Gregoiore’s focus energy alternatives

Developing alternative sources of energy is essential for Washington to cope with the “global crisis” on energy, Gov. Christine Gregoire said Tuesday in a speech in Spokane.

Gregoire, speaking to a conference about energy at the Davenport Hotel, touted wind, solar and agricultural sources of power being used or researched in the state.

After the speech, Gregoire said that for too long the state has taken energy for granted. That’s changing with higher costs at the pump and prices expected on electricity bills this winter.

“We have had a wake-up call,” Gregoire said. “It’s been a rude awakening.”

The governor praised partnerships created to work on energy policy between government, businesses and research institutions, such as Washington State University. She said she supports using tax incentives to encourage alternative energy projects.

“We need to be pioneers,” she said. “… I don’t think any idea should be put off the table,” she said.

Domestic violence awareness urged

Sandpoint Advocates for victims of domestic violence in Bonner County are asking local residents to make the problem more visible this month through The Clothesline Project.

Survivors of abuse, or friends and loved ones of victims, are encouraged to design T-shirts to honor and memorialize victims. The T-shirts will be hung on a clothesline in a yet to be determined Sandpoint location later this month, said Wendy Ramos, domestic violence case coordinator for the Bonner County prosecutor.

White shirts stand for women and children who have died from domestic violence; yellow or beige represent those battered or assaulted; red, pink and orange are for victims of rape or sexual assault; blue or green represent victims of incest; and purple or lavender stand for those attacked because of sexual orientation.

Shirts should be delivered to the Victims Advocates Services Team office in the Bonner County Courthouse by Oct. 21, Ramos said.

“It’s a healing project,” she said. “They can put art on it, or write on it what they want the abuser to know.”

The county’s Domestic Violence Task Force also is having its fifth annual Celebrity Servers Dinner on Oct. 27 at Ivano’s restaurant. Tips raised from diners that evening will benefit victims of domestic violence, Ramos said. Dinner reservations at Ivano’s are encouraged.

For more information, contact Ramos at 263-6714.

CdA council candidates to appear at forum

Candidates vying for the three Coeur d’Alene City Council seats will attend a public forum Sunday sponsored by the North Idaho Unitarian Universalist Church.

The public is invited to ask the candidates questions during the 10:30 a.m. panel discussion at the Harding Family Center, 411 N. 15th St. This is the first public forum for the Nov. 8 city elections.

Councilman Ben Wolfinger opted not to run for re-election, and three people are vying for his seat – local businessman Mike Kennedy, city planning commission member Mary Souza and former city employee Dan Yake. Yake declined to attend the forum.

Former planning commissioner Susie Snedaker is challenging Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander and political newcomer Steven Foxx is running against Councilman Woody McEvers.

Washington offers its 2 cents on state quarter

Olympia

No Bill Gates, Bigfoot, slugs or steaming lattes, but other familiar Washington images have been proposed to grace a new quarter coin honoring the state.

Gov. Christine Gregoire and an advisory commission headed by her husband, Mike, have forwarded five ideas to the U.S. Mint:

•A salmon, Mount Rainier and an apple within an outline of Washington state.

•An apple inside the map silhouette.

•An outline of the state with Mount Rainier centered inside.

•A salmon breaching the water with Mount Rainier as a backdrop.

•A Native American stylized killer whale.

The committee also suggested including the script “The Evergreen State” in some of the designs.

The Mint will design multiple renderings of all five nominations by December, possibly 25 or 30 altogether, said Mark Gerth, spokesman for the state Arts Commission. After consultation with the Washington committee, the Mint will then develop three to five final design choices. The state committee will then post the finalists on a special Web site next April, so people can vote on their favorite.

The winning design will be announced next May, and the coins, part of the 50-state series, will be available in March 2007.