Posted: 14 Aug 2010 12:04 AM PDT

THE OLYMPIAN | • Published August 14, 2010

Thumbs up: Literacy

A big thumbs up to the Child Care Action Council for hosting Raising A Reader Family Literacy Nights at Timberland Regional Library branches in Olympia, Lacey, Yelm and Shelton. About 450 children and parents participated, learning about library services and enjoying story time with the librarians. The events were sponsored locally by L&E Bottling through a "Pepsi Refresh" grant. The South Sound Reading Foundation provided free books for the children who attended. The Child Care Action Council's Raising A Reader program operates in approximately 34 local child care centers, licensed family homes and Head Start classrooms. Child care providers weekly rotate bright red book bags filled with high-quality children's books, enabling each child to take home around 100 books each school year to share with their parents. Reading should be a year-round habit, and introducing children to the joys of reading at a young age makes perfect sense. Well done.

Thumbs down: Mom

Some people, apparently, are incapable of parenting. A Thurston County woman has pleaded guilty to two felonies and faces up to four years in prison for putting a Percocet pill in her 9-month-old daughter's formula bottle. The woman, who was arrested late last year, said she drugged her daughter because the infant was "cranky as hell and would not sleep," according to court papers. Aliese Marie Gatlin, 20, pleaded guilty recently and was put into custody in the courtroom of Thurston County Superior Court Judge Christine Pomeroy. Gatlin pleaded guilty under an Alford plea to second-degree assault of a child and first-degree criminal mistreatment. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but it is equivalent to a guilty plea in the eyes of the law. Gatlin's daughter has recovered and is in the custody of an aunt. The infant had been hospitalized for a short time after ingesting the drug. Judge Pomeroy ordered Gatlin into custody after hearing from prosecutors that Gatlin had been expelled from a parenting-accountability group that Child Protective Services had ordered her to complete. She was expelled because she failed to take any responsibility for her daughter's hospitalization. Gatlin's daughter was flown to a Tacoma hospital on Oct. 22 because she had stopped breathing. Medics had to insert a line into the baby's bone marrow because her veins had collapsed. Gatlin initially told medical professionals that someone else must have drugged her baby. In November, Gatlin admitting to giving her child Percocet, a narcotic pain reliever that contains oxycodone. She "stated she did not think about whether or not the medication was harmful to a baby."

Thumbs up: Fair

Oh, what a difference a year and much milder weather made for the Thurston County Fair. Nearly 10,000 more people attended this month's five-day fair than last year when South Sound was suffering through a record-tying heat wave. On the opening day of last year's fair, the temperature at the fairgrounds hit 107 degrees, fair manager Rick Storvick said. "It was awful," he said. "We in Western Washington just aren't built for playing in that kind of weather." With much cooler temperatures this year, attendance soared and so did revenue, Storvick said. Fair vendors, too, credited the cooler weather with increased sales. Old Time Photos, a vendor that takes pictures of people in Western-themed clothes, props and hats, did more business in one day this year than during all of last year's fair, manager Racheel Linville said. During last year's fair, the business took a total of six pictures — almost one per day — compared to 15 on the first day of this year's fair, she said. The farm animals must have appreciated the cooler temperatures too. A sow gave birth to 11 piglets and a goat birthed two kids during the fair. With the rides, mouth watering concessions and excellent displays, this year's Thurston County Fair was a real hit.

Thumbs up: School supplies

Thursday is a big day for The Little Red School House. It's the day to distribute clothing and school supplies to needy Thurston County school age children. The distribution will take place from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Jefferson Middle School, 2200 Conger Ave. The school house will be providing new school supplies and backpacks, and gently used clothing to struggling families that might not be able to afford school supplies. The giveaway is open to all Thurston County families who need help getting their children ready for school. Children must be accompanied by an adult to receive supplies. More than 3,400 children are expected. Community resourse representatives also will be in attendance to provide additional support.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent.

Navy astronaut Lisa Nowak is demoted - WINKNEWS.com

Posted: 20 Aug 2010 02:09 PM PDT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - The Navy should discharge former astronaut Lisa Nowak, who lost her NASA job over a bizarre airport attack on a romantic rival, according to a Navy panel that reviewed her case.

The panel of three admirals made the recommendation Thursday after a daylong hearing at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville.

The recommendation now goes to the Naval Personnel Command. A final decision will be made by the Secretary of the Navy. In the meantime, Nowak will continue working on the staff of the chief of Naval Air Training in Corpus Christi, Tex.

She flew on the space shuttle in 2006, but was dismissed from the astronaut corps after her arrest in 2007. There was no listed number for Nowak in Corpus Christi and Nowak's commanding officer in Texas didn't immediately return a call Friday.

The panel recommended downgrading Nowak from captain to commander and giving her a discharge of "other than honorable."

If the recommendation is accepted, the change in Nowak's rank means she will receive a pension at the rank of commander rather than captain. Additionally, only veterans who are discharged honorably can get benefits under the GI bill, said Stephen Strickland, a public affairs specialist at the Navy Region Southeast in Jacksonville.

Nowak was sentenced to a year on probation in November after pleading guilty to third-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor battery.

Nowak confronted her romantic rival, Colleen Shipman, in the parking lot of Orlando International Airport in February 2007 after driving from Houston. Shipman had begun dating Nowak's love interest, former space shuttle pilot Bill Oefelein.

Wearing a wig and trenchcoat, Nowak followed Shipman to the parking lot and tried to get into her car, then attacked her with pepper spray. Shipman was able to drive away.

Former astronaut Lisa Nowak’s Navy career is over - Las Vegas Sun

Posted: 20 Aug 2010 06:31 AM PDT

The Associated Press

Friday, Aug. 20, 2010 | 6:33 a.m.

The Navy has ended the military career of former astronaut Lisa Nowak, who lost her NASA job over a bizarre airport attack on a romantic rival.

A Navy panel of three admirals voted unanimously late Thursday to discharge Nowak and downgrade her rank from captain to commander.

The newspaper Florida Today reports that Nowak didn't comment on the decision at the panel's meeting at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station.

Nowak was sentenced to a year on probation last November after pleading guilty to third-degree felony burglary and misdemeanor battery.

Nowak confronted her romantic rival in the parking lot of Orlando International Airport in February 2007 after driving from Houston. Colleen Shipman had begun dating Nowak's love interest.

___

Information from: Florida Today, http://www.floridatoday.com