Times are tough right now. But for just a few dollars, and a little bit of your time, you can bolster cancer research and help provide services for local cancer patients. The kickoff for Relay for Life is today — Feb. 23 — from, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the San Juan Island Library. The kickoff is open to the public.
Voters did the right thing when they approved property tax levy renewals for San Juan Island EMS and San Juan Island School District maintenance and operations. You will continue to pay a property tax of 35 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation for EMS services. If your home is worth $300,000, that’s $105 a year – no out of pocket. It’s a great investment in the health and security of you and every member of your household.
The Voting Rights Act of 1964 shored up the 15th Amendment to the Constitution because of literacy tests and poll taxes specifically targeting Blacks. My article in 2009 noted that many white Americans had more optimism about race relations than they’d ever had. I still don’t.
We know that protecting and restoring habitat are the keys to wild salmon recovery. But how are we really doing on that front? Puget Sound chinook and steelhead, Hood Canal summer chum and Lake Ozette sockeye are listed as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Meanwhile, our culture, treaty rights and way of life – everything that makes us Indian people – are disappearing a little every day, just like the salmon.
A new superintendent of schools has been hired for the San Juan Island School District. We welcome Lynden School Superintendent Rick Thompson to our district. But our warmest applause must go to Walt Wegener. Our interim superintendent handled the search for his successor with class. We hope to see him in the position he desires in time for the 2010-11 school year.
The stakes are high. Island citizens are engaged in tasks that are leading to salmon recovery. Continued support is needed for salmon recovery efforts to be successful and we must make a long-term commitment toward completion of this work.
Our town isn’t just about whales and ferries. It’s about neighbor helping neighbor, children growing up and creating families of their own, small businesses serving the community and thriving, and a shared feeling of security and well-being.
Jan. 11 marked the beginning of our 2010 session in Olympia, and every indication tells us we are in for a bumpy ride. Just a year after tackling a $9 billion budget deficit — the largest in our state’s history — we’re faced with another $2.6 billion shortfall. This means we’ll be forced to look at even more program cuts and savings enhancements to keep Washington fiscally sound as well as keep our well-established social safety net in place for our most vulnerable.
Until government spending is brought under control, small businesses will be uncertain about the economy and will not begin to hire new employees or borrow money for expansion. That will keep the economy in limbo for some time to come.
We can protect our community’s natural resources and beauty while streamlining our local land-use regulations to make the rules and processes effective and efficient. These efforts will enable our community of businesses and citizens to maintain their quality of life and sustainability.
In 2010, I am also hoping to finally get my official button: “I’m from the government and I’m here to help!” Seriously, please contact me if I can answer any questions about safe chemical handling and disposal, and keeping pollutants out of the environment.
My predictions for 2010 are that this community’s deeply rooted educational values will not waver, and together we will achieve success for our children and preserve hope for our future.
generate controversy as we struggle to identify regulations that both protect the environment and preserve the rights and interests of our citizens. There are obvious areas of common ground but there are also differences of opinion on the regulations needed. The likelihood of reaching broad public consensus on the multitude of details associated with this seems remote but I believe it can be obtained with cooperation, mutual respect, and reason.
