Newsmakers
And this year’s coveted ‘Finie’ award goes to… page 8
Island Scene
Spotlight shines on ‘First Lady’ of Flamenco, and friends page 9
Editorial
On this walk, every step counts; get revved up for Relay for Life page 7
Journal
The 75¢ Wednesday, July 17, 2013 Vol. 106 Issue 29
of the San Juan Islands
www.sanjuanjournal.com
CAPR contests lawsuit decision
Habitat help for rockfish in court
Property rights group fights on in Open Meetings case
Journal staff report
Journal reporter
See Habitat, Page 7
Yacht fire sets new record
IOSA chalks up biggest cleanup effort ever in wake of boat fire By Scott Rasmussen Journal editor
The most costly fire ever on San Juan Island took place in what might be considered the smallest of spaces — 85 feet, to be precise. That’s the length of a luxury yacht — bow to stern — that was gutted and almost completely destroyed July 10, after flames grabbed hold of a below-deck cabin at the front end of the vessel, which was moored at Roche Harbor Resort marina. Advertised for sale by the Seattle office of
Ocean Marine, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of Ocean Alexander megayachts and motoryachts, the value of the yacht was listed at $5.4 million, according to Chief Steve Marler of San Juan Island Fire Department. The loss, Marler noted, exceeds that of the fire that destroyed five businesses in downtown Friday Harbor on the afternoon of May 9, 2002, and that left a quarter-block of town smoldering in a heap of debris. The loss from that fire — now the island’s second worst — totaled $2.5 million at the time. “One could argue over values between then and now,” he said, “but this stands as the largest singleloss in dollar value on San Juan Island for as far as our records go back.” Cleanup of fuel, oil and debris left in the wake See Record, Page 4
2011 Special Award; Second Place: General Excellence from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
Real Estate in the
our
green edit
io
Online
www.sanjuanjournal.com www.islandssounder.com www.islandsweekly.com
San Juan Islands
Properties Bought & Sold page 19
& flyerboard
See Decision, Page 4
Contributed photo / Jim Sherman
The fireboat Confidence sprays a stream of water on an 85-foot yacht fully engulfed in flames at Roche Harbor Resort at about 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 10.
ns
The Citizens’ Alliance for Property Rights has appealed the dismissal of its Open Public Meetings Act lawsuit against San Juan County to the state Court of Appeals in Seattle. CAPR, a statewide property rights organization with a chapter in San Juan County, had sought to invalidate the Critical Areas Ordinances because three of six county council members had attended a number of meetings with county employees and others to discuss various questions related to the CAO update. The original case also named three county council members as individual defendants; they were dismissed from the case before the final order. The notice of appeal brings the case back to life after Island County Superior Court Judge Alan Hancock in May issued a summary judgement order dismissing the lawsuit before trial. That decision said the state open public meetings act applies to subcommittees “only if a majority or quorum of the governing body is present” - a fact that was not refuted by CAPR, though CAPR
Check o ut
By Steve Wehrly
Threatened and endangered rockfish in the Salish Sea have an advocate in the Center for Biological Diversity, which on July 11 announced a legal effort to force the National Marine Fisheries Service to designate critical habitat necessary for protection of three species of rockfish. In 2010, the Fisheries Service listed the Puget Sound/Georgia basin populations of yelloweye rockfish and canary rockfish as threatened, and bocaccio rockfish as endangered, under the Endangered Species Act. With
July 2013
Published the third Wednesda y of each month by the Journal of the San Juan Islands, Islands’ Sounder and Islands’
Weekly
Exceptional Waterfront
Scott Rasmussen photo
Estate
Lanny Carver • carver@sanju 360-378-2101 • Cell: anislands.com 360-472-0922 www.lannycarver.com
105 Spring Street, PO Box 100, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 Exceptional Waterfront Custom Home. Sunny West side of San Juan Island with 180 + degree views of the Olympics, Haro Straits, Victoria Canada and Mt. Rainier. Wildlife, Whales and Sunsets in your front yard. Chefs kitchen, relaxing sun porch, Living area with fireplace & soaring beamed ceilings. Master Bedroom with spa inspired Master bath. French Doors to 55’ deck for outdoor living & dining on the water. Wine cellar, Sauna, media area, sport court. Separate Custom Guest house with the same amazing views. Two acres 277+/- frontage. #236781
San Juan Islands, Inc.
An Independently Owned
and Operated Member of
Coldwell Banker Residential
Affiliates, Inc.
$1,695,000
Windermere covers the Island (even the Outer Islands)
!
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Look inside for a free San Juan Island map with locations of represented homes for sale.
Free Map Inside!
With a QR code reader on your smartphone, you’ll be able to see the website of each property, including a photo gallery and directions. For island home buying videos and tips, see: BeOnSanJuan .com
50 Spring Street, (360)378-360
0 or (800)262-3596 • Open
Everyday • www.winde
rmeresji.com ALL ISLANDS
Real Estate in the San Juan Islands
See inside for June’s real estate sales, listings and statistics.