WDFW Retirees Association News and Updates
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Retirees’ Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping retired employees stay connected with each other and provide a means for employees planning for retirement to learn about our Association. To accomplish this, the Association publishes a quarterly newsletter for paid up members and maintains this website to inform retirees of news items that cannot wait for the newsletter. Membership is open to current employees that are within two years of retirement. Employees planning retirement and new retirees receive one newsletter free and then establish membership to continue receiving Association benefits. The Association conducts its business through an elected Board of Directors that meets quarterly. A summary of the meetings are published in the newsletter. Members are welcome and encouraged to use the link at this website to have news items posted and give us feedback as to how we can improve. We welcome members sending in photos about their family, travels, fun and exciting events. Members are given user name and passwords to access the photo website. Membership is now $20 per year. Only paid up members receive the newsletter and are eligible to vote in conjunction with the 4th quarter newsletter. Thank you for visiting this website.
For the year 2010
07/23: Officer involved shoorting: Don't know if you all have heard but Saturday evening, Captain Chris Anderson and one of the newer officers were involved in a shooting. It happened in the Crab Creek area and when the newer officer approached two individuals and requested to see their fishing licenses, he was disarmed at gun-point. Apparently Chris was back at his vehicle and as the younger suspect jumped in his vehcile to leave, Chris got into his and was going to attempt to stop the vehicle. As the suspect came by Chris, the suspect fired three rounds at Chris, one striking Chris' vehicle just behind the door. Chris then began pursuing the vehicle, at which time the suspect did a U-Turn and came back towards Chris. Chris fired one .223 round striking the suspect's vehicle in the rear driver's side door, going through the driver's seat and suspect's shirt and exiting the passenger's side door. The pursuit continued back to Mattawa, up to Royal City, back down to Vantage and then back up to Quincy. The suspect's vehicle was finally stopped just outside of Ephrata. The younger suspect was booked on Attempted Murder and Assult One charges. The older suspect (father) as booked on an exisitng warrant. At the time of the final stop, there were 11 police vehicles involved. Fortunately no-one was hurt and both Chris and the other officer will be coming off "administrative leave" tomorrow and going on a much deserved vacation. Tim Ford.
07/23: No Access Decal Leads to Arrest: While patrolling the Vancouver Lake Wildlife Area, Officer Hughes contacted a vehicle parked by the boat ramp with a family inside. They did not have an access decal. Officer Hughes checked the driver and found he was suspended, had a $10,000 misdemeanor warrant for Domestic violence-assault, and had a no contact order prohibiting him from being with the female and all four children in the vehicle. Officer Hughes arrested him and booked him into the Clark County Jail for the warrant and violation of the no contact order on the five people present. He was also issued an infraction for no access decal. (Enforcement Program)
Illegally Fed Bear Issues: Detachment 3 (Coastal) Officers with assistance from Department bear/cougar specialist Rich Beausoleil, Wildlife biologist Warren Michaelis and K9s, captured
10 bears in 4 days that were identified as being fed by an elderly couple. Half of the bears were euthanized. Two sows and three cubs were “hard released” by Officers and the last one was left in a tree unharmed due to the remote location of the capture. (Enforcement Program)
07/23: The middle Yakima River mark-selective spring chinook fishery was open from May 1 through June 30 from the I-82 bridge at Union Gap to the railroad bridge below Roza Dam (20.7 river miles). Bank and boat anglers fished an estimated 42,024 hours and harvested 931 hatchery adult chinook and 174 hatchery jacks. These fish were produced by the Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project’s Cle Elum Supplementation and Research Facility. Salmon anglers also caught and released 427 natural-origin adults and 40 jacks. One steelhead was reported caught and released during the fishery. (Fish Program
07/10: Dick Bolding passed away on June 14 with family at his side overlooking the bay on a beautiful morning. Nature and the little wild creatures he loved so much were all looking in on him.
Dick was a quiet lifetime advocate for preserving wild lands, water and wildlife. While with the Game Dept. he wrote innumerable articles, accompanied by his photos, on topics spanning from relocating sea otters to wilderness ethics. He produced several short movies, including "No More River" which depicts the Columbia River having only a small stretch of natural running water left after the several dams it hosts. He singlehandedly inspired many young people to enjoy nature and adventure in the outdoors. It was effortless for him to become a mentor because of his love of nature. He lived the example of enjoying life with honesty and integrity. Dick abhorred bumper stickers except one that he proudly sported: "You're The Solution to Water Pollution".
He touched a lot of people over his lifetime. While his wife Aurora and their children Patricia and Bruce will miss him, we remember the sparkle in his eyes, sometimes filled with mischief, a leader and a teacher, an inspiration, a good friend to so many, his talent for having fun and sharing it, his love of nature and adventure. Our memories of him will continue to live on and inspire others.
Celebration of Richard's Life Open House Saturday, July 31st, 2010 from 1 to 5pm. Please call 208-578-1541 for directions.
