The Journal of the San Juan Islands | SanJuanJournal.com
LOCAL
News briefs New law to ease telecom upgrade
Governor Jay Inslee signed into law a bill by Representative Jeff Morris (D-Mount Vernon) to expedite regulatory review on new 4g upgrades to cellular towers and antennas. House Bill 1183 updates Washington’s State Environmental Policy Act review process regarding wireless structures, exempting those that are constructed atop existing bui l di ngs and commercial or industrial areas. According Jeff Morris to Morris, the change will make the permitting process easier, reducing the regulatory burden for telecommunications companies. “It’s been nearly a decade since Washington did major work on our wireless infrastructure,” noted Morris. "This is a smart, environ-
Pact:
Continued from page 3 Quaternary care is the highest level of care for services that are the most advanced and specialized. According to the joint press release, the organizations will also work together to develop and expand community-based training sites for UW School of Medicine students and trainees in communities served by PeaceHealth. The affiliation intends to improve care delivery and respond to changes needed to implement health care reform. Neither the joint press release nor Adler referred to current disputes PeaceHealth and other Catholic-based health care systems are facing regarding restrictions on the
A coalition of Pacific Northwest-based community groups, health professionals, environmental organizations and other groups and individuals filed a formal petition with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asking it to evaluate “cumulative and related impacts” of all proposed coal export terminals in Oregon and Washington.
Active coal export proposals at Cherry Point, (north of Bellingham), Longview, Wash., and Boardman, Ore., would have the capacity to export 100 million metric tons per year if all three are built. Formally submitted by Earthjustice, the petitioners ask the Army Corps to conduct a single, comprehensive, area-wide environmental impact statement under its National Environmental Policy Act authority. “The threats from these coal export proposals connect communities across the region and cannot be overlooked,” Cesia Kearns of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign said in a press release. “We have been calling for an area-wide EIS for over a year; it’s time for the Army Corps to stop sitting on its hands.” More than 500 businesses, 160 elected officials, including both governors Kitzhaber and Inslee and 10 members of Congress, three dozen municipalities, over 100 organiza-
provision of reproductive services and end-of-life services addressed in the Catholic bishops’ Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. UW Medicine, as a public institution, does not subscribe to the Ethical and Religious Directives. The letter of intent outlines opportunities the organizations could pursue together, including performance improvement initiatives to reduce costs and clinical programming to increase access to specialized services such as cardiovascular care, high-risk obstetrics and neonatology, cancer care, behavioral health and neurosciences. “PeaceHealth selected UW Medicine to be its preferred health system for complex tertiary and qua-
ternary care in the Seattle area,” said Alan Yordy, President and Chief Mission Officer for PeaceHealth. “This will give our patients enhanced access to services that we do not provide.” The press release says the affiliation is “a huge step forward in meeting the needs of the whole patient as well as whole communities more effectively. In its role as the region’s only fully comprehensive health care organization covering all levels of patient care and serving as the educational institution for a five-state region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho), UW Medicine will continue to serve patients from all communities, hospitals and clinics to meet their needs for complex tertiary and quaternary care.”
mentally safe update to our law that will ensure we have the physical network of towers and antennas necessary to support modern wireless services,” said Morris. The legislation includes limitations designed to minimize physical change to structures and prevent any environmental degradation. Under the new law, a wireless structure may not increase the height of the structure by more than 10 percent or 20 feet, or protrude out more than 20 feet. The law will go into effect July 27, 2013.
Anti-coal groups back wide review
Bridge: Continued from page 4 have a high enough clearance to allow an oversized vehicle.” In 2010, according to the database, the bridge carried an average of 70,925 vehicles per day. The substructure was deemed in “good condition,” and the superstructure and deck were described as in “satisfactory condition.” The federal database says a structural evaluation of the bridge found it “somewhat better than minimum adequacy to tolerate being left in place as is.”
According to a 2012 Skagit County Public Works Department, 42 of the county’s 108 bridges are 50 years or older. The document says eight of the bridges are more than 70 years old and two are over 80. That there were no fatalities “is a miracle,” said Ranker, who explained that emergency personnel were on the scene within minutes and the three people in the water were quickly retrieved from the river and transported to local hospitals and treated. According to Ranker, “everything went perfectly.”
— This report includes information from the Journal’s sister paper, Everett Daily Herald.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013 — 5
Set sights out for ‘Skipper’
Every dog deserves a good home, and ‘Skipper’ is no exception. But don’t be fooled by that “missing” sign, Skipper, who will be wandering about over the next four weeks not only has a home, but a mission as well. The Animal Protection Society’s annual “Wags to Riches” fundraiser is June 29, featuring ‘Comedy to the Rescue” and the event’s first-ever “Howl-in-One Ball Drop”. Keep an eye out for Skipper and friends, snap a photo or two, let the animal shelter know where he is, and, learn all about the upcoming annual benefit.
tions, and more than a dozen newspapers have called for a thorough review of the proposed terminals. At least 35,000 citizens wrote to the Army Corps calling for an areawide EIS. In the fall of 2012, the
Army Corps, Washington Dept. of Ecology, and Whatcom County Council conducted EIS scoping hearings in Washington, including one on San Juan Island, for the proposed Cherry Point coal export terminal.
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FRIDAY
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ART PROGRAM FUNDRAISER Renowned Electric Violinist Geoffrey Castle performs in a benefit for FHES art program; $15 adults, $5 students. Info, 378-3210, www.sjctheatre.org.
SJCT 7 PM, FRI, MAY 31
SATURDAY
SJI CELEBRITY GOLF CLASSIC Sponsored by Islanders Bank, charitable event features 18-hole scramble, salmon barbecue, live/silent auctions, FHHS Jazz Band. Proceeds to benefit local non-profits. Info, registration, dinner tickets, 360-298-0458.
SAN JUAN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB 10 AM, SAT, JUNE 1
SATURDAY
ARTISTS STUDIO TOUR
Self-guided tour with 15 studios, 41 artists. Door prizes, demonstration at studios at various island locations. Info, tour map, www.sanjuanislandartists. com (Tour repeats Sunday).
VARIOUS LOCATIONS 10 AM-5 PM, JUNE 1 Father ’s Day &
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Headqua rters
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378-4421