1/23 Merlin, Trump facts, climate, Navy pier, FDA seafood, urchins, Tesoro air, whale ban, paper folds

Merlin (PHOTO: Gregg Thompson/BirdNote)

A Merlin "Warbles" - An Angel-wing Stretch
Early in December, photographer Gregg Thompson made a trip to Edison, a small town on the Samish Flats, north of Seattle. He was looking for a Merlin. And he found it, fairly low in a tree next to the road.  Gregg Thompson writes and photographs. (BirdNote)

Fact Check: Trump starts on familiar note — with exaggeration
Donald Trump’s inaugural address held familiar echoes of the campaign speeches that led to his presidential win: downbeat about the state of the nation, to the point of hyperbole. (Associated Press) See also: Kellyanne Conway says Donald Trump’s team has ‘alternative facts.’ Which pretty much says it all. Out: “Fake news.” In: “Alternative facts."  Aaron Blake reports. (Washington Post)

With Trump in Charge, Climate Change References Purged From Website  Within moments of the inauguration of President Trump, the official White House website on Friday deleted nearly all mentions of climate change…. That also included a page devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues. Coral Davenport reports. (NY Times)

Permit holds up Navy pier project at Ediz Hook
The cost and timeline for the Navy’s $25.6 million pier and uplands construction project at Ediz Hook is being re-evaluated while the Navy awaits permission from the Army Corps of Engineers to remove thousands of cubic yards of erosion controlling rock, a Navy spokeswoman said last week. Corps spokeswoman Patricia Graesser said the agency would notify the Navy on Monday of the Corps’ decision. Paul Gottlieb report. (Peninsula Daily News)

FDA Issues New Seafood Advice For Moms-To-Be. Not Everyone Is Thrilled
For many pregnant women, understanding what seafood is safe and healthy, and what should be avoided because of mercury concerns comes with a lot of hand-wringing. In part, that's because the federal government's advice on the matter, first issued in 2004, has long been criticized as unclear. That guidance has included advice on how much seafood to eat, and which species pregnant and nursing women should avoid over concerns about mercury contamination. But critics say the government advisory has done more harm than good, scaring many pregnant and nursing women (and let's be real — pretty much everyone else) away from eating seafood altogether. Clare Leschin-Hoar reports. (NPR)

From 'zombie' urchins to seafood gold? Studies test sea urchin farming in Canada
Federal scientists and others are exploring the possibility of sea urchin farming in Canada, with at least six pilot studies using Norwegian technology that proponents hope will turn "zombie" urchins which can denude kelp beds into profitable seafood. The first of the studies, conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, is expected to start next week in waters off Vancouver Island, with others planned for Newfoundland, Quebec and Nova Scotia. Wild urchins are harvested in B.C. and elsewhere, but aren't farmed commercially anywhere in Canada — yet. Lisa Johnson reports. (CBC)

Tesoro refinery fined $325,000 for Clean Air Act violations
The Tesoro Anacortes Refinery paid the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency $325,000 in late 2016 for violating the Clean Air Act. The fine is one of several the refinery has faced for state and federal environmental violations in recent years. The EPA notified the refinery of the violations in April 2016, and issued the penalty in September. According to EPA documents regarding the Clean Air Act violations, the agency discovered several shortfalls in the refinery’s risk management plan following inspections at the March Point facility in January 2011 and October 2011. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Vancouver Park Board may initiate vote on banning whales in captivity
The Vancouver Park Board will decide Monday whether to recommend a public plebiscite on whether the city's aquarium should keep whales and cetaceans in captivity, with its author suggesting it will likely pass. But other parks commissioners say it's too soon to say how things will play out when they gather to consider the proposal, a motion which calls for including a question on the issue on the ballot for the 2018 municipal election. Ian Bailey reports. (Canadian Press)

Examiner says ‘goodbye’ after 22 years  In May 1995 a group of community-minded journalists unveiled a special preview edition of The Coupeville Examiner, a newspaper they hoped to launch to give Central Whidbey the voice it was seeking.…. This month, Whidbey News Group Publisher Keven Graves announced the Jan. 19 edition of The Whidbey Examiner will be its last. (Whidbey Examiner)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PST MON JAN 23 2017  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM  PST THIS MORNING  
TODAY  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...EASING TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 10 FT AT 11 SECONDS SUBSIDING TO 9 FT.
TONIGHT  W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT  AT 13 SECONDS.

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