SENIORS PAINT THE BARN Community looks at building a replacement for old barn Page 9
NEW BAND DIRECTOR Orcas School welcomes a new band leader Page 3
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NEWS |Dept. of Justice weighs in on marijuana laws [6] THEATRE | ‘Arthur: the Hunt’ is now playing at Grange [8] ARTS | Orcas programs to highlight Pulitzer-prize winning cartoonist [10]
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WEDNESDAY, September 4, 2013 VOL. 46, NO. 36 75¢
Sand dollars vs. eelgrass Island Hospital opts out of partnership by STEVE WEHRLY Journal reporter
Tawm Perkowski /contributed photo by CALI BAGBY Staff reporter
From red octopus to giant clam worms to bay ghost shrimp the waters around our islands are home to fascinating creatures. For Amy K. Henry, a doctoral candidate from the University of Chicago, these salty waters have enticed her to study two well-known – yet mysterious – species. Over the summer, she has been looking at how eelgrass and sand dollars compete for space and influence the ecosystem of Crescent Beach. This is her first time working with Friday Harbor Labs and conducting research in East Sound. “It has been so great to work here,” she said during a talk on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at the Orcas Library, organized by the Indian Island Marine Health Observatory. Eelgrass and sand dollars are part of Henry’s desire to delve into the world of ecosystem engineers, which are animals that modify the environment by making it more beneficial to themselves or for other species. Beavers are known as great engineers because they reduce forests and increase ponds. In East Sound, eelgrass and sand dollars are the perfect subject for Henry’s research because they both drastically change their surroundings.
Eelgrass vs. sand dollars Eelgrass is not an algae, but a grass that has evolved to live in salt water, says Henry. This
Top: A local sand dollar. Above: Eelgrass.
NOAA photo
makes it a unique species, as this does not occur in nature often. The grass is found worldwide, prevents erosion, creates habitat for sea life and creates a safe nursery for baby rockfish and crabs. The grass is not a food item for sea life in this region. But manatee and other herbivores eat eelgrass in warmer waters. “Very few species eat the eelgrass,” said Henry. “It’s not very tasty.” There is also an invasive Japanese eelgrass in East Sound that looks similar to the native sea grass, but is quite smaller. Henry said that the
SEE MARINE, PAGE 6
Island Hospital has backed away from affiliating with the PeaceHealth medical system. At a meeting on Aug. 29 in Mount Vernon, commissioners of the public hospital district governing Island Hospital, which operates the Orcas Medical Center in Eastsound, voted not to sign a letter of intent with Skagit Regional Health hospital and Cascade Valley Hospital to affiliate with the PeaceHealth hospital system, which operates hospitals and clinics in Bellingham and Friday Harbor. “Our board of commissioners has worked very hard to make the best decision for this community to retain and grow quality healthcare services for our patients,” said Vince Oliver, Island Hospital CEO in a press release. He did not elaborate on why the commissioners and hospital executives decided not to join the affiliation negotiations. “Orcas Medical Center fully respects and agrees with the decision of the Island Hospital board of commissioners, who went to great lengths to listen carefully not only to the communities in and around Anacortes, but also in the San Juans,” said Alison Shaw, clinic manager of Orcas Medical Center. Island Hospital’s board will establish a community advisory committee to help them continue to seek partnerships and affiliations if they serve in the best interest of the community, enhance service quality and improve financial strength. Just hours before the meeting, PeaceHealth announced a reduction in force of 500 jobs as the three-state health care system struggled with revenue shortfalls of $130 million in its Washington operations. On the same day on San Juan
Island, the San Juan Hospital Commission parried questions from islanders concerned that Peace Island Hospital services were being circumscribed by Catholic moral strictures expressed in the Bishops’ Ethical and Religious Directives for Health Care Services. District commissioners responded cautiously to the recent opinion of the Washington Attorney General on provision of reproductive services by public hospital districts. None of the five commissioners would say what they thought the AG opinion requires of hospital districts in general or Peace Island Hospital specifically. Commissioner Rosanna O’Donnell said the issue “comes down to interpretation” of the opinion, concluding later that “I need to be told by our attorney what to do.” Chairwoman Lenore Bayuk
SEE MEDICAL, PAGE 6
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