Good grief, don't pay ‘em another dime! Weren’t Adamus, Herrera, et.al., hired to present scientifically substantiated findings/BAS that bear some reasonable relationship to San Juan County? Then how is it that Herrera turned out the most negative report on "paradise" to ever see the light of day? All we have to do is look around this beautiful county to know that this is preposterous. Makes one think that the folks that wrote this dubious tome need a high colonic.
Last month, the San Juan County Hearing Examiner decided that conservancy land-use allows the county to make a 2 acre clear-cut and add a new parking lot, port-a-potties, and even electric lights to our little historic park here on Shaw Island.
George Orwell likely wrote “1984” without knowing of the San Juan Islands but his world of Big Brother is coming closer with the latest County Council plan for amending the existing Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO).
Under the council’s proposed Critical Area Ordinance, applicants will be required to navigate a complex set of rules and restrictions to get the county’s approval for the use of their land. Applicants will have to prove they will not “impact” the environment with the “development” they propose on their land and implement expensive “mitigation” of the theoretical impacts.
As I read the 51 pages of the Community Development and Planning staff report and proposed CAO ordinance general regulations the other night I broke out in a cold sweat trying to wrap my mind around the complexity of these regulations and restrictions. I am no slouch when it comes to critical analysis and unraveling complex issues, but I have trouble finding the time to keep up with these proposed regulations, much less predicting the impact they will have on our community.
As I read the 51 pages of the Community Development and Planning staff report and proposed CAO ordinance general regulations the other night I broke out in a cold sweat trying to wrap my mind around the complexity of these regulations and restrictions. I am no slouch when it comes to critical analysis and unraveling complex issues, but I have trouble finding the time to keep up with these proposed regulations, much less predicting the impact they will have on our community.
The San Juan County Council is proposing new rules and restrictions on property owners in the county under what they are calling the Critical Areas Ordinance.
On Jan. 21, the nation marks the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, a decision that enabled corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence federal and state elections. As the 2012 election season ramps up, so will the corporate, union and special interest financing of political advertising. With the proliferation of SuperPACS and 501(c) organizations, major donors funding election advertising remain unidentified to the voters.
"The County Council is completing the General Section of the CAO update. This section covers Mitigation, Reasonable Use Exception, and Nonconforming Use. The latter two are pretty straight forward legal issues, mitigation is not," writes San Olson.
A common assumption is that we’re against alcohol; that’s not true. We are against unhealthy, irresponsible choices that put our youth and community at risk. We support the legal, safe consumption of alcohol, which by definition excludes teen drinking.
"I have been a Washington public educator for almost forty years, an enthusiastic part of the building of a structure that serves the highest moral endeavor of the land. I have watched as our state has built a public school system that effectively serves our young people. Card by card, we have built a system that not only serves young people well, but has also harbors the potential and hope for a positive future for us all."
Janet Alderton writes a letter to the editor about how confusing and often conflicting development codes and other county regulations have serious impacts on the lives and livelihoods of our fellow islanders.
What can we do?
The legislature says that it must hear from us, all of us, if we care about keeping Basic Health afloat. To be heard, we need to call the following numbers and state precisely what we desire to see happen ASAP - before Nov. 28.
Steve Adams is the best choice for Port commission position #2. Steve will bring a fair, balanced, and practical approach to the issues facing the Port
According to Don Pencil, the county of San Juan has proven it cannot manage solid waste or the waste of our money
The board and staff of the San Juan Preservation Trust ask you to vote “YES” on November 8 to RENEW OUR LAND BANK!
A multi-generational Lopez family, we recognize the need to preserve natural places in the islands
Former County Commissioners strongly recommend a “yes” vote on the renewal of the Land Bank
Nancy Ewert urges you all to be informed and vote for renewal of our Land Bank
Kurt Jacobs supports Stephen Adams
Two citizens are concerned about rumors that have been circulating around the island
If your vision for San Juan County shorelines includes vibrant ecosystems and a healthy respect for natural erosion, San Juan County needs to hear from you.
A letter from Angie Ponder
A letter to the editor not in support of the paving of Watmough Road
Time Blanchard asks the community to reject heavy-handed code enforcement
A few of our County Council members are determined to help out the enormous U.S. wireless industry by drafting a new ordinance that makes it easier to locate cell towers in tiny San Juan County. Bad idea, County Council! Improving cell phone service is essentially a form of manslaughter. New data and studies show that texting and talking on cell phones are turning our roads into a bloodbath. The National Safety Council calculated that at least 1.6 million crashes are caused each year by texting and talking on cell phones — that’s 28 percent of all traffic accidents, more than 10,400 killed.
John Bogert's background (bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Princeton, master's degree in electrical power engineering from Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, and a remarkable work history in the electrical power industry) make him a standout for this position. He has already served on the board as secretary/treasurer and is an outstanding and compassionate community leader on Shaw Island.
The recent Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen accomplished very little except for the consumption of much fossil fuel by those who attended it.
It’s almost a year since Washington state began one of the most successful recycling programs for waste electronics. Manufacturers who sell televisions, monitors, computers and laptops in our state cover the full cost of the program. By the end of November, almost 36 million pounds of electronics were collected and recycled in our state free of charge to households, small businesses, charities, schools and small governments! About 35,000 pounds have been recycled in San Juan County so far.
We have a serious problem in our country with deregulation. Foxes guarding the henhouse is the quality of representation we’re getting in D.C.
This is to support Steve Ludwig’s letter calling for restraint in the use of cell phones, which may be causing the disappearance of pollinating honeybees. This information seems to be absent from the major media in this country.
When we arrived in 1997, the issue of cell towers was in fierce discussion and the County Commissioners decided “no tower.” Cell phones were new and their future dependency was not understood. Today, most islanders can probably tell you how much the world depends on the cellphone and most islanders have learned how to cope with limited cellphone coverage. The problem is the multitude of visitors and their life-style reliance of expecting cellphone operation — including expecting usage anywhere within San Juan County.
Save the bees! Spring is just around the corner and bees are already starting their work on warm afternoons. But bees, both wild and domestic, native and non-native, are threatened! Evidence continues to accumulate that radiation from wireless devices is the primary cause of colony collapse disorder and the disappearance of wild bees. The radiation seems to affect the bee’s ability to navigate.
At the Jan. 5 County Council meeting, the council began writing one of the most potentially destructive bits of legislation ever. It’s a new “Essential Public Facilities” (EPF) Ordinance.
On behalf of the Lopez island School District, I would like to publicly thank the many individuals, most of whom have asked to remain anonymous, for the volunteer work they donated to the Lopez Schools over the summer to help keep our grounds and gardens looking presentable and inviting.