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WEDNESDAY, November 30, 2011 n VOL. 44, NO. 48 n 75¢
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A family in need
Is the liquor law passage giving shop owners a hangover? This is part one of a twopart series on the passage of Initiative-1183. by MEREDITH M. GRIFFITH Staff reporter
Recently passed liquor initiative 1183 will put the state out of the liquor business. Will it also put islanders out of business? Or keep substance-abuse counselors busier? It all depends on a myriad of factors.
Local businesses Existing liquor outlets on Orcas and Lopez Islands include Eastsound Liquor Store, Russells at Orcas, and Lopez Liquor Store, all privately owned businesses that operate under the state’s license and are paid on commission by the state. Under 1183, owners of contract stores can continue to run their shops, provided they get a spirits retailer license – but every drop of their inventory is currently owned by the state. When the state closes up shop
this spring, these stores will have to buy that inventory in order to stay in business. At an average worth of $125,000, that can be a hefty check to write. “It’s going to be an individual business decision for some of the contract liquor stores,” said state liquor board representative Brian Smith. “I’ve heard that some of them won’t be going on.” Some may be able to whittle down their inventory before then, decreasing the price tag, while others may remortgage their homes. These businesses’ continued right to sell is also attached to their existing location, which could be problematic if they are renting. In spite of this, all three existing liquor outlets say they plan to continue in operation. “We’re gonna give it a whirl,” said Marc Zener, owner of Lopez Liquor Store. “There are a lot of unknowns still. We’ll have to compete with Costco and Safeway … We’re gonna try.” “It’s going to be an interesting ride,” said Trina Olson, of Eastsound Liquor Store. “We’re
A local mother shares what life is like for a struggling family by COLLEEN SMITH ARMSTRONG Editor/Associate Publisher
Colleen Smith Armstrong/Staff Photo
Eastsound Liquor Store (pictured above) will be staying open. one of the few who are able to stay open; everyone else has Costco and Safeway right down the street.” Other local businesses may be newly eligible for a liquor license, but it’s not clear which ones. Eastsound’s Island Market and Lopez Village Market are the only stores on Orcas and Lopez large enough to qualify unequivocally. Stores less than 10,000 square feet can apply for a license only if there are no other liquor retailers within that “trade area,” a term the liquor board has yet to define. Orcas Village Store co-owner Ron Rebman said they may apply if the store qualifies. Kyle Ater, owner of the 3,200-square-foot Orcas
Homegrown Market and Gourmet Delicatessen, said “[1183] was written by big business for big business and it does nothing to help small grocery stores. It’s just the same pie cut into smaller pieces.” With state pricing controls out of the picture, volume buyers will now be able to take full advantage of bulk purchasing discounts. “Let’s say you have a liquor store in a big area – you might as well lock the doors,” said Rebman. Island Market manager Jason Linnes said the store plans to apply for a license. Lopez Village Market owner Aaron Dye said he will apply for
SEE LIQUOR, PAGE 6
Preservation Trust is top in the country by COLLEEN SMITH ARMSTRONG Editor/Associate Publisher
Despite a recession, land preservation seems to be holding strong – at least in our neck of the woods. The National Land Trust Census, a report released this month by the Land Trust Alliance, shows that the amount of voluntarily protected land increased 27 percent between 2005 and 2010. Locally, the San Juan Preservation Trust worked with private land owners to permanently protect 3,681 acres in the San Juan Islands, a 36 percent increase since 2005. This places the Preservation Trust in the top two percent of more 1,700 land trusts currently operating in the United States. Orcas Islander Anne Hay is one of the many C Foley photo
Left: Hikers on Turtleback Mountain on Orcas Island. The 1,576 acre area was purchased as a joint effort between the preservation trust, the land bank, and the Trust for Public Land.
locals who made that ranking possible. She donated 16 acres near Camp Orkila to the trust as a conservation easement in the late 1990s. “It seemed the perfect spot to preserve. It’s a beautiful piece of land,” Hay said of the acreage. “I’ve had the property since 1958. It’s just a small piece, but it’s waterfront, and to the north there are other conservation easements. … There is also the state preserve, Pt. Dowdy, north of the property.”
About the preservation trust Founded in 1979, the San Juan Preservation Trust is a private, non-profit and membershipbased land trust dedicated to helping people and communities conserve land in the San Juan Islands. The trust has permanently protected more than 260 properties, 34 miles of shoreline and 14,000 acres on 20 islands, including land now managed as public parks, nature preserves, wildlife habitat, and working
SEE TRUST, PAGE 6
Sheila doesn’t like to be labeled “poor.” “We live in a world with a lot of poverty and we are still the upper class in this world,” she said. “In order for you to be able to give to other people, you have to pull yourself out of that mentality.” It is something that Sheila, the married mother of three kids ranging in age from four to 13, has had to explain to her children. The Orcas family is like other struggling island folks: they work hard, they save their money and they do without items that aren’t critical. Sheila (not her real name) puts in 15 hours a week in the child care profession. Her husband is an electrician whose work has slowed to 30 hours a week. She and her family own an OPAL home. Their children receive health care through the state’s Department of Social and Health Services and participate in the reduced lunch program at
SEE FAMILY, PAGE 6
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