The
INSIDE
New library happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3
Holiday stress tips
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5 George Willis photo
Sheriff’s Log
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6
www.islandsweekly.com 360-468-4242 • 800-654-6142
Islands’ eekly W
A look at the candidates Buy Cali Bagby Weekly editor
Where once there was six, now there will be three. The special filing period for candidates for three new San Juan County Council positions was held from Dec. 12 to 14. The Special Election will be held to fill the positions created by the pas-
sage of Proposition 1 in the November election, reducing the six-person council to three. Prop. 1 was one of three propositions devised by the Charter Review Commission and passed in the election. Prop. 2 replaces the executive county administrator position with a county manager and
Prop. 3 mandates that all county council meetings are open to the public. Council positions that more than two candidates file for will be narrowed to two candidates in a county-wide “primary” election held Feb. 12. The winners of that election, plus the candidates for any positions for which two or fewer candidates file, will be elected in a county-wide “general” election held April 23. Brian McClerren and Jamie Stephens filed for candidacy for District 3 encompassing Lopez Island, Shaw Island, Decatur Island, and surrounding smaller islands. For more info on the candidates, visit www.islandsweekly.com. Here’s a quick look at the candidates for District 3.
Jamie Stephens
Stephens has served on the existing council for two years. He said during his time on the council he has fought to keep farmland available for farmers and has helped to open up their opportunities to market their products. He added that he has helped to
bring resolution to the solid waste system and worked to make community control of the dumps and reuse facilities a reality. Stephens has endorsed high-speed internet connectivity to be made available to the county. He also advocated for permanent protection of the Bureau of Land Management lands in San Juan County and has traveled to Washington D.C. to further the effort. “There has been a lot of change in county government during the past two years and I am an experienced voice to move the county forward while implementing the changes in the way the county is governed,” said Stephens. Prior to becoming a council member, Stephens was active in the community including serving as board member of the Family Resource Center, Fisherman Bay Water Association, as Port Commissioner, member of the Lopez Village planning Committee, and board member of the Lopez Community Land Trust. He has also substituted rat Lopez School and has orga-
VOLUME 35, NUMBER 52 • December 25, 2012
Contributed photos
Brian McClerren, left, and Jamie Stephens, right. nized the yearly Fourth of July Parade. Stephens teaches business classes through the Family Resource Center. He has two children, one in college and another employed in Washington, D.C. He lives with his wife Lauren Stephens in Lopez Village.
Brian McClerren
McClerren moved to Lopez Island in 2004. He was hired over the telephone by a local building contractor. “The labor shortage was so acute that I remember trying to convince my friends back in Oregon to move up and work construction,” he said.
McClerren and his family joined with others in forming Common Ground, the Lopez Community Land Trust’s fourth affordable housing project. McClerren served as co-op treasurer during the construction process. At the same time he and his former partner Andrea Huss started the Media Cocktail business in Lopez Village. McClerren used his time as a business owner to return to school and studied economics, accounting and business law. He recently hired the first employee for his new business Reveal Window Cleaning while also working full time at Sunset Builder’s See candidates, page 8
San Juans awarded $300K for salmon By Steve Wehrly Journal reporter
New Year’s Eve at the Galley • Misty Isle 100% Natural Angus Prime Rib, with red wine peppercorn cream sauce. • Moroccan Lamb Shank, with tomatoes, onions, raisins and spices
Salmon in San Juan County are getting help from the state, some this week in labor and some next year in money. A PugetSound Corps team cleaned up creosote debris Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 17 and 18, at Neck Point Lagoon on Shaw Island, then on San Juan Island at Jackson Beach, Wednesday and Thursday. The project was sponsored by the state’s Department of Natural Resources and paid for by the Department of Ecology using money from the voter-approved
Islander
Resort
• Chicaoji Pork Tenderloin with Corn Cakes • Crab & Shrimp Stuffed Coho Salmon, with lobster sauce In the Lounge ~ Los Hermanos ~ Latin grooves for smiling and for dancing Party Favors and Complimentary Champagne Toast at Midnight
Family owned since 1997
360-468-2233
Join us for New Years Eve Prime Rib Dinner or Char Grilled Salmon and dessert! $49.95 per couple Reservations Required Open til 10pm for dinner
New Year‛s Eve Party at the Tiki Lounge Complimentary Champagne and party Favors! Featuring DJ Dustin & Open Mic
2013
tax on hazardous substances. On Monday, Dec. 10, DNR and the Salmon Recovery Funding Board announced that San Juan County had been awarded a $300,000 matching grant for four salmon recovery projects planned and managed by the County Community Development and Planning Department, local “lead entity” for salmon recovery. The creosote debris cleanup was a continuation of a major DNR program to remove creosoted pilings and timbers from Washington beaches and shorelines. Five years ago, DNR used helicopters to remove 38 tons of creosote pilings from Jackson Beach. Since 2004, DNR and a group of state and private partners have removed over 12,600 tons of creosoted pilings, 2,600 tons of creosoted beach debris, and more than 200,000 square feet of creosoted structures from Puget Sound. For more information on creosoted piling cleanup, go to www.dnr.wa.gov/ResearchScience/Topics/AquaticCleanUpRestoration/Pages/aqr_creosote_removal_program.aspx. The Salmon Recovery Funding Board money is part of $19.2 million granted on a competitive, matching basis to socalled lead entities in 28 counties in Washington state. Funding for the grants comes from the federal Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery.