) and they become good friends. Ham hadn’t been in the drama class before. Sundstrom thought he would be perfect for the part. “He is so funny,” she said. But she had to do some pretty heavy recruiting. “The day before tryouts, he said he would do it. What a gift. He is terrific.”

Opposite Carley is sophomore Sadie Karl. She plays Arielle, the very confident and outspoken preacher’s daughter.

The play expects a lot of maturity from the actors and the audience. The play is family friendly but has some adult themes and is a bit suggestive.

This is Karl’s first year in drama and Sundstrom has witnessed her improvement. “She has such a big voice for such a little thing,” said Sundstrom. “She has much more confidence with her singing.” Sundstrom was excited to point out that she is looking forward to mentoring Karl for another two years.

Karl acknowledged her love for singing, she has been in 7th St. Kids productions, “Seusical” and “Once on this Island” but on stage, out in front, all by herself, she can really belt it out, and enjoys it. “I really like singing,” she said shyly, but then beamed, “I get to sing all by myself.”

The most challenging part of the her role is portraying Arielle’s attitude, you would never know it the way she struts across stage in her red cowboy boots. “She’s so sexually confident,” said Karl.

The plot of the play is that after an ill-fated accident that killed “five of Bomont’s brightest” after they were returning from a party, all dancing was banned. The ban was led by the powerful Reverand Shaw Moore (Gabe Cabell). Ren makes this his personal cause. In the end, the overall message of the play is to listen to the wisdom of young people.

Dancing and singing is what students found the most challenging part of the play. But the audience may find the energy in the dances the most rewarding. Sundstrom expects a lot from her students. “The learning curve is really steep. There are hard dances, set changes and they have to make their own costumes.” She expects the students to help each other. Once she teaches the students the dances, the ones who get it help each other. During this play it was Kennedy Gwin and Trinity Olsen.

The same thing happened in the costume department. “I make them find ‘80s costumes. I want them to take ownership.” She credits Kelsey Zelepuza (Betty Blast in the play) for taking ownership in the costume department. She made her waitress-on-roller skates costume and also fashioned a matching one for Ren. “She says ‘I’ve got an idea’ and I let her run with it.”

Sundstrom has 45 kids in the production, plus she involved another 20 from Laurie Howard’s shop class who build the sets each year.

With this ownership she is most happy. “They want it to be the best and they are doing all they can to make it the best it can be. (When they do all they can) it becomes a passion.”

Curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. at the 7th St. Theatre in Hoquiam Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. There will be a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets: adults $10 and students and children $8 and are available for purchase at Harbor Drug, Crown Drug, Rosevear’s Music, Hoquiam High School and at the door.

Richelle Barger is a writer for The Daily World and may have danced to Footloose when it first debuted in 1984. She can be reached at rbarger@thedailyworld.com. Find her on Facebook at richelle.barger.35 or follow her on Twitter @DW_Richelle.

GH Navigation Channel funded for deepening in 2015

Federal funding for the second phase of the project known as Deeper Draft has been secured, clearing the way to dredge the Grays Harbor shipping channel to a depth of minus 38 feet, Port of Grays Harbor officials said Wednesday. The Port has been working on the project for decades and 38-foot depth has been authorized by Congress since 1977.

Construction is expected to start in the fall. Another $4.6 million is required as a local match and Port officials say they are working with the state to secure that funding. The state provided funding for the first phase of Deeper Draft, which was completed in 1991.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers work plan for 2015 was released Tuesday and includes $8 million for the project. President Barack Obama’s 2016 budget also included $7 million for completing the deepening. Congress authorized the channel deepening project to 38 feet after cost benefit analysis and environmental reviews were finished last year.

The Port has five deep water terminals and says vessel traffic has increased more than 300 percent over the past five years. Exports account for about 90 percent of Grays Harbor’s shipping activity. Port officials say Grays Harbor is a positive contributor to the U.S. balance of trade and deepening of the federal navigation channel to its congressionally authorized depth will ensure that U.S. grown and manufactured products are competitive in the growing Pacific Rim trade.

“We are beyond thrilled the Corps was able to make our project a priority for the FY2015 work plan,” said Port Executive Director, Gary Nelson. “We appreciate their hard work, as well as the support of our state and federal elected officials in making this important project possible. Deeper Draft will serve our customers, our community and our country well into the future as we continue to provide a crucial link between United States growers and producers and international markets.”

