Schwartz in the City

Pay Check, Par Deux

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:08:00 +0000

Sometimes, not all news that is fit to print, will fit in print.

Such was the case with Monday's edition of The Chronicle. We ran a full spread of photographs and salaries of the top public servants in Lewis County. Even so, I was left with a stack of wages and salaries that simply would not fit in Monday's newly slimmed down edition.

Below is a breakdown of what each member of the Centralia and Chehalis City Councils makes in a year. As a bonus (for those of you who enjoy wading through cumbersome budget documents) I've attached PDFs showing a complete salary breakdown from each city.

Enjoy.

Chehalis City Council
Tony Ketchum, Mayor $1,800
Dennis Dawes $1,200
Isaac Pope $1,200
Daryl Lund $1,200
Chad Taylor $1,200
Terry Harris $1,200
Rob Fuller Waived Salary

Centralia City Council
Tim Browning, Mayor $4,800
Bonnie Canaday $2,400
Ted Shannon $2,400
Dan Keahey $2,400
Harlan Thompson $2,400
Bill Bates $2,400
Lee Coumbs $2,400

Chehalis%20Payroll.pdf

Centralia%20Payroll%20A-L.pdf

Centralia%20Payroll%20L-U.pdf

Centralia%20Payroll%20U-Z.pdf

Dark Knight's 'Joker' Humorous, Horrifying

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:16:00 +0000

Like any good clown, Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker elicited more than a few laughs at the premiere of the latest Batman film, “The Dark Knight,” last night at the downtown Chehalis Theater.

The laughs weren’t of the warm-hearted variety though. The chuckles that came during the 2 1/2-hour movie were the result of Ledger’s dark portrayal of a reborn comic book villain.

“I’m going to make this pencil disappear,” The Joker lisps while holding a pencil point up on a table early in the movie. In a flash, he slams a rival crook’s head down on the pencil, driving it into his face.

“It’s magic,” he chuckled, and the entire crowd of about 260 people laughed with him.

It was this type of “humor” that filled the long-awaited sequel to 2005’s “Batman Begins.” Unexpected violence and injury, and the way in which The Joker carries it out, provides a dark comedic value. Though the movie was named for the hero, Batman, it was Ledger’s character who stole the show. The voice of the late actor is completely altered, and along with a staggering gait and a snake-like tongue that he flicks in and out of his mouth, it creates an unforgettable and terrifying villain.

Many movie critics predict the actor, who died of an overdose earlier this year, will be awarded an Oscar for his final performance, and none in attendance Friday disagreed.

Ledger’s ‘Joker’ is different than previous incarnations of the villain. Jack Nicholson gave him a comically maniacal, crazed-criminal feel in 1989. However, Ledger’s version is more calculated, even if it is never quite clear why he seeks to create chaos. Many of his acts of terror and violence are committed as a way of confirming his views of human nature, a deep twist never attached to the character in the past.

One interesting description given to the criminal clown throughout the film is that of a “terrorist” — a compelling description indeed considering the heavy overtones that accompany that word in today’s world.

More interesting is the fact that the Dark Knight, played for a second time by Christian Bale, creates a mechanism for eavesdropping on the cell phone calls of every citizen of Gotham City. In the end, this asset is more than helpful, which begs the question of whether or not the film has any value as an allegory.

The film had other unforgettable moments as well, almost all of them involving ‘The Joker.’ In the end, Batman is left a villain himself, fleeing from police to accomplish what he considers a greater good.

The conclusion of the film echoed a statement made by Ledger’s Joker early in the film:

“You either die a hero, or live long enough to become a villain.”

Providence Nurses To Vote On Contract Offer?

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:23:00 +0000

There appears to be a pending development in the year-long contract dispute between Providence Centralia Hospital and United Staff Nurses Union Local 141.

Providence Centralia Hospital Public Relations Director Chris Thomas said this morning that the nurses union, which represents about 150 Providence RNs, will likely be voting on whether or not to approve a contract offer tonight. Both the union and management have indicated that progress was made during negotiations with a federal mediator two weeks ago, though both sides were mum on details.

Last month, the nurses voted overwhelmingly to approve a strike, but the hospital has not yet been served a 10-day notice required by the National Labor Relations Act. The two sides have been deadlocked on a new contract since before the old one expired in June of last year.

