12/15 State budget, new ferry, fish funds, Japan debris, Duwamish grants, mobile use

John Bohannon

New blog: “Well, sir, I guess there's just a meanness in this world"

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Puget Sound Partnership has posted its complete draft Action Agenda update, including the Biennial Science Workplan, and asks for comments by Jan. 20. Click here.

Home for the holidays. The legislature voted to close $480 million of the state’s $2 billion budget hole and is leaving the hard work until they return Jan. 9 for their scheduled 60-day session. Legislature adjourns 17-day special session in Olympia  

The new 144-car state ferry will be built by a Washington industry “team” consisting of Vigor Industrial and its US Fab shipbuilding division and subcontractors Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Whidbey Island, Jesse Engineering of Tacoma, Vigor Marine of Everett and Eltech Electric of Seattle. Vigor announces "build in Washington" team for ferry

Recreational fishers are calling ‘foul’ over the Governor using recreational dollars from the state’s Wildlife Account to pay for General Fund salmon hatchery production that benefits commercial and tribal fishing.  Angling groups: Budget shift a betrayal

Oceanographers Curt Curtis Ebbesmeyer and Jim Ingraham — a.k.a. “DriftBusters Inc.” -- say the first piece of debris that could be identified as washing up on the West Coast from the March 11 tsunami in Japan — a large black float — was found on a Neah Bay beach two weeks ago. First debris from Japanese earthquake/tsunami reaches Olympic Peninsula

Marine Lumber Services, Toth Enterprises, Puget Creek Watershed Alliance/Garden Cycles, People for Puget Sound, Environmental Coalition of South Seattle and the South Park Area Redevelopment Association each have received $25,000 in grants for projects that help control combined sewer overflows and support cleanup of the Lower Duwamish River.  $150,000 in grants for the Duwamish

The market research firm eMarketer says that in 2011, the average adult consumer said they were on their mobile device for 65 minutes a day versus 44 minutes with print media — 26 minutes with newspapers and 18 minutes with magazines. Are you an “average adult consumer?” Mobile use surpasses print for first time

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 858 AM PST THU DEC 15 2011
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. NW SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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