Staff carefully remove panels from the Native Indian tribe exhibit.

The Office of the Secretary of State has packed up the Northwest Indian tribe exhibit and soon will be hanging the new exhibit, “Quilts of Valor,” honoring our veterans. The Northwest Indian tribe exhibit, created by the Washington State Heritage Center, part of the Office of the Secretary of State, will continue to be displayed throughout Washington state.

Starting in August, the exhibit, “We’re Still, Here, The Survival of Washington Indians” will be displayed at the Anacortes Museum of Maritime Heritage Center through April 2014. The exhibit will then travel to the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco for viewing from May to October 2014.

Stay tuned for the next exhibit, Quilts of Valor, where 13 handmade quilts will be displayed for the month of July. On Tuesday, July 2, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Secretary of State’s front lobby located on the second floor of the Legislative Building in Olympia, the public is welcome to attend the free opening ceremony where our staff will award many of the quilts to our veterans. If you cannot attend the opening ceremony, we welcome you to explore the Quilts of Valor exhibit Monday through Friday (except holidays) from 8 a.m to 5 p.m.

(Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives)

For many schoolchildren here in Washington, June 14 is the first day of summer vacation or the last day of school. It’s also Flag Day, the holiday when we celebrate the birthday of the U.S. flag.

The “Stars and Stripes” originated as a result of a resolution offered by the Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress at Philadelphia and adopted on June 14, 1777. The resolution read:

“Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

The Secretary of State’s Olympia office and website proudly display, interpret and sell state and U.S. flags, and operate a flag donation program. Go here for more info.

The 1940 photo above, courtesy of the State Archives, shows a family riding a ferry with the U.S. flag in the background.

Check out these editorials in The (Vancouver) Columbian and (Everett) Herald about Flag Day. From The Herald editorial:

The Stars and Stripes was adopted as the U.S. flag on June 14, 1777, and commemorations of the flag’s “birthday” gained popularity in the 1880s and 1890s. Historical accounts describe how these ceremonies spread from schools and small communities to big cities and state governments. Eventually, the anniversary was recognized as “Flag Day” in 1916 under a presidential proclamation from Woodrow Wilson.

But a proclamation is not quite a law.

For three decades, various communities set aside June 14 for flag-related events — but National Flag Day was officially created under federal law when President Truman signed an act of Congress in 1949.   

(Photo courtesy of Patrick McDonald)

With several hundred family members, friends and veteran troopers watching, 27 cadets with the Washington State Patrol Academy’s 101st Trooper Basic Training Class became full-fledged troopers after graduating in the Capitol Rotunda Wednesday afternoon. They are shown here taking the oath of office from State Supreme Court Justice Mary Fairhurst. State Patrol Chief John Batiste and Governor Jay Inslee spoke during the ceremony.

The Secretary of State’s next office exhibit will feature quilts that salute American combat troops.

Thirteen beautiful handmade quilts created by volunteer quilters from around Washington will be on display in the Secretary of State’s front lobby during the month of July. The office is on the second floor of the Legislative Building in Olympia. The office is open Monday through Friday (except holidays) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The quilts are part of the national Quilts of Valor program.

Secretary of State Kim Wyman, who comes from a family of quilters and is the wife of an Army retiree, enthusiastically supports having this exhibit in her office.

“These quilts are not only very well done, they convey the appreciation and admiration that so many Americans have toward our troops who have braved combat overseas,” Wyman said. “I encourage military families, quilters and everyone else to see this special exhibit while it’s in our office.”

The free exhibit’s opening ceremony will be Tuesday, July 2, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Office of the Secretary of State’s front lobby.  The public is invited.  While some of the 13 quilts are already promised to specific recipients, our staff will award at least five of them to veterans at the opening ceremony. For more information about the event, call (360) 902-4126.

The Quilts of Valor program began in 2003. The program’s mission is to cover all warriors and combat veterans who have been touched by war or wounded with healing and comforting Quilts of Valor.

