PUD and City of Hoquiam remove Harbor Paper water

As the former Harbor Paper cleanup continues, over the next three weeks, the Grays Harbor PUD will pump over 28-million gallons of treated water from holding basins at the site into the City of Hoquiam’s sewage treatment system.

Working with the city, 775 feet of pipe is connecting the facility with the city’s sanitary sewer system and water will be pumped into the city’s treatment system for disposal.

“We are grateful to the City of Hoquiam for their assistance in helping the PUD move forward with its responsibilities at the Harbor Paper site,” said PUD General Manager Dave Ward. “We have a responsibility to clean our share of the site, but our first responsibility is to our ratepayers, to ensure that the project is completed at the lowest possible cost. With the help of the city, we are meeting both obligations.”

The 28.25 million gallons represent the last water to be treated at the Harbor Paper facility. Before power was cut to the site in September, the system was flushed to remove any organic materials. The water is held in a basin and test by the city show that it is essentially free of contaminants.

The water removal is the first significant step in the PUD’s clean-up of products accumulated over the past 20 years of paper production. Under its agreement with Rayonier, who own the land, the PUD is obligated to clean and remove the water treatment system and remove solid bi-products including piles of bark/rock mixture, sand ash and other materials.

The PUD tells KXRO that they are working to fulfill those responsibilities while having the least possible impact on the PUD’s customers.

Raymond School District has a new focus on college readiness

The Raymond School District is promoting College Readiness to their students at a young age.

Staff at Raymond Elementary said in a release that they believe that every child deserves the opportunity to be educated in a way that prepares them for college. The hallways have been filled with college pennants as well as the graduation year for each grade.

Individual classrooms have each adopted universities and display college decorations throughout the building and rooms. A number of universities have sent boxes of items, and the students are taking their education much more serious.

The staff said that they are thrilled with the positive changes they have witnessed since they made a college education a focus.

The students and staff enter the building every Monday wearing their college bound shirts ready to learn. They want every child to participate and cost is often a factor that will keep that from happening.

Thanks to the Raymond Schools Foundation and Raymond PTO, now every student receives a “College Bound” t-shirt at no cost to the families.

Genetically engineered salmon could be coming

Months after Washington voters rejected an initiative requiring the labeling of genetically modified foods, lawmakers are reviving the GMO debate in Olympia.

Lawmakers heard a bill on Friday that would require labeling genetically engineered salmon for sale, even though federal regulators have not yet approved any genetically modified animals for food.

“Salmon is such an ingrained item here,” said Rep. Cary Condotta, who is sponsoring House Bill 2143. “We label farmed vs. fresh caught (fish.) Why wouldn’t we label transgenic fish? It just makes sense.”

The bill also would prohibit genetically engineered fish with fins from being produced in state waters.

Currently, there are no federal or state requirements for genetically engineered foods to be labeled.

The Washington Farm Bureau, Washington Fish Growers Association, Washington Association of Wheat Growers and others spoke against the bill. Some said the bill wasn’t necessary, because state law already prohibits the use of transgenic fish in aquaculture.

Others noted that voters have already spoken — and rejected — a mandate to labeling of GMO foods. Efforts to require labeling in Washington failed in November, when voters rejected Initiative 522 by 51 to 49 percent.

Those who spoke in favor of the bill at Friday’s hearing worried about the impact on the state’s native salmon populations.

If FDA regulators clear the fast-growing salmon, it would be the first genetically altered animal approved for human consumption in the U.S.

AquaBounty Technologies, which produces the so-called AquAdvantage Salmon, has said the fish is safe, that they will be grown as sterile, all-female populations in land-based facilities and they won’t pose a threat to wild salmon populations.

The FDA has concluded that the salmon was as safe to eat as the traditional variety and that the fish “will not have any significant impacts on the quality of the human environment.”

The agency is taking public comments through Jan. 30.

Paige Kuhn named Miss Grays Harbor 2015

From KXRO:

A second Kuhn has become Miss Grays Harbor.

On Saturday night, 20 year old Aberdeen High School graduate and Eastern Washington University student Paige Kuhn was named as Miss Grays Harbor 2015.

In a post from Paige, she said, “My first memory of the Miss Grays Harbor pageant is from when I was 6 years old, and I made my sister Lauren Kuhn, a paper sash that said “future Miss Grays Harbor” on it, as she was preparing to sing the national anthem at the show. It’s crazy to think that I too was a future Miss Grays Harbor!”

Kuhn earned not only the title, but over $5,000 in scholarship money from multiple awards.

This will not be Paige’s first trip to the Miss Washington stage, formerly earning her way to the state competition as Miss Apple Valley.

Kuhn is the sister of former Miss Grays Harbor, and current Miss Massachusetts, Lauren Kuhn, who was named as 4th Runner Up at Miss America this year.

