In its 52-page exploration plan and environmental impact analysis for the well, BP suggested it was unlikely, or virtually impossible, for an accident to occur that would lead to a giant crude oil spill and serious damage to beaches, fish, mammals and fisheries.

BP’s plan filed with the federal Minerals Management Service for the Deepwater Horizon well, dated February 2009, says repeatedly that it was “unlikely that an accidental surface or subsurface oil spill would occur from the proposed activities.”

And while the company conceded that a spill would impact beaches, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas, it argued that “due to the distance to shore (48 miles) and the response capabilities that would be implemented, no significant adverse impacts are expected.”

At least 1.6 million gallons of oil have spilled so far, according to Coast Guard estimates, making it one of the worst U.S. oil spills in decades.

“Clearly, the sort of occurrence that we’ve seen on the Deepwater Horizon is clearly unprecedented,” BP spokesman David Nicholas told The Associated Press on Friday. “It’s something that we have not experienced before … a blowout at this depth.”

Robert Wiygul, an Ocean Springs, Miss.-based environmental lawyer and board member for the Gulf Restoration Network, said he doesn’t see anything in the document that suggests BP addressed the kind of technology needed to control a spill at that depth of water.

“The point is, if you’re going to be drilling in 5,000 feet of water for oil, you should have the ability to control what you’re doing,” he said.

Amid increased fingerpointing Friday, high winds and choppy seas frustrated efforts to hold back the giant oil spill seeping into Louisiana’s rich fishing grounds and nesting areas, while the government desperately cast about for new ideas for dealing with the growing environmental crisis.

President Barack Obama halted any new offshore drilling projects unless rigs have new safeguards to prevent another disaster.

The seas were too rough and the winds too strong Friday to burn off the oil, suck it up effectively with skimmer vessels, or hold it in check with the miles of orange and yellow inflatable booms strung along the coast.

The floating barriers broke loose in the choppy water, and waves sent oily water lapping over them.

“It just can’t take the wave action,” said Billy Nungesser, president of Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish.

The spill — a slick more than 130 miles long and 70 miles wide — threatens hundreds of species of wildlife, including birds, dolphins and the fish, shrimp, oysters and crabs that make the Gulf Coast one of the nation’s most abundant sources of seafood. Louisiana closed some fishing grounds and oyster beds because of the risk of oil contamination.

Many of the more than two dozen lawsuits filed in the wake of the explosion claim it was caused when workers for oil services contractor Halliburton Inc. improperly capped the well — a process known as cementing. Halliburton denied it.

According to a 2007 study by the federal Minerals Management Service, which examined the 39 rig blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico between 1992 and 2006, cementing was a contributing factor in 18 of the incidents. In all the cases, gas seepage occurred during or after cementing of the well casing, the MMS said.

As of Friday, only a sheen of oil from the edges of the slick was washing up at Venice, La., and other extreme southeastern portions of Louisiana. But several miles out, the normally blue-green gulf waters were dotted with sticky, pea- to quarter-sized brown beads with the consistency of tar.

High seas were in the forecast through Sunday and could push oil deep into the inlets, ponds, creeks and lakes that line the boot of southeastern Louisiana. With the wind blowing from the south, the mess could reach the Mississippi, Alabama and Florida coasts by Monday.

In Louisiana, officials opened gates in the Mississippi River hoping a flood of fresh water would drive oil away from the coast. But winds thwarted that plan, too.

For days, crews have struggled without success to activate the well’s underwater shutoff valve using remotely operated vehicles. They are also drilling a relief well in hopes of injecting mud and concrete to seal off the leak, but that could take three months.

At the rate the oil is pouring from the sea floor, the leak could eclipse the worst oil accident in U.S. history — the 11 million gallons that spilled from the supertanker Exxon Valdez off Alaska in 1989 — in just two months.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he has pressed BP to work more efficiently to clean the spill and has pledged that “those responsible will be held accountable.” President Barack Obama has ordered Salazar to report to him within 30 days on what new technology is needed to tighten safeguards against deepwater drilling spills.

With the government and BP running out of options, Salazar has invited other companies to bring their expertise to the table.

BP likewise sought ideas from some of its rivals and planned to use at least one of them Friday — applying chemicals underwater to break up the oil before it reaches the surface. That has never been attempted at such depths.