The quilts are awarded at many different levels. But no matter how a Quilt of Valor is given, its impact is profound. As one recipient, an Army staff sergeant in Iraq, said, “My quilt isn’t another military medal to be placed in a box and sit on my shelf. I was moved to tears.”

Several other veterans have expressed their appreciation for their quilt:

“I never said thank you for the quilt. I got it in Germany and find myself attached to it like a 1 yr old woobie. I am a Scout Sniper in the Marine Corps so I am not a touchy feely guy, but the blanket is a wonderful gift. Thank you for your compassion.”

“Sometimes we forget that people care and this was GREAT!!! I feel the love from the quilt. And please understand that you are worth everything that I’ve been thru. And again thank you very much and God Bless.”

“I’m in the Army and was injured while serving in Iraq. I will spare the details since it is hard for me, but one of the things that makes it easier is the fine quilt you have made for me. It not only keeps me warm when I’m cold, it keeps my heart warm too. This may seem childish, but when I get scared with the memories of war, I curl up in the quilt and everything goes away. It makes me and the hundreds of wounded I’ve seen feel better knowing there are people in the states that care about us and what we do.”

“I received a ‘quilt of valor’ when I arrived from ICU in Iraq to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The reason it meant so much to me is because when I arrived here I came with nothing at all. I was in fear for my health and what would become of me. To me the quilt symbolizes all of the support and prayers that we soldiers are getting from back home, personally for myself as well as all the troops who can’t make it to the computer to email you, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Washington legislators are headed into an unusual second special session, still hoping to bridge stark partisan differences and avoid a June 30 deadline for averting a partial government shutdown.

Dejected and weary lawmakers were closing out their 30-day special session Tuesday with little to show for their labors.  Gov. Jay Inslee, a freshman Democrat who once served in the state House himself, called a special session to convene at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

At a Capitol news conference, Inslee sought to strike a balance between conciliation and impatience.  He said he still wants to work with the Republican-controlled Senate on compromise legislation and a budget that boosts K-12 funding by $1 billion.  But he also lit into the Senate coalition caucus, accusing them of rigidly following an “ideological agenda,” holding the school budget hostage for GOP bills that failed to pass the Democratic-controlled House. By contrast, he said, the House Democrats have backed off of some major priorities and have chopped their tax package by $771 million, he said.

The Senate coalition — 23 Republicans and two Democrats — have called for a somewhat smaller budget and said they would vote for new revenue only if the House will pass some policy reform bills.

Paul Benz and Cheryl Stumbo talk to the media after filing their initiative to the Legislature.

Continuing the debate that began in the Legislature after the Newtown shootings, gun-control advocates have filed an initiative to the Legislature to require universal background checks on gun purchases.

The measure was filed with the Secretary of State on Tuesday by Faith Action Network, including Cheryl Stumbo, who was gravely wounded by a gunman at the Seattle Jewish Center, and Paul Benz, a longtime church leader and social justice advocate at the Capitol.

Backers will have the rest of the year to gather about 325,000 signatures of registered Washington voters.  If validated, the measure would go first to the 2014 Legislature, which could approve it as submitted, ignore or reject it and allow it to go to the fall 2014 ballot, or write a legislative alternative that would accompany the initiative to the ballot.

The measure largely reflects legislation proposed by Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, and others during the session.  Gov. Jay Inslee has strongly supported the legislation, but it failed to clear even the Democratic-controlled House.

Campaign strategist Christian Sinderman said the issue has become a frontburner issue in the state and nationally, with polls showing heavy public support, in the 80 percent range. The campaign is coordinating with a variety of gun-safety groups and expects both sides in the debate to draw national support and contributions.

“This issue is gaining traction,” Stumbo told reporters gathered at the Capitol.  The Legislature may actually approve the measure as public pressure mounts, she said. If not, the voters will do the job, she said.

The proposal has been resisted by the National Rifle Association and other 2nd Amendment groups.

