San Juan County Parks, Public Works, the Land Bank and The Trust for Public Land will host open houses on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan islands to share key findings from a community survey conducted in December 2009, present new maps of county resources, and request feedback on their recommended projects and actions.
We are grateful for the many expressions of love and support during our loss of Charlie. The flowers, food, cards, visits and thoughts were truly appreciated. It is most rewarding to have lived on this island all our lives with special, caring people.
The Family Umbrella Group’s 12th annual Spring Luncheon will be held this Friday at Mullis Community Senior Center. We hope that you can join us for this fun-filled event starting at 11 a.m. with our silent auction and social hour. Enjoy a gourmet lunch provided by Vinny’s and be entertained by Eugene Cuomo during our live auction. Many fabulous items graciously donated by members and businesses within our community are up for bid.
OPALCO is the only organization in the country that holds its annual meeting on a public ferry! Why? In order to give all the members of this unique, member-owned cooperative a chance to express their concerns and views to the management and the Board of Directors in a local, easy-to-access forum.
In response to Brian Lynch’s letter (“Bogert for OPALCO,” page 6, April 7 Journal), I’d like to clarify an important point. In the OPALCO election, all members may vote in all district elections, regardless of their home district.
The first draft of the summer ferry schedule has been in the media.
It’s important to point out that there is always a big difference between the first draft ferry schedule and the final schedule. This happens every time and is what our Ferry Advisory Committee is tasked to accomplish: to take the draft WSF proposes and work with them to adapt it to our needs.
The Friday Harbor Town Council has withdrawn “for the time being” the town’s offer to sell the solid waste transfer station site to the county. The San Juan County Council has responded that it may go its own way and develop a new transfer station on a neighboring parcel. Within their letters to each other: An openness to negotiate and resolve their disputes. We encourage them to do so. They have an opportunity to resolve one of the most contentious issues on the island today and strengthen the relationship between the town and county governments.
It was a windy and cold April 2, and 10-year-old Grace Shaw checked on the hummingbirds that visit the feeders lining the porch of her family’s home on Bailer Hill Road. She saw what looked like a leaf stuck to one of the feeders; a closer look revealed it was a hummingbird, its feet stuck to the little ledge around the feeder. She carefully removed the bird from the feeder and called her mom. “I thought it was dead,” Rose Shaw said, remembering that some of the bird’s feathers were missing.
The San Juan Island Farmers Market will likely have a permanent home on Nichols Street soon. The Capital Budget approved by the state House of Representatives Tuesday includes $375,000 for the purchase of 150 Nichols St. for a permanent farmers market.
It was a great party. A good ol’ fashioned island spaghetti feed. Lots of great items to bid on. Camaraderie was high. The humor was abundant. The guest of honor could not be there. But she will know about this party; it’s as much a part of her history as the health issue that prevented her from attending. And someday, she will thank each and every person who attended this event — not with words, but with her life. Seeing her as an adult, perhaps with children of her own, pursuing her life’s dreams as a happy, healthy young woman; that will be the reward.
The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce celebrates the success of local businesses with its first annual Recognition and Celebration Banquet, April 29 in Friday Harbor House’s San Juan Room. The evening will start at 6 p.m. with a no-host bar. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m., with the program and awards to follow.
While driving home from a recent stormwater workshop, a friend asked, “Is run-off from my small property really making its way to the ocean and causing damage? My family has lived here 20 years, and we care about the environment as much as anyone. Why is this suddenly becoming a problem?” It’s a good question, and one that resonates with many of us. When we look to science for the answer, we find that it isn’t always exact enough to show specific effects from specific human behaviors.
You’re more likely to get killed in a traffic accident involving speed in King County than anywhere else in the state. That’s probably not surprising, given the county’s population and traffic load. Counting 2004 through 2008, vehicle speed killed 246 people in King County, or 21 percent of the state’s total. But what’s surprising is that fatal accidents involving speed frequently occur on county or rural roads, outside congested cities, where wide-open spaces tempt a heavy foot.