The last offer put forth by management called for a pay increase ranging from 12 percent to 14.5 percent over the life of the three-year contract, in addition to the existing step increase of 2 percent to 4 percent, according to a release from the hospital.

Union representative John Aslakson said recently that the union has been successful in getting many of the benefits that were excluded from early offers back into the contract, but many issues remain unresolved. According to nurses and union representatives, those issues included retroactive pay to compensate nurses for the time spent in negotiations, wages for senior nurses, and additional benefits.

Look for additional developments in tomorrow’s Chronicle.

The First Day Of Class

noreply@blogger.com (Eric) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:35:00 +0000

Two pieces of cardboard, a stack of construction paper and ten minutes to build a five-foot tower. That was the task assigned to me and my classmates during the first day of Community Emergency Response Team training at the Riverside Fire Authority on Wednesday.
Centralia Police Department Sergeant Jim Shannon separated the class of 30 into groups of five, and we were off and running. Actually, it was more like off and stumbling. Matt, one of my teammates, reassured our group at the start of the project with the comforting words “That’s what I do, construction.” Unfortunately, we were unable to harness Matt’s skills to build a sturdy tower. We did manage to create a wavering, slanted, three-foot monstrosity — one that collapsed just as Shannon was explaining the point of the project. In all fairness to my team members, I was about as helpful as an underwater smoke detector. Still, the message of the activity rang true — planning for a project creates better results than making decisions on the fly.
This lesson appears to have been validated by the success of first responders during the early December floods. Despite the fact that a third of the city was under water, no lives were lost and there were no major injuries. Shannon told the class of attempting to rescue a 600-pound man who was relegated to his chair while water reached the depth of his chest. Police officers used batons to shut off electricity not knowing whether or not they would be electrocuted, he said. Those are the kinds of situations that can’t be planned for.
However, much of the success of the first responders was attributed to planning and experience garnered from past disasters in Lewis County. The Emergency Operation Centers opened without a hitch for the most part, and volunteers arrived in droves to assist police and fire department personnel. This is, in essence, the reason why the CPD and the Riverside Fire Authority are hosting the CERT training. By educating citizens, they are preparing people to be more self-sufficient when disaster inevitably strikes.
I plan to attend each of the seven, three-hour classes and pass the information I learn along to you. In the weeks ahead, we’ll be putting out fires, learning about terrorism and gaining important knowledge about how to react to a disaster.
Hopefully that reaction doesn’t include building a five foot tower out of cardboard and construction paper.

PERSONAL: I moved into a Centralia rental home about a month ago, and planned on being the sole resident. Unfortunately, the local arachnid population had other plans. A couple nights ago, the latest eight-legged, non-paying tenant scurried out into my living room while I was quietly watching the terrorist-fighting antics of Jack Bauer on the FOX television show ‘24.’ I’d like to say I reacted as bravely as Bauer would have, but unless you consider climbing onto the couch in a panic courageous, it would probably be a lie. In my defense, this was no normal spider. This guy was the size of a small rodent, and looked capable of breathing fire and bringing down large prey. Needless to say, I eventually vanquished the intruder, and now live in a state of fear and unrest at the thought of possible retribution from its kin. Does anybody have any helpful tips for repelling the eight-legged menace through non-fatal means? If so, I would be greatly appreciative. If not, maybe someone can offer advice on how I can get them to pay rent.

A Day With The Congressman

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Pierce) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:30:00 +0000

U.S. Rep. Brian Baird is a smart man.

I witnessed this while traveling with the Vancouver Democrat last Friday as he toured prospective levee sites with Army Corps of Engineers representatives and state and local government officials. Now, normally I would not make such an apparently opinionated assessment, but the fact that Baird holds a doctorate in clinical psychology seems to confirm this as fact.

What I can attest to personally is that Baird also has a solid sense of humor. From George W. Bush impersonations, to jovial threats to throw an Army Corps spokesman into the Skookumchuck River, the congressman exhibited his apparent ability to crack jokes.

