A small plane carrying three people crashed near the Roche Harbor disc golf course shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday. “The plane went into trees. Everybody is OK. There were minor injuries,” Sheriff Bill Cumming said. “It appears a 79-year-old gentleman will be flown off. The NTSB and the FAA will be notified.”
Dana Richard Kempton of Friday Harbor will be arraigned on a charge of vehicular homicide Aug. 13 in San Juan County Superior Court. The charge stems from a crash on Memorial Day in which Kempton’s passenger was killed. Superior Court Judge Donald E. Eaton determined Wednesday there was probable cause to arraign Kempton on the charge, based on an investigation by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Department.
This document was written to speak to two concerns:
— Do rain gardens work? How do we know that an investment like this will pay off?
— What is the goal of a monitoring program? What are the reference points to show what the data means? Do we know that the data is appropriate? What do we do with the data?
Rebuilding Spruce Street — with new surface and storm drainage — would cost about $471,400. And it might be paid for by neighborhood residents through a limited improvement district. Next to determine: Who will be in the limited improvement district. Town Administrator King Fitch said districts, or LIDs, or usually comprised of residents whose homes face an improvement. But in this case, more homes could be included because Spruce Street provides access to Hemlock Court, Green Way, and Alder Court. It becomes Rose Lane. The number of homes in the district is important — more homes means less property tax per owner.
The San Juan County Marine Resources Committee is proposing two rain gardens at First and Spring streets — on the corner of Herb’s Tavern and Coldwell Banker — and a tree well at Spring and Front streets to filter stormwater before it reaches the harbor. The Friday Harbor Town Council will reconsider the proposal Thursday at noon. The meeting is open to the public.
Latitudes & Attitudes’ ninth annual NW Cruiser Party and Share the Sail event comes to the San Juans this month. The big annual party/rendezvous is Aug. 13-15 at Cap Sante Marina, Anacortes. “We expect more than 150 boats and upwards of 1,000 people,” said Bob Bitchin, publisher of Latitudes & Attitudes Seafaring magazine.
Friday Harbor’s town treasury has received $66,244.46 in lodging tax revenue so far this year, $8,605 more than the previous year, according to a report by Town Treasurer Wendy Picinich. That money represents revenue from two 2 percent lodging taxes collected — one for lodging facilities like public restrooms, the other for tourism promotion. Each 2 percent tax generated $33,122.23. It’s the second-best year in lodging tax revenue since 2004. Sales tax revenue, not so much.
Thank you, farmers. It’s a pleasant sight seeing you in the fields. May your harvest be bountiful.
While serving as San Juan County deputy sheriff, I supported Jeff in the 2002 sheriff’s election and know how difficult it can be to support a candidate that your direct supervisors (Undersheriff Jon Zerby, Sgt. Scott Brennan and Sgt. Steve Vierthaler) and senior deputies (Scott Johanson and Eric Gardiner) vehemently oppose.
I believe Jeff Asher to be the best qualified candidate for sheriff of San Juan County, based on my 15-year career as a Los Angeles police officer and 11-year San Juan County residency. With 25 years of service to this community, Jeff knows where the current shortfalls lie. Proper training of officers is essential, both for public safety and avoidance of lawsuits.
I knew Brent this past year as one of the parents at Spring Street School, but I did not interact with him a lot in his professional role as a detective until this spring. After several meetings with Detective Johnson, I thought of Auden’s lines above and reflected on how wonderful it was to see a master at work, practicing his craft with such precision, insight, and wisdom.
Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO) is a member-owned, member-operated electric utility that cares about its co-op family of employee-member-owners. OPALCO’s commitment to a healthy workplace includes a wellness program that encourages — and rewards — healthy habits. OPALCO gets up to a 6 percent discount on its insurance rates (through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association) in exchange for hosting a wellness program — and then is required to spend that savings on employee wellness activities and incentives.
The tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain will make a rare stop in Roche Harbor Aug. 4-10 and offer a full slate of public activities. The vessels will fire a cannon salute to the community when they arrive at about 5:30 p.m. after an all-day passage from Anacortes.
