November 2004

The Mt Index Reporter Serving the Gold Bar, Index, Baring & Skykomish areas

Volume 2, Issue 2

Veterans Day November 11th Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Do you know the difference? Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring those who died serving their country.

On Veterans Day we thank and honor those who served in the military. Veterans Day is observed on November 11th of each year. This day used to be called Armistice Day., Reprint cour-

tesy of the Bear News

Inside this issue: Town Calendars Index, Baring, Skykomish

2

Pasado Spay Van Schedule for our area

2

Hubbitats

3

USPS in Index has important info for you

8

By Bob Hubbard

Local Historical News from Gold Bar

11

Wild about Wildlife

by Thom Boullioun

12

How to reach us and the important small print

13

November

¢ 2004

Thanksgiving: A day of prayer; of selfcongratulations, or what?

O

n Thanksgiving Day, The President of the United States will call the people of this country to prayer. It is perhaps ironic that while our Constitution forbids the establishment of religion there are times when it appears perfectly acceptable for the nation’s highest elected official to lead the people in prayer.

This is especially apparent in light of the recent terrorist attacks which inspired so much prayer in public places led by so many elected officials.

When you think about it.

Thanksgivings is unique among the nation’s holidays in placing an act of prayer front and center.

To be sure, this message is not always communicated very clearly.

See this in full color.

A PDF file is easy to open. See page 13 for more information

Download for FREE! !

Whichever way that you celebrate you should surround yourself with your loved ones and friends.

Give thanks for an abundance of good food, good

company and good health too! —Editor

Thanks to all for reading us this year!

By Thom Boullioun

The last 14 months have been awesome. I want to take the time now to thank all who made it possible to put together this little publication. I apologize if your name is not here you are not for-

gotten.

Bob Hubbard, (his column has been here from the start), Bobbi May, she donated a printer & ink. Mark and Sandy Klein, Lisa Stowe, Mike Fitzgerald, Ernie Walters, Linda

Tate, Mr Boyle, Shane Turnbull, Dorothy Croshaw, Joan & Sammantha Amenn, Mike & Cherie Eddy, Lori Cleaver, Henry and Jen, Debra Benz, Charlie and his crew, Janet & Rex, Andrea & Jerry, et al.

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The Mt Index Reporter 2004

Index Town Calendar

Index Planning Commission

Town Council

Last Wed—6 pm Town Hall

1st Mon—7 pm Museum Historical Society

Baring Lion’s Club

2nd Tues—7 :30 pm

Skykomish Calendar Town Council 3rd Mon— 6:30 pm Skykomish Town Hall

2nd Wed and 4th Thus at Der Baring Store

Index Sportsmen’s 3rd Mon—6 pm Fire Commissioner Meeting

Pasado Spay Van Schedule

2nd Wed—3 pm Fire Hall

for December 2004

Index Community Church Sun—10 am Index AA Meetings Every Wed & Fri—8 pm

Gold Bar Dec 7 Family Grocer

Sun—6 pm Skyland Ranch AA meeting Wed—8 pm

Tipi Trek Activities Sat—7 pm NEW Bookmobile 1-800-342-1936 #7059

Sultan

Dec 8

Red Apple

2nd and 4th Thurs 2:30 - 4 (break) 5— 6:30 pm Index School

Mark & Sandy Klein Owners

Mt Index Village Espresso Chalet Sled Dog Supplies

360-793-7932

3

Hubbitats—8

I omitted details about log and logjam distribution except for Dune Bar and the Isthmus. I hope it helps readers visualize the exciting dynamics of the river and its floodplain up here.

by Bob Hubbard

Dune Bar (Quadrathuja Island’s counterpart) Photo by Meryl Shenker, P-I photographer

Q

uadrathuja Island, our hike last month, and its upstream counterpart, Dune bar, where we’ll go this month, are as unlike each other visually as the two halves of the Yin and Yang symbol. At the same time they are very similar, like neighboring theaters showing different scenes from the same play. The Play, “Natural History”, is mostly silent, and speaks to the observant human through his eyes, in the form of props like trees and logjams, active and inactive river channels, and the micro topography of floodplains.

This play has been “modernized” along virtually all the rivers pouring into Puget Sound, for the censors have long been at work with chainsaws, altering the script. The script, you see, calls for changes in the rivers’ courses, so they’ll wander around across their floodplains over time. Civilization doesn’t want to adapt to Nature as much as it wants Nature to adapt to it, so we have cut out the old logjams, and diked and rip-rapped most of the river channels into rigidly controlled paths to prevent their wandering. Even the “wild” channels of our raftable, runnable rivers may be partially gelded, as log “sweepers”, and other log obstructions are given chainsawectomies in the name of Making the World Safe for Humans in general (and River floaters in particular).

