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Wednesday, February 28th
Tragedy On Lopez: Lopez Man Drowns
Ken Mann, 50 years old, has been identified by the San Juan County Sheriff's office as the victim of a drowning at Spencer's landing on Lopez.
The Sheriff's office was contacted just before noon on Wednesday morning to report that Mann was missing. After a search was conducted by first responders from Lopez, the Sheriff's office and the US Coast Guard, the body was located by the Sheriff's dive team at 1:24 pm. The body was locate under Mann's live-aboard boat.
Mann had lived on Lopez for a number of years, and was well known and respected. Funeral arrangements are pending
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Council To Address Their Public Image
( County Council in second day of a Council work session "Retreat")
The County Council will rewrite the rules that govern how, and when, the public can come in and address the Council, and they will also begin to hold at least one meeting a month on one of the other major islands.
Councilman Alan Lichter suggested to the Council that in addition to the current "public access" agenda item that appears at the beginning of each council meeting, there should an opportunity for the public to come in after work and address the council. The Council has agreed that once a month they will continue their meeting past 5 p.m. This prompted Councilman Bob Myhr to once again ask that the Council also agree to hold some meetings on the other major islands.
For sometime now the council has agreed to hold some meetings on at least Lopez and Orcas, but it now appears that there will be a formal policy to do just that. This will also fit nicely with Lichter's suggestion of once a month extending the council quitting time from 4 p.m. to past 5 p.m. to allow greater citizen access.
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9% More To Dump Garbage
Public Works has released the new fee schedule that will go into effect at the end of March: If you have been thinking about doing a little spring cleaning around the old homestead, now is a good time to make that trip to the dump. At the end of March it will cost 9% more to unload trash at the Public Works solid waste facilities.
Public Works would like to point out that there has not been a fee increase since April 1, 2004 (At the time the joke was on you, if you thought it was a joke). On December 19, 2006 the County Council agreed with Public Works that additional money was needed to run the program, and passed Ordinance 24-2006, which raised solid waste tipping fees by approximately 9%. Beginning March 31, 2007 residents will pay 13 cents per pound for garbage disposal, up from the current 11.7 cents per pound. Recycling services will continue to be available at no charge (see the complete fee schedule below).
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First Aid & CPR Classes Offered On SJI
Be prepared for an injury or life-threatening emergency that could take place in your home or workplace. Island Rec is offering both a First Aid Class and CPR Class on Saturday March 3. First Aid runs from 9am-1pm followed by a CPR class from 2-5pm.
Participants can register for either or both classes. Cost is $20 per class and pre-registration is required. Registrations accepted at Island Rec Monday through Friday from 1-5pm. Registrations forms can be printed off from www.islandrec.org or found in Island Rec's Winter/Spring Program Guide. Completed registrations accompanied by a check can be dropped off at Island Rec during non business hours. Call 378-4953 for further information.
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Free Composting Workshops
Would you like to build healthy soil for your garden and landscape? Do you want to learn how to compost your food and yard waste? How about getting ideas for managing brush piles as wildlife habitat?
San Juan County Public Works, WSU Extension, and the Conservation District are co-sponsoring FREE spring compost workshops.
The schedule is as follows:
Saturday, March 3rd, 10 am to 1 pm, at the ORCAS ISLAND Senior Center multi-purpose room
Sunday, March 4th, 10 am to 1 pm, at LOPEZ ISLAND Elementary School multi-purpose room
Saturday, March 31st, 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, at the SAN JUAN ISLAND Senior Center meeting room, Mullis Rd, Friday Harbor.
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Tuesday, February 27th
Getting To Know You -All About You
(County Council & County Administrator Pete Rose dine together at end of 1st day of "retreat")
The County Council and Administrator Pete Rose topped off the end of the first day of a retreat on county priorities by siting down together in a public restaurant to share a dinner, and continue to share thoughts and ideas about the governing of San Juan County.
They will return to the Commons Room at the U. of W. Friday Harbor Laboratories on Tuesday to continue to explore topics and methods of governance, but, a major reason for the "retreat" was to allow the council to come together in a relaxed atmosphere, that hopefully would facilitate a free flow of ideas, that in turn would lead to a better understanding between the council members as to what some of the core values are of the members.
At first it seemed that perhaps it would take more than a new environment to relax things, but after an hour of discussion, and some frustration, the councilmen settled down, and did what, so far, they do best: they made a long list of topics that needed to be discussed. While they worked on reaching consensus on what the county should, could, and should not, look like in twenty -or even fifty- years from now, they did seem to reach a better understanding of what the individual priorities, values and beliefs are that drive them to their respective positions.
By the end of the day the free-flow of ideas and thoughts had generated a long list of subjects. That list was then harvested for topics that all of the Councilmen could agree were germane to further discussion and investigation. And then it was off to dinner.
Today, Tuesday, the plan is to review an organized list of the topics, and set to work trying to see how many of the items can really be addressed by the Council in a meaningful way.
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Want To Serve Your County?
The pay is non-existent, the hours will drag on meeting-after-meeting -but on the bright side- if you are selected to serve on a Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) Review Committee, you will receive many new ideas and advice -from many sources- that may be helpful to San Juan County as it works to make important choices in updating the Critical Areas section in the SJC Comprehensive Plan.
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Doris Margaret Hartman
March 9, 1922 - February 22, 2007
Doris Margaret Hartman, 84, of Ferndale, Washington, died Thursday, February 22, 2007 at home, with her family beside her. She was born on March 9, 1922 in Woodside, Louisiana, the daughter of Curtis and Lovenia (Bordelon) Dufour. Doris was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She was proud of her Cajun French heritage and her family.
