Salmon Plentiful but Proving Hard to Hook

Lately it seems fish are everywhere. They’ve pushed their way into the Puget Sound and made their way up the mouth of the Duwamish River, leaping gracefully from the waters in abundant numbers. Fishing boats line up at boat ramps at Alki, Edmonds, and Mukilteo, fishermen hopefully eying the bounty of pink and silver salmon. And now the fish have started to make their way up most of the northwest rivers: the Skagit, Snohomish, and Stillaguamish are chock full of salmon heading upriver to spawn.

A while back I eyed the huge salmon jumping from the slow-moving Duwamish River, briefly considering trying my luck. The river is narrow and lazy: it would be like catching fish in a bath-tub, I thought. But I decided against fishing there—the Duwamish runs through a polluted industrial area, and fishing is complicated by Native fishery nets which block access in many places.

So a couple of weeks ago my trusty fishing buddy Lynny and I opted for trying the Stillaguamish River up by Arlington. I’d had luck there a few years back, and thought we could at least catch a few pinks.

We weren’t disappointed. The scenery was beautiful—a shallow, fast-running river in a wooded area near some farmland, with deer browsing along the opposite shore. The place was fairly crowded with fisherman wading in the water, but we could spread out, and the pink salmon coming upriver were abundant. While it took many hours to hook a salmon, Lynny managed to finally land a male humpy (she’s pictured above releasing the fish). Many people around us were also hooking them—though many of those catches were snags, and had to be released. The hardest part of fishing spawning salmon is getting them to bite—they’re more in the mood for love, so legally hooking them in the mouth is difficult.

I went home with a nice female (though true confession—I didn’t catch it). Some folks say pinks aren’t good for eating, but it sure made some good salmon and chips.

Last weekend, we decided to try the Snohomish River near downtown Snohomish. We got there at 7 a.m. and it was chilly and socked in with fog—fall had definitely come. Despite the fact that it was Monday and not the best weather, fishermen lined the shore, and a few boats drifted downriver. The salmon—fat pinks and silvers—were putting on a spectacular show, leaping out of the water and splashing back down, almost daring us: catch me if you can. Many breeched within feet of the shoreline. Unfortunately, none landed on the banks in front of us, though we kept hoping.

After 3 hours, though, nobody had managed to catch a thing. Lynny and I didn’t even get one bite, no matter what type of lures we tried. When the sun finally peaked through the fog, I gave up and took a walk into town.

I made my way to the local fishing store, and despite the fact that the store’s sign read “open,” no one at first appeared to be there. Just as I was about to turn away, though, a couple of sheepish guys—the owners—showed up. They’d been down at the river trying to catch some fish, too. Even they couldn’t catch anything, so I didn’t feel so bad. They were completely stumped as to what to use to catch them.

My friend Lynny eventually joined us to fish-talk with the boys in the fishing store, then Lynny and I met a friend for lunch. My friend lived in town near the boat launch on the river, and was constantly battling fisherman who blocked her driveway with their vehicles and boat trailers (though she didn’t hold fishing against us). This time of the year, fishermen are in a fishing frenzy, and not too considerate. One time, my friend said, her poodle grabbed hold of the calf of a trespassing fisherman. “Stop!” she shouted, “let me get my dog!” The fisherman paid her and her dog no mind, rushing off to the river, the dog hanging off his pant leg. “Can’t stop now, lady—THE FISH ARE BITING!” We laughed.

That’s the way it is with fishing fever.

Memory Walk For Alzheimer's Disease Raises Funds For Research and Support

It’s been nine months since my mother passed away after an eight-year-long battle with her progressive brain disease—long enough to dull the pain of her loss somewhat, but not long enough to forget her once-beautiful smile, her good-natured sense of humor, and her wonderful piano playing. While I can do little now to bring her back, I could think of nothing better to honor her memory with than to participate in the Memory Walk for Alzheimer’s disease this weekend at the Seattle Center.

