More asparagus in schools if lawmakers win request

Washington

Republican Doc Hastings and other members of Congress from Washington state are once again asking schoolchildren to eat more asparagus to bail out state farmers.

Hastings has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make a bonus purchase of asparagus for federal nutritional programs.

Lawmakers say the farmers need help competing with cheaper imports from Peru.

Peruvian farmers were given duty-free access to U.S. markets to encourage them to grow asparagus instead of drugs.

Spokane Valley Mayor’s Ball set

The third annual Spokane Valley Mayor’s Ball will be April 9 at the Mirabeau Park Hotel. The main event starts at 6:30 p.m. with a reception and dinner at 7:30.

“At 9 o’clock we kick off the shoes that hurt, put on the shoes that feel good and boogie down,” said Rick Wilhite, the mayor’s husband.

A private reception, sponsored by the Spokane Coeur d’Alene Opera, will begin at 5:45.

Individual tickets to the ball and private reception are $55. For the ball only, it’s $40. Tickets can be purchased through the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, the ball’s hosting sponsor, at 924-4994. Corporate sponsorships and whole-table packages are available.

Music will be provided by Tuxedo Junction.

For more information, contact Wilhite at 534-9001.

Seattle zoo’s lone ocelot dies

Seattle

The only ocelot at the Woodland Park Zoo has died from complications associated with fluid accumulation in the abdomen.

The spotted cat, a 6-year-old female, died this week, the zoo said in a statement Friday.

The zoo’s veterinary team drained fluid during an examination last week after officials became concerned because of the cat’s lack of appetite.

“We have performed a necropsy and are awaiting pathology results to determine the exact cause of death,” said Dr. Darin Collins, the zoo’s director of animal health.

Ocelots may live as long as 20 years in zoos and 10 to 13 years in the wild, the zoo said. In the wild, ocelots live in Mexico, Central America and South America to northern Argentina, with a few in the southwestern United States.

They are three to four times the size of an average domestic house cat, weighing as much as 35 pounds and ranging in size up to 5 feet in length.

Anti-war rallies in Seattle, Olympia

Seattle

Peace groups plan rallies against the Iraq war today in Seattle and Olympia.

The Seattle rally at noon at the Seattle Center is sponsored by a coalition of groups to mark the second anniversary of the war. One organizer, Jane Cutter, said demonstrators are demanding that the United States end the occupation of Iraq and not intervene in Iran or Syria.

Another coalition was planning the Olympia rally on the Capitol campus, at 11 a.m. at Tivoli Fountain.

Murray to travel to Middle East

Washington

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Friday she will travel to the Middle East next week as part of a bipartisan Senate delegation.

The trip will focus on security issues and exploring ways in which the United States can support developing democracies around the world, Murray said.

The delegation will be led by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Due to security concerns, details of the trip will not be released in advance.

“I look forward to meeting with Washington state service personnel and hearing from the region’s top leaders about the progress being made in security and stability,” Murray said in a statement. “These firsthand experiences will help to inform us about improvements in the region and give our delegation the opportunity to express the support of our nation.”

Also on the trip will be Sens. Richard Durbin, D-Ill.; Robert Bennett, R-Utah; Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.; Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; and Ken Salazar, D-Colo.

Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., said Thursday he will visit the region on a separate trip. Smith’s itinerary includes stops in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he will visit Oregon troops, review security forces and meet with top leaders.