The
INSIDE News briefs
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Natural History
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GMO guest column
Anne Willis photo
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Islands’ eekly W
Top ten stories of the year
VOLUME 36, NUMBER 53 • DECEMBER 31, 2013
The Weekly looks at the biggest news stories of 2013 1. CenturyLink outage
Electronic ties that bind the San Juan Islands to the rest of America and the world were disrupted for ten days in November when an underwater fiberoptic cable between Lopez Island and San Juan Island was severed just after 3 a.m. on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 5. Telephone and internet services, including most cellphones, were unavailable to all - except county offices and some businesses utilizing OPALCO’s Island Network broadband facilities.
Contributed photos / Noel McKeehan and Zak Everly
Far right: Bucky Lasek takes a turn at the skate ramp at “The Retreat” on Lopez. Right: Crane looks for the break in the CenturyLink cable. By T h u r s d a y, CenturyLink, owner and operator of the high-capacity fiber cable, had located the break in the San Juan Channel and had marshaled divers, technicians, a large repair barge with a crane, two tugboats and assorted other crafts and machines to address the break. CenturyLink informed the
media and local officials that it was working “around the clock” to restore service. Failure of 9-1-1 emergency communications was an immediate concern to county public safety officials, who scrambled to alert islanders to the outage and provide patchwork local emergency telephone communications on each island.
Use of 9-1-1 service was restored by Monday, Nov. 11; no missed emergencies were reported by EMS or fire departments. Less than four weeks later, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, the state agency responsible for regulating the telecom industry, came to Friday Harbor to
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hold an internet-streamed hearing that criticized CenturyLink for failure to adequately inform island residents and urged the company to provide redundant communications channels, which CenturyLink said was already underway. The cost: replacing the broken cable, $2 million; business interruption and dislocation, $200,000 or more; fifteen days of service credits granted by CenturyLink, at least $250,000; loss of trust and goodwill, incalculable. The “silver lining”: support for OPALCO’s proposal to extend its own fiberbased broadband system increased markedly. Just days later, the OPALCO’sa Board of Directors directed that the company speed up
fiber deployment throughout the county as an alternative to, or perhaps in cooperation with, CenturyLink and Rock Island Technology Solutions.
2. New skate park donated to Lopez
Shawn O’Day not only donated a new skate park to the people of Lopez, but also threw the party of the year for his company’s 70th anniversary of business. His team called the event “The Retreat” and offered a day of skating, food, music, and entertainment. Several of the world’s top skaters and BMX riders attended the event. O’Day is the president of Richlite, which is based SEE TOP TEN, PAGE 4
The relocation guide of the San Juan Islands in the
Thank you Lopez community for helping to make the Spirit of Giving Program such a success this year. We would like to thank the local businesses, churches and individuals for your support. ~ From the Lopez Island Family Resource Center staff
2014
This special section of The Journal, The Sounder, & The Weekly will be distributed to over 7500 readers throughout San Juan County and also online in our Green Editions!
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Community Calendar
SAT, JAN 4 EVENT: Retirement Party and Spirit Award Recipient, 5 p.m., Lopez Center for Community and the Arts. Please call Shawn 468-4389 or Suzanne 468-3074. If you have a story or letter of appreciation, email Liz Malinoff at jlmal@rockisland.com.
Erin Hannaford
Come in for your FREE LUNCH! Galley Restaurant
Lopez Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings: Mondays - 7:30 p.m. at the Children’s Center Wednesdays - 4 p.m. Women’s meeting at the fellowship hall at Grace Episcopal Church Fridays - 7:30 p.m. at the Children’s Center Saturdays - noon at the Children’s Center Call 468-2809
Al-Anon: Saturdays - 9:30 a.m. at the Children’s Center, Lopez. Call 468-4703.
THURS, JAN 9 EVENT: Lopez School Proudly Presents Winter Arts Night, 6:30 - 7 p.m., Lopez Center for Community and the Arts. Art, Music, and Drama presentations by Secondary Students. JAN 10 - 11 CLASSES: Growing a Great Business: “The 2 Day MBA,” Create a Business
Development Plan on Jan. 10, 9 am – noon. Create a Financial Plan on Jan. 10, 1 – 4 pm. Create a Marketing Plan on Jan. 11, 9 am – noon. Create a Business Operations Plan on Jan. 11, 1-4 pm. Each session is $30.00, or the entire class is $75. Instructed by James Dunn at Lopez Library. For info, call 468-4117 or go to www.lifrc.org. Preregistration required.
SUN, JAN 12 FILM: Lopez Locavores Film Series presents “In Organic We Trust,” 4:30 p.m., Port Stanley School. A food documentary that looks
beyond organic for practical food solutions such as farmers’ markets, school gardens, and urban farms. Hot cider, tea, popcorn and lively discussion will accompany the film. Free admission, donations to the food bank appreciated.
