Journal of the San Juans, December 03, 2014

Page 1

Island Scene

Connections conjured at weekly community dances PAGE 7

Around Town

Washington poet laureate shares her musings aloud PAGE 12

Guest Column

Is the moratorium on growing cannabis undeniably unfair in its blanket generality ? PAGE 5

Journal

The 75¢ Wednesday, December 3, 2014 Vol. 107 Issue 49

Divide surfaces over pot farms

Big gift arrives in small package

Council to host pot moratorium forums, Jan. 12 and Jan. 26

By Emily Greenberg Journal Reporter

By Scott Rasmussen Journal editor

Dividing lines began to emerge last week in an increasingly highstakes tug-of-war over the cultivation of marijuana and whether San Juan County should apply the brakes on future permits to allow for stricter rules to be crafted and imposed on its production. With a would-be moratorium lingering on the horizon, arguments for and against putting a freeze on permits for large-scale grow operations ricocheted around the room at a Nov. 25 town hall hosted by Friday Harbor Grange No. 966. The meeting drew a standing-room-only crowd. The chasm that separates opponents and supporters of the moratorium may be deep and wide, but it seems that on one thing everyone could agree: the County Council is to blame for the predicament. “It seems like we’re punishing farmers for the council not doing their job,” a member of the audience said at the conclusion of the meeting, a sentiment shared by many in the room. And, by San Juan Island’s Brent Snow, in particular. The forum’s featured pro-moratorium speaker, See FARMS, Page 5

Contributed photo /Jennifer Ayers

Friday Harbor goalkeeper Dalton Ayers is mobbed by teammates following a critical save in overtime that set the stage for the Wolverines 1-0 victory over Grace Academy Nov. 22 and a third-place finish at the 2B state tournament.

November to remember Boys claim 3rd, girls finish 4th in ‘best-ever’ show at State By Sam Paul-Barette Journal intern

The Wolverines arrived in Sumner Friday, Nov. 21, with a strong desire to lift the state championship trophy, but by the end of the night, they found themselves looking at a very different task. Friday Harbor fell 1-0 to the Waitsburg-Prescott Tigers in the Division 2A state semifinals at Sunset Chevrolet Stadium, sending them to a thirdplace showdown with league foe Grace Academy Saturday afternoon, where they cashed in a thrilling victory via a penalty kick shootout. In their Friday night matchup, the Wolverines found themselves pitted against an unfamiliar opponent, a speedy and skillful Tigers team that effectively intercepted and closed down the Wolverines passing lanes. For Friday Harbor, reli-

ant all season on calm, composed ball movement, it was a gut check. “They played with a high intensity, made it very hard for us to control the game,” said senior Cassidy Quigley. After relentless pressure, the Tigers leading scorer, Ivan Figueroa, broke through in the 64th minute of the game. The Wolverines defense was unable to clear a long ball into the box and Figueroa pounced driving a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Dalton Ayers. The Wolverines returned to the hotel that night with heavy disappointment but a renewed sense of purpose to grab third place against Grace Academy, a team the Wolverines had gone 1-1 against in the regular season. Come Saturday afternoon, Friday Harbor arrived at Sunset Stadium ready to play “their state championship”, as some players put it. Against Grace Academy, they came from of the opening whistle as the clearly dominant team, See REMEMBER, Page 6

Winner of six 1st place awards in Washington Newspaper Publishers Association 2014 BNC, 17 in all

San Juan Community Home Trust just got a little closer to meeting its $300,000 goal, a challenge bestowed upon the organization by a long-time supporter. If the Home Trust can raise the $300,000 through other donations, the supporter will match the amount. “We have a thermometer to show our progress,” said Nancy DeVaux, executive director for the Home Trust. “Since July we’re at about $225,000 of the $300,000, so See PACKAGE, Page 4

Sales deadline

2015 Weddings in the San Juans publishes the week of Jan. 7 in the Journal, Sounder & Weekly. Sales Deadline: Fri., Dec. 5, 2014. For more information call the Journal 378-5696.


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