Submitted by Lopez Island Family Resource Center
Local headlines come and go, but one thing you can count on when you open your weekly newspaper is the sheriff’s log. For decades the log has been a favorite feature of the San Juan Islands papers. Now readers can enjoy a best-of collection of log entries from “the friendly isle,” where even mishaps can come with a smile.
“No Further Action Was Necessary: Selections from the Lopez Island Sheriff’s Log,” celebrates humorous aspects of island life. Published on behalf of the Lopez Island Family Resource Center, with the cooperation of Islands Publishing, the book arrives just in time for holiday giving and relaxed reading. The small paperback is packed with entries chosen from 20 years’ worth of sheriff’s logs and includes lively illustrations by island artist Camilla Wilde.
The compilation was conceived by editor Kitty Harmon, a member of the LIFRC board.
“Many years ago, I began clipping out my favorite sheriff’s log entries and taping them into a notebook,” she said. “When I became involved with the Family Resource Center here on Lopez, it occurred to me that this amazing organization does so much to mediate the sadder parts of the log,” Harmon said. “I thought of the book as a way to celebrate the lighter side — especially now, when we need the smiles — and support all the work LIFRC does to care for our community.”
Log entries encapsulate little moments of island life. A gambol of goats blocks a road; a boat begins to sink; a mysterious blue light illuminates the night sky. Happily, all ends well. Animals are returned to their pens, and the boat owner is notified and pumps out his bilge. The mysterious light turns out to be a neighbor’s television.
Many entries display the humor of the writer at the paper. For example: “A Lopez deputy returned a wayward sheep to its pasture, where it was resoundingly welcomed by the rest of the flock.” Entries also speak to the humanity of our law enforcement. Deputies offer suggestions for resolving disputes between neighbors, or courtesy transports for intoxicated pedestrians, or educational materials to speeding boaters. Everyone is happy when no further action is required.
The book is currently available at Paper Scissors on the Rock (with other locations to be announced). The price is $20 per copy, with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting the Lopez Island Family Resource Center.