The Grays Harbor Navigation Channel was authorized by Congress to a depth of minus 38 feet in 1977. Construction of Phase I was completed in 1991 improving the channel to a depth of minus 36 feet. Efforts for Phase II, constructing the channel to its fully authorized depth of minus 38 feet, began in 2007 and have included feasibility reports, biological assessments, impact mitigation studies, environmental assessments and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement completed in June 2014. In August 2014, Army Corps Brigadier General John Kem of the Northwestern Division signed the Record of Decision, officially recommending deepening the channel to minus 38 feet and that it was technically feasible, environmentally justified, cost effective and in accordance with environmental statutes and public interest.

Series of strong storms headed our way

The National Weather Service in Seattle warns that a series of strong, intermittent, heavy rain systems will impact the Harbor beginning Thursday and running through Monday, according to Grays Harbor Deputy Director of Emergency Management Charles Wallace.

Models are indicating that the five days of rain could generate 10 to 13 inches of heavy rain in the mountains and 1 to 4 inches in the lowlands and coastal regions. Gusty winds are forecast to accompany the storms along the coast, which will create high surf conditions along the beaches, Wallace said.

The heaviest rainfall in Grays Harbor County is predicted in the Amanda Park and Lake Quinault areas, which could see 4 to 7 inches, possibly more, over the five-day period, Wallace added.

The models predict there will be significant breaks in the heavy rainfall making it likely that any river flooding that may occur will be minor, however conditions could change making more widespread flooding possible, Wallace cautioned, adding that it is unlikely any major river flooding will occur.

The breaks in the rainfall are expected to occur this afternoon, Friday afternoon into Saturday morning and much of the day Sunday.

Grays Harbor County Emergency Management will continue to monitor the forecasts with the National Weather Service through the weekend.

Got flood damage? SBA may have a loan for you

Funding for homeowners and renters struggling to pay for flood repairs has come in the form of loans provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Applications for the loans are due as early as March 30.

The loans cover up to $200,000 worth of repairs or replacement to homes and $40,000 to replace personal property for homeowners and renters. Rates for the home loans are as low as 1.938 percent.

Though the SBA is typically a financial resource for local start-ups, disaster loans like these have been in the agency’s wheelhouse since the 1950s, said Garth MacDonald, a spokesman for the administration’s Office of Disaster Assistance.

“Our funds are a major portion of what helps communities recover,” MacDonald said. “Our federal low-interest loans are the primary long-term recovery money.”

Applying for loans, MacDonald said, is completely free. Homeowners who feel they could use the funds but aren’t sure if it’s the right decision are encouraged to apply anyway, he added.

“It’s one key source they don’t want to avoid or not bother to apply for at least by the deadline,” he said. “That way, they at least keep their options open.”

The deadline to apply for physical damage is March 30 or Oct. 29 for economic injury.

Access to the loans came last week at the request of Gov. Jay Inslee, citing “catastrophic physical damage” as a result of the mudslides.

The direct federal loans are designed for homeowners and renters following federal disasters. The program also allows small businesses to borrow up to $2 million for any property damage or economic loss that resulted in the flood, like having to remain closed for days following the flood. Most private non-profits are also eligible.

“The lifeblood of this community is its residents and businesses,” Inslee said in a statement. “That’s evident by the way local recovery groups have banded together to help their neighbors and communities. With that said — this area needs an additional hand up to get those impacted by the storm back on their feet. The loss is tremendous, and the SBA programs would provide access to funding to help replace what was lost, and make homes livable again.”

Aberdeen High School again recognized for its yearbook

Aberdeen High School’s yearbook, “The Quinault,” has been selected as a finalist for the 2014 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award.

The Quinault was chosen as a finalist among 289 entries by experienced journalism professionals and educators. The finalists were judged on writing/editing, design, content, concept, photography art, and graphics.

The Pacemaker is a prestigious award that has been given annually since 1927 and is considered to be the most distinguished in the field of student journalism.

The yearbook has received three Pacemaker Awards in the past and was also recognized by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association as Crown Award Finalist in December.

Winners will be announced at Spring National High School Journalism Convention, April 16-19 in Denver, CO. put on by the Journalism Education Association and National Scholastic Press Association.

10 months for aggressor in self defense shooting

The Central Park man who was shot after he threatened his neighbor with a baseball bat last November was sentenced to 10 months in jail on Monday.