Doris always put others needs before her own, with unconditional loving kindness, in prayer and deed. She was a faithful Catholic and a member of the Altar Society, a Eucharistic Minister, and a member of the choir. Doris also belonged to the American Legion Auxiliary, Post 163. She was employed with the Friday Harbor schools, feeding the children of the Island, not only in bread, but also in spirit.
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Monday, February 26th
CC Work Session/Retreat Mon & Tue On Priorities
With a working list of nearly one hundred items on a "priority list", the County Council (CC) will hold a work session today and tomorrow (Monday, 2-26 & 27th), to work on "key issues" that had been identified and agreed to in January. At that time, the first priority was ferry issues; followed by Salmon Recovery; streamlined sales taxation (for internet sales at the point of delivery; mental and public health issues; Lopez Hill; and Capron funding.
Originally the work session was labeled as a "retreat", and there was discussion of holding it off-island, however there were concerns on both the cost, and a predictable perception that an off-island retreat would be perceived as an attempt by the Council to avoid public scrutiny. In the end the Council agreed to hold a "work session" on San Juan Island, but not in the council chambers, but rather in some place less formal. After researching possible locations, it was decided to hold the meeting -which is open to the press and the public- in the Commons Room at the U. of W. Friday Harbor Laboratories.
The intent of the work session is to discuss the six main priorities listed above -and any other matters that may be raised- in a relaxed and informal atmosphere, so that the council members can "get to know each other better". The Council will not meet again until March 12th.
Click below for the Monday and Tuesday Agendas:
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Saturday, February 24th
Soroptimists Awards Outstanding Women & Teens
(L to R: Tara Melborne, Soroptimist President Becki Day, Lainey Volk and Wynn Barnard at the Awards Luncheon)
The Violet Richardson Awards were presented at the Soroptimists' luncheon meeting on February 21, along with two other annual awards made by the Soroptimists.
The "Making A Difference Award" this year went to Lainey Volk, for her leadership on the Every 15 Minutes program. Lainey put together the program with massive coordination involving 27 organizations, 14 grants and over 200 volunteers. The program simulated a fatal car accident involving teens and alcohol, and involved mock rescue, medical, law enforcement, media, legal, court and funeral proceedings. Students are still talking about the event and according to some, "we know there are young women who have made positive choices as a result." Lainey's compassion and organizational skills have truly made a difference here in our community.
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Friday, February 23rd
Bill Munich's Murderer Found Guilty
A jury on the mainland has found the man who killed Orcas resident Bill Munich to be guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Munich.
According to friends of Munich, Bill was working on a hangar he owned on Campbell Lake Road on the mainland, when he was approached by his neighbor, Marvin Ballsminder, who he reportedly had been having a disagreement with over a property easement. According to friends, Bill was talking on his cell phone when Bill saw the man coming over to see him, Bill is reported to have noted it to his friend, then there were sounds of gun shots. Bill escaped his assailant, only to have the man track him down, and kill him with multiple gunshots, first from a rifle, and then by a shotgun
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Tidal Energy Project Permit Submitted
Snohomish County's Public Utility District (SCPUD), the second largest public utility in the Pacific Northwest, has submitted an application for a "preliminary permit" to conduct a study of the feasibility of a number of tidal energy projects in San Juan County . The proposal, if approved, would allow SCPUD to do a number of things in SJC in order to conduct the study, including "site selection; equipment selection; design, performance and cost estimates of both a demonstration test installation and a commercial scale plant". The total cost of the study could exceed $6,000,000. San Juan County government may not be as helpful in this as they could be, since there will little to no benefit to the county.
The application states that in conducting the study, the utility will take "into account impacts on the environment, the aesthetic beauty, and commercial and recreational opportunities in and around Spieden Channel." If the study should lead to a decision to go forward with the actual project, the power generated will be primarily for Snohomish County, which has over 350,000 customers, with annual energy costs of $361,486.000.00
Due to federal and state regulations that encourage development of pilot projects and alternative energy, utility districts are active in their pursuit of these programs. Currently there are ten projects proposed in the Puget Sound area. Read related Spieden Channel Proposal Documents
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How To Test HS Kids In Math & Science
What is the first thing that Rep. Dave Quall, chair of the House Education Committee, says we need to remember during a legislative session when so-called "math wars" and WASL debates are front and center? We need to understand that "Not all tests are created equal, and not all kids are equally good at taking tests".
"We know our high school kids aren't performing well on the math portion of the WASL," commented Quall. "But in trying to address the problem, we have to look at three separate issues: how we teach math, what kinds of standards we're setting, and how we're testing our kids. If we don't talk about the test itself, we're never going to come a resolution on the issue."
Quall's committee held a work session today to look at House Bill 2327 which proposes other ways of testing students to see how they're coming along in math. Teachers and administrators from around the state joined in the work session to discuss a specific approach known as "end-of-course" assessments.
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Thursday, February 22nd
Bellevue North? Big Time Bld In FH
The Todd commercial and residential condominium project in Friday Harbor took another step on Wednesday toward beginning actual construction, when a large crane unfolded before fascinated onlookers. While the crane may appear to a layperson as being a smaller version of the type of crane that recently made headlines in Bellevue when it fell over, this one is not assembled on site, but simply unfolds and expands in height like some huge weird Japanese toy.
