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VOLUME 37, NUMBER 1 • JANUARY 7, 2014
Waldron declared drone-free zone, lobbies county to do the same By Scott Rasmussen Journal editor
Despite its preeminence in the aerospace industry, Washington is not among the six states recently selected by the Federal Aviation Administration to develop test sites for drones. Which will probably come as welcome news for almost everyone living on Waldron Island. At a community meeting in November, residents of the sixth-largest island in San Juan County voted in overwhelming numbers to declare Waldron a “dronefree zone.” Of the 20 people in attendance at the Nov. 9 meeting, the declaration was ratified by 16, rejected by two, and two abstained from voting. A statement? You bet, but it’s not one without prec-
edent, according to Ryan Drum, community meeting chairman. “Our community voted in the majority at a monthly community meeting to declare ourselves a dronefree zone, much as we declared ourselves a nuclear-free zone in 1984, as a statement to the U.S. government condemning the use of military drones to kill innocent civilians in other countries, and other unethical drone use,” Drum said. “We hope that by speaking out, we will encourage other communities to speak out against the use of drones in ways that do not support the health and well-being of members of a community.” In reality, the resolution approved by the county commission in 1984 declared San Juan County to be a “nuclear weapons-free
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zone,” -- not just nuclearfree -- making it unlawful for any person, business or governmental agency to possess, use, test, deploy or store nuclear weapons, or to manufacture components for nuclear weapons, and gave local authorities broad powers to enforce the law in the event of a violation. Deputy Criminal Prosecutor Charlie Silverman said that he cannot recall a single a case involving the nuclear weapons-free zone in the nearly 30 years that the ordinance has been on the books. But unlike nuclear weapons, which could be viewed as a tangible threat to public safety, Silverman doubts the county would have jurisdiction to regulate what comes and goes in the airspace above its borders. Still, the residents of
By Scott Rasmussen
The
San Juan County’s top law enforcement official issued a statement Tuesday defending his officers and department in the wake of a controversial traffic stop in downtown Friday Harbor on Christmas Eve. On that night, a San Juan Island man was pulled over near the ferry landing parking lot shortly before 6 p.m. while driving a trailer
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the FAA, the agency is seeking to develop guidelines for commercial purposes and, according to the Associated Press, projects that as many as 7,500 commercial drones could be operating in U.S. airspace as soon as five years from the point they gain access to the skies across the country. Drum said the drone-freezone declaration is intended to signify the community’s displeasure and frustration with the expanded use of unmanned aircraft for military purposes and for domestic surveillance as well, and with the anti-democratic policies that they represent. Especially when, he added, congressional leaders are making cuts to beneficial public programs, like education, research and unemployment benefits. “There’s no net-gain with
the amount we’re spending on defense and the military,” he said. “It’s bizarre what they’re doing with taxpayers money.” County Councilman Rick Hughes of Orcas Island, whose District 2 boundaries include Waldron, read aloud the letter from Waldron to the council at a midDecember meeting. Like Silverman, Hughes doubts the county has jurisdiction over its airspace does not foresee any attempt by the council to legislate a dronefree zone. Still, Hughes said that he wanted to make sure that the sentiments of his constituents were heard. “I have huge respect for the Waldron community, but we can only do what our mandate allows us to do,” he said.
Controversial Christmas Eve traffic stop Journal editor
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Waldron didn’t simply stop at their shore, but also sent a letter to the County Council on Dec. 4, asking that the council follow suit by declaring the county to be a drone-free zone as well. Petitions in support of the declaration were to follow, after a sufficient number of signatures were collected. “We have two petitions, one’s posted at the general store, and both are about three-quarters full,” community meeting Secretary Caroline Mills said in midDecember. Alaska, New York and Texas are among the six states chosen by the FAA to create test sites for what may will lead to an expanded use of drones for commercial, security and research interests in the U.S. While commercial use of drones is currently prohibited by
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decorated with Christmas lights and lined with hay bales, and which carried more than a dozen holiday carolers, including several children. The ensuing verbal exchange between the driver and the deputy that pulled him over quickly became heated and, according to several witnesses, that dispute nearly escalated into an altercation. Witnesses say that at one point the deputy lunged at the driver, but was restrained by a second officer who arrived at the scene shortly after the trailer was pulled over. The party of revelers were all ordered to stand against the wall of a nearby convenience store while the deputies conducted their investigation, according to one witness. Sheriff Rob Nou said the driver was stopped
for allowing people to ride on a trailer and for operating a vehicle without signal lights, taillights and without brake lights. He acknowledged that the traffic stop “unfortunately” erupted into a confrontation between the deputy and driver. “As your law enforcement officers, we have a fundamental duty to protect life and property,” Nou said. “We also have a duty to enforce the law. This includes the enforcement of traffic laws. This was a traffic stop that needed to happen—not to dampen the Christmas spirit, but to try to prevent a Christmas tragedy.” No traffic tickets were issued and the man was allowed to drive the trailer home, under police escort, Nou said. Still, it’s not the first time this year that the Sheriff’s department has
become the target of criticism for the conduct of its deputies during traffic stops. A multitude of complaints about overzealous enforcement and unprofessional conduct were aired during a three-hour town hall in March, in which Nou declined to discuss specifics of any particular case or incident, or matters involving personnel, in a public forum. At that time he encouraged anyone with a complaint to seek him for a discussion of the issue in private. Nou said the Christmas Eve traffic stop is under review. “I am reviewing the incident, and the conduct of all involved,” he said. “If you witnessed this stop, I would appreciate hearing from you.” Contact the SJC Sheriff’s office at 378-4151.