The Washington state Transportation Commission, held a public meeting onboard an inter-island ferry Monday. The meeting was an opportunity for public comment regarding proposed ferry fare increases. If adopted, inter-island fares for a vehicle and driver would increase 7.5 percent as of Oct. 11, 2009. The current inter-island fare for auto and driver is $16.95. The proposal would increase that fare to $17.95 in October of this year. Another increase to $18.75 is proposed for October 2010.
Every year, teachers must buy school supplies for their students who can’t afford them. To help eliminate the burden on our teachers and help classroom learning, Islanders Bank is sponsoring a Gear Up for Our Schools campaign.
State Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders will speak on property rights and the Constitution at the next meeting of the Citizens Alliance for Property Rights San Juan, today at 5:30 p.m. in the San Juan Island Grange.
Islanders could pay an annual parcel fee of $50 per developed lot and $25 per undeveloped lot, as well as a $5 fee each time they deposit refuse at the solid waste transfer station, to help fund solid waste services in San Juan County. Those fees, unanimously endorsed Thursday by the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, are intended to provide a reliable revenue stream for capital improvements and other system investments. Currently, the solid waste transfer stations are funded by tipping fees, which fluctuate based on use.
Saturday morning, the sea began to give back some of what it took from the crew of the Anna J the night before. The front of the pilot house. A varnished wood hatch. A storage bin. Dry suits. A ball cap. Coffee mugs. Photographs. A clock, half filled with water, its hands stopped at 6 hours, 33 minutes, 53 seconds. Of course, the first thing the sea surrendered was the crew. All hands survived the sinking of the venerable purse seiner off South Beach Friday night.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Ecology and Islands’ Oil Spill Association are responding to the sheen created by the sinking of the fishing vessel Anna J, about a half-mile south of Eagle Cove, Friday.
Agencies are conducting over-flights to determine the extent of the sheen and possible environmental impact, as well as coordinating with oil recovery specialists.
Veteran island fisherman Charles Chevalier nearly drowned and a family member was injured when his purse seiner, the Anna J, rolled and sank while taking on a load of humpies off South Beach.
A purse seiner rolled and sank off South Beach early this evening. Six people were retrieved from the strait, reportedly by U.S. Coast Guard and nearby fishing vessels. Sheriff Bill Cumming said the boat was the Anna J. The skipper, Charles Chevalier, and a crew member, Nick Nash, were medflighted – one to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition, the other to St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham.
Jacoba Porter has joined San Juan Property Management as the newest member of this vacation rental team. Porter, who is an island native, joins the company from Island Group Sotheby’s International Realty. San Juan Property Management owner Travis Mager said Porter brings a strong, proven background in customer service, office administration and marketing implementation.
The Town of Friday Harbor grew by four acres and a potential 11 homes Aug. 6. The Town Council finalized the annexation of the Country Village Estates neighborhood off Lampard Road. An adjacent part of the neighborhood – consisting of 25 lots – already receive town water, wastewater and stormwater service. Annexation clears the way for the 11 annexed lots to be connected to town utilities as well.
Gary Franklin, broker of Windermere San Juan Island, is joining forces with the Scott family of Anacortes and Mount Vernon to buy Windermere San Juan Island in Friday Harbor. John Dunning, who owns the Windermere office on Orcas Island, is the seller. He will retain ownership of Windermere San Juan Island’s vacation rental business. He also owns commercial real estate in La Conner.
Richard Fulton Schmalz Jr., 25, and Michaela Lynda Bennett, 23, will marry Sept. 12, 3 p.m., at 77 Little Road, Friday Harbor. A reception will follow. They are registered at Bed Bath & Beyond.
At its meeting today, the San Juan County Solid Waste Advisory Committee expects to finalize its recommendations on a long-term sustainable rate structure for the county’s Solid Waste Utility.