The whole so-called Hubbard Grove, from Quadrathuja Island upstream to the Goblin Creek/lower Deer Falls, has largely escaped the modernization and safetyfication mentioned above. Up there, ancient, old-growth trees still fall into the river in places, and are swept into great logjams that are still allowed to form and still redirect the river at will. This is The Play in its historical, natural form, with an uncensored script, on a flat-bottomed valley. Dune Bar is a good place to view the

aftermath of the origin scenes of this cyclical play, with their great floods of removal and renewal. Quadrathuja Island, on the other hand, with its contemporary logjam cap, remnant fragments of older, fossil logjams, and abandoned fossil floodways, or coulees, is a good place to see middle and later scenes of the play writ large upon the landscape.

We start by returning to Quadrathuja Island and following my so-called trail to its end at the head of the island.

To help orient my readers I made a map of the area, but since I drew it from memory the geography may be slightly distorted. It’s tough to get all those lines to come together in the right proportions. Also,

Passing trail’s apparent end on upper Quadrathuja Island, continue straight a dozen paces or so then drop down to a low area and bear right to a channel. Cross just behind the logjam if water levels allow; log crossing alternatives are easy to find but more work and hassle. The next few hundred feet is a minimum-brush upstream traverse either just behind the riverside logjam or slightly further back, never more than about 70 feet. Expect to step or climb over a few logs from time to time.

This section is not, strictly speaking, Quadrathuja Island, because the channel stepacross starting off this section is (Dune Bar continued on page 4)

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4 (Dune Bar continued from page 3)

actually the major branch of the East Channel, which separates the island from the mainland. But there are other minor branches of the East Channel, and the pathway crosses them at their overgrown heads, just back from the river. Caught between the East Channel and the big riverside logjam, the path traverses the insecure floodwashed lands of The Isthmus.

The path soon comes quite close to the river’s edge, where there is a short stretch of riverbank (The Gap) with no logjam on it. This is a good place to see how the jam intercepts and deflects the flow of the river, protecting the ground behind it and causing deep scour in front of it.

A few paces further the path leaves the riverside to turn inland for a tree length or so. Notice that the riverside cedar trees here are actually growing out over the river on an old and disintegrating fossil logjam. The size of the big cedar lets us guess at a minimum age of the logjam it grows atop.

Between the trail and the trees notice a “hole” in the soil which gives you a peek at the deep, green water directly beneath the trees. Eventually the trees will topple, and then, who knows?

Note: I call logjams “fossil” if they have been around so long that trees are growing out of the logs. Another fossil logjam around “trail’s

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end” was probably once continuous with this one (several portions of it remain between its extremities although other parts have apparently washed away), and appears to be nearly, if not fully as old as Quadrathuja Island.

The path dodges inland a bit, then loops around and hops up and over the rotting logs of the fossil logjam before descending to the cobbles next to the river, where it loses its

Dune Bar is what Quadrathuja Island must have looked like 700 years ago.

identity as a path. The hiker must now part riverside brush for a few hundred feet until one last log legover leads him or her to the open sands and cobbles of Dune Bar. Dune Bar is what Quadrathuja Island must have looked like 700 years ago. Bulldozed by logjams and scoured by floodwaters, Dune is characterized by open cobble bars and beaches with scattered clumps of young trees too small to register yet as a forest instead of tall brush. Like Quadrathuja Island minus only its forest, the landscape

here features uplands only a few steps higher than the lowlands, abandoned, dry coulees representing the former main and flood channels, and dry-grounded, abandoned logjams.

In Dune Bar’s case, however, these features are bluntly obvious in the open landscape.

A major side creek (Unnamed, but I call it Bull Trout Creek) enters the river at the South Beach sector, its final 100 yards a fine, sand beach. Following it up, one can usually step/jump across upstream from the major bend in this short creek (It originates about a hundred yards upstream from the crossing). A deep pool just beyond the North bank empties a surprising volume of water into the creek, and makes a good rearing habitat for small trout.

By the way, this whole section of the river is off-limits to fishing (As fisherman should know by reading the regulations) so every fisherman you see up here is technically a poacher, and should be reported to the authorities. There is also a fish habitat related scientific study currently going on in the area, so please don’t disturb the red, green and blue plastic ribbons you may see in various river channel places.

At its Trout Pool latitude Dune Bar is quite wide, but northward it tapers to a point.

The east half of the bar features a large sandy area at its south end and dry flood channel separated by brushy uplands in the center and North. To the west open cobble bars with log clumps and brush are on the downstream third, and much of the rest is logjam country.

The Dune Bar jam is a big logjam.

(Dune Bar continued on page 5)

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(Dune Bar continued from page 4)

Not only has the flood overflow from this jam wiped the vegetation off of the lower half of Dune Bar, but the logjam itself has been physically pushed through the pre-flood forest.

The net result is that of all the trees that had been growing on Dune Bar were wiped off the map, except for one tree. Considering how small the river’s watershed is at this point, this is a BIG area to get wiped clean.

To find the lone pre-flood survivor, don’t look for the tallest tree, or rather don’t look for an upright tree.