So a couple of friends and I formed a fundraising team, the Lavender Ladies, pictured above left (L to R, Suzanne, Kim, and Kathy), and headed on down in the autumn sunshine to the Memory Walk. A respectable though not huge crowd had gathered at the Mural Amphitheatre prior to the walk to hear various speakers, including Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, talk about the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

Over 5 million people in the U.S. currently have Alzheimer’s disease, with the numbers expected to rise. One in ten people over 65 suffer from it, and nearly half of those over 85 have Alzheimer’s. It is a terminal brain disease, along with another progressive brain disease, Lewy Body Dementia, which causes severe deterioration of brain and body functioning. It can last anywhere from three to twenty years, and render a healthy person such as my mother into a debilitated individual unable to even cloth or feed themselves (my mother in the later years of her illness, pictured with my sister, top right photo). Caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease are emotionally and financially stressed, as insurance and Medicare does not normally pay for long-term care. That’s why it’s important to support organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association, which sponsored the Memory Walk. Donations to the Alzheimer’s Association go to educational programs, caregiver support, and research in fighting the disease.

After the speakers finished, the fundraising teams lined up to begin the short 1-2 mile walk around the center grounds. Friends and families in their brightly-colored Memory Walk t-shirts, many with pictures of their loved ones afflicted with Alzheimer’s on their backs, lined up with individuals and teams from local caregiver facilities. The Lavender Ladies and I joined in the orderly crowd as it wound its way around the grounds.

Afterwards, back at the amphitheatre, the crowd of fundraisers reassembled in front of the stage. One speaker, Dick Lundgren, whose wife suffers from Alzheimer’s, spoke of the need for legislation to aid caregivers in long-term care. He talked about recent state funding cuts in money for adult day health services, and urged the audience to get involved in demanding these services.

Awards were then given to top fundraisers. Among the leading fundraisers were Judy Wright for Merrill Gardens, who raised $6,300; the Alzheimer’s Association team, which raised $10,541.07; and Emeritus Senior Living, which raised a whopping $38,383.90. And while there was not as much of a media presence as I would have liked, considering the importance of this devastating illness, the King 5 Home Team was a participant, and raised $9,210.00.

Our little team, the Lavender Ladies, raised the more humble amount of around $700, but I was encouraged by the generous support of friends, family members, co-workers, and even casual acquaintances. It seems everyone I talked to knows someone affected by the disease, and wanted to help. It is important to continue to support the efforts of organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association in fighting the effects of this horrible illness.

The Memory Walk is in its twentieth year now, with fundraising walks occurring in cities around the country. As of today, the Memory Walk has raised $228,495 in donations, with the money still coming in. You can still donate to the Memory Walk until October 31 by going to <www.alz.org/memorywalk>

Rep. Inslee Speaks at Health Care Forum in Shoreline

Hundreds of concerned citizens attended an AARP/Healthy Washington Coalition town hall meeting at a community center in Shoreline today to hear about proposed health care reforms. Rep. Jay Inslee and Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, both strong advocates for health care reform, moderated a panel discussion, and responded to comments and questions from audience members.

Inslee started out by saying he wanted to dispel some of the myths about health care reform: there are no “death panels” or forced public insurance plans in the works. He said “we can have health care for all,” and also stated that a “robust public option is fundamental to health care reform.” Inslee said the final bill for health care reform has not yet been written, but one current version is HR 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act—what he called the “base bill.”

This bill in its current form, according to Inslee, would: eliminate the “doughnut hole” in Medicare, and cut waste in Medicare spending; prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for persons with pre-existing conditions; impose a surtax on individuals who make over $350,000; provide a public insurance option; and encourage wellness and prevention programs to bring health care costs down.

After Inslee spoke, a panel of community members asked questions. A nurse from Stevens Hospital (who also worked in home health care) talked about several of her seriously ill patients—one who was uninsured and could not afford his $11,000 a week treatment, and another with the same pulmonary illness who was able to get adequate care due to private medical insurance. Would this bill help the uninsured man, she asked? Inslee assured her the goal of the bill was to help the estimated 40 million uninsured Americans get proper medical treatment.

Other comments from the panel included a doctor who wanted a stream-lining of paperwork and administration, and a business owner who wanted to know how the bill would affect him.

Then it was the audience’s turn. Though time was short, some had strong opinions about the subject. A man asked why there was no tort reform in the bill, saying medical lawsuits were driving costs up. Another wanted to know why there wasn’t a provision for lower cost purchase of prescription drugs from other countries.

One man got up and said the private sector had been doing things more efficiently, and government “wasn’t all that great,” asking why government had to do health care reform. Inslee—who took offense at his remark, saying as a member of government he thought he was smart enough to do a good job at health care reform—said again that the public option was just that—an option. If you don’t like it, he said, don’t use it, use private insurance. But he said to this man “you have the right to chose—but you don’t have the right to deny this lady Ruth (an 85-year old woman in the audience he’d introduced earlier, pictured above with Inslee) the right to a public option.” This man continued to argue against any public option, Medicare, and government programs in general, finally getting shouted down by the crowd before he would give up the microphone.

