You may recall in March I put a call out for people to share their Clean Water Stories to Waterkeeper Alliance for the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act and the CWA40 campaign.  I told my Clean Water story (will debut later this summer), but I wanted to capture what people in Spokane had to say.  So I set some volunteers up with a video camera at Earth Day Spokane and they captured the below footage.  I’m really pleased how it turns out, and as I said in the video info, this will be the first in a series of Clean Water Stories.

Enjoy!

When he woke up Sunday morning, his head aching, as expected, Dolan chose to remember those things from last night that he didn’t yet regret. The switch from stout to huckleberry daiquiris had seemed the right choice. Moreover, Melinda Lopez had taken note. He nearly blushed when she expressed the salacious view that huckleberry daiquiris were a proven aphrodisiac, and within the hour she had her hand under his shirt. Their subsequent, giggling tryst in the back of the walk-in closet was steamy, and funny, and sweet. Though now it left him with an awkward question. How would they say goodbye to one another? Now that their undergrad years were over; now that they were headed toward law schools in different parts of the country.

When he heard the church bells at nine, he decided to stagger downstairs and wonder some more about Melinda while he made coffee and searched the pantry for food.

Didgeridoo, Image via Wikimedia

Before long, the doorbell rang. It was a graduation gift–a beautifully crafted, four foot-long didgeridoo–sent from Australia by his parents, delivered by Federal Express.

The double major Dolan’s father prescribed for him had been brutally difficult to achieve. His days had become so stretched, well past midnight, that he’d almost forgotten what a sunrise looked like. So when the sun came up on Monday, and he was awake to experience it, the celestial pink glow on the mountains had the effect of an epiphany. For four years he’d been jamming shards of data into his head, and then stirring it all into syllogisms and reductions of intellectual meaning and insight. That was all hard enough. On top of his schoolwork, he felt social pressure to keep up with current events, so that he could say something interesting about Christine Legarde and the IMF, if need be, or talk knowingly about the latest book on Charles Darwin.

He realized after a day or two of unwinding and decompressing that he craved life at a simpler, more natural pace, like the one he now recognized in the soft and scented breeze seeping through the window, in the stillness and form of the shadows in his room, and in the sound of water tumbling across smooth stones of granite in the brook down the hill.

Wednesday afternoon he fell asleep listening to rain and R.E.M. on the radio. The last thing he remembered before dropping off was the gauzy melody from Man on the Moon

Let’s play Twister, let’s play risk,
see you in heaven if you make the list.

His first dream involved a gigantic carrot, the size of an airliner, that had been unearthed by a horse-drawn plow digging a hole for a subway. Then there was a shorter dream about silverware and peanut butter and Bette Midler. He then dreamt that Melinda really did love him, even without the aide of huckleberry daiquiris, and even if he couldn’t quickly remember that Christine Legarde had once been a synchronized swimmer, or that a species of finches Darwin studied in the Galapagos had, of necessity, developed a taste for blood.

Funnec

1. A small African fox.

2. A high, starched collar.

3. Wooden base for objet d’art.

–C.R. Roberts

Answer to last Wednesday’s Word quiz:

Bullate–Appearing blistered or puckered.

Here’s one thing I’m NOT going to do with this post; be that guy who comes back from an awesome vacation and has a party with his friends to show his 500 pictures of the trip.  So I’ll spare you the lengthy recap of my recent conferences and instead share with you some highlights.

One of the requirements of being a Keeper in the Waterkeeper Alliance movement is attending the annual conference, which moves around North America each year.  Not a bad requirement considering the conference is packed with educational panels, great speakers and hundreds of like-minded people who  know how to maximize work and play.  One of the benefits of being a Riverkeeper is taking advantage of an opportunity to be a part of River Network, which is an equally awesome organization that provides support for river advocates.  River Network also has a roaming annual conference called the River Rally.  This year, two of my favorite people in the world (Pete Nichols from Waterkeeper Alliance and Katherine Luscher from River Network worked like hell to bring the two together.  It was a success.

The panels were bigger and better than ever, as a Keeper and a member of River Network I was lucky to get TWO celebratory nights, there were that many more people to network (and party) with, and we were able to maximize on our location AND sea of people to turn out an unforgettable rally against coal.  It was truly an inspiring weekend.  And though it’s kind of turned in to a running inside joke, I was able to see Waterkeeper Alliance President Robert F. Kennedy Jr speak several times, which many of you got to experience last May in Spokane.  Even though we joke that we could give his speech now, I’m forever in awe of his passion and intelligence and I hope I get to see him give it a hundred more times.

For a great recap of the conference, I urge you to check out EcoWatch founder Stefanie Spear’s latest piece.  Stefanie is a true innovator, one of the hardest working people I know, and essential to this movement.  Plus she’s a great friend, and I’m thankful that she included Spokane Riverkeeper in her piece.

As I mentioned, since this is our annual conference for Waterkeeper Alliance, we have a Waterkeeper night where new Keepers get to introduce themselves and where the different geographic regions give updates on what they’re up to.  This can sometimes get lengthy and boring, so this year we were asked to make it fun and punchy.  So was there any question that the Pacific Region would rise to the challenge?  We thought we’d capture the spirit of the Northwest and capitalize on pop culture by slow jamming our report.  Check it out.