THURS, JAN 16 CLASS: Create a Website or Blog with WordPress. Meets 3 Thursdays, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., at Lopez Library. Instructor Adrienne Adams teaches how to to use this free online service to create a site for business or personal use. $45 fee if paid by 1/9, $55 after 1/9. Pre-registration req’d. Call
LIFRC 468-4117 or register online at www.lifrc.org.
SAT, JAN 18 EVENT: SalmonAtion, 5:30 7:30 p.m., Lopez Center. Lopez’s volunteer salmon researchers bring the fifth annual SalmonAtion celebration and report. Music is organized by Lance Brittain and Chicken Biscuit, treats by Bruce and Peter at Vita’s, wine from Lopez Island Vineyards. SAT, JAN 25 CLASS: iPad classes with Susan Young are back. Two levels. Basic Users 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and Advanced Users who have
taken classes previously 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Each meets at Lopez Library. Fee $30 if paid by 1/13, $40 after 1/13. Pre-registration req’d. Call LIFRC 468-4117 or register online at www. lifrc.org. CLASS: Social Networking 101 for Personal Use with Susan Young, at Lopez Library, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Learn how to Skype, Twitter, and use Facebook in this hands on class. Security setting and privacies will be covered. Fee: $20 if paid by 1/13, $25 after 1/13. Pre-registration req’d. Call LIFRC 468-4117, or register online at www. lifrc.org.
News briefs Rifle-wielding Orcas Island man faces felonies for alleged, failed home invasion
A 25-year-old Orcas Island man remains in custody following an alleged home invasion in which he reportedly broke into a home in the Rosario area late Sunday night, demanding money and threatening
Carol Weiss, MA Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Adult and Senior Psychotherapy Parent Guidance Jungian Dreamwork Mindfulness Psychology 468-3571 35 years experience Zen meditation and mindfulness practitioner UW Geriatric Mental Health Certificate
the people living there with an assault rifle. Although he wore a mask at the time, the man reportedly was recognized and fled the home when those living there identified him and called him out by name, according to local authorities. No shots were fired or injuries reported. The man allegedly forced his way into the home at about 10:20 p.m. Sheriff’s deputies were unable to locate the suspect on the night of the breakin, but the alleged would-be armed robber turned himself in at San Juan County Sherif f’s headquarters in Eastsound on Monday morning. He was taken into custody without incident and faces felony charges of firstdegree burglary with a fire-
arm, first-degree attempted robbery, first-degree assault with a firearm, and malicious mischief, a misdemeanor. Bail was set at $10,000 following a preliminary court hearing Tuesday, and the case remains under investigation, Sheriff Rob Nou said.
DNR cleans up Orcas land
The San Juan County Land Bank partnered with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to remove creosote and collect plastic debris from all of the Land Bank’s shoreline property on Orcas Island. “The DNR creosote cleanup program continues to make a positive and lasting impact throughout San Juan
Lopez Business Hours Galley Lopez Islander Breakfast: Restaurant Saturday and Sunday Open at 8 a.m. 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. Lunch: Full menu until at 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily least 8 p.m. every night Dinner: Short-list menu 4:30 - 8 p.m. Sunday after 8 p.m. 4:30 - 9 p.m. Monday - Thursday 4:30 - 10 p.m. Friday - Saturday Fresh, Local, Good Affordable Food / Great Sports Fantastic Lounge Specials www.galleylopez.com www.lopezfun.com 468-2713 468-2233
OPALCO turns dial up on energy
The Love Dog Cafe BREAKFAST/LUNCH OPEN: 9:00-11:30 / 11:30-2:30 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm DINNER Wed. Jan. 1 - Sun. Jan. 5 5 p.m. - LAST RESERVATION Closed Thurs. OPEN Thanks Lopez for THURS - SUN shopping local Without you we are just CLOSED Jan. 6 - Feb. 6 an empty room. www.justheavenlyfudge.com www.lovedogcafe.com 468-2439 468-2150 Just Heavenly Fudge Factory
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County,” said Land Bank Steward Ruthie Dougherty. “Removing this toxic debris one piece at a time is a nasty task, which these crews tackle with skill and conviction. Their efforts are making Land Bank shoreline areas safer for people and our unique and vulnerable marine ecosystem.” This is not the first time the Land Bank has worked with the Department of Natural Resources to remove creosote from public beaches. They partnered about five years ago to accomplish the same task. Last week, the DNR’s debris removal program cleaned up all of the Land Bank’s public shorelines, including Deer Harbor Water front Preser ve, Crescent Beach Preserve, Judd Cove Preserve and Eastsound Waterfront Park.
