Journal of the San Juans, February 08, 2012

Page 1

Sports

Scene

Girls claim league crown; boys host playoff game, today, tip off is 5 p.m.

Check out Valentine’s Day events on San Juan, Feb. 13 and 14

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Editorial Charter Review Commission is of and running; it’s time to offer your two cents PAGE 7

Journal

The 75¢ Wednesday, February 8, 2012 Vol. 105 Issue 6

of the San Juan Islands

SJ EMS hits new high

www.sanjuanjournal.com

How much impact is reasonable? By Scott Rasmussen

Emergency calls increase by 22 percent in 2011 Journal staff report

If you thought that you heard the sound of more sirens this past year, well, you’re probably right. San Juan Island Emergency Medical Services and Island Air Ambulance together responded to a record number of emergency calls and transported a record number of patients in 2011. All told, San Juan EMS and Island Air Ambulance responded to 1,266 emergency calls last year, a 22 percent increase over 2010. “It’s not just a matter of a record number of patients but the quality by which they were transported,” said Dr. J. Michael Edwards, commissioner of San Juan Island’s hospital district, which oversees local EMS and air ambulances services. “San Juan EMS was recognized as being No. 1 in the nation for patient satisfaction, based on patient surveys conducted independently by EMS Survey Team in the fourth quarter of 2011, and Island Air Ambulance carries a perfect safety record.” Last year’s accomplishments by island EMTs, paramedics, See EMS, Page 2

Photo courtesy of San Juan County Land Bank

Wetlands grab headlines, but they aren’t the only controversial issue in the tug-of-war over the update of the county’s critical areas ordinance. Above, Thor Hansen surveys a wetland area on Turtleback Mountain.

Just how reasonable is San Juan County’s “reasonable-use exception”? Hint: it was recently revised as part the critical areas ordinance update. So, naturally, the answer will depend on who you ask. “I would say it’s more restrictive than it needs to be to satisfy our legal obligations and that it’s in conflict with the goals of our Comprehensive Plan that protects private property,” said Tim Blanchard, vice president of Common Sense Alliance, a local property rights advocacy group. Meanwhile, Orcas Island’s Janet Alderton describes the new reasonable-use exception of the CAO as “generous”. “It one of the most generous that I’ve run across in the state,” said Alderton, a biologist who recently served on a handpicked technical team tasked with refining the wetland section of the county’s CAO. “Most other counties have just 2,500 square feet, but you can have up to a half acre with the reasonable-use exception. That’s a huge area that the county is allowing to be developed.” The phrase “reasonable use” is a technical See CAO, Page 4

A lone plastic bag hangs on a fence on Douglas Road. Many islanders are pushing to ban plastic bags, not just here, but in the entire state of Washington.

Push for statewide bag ban

REAL ESTATE in the

FEBRUARY 2012

San Juan Islands

Properties Bought & Sold ..................................... page 4

By Cali Bagby and Colleen Smith Armstrong Staff report

While many cities have banned plastic grocery bags, Washington may become the first state in the nation to outlaw these consumables. House Bill 1877 and Senate Bill 5780, both bills to ban plastic bags and promote reusable bags, were introduced last year and both failed to pass. Similar bills House

Journal photo / Cali Bagby

Bill 2404 and Senate Bill 5780 were reintroduced again this year by Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon and Rep. Marko Liias. The legislation is aimed at protecting Puget Sound wildlife and the environment from plastic bag debris. Both bills would allow plastic bags for fresh meat,

fruits, vegetables, nuts or other bulk items, dairy products, ice and cooked foods. Although the statewide ban did not pass this year, Stephanie Buffum, director of Friends of the See PLASTIC, Page 4

2011 Special Award; Second Place: General Excellence from the Washington Newpaper Publishers Association

Contributed photos

February edition is now on newstands Look inside this week’s Journal for the latest real estate listings and transactions


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