Monday
Crowned champions
Showers spread out across the Peninsula B10
Neah Bay boys basketball wins first state title B1
PENINSULA DAILY NEWS March 7, 7, 2016 | 75¢
Port Angeles-Sequim-West End
Eye on Olympia
Colorful new cast member at Feiro
Senator against pension merger
Juvenile giant Pacific octopus adjusts to limelight BY ARWYN RICE PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Hargrove cites insolvency issue
PORT ANGELES — Feiro Marine Life Center has a new star to welcome visitors. A juvenile giant Pacific octopus has replaced Ursula, an octopus released Jan. 11 in Freshwater Bay, in the octopus tank at the marine life center at 315 N. Lincoln St., on City Pier. Although it could grow to weigh 110 pounds in its short life of — at most — five years, the center’s new octopus, thought to be younger than 2 years old, weighs only 3 or 4 pounds and is about the size of a grapefruit. Despite its small size, the octopus, as yet unnamed, has a special talent, said Melissa Williams, executive director of the center. “She really does an amazingly quick job of color change,” Williams said. “You can see the color ripple across her skin. It’s unusual to see it happen.” Octopuses are known for their color change, but usually the change is more gradual, she said.
BY CHRIS MCDANIEL PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Center’s mascot The giant Pacific octopus is the mascot and a symbol of the marine science center, which features the creature on shirts and toys sold in its gift store. “They’re otherworldly, with their three hearts, and they are very intelligent creatures,” Williams said. KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS Both male and female giant Pacific A juvenile giant Pacific octopus, shown scrunched into the corner of octopuses can reach about 16 feet its tank, is the newest addition at the Feiro Marine Life Center in across. They breed once, then die. Port Angeles. The marine center holds a license to keep a wild octopus and is required to The new octopus is also female. in Freshwater Bay. return that octopus to the area where it Feiro members were treated to a speOctopuses exist in about equal numwas caught when it approaches breedcial sneak preview last Tuesday mornbers, female to male, so it is statistically ing age and condition. ing, and have already suggested names unusual to get all females, Williams The center’s past five octopuses — for the new octopus, Williams said. said. Octavia, Ariel, Opal, Obecka and Ursula Like her predecessor, she was caught — have all been female by happenstance. TURN TO FEIRO/A5
OLYMPIA — State Sen. Jim Hargrove opposes a Senate bill that would merge the pensions of police and firefighters in the state with an insolvent teachers’ pension fund. “I can’t support that,” said Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, on Saturday. “There is the objection that the firefighters paid into this plan and the teachers’ plan is a little bit underwater.” Hargrove — along with Rep. Steve Tharinger and Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, both Sequim Democrats — Hargrove represent the 24th District, which covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County. The Senate Ways and Means Committee, of which Hargrove is a ranking member, on Wednesday conducted a public hearing on Senate Bill 6668 and approved it. SB 6668 is now being considered by the Rules Committee. The bill would merge the assets and liabilities of Law Enforcement Officers’ and Fire Fighters’ Retirement System (LEOFF) Plan 1 with Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) Plan 1. The projected surplus of LEOFF 1 is about $1.2 billion, while TRS 1 is in a deficit of nearly $3 billion, according to The Capitol Record. The proposed pension merger is part of the Senate Republican majority’s supplemental budget plan. TURN
TO
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Tribe, college team up for Dungeness project Floodplain work is chance for study BY ALANA LINDEROTH OLYMPIC PENINSULA NEWS GROUP
SEQUIM — Jamestown S’Klallam tribe scientists have teamed up with Western Washington University’s Huxley College on the Peninsulas as part of a Dungeness River floodplain restoration effort. “The big question is to plant or not to plant,” said Jenise Bauman, the college’s assistant professor of environmental science. To help determine whether planting and/or seeding native shrub and tree species in an area like Railroad Bridge Park where there’s “a lot of seed source” is
part of every project we [the tribe] do whether we’ve acquired new property along the river or after beneficial, Huxley students from removing floodplain obstructions Peninsula College and Olympic like dikes or levees — planting it College are working with the is part of our restoration design.” tribe’s habitat biologists to study different restoration approaches Exciting opportunity and their outcomes. Collaboration with Huxley The project area is in the floodCollege students and professors, plain surrounding the recently however, isn’t part of every restorepaired bridge at Railroad ration project. Bridge Park. “Often we have to just go in “We’ve built this brand new and do what we think is best,” awesome bridge and we’ve given Turnbull said. the river a lot more room to move “So I was really excited to have than it had in the past,” said Hilthe opportunity to work with stuALANA LINDEROTH/OLYMPIC PENINSULA NEWS GROUP ton Turnbull, habitat biologist for dents and do an experimental the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe. Volunteers with the Peninsula Trails Coalition prepare the design.” wooden ramp and 155-foot historical bridge at Railroad “This type of floodplain revegTURN TO RIVER/A5 Bridge Park near Sequim to be resurfaced with concrete. etation work is pretty much a
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100th year, 56th issue — 2 sections, 18 pages
CLASSIFIED COMICS COMMENTARY DEAR ABBY DEATHS HOROSCOPE NATION PENINSULA POLL PUZZLES/GAMES
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