Rewind
Flashback to scenes from the 4th of July, 2012 page 8
Island Scene
Stage Left has a new twist on Shakespeare’s ‘Summer of Love’ page 9
Guest Column
It may have a cute name, but Tansy Ragwort is a killer; find out how and when to combat it page 7
Journal
The 75¢ Wednesday, July 11, 2012 Vol. 105 Issue 28
of the San Juan Islands
Busy signal? Not
www.sanjuanjournal.com
Grant fuels plans for 21 more By Scott Rasmussen Journal editor
New rules may be the key to better cell coverage, but no one is knocking at the door By Steve Wehrly Journal reporter
“Yes” is the answer. But the question is “when?” After more than five years of meetings and hearings and work, San Juan County now has a “new and improved” regulatory framework for locating digital communications sites in the San Juan islands. But the Community Development & Planning Department says there are no applications in the pipeline to locate new cell phone towers in the county. “We’ve received calls” said Julie Thompson at the planning agency, “but no applications yet.” “The new statute is all we need to process cell phone antenna applications,” said Shirene Hale, CDPD’s lead planner. Hale says the statute makes siting easier for telecom companies to site antennas and towers, especially if the site is a “joint use” facility that includes equipment used by public safety agencies, like the Sheriff ’s Department or an EMT agency. “But it’s just a step,” she said. “It’s up to the service providers and the public safety agencies now.” One of those service providers, maybe the one best situated See Wireless, Page 4
Journal photo /Scott Rasmussen
With a $700,000 grant in the bag, Homes for Islanders has scaled another hurdle in its quest to build another 21 affordable homes in Friday Harbor. Homes for Islanders, known for its ‘sweat equity’ concept of home construction and financing, announced last week that the Rural Development arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded the San Juan Islandbased affordable housing group a two-year, $700,000 technical assistance grant that will help cover the cost of staff, supplies, supervision, training and overhead for future construction of 21 so-called “self-help” homes in Friday Harbor. To date, the housing group has assisted people in securing the financing and in managing the construction of 49 sweat equity homes in the San Juans over the past six years; 21 of those homes, in Friday Harbor’s Village Grove neighborhood, are in the final phase of construction. According to Homes for Islanders, the first phase of the new 21 affordable homes calls for construction of nine on Corliss Court and
Anders Rehban shaves a shingle down to size while helping a neighbor put the finishing touches on a home in the Village Grove neighborhood.
History, now converge at Fly-In III
See HOmes, Page 4 Vintage aircraft, military and civilian, arrive in waves and are always a popular draw at the Friday Harbor Airport Fly In and Open House.
By Scott Rasmussen Journal editor
The face of island aviation has changed a lot since Roy Franklin first landed his Stinson Voyager in a field a couple miles west of the town — actually, it was a cow pasture, and sometimes he would land at night with the aid of headlights of three cars lighting the way — and called it an airport, with a wink, no doubt. Franklin, co-founder of Island
REAL ESTATE in the
San Juan Islands
Properties Bought & Sold............page 12 Julie Corey photo
Craftsman waterfront Home. Magnificent views of the Olympic mountains, Victoria BC & Haro Strait. Outstanding sunsets, with whales & an abundance of other wildlife. Truly a must see. #354358
Lanny Carver • carver@sanjuanislands.com 360-378-2101 • Cell: 360-472-0922 www.lannycarver.com 105 Spring Street, PO Box 100, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
San Juan Islands, Inc.
Journal file photo
Sky Ferries, the San Juans’ first commercial airline, kept at it for more than a decade until construction of Friday Harbor Airport was completed in the early 1960s. The history of flight in the
islands will be among the many activities, displays, demonstrations and events featured as part of the third annual Friday Harbor Airport Fly In and Open See Fly In, Page 4
2011 Special Award; Second Place: General Excellence from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
JULY 2012
$1,195,000
Exceptional custom waterfront residence with 333’ of waterfront on 2.3+/- acres. Distinctive architecture throughout. Property includes a stunning guest home and gardens. Plus lots of sun. What’s not to George Willis photo Love? #236781
$1,795,000
Real Estate in the San Juan Isalnds
See inside for June’s real estate sales, listings and statistics.