Look for a line of young cottonwoods growing suspiciously out of a big log protruding from the east corner of the logjam and follow this “log” to its western end, far into the heart of the logjam, and meet the survivor of the century. No kidding: it’s worth climbing over or under the outlier logs to see. The 3-foot thick cottonwood lies horizontal, pinned to the ground, its root ball half ripped from the Earth, nearly crushed beneath a bunch of big logs piled on top of it. It looks like an entire NFL team piled on top of one quarterback. Looking further, one sees that these logs are just the leading edge of an extensive and ragged sea of logs and uprooted trees.

Imagine the scene here that created this. Something blocked the main channel, so the flow pooled up

and formed a lake behind the jam. The pressure of the floodwater pool lifted and pushed the enormous juggernaut logjam across the floodplain forest, bulldozing everything in its way until, halfway through plowing away the last tree on the bar, something changed (Likely the jam “blew out” just to the West, opening a channel and draining the lake), and the jam came to a stop.

The logjam district has several little sand pockets scattered here and there, and makes for good exploring/picnicking. Should other parties already occupy the larger East and South Beaches, these micro beaches can make good alternatives. Just remember that sand is a rare resource on the North Fork, so its sand beaches may look small by many rivers’ standards.

New Hampshire isn’t the only state with a presidential profile visible in a rock cliff. While around the East Beach area, look up and across the valley to the West to find “Troublesome Bill”. No, No, Honestly; it’s because he’s on Troublesome Mountain. (For a snicker, check out T-Bill from the South Beach area or from the fossil logjam just downstream, where he displays more “presidential timber”).

Dune Bar was likely not formed in its entirety by one big flood.

Their greater tree and soil development suggests that the East-side uplands were probably formed by an earlier flood than

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which pushed the logjam onto the Survivor Tree (and also cut some coulees through the uplands). Floods last winter shortened Dune Bar on its upper end, reshaped the South Beach area and cut a new side channel on the west side of the river in the big logjam area.

Evidences of several floods in an area as small as Dune Bar suggests that the larger area of Quadrathuja Island probably shows evidences of at least that many floods. The heavy forest cover both obscures these various evidences — the coulees, the highlands, the logjam — and at the same time offers us clues to help date these old “fossil floods”, such as trees ages in the trees of the fossil logjams and the reforested coulees.

For instance, there are remnants of what was once a long continuous logjam protecting Quadrathuja Island. This jam was later apparently destroyed in its center by a large flood, and its pieces were washed down the East Channel to the area near “the elbow”, where another jam formed. The elbow logjam overflow created a wide lowland through the center of the island that is now a revegetated coulee with marshes and streams and scattered small islands of uplands, most sporting fossil logjam remnants on their upper ends.

Later floods fragmented the “elbow” jam, returned the flow to the East Channel, and created the present logjam at the lower end of the East channel, just upstream from (Dune Bar continued on page 9)

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Index Town Council

Regular Monthly Meeting

November 1, 2004

MINUTES DRAFT ONLY

The regular monthly meeting of the Index Town Council was called to order at 7:00 PM on Monday, November 1, 2004 by Mayor Bruce Albert.

COUNCILMEMBERS AND ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL PRESENT Bruce Albert, Dean Johnson, Karen Sample, Patrick Woods, Sean Horst, Clerk/Treasurer Lisa Stowe, Maintenance Supervisor Bill Cross, Planning Commission Chair Bob Hubbard Council member Boardman was not present. As he had contacted the Town prior to the meeting, his absence was considered excused.

While minutes were reviewed, Mayor Albert refreshed the audience on meeting procedure.

Minutes from the October meeting were read. Woods moved to accept the minutes as presented. With a second by Sample the motion carried.

Stowe read the October warrants, numbered 1287 through 1306. Payroll and tax warrants totaled $4373.82 and all others were $4898.93 for a grand total of $9272.75. The council agreed to pay warrants as presented.

During the public comment period, Mike McCallister from the Department of Emergency Management was introduced and spoke briefly on the anticipated flood season for the coming year. He also updated the town on the National Incident Management System, informing the Council that it is a requirement for all communities to develop the capability to work together. This will involve memos of understanding between agencies, and this is a preliminary alert that the Town will be involved.

Albert asked where funding would come from, and if there would be a cost to the Town. McCallister said that any cost should be low and only involve trainings as most costs will be at the federal level.

Stowe said that McCallister had also hoped to talk about representation by Index at the DEM meetings, as there has been none for over a year, but as Boardman is the representative and is not present, there was no reason to discuss it. Albert or Stowe will talk to Boardman about his continued interest in being the Emergency Coordinator and attending the meetings. The meetings are normally held the 4th Thursday of every other month.

Horst asked if any council member could attend the meetings, and McCallister said yes, that the meetings are open to the public, but only the designated coordinator would be able to speak for Index.

Sample asked if the fire district was represented at these meetings. McCallister said no, that representation for Index came from the mayor or a designated member.