As uncertainty in pricing and power supply dominate the energy landscape,
Copyright 2012. Owned and published by Sound Publishing Co. Periodicals postage paid at Friday Harbor, Wash. and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscription rates: In County: $52/ year, $28/6 months. For convenient mail delivery, call 360-376-4500. The Islands’ Weekly was founded in 1982 and is based on Lopez Island. The Islands’ Weekly is published every Tuesday and is mailed to homes and businesses in the San
OPALCO is building on its strong foundation of energy efficiency and conservation programs to activate the co-op community towards greater action and reward. The 2014 budget has allocated $100,000 in matching grant funds which will be awarded to local nonprofit organizations that can expand education and outreach efforts – and funding potential – in the areas of energy efficiency and conservation and to incentivize energy saving building retrofits. Energy efficiency and conservation activities and gains are the key to managing the energy load and mitigating the rising cost of power. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council states, “Nearly 60 percent of the region’s new demand for electricity over the next five years, and 85 percent over the next 20 years, could be met with energy efficiency.” “During the last rate period (FY 2012-13), OPALCO’s energy efficiency and conservation programs, funded by BPA, achieved more than 2.7 million kWh in energy savings—which far outpaced our growth in energy demand,” reported General Manager Randy J. Cornelius. “Members received a recordsetting $685,000 in rebates. That is a significant impact and I’m proud of our staff and members–but we can and should do more.” This fall, a group of members already engaged in enerSEE OPALCO, PAGE 5
Juan Islands. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Islands’ Weekly, PO Box 758 Eastsound, WA 98245-0758. Member of Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, National Newspaper Association.
Natural History By Russel Barsh and Madrona Murphy
Noisy nests
Special to the Weekly
Humans are not especially fond of aircraft noise. Litigation and legislation have led to buy-outs of homes beneath airport flight paths and restrictions on both civilian and military aircraft operations over populated areas. Sleep deprivation, stress disorders and hearing loss have been blamed on frequent exposure to aircraft engine noise. What about wildlife, such as the seabird colonies in the San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge? Noise impacts of lowflying military jets on wildlife first made headlines in the 1980s when aboriginal peoples launched an international campaign to close the NATO fighter-jet training program in Goose Bay, Labrador, arguing that flights were dispersing caribou herds and interfering with calving. Since that time, managing military training in sensitive habi-
tats has become a global concern. In the United States, aircraft noise gradually found its way into the environmental impact assessments that new or enlarged federal facilities, including military bases, have been required to undertake since 1970. Although Congress has subsequently granted the Department of Defense numerous exemptions from federal environmental laws, including the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, impact assessments must still be undertaken before the President can consider a case-by-case
waiver. The problem is not so much with legislated exemptions, however, as with the lack of research that can be used to define the size and nature of the acoustic envelope that we should protect around critical habitats such as seabird nests. In a thorough critical review of the literature 18 years ago, the Army Corps of Engineers concluded that arguments for and against noise impacts were based on non-comparable opportunistic field observations rather than controlled experimental studies. It is disappointing that the state of our knowledge is
little better today, at least in part due to lack of public funding for the kinds of research the Army Corps recommended in 1996. We were able to find only one satisfactory controlled experiment in print, one where recorded aircraft noise was broadcast at different intervals and decibels at Crested Terns in Australia. Individual birds responded more or less to each burst of sound, with some dose-dependent response. But the output variable was visible behavior, rather than the physiological status and downstream health of the birds and their offspring. What generally can be agreed on the basis of the existing data is, first, that easily observable behavior such as defensive postures and flushing (leaving the roost or nest) is speciesspecific and also varies amongst individuals within the same seabird colony. It is also clearly not the whole story. Birds can tolerate and even habituate to noise (as people do) but with chronic consequences due to physiological stress responses. Most important of all is recognition that the quality, duration, consistency, or repetition of noise can be as determinative of its
impacts as sound pressure (loudness). The loud roll of timpani in the rhythm section of an orchestra can be less disturbing than the barely audible screech of a fingernail on the back of your seat in the audience. We know somewhat more about birds’ (and some marine mammals’) adaptations to living in artificially noisy environments, such as raising their voices so that their alarm and courtship calls can still be heard. Evidence for relocating nests or foraging areas out of noisy habitats, or experiencing less reproductive success, is patchy. It is likely that the long-term effect of increasing noise is a change in the bird community rather than simply a decrease in the number of birds. More tolerant species stay and may thrive, whilst less tolerant species emigrate and may never find comparable homes. This is certainly true of the mammals and insects that share our towns and cities. Human settlements create their own distinctive ecosystems. It is tempting to suppose that this kind of ecosystem shift has been taking place on the south end of Lopez in the decades since military overflights began. Our sea-
bird team found that very few of the seabird colonies last documented in 1981 are still in use, or else they are used today by species known to be more tolerant of proximity to humans such as gulls and cormorants. There are no doubt other forces at work, such as declining herring populations, and the effect of climate change on the length and storminess of our winters. But persistent disturbance by low-flying aircraft cannot be discounted as one factor, any more than we can say with any certainty that it was a cause. Since there is no clear scientific basis yet for saying how much (and what kind of) jet noise seabirds can bear without significant harm, it would be prudent to ask whether it is necessary to route low-altitude training flights over wildlife refuge islands and National Monument seashores. It is difficult to believe that no alternatives exist. Lopez-based conservation laboratory Kwiáht monitors seabird populations in Fisherman Bay (fishermanbayproject.org) and Iceberg Point (icebergpointproject. org). For more information or to get involved, write to kwiaht@gmail.com.
