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Sunday, January 2, 2011 — (J)
Year in Review — 2010
Special commemorative section of the Peninsula Daily News
The Top 10 of 2010 in Jefferson County 1
A new ferry — at last. For a while, it seemed as though the new state ferry, MV Chetzemoka, would never begin service between Port Townsend and Whidbey Island. The $79.4 million addition to the state fleet was supposed to start the run to the renamed landing of Coupeville (Keystone) in August, but delays in sea trials held up its inaugural for more than two months. When Gov. Chris Gregoire on Nov. 14 finally christened the 64-car ferry named after Port Townsend’s favorite Klallam chief, talk and rumors about the first new state ferry in more than a decade were rampant. To quell the talk, Washington State Ferries immediately issued a fact sheet to “set the record straight” about the Chetzemoka, its final cost and such features as its 1 percent list when unloaded. (The list is deliberate “to maximize” the number of trucks/oversize vehicles the vessel can carry). But what the agency cannot Gov. Chris Gregoire officially quell is the fear that the Chetzemoka’s companion ferry, months — the MV Salish now under conjust under struction, will be diverted to San 118 years. Juan Islands duty instead of the “You are promised Port Townsend route worse than an during busy summer months. animal,” said That is an issue likely to Susan Cook, a become a political football in childhood 2011. friend of Janice Yarr, to More than a century in Pierce during Pierce prison. Michael J. Pierce his courtroom killed Pat and Janice Yarr sentencing hearing. “You are an before burning down their home evil monster. . . . near Lake Leland in March 2009. “I wish you the slowest, most That’s what a Jefferson County painful death you can imagine. Superior Court jury of nine You will rot in hell.” women and three men determined During her statement, Cook after a two-week trial last March. turned around and looked Pierce With Pierce’s combined convic- in the eye. tion of murder, arson, burglary, She said an unrepentant firearm possession and theft, he Pierce returned her stare “with a is now imprisoned for 1,415 snarl on his lips.”
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On the cover Hall of Mosses in the Hoh Rain Forest, West Jefferson County. Photo by Trisha McMahon/ Peninsula Daily News
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Late relief for county government. Jefferson County commissioners Dec. 13 approved a budget of $52,752,238, made up of $15,636,049 for the general fund and the remaining $37,116,189 in other funds. Getting to that point was a
century — for the PUD to acquire PSE’s lines, substations and other infrastructure through which the Bonneville juice will flow. PUD officials said entering into the binding obligation with BPA means that the PUD qualifies for the federal agency’s lowest power rates, known as Tier 1, beginning in three years, or about June 30, 2013. The agreement is expected to provide electricity at a lower cost than what is offered to customers by PSE.
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christens the MV Chetzemoka lengthy and arduous route that required voter approval of a 0.3-cent sales tax increase to raise enough revenues to keep county government Morley intact — particularly in the law enforcement areas. The tax measure on the Nov. 2 ballot was politically charged, especially when the county’s Republican chair, Ron Gregory, filed a complaint with the state’s political watchdog agency that County Administrator Philip Morley advocated passage too much when he spoke in the community about the measure. Morley countered that he only was informing voters of the measure and the ramifications of either passage or defeat. In 2011, other cash-strapped Jefferson County agencies will be asking voters for tax increases in February. The Port Townsend and the
Clearing the air about Port Townsend Paper. The 82-year-old paper mill took steps in 2010 to improve its emissions quality as well as its financial position — with a coalition of environmental groups watching every step of the way. In April, the state Department Chris Tucker/Peninsula Daily News of Ecology reissued an air operatferry on Nov. 14. ing permit for Port Townsend Paper’s kraft mill after a threeChimacum school districts will year public comment and reviask voters to renew maintenance sion process that involved an and operations property tax appeal of the application. levies, a four-year levy in Port The mill then revealed plans Townsend and a three-year levy for a $55 million project to install in Chimacum. a steam turbine and upgrade its And Jefferson Transit is power boiler to burn biomass, requesting a 0.3 percent sales tax aka forest slash or hog fuel, to increase, which if passed would produce 24 megawatts of electricraise the Jefferson County sales ity. tax to 9 percent — the highest on The state Department of Ecolthe Peninsula. ogy in October gave permission for the cogeneration project, Power to the PUD. By which the environmental groups September, it appeared almost immediately appealed. that the Jefferson County Port Townsend Paper and Public Utility District would Nippon Paper Industries USA in become the first public utility Port Angeles — both mills with agency in the state since 1949 to roots in the Crown Zellerbach buy out a private utility’s paper empire — are coincidenelectrical franchise. tally seeking approval to upgrade The PUD inked an agreement their biomass cogenerators. with Bonneville Power Administration, assuring the Roundabouts and other utility of a wholesale source of projects. Port Townsend power. continued a series of public The agency earlier in the year works projects in 2010 that entered into an agreement with affected just about everyone who Puget Sound Energy — which lives and works in the Key City. has provided electricity to East Jefferson County since the 19th Turn to Jefferson/3
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