Sports
Wolverines on track in lopsided win page 12
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Editorial
Musical pot of gold: Lúnasa
The Journal weighs in with its picks in Dist. 1 and Dist. 3 County Council races
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Journal
The 75¢ Wednesday, October 31, 2012 Vol. 105 Issue 44
of the San Juan Islands
Fate of council clerk in ‘limbo’
www.sanjuanjournal.com
Election: preferences revealed By Steve Werhly Journal reporter
By Journal staff
Deputy County Council Clerk Maureen See, who is also the elected vice-chairwoman of the Charter Review Commission, was notified by county officials of possible disciplinary action for engaging in political activity while on duty. See joined the council staff in 2007. According Maureen See to See’s attorney, John Rosen of Seattle, his client was placed on paid administrative leave while the county investigates an allegation “that she had sent and received emails concerning Propositions 1-3,” which the Charter Review Commission placed on the November ballot. Rosen says that his client has acknowledged sending and receiving emails about the CRC propositions, but does not believe “she was acting in any way inappropriately . . . and never lied about her activities.” According to Rosen, “Under the personnel rules the political activity would be considered to be a minor violation punishable in the first instance by a reprimand.” County Communications Manager Stan Matthews said See SUSPENDED, Page 5
Journal photo / Steve Werhly
Envelope in hand, Therese Finn deposits her Nov. 6 election ballot into the ‘official’ drop-off box outside the County Courthouse in Friday Harbor on Monday.
Highway de Haro?
See Elections, Page 3 Val Viers tracks vessel traffic from his perch on the westside of San Juan Island, and listens to communications of killer whales on an array of hydrophones.
Orca advocates fear coal port traffic could threaten endangered killer whales
Journal photo / Steve Wehrly
By Steve Wehrly Journal reporter
Coal isn’t the only fuel firing the first stage of the Gateway Pacific Terminal protest. Bunker fuel spills, noise pollution, and bilge and ballast water contamination were three of more than two dozen detrimental impacts listed at a recent workshop. The scoping workshop put
More than 90 percent of San Juan County registered votes returned their ballots in 2008 — the highest voting percentage in the state. So far, the elections office has received ballots from 3,173 of the 11,973 registered voters in the county. In Friday Harbor on a recent afternoon, a cross-section of young, middle-aged and older voters responded readily when asked about the November 6 election. Marshall Sanborn has voted in many elections in his more than 80 years, 34 of them on San Juan Island. Without hesitating, he said the most important election on the ballot was for President — but he wasn’t about to reveal his choice. He did want to talk about the charter schools initiative, Initiative 1240, which he opposes. “This state has a pathetic record of funding education,” said the longtime teacher and past Friday Harbor school board member. The charter schools initiative, Sanborn said, “would syphon money away from our public schools, and parents who should be involved in our local schools will instead get involved in
on by Power Past Coal, a coalition of environmental and community groups, and Friends of the San Juans was held Thursday, Oct. 25, in Friday Harbor. A similar event on Lopez drew about 60 people the day before, and another 60
people were expected for an evening workshop on Orcas Island following the Friday Harbor meeting. Dick and Janet Wright of San Juan Island had immediate See Shipping, Page 4
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Daylight savings It’s time to ‘fall back’; set your clocks back one hour on Sunday, beginning at 2 a.m.