Sandlance headline at SalmonAtion New insights about the islands’ marine food webs and “forage fish” will be shared at Kwiáht’s fifth annual SalmonAtion celebration, Jan. 18 at Lopez Center, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. In addition to the traditional offering of savory snacks from Vita’s and a selection of wines from Lopez Island Vineyards, this year’s event will include Chicken Biscuit’s premiere of a salmon song by Gretchen Wing, and an installation of seashore paintings by the SalmonAtion 2014 poster artist, Mike Rust. Once again, Kwiáht’s dedicated local volunteers were able to measure and lavage more than 500 juvenile Chinook without government funding and with a survival rate of over 99 percent. This year, special attention was devoted to identifying parasites, such as copepod “sea lice”, isopods that attach to gills, and roundworms that hide under skin, in blood, and inside stomachs. “This will help us better understand how parasites affect the appetite and growth of wild salmon at sea,” says Kwiáht director Russel Barsh. Salmon were also screened for respiratory distress, a sign of ichthyophoniasis, an emerging fungal disease of fish, and for the bleeding associated with viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), which is a growing concern in herring and may be passed to salmon. Special attention was also paid to Pacific Sandlance, the skinny silvery gold fish that appear to make up over 80 percent of the diet of juvenile salmon and diving seabirds in our waters. Relatively little is known about their population dynamics or ecology, and Kwiáht has taken the lead in studying their genetic diversity in the Salish Sea with DNA from sandlance seined in the islands or recovered from salmon stomachs, and specimens donated by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Nisqually Tribe, and other agencies. “Sandlance in the North Atlantic and western Pacific turned out to be two or more species that look alike but reproduce at different times of year in very different habitats,” Barsh says. “We think that only a small proportion of the sandlance we
see in the islands come from spawning on beaches.” Kwiáht will begin using a specially designed trawl to look for larval sandlance in deep waters between January and April. “It is difficult to escape the conclusion,” he says, “that we have not yet identified, much less protected, the habitat that produces most of the forage fish used by salmon and seabirds.” San Juan County regulations and salmon-recovery funding currently focus on beaches where smelt and at least some sandlance spawn. When Lopez-based conservation laboratory Kwiáht and local volunteers began seining salmon in the islands in 2008, scientists did not know that juvenile Chinook and Coho salmon depend on the San Juan Islands for prey on their way to the sea. Kwiáht has used data from thousands of salmon caught at Watmough Bight to develop a model of how fish visitors adapt to changes in the variety and abundance of local prey, and how they may respond to climate change, shoreline modifications or oil spills in the future. The Watmough Bight ecosystem is now part of the new San Juan Islands National Monument and it’s the second most popular summer destination, highlighting the importance of understanding and protecting its ecosystem. To learn more, Kwiáht invites you to meet scientists
Contributed photo
Lopez volunteer salmon team at Watmough Bight. and volunteers at this year’s SalmonAtion event on January 18. Visit www.kwiaht.org or write to kwiaht@gmail.com for further information.
Upscale results with down home prices (360) 588-8828
1014 11th Street
Anacortes, WA 98221
The Islands’ Weekly • www.islandsweekly.com • December 31, 2013 – Page 3
TOP TEN CONTINUED FROM 1
in Tacoma. Founded in 1943 with the name Rainier Plywood, Richlite manufactures Skatelite, one of the world’s most popular skate ramp surfaces used in the X-Games and by the majority of professional skaters and BMX athletes on their personal ramps. The new skate park will fill the entire 60-foot by 80-foot pad at the current location. Richlite has commissioned California RampWorks, the designers behind the X-Games halfpipe and mega air ramps, to build the Lopez Island park. Also in the days leading up to the event, Richlite iheld its annual international sales meeting on Lopez with more than 80 distributors, customers, VIPs and their families.
3. Hughes, Jarman, Stephens elected to 3-person council
San Juan County’s legislative and executive branch began a new chapter on April 23. Voters backed the re-election bids of three county council incumbents in the first county-wide election in seven years. Bob Jarman beat Lovel Pratt to represent District 1, Rick Hughes won for District 2 against Lisa Byers and Jamie Stephens beat Brian McClerren for District 3. The new three-person council was enacted by county charter changes approved by voters in November 2012. It reduced the size of the council from six elected officials to three, redrew the council legis-
lative districts from six to three, and instituted countywide elections for each of those three newly created council positions. Changes to the charter also turned the three council positions into full-time jobs, eliminated the position of county administrator, and delivered into the hands of the council the responsibility for both legislative duties and overall management of the county. Council members are paid an annual salary of $75,000, plus benefits.