Still under public comment, Hubbard reported that the oil left behind by work on DNR land above the water supply is still there, and he requested that the Council, as his representatives, take action. Albert said that the Town had contacted DNR regarding expectations about work done in this area, and that Hubbard could contact DNR directly as a concerned citizen. Albert said that he appreciated Hubbard being on top of the situation.

Horst told Hubbard that an effective tool might be having several people get together on a letter to DNR, or having a petition with signatures. A guest in the audience, Kem Hunter, volunteered to look at the site and write a letter as a concerned citizen.

As the residents involved were all present, Albert elected to move up discussion of their letters from the Mayor’s Report to the Public Comment time.

A letter from Hunter was received listing concerns about a shed and landscaping owned by the Finley’s and on Town right-of-way. The Finley’s also sent a letter of response. The Planning Commission reviewed both let(Index Council minutes c-ontinued on page 7)

7 (Index council minutes continued from page 6)

ters and the site, and recommended to the Council that since there were no current development plans in the works, no action was needed. If development plans came before the Planning Commission, then the Finley’s would be required to move the shed.

Hunter said that since the Finley’s had recently complained about a neighboring shed and required those homeowners to correct problems, it appeared inconsistent to have those homeowners move their shed while Finley’s did not have to.

Albert said that he had spent time looking at the site, and that there were several issues. One is the shed, and Albert said that the Susor’s had been required to move their shed because of its location within a critical area. He also agreed that the Susor’s own an old building on 9th Street as well, but that the Council had granted an easement to leave it standing, so there was no precedent set to require shed relocation.

If an alley is opened and used as an alley, then any privately owned stuff would have to go, and on the basis of that, with respect to the Finley’s building, Albert agreed with the Planning Commission to let the building stay. No one disputes that there is stuff in the right-of-way, which is common throughout town. Landscaping, again, exists on public rights-of-way throughout town, and there is no clear precedent prohibiting this unless it denies use of the street. No one has claimed this as private property, and since the alley in dispute is only 20 feet wide, with a stream crossing it and on a side hill, development would be difficult, if even possible. Albert suggested letting this issue lie fallow as long as everyone knows it is not private land, that the public cannot be excluded, and in the future the owners might have to remove the building and landscaping in the right-of-way.

Albert also suggested that it might be in the best interest of everyone to consider vacating this property as development is unlikely.

Horst asked if the shed in question is being used by Finleys. They physically lock it and use it for storage, and added a new roof approximately 18 years ago.

Hunter requested if the Town decides to let things be as they are, that a letter be sent to the owners involved making it clear the area is public land.

Horst moved to leave the right-of-way as is, and to send a letter to the parties involved stating that if the alley is developed the owners will have to move any buildings and landscaping, and that the area remains open to the public. With a second by Sample the motion carried.

A resident asked about the Special Events process and if an application would be needed for the Christmas Tree Lighting. She will meet with Stowe about this. She also asked about a hole outside of the Sportsmen’s building currently covered by a cone. Cross will be filling this in.

The Susor’s presented a letter asking the Council for an extension on their deadline for moving their shed.

Due to weather, contractors, and upcoming holidays, they are not sure they can meet the current deadline, although they want to move the shed as soon as possible. Sample moved to accept their statement in good faith and to extend the deadline until April 30th. With a second by Horst the motion carried.

There were no Council reports at this time.

Hubbard reported on the Planning Commission meeting, stating that his term will be up the end of this year.

He presented the Council with a memo listing all the members and their terms. It was clarified that the Mayor appoints a new member and the Council approves, and that it is Bob’s position that is up, not the Chairman job.

This position will be posted and will also be on the December agenda.

The Planning Commission also covered the issues of eaves over property lines, agreeing to go with the County’s requirement of 1 ½ feet, and the 180-day requirement on trailers in town.

During the maintenance report, Cross said that he had new hydraulic fittings for the snowplow.

Peterson was not at the meeting but sent an email updating the Council on the new definition of the Town’s water supply. After years of working with the Health District, it has been decided that the water supply is a well and not under the influence of surface water. This official designation will abolish a lot of work that is (Index Council minutes continued on page 8)

8

From the Postmaster of the Index Post Office November 2004 ATTENTION POST OFFICE BOX CUSTOMERS: This is a reminder that it is against postal policy to hand out mail over the counterline to our customers. You MUST use your key or combination to gain access to your post office box. This is a policy that must be enforced. If you are sending someone to pick your mail up at the post office, make sure they have your combination or key.

Also, for any post office box customer that wishes to put in a change of address from Postmaster Lori Cleaver at work. The Post Office is located in the back of the Index General Store Photo by Thom Boullioun their post office box, ONLY the original box applicant may submit the change of address. When a change of address is received by the post office with a post office box number as the address, THE BOX IS AUTOMATICALLY CLOSED. YOU CANNOT HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL FORWARD OUT OF A PO BOX. It is the responsibility of the original box applicant to forward the mail of anyone choosing to use a different address other than the post office box number named on the mailpiece.