Animal rescue operations have ramped up, including the one at Fort Jackson, about 70 miles southeast of New Orleans. That rescue crew had its first patient Friday, a bird covered in thick, black oil. The bird, a young northern gannet found offshore, is normally white with a yellow head.

And volunteers have converged on the coast to offer help.

Valerie Gonsoulin, a 51-year-old kayaker from Lafayette who wore an “America’s Wetlands” hat, said she hoped to help spread containment booms.

“I go out in the marshes three times a week. It’s my peace and serenity,” she said. “I’m horrified. I’ve been sitting here watching that NASA image grow, and it grows. I knew it would hit every place I fish and love.”

(Source: AP)

Pinal County sheriff’s Lt. Tamatha Villar says the deputy suffered a superficial wound to his abdomen after being shot with an AK-47 assault rifle Friday afternoon. He was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Casa Grande, about 40 miles south of Phoenix.

Villar says the deputy was doing smuggling interdiction work and found bales of marijuana in the desert. He then encountered five suspected illegal immigrants, two armed with rifles, and was shot.

A search was on in the rugged desert about 50 miles south of Phoenix for the five suspects. Hundreds of officers were involved.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities in southern Arizona were searching Friday for a wounded deputy who radioed for help and said he had been shot with an AK-47 assault rifle in a remote desert area used by drug- and human-smugglers from Mexico.

The unidentified deputy called in to say he had encountered a group and been shot in the abdomen, Pinal County sheriff’s Lt. Tammy Villar said.

Further details on the shooting were not immediately available.

“Over the past 12 months we’ve seen an increase in the amount of drugs, and an increase in violence that has been going on in this particular corridor,” Villar told KPNX.

“We’ve had increasing concerns in this area about being outmanned and outgunned, and unfortunately this evening, this is coming true,” he said.

The shooting came as Arizona grapples with backlash over its enactment of a tough new law targeting illegal immigration. Civil rights activists concerned the law will lead to racial profiling have called for a boycott of the state.

The law signed by Gov. Jan Brewer last week is supported by many in the state, which has become a major gateway for drug smuggling and human trafficking from Mexico.

Its passage came amid increasing anger in Arizona about violence, drug smugglers, drop houses and other problems caused by poor border security.

Villar said the search for the wounded officer was occurring near Interstate 8 and Arizona 84 about 50 miles south of Phoenix.

(Source: AP)

No injuries have been reported. The overturned rig is unrelated to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that threatens the coast’s fragile ecosystem.

The Coast Guard said Friday that the rig overturned about 80 miles west-southwest of New Orleans.

It can carry about 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel, but Coast Guard officials did not know how much fuel was on board. Coast Guard investigators say no fuel leaks have been found.

About 500 feet of boom has been set up around the rig to contain any fuel that might leak as a precaution.

Tina Moore, the owner of T. Moore Services, which owned the rig, says it was being transported to a demolition and scrap yard. She says the rig was mounted on a barge.

(Source: AP)

The Senate is also in the middle of debating Wall Street reform, which is expected to take up the next few weeks of floor time. Reid, however, said that the chamber would be able to handle the task. “We can do more than one thing at once,” he said.

The Democratic proposal includes increased money for border patrol and drug war agents, equipment, helicopters and unmanned drones. It would create a national ID — which is dubbed a “biometric social security card.” Though Democrats insist that it is not an ID card and can only be used for employment purposes. [UPDATE: See language limiting its use below.]

The proposal would also include a crackdown on employers who hire undocumented workers. It works to deport some immigrants who are not in the country legally and creates a limited pathway to citizenship for others.

Democrats brought out their heavy hitters for the announcement: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.); Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.); Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who’s been leading the push for immigration reform; Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.); Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) and Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

The crackdown on employers relies on the creation of national identity cards. “These cards will be fraud-resistant, tamper-resistant, wear resistant, and machine-readable social security cards containing a photograph and an electronically coded micro-processing chip which possesses a unique biometric identifier for the authorized card-bearer,” reads the bill summary.