4. Sailboat sinks after collision with ferry
A 28-foot sailboat sank after it was struck by the Hyak ferry on Sept. 13. The sailboat’s lone occupant, a man in his mid-60s, did not sustain major injuries. A Fish and Wildlife boat towed the sailboat away, but
it later sank in 250 feet of water. The accident forced the cancellation of the next boat and was a disturbing sight for many people on board the ferry who watched the accident occur. Washington State Ferries removed the captain and the 2nd mate from duty onboard the Hyak and placed the two on administrative assignment. In November, Washington State Ferries convened a board of inquiry to investigate the collision. They concluded that human error was responsible for the accident.
5. OPALCO changes course after plan to expand broadband fails
Orcas Power and Light Cooperative unveiled a pro-
Crossword Puzzle Across 1. Door feature 5. Christian Science founder 9. New moon, e.g. 14. Control freak 15. Achy 16. Horse opera 17. Aroma 18. Checked item 19. Contemptuous look 20. Energy converters (2 wds) 23. Bridge play (pl.) 24. Map line 28. "Give it ___!" (2 wds) 29. Big ___ Conference 31. French Sudan, today 32. Lawn mower's path 35. Sits tight 37. End 38. Hit by thunderstorm's electrical discharge (2 wds) 41. "Is that ___?" 42. Bulrush, e.g. 43. Like some buckets 44. Clickable image 46. ___ bit 47. "Wheel of Fortune" buy (2 wds) 48. Not at all 50. Makes right 53. January 1 to December 31 (2 wds) 57. Strikes with beak 60. Cameron ___, actress 61. Plunge headfirst 62. Fits
posal in Feb. 2013 to build a hybrid fiber-wireless system that would serve 90 percent of San Juan County. In June, OPALCO scaled back the plan after only 900 members signed up. It closed the sign-up process and returned deposits to those who pre-subscribed. Its more conservative plan included delivering better broadband, at lower risk, by sharing its infrastructure with all of the other internet service providers. “This infrastructure provider concept means that we will offer access to our data networking infrastructure through leasing agreements,” said OPALCO representatives at the time. The need for better county-wide communications became even more apparent after a week-long CenturyLink outage (see page one) this fall. In late November, in front of a packed room at their regularly scheduled meeting in Friday Harbor, the OPALCO Board issued and approved the following motion: “Our island communities are suffering economic damage and safety issues caused directly by inadequate phone and Internet infrastructure. Therefore, OPALCO shall accelerate expansion of our local member-owned, robust and reliable high-speed data infrastructure to provide Internet, phone and emergency communication services to our members. Deployment will be supported and funded by OPALCO
assets, including equity and rates.” This acceleration does not mean that OPALCO will necessarily provide broadband services directly to members. Other co-op members and ISPs such as CenturyLink and RockIsland can take advantage of OPALCO’s infrastructure and accelerated expansion to provide broadband services directly to members.
6. Lopez School Board re-elected, Solid Waste Levy passes and I-522
In this year’s November race for Lopez School District Directors the current school board was reelected. The board includes John Helding, Clive Prout, Del Guenther and Dixie Budke. Other big election news was the passing of the Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District Prop. No. 1, a oneyear levy to fund solid waste disposal activities. The levy was passed with 78 percent of the vote. Locally, I-522, the measure concerning the labeling of GMO foods, was approved. But statewide, it was rejected by 55 percent.
7. Where are the whales?
Curiosity had turned into a growing sense of unease by mid-July. As a record-low number of sightings of Southern Resident killer whales off SEE TOP TEN, PAGE 6
Sudoku
11. Absorbed, as a cost 12. "Comprende?" 13. "To ___ is human ..." 21. Acrobat's garb 22. Dressed to the Down ___ 1. Comprehend 25. Dye with wax 2. Low point 26. Similar 3. Kind of layer 4. Robin's tidying spot 27. Turn red or yellow, say 5. Former Portuguese 29. Bit of color monetary unit 6. Opportunities, so to 30. Halftime lead, e.g. 32. Assassinated speak 33. Ham radio 7. Blah response 8. Abominable 34. Burning Snowman 35. Dwell 9. Presents, as a 36. Habitual drug user threat 39. Handrail support 10. Two-wheeled 40. Time of financial covered carriage 63. 64. 65. 66. 67.
#1 spot Battery contents Regretful Bungle, with "up" Cravings
The Islands’ Weekly • www.islandsweekly.com • December 31, 2013 – Page 4
need (2 wds) Neigh softly Blows away Flip, in a way Monroe's successor 51. Prepare for winter takeoff 52. Small spreading juniper bush 54. ___ cheese 55. "Good going!" 56. 1990 World Series champs 57. ___ de deux 58. "I" problem 59. Blackguard 45. 47. 49. 50.