It is important to understand that we DO NOT locally forward mail within our office from one box to another.

If you have any questions regarding these issues, please feel free to discuss this with me during business hours at the Post Office.

One final note. I would like to thank John Rodli for his support and dedication to the Postal Service and the community while I have been on extended details throughout the last couple years. His willingness to manage this office for extended periods is greatly appreciated. Thanks John!

Lori J. Cleaver, Postmaster, 503 Avenue A, Index, WA. 98256-9998

360-793-2344

Fax: 360-793-2344

(Index Council minutes continued from page 7)

required of water supplies under the influence of surface water.

Under the Mayor’s report, Albert has received a letter from the Health District regarding the West Nile Virus, and asked that Stowe follow up on this.

Albert presented an informational memo to the Council regarding tagging and towing vehicles. Previously, vehicles were tagged incorrectly. Albert researched this issue and says that it does not matter if a vehicle has tags or not, it must meet the junk vehicle requirements prior to tagging and removal.

(Index Council minutes continued on page 13)

9 (Dune Bar continued from page 5)

Vandal’s Camp.

Insert Leah’s ad here for the Skykomish Activities (If you are seeing this publication online this ad will not show)

On the way back from Dune Bar, pay special attention to the forest and landscape of The Isthmus. This is probably what Dune bar looked like before the big flood and logjam bulldozed it. This is one of those places to keep an eye on in the future, a place where a lot can happen quickly given the right conditions, and the right conditions could happen at any time.

The jam is there and ready, the river is already aimed right at it, and the lowlands of the East Channel lie just beyond; to change the Isthmus to the Wasthmus all that is missing is the big flood.

There’s way too much to see at Dune Bar to bottle into even a fat month’s column. There are wildflowers in season, there is the flanking fringe of old-growth, there are the wonderful expansive views of the surrounding mountains, and the valley’s biggest colony (or collection of individual family nests) of Honey Wasps. There is the subject of wildness, and Wilderness. We shall have to return here again. Those of you who find your way up to this place before winter chases us out will see why this place is special, and calls you back again and again.

Editor’s note. On the opposite page is Bob Hubbard’s hand drawn map. I only hope that the photocopying process that I use does it some justice. I pasted it up using the old fashioned method. I hope that it works.

As a result of this it will not show on the online version of the Mt Index Reporter. Here is the URL to get a free c o p y o f t h i s p a p e r http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MtIndex Reporter/files/November.pdf

Military/Overseas Mailing Dates Use the dates below to ensure your overseas packages arrive by December 25. Items for delivery by Hanukkah should be mailed five days earlier.

Nov. 13

Parcel Post to military APO/FPO addresses

Dec. 6

First-Class cards and letters or Priority Mail to military APO AE ZIPs 093 addresses

Dec. 11

First-Class cards and letters or Priority Mail to all other military APO/FPO addresses

Dec. 13

Global Airmail letters, cards and Parcel Post to Africa and Central or South America Intl Mail

Dec. 20

Global Express Guaranteed International Mail

10

Place map for Bob’s story here. It is not digital and is strictly a paste up To see actual hand drawn map by Bob Hubbard please buy a copy at the different locations.

Thanks, Thom

(If you are seeing this publication online the map that Bob Hubbard has drawn will not show)

11 PAGE 11

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Helicopter in Iraq

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Story and photo ‘from the web’ courtesy of Dorothy Croshaw

Check out what some of our guys overseas did to their helicopter. Some Afghan is probably freaking out right now.

The Gold Bar Historical Society Photo of Amy Johnson courtesy Bear News

From Desk

the

Presidents

by Dorothy Croshaw

Gold Bar — Another month has gone by and still waiting for the city of Gold Bar to report back to us on whether we will get our rent paid for the Museum another year?

the VFW on 3rd street, Gold Bar. We have taken in four Lifetime members and one yearly since last publishing.

Many thanks to Lee Gerry, for always placing his antique tractor in front of the Museum whenever we are open, great for getting visitors to come inside and look at our displays. Thank We have you. Again our been busy reviewdues are $10 for ing how we will be We have posted our new hours singles, $15 for publishing our family and $50 for the month of November, next Museum for sponsors due cookbook for a Saturday’s only 1 pm to 4 pm the first of each fundraiser. Hopeyear, come and fully if all goes join us. Everywell we will be one is welcome. printing in late January or early February.

We have posted our new hours for the month of November, Saturday’s only 1 — 4 pm.

And our new meeting place at

Index — We all want to send Amy Johnson R.N. a great big thank you for volunteering at the school for this year’s screenings. What a nice touch it was to open up the vision, hearing, and scoliosis screenings to the community. Thank you Amy!

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be November 17th — 19th

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STORY AND PHOTO BY THOM BOULLIOUN

‘Stellar’s Jay

Cyanocitta Stelleri

How do I start a story when there is so much incorrect information going around about this beautiful bird.