Pat Bartell of Coast Crane said the crane is 78 feet high from the base to the top, and has a horizontal reach of 131 feet to the tip of the jib. The base for the crane is over 20 feet above street level, so the vertical lift from the street is almost 100 feet. The crane can lift over 4 tons near the vertical tower, and over a ton at the very end of the 131 foot jib (i.e. the horizontal part).
A couple of other features that sets this crane apart from its big brothers is how it is attached to the concrete pad that it sits on: it's not attached, but simply relies on the weight of the crane, and the counter weights at the back of the crane, to hold it in place. The other major difference is it is remote controlled by a small control box. This allows the crane to be operated from anywhere on the job site.
It only took about two hours to unload it from a truck, place it on the concrete pad, and then with a push of a button it automatically unfolded to the configuration shown above. The only good news for Vinny's Restaurant about this part of the construction project, is that they have been promised one of the first jobs for the crane will be its use to hold a window cleaner up to the windows so the construction dust can be removed off of Vinny's windows. Seems like the least they can do, since once the project is completed, the views from Vinny's windows will be the side of the new building.
Photos of it unfolding can be seen in the "rest of the article" below:
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SJC: Highest Incidence Of Breast Cancer In WA
Some islanders are asking why so many of their friends, family and acquaintances are afflicted with cancer. A local group points out that that last year, San Juan County had the highest incidence of breast cancer in Washington State, while Washington had the highest incidence in the US. The leukemia incidence in the county is also reported to be high. (See http://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov/incidencerates/ and select Washington State and breast cancer. This year, we're number 2.) High cancer rates are hardly what one would expect in a county noted for its beautiful natural environment, and a total lack of heavy industry.
Wilma Munsey and Alison Longley are members of Islanders for a Healthy Environment/SJC Cancer Detectives, which is presenting the first of two Spring lecture/discussions on the possible causes of cancer and other chronic diseases and what one can do, individually and together, to protect themselves.
The speaker will be Steven Gilbert, PhD, author of "A Small Dose of Toxicology". The well-received talk by the same name which he presented at the FH Grange 2 years ago is available on DVD from the San Juan Library.
Dr. Gilbert's talk, "Chemicals in our Lives: Dealing with the Poisons in our Environment- Success Stories, Current Actions, and the Precautionary Principle", sponsored by the Mullis Center, is Sunday, February 25th, 2 pm at the Mullis Community Senior Center. As an aid to discussion following the talk, light refreshments will be served. This event is free, and donations will be accepted. Dr. Gilbert's website is www.asmalldoseof.org.
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Wednesday, February 21st
Shannon Makes U-Turn On Road Failures: Rock Passed Tests, But Rock Is Wrong
(PW Director Shannon and staff members wait to testify to County Council)
During a lecture to the (CC) County Council in January, entitled "Chip-Seal 101", Public Words Director Jon Shannon informed the County Council that, while there were a number of reasons for the rough and failing roads in SJC, the rock -the "chips"- was not the problem; and called concerns that the rock was the problem "a conspiracy theory". Shannon told the CC the main problem was the quality of the sealer used to hold the rock in place, not the rock..
On Tuesday Shannon returned to the Council chambers to present a new report on the on-going problem, and reported that while the rock they had used passed all tests, it was in fact the wrong shape of rock; was not uniform in size; and had been "applied too heavily". Shannon said that in the future they will be using new specifications, and that smaller rock for the chip sealing of the roads will be used. To solve the current road problem, Shannon said they will use the money in the budget for this years maintenance of roads to repair last years maintenance work. The estimated cost to get the roads back to where they should be, is estimated to be just under a half million dollars.
Shannon said PW will also need to spend over $800,000.00 to insure that the problem will not happen again, by purchasing new and additional equipment. But since it is too late to purchase equipment this year, PW will rent the equipment for $30K. One of the benefits of the proposed solution of rental is that the county crew will be able to be trained in proper use of equipment and methods.
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High School Auto Mechanics Class Rebuilds 78 Chev
By: Ann Thomas Templeton
 (Clockwise: Brent Owens, Paul, Cliff, Oscar Soto, Matt Funke (under car) -photo: Angela Frye)
Local high school students succeeded on starting the engine of an old 1978 Chevrolet Caprice, the morning of February 16. The purring sound of an old island 1978 Bayliner boat engine used to get the hot rod running captivated students, instructors, and assistants. Every morning for the past seven weeks, volunteers and students restored this vehicle from start to finish at IPS on Carter Avenue.
This was the first Friday Harbor School auto mechanics class taught since the early 1990s. Auto mechanics was one of the many hands-on learning classes offered through the winter term. Such classes allowed students to explore their talents and interests outside required coursework.
Cecil Dent, Cliff Jeffries, and Charlie Meyer are the heroes among local teens. Volunteer instructors, Dent and Jeffries, gave of their time, patience, equipment, and supplies. The '78 Chevrolet Caprice breathed new life after spending years rotting in a field on Glenn Hargrove's property. The car was donated to help students learn how to work on cars. There is a growing demand for skilled auto technicians nationwide.
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Tuesday, February 20th
PC Hearing On HE To Continue
After a couple of false starts, the PC (SJC Planning Commission) held a Public hearing on a proposed ordinance sent to them by the County Council that takes full advantage of a clause in the new Charter that allows the Council to hear appeals of HE (Hearing Examiner) decisions, but only if the Council has "adopted, by ordinance, written procedures for the discretionary review of the decision of the hearing examiner".