John Brian Myhr, 53, was charged with felony harassment when he ran at his neighbor with a baseball bat, threatening to kill him on Nov. 26. The victim, Ryan Johnson, called police and told an officer he had shot Myhr in an act of self-defense.

According to court documents, Johnson had friends over to celebrate his mother-in-law’s birthday on the night of the incident. When guests were preparing to leave, Myhr came out of his residence toward Johnson with a baseball bat screaming, “I’m going to kill you.” Johnson shot Myhr several times with a .22 caliber pistol.

Myhr was taken to the hospital after the shooting and and he was later taken to the Grays Harbor County Jail.

Court documents state that Johnson had problems with Myhr before the incident, and that Myhr suffered from mental health issues. On a previous occasion, Myhr had threatened to kill contractors who were doing plumbing work outside Johnson’s house.

Johnson did not face any charges for shooting Myhr as prosecutors deemed he was acting in self-defense. He was in the courtroom on Monday and submitted a written victim impact statement but chose not to speak.

During his hearing on Monday, Myhr told Superior Court Judge Stephen Brown he considered himself lucky to be alive after what happened.

“I should be dead. I’m very blessed,” said Myhr.

Brown retorted by telling Myhr he needs to clean his act up.

“You consider yourself lucky; you know who is going to be unlucky? You’re neighbor when you get out. You’ve got to start working on your personality problems,” said Brown.

Lawsuit challenges tribe’s control of Lake Quinault

A civil suit filed in U.S. District Court in Tacoma challenges the Quinault Indian Nation’s jurisdiction over Lake Quinault, a body of water the tribe has exercised control over for the past 140 years.

The plaintiffs in the case, North Quinault Properties LLC and Thomas and Beatrice Landreth, have asked the federal court to determine the “status of Lake Quinault and the property rights of non-tribal property owners abutting the Lake and … court’s determination as the public’s right to access of the lake, its shore and lake bed.” The suit was filed in December.

The Quinault Indian Nation regulates recreational use of the lake for non-tribal members and has also enacted regulations affecting lakeshore property owners. It has even implemented fishing and boating bans on the lake in the last few years, though the tribe eventually lifted most of those restrictions.

The Landreths referred questions on the suit to their attorneys when contacted Tuesday. One of their attorneys, Elizabeth Thompson, said the issue of the lake’s ownership revolves around the Equal Footing and Public Trust doctrines. Thompson said navigable waters are preserved for public use under the Public Trust Doctrine and that when Washington state joined the union in 1889 it was given “equal footing” as the other territories, which included use of public waterways.

“It’s our position that the lake has been a part of the public trust since it (Washington) became a state,” said Thompson. She stated that the state should exercise rights over the lake “for the benefit of the public and property owners.”

However, a 2009 legal opinion from a solicitor for the U.S. Department of the Interior states that President Ulysses Grant’s original presidential proclamation on the formation of the Quinault reservation in effect allowed them to control the lake in order to use it for fishing and to sustain their livelihood as a people. In the solicitor’s opinion, that and the original Treaty of Olympia with the Quinaults, clearly gives them ownership of the lake.

Representatives from the Quinault Indian Nation have pointed to the opinion as justification for their position of ownership of the lake. A call to a spokesman for the Quinaults on the most recent legal action had not been returned as of Tuesday afternoon.

In the most recent edition of Nugguam, a tribal newspaper, Quinault Nation Vice President Gina James writes about the suit in a column titled “A situation at Lake Quinault.”

“Over the years there have been legal cases and surveys where Lake Quinault was indeed affirmed to be owned by the Quinault Tribe,” James writes. “Not only legal cases but civil disputes where LQ residents wanted more control and fishing rights over the lake.”

Article 2 of the 1855 Treaty of Olympia states, “there shall be reserved, for the use an occupation of the tribes, a tract of land sufficient for their wants … to be selected by the President of the United States… and no white man shall be permitted to reside thereon without permission of the tribe.”

In the 2006 opinion, the solicitor concluded that because of this treaty, which came before statehood, the tribe can “regulate, permit and prohibit certain types of activities and construction along the shore and into the lake.”

In their suit, the plaintiffs argue the Quinaults’ control of the lake has resulted in deprivation of property rights to the plaintiffs, other non-tribal property owners and the public. The suit seeks attorneys fees and costs associated with the case, as well as unspecified punitive damages at the discretion of the court.