It is similar in profiles to the blue jay but it is not a blue jay. It is the Steller’s Jay. It sports a blue body and black crest. They are as familiar to us in our area and all the way up to Canada west of the Rocky’s. Blue Jays and Stellar”s jays have been known to hybridize where their ranges overlap. I found that the Jay was named after George Stellar, a naturalist.

Larger than a robin, the Stellar’s Jay can be told apart from its close cousins because it has a solid black head and neck, with iridescent blue back and body. The only white it has is its tiny white eyebrows.

Males and females look the same. It prefers to perch in trees where it can escape into thick branches if threatened. They live in conifer and pineoak forest where food is available most of the year. They feed on nuts, acorns, seeds, insects, berries, eggs and young chicks. They will also scavenge fat (suet) and meat off animal carcasses. The call of the adults is a cheeky “Shack, shack, shack” usually repeated in groups of three. This call is often recognized as a warning call by other birds and mammals in the area as the Jay’s tend to act like watch dogs and sound the alarm.

They, like other members of the jay family, are good at mimicking other birds, particularly predators. They will also dive bomb predators such as an owl sitting in a tree or a cat walking on the ground.

Several months ago while walking outside my cabin on the South Fork, I heard the loud call of a jay. I responded by grabbing a handful of black-oiled sunflower seeds (I think it is their favorite but I do be-

V O LU ME 2 , I SSUE 2

lieve that they will eat most anything I provide) and I poured them into a neat little pile on my decks railing, as I do each time any jays show up. I especially like to do it when visitors to my cabin arrive. It is quite a site to see the birds dive bombing the little pile of seeds. On that particular day, I paused to enjoy the warm summer sunshine. While I lingered, this one jay flew from the peak of the roof to the gutter, then right across my path, impatiently I thought. Did it want me to leave so it could fly down and snatch the seeds?

Seconds ticked by, the jay was growing impatient with my presence. Finally, its calls having failed to send me inside, the jay uttered a perfect mimic of a bald eagle’ cry. If I hadn’t watched its beak emit the cry, I would never have believed the source of the sound. Apparently the jay must have hoped that since all the little critters in the neighborhood are afraid of large birds of prey. I too would duck for cover.

Laughing to myself, I stepped back inside. Immediately the jay flew down, scooped up the seeds and swallowed them whole.

Jays often flock in extended family groups, the young staying with the adults into their second year. In fact, jays are among the most communal of birds, collectively sharing the duties of incubating eggs and feeding their chicks.

On a recent walk near Eagle Falls, I had another experience of a jay mimicking an eagle. I heard the cry of an eagle coming from inside a thick conifer tree. It didn’t sound exactly right and I’ve never heard of an eagle hiding in thick cover, so I went over to investigate. As I suspected, it was a Stellar’s jay. I looked around and saw no food supply that the jay may have been after. I never figured out why the jay was crying out like an eagle. Were they having fun with me? Maybe. . . . Maybe not. . . . I guess I will never really know for sure.

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T HE MT IN DEX RE PO RTE R

V O LU ME 2 , I SSUE 2

(Index council minutes continued from page 8)

Stowe presented a thank you card from the Art’s Festival, for the Council.

As charges to the town for garbage rates are increasing this year, Stowe offered a proposal to raise garbage rates in order to cover the increased costs. The proposed increase was in the amount of $1.00 but Sample stated that this appeared to still sound tight. One resident suggested an increase of $1.50 and another resident suggested $2.00. After discussion, Johnson moved to increase the garbage rates in the amount of $2.00. With a second by Johnson the motion carried. Because of this, Ordinance #381 was presented requesting a garbage rate increase, for the first reading.

Stowe asked the Council to consider bumping up the hours of the Water Manager from eight to twelve, as the Water Manager is consistently working more than eight hours a month, and this would also make the position equal to the hours worked by the Animal Control Officer. Horst moved to raise the Water Manager hours from eight to twelve. With a second by Sample the motion carried. This will go into effect the first of January.

There were no business or land use applications at this time.

Ordinance #377 relating to the Index Cable franchise was presented for action. Sample moved to accept granting this franchise. With a second by Johnson the motion carried.

Ordinance #378 relating to the international building code was presented for action. Sample moved to accept this building code. With a second by Johnson the motion carried.

Ordinance #379 relating to wages and salaries for 2005 was presented for a first reading. Sample asked why the pay rate was not the same for the Maintenance Supervisor as for the Clerk, as both work the same hours.

Albert will look into this.

Ordinance #380 relating to the budget for 2005 was presented for a first reading.

Resolution #04-04 and #04-05 relating to property taxes was presented. After discussion around the amount the town would receive if the taxes were increased, and how this would affect revenue, especially with changes in salaries, Sample moved to accept Resolution #04-05 establishing the right to increase property taxes. With a second by Woods the motion carried.

