10/22 Ruston path, Kitsap shores, Enbridge protest, Cherry Point coal, ocean dump, Haida fisheries, Stanley Park birds, pier peers, Lake Mills, train crossings, 'war on coal'

Waterwalk (Dean J. Koepfler/Tacoma News Tribune)

First frost this morning: here at 676 feet, south Bellingham.

The first phase of Point Ruston’s new Waterwalk, from the north end of Ruston Way to Point Ruston’s ferry boat sales office, is expected to open in November. The remainder of the waterfront pathway from the ferry boat to Point Defiance Park is expected to open early next year. John Gillie reports. Long-awaited Point Ruston path opening soon

Kitsap County's revised Shoreline Management Master Program is nearing approval, as the county commissioners prepare to hold the final two public hearings on the document. The commissioners will hold their first hearing on the plan during their regular meeting Monday. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at the County Administration Building, 614 Division St., in Port Orchard. The second hearing will be held the following Monday, Oct. 29, at 5:30 p.m. at Poulsbo City Hall. An open house to provide information about the shorelines plan will begin at 4:30 p.m. before each hearing. Chris Dunagan reports. Kitsap County commissioners review shorelines plan

Critics of the Northern Gateway project are hoping at least a thousand people turn up for a big rally today at the B.C. legislature to protest the proposed pipeline. The sit-in was organized by a coalition of groups that want to send a clear message to the provincial and federal governments about the plan to pipe crude from the Alberta oil sands to a tanker port in Kitimat.  Pipeline opponents gathering for protest at B.C. legislature Also: B.C. government rethinks pipeline-approval process

Matt writes: "Our first chance to provide input that will stop the coal terminal at Cherry Point is just days away. Join your friends and neighbors in providing comments at the scoping hearing at Squalicum High on Saturday, October 27. Arrive at 10 a.m. to make sure your voice is heard! Event organizers also still need people to help us get the word out and work the event. If you're interested in volunteering, contact Matt P., 360-733-8307, about building turnout beforehand and volunteer shifts throughout the day. There will be coffee and treats for anyone arriving early!"

A group that did an unsanctioned experiment off the coast of British Columbia, fertilizing a vast expanse of ocean with iron sulphate, is struggling to justify its project in the face of withering attacks from the scientific community. In a press conference at the Vancouver Aquarium on Friday, backers of the Haida Salmon Restoration Corporation project said they are doing good research and have collected a treasure trove of data that may show how to combat global warming. Mark Hume reports. Ocean fertilization experiment alarms marine scientists  

When the president of the Haida Nation was told earlier this week that fishermen were taking sea cucumbers off the coast of Haida Gwaii, he wasted no time in intervening. The fishermen were sent packing and Fisheries and Oceans can expect an earful. "They approved a fishery for 50,000 pounds of sea cucumber. That's ridiculous. They do an inventory in one area and then extrapolate over the whole thing," said Guujaaw, the Haida Nation's president since 2000. No fishery should take place without accurate science to back it up, he said. Judith Lavoie reports. For Haida, science at heart of disagreement with village

Peering over the side of the Erlands Point bridge, Jon Oleyar described how the rising waters of Chico Creek have incited a sudden rush of salmon, providing an opportunity for people to watch the migration. "Those rocks over there were all exposed a couple of days ago, and there was no water coming around that log," said Oleyar, a biologist for the Suquamish Tribe. Observing the creek Friday morning, Oleyar said overnight rains had caused streams to wash over many rocks and logs, opening upstream routes for chum and coho salmon throughout the region. Chris Dunagan reports. Rains bring sudden rush of salmon to Kitsap peninsula  

Chronic industrial pollution and small spills from oil tankers moving through Burrard Inlet are contributing to declining numbers of birds in Stanley Park, according to the conservation program manager for the Stanley Park Ecology Society. Robyn Worcester said in the past decade conservation group Bird Studies Canada has found a decline in the number of loons and grebes that rely on small fish in the intertidal areas for their food. Birds also feed on the Pacific blue mussels and barnacles that live close to shore.  Pollution, oil spills threaten Stanley Park birds   

The South Sound Estuary Association has announced it will continue the popular Pier Peer event, once run by People for Puget Sound, at Boston Harbor Marina. The next program will be Nov. 3, said Diana Larsen-Mills, president of the association’s board of directors. There will be a pier peer held the first Saturday of every month, starting at 8 p.m., until further notice. Olympia conservation group revives Pier Peer program  

Lake Mills has been steadily dropping since dam removal began on the river in September 2011. But, depending on weather over this weekend, it will be gone by next week. The lake is only about 8 to 10 feet deep at the deepest right now -- down from 180 feet before workers began taking down the 210 foot tall dam, now only about 70 feet high. Lynda Mapes reports. Lake Mills on the Elwha is almost history

Last week, a Sounder commuter train smashed into a truck in front of the Edmonds ferry dock, tearing off the front of the semi. While no one was injured, the collision Tuesday morning snarled early-morning traffic for hours. The crash illustrates what local officials have long said is a need for improved rail crossings -- both in Edmonds and elsewhere -- not only for safety but to keep traffic moving. The roadblock is the same as it is with many other issues. Bill Sheets reports.  Lack of funding obstacle to improving train crossings  

Drive through the coalfields of Central Appalachia, and signs of the siege are everywhere. Highway billboards announce entry to "Obama's No Job Zone," while decals on pickup truck windows show a spikey-haired boy peeing on the president's name. "Stop the War on Coal," yard signs demand. "Fire Obama." Only a few generations ago, coal miners were literally at war with their employers, spilling and shedding blood on West Virginia's Blair Mountain in a historic battle for union representation and fair treatment. Today, their descendants are allies in a carefully choreographed rhetorical war playing out across eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia and all of West Virginia. Vicki Smith reports. 'War on coal' label obscures battlefield realities  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON OCT 22 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS THIS MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY
 IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 4
 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SHOWERS...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
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