Island Scene
Sports
Year end reflections on projects, productions, pods
Pins aplenty; Wolverines flex muscles at home
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PAGE 12
As I See It
San Juan Island’s rural roots, ‘inclusive’ nature are under siege, but not by deer hunters PAGE 4
Journal
The 75¢ Wednesday, December 24, 2014 Vol. 107 Issue 52
Top 10 stories of 2014
Push for ‘No-Go’ zone revitalized Expanded protection sought for killer whales By Emily Greenberg Journal reporter
Left, top: contributed photos / bottom right, Journal file photo
From left, clockwise; L-120, the first new Southern resident calf in two years, went missing in mid-autumn and is presumed dead. Deputy Ron Krebs won his first-ever bid for public office, San Juan County sheriff, in a landslide. A farm at the end of a private road on San Juan Island is ground-zero in the local tug-of-war over marijuana cultivation.
Every year brings stories, events and happenings that leave a lasting impression. In that regard, 2014 follows suit. From unveiling of a reservation system that promises to forever change ferry travel, to an alarming setback in the would-be recovery of San Juans killer whales, to a landmark post-season performance by two prep soccer teams, the Journal presents its annual “Top 10 Stories” of the year, a two-part series, beginning with a bonus entry.
Bonus: Long wait, much improved road The fact that state grants covered the bulk of the $1.4 million road project is a benefit that can’t be denied. Nevertheless, the prolonged reconstruction of Blair Avenue won’t soon be forgotten, as it put the patience of most islanders, and just about anybody else who drove through Friday Harbor from August until late November, to the test. Home to one of busiest intersections in town, where traffic to and from the post office, middle and high schools, Islanders Bank, and myriad other businesses regularly converge, Blair Avenue also proved to be encumbered
by an unexpected, bewildering patchwork of underground utility piping, conduits and wires, often inter-mixed or entangled by roots, rocks and clay. Sorting out that subterranean puzzle and reinstalling utilities proved to be ground-zero of the project’s three-month delay. The avenue reopened in late November, with brand new curbs, gutters, sidewalks, street signs, lamp posts and guard rails, and, best of all, a real smooth surface. “We appreciate the community’s patience throughout this project,” town Administrator Duncan Wilson said on the eve of a Dec. 17 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new and improved avenue. “While it was at times
inconvenient, the final product was certainly worth the wait.” Next up for the town and its road reconstruction plans? Tucker Avenue.
Clash over art strikes in the heart of town The powers that be at Friday Harbor American Legion Post 163 aren’t known for shying away from a battle. If it’s uphill, maybe all the better. An uphill battle is precisely what the Legion found See TOP TEN, Page 2
In the wake of the death of J32, a pregnant female of the Southern Resident orca whales, a call to action resurfaced last week for a “No-Go” whale protection zone off the westside of San Juan Island. Orca Relief Citizens Alliance is urging the National Marine Fisheries Service to adopt its outline and begin the formal public process of establishing a no-go zone. “This is only an immediate solution to a dire situation,” said Orca Relief Executive Director Bruce Stedman. “When salmon levels are so low, the whales are very stressed when searching for food. Pursuit from whale watching boats causes more stress.” Declared endangered in 2005, the Southern resident population is at a 30-year low, with only 77 remaining whales. Orca Relief ’s proposed no-go zone comes on the heels of the death of four orcas in 2014, including L-120, the population’s first calf in nearly two years. In addition to lack of prey and pollution, disturbance by vessels is one of the three primary threats the beleaguered population faces in its struggle to survive, according to the Fisheries Service. The boundaries of the suggested zone would extend south to either Eagle or Cattle points from the northern tip of Mitchell Point, and stretch three quarters of a mile offshore. It would be in effect April through October. Boats that need to transit through the area would be expected to adhere to no-wake rules, such as those coming in and out of Snug Harbor.
Winner of six 1st place awards in Washington Newspaper Publishers Association 2014 BNC, 17 in all
The main purpose of the protection zone, according to Stedman, would be to minimize noise and disturbance from vessels while whales are hunting for their primary food source, chinook salmon, which have become increasingly scarce. The particular noise being singled out by Orca Relief is that of commercial whalewatch boats. At a Dec. 16 forum on the whale protection zone, organized at the Grange Hall by Orca Relief, the group’s founder, Mark Anderson, said while the protected area could negatively impact whale-watch businesses that if it could help with orca recovery it would be well worth the effort. “If we turn this around you’ll be See REVITALIZED, Page 3
2015 Baby Derby More than $500 in prizes await the first baby of the new year. Call the Journal today to advertise. 378-5696