A couple of others asked what the bill would do to provide health insurance for legal refugees; and whether Republicans have proposed their own health care bill. Several persons also spoke out in favor of a public option in the reform bill.

The people in line to speak were audibly disappointed when the meeting was adjourned before they had a chance to voice their opinions. But afterwards one elderly lady overheard in the restroom wasn’t afraid to speak her mind in regards to the man going on about how bad government is—"boy, I could have just kicked him in the ****” she said.

Couch Surfing as Economic Stimulus

The other day, a couple of friends of mine proudly announced to me that they had just become official couch surfers. Apparently all they had to do was sign up online with http://www.couchsurfing.org/ , where they pledged to share their couch to travelers from around the world. In exchange, they could in turn stretch out on other couches in exotic, far-flung destinations—such as Longview, WA.

The more I considered this, the more I thought about how the world is a strange and wonderful place, brimming with possibilities. Eventually I came to the startling conclusion that many formerly loser slacker-dude couch surfers could now become…legit. I pictured thousands of couch surfers the world over ACTUALLY GETTING UP OFF THEIR COUCHES to do something other than get a beer.

What if we could actually harness all of that aimless slacker couch-surfing energy into something positive—say, to benefit the economy? Most experts agree that consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of the U.S. economy, much of it from those on the lower rungs of the economic scale (and loser slacker dudes aren’t exactly top wage earners). So while the government is still in the mood of passing out billions of dollars in bailout money to bankers, insurances companies, and “cash for clunkers” programs, I’d like to propose my own plan: how about a “cash for slackers” program? Why not give those slackers a real reason to get up off of their couches and go somewhere new and spend a little money on local economies?

Now before all of you conservatives start screaming that THIS WOULD BE SOCIALISM let me explain how the program would work—and how it could be a benefit to you and your country.
Slackers could be given free round-trip airline tickets to any destination—as long it is in the U.S. Alaska could even be safely included, since it will now be secure from the threat of Communism (Sarah Palin, now out of office, will be available full-time to keep an eye on Russia). Hawaii won’t be included, however, as every “birther” knows Hawaii is a foreign country (sorry, slackers, but I hear Alaska is real nice in the summer).

The “cash for slackers” plan would be a win-win for everyone, and cost far less than the popular 3 billion dollar “cash for clunkers” program. It would stimulate the struggling airline business, for one thing. And if we pitched in a few extra hundred dollars per slacker, in addition to the airline ticket, it would even stimulate the local economies where the slackers end up couch surfing. But best of all, Republicans all over the country would be ecstatic at the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get their nephews or dead-beat son-in-laws off their couches for a while (where they’ve been languishing for the past 10 years while they attempt to “get back on their feet again.”)

So call your Congressman now, and ask for a “Cash for Slackers” program. Meanwhile, give couch surfing a try.

Who knows, you might even find a little spare change for your piggybank tucked down in a cushion somewhere.

Dog Daze in Seattle

Throngs of excited people crowded towards the staging area on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Ballard—a quaint little neighborhood in Seattle—camera shutters clicking furiously and cell phone cameras held high. Important-looking people pointed expensive video cameras at the stars of the show. Who were these popular stars that had drawn such an admiring crowd? Britney Spears? Tom Cruise? Madonna? No—it was…dogs. Yes, dogs. Welcome to “Wuff Da,” Ballard’s first annual dog show, an impromptu gathering of Ballard dogs and those that love them.

The idea started as a joke, after bloggers on http://www.myballard.com/ posted pictures of their dogs, saying theirs were the cutest. Bloggers challenged each others on their dogs’ cuteness factor. Pretty soon discussion descended into a cat—er, dog—fight, one blogger saying “my dog can kick your dog’s ass!” The end result was that a contest was born. Dog-lovers volunteered to be judges, Ballard Commons Park was selected as the place for the competition, and the fun began.

Dogs were everywhere, and ranged from tiny miniature dachshunds and chihuahuas, to giant mastiffs and newfoundlands, to just plain mutts. Despite the crowd, dogs and their owners were amazingly well behaved, with nary a dog snarl or stage-mom show-down to be seen. The weather was sunny and not too hot—though many dogs did take advantage of the cooling fountain, sprawling in the wet spray in doggie fashion.