Answers to today's puzzle on page 8
Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty ranges from 1-5 (easy) 6-10 (moderate) and 11-15 (hard). Today’s puzzle is level 12. Sudoku and Crossword answers on page 8
Guest Column
What sank I-522? By Charles Mish, Chickadee Farm Special to the Weekly
Although 65% of San Juan County voted in favor of I-522, a slim majority of Washington voters allowed themselves to be persuaded that it was not in their best interest to know what’s in their food. How could an issue that had a 66% approval rating last summer lose 51-49 by election day? Three reasons: big money, lukewarm message, wrong year. Big Money: Four outof-state Big Chemical corporations and the Food Manufacturers Association donated a whopping $22 million, half of it illegal, to sway voters with a barrage of negative advertising. Day after day, voters heard seemingly trustworthy, reliable speakers--farmers (including an organic farmer), a dietitian, an obstetrician, a former attorney general--claim the “poorly written” initiative was bad for farmers, would raise food costs, and had too many exemptions. Most importantly, they said GM food is no different from ordinary food, so why bother labeling it. Well-crafted, polished, convincing adver tising, except none of it was true. Lukewarm Message: With an $8 million war chest, the Yes side tried to counter misleading claims, with limited effect. The main problem with the Yes side’s counterattack was a weak “right to know” message. As Steve Hallstrom, an organic farmer and early leader, says, “Voters need to know WHY they should have a right to know.” Failing to warn people of GMO dangers lulls them into a dangerous complacency. According to geneticist Mae-Won Ho, the evidence is there for everyone to see that GM monoculture is damaging the ecosystem, creating super bugs and super weeds, yielding less, using more water, becoming more susceptible to disease, less resistant to weather extremes, and finally that the US GM crop is failing badly. What’s more, thousands of doctors are finding when they take their ailing patients of f GM foods, they improve (Jef frey Smith,“Genetic
Roulette”). A message combining the right to know reinforced by an educational campaign exposing the dark side of GMOs should stand a better chance of getting out the vote. Wrong year: Statewide, only 46% of voters took time to mail their ballot. In this off-off year election, many older voters turned out. In the worst turnout in a generation, younger, more progressive voters essentially skipped the election. We learned a lesson: voters need to be trusted with the truth. Consultant Dove Seidelman says, “Leaders who trust people with the truth, hard truths, are trusted back. Leaders who don’t,
OPALCO CONTINUED FROM 2
generate anxiety and uncertainty in their followers.” San Juan County, prepared by an inspiring educational campaign including visits by Percy Schmeiser, a farmer who successfully sued Monsanto, and by Jeffrey Smith who visited three islands in September 2012, voted 62% in favor of the 2012 seed ban and 64% in favor of I-522, mustering strong turnouts in both contests. Our next attempt at labeling will likely take place in 2016, a presidential election year. Until then, remember that each purchase of a GMO-free product is a vote to transform the Waste Land into the New Eden.
gy efficiency and conservation activities began to meet and discuss what could be accomplished while working together under OPALCO’s Sustainable Energy Grants Program. A roundtable of interested nonprofits met with OPALCO leadership in December to discuss projects and the potential for cooperation between the groups to make best use of resources and accelerate progress toward a more sustainable energy future. The participating groups include Island Stewards, San Juan Islands Conservation District, Solar Gardens and the Opportunity Council. Members of Islands Energy Coalition and Gray Cope, who are considering participation, were also in attendance. Eligible organizations must have a board that includes
representation from all ferryserved islands. Cornelius welcomed the groups to the table, thanked them for their commitment to sustainable energy and made it clear that this work takes a top priority at OPALCO: “This work is critical to our mutual success and a healthy future for our island communities. OPALCO is committed to working sideby-side with you on creative solutions for energy efficiency and conservation. This is our core business – providing reliable, affordable power to our members. Anything we can do together to turn the dial up and accelerate our progress in these areas is of great community service and much appreciated.” “We’re all in this together,” said Adrienne Reed of Island Stewards. “It’s exciting to imagine what we can accomplish working in collaboration – with each other and with OPALCO.” Stay tuned for more infor-
mation as the work of these cooperating nonprofit organizations takes shape. And, stay tuned for information on OPALCO’s Community Solar Initiative. Although not included in the matching grants program, OPALCO has committed sites on three islands for community solar projects. Qualified nonprofits will install, operate and maintain solar arrays, and market to OPALCO members who want solar power, but can’t or don’t want to make the investment themselves. OPALCO Board directives and policies are available online at www.opalco.com – under the About/Board of Directors menu and also Members/Member Service Policies. Co-op members are welcome to attend board meetings, which are scheduled for the third Thursday of each month. Board agendas and packets are published a week in advance of each meeting.
Happy New Year From San Juan Propane! Thanks to all our customers throughout the San Juan Islands. Through wind and snow, you can count on us to bring the gas to you!
SALES AND SERVICE TO ALL ISLANDS.