Horst asked if the Clerk’s salary was increased, would there be another route for revenue beyond raising property taxes. Albert said that revenue sources that the town controls includes business and animal licenses, as well as water and garbage.

There was no motion to accept Resolution #04-04 specifically raising property taxes by 1%. Because of this (Continued on page 17)

The Small print The Mt Index Reporter is privately published by T A “Thom” Boullioun & friends. Using all volunteers we hope that you like the information that you read here. We have recently received some software that will allow us to upgrade this paper! All pictures & stories are from locals. All stories are taken directly from the area. — This month there were 300 issues printed. We also can provide this to you by subscription and now as a *.PDF file. That’s right soon you will be able to download a copy of the original publication and print it out on your own computer in color for FREE! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MtIndexReporter/join It is available at several local businesses in the following towns. In Gold Bar at Sky Valley Video, In the town of Index at the General Store, In Baring at the Der Baring, and in the town of Skykomish at the Sky Deli. If you want an issue ask your local merchant to carry it. We want to make it available to you.

For subscription information you can contact us at: Mt Index Reporter, Post Office Box 32, Baring, WA. 98224 or you can phone us at 360-793-7581 or via email at MtIndexReporter@yahoo.com.

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14

Index School News

courtesy of Linda Tate A visit from Emergency Management’s Mike McCallester At the left is Mike McCallester from the Department of Emergency Management . He visited the Index School on Tuesday November 2, 2004. He gave the students a presentation on volcanoes, rocks, and the various geological events of our Pacific NW region. This was an excellent preparation for our field trip to the Imax the following Thursday. Mike also spoke about his career with Nova, the Department of Emergency Management and as vulcanologist! Be sure to ask your child if he/she knows the differences between a Vulcan and a vulcanologist! Thanks Mike—please come back again!!!!

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be November 17th— 19th

Here are some tips . . .

Prior to the conference: 1.) Decide whether or not you want to share any family situations that may affect your child’s learning 2.) Write down your questions in priority order in case time is short. Be specific. Do you want to know how your child gets along with others? Do you want suggestions on friendships to be encouraged? Do you want to know how your child’s progress is assessed? Is your child completing tasks in about the same amount of time as others?

3.) Ask your child what he/she thinks you should talk about—this may be a clue for preventing problems

During the conference: 1.) Arrive promptly and listen carefully.

2.) Tell the teacher what you have observed about your child’s learning style and motivation.

3.) Ask the questions you brought with you, and any others that occur during the conference.

4.) If there are any problems, brainstorm ways to work together with the school as a family and teacher team; decide on specific ways to help at home, and on types of praise and reinforcement you will both use.

After the conference: 1.) When you get home, talk to your child about the conference. Focus on the child rather than the accomplishment. “You must be very proud of yourself,” teaches the child to work for internal rewards. “I am proud of you,” teaches the child to work for the parent, teacher, etc. We want self-motivated children.

2.) If your child has not progressed at the level you believe he or she is capable of achieving, speak to your child in terms of the choices that he/she has elected to make. Children often see themselves as victims -”I didn’t do well because Joe was bothering me,” or “The teacher doesn’t like me,” etc. You can be a big help to your child by letting him/her see that failure of success often depends on the choices we all make as individuals.

We feel conferences are an important link between the school and home and we hope to see each of you during this time.

15

FIRE NEWS Approaching Winter Travel Reminder

Brings

About this time each year, this column reminds you to be prepared for winter driving conditions. Although this year, a “weak” El Nino is predicted, we can all protect ourselves better by preparing an emergency travel kit for our vehicles. Depending on what resource one consults about emergency kit necessities, it is commonly accepted that everyone should have in their home and vehicle a disaster kit, capable of providing emergency food and water ration for 72 hours.

In all likelihood, the type of emergency which will cause us to be glad we thought ahead enough to prepare a disaster kit will be some sort of natural disaster. This may be a severe snowstorm, flood, earthquake or a mudslide which ruptures our roadway infrastructure. Unfortunately about every other year there is an avalanche along the SR 2 corridor between Skykomish and Leavenworth which traps a vehicle; a vehicle disaster kit can make the difference between life and death in this circumstance.

By Fire Chief Michael Fitzgerald

Is it a new fire engine? As apparatus age, more and more mechanical problems occur. Recently our fire engine was out of service for more than two weeks because the transmission had to be rebuilt. This ended up being nearly a $5,000 repair. In 2000, the fire district’s ailing aid unit broke down twice while transporting patients; the fire district made an emergency purchase for a new aid unit. Apparatus expenses can be a huge financial burden to the fire district without good financial planning. Currently we are waiting to hear if we will be approved for a federal grant to replace our fire engine.

Is our greatest need a larger station? For years now we have had to park apparatus outside the station because there is not enough room inside the apparatus bay to house our apparatus. Even our Rescue has to be parked at an angle inside the station to make it fit. Labor &

Industries rules require that fire apparatus have a three-foot clearance around all sides of the fire apparatus. We barely are able to comply with this rule. Your fire district commissioners have agreed to address this need by building an addition to the fire station.