Family requests donations to the local Black Hills Audubon Chapter instead of flowers: Black Hills Audubon, P. O. Box 2524, Olympia, WA 98507, Att: Susan Markey, note donation in " Loving Memory of Dick Bolding".
06/28: Tom Burns has left the building, but the planning for his “Retirement Roast” continues.
A big thank you to all who have contributed to Tom’s party so far. It is really appreciated. We have enough to pay for the venue and some chips and bottled water along with a $5 gift certificate to WalMart. If you are planning to come and would like to contribute fairly soon, we can do an upgrade to the menu. Sunday, July 18th, Oddfellows Club, 6500 79th Ave. NE, Olympia Time: 3pm – 10pm
Cost: $25 per person or $45 per couple. Contact: Dave King at 360-280-3354 or 360-902-2554. Email address: king.david@comcast.net Money can be sent to my home address or dropped off at my work station on the 5th floor of the NRB. Dave King, 7207 38th Drive Southeast , Lacey, WA 98503
06/24: The Fish and Wildlife Retirees Association would like to extend an invitation to all current
WDFW employees to join us at our annual picnic on July 10th . The picnic this year will be
held in conjunction with George and Hazel Schrindel’s annual get-together at their home on
the Naches River, Naches, Washington. There is lots of ORV parking so don’t be afraid to
come Friday evening and spend the weekend with us. Tim Ford
06/15: The Olympian published a Death Notice that Dick Bolding, 87, passed away on June 14. There was no further information at this time. Jim Brigham
06/06: Copper Wire Theft: Officers responded to a warehouse complex south of Warden after a deputy observed a suspicious vehicle parked behind one of the buildings that a PUD employee had spotted and considered somewhat out of the ordinary. Several other deputies and troopers arrived, and a perimeter was established around a one-square-mile area that included the warehouse complex, hilly scablands and cultivated farm fields. While deputies searched the warehouses, Department Officers used all-terrain vehicles to drive across an agricultural area to reach the base of a small hill directly in the middle of the area. Officers then climbed the hill and utilized binoculars to watch the surrounding area. Soon thereafter, deputies located and secured one suspect found hiding inside one of the buildings. As the deputies were preparing to leave, our Officers spotted a man poking his head up out of the sagebrush approximately
500 yards away. Department Officers drove towards the area where the subject had been spotted. A ground search commenced and the suspect was found laying on the ground hiding in some sagebrush. The man was detained at gunpoint until other units arrived and were able to take the man safely into custody. Additionally, Officers found a vehicle containing a large load of copper wire and plumbing pipe that the suspects had been ripping out of the inside of the warehouses. The men, known criminals, were booked for burglary. (Enforcement Program)
06/06: Ringold Spring Chinook Fishery Final Report: The Ringold Area Bank Fishery for spring chinook closed at 9:30 p.m. on May 21, 2010. The fishery was open for a full three weeks and an estimated 466 hatchery spring chinook were harvested. In addition, anglers caught and released 44 wild chinook, which is equivalent to approximately four Endangered Species Act wild fish mortalities based on a 10 percent post-release mortality rate. During the creel census we interviewed 531 anglers who fished 2,615 hours. The estimated sampling rate was 28.3 percent, so estimated total fishing effort was 9,225 hours. There were no reports of steelhead being caught and released during the salmon fishery. (Fish Program)
Lower Yakima River Spring Chinook Fishery: The lower Yakima River has been high and turbid this past week, May 17-23, but anglers are still coming out to try for a spring chinook. One hatchery chinook was sampled with an estimated three total chinook for the week. To date, 44 hatchery spring chinook have been harvested in the lower Yakima River and nine wild chinook have been caught and released. The fishery below Horn Rapids (Wanawish) Dam closed effective May 31, 2010. (Fish Program)
06/01: Tom Burn's retirement. Tom isn’t just blowing Humboldt smoke this time. He is really going to go through with it!!! Sunday, July 18th 3 PM -10 PM, Odd Fellows Hall, 6500 79th Ave, NE, Olympia. $25/person or $45/couple. Payments/donations are appreciated at any time so we can cover the facility deposit and start planning the menu. You may send them to my home address as well if you don’t feel comfortable sending them to the State office address. Dave King, 360-280-3354.
06/01: Onn June 1st, Officer Jerry Zimmerman retires after 33+ years with the Enforcement program. Jerry is a rare, second generation game warden, whose father Richard Zimmerman, also retired from the former WA Department of Wildlife (Game). Jerry also served 30+ years in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and served two combat tours in Iraq in 2004 and 2006. I wanted everyone to know that we will be planning a retirement celebration in July, with the most likely date, July 11th in Montesano. I will get out a notice, hopefully, this week. I am very happy for Jerry that he has reached this milestone in good health and spirits. I am distressed that the agency and program is losing such leadership and vast historical knowledge. Z man is of the old breed and his type are irreplaceable. We will not see a generation like his again. I am very proud to have worked with him. If you have a moment, give him a call…better yet, come to the party, Sgt. Matthew L. Nixon W-42, Region Six, Detachment Two, Montesano, WA, 360-538-7593.