Lopez: 360-468-4621 Eastsound: 360-376-2215 Friday Harbor: 360-378-2217
1-800-683-0504 986 Dill Road Lopez Island, WA 98261 The Islands’ Weekly • www.islandsweekly.com • December 31, 2013 – Page 5
TOP TEN CONTINUED FROM 4
the west side of San Juan Island, in the waters of Haro Strait, stretched into its fourth month, even those who watch them most couldn’t help but ask: “Where are the whales?” The spring and early summer of 2013 now stand as the lowest mark in more than 20 years of tracking the Southern residents in Haro Strait -- and dramatically so.
Between April and late July, a member of J, K or L pods had been sighted on only one of 17 days, less than half the average for that period and 12 days fewer than the previous low. Some blamed a poor return of Chinook salmon to the Fraser River. And while sightings became more frequent in late summer and even more so in the fall, the slow start foreshadowed dispiriting news to come. Four members of the endangered population remain missing, including
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an 80-year-old female, J-8, and are believed dead. With the loss of eight orcas over the past three years, the population now totals 80 animals, prompting some to call for greater protections in the federally managed recovery plan that’s supposed to help bring the population back from the edge of extinction.
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on dozens of the San Juan islands were designated as National Conservation Lands by President Barack Obama on March 25. Second Congressional District Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Everett) and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell previously introduced legislation in Congress to designate about a thousand acres of land scattered through the San Juans as a National Conservation Area, but the bill stalled in Congress, leading them to ask President Obama to declare the lands a National Monument by executive order under the Antiquities Act. Both the designation as a National Monument and as a NCA drew the support of former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. Sally and Tom Reeve of Lopez Island and a dozen other islanders formed and led a citizen action group to promote the project, and several of them accompanied San Juan County Councilman Jamie Stevens to Washington, D.C., to advance the cause. The designation as National Conser vation Lands under the Antiquities Act of 1906 means that the lands join 103 other parcels of public land as National Monuments.Although there are millions of acres of National Conservation
Lands, National Monument status is “much more significant,” according to Meghan Kissell of the Conservation Lands Foundation.
9. I-5 Skagit bridge collapse before Memorial Day
On May 23, the northern section of the I-5 bridge over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon collapsed. The incident was caused when a southbound Mullen Trucking Co. truck hauling a large housing for mining equipment clipped one or more load-bearing supporting struts as it crossed the bridge. The over-height truck was accompanied by a pilot car with a vertical measuring pole which, according to witnesses, also struck the bridge in front of the truck following behind. Three people were rescued from two vehicles that plunged into the water along with the bridge. All three were unharmed and released from local hospitals after being checked out and warmed up. A temporary bridge was erected June 19 allowing thru traffic on I-5. Local business owners in the Skagit Valley and surrounding areas, including the San Juans, were concerned that the bridge collapse would negatively
Worship Services in the Islands LOPEZ ISLAND CHRIST THE KING COMMUNITY CHURCH, There’s Always a Place for You! CTK gathers at 10:00 a.m. in the school multi-purpose room at 86 School Road. Come as you are! More info at www.ctkonline.com/lopez. Email: lopez@ctkonline.com Phone: 888-421-4CTK ext. 819. GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH, welcomes you to worship with us on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. Fisherman Bay Road at Sunset Lane. 468-3477. Everyone welcome! HARBOR OF HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH, invites you to worship at 10 a.m. Sundays beginning Oct. 27 at 1145 Channel Road. Please check at www.theharborofhope.com for information on “The Bulletin Board,” or call Pastor Don 468-4019. LOPEZ ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH, 91 Lopez Road. Sunday School: pre-school through adult 9:30 a.m.; Worship at 10:30 a.m. Pastor Jeff Smith 468-3877. LUTHERAN CHURCH IN THE SAN JUANS. Join us Sundays at 9:00 a.m. in Center Church on Davis Bay Road. Also in Friday Harbor at 11:00 a.m. in St. David’s and in Eastsound at 1:15 p.m. in Emmanuel. Pastor Anne Hall, 468-3025. QUAKER WORSHIP GROUP Meetings will be Sundays at 10:00 a.m. at the home of Ron Metcalf, 6363 Fisherman Bay Road. Children’s program. Everyone welcome. Phone 468-2129. Email: lopezfriends@gmail.com ST. FRANCIS CATHOLIC CHURCH Come worship with us at Center Church on Davis Bay Rd. We welcome you to join us for Mass at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. Call 378-2910 for Mass times on San Juan and Orcas Islands.
affect business. In response to this concern, $150,000 was released from the strategic reserve account to support economies in impacted areas. Businesses impacted by the collapse were encouraged to report economic losses to county emergency management officials.