This addition will provide additional apparatus bay space to park all fire apparatus inside the station. This station expansion is possible by utilizing existing reserve funds which were earmarked years ago as facilities capital.

Is our greatest need more money? The fire district is ‘tapped out’ in terms of what tax revenues can provide. The fire district is collecting $1.50 per thousand assessed value (at a depreciated value) for fire taxes, $0.25 per thousand for (Fire News continued on page 16)

Besides food and water, other things your vehicle disaster kit should contain are: Cash, road flares, bedding materials or sleeping bag, winter clothing If you have specific questions or would like more information regarding personal disaster kits, contact the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management at (425) 423-7635.

Fire District’s Greatest Need The life span of a fire engine is 20 years.

Our engine is 28 years old. Our fire station is not large enough to shelter all of our apparatus from the weather. Our annual budget barely is able to provide enough revenues for our annual operating expenses, let alone pay extra toward our bond payments for fire apparatus. Emergency incidents are responded to by a corps of dedicated volunteers and one paid firefighter.

All of these conditions are true, yet only one condition exists as your fire district’s greatest need.

Index Fire Station #28

PHOTO by Thom Boullioun

16 (Fire News continued from page 15)

a Basic Life Support (BLS) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) levy and $0.25 per thousand for an Advanced Life Support (ALS) EMS levy. In addition, tax payers are still paying for a 1994 bond that provided revenues to purchase our (used) fire engine and our rescue. Special purchases are made with donated or grant funds. Firefighters partake in several fundraisers each year to purchase needed large-dollar expenses such as bunker gear or a hydraulic rescue tool. Through fiscal responsibility and planning the fire district is able to keep up with our financial needs through the acquisition of grants and private donations.

The fire district’s greatest need is additional human resources. We need additional volunteer firefighters to protect you and your neighbors. Our dedicated corps of volunteers respond to 150 incidents per year. In order to prevent “burn out” of the enthusiasm and gracious willingness of our volunteers to help, we need more volunteer firefighters to help dilute the number of incidents to which volunteers must respond. People are our most important resource: they are also our greatest need right now.

Your fire district is looking for individuals who can make themselves available for about 40 hours of training.

Currently volunteers must live in the fire district. Volunteer firefighters must be at least age 18, in good physical health, pass a State Patrol background investigation, pass a respiratory fitness evaluation and be willing to serve their community. The fire district provides training, personal protective (bunker gear) equipment, uniform accessories, and a pager.

Additional medical (Emergency Medical Technician) and rescue (Swiftwater Rescue Technician or Rope Rescue Technician) training is available to those with an interest after one year of service.

Please consider your part to help protect the community that we all love.

Your friends, neighbors and fellow firefighters will appreciate it.

Need a Burn Permit or Volunteer Application? Stop by the Index Fire Station at 512 Avenue A

CHINOOK EXPEDITIONS PRESENT FALL & WINTER WILDLIFE TOURS AND MAUI ADVENTURE VACATIONS Welcome to our Fall and Winter tour season. I’m excited about the changing seasons and our adventurous schedule for the new year. I hope you enjoy reading our brochure and will join us this season on one of our natural history and wildlife float tours. As you peruse the website maybe you’ll find that unique trip or special gift certificate getaway this winter or coming spring.

The concentration of bald eagles and in the Skagit River Basin is a spectacular phenomenon in the Pacific Northwest. We are conducting Bald Eagle Float Tours December through February and into March. We are now in the height of the season with departures almost everyday, so look at your calendar and call us now to reserve your best date. There’s something special happening every weekend. Weekday trips are great for solitude and more wildlife.

I will be on Maui early in February to conduct my Maui Adventure Vacations. I invite you and your friends to join me on

Maui this year. You’ll experience the wilder side of this tropical paradise. I offer old fashioned hospitality and a local perspective to my adventurous guests. Look for deals, flight fares are low. February and March are great times to get out of the Pacific Northwest weather, so you have to plan ahead.

Call me now to reserve your week of aloha.

Our year round river trips offer the best exploration and adventures to those who love to be outdoors anytime. Early March and April are the best times for our Ethno botany and wild crafting seminars, along with our renowned Professional Guide School, and popular Estuary Tours on the Snohomish

and Skagit Rivers.

Call or e-mail anytime to receive more information and trip schedule. I’d sure like to hear from you this winter and look forward to being your guide this coming year. Best wishes to you and all our friends.

Cordially. Shane Turnbull, Owner/Trip leader

1-800-241-3451 www.chinookexpeditions.com

17 (Index Town Council minutes from page 10)

the Resolution failed.

As there was no further business Johnson moved to adjourn. Horst seconded and the meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

Adopted by the Index Town Council this 6th day of December 2004.

________________________________ Bruce Albert, Mayor

________________________________ Lisa Stowe, Clerk/Treasurer

18

THE MT INDEX REPORTER 2004

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