Broadly, the proposal includes:

1. More Border Patrol officers
2. More Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, worksite inspectors, document fraud investigators and drug-war agents
3. The “installation of high-tech ground sensors throughout the southern border and for equipping all border patrol officers with the technological capability to respond to activation of the ground sensors in the area they are patrolling.”
4. More prosecution of drug smuggling, human trafficking and unauthorized border crossing
5. “[I]ncreases in the number of sport utility vehicles, helicopters, power boats, river boats, portable computers to track illegal immigrants and drug smugglers while inside of a border patrol vehicle, night vision equipment, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Remote Video Surveillance Systems (RVSS), scope trucks, and Mobile Surveillance Systems (MSS).”
6. All prisoners will be checked for immigration status and deported if found to lack documentation.
7. DHS will “identify, investigate, and initiate removal proceedings” against folks who came here legally but didn’t leave.
8. The bill would create “a broad-based registration program that requires all illegal immigrants living in the U.S. to come forward to register, be screened, and, if eligible, complete other requirements to earn legal status, including paying taxes.”

The full summary can be read here.

The bill would make it illegal for anyone other than an employer to ask to see the enhanced social security card: “Possession of a fraud-proof social security card will only serve as evidence of lawful work-authorization but will in no way be permitted to serve–or shall be required to be shown–as proof of citizenship or lawful immigration status. It will be unlawful for any person, corporation; organization local, state, or federal law enforcement officer; local or state government; or any other entity to require or even ask an individual cardholder to produce their social security card for any purpose other than electronic verification of employment eligibility and verification of identity for Social Security Administration purposes. No personal information will be stored on the electronic chip contained within the social security card other than the individual’s name, date of birth, social security number, and unique biometric identifier.”

(Source: Yahoo News)

Arizona’s illegal immigrant population stands at 460,000, according to statistics from the Department of Homeland Security. Of the 38 million foreign-born residents in the United States, approximately one-third are estimated to be unauthorized.

The Congressional Research Service reports that the number of foreign-born people living in the United States stands at 12.6 percent of the population, a figure not seen since the early 20th century.

Lawmakers, legal scholars, and immigration rights activists have all weighed-in on this controversial bill, mostly disapproving of it for violating protections against unreasonable searches and encouraging racial profiling.

The likelihood of this law (which isn’t scheduled to take effect until late July or early August) ever seeing the light of day seems remote, at least according to constitutional scholars. In addition to the potential of racial profiling, Arizona is attempting to regulate immigration policy despite the fact that the Constitution gives that power to the federal government under foreign affairs.

“Many of the statute’s provisions are, in my view, likely to be found unlawful,” Muneer I. Ahmad, professor of Law at Yale Law School wrote in an email, “because they have been preempted by federal law governing immigration. It is generally understood that federal immigration law ‘occupies the field,’ such that states many not regulate in this area. This has been the basis on which a number of state statutes seeking to regulate immigration have been invalidated.”

Kermit Roosevelt, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School doesn’t think the law will be overturned solely on the grounds that it violates protections against unreasonable searches like many have claimed, because “the [Arizona] law requires police officers to have ‘reasonable suspicion’ of illegal conduct before authorizing a stop.” Where the law runs into troubled waters, according to Roosevelt, is the enforcement of the law, which might be interpreted as discriminating on racial grounds in violation of the Equal Protection Clause.

Supporters of the bill dismiss the suggestion it will lead to racial profiling since the law prohibits the use of race or nationality as a sole basis for an immigration check. The Arizona governor’s office has additionally developed a training course to help officers learn whether or not to check a person’s immigration status.

However well intentioned the Arizona law is in preventing immigrants from pouring through the borders illegally, the law as it is written, is open to different interpretation on what constitutes a “reasonable search,” which carries with it the potential of civil rights court challenges on grounds that it violates the Fourth Amendment, which protects against “unreasonable searches.”

The discriminatory implications of SB 1070 has also reportedly led to several convention groups threatening to take their business to other states if this law goes into effect. Other institutions, such as the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, are considering a resolution calling for an end to any business the city has with Arizona or any Arizona-based businesses.

The Associated Press, meanwhile, reports The National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders will file a suit Thursday in Phoenix federal court to block the enforcement of SB 1070, on the grounds the law violates due-process by detaining suspects before they’re convicted.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund are also reportedly in the process of filing lawsuits.

In addition to court challenges, SB 1070 could also be struck down at the ballot box. A group called One Arizona’ has filed the necessary paper work with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday to launch a petition drive to place a referendum on the November ballot, which would put the law on hold until the November election. The group would have to collect 76,682 signatures and turn them 90 days after the legislative session ends before it can be placed on the November ballot.

