Sports
Volleyball team nets backto-back victories page 9
Scene
Editorial
Experience the islands’ bounty in ‘Savor the San Juans’
Public or private? Who gets to call the shots when the medical clinic closes and new hospital opens? page 7
page 11
Journal
The 75¢ Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Vol. 105 Issue 39
of the San Juan Islands
www.sanjuanjournal.com
Recycling center threatens to close Dispute over land-use prompts ultimatum By Steve Wehrly Journal reporter
Journal photo / Scott Rasmussen
Hospital District commissioners J. Michael Edwards, far left, and George Foster listen on as Chairwoman Lenore Bayuk reads a letter from PeaceHealth’s Sister Kathleen Pruitt, at the commission’s Sept. 18 meeting.
Islanders press hospital officials for answers Uncertainty over health care prompts letter, 300 signatures By Steve Wehrly Journal reporter
Islanders voiced concerns last week about the county’s first-ever hospital and its affiliation with Franciscan Health Systems. With a standing room only crowd on hand, questions and answers about Peace Island Medical Center zinged across the room at the Sept. 18 Hospital District Commission meeting. But whether pledges by district commissioners or by PeaceHealth officials will soothe a budding apprehension about the pro-
spective partnership between PeaceHealth, which will operate the medical center now under construction in Friday Harbor, and Franciscan Health Systems, remains to be seen. The medical center is part of the PeaceHealth system of Catholic hospitals and medical clinics in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. It is financing roughly two-thirds of the $30 million construction cost the medical center, which will open at the end of year. It will be a 10-bed critical access hospital providing expanded primary care and specialty clinic, enhanced diagnostic center, a cancer care suite providing on-island chemotherapy and cancer services and a 24-hour emergency room. On Aug. 22, PeaceHealth announced it was engaged in partnership talks with Franciscan
Health Systems, an operator of hospitals and clinics in Washington, and which is owned by health care giant Catholic Health Initiatives of Denver, Colo. It has sparked some community concern that certain health services will not be offered at the new facility. During the meeting, Commission Chairwoman Lenore Bayuk once again reiterated her confidence in the Peace Health representations of future care, and that the panel of elected hospital districts officials would “carefully review and respond to” a list of concerns outlined in a letter endorsed by about 300 islanders and presented to the commission at its latest meeting. In addition, Bayuk read a letter from Sister Kathleen Pruitt, a See Contract, Page 4
About 50 fans of Consignment Treasures turned out for a town hall meeting Sept. 19 at the Mullis Center to show their appreciation of Frank Penwell’s charitable giving. They also had some suggestions for Penwell about tactics and strategies to keep Consignment Treasures open in the face of changes to county development rules which, in Penwell’s view, threaten to shutdown the non-profit recycling processing center. “I’ll close Consignment Treasures if my property becomes non-conforming,” said Penwell. Referring to his claim that the new critical areas ordinance opens up his recycling center on Roche Harbor Road to criminal charges, he said, “I don’t want my employees to face criminal charges.” Former San Juan County landuse planner Francine Shaw, a Penwell advisor, gave a quick synopsis of the history of Consignment Treasures. “The land has been used for commercial purposes since 1978 and Frank has obtained all the permits he needs for processing recycled materials, but he’s not supposed to be a recycling dropoff point” Shaw said. She added that he even has state approval to be an e-recycler - the only one on San Juan Island. When County Council candidate Bob Jarman asked for a show of hands of people who had been a patron of Consignment Treasures, virtually everyone raised their hands. Even Lovel Pratt and Howie Rosenfeld, who Penwell identifies as his chief
2011 Special Award; Second Place: General Excellence from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
County Council antagonists, raised their hands. Nobody in the room, it seemed, wants to see Consignment Treasures closed — except perhaps neighboring resident Mark Larsen, who said, “The place is an eyesore. I wish it would go away.” Larsen stood up and made that statement seconds after Penwell declared, “There’s never been a complaint from people in the neighborhood.” Another neighbor, Katherine Dawson, spoke up. “I have no problem with Consignment Treasures,” she said, adding, “it’s amazingly clean.” The most political moment of the evening occurred earlier, when Bob Levinson declared, “Part of the problem is that he (Penwell) is See Treasures, Page 3
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