I mentioned it above, but it’s worth showing again.  The Power Past Coalition, of which Spokane Riverkeeper is a part of, organized a HUGE rally in downtown Portland – a rally against Coal.  We got 70 degree weather, over 500 people, and some of the most passionate speakers on the planet. The best hands down was Hao Xin, the Qiantang River Waterkeeper in China who spoke about the threat of coal in China. “China should not become the dumping ground for your coal industry. Our people need clean air, not dirty U.S. coal.” – quote courtesy of EcoWatch  The below video was done by Waterkeeper Alliance and turned out very well.

And finally, on the last night of the conference, the River Network River Rally River Heroes banquet, I had the pleasure of listening to two AMAZING Waterkeepers give speeches while accepting their very well deserved River Hero awards.  Terry Backer, the Long Island Soundkeeper, who is an institution in and of himself and is co-responsible for the entire Waterkeeper movement was chosen as a River Hero, as was John Wathen, YOUR Hurricane Creekkeeper from Alabama.  People often ask me to put in to words what a Riverkeeper / Waterkeeper is.  I do my best, but I do it nowhere near as well as John.  Listen to his speech to see for yourself!

By Tim Connor

One of the more tragic and transforming sagas in Spokane’s modern history appears to have reached its final chapter.

Late this afternoon, reporters were summoned to a hastily arranged press conference on the south plaza outside the Thomas S. Foley Federal Building. There they heard federal District Court Judge Michael J. Hogan announce the successful mediation of the pending federal civil rights lawsuit that the Center for Justice filed against the City of Spokane three years ago.

Spokane Mayor David Condon, flanked this afternoon by Federal District Court Judge and mediator Michael M. Hogan (right), Breean Beggs, and Nancy Isserlis

Under the terms Judge Hogan announced this afternoon, the City will:

• pay $1.67 million to the Zehm estate in lieu of expected civil damages, attorney fees, and other expenses,

•provide an apology to Ann Zehm, Otto’s mother, that will be delivered over the signature of Mayor David Condon,

•agree to spend “something over $200,000” to train its patrol officers in so-called “crisis intervention training” (CIT) that should vastly improve the force’s ability and readiness to engage people with mental illness.

•agree to spend up to $50,000 to pay for a consultant who will assist the Mayor’s recently appointed Use of Force Commission to implement recommendations expected to come later this year,

•agree to submit a request to the City’s Park Board to fund a pavilion in a Spokane park that will be dedicated to the memory of Otto Zehm.”

“Mrs. Zehm has been carrying the weight of this case not because she wanted to, but because she didn’t have a choice about it. And to see the relief in her eyes when she knows she doesn’t have to carry that weight, that she can put it back on the community to do it, that’s wonderful.”–Attorney Breean Beggs about today’s settlement agreement.

Judge Hogan mediated the settlement with help from Idaho attorney Ford Elsaesser. After describing its terms he invited Mayor David Condon to speak.

“This is a long day in coming to our community to bring resolution to this case,” said the Mayor, who was flanked by new City Attorney Nancy Isserlis, interim Police Chief Scott Stephens and and all members of the Spokane City Council. “Today, we not only have finality for our citizens but also for Mrs. Zehm. Truly, we cannot change the past but we can acknowledge our mistakes and move forward with a better future for our community.”

Next to speak was Breen Beggs, the Center for Justice’s former executive director who has continued to represent Ann Zehm and the Zehm family.

“From the very first month after Otto’s death,” Beggs said, “his mother asked me to do two things. First, get the City to agree that what happened to her son was wrong and should not happen again. And secondly to make sure that there were enough changes in policy and training and city attitude that it would be unlikely that any other family in Spokane would go through what she’s had to go through. Today, she  was so pleased to hear that the city has taken the first firm steps toward that. And although the Mayor’s letter isn’t complete yet, I’ve read the first draft and its the right kind of tone and shows the kind of leadership he’s shown since taking office.”

Otto Zehm

The settlement won’t be finalized until the Spokane City Council ratifies it. And, according to City Council President Ben Stuckart, the vote on settlement has already been moved onto the council’s agenda for its next meeting, on May 21st.

In his opening remarks, Judge Hogan tried to assure reporters that the settlement was a done deal because, pending council approval, the agreement calls for both parties to submit questions or issues that arise to the Judge who would resolve them on “summary disposition without possibility of appeal.”

“This really is a monumental step in the struggle Spokane faces with its police department,” said Center for Justice lawyer and executive director Rick Eichstaedt after listening to the announcement. “And while this settlement  doesn’t solve all the problems we face it’s certainly a step forward.”

Dale Zehm, Otto’s first cousin, listened from the wings this afternoon.

“We’re looking forward to the changes for the family, and for the City,” Dale said. “This is a start anyway.”

Dale added that Otto’s mom, Ann, was especially pleased with the commitment by the City to work toward a memorial pavilion to honor her son. Although the site of the pavilion is yet to be determined, Dale said he hoped it would be in Mission Park, given Otto’s affection for the park which is located in northeast Spokane, not far from Gonzaga University.

Dale also said he wanted to express his personal gratitude to the people who worked on the mediation agreement over the past two days.

As today’s press event was wrapping up, Beggs talked wistfully but joyfully to a clutch of reporters about what today meant to Ann Zehm.

“Mrs. Zehm has been carrying the weight of this case not because she wanted to, but because she didn’t have a choice about it,” Beggs said. “And to see the relief in her eyes when she knows she doesn’t have to carry that weight, that she can put it back on the community to do it, that’s wonderful.”

If you would like to make a donation to help support the Center’s work on cases like the Zehm case, you can do so online here.