Dogs paraded past the stage in general categories of small, medium, and large, with sub-categories such as: oldest, youngest, wiggliest, and funniest looking. Emcee Tim Hunter was fittingly dressed in a dogs-playing-poker themed shirt, which drew approving shouts from the crowd. A woman who was co-emceeing the event said she had had to put her dog down the day before her honeymoon, so she was “loving on your dogs right now.” She said she especially liked big dogs—and there were plenty there.

Some winning contestants included JoJo, who won for oldest dog, at 14 years; and Cosmo, a young chihuahua mix who won for wiggliest dog. Winning dogs and their owners enjoyed their doggie prizes, many donated by area pet shops and businesses.

But mostly everyone just enjoyed their day in the sun, admiring each others dogs and talking dog-talk. Out there, the recession can rage on, healthcare costs soar, and the world can spin out of control; but here in Seattle, for just a few short hours—we’re chillin.’

Wuff.

Recession Blues: Balancing the Budget on the Backs of the Working Class

Maybe I had my head stuck in the sand, trying hard to believe the Great Recession was just going to pass Seattle on by. I’d tried hard to ignore the facts—two of my friends had just been laid off, one other has been unemployed now for over a year, and another two are currently taking mandatory unpaid leave days. I guess I’m like most people, though—until it affects us directly, it just doesn’t really sink in. But when I received Mayor Greg Nickel’s e-mail at work the other day notifying us of impending layoffs and a proposed unpaid furlough plan for city workers, I have to say I was a little shocked. Maybe it was the way I received the message; there were no informative meetings with supervisors, and no communication from my union, which apparently had known about it for quite some time. There was just a brief e-mail from the mayor to myself and my fellow city workers, with the story appearing in the Seattle Times later that morning. Managers must just love e-mail—none of that messy face-to-face interaction with employees when it comes to unpleasant news.

In retrospect, I guess I should have seen it coming. The Port of Seattle, the Seattle Public Library, and King County Library have huge budget shortfalls, forcing them to make cuts and force unpaid leave days. King County has even proposed closing 39 parks and Animal Control, in addition to unpaid leave days for 2009 and 2010.

But the city of Seattle itself? I had assumed it was well-run, as governments go, and that the city economy had just been chugging along, immune to any type of California-type implosion. We have Boeing and Microsoft, right? And our unemployment is not too high, at least compared to the rest of the nation.

Now suddenly we’re $72.5 million short, and City Light is in even worse shape—time to slam on the breaks, lay off hundreds of workers, and force us to take unpaid leave. Potential layoffs and reduction in pay worry me, but it pisses me off, too: how can management run the city into the ground, and then expect the lower paid workers to make financial sacrifices to bail them out? It just doesn’t seem fair. It’s a little like how the Big Boys at the banks and investment firms wrecked their companies and the economy, then expected the taxpayers to bail them out, at a huge cost to you and me. Pretty soon those on the top were back in the game, once again receiving their million dollar bonuses—while we got unpaid leave, unemployment, and further erosion of our health care.

Our union here did eventually get around to explaining to us that there would definitely be layoffs—less layoffs if we voted to approve 10 days of unpaid leave next year for our 6,700 members, more job cuts if we voted it down. I won’t tell you how I voted—only that I held my nose when I filled out the ballot. Let’s see—cut my own throat—er, pay—or that of my fellow workers?

While a day a month in unpaid leave may not seem like much to most managers, it will amount to a $220 drop in income for me. This will mean scrambling to cut costs—no cable, eating lots of spaghetti, library videos, setting the thermostat back to sixty degrees in the winter and bundling up, and no replacing that aging car. And though this is inconvenient to me, I imagine a single head-of-household family with kids will find it even harder to make ends meet, should the unpaid furlough days—or layoffs—be enacted.

Sadly, no one has said much in defense of those public employees—though there are 6,700 union workers, with an eventual possible total affected of 11,000 (total union and non-union employees) at the city of Seattle. Perhaps it’s because it’s somehow become fashionable to beat up on unions and the public sector—we’re greedy and lazy, right?

Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Because the truth is, many of my fellow employees make less money than their private counterparts, and most of them are hard-working individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving the public. They are the maintenance workers that beautify your parks and government grounds; the library assistants that keep your libraries running smoothly; and the health care workers that serve the poor at county health clinics.

Just remember that the next time you go to a park to play with your children, only to find the playgrounds fenced off, and the park closed. Remember it when you go to your city library, and it too is closed, the employees all off on unpaid leave.