Sports
Rivals from ‘Down Under’ rally to stretch win streak PAGE 3
Island Scene
Tips to rid the winter blues from the inside out PAGE 9
As I See It
Economic forces leave even established islanders scrambling for affordable rental homes PAGE 7
Journal
The 75¢ Wednesday, January 7, 2015 Vol. 108 Issue 1
Appeals fail at high court
Groups gear up to count homeless
State Supreme Court rejects appeals in three local cases Journal staff report
The Washington state Supreme Court issued decisions on three San Juan County cases Dec. 11. Two cases involved land-use appeals by Deer Harbor resident Michael Durland. The third case involved a 10-year-old rape case that received a fresh look due to changes in the rules regarding “open courts.” Prosecuting Attorney Randall Gaylord said that “in all three cases, the position on the law taken by the prosecutor’s office was upheld.” The two cases filed by Durland involved a challenge to a building permit on property adjacent to his property. Durland filed the first case directly in Skagit County without appealing to the county’s hearing examiner. The trial court ruled that without a ruling from the hearing examiner there was no final decision to be appealed and the court had no authority to hear the case. The Washington court of appeals in Seattle upheld that decision and Durland then appealed to the Washington Supreme Court, in Olympia. The Supreme Court upheld decisions of the lower courts and awarded attorney fees to Durland’s neighbor. Durland simultaneously See COURT, Page 4
Contributed photo / Center for Whale Research
The newborn orca calf, J-50, swims alongside its presumed mother, J-16. The whale was spotted for the first time by researchers on Dec. 30, and appeared to be healthy. When sighted the calf was energetic & between 4-10 days old.
Mystery blankets newborn Odd behavior by calf causes uncertainty over its parentage By Emily Greenberg Journal reporter
The newborn calf in J-pod is a welcomed addition to the population in peril, but only time will tell who its mother is. The Center for Whale Research confirmed seeing and photographing 42-year-old J-16 with, presumably, her newborn baby, off the south shores of North Pender Island in Canadian waters Dec. 30. The baby, known as J-50, is the second calf to be born in 2014, after a two-year lull of no births among the Southern Resident killer whales. The calf appeared to be healthy and energetic, swimming alongside its presumed mother. However, researchers immediately recognized some peculiarity surrounding its birth. J-16 was not expected to be carrying a calf due
to her advanced age and no other female has given birth at over 42 years of age in the four decades of demographic field studies of the Southern Resident orcas. Researchers speculated that J-16’s daughter, J-36, could be the mother. At age 16, J-36 is in her prime for breeding. At the time the newborn was first sighted swimming alongside J-16, J-36 appeared to be missing. Ken Balcomb, founder of the Center for Whale Research, feared the worst. “Thank goodness she was alive,” he said. “The issue of who is the mother of J-50 may be settled the next time we encounter these whales. Or, it may take some time.” The birth of J-50 comes at the end of a rocky year for the Southern residents. The population, which was declared endangered in 2005, suffered four deaths in 2014. The birth of J-50 brings it back up to 78, a 30-year low nonetheless. Oddities surrounding the birth of J-50 appeared See NEWBORN, Page 4
Winner of six 1st place awards in Washington Newspaper Publishers Association 2014 BNC, 17 in all
The San Juan County “Point in Time Homeless Count” of 2015 will be conducted Thursday, Jan. 29. Count organizers and volunteers work with local family resource centers, food banks, churches, healthcare providers, senior centers, libraries, the sheriff ’s office, and many other community support service providers to conduct the count. Initiated by the state of Washington in 2005, the Point in Time count is conducted at the end of January each year. Agencies not open on the day of the count are authorized to See HOMELESS, Page 2
Weddings in the San Juan Islands Publication
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In partnersh Journal, So under & We ip with the Our 24-page special ekl section, San Juan Isla nds Visitors y Bureau offers ideas for an ideal island wedding. Pick yours up today or visit the Seattle (Jan. 10/11) and Portland (Jan. 17/18) wedding shows.