The PC has not had the benefit of the prolonged discussions the Council and the Prosecuting Attorney have had on the matter, and so they wisely decided they would go forward with the scheduled public hearing, but not -as advertised- go into deliberations until they received input from the Prosecuting Attorney, and took additional public input.
If the testimony they did hear is any indication of what the public thinks about the matter, the PC may once again be in the uncomfortable -and perhaps unconformable- position of having to hear the majority of the public give advice to the PC that is contrary to what the County Council clearly wants to hear from the public, or from the PC.
Of the three members of the public who did speak, all had extensive experience with the hearing examiner system, but they had only criticism of the proposed ordinance; and a promise was implied that there would be more to come when the PC takes up the matter again.
(Gordy Peterson did not testify, but has written a column on the subject)
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Monday, February 19th
Guest Editorial
By Lee Sturdivant
For those who couldn't attend the recent ferry fare hearings at the Mullis Center, I'd like to share a couple of points that seem important on this issue.
First of all, we should all be grateful for our Ferry Advisory Committee led by Alex MacLeod of Shaw Island, and for their energetic defense of Islanders confronted with ever increasing fares and deteriorating service.
What also became apparent is that these issues must be solved by our state legislators. Years ago, when the values-based auto excise tax went away with Tim Eyman's initiative, our ferry service began to sink. The courts later ruled the initiative unconstitutional, but the legislature has not been willing to revisit that funding source. Our fares have more than doubled since then, our service is under constant strain.
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Saturday, February 17th
Successful Open House at the Whale Museum
(Museum director Jenny L. Atkinson talks with Dr. Tina Wyllie-Echeverria and artist Kathy Shaw; photo by Amy Traxler)
Friday Harbor, Wash. – The Whale Museum's Open House held Tuesday, February 13, was a big success. More than 70 people (including residents from area islands, Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, Shaw, and Yellow, as well as Seattle) attended to get a sneak peak at the exhibit hall. "We are pleased that so many people could attend. It was wonderful to meet members of our community and hear their stories. The Museum has a great history with contributions from so many community members. It is great to know that the Museum has an exciting future backed by so many caring individuals and organizations," said museum director Jenny Atkinson.
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Thursday, February 15th
At Last, Possible Law On Cell Phones & Driving
The Island Guardian reported back in March of 2005 that legislators were concerned about the dangers of cell phone use by drivers, and today bills that restrict the use of a wireless communications device while operating a moving motor vehicle are moving forward in Olympia. A part of the driving force behind House Bill 5037 are Senators Murray and Spanel. The other two bills are 1214 and 1868.
The bills are being presented to the Senate and House Transportation committees today (Feb 15th). If any of the bills make it into law, Washington will join other states that have already passed laws that ban or control how and when a cell phone -or other wireless devices- can be used.
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PC Public Hearing On Changes To HE Rules
The SJC Planning Commission will hold a Public hearing and deliberations on an amendment to the SJ C code relating to the Hearing Examiner system and administrative appeals of land use decisions. The hearing will be in the Garden Room, Key Bank. Friday, February 16, at 10:15 a.m.
An applicant unhappy with a decision by the Hearing Examiner has a right to appeal the decision to…Okay, now we have a problem. Prior to the passing of the Charter, appeals went to the County Commissioners, and from there to Superior Court. The Charter changed all that by adopting a rule that stated an applicant "may choose to bypass review by the Legislative Body and seek direct review with the court or other tribunal as provided by law".
When the Freeholders wrote the regulation, and when the voters passed the Charter, that language seemed clear enough, but the sitting Commissioners -who had now turned into Councilmen- thought it was a tad too clear that anyone should be allowed to bypass them by simply opting to go directly to court. The loss of possible review in land use matters that might be important to the Council did not sit well with them, and it seemed to them that the Freeholders should not have framed it as they did.
After much discussion on how to get around the new rule, the three Councilmen (the other three had yet to be elected to the Council) decided to consider some new interpretations, and possible changes that would allow them to retain the right to still hear appeals, if one of the parties in the appeal chose to ask the Council, and not a Judge, to first rule on an appeal. (link to history)
This brought the Council back to the rule of law, and that required the Council to follow proper procedures in making or altering a regulation or a law, which in this case requires a public hearing be held by the Planning Commission, who in turn will then forward their reasoned opinion back to the Council as a formal recommendation. A recommendation that, by definition, will not be binding on the Council.
It is expected that a former Freeholder or two may show up on at the Planning Commission meeting to give their opinion on the matter.
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Tuesday, February 13th
Growth Board Rules In Favor Of County & Friends
Call them Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) or Guest Houses, but whatever you call them, the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board (GB) has decided that the agreement between The Friends of the San Juans and the former three member County Commissioners - now the six member County Council- was a valid agreement. The Board has ruled (Compliance_Order.pdf (374k file)) that in all cases but one, the County was correct in their solution to bringing the County into compliance with the Growth Management Act when the County replaced an existing set of regulations by passing a new ordinance.
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State "Dissolves" Tariff Policy Committee
County Council Chair Bob Myhr sent a letter in January to the Washington State Transportation Commission, in which he nominated Shaw resident Alex MacLeod to serve on the Tariff Policy Committee (TPC). While the Council was fully supportive of the MacLeod nomination, there was some mild consternation at the time that the full Council had not been polled on the nomination prior to making the recommendation. It was explained that there had been a bit of a mix-up and a last hour rush to beat a deadline, and in the haste to forward Macleod's' name, the full Council had not been consulted.