After the tour, the group headed to the Lewis County Law and Justice Center where they held a roundtable discussion concerning the levees. Those on hand included state Rep. Gary Alexander, R- Olympia, Lewis County Commission chairman Ron Averill, Centralia Mayor Tim Browning, Chehalis Mayor Tim Browning, Chronicle Publisher Dennis Waller and Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District Commander Colonel Mike McCormick.

At one point, the discussion turned to the question of whether or not Baird would be able to obtain federal funding for the project when he returned to Congress. In the midst of the serious discussion, Baird joked that he knew how he could assure that funding was secured.

He hunched his shoulders, and altered his voice into a southern drawl, summoning an impersonation of President George W. Bush.

“If you have Al Qaeda there, I’ll be there in a second,” Baird joked, holding up his hands and shooting a quick smile around the table.

Though his audience consisted of mostly Republicans, the congressman elicited at least a chuckle from just about everyone in the room.

Bush was the butt of Baird’s joke in this case, but the congressman has been on the receiving end of some wisecracks himself. Baird appeared on Comedy Central’s hit show The Colbert Report last year, and was lampooned by host Stephen Colbert during the segment “Better Know a District.” Check out the video here.

The Colbert Report has also posted an entry for Baird on a satirical version of Wikipedia which is called Wikiality — The truthiness encyclopedia. The entry states that Baird “supports meth, killing sea lions, leaving children behind, and Iraqis taking over our beloved America.” You can visit the page here.

The Debut

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Mittge) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:57:00 +0000

The Debut: Schwartz in the City

Welcome to Schwartz in the City. Using this blog as a vehicle, I hope to provide the educated masses (i.e. chronline.com readers) with an added depth of insight to coverage that appears in The Chronicle. I’ll never offer an opinion on a local news story related to this newspaper, but I will certainly weigh in on a variety of other topics ranging from sports and entertainment to journalism issues and the outdoors. Ideally, I would like for the content of this blog to eventually be driven by the reader. This blog will hopefully be a venue for answering questions, responding to e-mails and discussing both the important and the mundane. Below you will find several categories that I will strive to include in my blog on a semi-regular basis. Enjoy.

LOCAL: In Tuesday’s Chronicle, I wrote a story about the “Chehalis Stink” — an odor that has afflicted the Prospect Hill neighborhood for four or five years, according to city staff. It seems a solution has finally been pinpointed in the form of a chemical dosing station that would neutralize the odor by adding bleach or some other chemical to the sewage. It got me wondering: Are there any other areas of Lewis County where residents are living with putrid odor? If so, shoot me an e-mail.

RANDOM LINK OF THE DAY: Have a bad day today? Maybe your car wouldn’t start, or your dog left a brown-colored “gift” on your brand new rug? Well, give thanks — I doubt your day was as bad as this poor woman’s.

SCHWARTZ SPORTS: Two rounds into the men’s NCAA national basketball tournament, and my bracket is as busted Rocky Balboa’s face after 15 rounds with Apollo Creed. Yes, I picked the Duke Blue Devils to win it all. No, I didn’t expect the Washington State Cougars to make it to the Sweet 16. I stand to lose $45, as well as my dignity if things continue to progress as they have.

IN THE NEWSROOM: Chronicle crime reporter Sharyn Decker shocked co-workers Tuesday when she erected a five-foot wall around the back side of her workspace. The structure has been compared to the Berlin Wall because of its divisive nature and its potential to create turmoil in an otherwise peaceful workplace. Help stop Decker from completely surrounding herself. E-mail her at sdecker@chronline.com, and tell her to “tear down this wall!”

PERSONAL: Finally, rather than bore readers of this blog with an extensive personal introduction, I’ve decided to narrow my brief biography down for easy consumption. Below are the “Eric Schwartz essentials” as they would appear on the back of my baseball card.

Team: The Chronicle

Name: Eric Robert Schwartz

Hometown: Cameron, North Carolina

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Acquired: First pick in The Chronicle’s December 2007 “supplemental draft”

Interesting fact: Schwartz graduated from Forks High School in 2003, and left the dark, damp depths of the North Olympic Peninsula to pursue journalism at Centralia College, and later at Eastern Washington University. His sports heroes include Brett Favre, Jesper Parnevik and Cecil Fielder.

Have a question, comment or news tip? Email me at eschwartz@chronline.com and I will reply in a timely fashion.