San Juan Island is at the threshold of major changes that will be felt 50 years from now. Attend these meetings. Be sure you are heard.
I had my skeptic’s guard up Tuesday when I attended the San Juan Lions Club meeting, where Beth Williams-Gieger, superintendent and clinic administrator of San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1, was scheduled to speak about the proposed integrated medical center. Williams-Gieger was impressive enough to make a believer out of me.
Support Relay for Life and you are helping someone win a battle with cancer. You are helping educate people so they know how to live better to reduce their cancer risk. And you are helping to fund research that will someday make cancer go the way of polio.
Today, if you have a concern about the quality of medical care at Inter Island Medical Center, you can take your concerns up with your elected board of commissioners. They work for you. You can talk about issues of concern at public meetings. If you are not satisfied with a commissioner’s performance, you can vote for change at the ballot box. In the future, if you have a concern about the quality of medical care at the new integrated medical center operated by PeaceHealth, you can take your concerns up with … well, that’s not clear.
One thing you can count on after a general election: most of the speakers at this San Juan County Republican Party gathering like to face things as they are. That certainly was the case down the line Saturday at the San Juan Island Grange,
Times are tough. Retirement investment plans have taken a beating. Local businesses are scrambling to keep doors open and paychecks coming. If you’ve tightened your belt and find you’re on the last notch, take note: Help is available locally as you weather this financial storm.
The state Legislature has introduced two bills — one sponsored by our state senator, Kevin Ranker; the other co-sponsored by our state representatives, Jeff Morris and Dave Quall — which would require the cargo, cruise and oil industries to pay for a year-round response tug at Neah Bay to prevent oil spills. The Legislature should make the requirement law.
Feb. 9 is Friday Harbor’s 100th birthday, and it’s our birthday too — all of us who call this place home — for we are all a part of the community and the culture and the history of this place.
In 1979, Beckwith and Associates conducted a study on siting solid waste processing on San Juan Island. Where are we 30 years down the road? Still talking about siting solid waste processing. Why has it taken so long when Orcas and Lopez have had exemplary solid
waste transfer stations sites?
John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic president. He was also the last Catholic president, if by that characterization we mean a political personality defined by his faith. So too Barack Obama will prove to be both the first black president and the last black president.
This hasn’t happened here yet. But in this new technological age, it could. And it shouldn’t. That’s the reason for the following editorial.
The plight of our resident killer whales has become simple to understand, as is the most likely means of saving them. After years of argument driven as much by money as by science, we have suddenly, unfortunately, reached a moment when the causes and remedial actions are relatively clear.
Current law contains clear language that prevents the elimination of any ferry route without Legislative approval. It also states that service on a ferry route cannot be substantially reduced without public hearings. This ensures there will be considerable discussion on this subject at both the state and local levels before any decision is made.