No problem, as it turns out, since the State Joint Transportation Committee (JTC) had conducted a study that "raised questions regarding the role and membership of the TPC">. In a letter sent to Council Chairman Bob Myhr, Richard Ford, Chairman of the Wa State Transportation Commission, stated that "the study recommended that the Commission conduct a market survey of ferry users and citizens across the state, as opposed to relying on the TPC for fare advisement….the Commission voted in January to dissolve the TPC".
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Builders Assoc On Ferry Issues: Legislature Is Key
By John Evans
I attended the Ferry meeting on Orcas last night along with about 40 other Orcas folks. The Ferry Advisory Committee made introductions; the ferry folks had lots of charts; Orcas resident and former member of the Ferry Advisory Committee Bob Distler, (now with the State Transportation Committee), made a very reasoned presentation. Half a dozen citizens made comments against the proposed ferry fare increases. All in all, it was very amicable, polite and a remarkable waste of time for everyone.
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Monday, February 12th
Warning Period Over: Cover That Load!
("Fines that range from $194 to as much as $5,000, depending on the circumstances, speak to just how expensive littering can be." -Sheriff Bill Cumming)
(Deputy Sheriff Sgt. Brennan checks for covered loads on a truck entering SJC dump)
By David Dehlendorf
During the last three months, the County Sheriff agreed to issue warnings to drivers of unsecured loads in lieu of assessing its standard fines for this infraction. Also, Public Works agreed to suspend its standard surcharge at the Sutton Road transfer station for trucks arriving with unsecured loads. In order to encourage compliance, both entities distributed approximately 300 coupons for discounts on cargo nets and tarps purchased from Browne's. (If you received a coupon, please redeem it before it expires on February 28.)
Beginning February 7, the County Sheriff and Public Works has stepped up enforcement of all existing laws and regulations dealing with litter, including unsecured loads. In addition to avoiding fines and/or surcharges, all island residents are encouraged to help reduce excessive roadside litter by properly securing your load, whether on the way to the transfer station or elsewhere. You will also help eliminate the possibility of traffic accidents caused when vehicles take evasive action to avoid discharged materials.
What You Can Do
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Whale Museum Open House
The Whale Museum is pleased to invite the community to attend their open house on Tuesday, February 13, from 3:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Community members are invited to drop by to meet the Museum's new Director Jenny Atkinson. Attendees will also get a sneak peek at what's new at the Museum prior to the reopening for the season. The Whale Museum will reopen to the public on February 16.
For more information, please contact The Whale Museum at (360) 378-4710 ext. 7.
Founded in 1979, The Whale Museum's mission is to promote stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research. In addition to providing exhibits, the Museum also provides programs including: the Orca Adoption Program, Soundwatch Boater Education, Marine Naturalist Training, San Juan Islands Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and the Whale Hotline. The Whale Museum can be found on-line at www.whalemuseum.org. ##
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Saturday, February 10th
Lakedale Resort To Offer Weekly Wine Tasting Events
By Ann Thomas Templeton
Lakedale Resort at Three Lakes will be offering the first public wine tasting event on February 10th from 4-6 p.m. Importer of French wines and national distributor, Frank Vavaro, and 120 Nichols, a local French restaurant, will host the event.
The tasting fee is five dollars per person. A credit of five dollars will be applied for any two or more bottles purchased. Varieties of Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Vino Bello, and Bordeaux Blend are the featured wines. Vineyards specializing in small batches make this selection unique. All wines offered each week are limited in supply and availability.
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Friday, February 9th
Knowledge Bowl - Fun For All
(Ralph Hahn checks for correct answers held aloft by the teams)
The Knowledge Bowl tests the knowledge of students and local service clubs, and this year it looked like the students representing the 11th and 12th grades may be able to unseat the defending service club from last year, but in the end the Rotary Club was able to hold on to their title.
(L to R:Mike Close, Mike Griffin, Diane Giesy, & Jack McKenna)
This was the 13th year the Bowl has been held, and it is a hoot. The teams get dressed up in silly costumes and get-ups, and while the questions can be tough, and must be answered quickly, the judging is relaxed, and not without a good deal of humor.
The event is a fun fund raising event, and a blow-up of a check from the San Juan Public School Foundation in the amount of $49,000.00 was displayed on the stage.
The questions -and the judging- were posed by Ralph Hahn, and ranged from the easy (What is the world's largest bird? A: Ostrich)) to ones a bit more difficult, such as:The first country to declare war on the US was?...Tripoli, in 1801.
Photos Of The Rest Of The Teams
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Gov. Gregoire Announces Action on Climate Change
Governor Gregoire has signed an Executive Order No. 07-02 that directs the Washington departments of Ecology and Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) to lead "Washington Climate Change Challenge," a process that will engage business, community and environmental leaders over the next year. Washington Climate Change Challenge will consider the full range of policies and strategies that may be adopted to achieve the goals established by Governor Gregoire.
"We have all seen the science and we must increase our efforts to respond," said Governor Gregoire. "Washington is uniquely vulnerable to the changing climate, but we are also positioned to succeed in the clean energy economy. We have already taken steps to strengthen emission standards, build the biofuels industry and promote renewable sources of energy. With these next steps, I believe we can reduce our climate pollution, grow jobs and move toward energy independence."
