Friday, March 29, 2024

Tidbits, May 10

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Five Brewster students teamed up last week to win a natural resource competition at the Badger Mountain Ski Hill near Waterville.

Called the North Central Washington Conservation Districts Envirothon, the competition tests teams on soil, water, forestry, wildlife and a current issue. The tests are judged by officials with the U.S. Forest Service, Washington State University, the Okanogan and Foster Creek Conservation Districts and the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Brewster beat the other participating Okanogan County school districts at the May 2 Envirothon. Team members were Mackenzie Harmier, McClintock Miller, Andie Gebbers, Flavio Arevalo and Leo Pamatz.

The overall winner of the Envirothon was Cascade High School from Leavenworth. Cascade will head to the state Envirothon later this month, and the winner of the state event will move on to nationals.

Residents concerned about algae management plans in three Quad City swimming areas have nine days left to submit comment to the Douglas County Public Utility District.

The swimming areas include Peninsula Park in Pateros, Columbia Cove Park in Brewster and Marina Park in Bridgeport.

According to a public notice issued by the PUD, those areas are scheduled to be treated with Sonar and Navigate, chemicals designed to control aquatic plants and algae.

"Sonar has no swimming, fishing, or drinking water restrictions; however, restrictions do include an irrigation restriction of [seven] to 30 days after treatment," the public notice states. "In cases where Navigate is used, treatment areas cannot be used for swimming for 24-hours post-treatment, for drinking until concentrations have declined to 70 ppb, and cannot be used for irrigation until concentrations are 100 ppb or less."

Written comments can be submitted to the Washington State Department of Ecology, PO Box 47696, Olympia, WA 98504, Attn: Water Quality Program, Aquatic Pesticide Permit Manager. Comments may also be e-mailed to jonathan.jennings@ecy.wa.gov.

This day in history - May 10

1503 - Christopher Columbus discovered the Cayman Islands.

1773 - The English Parliament passed the Tea Act, which taxed all tea in the U.S. colonies.

1775: Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold led a successful attack on Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York, while the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia, Penn.

1863: Confederate General Stonewall Jackson died after being accidentally shot by his own troops.

1869: The United States' first transcontinental railroad was completed with a ceremony in Promontory Summit, Utah.

1872 - Victoria Woodhull became the first woman nominated for the U.S. presidency.

1924: J. Edgar Hoover became director of the FBI.

1940: Hitler began his Western offensive with the radio code word "Danzig," sending his forces into Holland and Belgium. On this same day, having lost the support of the Labour Party, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned; Winston Churchill took his place, becoming defense minister as well.

1994: Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa's first black president.
Opinion / Columnists

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