President Obama has already promised to have the U.S. Justice Department look into Arizona’s new law to determine if the bill is legal.

(Source: AP)

The Los Angeles Times quoted police officers as saying that the 33-year-old suspect escaped from his high-rise apartment via a back window and via escape in a scene reminiscent of the “Bourne Identity” action films.

“He escaped like Jason Bourne,” Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief Mike Downing of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau, told the Times.

After being given the slip, detectives discovered stacks of counterfeit 100-dollar bills totaling 15,000 dollars, sophisticated counterfeiting equipment, a camera tripod and a cache of weapons including an AK-47 assault rifle.

Police also discovered multiple identification documents including passports under different aliases which has left them wondering who exactly they are hunting, the Times reported.

The 3,400-dollar-a-month penthouse’s balcony was also directly opposite the US Federal Reserve Building in downtown Los Angeles.

“The curiosity in this case is the strategic location in which he chose to operate,” Downing said.

The suspect has been named as Brian Alexik, a 33-year-old from New Jersey. A man described as an associate of Alexik was arrested Thursday.

But police admit they do not know what Alexik’s intent was.

“There were many levels of criminality,” Downing told the Times. “He’s funding a criminal enterprise. He’s dabbling in narcotics, he’s manufacturing weapons parts. But what is it? Was there a bigger plan? What was his intent?

“We have a lot of questions for him when he is arrested.”

(Source: AP)

Trinacria
Chef Eugenio Aliotta is brings true Sicilian flavor from his hometown across the Atlantic. Munching on farmer’s market-fresh ingredients amid the quirky and cozy décor, you can share Italian romance and a glass of wine with your sweetheart. Call in for reservations beforehand to avoid a long wait.

Trinacria
113 Capitol Way N.
Olympia, Washington 98501-1018
(360) 352-8892
Le Voyeur

Serving a casual menu of mostly breakfast items, sandwiches and soups, Le Voyeur is a funky little spot on Fourth Avenue. The colorful walls and frequently changing art on the walls (some of it is for sale) creates a fun atmosphere for this cozy joint. The restaurant also features music a few nights a week in the back room bar area.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge
404 E. Fourth Ave.
Olympia, Washington 98501
(360) 943-5710
Levoyeur.netfirms.com
Falls Terrace

Voted Best View and the Most Romantic Restaurant in local newspaper The Olympian, Falls Terrace is right on Puget Sound. The menu includes plenty of seafood choices as well as some “local favorite” chicken and beef dishes and, of course, a few vegetarian options. Put your name in for a reservation and then take a walk around the neighboring historic buildings and woods.

Falls Terrace
106 Deschutes Way
Tumwater, Washington 98501
(360) 943-7830
Fallsterrace.com
Cicada

Cicada has plenty of cozy tables and a simple, no-mess décor. With a fresh, inventive menu, you can browse through dishes such as Strawberry Mountain Top Sirloins and House Made Pumpkin Raviolis, and follow up by sharing one of the menu’s many decadent desserts with your sweetie.

Cicada
700 Fourth Ave. E.
Olympia, Washington 98506
(360) 753-5700
Cicadaolympia.com
Dockside Bistro

Chef Cedar Martin uses local, fresh ingredients in his seasonal menu items, many of which include organic ingredients. Large windows let in views of the dock, while low-hung lights provide mood lighting when the sun goes down. Enjoy drinks from the full bar or a glass of wine from the large wine list while you cozy up to your date.

Dockside Bistro & Wine Bar
501 Columbia St. N.W.
Olympia, Washington 98501
(360) 956-1928
Docksidebistro.com

What: Earth Day for K-12 Students and Puget Sound
Where: Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Park on Western Avenue
When: Earth Day April 22, 2010

As role models for the average citizen, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS TURN EVERY DAY INTO EARTH DAY. Highlights of the event include:

*High school students will present how they learn civic responsibility, complex science concepts and experience GREEN CAREERS while restoring one of Puget Sound’s important shorelines.

* Students show how they restore habitat along the Duwamish River resulting in applied science experiences and a cleaner, better waterway for humans and wildlife.