Governor Gregoire has taken significant actions to address climate change by:
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Thursday, February 8th
WSF Petition Drive Speeds Up
( (left to right)Louise Dustrude, member of a petition drive group, watches as Lunnette Higdon Hertel and Marita Dillery sign the petition)
Petition Drive surges forward as county residents and county visitors sign a petition calling for a roll-back of the proposed ferry fare increases that have been proposed by Washington State Ferry officials. The organizers of the drive are asking the public to sign the petitions, and to attend one -or more- of the following WSF meetings:
• Monday, Feb. 12 Orcas Island - 6:30 to 8 p.m., Orcas Center 917 Mt Baker Rd Eastsound
• Monday, Feb. 12; on Lopez from 9 to 10:30 am at the Lopez island Community Center
• Friday Harbor from 2 to 4 pm at the Mullis Center
• Thursday, March 1 Anacortes - 9 to 10:30 a.m. Flounder Bay Cafe 2201 Skyline Way
Petitions are available to sign at locations on all of the ferry-served islands. Retitions are available on San Juan Island from Anne Sheridan Photography, 135 Second St; On Orcas at Rainbow Service (376-2150); On Lopez : Sandy Bishop 468-3654, and last, but not least, on Shaw the petitions are available for signing at the kiosk.
Copies of signed petitions will be presented to representatives of the Transportation Commission and WSF attending the Friday Harbor meeting. A subsequent delegation to Olympia is planned to deliver the petitions to the legislature.
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Wednesday, February 7th
Ranker Makes A Direct Hit
 Councilman Kevin Ranker has been criticized in the past as sometimes being a loose cannon, with a tendency to fire off out of sequence, or without agreement that there is a target, or if there is a target, is the rest of the Council really ready and willing to fire off a round. But when the Council decided to move the issue of ferry fares to the top of their list of priorities, and gave Ranker the nod, he proved he was ready, willing, and as it turns out, quite able to score a direct hit in Olympia.
At the Monday County Council (CC) staff meeting, and again at the regular scheduled Council meeting on Tuesday, Ranker gave a report on the recently held Washington State Legislative Rally Conference that some of the Councilmen attended, and announced that all 39 counties have accepted, and are now pushing, the County ferry policy.
The mere fact that the County has a Ferry Policy may come as a surprise to many in the county, but there is in fact one that evolved out of a report to the CC by County Administrator Pete Rose. In the report, Rose suggested the timing may right for the Council to adopt a policy, particularly in light of the then up-coming Legislative Conference.
Ranker reported to the CC, and The Island Guardian has confirmed, that not only did all of the 39 counties in Washington support a SJC policy that ferry fares should not exceed 4%- 2.5%, but that the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) even went so far as to unanimously pass a motion to support a ferry increase of no more than 2.5-4% for San Juan County.
Ranker told the CC that "This is a huge victory for all of us". Ranker explained that he pushed the concept of a "untied front" while pulling in counties by appealing to their sense of fairness. According to a spokesman for WSAC, "Several eastern Washington Commissioners commented favorably to Councilmember Rankers argument that ferry's are San Juan's highways just as the roads are in other parts of the state and that a ferry fare of 2 ½- 4% should be adequate for the coming year. They commented that many of their roads were paid for by taxes collected in other parts of the state and that they should support San Juan".
After Ranker's presentation, Howard Rosenfeld announced that while Councilman Ranker said "we", it was really "He", since "it was Kevin that took the lead and did all of the work on this" and that the Council thanked him for his efforts and his success.
The adopted SJC Ferry Policy is:
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Knowledge Bowl Competition Thursday Night
Join our local service organizations, middle school, and high school teams Thursday night for an evening of fun supporting San Juan Island Public Schools.
The annual takes place at 7:00 pm on Thursday at the San Juan Community Theatre. Teams will be challenged with questions running the gamut from Local, US and World History to Math and Science, Art and Literature and Current Events.
Cheer on your favorite team in what always proves to be a highly entertaining competition. Proceeds from the evening go the San Juan Public Schools Foundations mission of enhancing public education on San Juan Island. Tickets will be available at the door ($3 Children, $5 Adults, $10 Families) but arrive early because last years event sold out!
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2007 Spelling Bee Winners
Last Tuesday afternoon, each of the local 4th through 8th grade classrooms sent their spelling champions to the Main Stage of the theatre for the 2nd Annual Friday Harbor Spelling championship. By the 18th round, the 29 spellers had been reduced to just 2 finalists, locked in a verbal battle across the solitary microphone.
Friday Harbor Elementary School 5th grader Katie Lamphere and Friday Harbor Middle School 6th grader Michael Barsamian fought it out for another 10 rounds before the word "delirium" allowed Michael to take the lead. He then successfully spelled "delinquent" to clinch the title, the trophy, and top prize money.
The Rotary Club of the San Juan Islands sponsors the local spelling bee event, and donated total prize money of $875 to the schools of the 1st and 2nd place winners for support of the school literacy programs.
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New Members Inducted into Soroptimists
(Soroptomist President Becki Day with inductees Anna Coffelt and Shann Weston (left to right)
In January, Anna Coffelt and Shann Weston became the two newest members of Soroptomist International of Friday Harbor. Soroptimist International is a worldwide volunteer service organization for women in management and professions, working to advance human rights and the status of women and girls.
The Friday Harbor organization developed the Soroptimist Cancer Treatment Support Mission Project, which helps fund transportation to the mainland for islanders receiving cancer treatment.
The group also acknowledges island women and girls who work to make a difference with the Violet Richardson Award and the Making A Difference for Women Award.
