SOUNDER THE ISLANDS’
Serving Orcas, Lopez and San Juan County
WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2015 VOL. 48, NO. 15 75¢ islandssounder.com
Inside this edition: Home and Garden
Suspect in Wednesday’s hit-and-run in custody by CALI BAGBY Assistant editor
A young woman was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Main Street and North Beach Road at around 10 a.m., on Wednesday, April 8. The suspect, a male in his 20s, is being held on the charge of felony hit-and-run with injuries, which is a Class C felony, which carries a possible sentence of up to five years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. The suspect is currently waiting for a hearing with a judge at San Juan County Superior Court. San Juan County Sheriff Ron Krebs said they will release his name after his arraignment. The victim, 18-year-old Emily Foster, was conscious when paraCali Bagby/Staff Photo
Paramedics with the victim in the aftermath of the hit-and-run.
medics arrived on the scene. Eyewitness accounts said Foster was struck and flew up over the car. Foster said she did not know the driver. She was airlifted off the island for treatment and released the same day. Foster, a high school student, sustained road rash and swelling on her face and a sprained knee and back. “I’m really shocked with the amount of support I’ve gotten from everyone on the island,” she said. “People I don’t even know are contacting me and asking about me, and I really think all of the support is helping me heal.” To help fund her recovery for medical bills, visit www.gofundme.com/emilyfoster. The alleged driver and vehicle did not appear to be at the scene of the incident. According to Undersheriff Brent Johnson the incident was immediately classified as a hit-and-run. “We heard it first. I heard her
Broadband hot topic at OPALCO forum Community airs their concerns about the co-op’s finances and future
by COLLEEN SMITH ARMSTRONG Editor/Publisher
Lack of transparency. Not enough community input. Breach of ethics. These were the concerns voiced by islanders at Orcas Power and Light Cooperative board of director candidate’s forum on April 9. Incumbent board member Winnie Adams said it was a “rewarding discussion that dug deep into the complexities of the co-op.” The 2015 board election has four candidates for two open positions in District 2: Adams, incumbent Chris Thomerson and Randy Cornelius and Ed Sutton. The district includes Orcas, Armitage, Blakely, Obstruction, Big Double, Little Double and Fawn Islands. The board is comprised of seven members. OPALCO General Manager Foster Hildreth and Thomerson and Cornelius were unable to attend the forum, so Adams and Sutton fielded questions from a small group of citizens. Broadband was the hot topic of conversation – particularly from past and present OPALCO
employees. “I worked for OPALCO for 33 years and I feel deeply connected to it. But I am disappointed with what’s happening,” said Todd Shaner. “I am bewildered that OPALCO has taken this attitude of not sharing. The trust has been broken.” The co-op initially investigated a countywide broadband solution in early 2013 but scrapped the idea after insufficient monetary support from members. In February 2015, OPALCO announced it had purchased Rock Island Communications, which merged its staff, infrastructure and operations with OPALCO to deliver broadband services for homes and businesses in San Juan County. Hildreth is president of the for-profit company, and Gerry Lawlor is executive vice president. As the parent company, OPALCO is providing funding for the startup costs and working capital for the new entity. The business plan projects a positive return on the total investment by 2020. For the next two years, $3 per month on co-op members’ bills will go toward costs
associated with Rock Island. OPALCO’s total loan investment will be $7.5 million. Adams explained that the negotiations were private at the request of Rock Island founder Mike Greene. For a map of broadband installation, go to http://rockisland.com/home/how/maps/. “My interpretation of people not stepping forward for broadband was that the scope was too big,” Adams said. “So we went ahead with establishing our own broadband backbone, but then the major CenturyLink outage happened, and people panicked. At our regular meeting that month we were mobbed with people who wanted broadband. So when the Rock Island opportunity came up, we decided to only do it if it was as a subsidiary.” OPALCO Lineman Roger Sandwith expressed frustration over lack of communication from management regarding broadband expansion and the Rock Island acquisition. “When the community asks us questions, we don’t know what to say,” he said. “When we
SEE OPALCO, PAGE 6
screaming and then crying,” said several witnesses who did not see the crash, but were down the block when the accident occurred. Other witnesses reported that the car accelerated after stopping at the stop sign at the intersection despite seeing Foster on the road. According to deputies, the victim said that she made eye contact with the driver prior to being struck. The suspect was located by deputies at around 11:30 a.m. on April 8. His vehicle was impounded and a search warrant was sought to search the vehicle. The suspect was then transported to the San Juan County Sheriff ’s Office. Four deputies and a detective as well as the San Juan County Sheriff ’s accident reconstructionist arrived to process the scene later that day. According to Johnson, there have been several hit-and-runs on parked vehicles in the county, but very few involving pedestrians. “It’s a rare occurrence in our county when it comes to a hit-andrun on a person,” said Johnson.
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