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Wolverines make strong pitch for league title PAGE 16
Scene
Lively, uproarious, ready to go: ‘9 to 5: The Musical’ PAGE 9
Letters
Islands under assault: roar of Navy jets wouldn’t be allowed if warcraft were treated like people PAGE 7
Journal
The 75¢ Wednesday, May 13, 2015 Vol. 108 Issue 19
Raising awareness over lyme disease ‘Nature’s Dirty Needle,’ a look at lyme disease By Cali Bagby
Assistant editor, Islands’ Sounder
Contributed photo / Vigor Industrial
The 144-auto Samish is expected to join the fleet of ferries serving the San Juan Islands June 14, with the start of the summer schedule. The $126 million vessel will be introduced at an Open House May 20, at in Anacortes.
Bound for service in SJs WSF’s newest ferry, the ‘Samish’, will on display May 20 Journal staff report
It’s brand new. It can carry as many as 144 automobiles. And, it’s poised to take not only its place as the newest boat among the state ferry system fleet, but to set sail as one of the primary ferries in the San Juans as well. Washington State Ferries took possession of the $126 million Samish from boat builder and contractor Everett-based Vigor Industrial in early April. Following two months of sea trials and crew training, the Olympic Class ferry will begin service on the Anacortes/San
Juan Islands route Sunday, June 14, on the eve of the summer sailing season. “I’m delighted to take delivery of the Samish,” Ferries Assistant Secretary Lynne Griffith said in a prepared statement. “More than 23 million passengers rely on our ferry system every year. Adding another Olympic Class vessel represents the state’s continued commitment to replace older vessels and plan for the future.” Ferries will host an open house and christening ceremony to introduce the Samish at the Anacortes ferry terminal Wednesday, May 20. Washington state’s first lady, Trudi Inslee, will be on hand at the ceremony to christen the boat. The event is open to the public. Event-goers coming from the islands are encouraged to walkon rather than bringing a vehicle.
Passengers arriving via ferry will be issued tickets for free walk-on return passage, valid for same day travel. Along with more space for taller vehicles, the Samish offers an ADA-compliant, car-deck restroom, flexible seating configurations, improved heating and ventilation, and wider stairwells and passageways, according to WSF. “It’s been an honor for Vigor to partner with Washington State Ferries on this vessel, and the nine other ferries we’ve built to serve the people of Washington,” said Vigor’s Bryan Nichols, director of sales. “The Samish represents the very best in stateof-the-art ferry design and has helped strengthen the maritime community by supporting over 500 jobs throughout the Puget See SJS, Page 4
When Mara William’s daughter was bitten by a tick 40 years ago on Orcas, doctors said it could not be transmitting Lyme disease. Williams, a nurse practitioner, is now convinced her daughter has Lyme disease despite a lack of official reports of the disease in San Juan County. “Washington state has Lyme, and many in the islands are sick,” she said. Williams, a former Orcas resident, is coming to the island for a talk about Lyme disease at the Orcas Food Co-op on May 14 at 5:30 p.m. Her talk coincides with Lyme Disease Awareness Month this May. She has spent more than six years working with Lyme disease issues and is the author of “Nature’s Dirty Needle” about chronic Lyme disease and how to get the help to feel better.
not occur nationwide and is concentrated heavily in the northeast and upper Midwest.” According to the CDC, between 2002 and 2006, there was one case of Lyme disease in San Juan County. Then between 2007 and 2011, there were two. Joann Runyan, who has worked as the county Public Health Nurse for two years, has seen two cases of Lyme disease reported to her office, but both people were likely infected on the East Coast and then traveled to the islands. Williams said Washington state doesn’t want to recognize Lyme. “I have tried to report Lyme to a few health departments here and they refused to take the report saying it does not exist here,” she said. See DISEASE, Page 4
Where is Lyme?
Lyme is transmitted through the bite of a tick infected with a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi, which is contracted from the tick from biting infected animals, like deer and mice. It was named in 1975 when children in Lyme, Conn., became sick and were misdiagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Seven years later researchers discovered tick bites were the cause of the illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vectorborne illness in the United States. In 2013, it was the fifth most common nationally notifiable disease. However researchers say it does
Winner of six 1st place awards in Washington Newspaper Publishers Association 2014 BNC, 17 in all
Attention Class of 2015: Your senior memory (150 word max) and senior photo are due by May 15th. Please submit your entries to Kathryn Sherman ksherman@sanjuanjournal.com