The goals of the organization include:
• Improving the lives of women and girls • Helping women achieve economic and political equality • Serving as a global voice for women • Providing outstanding leadership development opportunities for women • Enhancing world peace and understanding
For more information please visit the website: http://www.sifri.org/
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SJI Library Announces New Adult Programming Series
The San Juan Island Library announces the beginning of a new adult programming series we are calling "Live and Learn @ your Library."
Live and Learn programming is designed to fulfill its mission to be a learning center for the community. The library seeks to carry out long range goals to facilitate life-long learning and to provide a public forum supporting the exchange of ideas. "For specific programs we used results drawn from our programming survey conducted in October. Our vision is to provide meaningful, provocative, and recreational programming that responds to community needs and interests. The offerings will primarily showcase the expertise and experiences of our own community members," said director Laura Tretter.
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Tuesday, February 6th
Feds Approve Plan: Restore Puget Sound Chinook
Calling it the nation's biggest salmon-recovery plan, the federal agency charged with protecting Northwest salmon listed under the Endangered Species Act has approved a far-reaching plan to recover threatened Chinook in Puget Sound. The salmon-recovery plan, a requirement of the ESA, is the largest and most comprehensive ever approved by the federal government, according to NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service.
The recovery plan is notable in that it was developed through the Shared Strategy for Puget Sound (SSPS), a collaborative conservation effort that includes state, tribal and local governments, industry, conservation groups and others. And speaking of local governments, SSPS has an agreement with San Juan County to assist the County in updating the County Critical Area Ordinance. (Related story)
The formal Federal approval marking adoption of the plan by NOAA's Fisheries Service is the culmination of more than five years' effort by local communities across the 14 river basins that drain into Puget Sound. The plan is aimed at restoring salmon to waters from the crests of the Cascade and Olympic mountains to Puget Sound.
Puget Sound Chinook, along with Hood Canal summer chum and Lake Ozette sockeye, were listed as threatened under the ESA 1999. The listing of Puget Sound Chinook was the first of its kind in a heavily urbanized area.
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Nearly 100 County Council Priorities For '07'
At the end of 2006 the County Council first took a stab at listing what their "Legislative Priorities" for 2007 should be. The list was short and seemed to be reasonable, and while not overly ambitions, it was at least realistic to the extent that perhaps some possible gains could be made toward some of the goals; even if most of them were not really within the power of Council action to have much of an affect on, such as "restoration" of the Capron funds, or the "Streamlining of the Sales Tax". But at the local level they could at least "support Community and Mental Health" and continue to try and "save Lopez Hill", and the number one -at least then- Council priority for 2007 was "Salmon Recovery" programs at the county level.
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Monday, February 5th
Current Reports From Afar: Thailand
We thought our readers might find an occasional report from two groups of students from the Spring Street International School's Experiential Education Program. The private school is located in Friday Harbor, and this year has two groups of High School students at opposite ends of the world.
One group is in southern Mexico, participating in a Spanish language immersion program. The other group, led by SSIS teachers Ted and Peg Hope, has landed in Bangkok, Thailand, and will be making their way slowly to their eventual destination in Nepal. The student group is composed of Petra Borhani-Bakker, Alice and Anna Haefele, Corwin Waldron, Noah Yang, Jonathan Balise, Lindsey Cummins, Alex Oettinger, Joanna Leff and Rebecca Mason.
Tomorrow we will run the report from Mexico, but today we are running the report from Thailand, from one of the trip leaders, Liza Michaelson, a Spring Street alumni parent, who just sent the following just after arrival in Thailand.
Excerpt One – Bangkok, Thailand:
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How To Comment On Orca Recovery Plan
Tuesday February 6th at 7-9pm: The Whale Museum & SJC Marine Resources Committee will host Lynne Barre from NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service ) presenting at a public meeting to provide an overview of the proposed recovery plan , to answer questions and give instructions on how to submit public comments.
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Practice Makes Perfect
(EMT Rebecca Smith takes a turn as a "patient" after EMT -and husband- Francis Smith aids in a loading drill)
When most of us were relaxing on a rainy Saturday, 17 members of the San Juan Island EMS (Emergency Medical Service) and related personnel were training for introduction of the new Air Ambulance service that Island Air will be offering starting in February.
In addition to class time, the participants went through drills of loading and unloading a "patient" into the back of the specially configured Cessna. The single engine plane is the only plane of it's kind approved by the FAA in the continental USA., and is large enough to transport one patient, two passengers and the pilot.
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State Tax Report Released
Sales tax is the state's single largest source of revenue, but what comes in second? You can find the answer and more in the latest issue of the Tax Reference Manual , which is in two parts, an Introduction, and then a breakdown of all of the tax categories, ranging from retail to real estate.
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Father Daughter Dance
Get that special lady in your life, tickets to the Father-Daughter dance for Valentines Day! Spend the evening bonding, enjoying refreshments and dancing to your favorite tunes provided by Shamrock Sound.
No dancing experience required and all ages welcome!! The Father-Daughter Dance is open to all ladies that are accompanied by their father or a significant adult male in their lives. This event will be held on Friday, February 9th from 7-9:00pm at The Mullis Center.
Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Island Rec office for $20.00 per couple or $25.00 per couple at the door $6 for additional daughters. For more information please contact Corelia Peacock at 378-4953, or go online at www.islandrec.org, or come by their office at 580 Guard Street between 1:00-5:00 pm Monday - Friday.