On Friday night, 16 year old Aberdeen High School student Nora Coffelt earned the title of Miss Grays Harbor’s Outstanding Teen, earning her way to the Miss Washington’s Outstanding Teen competition.

Miss Grays Harbor – Paige Kuhn
1st Runner Up – Cora Foss
2nd Runner Up – Ariana Barre

Miss Grays Harbor’s Oustanding Teen – Nora Coffelt
Runner Up – Grace Aiken

Photo by Keith Krueger

Photo by Keith Krueger

Aberdeen takes first steps for new taxes

The Aberdeen City Council took the first step to increasing multiple utility taxes at last night’s meeting.

The council had separate ordinances for increasing water and sewer, solid waste, cable television and the storm drain utility taxes each pass their first readings last night.

Councilwoman Kathi Hoder said the increases are necessary to keep the services the city provides.

The increases the city is looking at include a Water and Sewer increase from 2 percent to 4.5 percent, a Solid Waste and Recyclable Materials Collection tax of 4.5 percent, a Cable Television tax of 4.5 percent to those engaging or carrying on the business of providing cable TV services, and a Storm and Surface Water Drainage Utility tax of 4.5 percent.

There will be public hearings for each of these items at the next Aberdeen City Council Meeting which is set for Wednesday, December 10^th at 7:15 pm.

County looking to administer admissions tax

The Grays Harbor County Commissioners had a public hearing yesterday to help them decide who could administer an admission tax.

The ordinance that was brought forward had the auditor taking over the role from the treasurer but Grays Harbor County Auditor Vern Spatz said he has not had the time to see how this would work out.

The commissioners voted to postpone the ordinance until December 15^th to allow for more research about the issue.

Commissioner Frank Gordon says the tax has been in place since 1943 but it has not been administered.

Gordon said the tax would not affect charitable functions.

 

 

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Burn ban in effect for DNR lands

Despite this morning’s light rain, with the recent heat wave increasing fire danger throughout the state, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources is expanding the burn ban from DNR-protected lands to include Western Washington. The burn ban will run from today through September 30, 2014. It applies to all forestlands under DNR fire protection.

“Washington is experiencing high heat and very low humidity, which is creating a dangerous situation,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark. “We are asking everyone to take extra care to avoid any risk of causing a fire.”

This fire season, there have already been 265 fires on DNR-protected lands, with the majority caused by humans. DNR protects about 13 million acres throughout the state and operates the state’s largest fire-fighting force, with more than 1,000 trained staff ready to be deployed where needed.

Hot and dry conditions increase the potential for wildfire over the next several weeks on both sides of the Cascades. With the current heat wave projected to last into next week, DNR is urging people to be extra vigilant.

All outdoor burning on DNR-protected forestlands is prohibited during the ban, with two exceptions. Recreational fires in approved fire pits within designated state, county, municipal or other campgrounds, and gas or propane stoves/barbeque grills are allowed. DNR-approved prescribed fires for ecological purposes may be permitted if expressly approved by the Commissioner of Public Lands.

Fireworks and incendiary devices, such as exploding targets, sky lanterns, or tracer ammunition, are illegal on all DNR-protected forestlands. Charcoal briquettes are not allowed.

Mason County Sheriff’s Office welcomes first ever female Corporal

In the history of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office established in 1854, there has never been the rank and position of Corporal. On Friday, Tammy Filyaw was promoted to the rank of Corporal by Mason County Sheriff Casey Salisbury. Corporal Filyaw is also the very first female Corporal in the history of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Salisbury stated that both the Mason County Sheriff’s Office and the citizens that they serve are fortunate to have such a high caliber of Deputies and Officers to be promoted to positions of leadership. This speaks well of the entire Sheriff’s Office, and he is proud to continue the legacy of professionalism by promoting personnel such as Corporal Filyaw.

Corporal Tammy Filyaw is the first of four Corporals to be promoted from Jail Officers and the fifth Corporal overall to be promoted in the Sheriff’s Office. Corporal Filyaw is a resident of Shelton and has worked for the Mason County Sheriff’s Office for approximately three and a half years.

Taxes from the first few days of legal marijuana

Washington will haul in nearly $150,000 in excise taxes from the first three days of legal marijuana sales – and that doesn’t include state and local sales taxes.

Randy Simmons, the Liquor Control Board’s project manager for legal pot, says that’s not bad, considering the market is in its infancy, with only a few stores open statewide.

The law, voters passed in 2012 to legalize pot, specifies that excise taxes of 25 percent are imposed when producers sell their product to licensed retail stores, and another 25 percent is imposed when shops sell to consumers.

All excise taxes due from the first day of sales Tuesday totaled $61,604. The figure dipped to $30,924 on Wednesday, and rose to $55,728 on Thursday, for a total of $148,256.