Washington is making dramatic and steady progress on cleaning up the state’s voter registration rolls, particularly in removing duplicate or deceased voters from the lists, but the difficult task of culling ineligible felons remains a challenge, the state Elections Division reported.
If you aren’t currently registered to vote in Washington and want to vote in the Nov. 4 general election, you have until the Oct. 20 deadline to so in person at your county elections office. Secretary of State Sam Reed is urging eligible residents to register in person to vote by Monday’s deadline so they can take part in the election.
Reunion for the Friday Harbor High School Class of 1998 — titled “10-Year Reunion Done ‘Island Style'” — is Saturday, Oct. 18, noon at Cady Seiler’s House, 625 Park St., Friday Harbor.
In the high school halls, Wolverine pride is running deep as students gear up for two days of Homecoming events — beginning Friday, with the ever popular parade of floats, and ending Saturday, with a traditional Homecoming dance. King and queen will be crowned during the pep rally at Turnbull Gym Friday afternoon. Wolverine spirit spreads into the evening at a local church, Friday Harbor Presbyterian, where high school students will gather for a tasty bowl of chili, card games and more.
It was just six months ago that the U.S. Border Patrol’s second-highest ranking official in the region was in Friday Harbor defending citizenship spot checks at the Anacortes ferry terminal and the agency’s enforcement of federal immigration law. Now, Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Joseph Giuliano has trouble with the law of his own.
The community sports fields project at the end of Carter Avenue is on the 50-yard line, with curbs, gutters, roads and sidewalks completed and the clubhouse under construction. Donny Galt Jr., president of the Friday Harbor Athletic Association, put the value of the work to date at $1.3 million — funded through private donations and volunteer labor. Now under way: grading the sports fields and completion of the clubhouse.
The Friday Harbor Town Council has scheduled a Nov. 20, 5:30 p.m. public hearing on the proposed annexation of the so-called Buck/Boreen property.
Jawaad Reaves pleaded innocent Friday to a charge of second-degree murder in the death of his brother, Jermaine. Superior Court Judge John O. Linde scheduled trial for Feb. 9. Bail was reduced from $100,000 to $50,000. Reaves posted bail Saturday and was released from Island County Jail. His employer, Miller Drywall, said he was back at work Monday.
Officers were left to sort out the details after the driver of a Honda sedan struck a woman riding a mo-ped on Blair Avenue at about 1 p.m. today. Sheriff’s deputies and paramedics arrived at the scene just minutes after the collision occurred. The woman, strapped and secured to a body board, was transported by ambulance to Inter Island Medical Center for evaluation.
Philanthropist Edgar B. Stern Jr., longtime member of the board of the San Juan Community Theatre and contributor to numerous community endeavors, died Sunday in Seattle. The cause of death was not released. He was 86.
Statewide taxable retail sales declined 2.4 percent to $29.1 billion during the second quarter of 2008, the state Department of Revenue reported today. Among counties, travel destinations appeared to be hardest hit, with San Juan and Island counties experiencing 15.6 percent and 13.7 percent declines in retail trade, respectively. Skagit County retail sales dropped 10.9 percent.
The Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs has endorsed Steve Van Luven for election to the 40th District state Senate position. Van Luven, Republican, is a Samish Island native who represented Bellevue in the state House of Representatives for more than 17 years. He now lives on Samish Island. He is running against San Juan County Councilmasn Kevin Ranker, the Democratic Party nominee.
About this series: The Journal’s series of Candidate Q&As for the Nov. 4 election continues this week with candidates for San Juan County Council, San Juan South.