10. Level III sex offender moves to Friday Harbor
In the wake of an outpouring of opposition, neighborhood protests and a series of tense town hall meetings, San Juan Island got what proved to be a two-year reprieve from being the home of San Juan County’s only Level III sex offender. That was back in early 2011. But by February 2013, the state Department of Corrections no longer had authority to tell David Franklin Stewart where he could or could not live. Freed from court-ordered residential oversight, the 60-year-old former Snohomish County resident and convicted child rapist opted to move into the home that he and his wife purchased six years earlier in San Juan Island’s Bridal Trails neighborhood. As a registered sex offender, Stewart was required to notify the Sheriff’s Department within three days of moving to his San Juan Island home, which he did. He served 7 1/2 years in prison and two years probation for first-degree child rape. Neighbors reported seeing Stewart at his San Juan Island home Feb. 17. Currently, San Juan County is home to 20 registered sex offenders, 18 of whom, at Level I, are considered low-risk to reoffend. Stewart, who because of his classification is considered at high-risk to reoffend, remains the only Level III sex offender in San Juan County.
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ISLAND PETS lost/ found. On Lopez call Jane 360-468-2591; Joyce, 360-468-2258; Sheriff’s Office 360-3784151. Lopez Animal Protection Society, PO Box 474, Lopez, WA 98261. On Orcas call 3603766777. On San Juan call the Animal Shelter 360-378-2158
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Notice to Contractors Washington State Law (RCW 18.27.100) requires that all advertisements for construction related services include the contractor’s current department of Labor and Industries registration number in the advertisement. Failure to obtain a certificate of registration from L&I or show the registration number in all advertising will result in a fine up to $5000 against the unregistered contractor. For more information, call Labor and Industries Specialty Compliance Services Division at 1-800-647-0982 or check L&Is internet site at www.lni.wa.gov
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Islands’ Weekly PO Box 39 Lopez, WA 98261
Snow scenes on Lopez
Contributed photos / Anne and George Willis
Waterfront clearcut prompts ‘stop work’ order on Mar Vista remodel By Steve Wehrly Journal reporter
An emergency order to “immediately stop all clearing and grading activity” was posted Dec. 17 by the San Juan County Code Enforcement Officer at the False Bay property purchased earlier this year by Dave and Nancy Honeywell. The 40-acre property was formerly the Mar Vista Resort, one of the larger contiguous waterfront prop-
erties on Haro Strait on the west side of San Juan Island. The Honeywells, winners of a nine-figure Powerball jackpot in February of this year, purchased the property in early spring. According to an April 15 residential pre-application, the Honeywells intend to build a new home and rehabilitate and remodel some of the former resort cabins and the caretaker house. Some former cabins would
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From point to elbow, an area along the waterfront at Mar Vista Resort appears blond and bare after trees and vegetation were removed, reportedly without a permit. be removed and parcel boundaries would apparently have to be changed to conform to current land use code requirements, according to the application. The site visit was conducted in June by Annie Matsumoto-Grah of Community Development and Planning Department, who prepared a three-page report, dated July 1. That report discussed two environmentally sensitive areas on the three parcels comprising the former resort, laying out for the Honeywells various environmental and development restrictions that must be met, including required plans and permits. Because “[t]he shoreline and waters offshore of the parcel contains protected marine habitat areas,” the report asserts that “a full storm water management plan must be submitted” and “[r]emoval of trees within the shoreline jurisdiction area can be done only with a CD&P-approved tree removal plan.” Lopez Island
Neither the stormwater management plan nor the tree-removal plan were apparently provided to the county and the state, nor could any other permit applications or documents be located in a search of county databases by the Journal. The emergency order specifies four possible code violations: clearing and grading within the shoreline area without benefit of permits; converting land to a non-forestry use without benefit of an “approved Class IV General Forest Practice Permit that has received SEPA review”; failing to manage shoreline activity to minimize adverse impact to surrounding land and water uses; and “[c]onducting land-disturbing activity greater than one acre without
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The Islands’ Weekly • www.islandsweekly.com • December 31, 2013 – Page 8
benefit of an NPDES permit” issued by the state Department of Ecology. Local arborist Casey Baisch told the Journal that the Honeywells consulted him this fall and that he agreed to “limb and trim some fir trees” and clean up bushes and other scrub growth, “nothing that would require a permit.” Baisch said he was shocked to return to the property after a few weeks to find that “more than a few” willows, alders and other trees” had been removed. Stephanie Buffum, executive director of Friends of the San Juans, was irate when she saw photographs of the area. She believed the photographs showed dozens of trees had been removed and areas of native flowers and other vegetation removed.
“This will take decades to repair,” Buffum said. “It’s a great example of property owner irresponsibility.” Baisch said he had been interviewed by code enforcement and told them that the few fir trees he had trimmed were still standing and that he did not know who had done the tree cutting. He said he believed that areas with Golden Paintbrush, which are dormant this time of year, had not been disturbed and that the Honeywells were intent on “disturbing native vegetation” as little as possible. Code Enforcement Officer Chris Laws and Community Development & Planning Acting Director Sam Gibboney declined to discuss events at Mar Vista, citing the “ongoing investigation.” Telephone messages left at the Honeywells’ local phone were not immediately retur ned. The Honeywells’ local attorney, Mimi Wagner of the Law Offices of William J. Weissinger, and their real estate agent, Bob Elford, also declined to comment.