*Elementary students tell how they turned the area around their school into a school “science lab” receiving an environmental award from King County.

Keynote speakers:

David Dicks, Executive Director Puget Sound Partnership will challenge attending school districts from around the Sound to let “showcase” school districts “lead the way” to meeting their academic goals while executing the “Four Priorities” deemed essential by the Puget Sound Partners.

Alan Burke, Deputy Supt. for K-12 Education, OSPI will emphasize that problem-solving “thinking students” are students preparing for 21st Century STEM careers.

Kathy Fletcher Executive director of the People for Puget Sound will commit her organization to helping the “Next Generation” become the long term decision-makers committed to taking today’s solutions to Puget Sound’s problems out to future generations.

Dr. Gordon Orians, President of the WA State Academy of Science, commits leadership from Washington’s top scientists to help students conduct cutting-edge field investigations.

Taylor Shellfish Farms will offer “sample” shellfish from their farms to underscore why Earth Day is every day for their company.

Additional Partners: WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Forest Protection Association, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration  (NOAA), Islandwood, EPA, Seattle Aquarium, E3 (EEAW), Puget Sound Educational Service District, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Wilcox Farms, Weyerhaeuser Company, Association of WA School Principals, Washington Association of School Superintendents, Washington Education Association, and many more.

The Pacific Education Institute is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in Washington State that brings real world learning experiences to students.

SOURCE Washington Forest Protection Association

April 28, 1912
to April 5, 2010

Rut Oraker of Bremerton, WA entered the presence of our Lord on April 5, 2010 a few days shy of his 98th birthday.

He was born April 28, 1912, in San Francisco, CA to Ole and Eva (Fabiansen) Oraker and moved with his parents and older sister, Muriel, to Bremerton in 1913. He attended Bremerton schools, but graduated from Roosevelt H.S. (Seattle) in 1930 and then spent 3 years at the University of Washington.

During his youth he became an Eagle Scout and was a member of the Order of the DeMolay. On November 19, 1937 Rut married Mary Skirving at the First Methodist Church in Bremerton. They spent 67 wonderful years together before she died in October of 2004. They had four children and together participated in Peewee sports, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Rainbow for Girls.

In later years they enjoyed Square Dancing where Rut learned to be a “caller.” They hosted many square dancing parties at their homes in Bremerton and the Hood Canal. Their friends were treated to sourdough pancake breakfasts and oyster feeds. Rut and Mary were wonderful hosts.

One of Rut’s first jobs was at the Tower Theatre in Bremerton where he was lovingly called “Chief Mickey Mouse.” In the late 1930’s he joined Fullmer and Company as a real estate broker and appraiser followed by 9 years with the Bremerton Housing Authority in their rental office. In 1950 he took over the family business of property management and operated it until his death.

Rut was a member of the First Baptist Church and was instrumental in the building of the present facility. He was a Past Master of Bremerton Lodge #117, F&AM, a member of Bremerton Valley Scottish Rite where he received his 33rd degree and was a Past Patron of Olympic Chapter #216, Order of the Eastern Star.

Rut enjoyed many years with family and friends at their summer home on Hood Canal. He played the piano and organ by ear and could often be found listening to the Mariners, Huskies and Seahawks. He was a jack of all trades and could fix anything. He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed a good practical joke, often as the instigator. He was an avid reader and enjoyed traveling.

Rut will be missed by his children; Marilyn (Bill) Hoots of Bainbridge Island, James (Judy) Oraker of Colorado Springs, CO, Barbara (Dale) Lawson of Belfair and Roger (Verna Rae) Oraker of Bremerton; 10 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; cousins in Norway; and Doreen, his devoted caregiver.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 24, at 1 p.m. at Lewis Funeral Chapel 5303 Kitsap Way, Bremerton. Inurnment is at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Bremerton. Memorial donations may be made to the Salvation Army, PO Box 886, Bremerton, WA 98337; OES Scholarship Fund, Grand Chapter Office, 615 North St. SE, Tumwater, WA 98501-3438; or to a charity of your choice. An online memorial can be seen at www.lewischapel.com.

Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/apr/15/rutledge-alexander-oraker-97/

New events are being added regularly–please check this page for updates.

For informational purposes only.  Event times/locations may be subject to change without posting to this calendar.  Please call (360) 902-8881 if you have any questions.