Secretary of State Wyman presents Senator O’Ban with a certificate of appointment on the Senate floor. (Photo courtesy of Legislative Support Services Photo Department.)

A day after the Pierce County Council chose him to replace the late Mike Carrell as the 28th District’s state senator, Steve O’Ban has been sworn in to the Senate. O’Ban was elected a state representative for the district last November. The Senate will hold a legislative memorial service for Carrell June 10 on the Senate floor. Carrell died last week from complications related to treatment of a pre-cancerous condition.

From left: Bennett Elementary principal Nicole Hepworth, Bennett art teacher Gina Ray, State Elections Director Lori Augino, art contest winner Amy Shell and Secretary of State Kim Wyman. (Photo courtesy of JulieAnne Behar.)

The General Election Voters’ Pamphlet that Washington residents receive each fall includes plenty of helpful info about candidates and ballot measures so voters can make informed choices when they fill out their ballot.

Besides providing lots of fodder for the analytical left side of your brain, the Voters’ Pamphlet offers something for the right side: voting-related artwork created by a Washington student.

In 2002, we added a fun element to the Voters’ Pamphlet by starting an art contest in which the winner’s work is featured in the pamphlet that fall.  It’s a way to have students create an art project that focuses on voting and why it’s so important. Students in grades 4-5 are invited to enter the Voters’ Pamphlet Art Contest. This year, about 350 students took part.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Wyman visited Bennett Elementary School in Bellevue to make a surprise presentation to this year’s winner, fifth-grader Amy Shell. The photo above was taken during the assembly in which Wyman announced that Shell won. Here is Shell’s winning art submission, which will appear in this fall’s Voters’ Pamphlet.

This year’s contest theme is “I am a Change Maker.”

Nathan Brown of Sarah J. Anderson Elementary School in Vancouver was selected as first runner-up in the contest. Brown’s poster is here. Cynthia Yu of Clyde Hill Elementary School in Clyde Hill was second runner-up. Yu’s poster is here.

(Images courtesy of Washington State Archives.)

One of the most recognized monuments on the Capitol Campus is now a still-good-looking 75 years old.

The Winged Victory Monument was dedicated on May 30, 1938. The bronze monument with the granite base honors those who served in World War I. Four inscriptions are found on the monument:

East face: WA State Seal, “To the memory of the citizens of the State of Washington who lost their lives in the service of the United States during the World War 1917 – 1918″,

North face: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend”

West face: “Their sacrifice was to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the life of the world”

South face: “They fought to safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom, and democracy.”

In honor of the milestone, we’re featuring two images of the monument that are found in our  State Archives. The top photo, with the Legislative Building in the background, was taken around 1940. It’s found in the Archives’ collection of Progress Commission Photographs, 1937-1945. The bottom image is a postcard of the monument’s dedication ceremony in 1938.

Pleasant Valley Middle School students Nathan Runkle and Stephanie Massart give a performance on their History Day project about Celilo Falls at the State Archives. (Photo courtesy of Benjamin Helle.) 

One wonders if Ken Burns started out this way.

The Washington State Historical Society coordinates Washington History Day, which features an annual contest for students in grades 6-12 throughout the state. The State Archives, State Library and Legacy Project (all part of the Office of the Secretary of State) support History Day by having staff volunteer to serve as contest judges.

The contest encourages students to become historians by developing research, analysis, presentation and social skills. Working individually or in groups, students select a topic related to an annual theme. They conduct extensive historical research using primary sources, articles, and books, then distill their research and analysis into a dramatic performance, multimedia documentary, museum exhibit, website, or research paper.

Nine students from Gig Harbor, Spanaway and Vancouver who were high placers in this year’s contest came to Olympia this week to receive awards from State Archivist Steve Excell at the State Archives Building on the Capitol Campus. The students presented their history projects and then toured the Archives facility with their teachers and families.

The Senior Division (grades 9-12) winners for the State Archivist Award were Bethel (Spanaway) High School’s continue reading