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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 2012)
News Diversity tentious, polarizing issue, but more atten- tion must be paid to how to react to the effects already being felt. ``If you can get out of that debate of whose fault is it, then you can start thinking about what strategic things that we can work on so we’re not constantly reacting,” he said. An immediate issue is keeping aquatic invasive species at bay, those organisms and plants that can get into a watershed by hitching a ride on boats and rapidly spread. They can damage ecosystems, fisheries and wastewater systems. The park is working with the Flathead Basin Commission and state agencies on an inspection system to keep invasive species out more must be done to get the word out to the public. ``This is, in my mind, the single biggest threat to Glacier National Park because if they got in, it’s a game changer,” he said. ``We are surrounded by them now.” The next superintendent will oversee a three-year study on how to reduce conges- tion in the park. Visitors now contend with full parking lots at popular hiking areas such as Logan Pass and Avalanche Lake, while park officials struggle with sustaining a costly shuttle system that has not offset traffic on the Going to the Sun Road to the extent they had hoped. Scott continued from page 1 politics. Just four years ago, he was chair- man of the Charleston County Council. The 2008 election made him the first black Republican in the South Carolina Legisla- ture in more than a century, and in 2010, he won his seat in the U.S. House from his conservative coastal district with 65 percent of the vote. Outside the Statehouse where Scott spoke, a statue still stands of post-Recon- struction former governor and U.S. senator Ben Tillman, who unapologetically advo- cated lynching any black who tried to vote. Another statue depicts the late Strom Thur- mond, who still holds a record for a 24-hour filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. But Scott has never dwelled on his race. “I’ve never heard on the campaign trail, `Besides the fact you’re black or because you’re black, here’s what we want of you.’ They asked me questions about values and issues, and that’s an amazing thing. It speaks to the evolution of South Carolina and our nation,’’ Scott said. Scott will serve for two years and then Police Reform PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED continued from page 1 tendent of Glacier, one of the park service’s top attractions. Last year, 1.8 million people visited the 1,500 square-mile park to see its massive peaks carved by glaciers and the grizzly bears, wolves and mountain goats that roam in its peaks and valleys. He will hand over leadership to his deputy, Kym Hall, who will be interim superintendent until a permanent replace- ment is named in the spring. Cartwright’s tenure has been marked by the park’s 100th anniversary, a Canadian- American agreement to retire mining claims outside the park and a multi-year renovation to a top attraction, the Going to the Sun Road that bisects the park and crosses the Continental Divide. His successor will face many challenges, from responding to the effects of climate change and threats to the parks species and resources, to how to relieve congestion caused by the crush of visitors during the park’s short nine-week summer season. Warmer temperatures have shrunk the number of named glaciers in the park from 37 to 25 as of 2010, and federal scientists believe only a handful will remain after 2030. Park officials are seeing warmer waters that threaten bull trout habitat and an increase in insect and disease problems in the forest. Cartwright said climate change is a con- tSeattle City Attorney Peter Holmes joined Connie Rice, attorney and civil rights activist on a panel that also included Mayor Mike McGinn and Council member Nick Licata December 15th at the New Holly Gathering Hall to talk about police reform in Seattle. Community members had a chance to hear about how the Los Angeles reformed it’s police department. the victims of the Connecticut school shoot- ing, Scott said he accepted the challenge of trying to help the country through troubling times. “Our nation finds itself in a situation we need backbone. We need to make some very difficult decisions,’’ Scott said. “I learned early in my 20s that if you have a problem “Our nation finds itself in a situation we need backbone. We need to make some very difficult decisions,’’ face an election in November 2014. That would give South Carolina two Senate elec- tions: one for Scott and the other for two- term Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. “I have no doubt he’ll fly through 2014,’’ Haley said of Scott. Scott said he still believes in term limits and would likely limit himself to two terms in the Senate, starting with 2014. After asking for a moment of silence for with spending, there’s not enough revenue to make up for it. We have a spending prob- lem in America.’’ Scott grew up in poverty in North Charleston. His parents divorced when he was 7, and he remembered his mom work- ing 16 hours a day to support him and his brother. “To the single moms out there, don’t give up on your kids. It may get tough. It may be Newtown United, a newly formed group in the stricken town, scheduled an open meeting for Wednesday evening to discuss what it calls “sensible gun legislation.” Meanwhile, heartbreaking funerals con- tinue. Those being buried Wednesday include several more students and a beloved teacher. They are among those killed when gun- data from a computer in Lanza’s home, a law enforcement official said Tuesday. The gunman apparently smashed the com- puter and extensively damaged the hard drive, the official said, adding that the FBI is assisting Connecticut State Police. Authorities have said the shooter took three of his mother’s weapons — two hand- guns and a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle — to the elementary school. There are no records of any police incident calls to the Lanza home in the past, state police said Wednesday. Holder had no comment on what the FBI has found in the investiga- tion. Gun debate intensifies The National Rifle Association commented Tuesday for the first time since the massacre, saying it was shocked and heartbroken by the tragedy. The group is planning to hold a news con- ference on Friday. “Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full inves- tigation of the facts before commenting,” it challenging, but all things are truly possi- ble,’’ he said. In high school, he said he was failing four courses and in danger of “flunking out of high school’’ until he met the late John Moniz, a conservative entrepreneur who ran a Chick-fil-A beside the movie theater where Scott worked. They became friends and Scott said Moniz taught him important values and basic business principles. Scott earned a degree in political science from Charleston Southern University, which is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention and touts how it inte- grates faith into learning and serving. Graham, South Carolina’s senior senator, said Scott has a unique opportunity to inspire others and be a leading voice for the conservative cause. “When it comes to trying to explain what America’s all about, I could not tell a better story than the story of Tim Scott,’’ Graham said. “Tim is what America’s all about.’’ The governor won’t name a replacement for Scott. By state law, U.S. House vacan- cies are filled through a special election. Gun Violence continued from page 1 that all to often glorifies guns and vio- lence,” he said. “And any actions that we must take must begin inside the home and inside our hearts.” Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, has said she will introduce legislation to rein- state the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. White House spokesman Jay Car- ney said Tuesday that the president supports that effort. Obama also wants to close “the so-called gun show loophole which allows people to buy weapons with- out going through the background checks that are standard when you purchase “ them retail, Carney said. U.S. Attorney General Eric Hold- er echoed those remarks Wednes- day. “There’s a range of things we need to do,” he said, adding that any one measure would not be adequate. The proposals necessary will involve peo- ple who “aren’t always thought of in the law enforcmeent sphere,” including the depart- ments of Education and Health and Human Services, he said. “Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before man Adam Lanza shot his mother four times in the head before shooting his way into into Sandy Hook Elementary, opening fire on staff and students no older than 7. Lanza then killed himself. Authorities are working to determine a motive. So far, they have been unable to retrieve said. “The NRA is prepared to offer mean- ingful contributions to help make sure this never happens again.” While the NRA has been largely quiet, the national debate over guns is reaching a new high — some calling for stricter control, others for more access. “In the state of Texas, with our concealed handgun license, if you have been duly backgrounded and trained and you are a concealed handgun license carrying indi- vidual, you should be able to carry your handgun anywhere in this state,” Gov. Rick Perry said Monday at a tea party event. He later added that he was referring to public property. Meanwhile, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed legislation that would have allowed those licensed and trained to carry con- cealed pistols in schools and other public places, his office said Tuesday. Citizens across the country are also weighing in, particularly on social media. Bill Mingin’s gun lay under the floor- boards of his attic for 40 years, he said in an Read the rest of this story online at www.theskanner.com December 19, 2012 The Seattle Skanner Page 3