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Sunday, February 4th
New VA Medical Center Likely In Mt Vernon Area
In July of 2002 Rep. Larsen introduced legislation to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a two-year pilot project for outpatient medical care in Northwest Washington, pointing our that "The 2nd Congressional district is home to over 75,000 veterans, many of whom travel up to 100 miles each way to receive medical, dental, and mental health treatment from the Seattle VA Medical Center. This cannot continue to be the only health care resource for veterans living in northwest Puget Sound. We need to bring veteran health care closer to veterans".
Rep. Larsen has been joined by Senator Patty Murray in announcing the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will open a new VA health clinic in Northwest Washington to serve veterans in a five county area. The VA aims to open a community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC) in Northwest Washington within 12 months. It will serve veterans in San Juan, Island, Whatcom, Skagit and northern Snohomish County.
The VA is now in the process of setting to determine the clinic's exact location, based on the local veterans population, access to transportation, and other factors.
"This is great news, and a long time coming," Larsen said. "Northwest Washington's veterans have traveled too far, for too long, to get the health care they need and deserve. This clinic will bring veterans health care closer to veterans." "For years, Northwest veterans have faced tremendous barriers to the care they deserve"
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Friday, February 2nd
Objections, But FH Accepts WSF "Plan"
It has taken 18 months and nearly a quarter of a million of State dollars (related story), but after two meetings on Thursday the Friday Harbor Town Council decided to, not approve, but "accept" the Washington State Ferries (WSF) Draft Friday Harbor Master Plan for the Friday Harbor Ferry Terminal, even though the Council member's had pages of questions, suggestions and objections to the Plan, including a number of times labeled as "wrong".
Not to worry the Council was told by Port Commissioner Greg Hertel, representing both the Port and the Intermodal Transportation Committee, and Bob Distler, a member of the State Transportation Commission, for while the Plan is based on some projections that they believe are "subject to great debate" at the State level, the Plan is not a design, but simply a gathering of possible plans to address the problem of how to speed up the unloading and loading of cars and people, to come closer to the 20 minutes it takes in Seattle, instead of the 50 minutes it takes in Friday Harbor.
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Good Turnout for First Food Co-Op Meeting
Approximately fifty people showed up last Tuesday night to attend an organization meeting to hear about, and decide the question: Is there an interest in forming a Cooperative Natural Foods Grocery on San Juan Island?.
Cloud McCauley and Maureen Marinkovich organized the meeting to present the results of their research on food Co-Ops. Once they presented their ideas on why they believed a Co-Op is needed, what it will provide, and how it would be structured., they asked the attendees to offer their ideas, ask questions and make suggestions about the concept presented. At the end of the meeting the big question of "So who wants to be on a steering committee" was asked? Silence, and then slowly a committee was "formed" that will continue to research the subject, and then a second meeting will be held to present the Steering Committees report.
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Thursday, February 1st
Way Too Close For Comfort
In what could have been a very bad accident -early morning dark, upside down in the water- stopped short of yet another tragedy resulting from slippery roads. In this case the driver walking away uninjured when the car came to a stop at the edge of the road. Frost on the road caused the car to lose control on San Juan Island and slide just off the road, but did not roll down a 20 foot bank into the water below
Shortly after the accident a County sanding truck rolled by on it's morning frost run
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WSF Has Big Plans For FH
 The Town Of Friday Harbor will meet tonight to discuss the Friday Harbor Master Plan (FHMP) that addresses various design options to speed up the loading and unloading of cars at the Friday Harbor Dock. While there are a number of options presented in the Master Plan, there is one that may be floating to the top, that if adopted as the direction WSF decides to go, will have a major impact not only on how fast cars and trucks can get on-and-off of the ferry, but will also destroy at least two sites in town of some historical interest and value.
The plan in question may require the destruction or the moving of -at the least- the old wood frame building on property (yellow outline on photo) next to the holding area (outlined in blue) and the construction of a "direct route through the existing Sunken Park (outlined in red) and under Harrison Street", which would connect the existing WSF parking and holding areas (outlined in blue)
The FHMP is the result of a quarter million dollar study to "study traffic improvements around the ferry terminal in Friday Harbor". How much it will cost to make any of the possible improvements was not part of the study, and is not known.
The study was commissioned to address projected needs resulting from an expected 70% increase in ridership in the statewide system by 2030; and as much as 75% in SJ County. One of the problems with the existing FH terminal is the time it takes to load and off-load the ferry. This time is called the "dwell time", and if that time can be reduced, WSF states that "it may be possible to add a mid-afternoon sailing to Friday Harbor".
If the Town Council decides they wish to stay on board with the planning process, then the Town will join the other key players, such as the Port of Friday Harbor, and the SJ County Council, and work with WSF to come up with a final draft plan to speed things up a bit in sleepy little Friday Harbor.
If the Friday Harbor Council does continue with the process, and it is expected they will, then at some point near the end of the planning process there will be a new study presented on what the expected costs may be to complete one, or more, of the projects that survives the planning program. Based on past cost estimates by WSF, the estimate may not be an accurate final cost of the project, and the projected positive and negative impacts may not be the actual impacts that result.
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"Nowhere In Africa"
 On Thursday, 1 February 6:00pm, The Pelindaba Film Club presents an epic drama of a German-Jewish family who immigrate to Kenya shortly before World War II to build a new life on a new continent while Europe is torn apart. Winner of the 2002 Oscar for Best Foreign Film and many other international film awards.
"This is an intelligent epic told without special pleading, a film able to cut deep enough to reveal a keen specificity of experience." (Kenneth Turan, of the Los Angeles Times)
Director: Caroline Link. (2001 – Rated R) Film showing (141 mins) commences 6:00pm with a brief intermission
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