Island Scene
Three’s company in this production of ‘Alice’ PAGE 9
Newsmakers
Round 2: ‘Believer’ from music video to album release party PAGE 16
As I See It
Island Air Ambulance versus Airlift Northwest: unfair advantage at work in the skies PAGE 7
Journal
The 75¢ Wednesday, January 15, 2014 Vol. 107 Issue 3
of the San Juan Islands
‘Growls’ in wake of Navy flights New plane generates big sound, rattles nerves on Lopez By Steve Wehrly Journal reporter
Residents of the San Juan Islands, especially those living on the south side of Lopez and San Juan, probably think the name the Navy chose for its new EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft “Growler” - is fitting. Even though complaints from the San Juans represent less than one percent of the total noise complaints received at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, according to Mike Welding at NAS Whidbey, islanders from as far away as Waldron Island are telling the Journal and the county council that they are bothered by increased noise from the new planes, which are gradually replacing the 1970’s era EA-6B Prowlers as the fleet’s electronic warfare jets. The naval air station is conducting its third environmental review in 10 years of noise and other impacts from thousands of landings and takeoffs conducted at Ault Field near Oak Harbor and the Outlying Landing Field near Coupeville. The EIS is prompted by the addition of 13 more EA-18s and a contract to train Australian pilots on the planes at NAS Whidbey. The prior reviews were environmental assessments; this EIS See FLIGHTS, Page 4
www.sanjuanjournal.com
First baby of 2014
His parents had a plan, but they have Michael now instead By Scott Rasmussen Journal editor
It is easy to understand why James and Nicole Coddington are increasingly comfortable with learning to expect the unexpected. After a dozen years together, the Orcas Island couple decided about a year ago that they would pass on having children of their own, given their age, both on the cusp of 40, Nicole’s health concerns (she suffered a severe spinal injury at an early age), and given their financial resources and the number of people already living on the planet. They underscored that decision on Valentine’s Day, agreeing that James would have a vasectomy. And he did. End of story? Not by a long shot. Evidently, the universe had something else in mind. On Jan. 2, at 7:16 p.m., Nicole gave birth to the couple’s first and only child, Michael Victor Coddington, at University Hospital in Seattle. So much for family planning. “You could say it’s mostly my fault,” James said. “I was supposed to have my sperm level checked but a couple friends who’d had it done told me that it wasn’t really necessary, that you don’t need to do it and that it would all be okay. So I didn’t.” Weighing in at seven pounds and 13 ounces, and 21 inches in length, Michael arrived in this world about a week past his due date (Christmas Day)
Islands ignored by coal port EIS By Steve Wehrly Journal reporter
The San Juan County Council is “disturbed” that the scope of the environmental impact statement for the Gateway Pacific Terminal project apparently pays no attention to San Jan County. At its Jan. 7 meeting, the County Council approved a letter to the Corps of Engineers, the state Department of Ecology and Whatcom County - the three “co-lead agencies” which jointly will produce the EIS - that asks for specific consideration of the
Contributed photos
The Coddington family, Nicole, James and newly arrived Michael, the San Juans first baby of 2014 take time to relax at home.
and after an arduous 38 hours of labor for his mother, an unexpected adventure in itself. Doctors insisted on inducing labor because of the mother’s age, Nicole said. “It was rough,” she said. “I’m just glad to be on the other side.” And the couple are way beyond glad that forces other than themselves apparently were at work in determining the future size of their family. “He’s just cute as a button,” Nicole said of her newborn son. “He’s so adorable, so precious. You can go ahead and call it the universe but it feels like there was some kind of higher power at work to make it happen. Now it feels so right.” Born on the second day of 2014, little Michael earns the distinction of being the first baby of the year born to parents living in San Juan County. It’s the second year in a row that
See EIS, Page 4
Real Esta te
in the
San Juan
Islands January
San Juan County’s first baby was born on Jan. 2. With Michael as the first baby of the year, the Coddington’s, who moved to Orcas from Colorado in 2008, are also this year’s winner of the Journal of the San Juan Island’s annual “Baby Derby.” The honor means that the family will receive $500 in gifts, prizes, and age-appropriate packages donated by 20 separate local retailers, merchants and businesses, also known as the “Baby Booty”. See BABY, Page 4
2011 Special Award; Second Place: General Excellence from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
George Willis
photo
2014
Published the Journal of the San Juanthird Wednesday of each mon Islands, th by the Islands’ Sounder and Islan ds’ Weekly
Real Estate in the San Juan Islands
See inside for December’s real estate sales, listings and statistics.