Sports
Top finishes turn into top awards for Wolverines PAGE 20
Scene
For love of the great outdoors; 2015 Garden Tour PAGE 11
As I See It
Revenue problem? There’s more behind escalating electrical rates than a warmer-than-average winter PAGE 7
Journal
The 75¢ Wednesday, June 10, 2015 Vol. 108 Issue 23
Fire risk jumps a notch in the SJs
Bon voyage Class of 2015 Crash
claims life of FH man
Official “risk rate” rises to moderate; forecast calls for sun
By Scott Rasmussen Journal editor
Journal staff report
A bit of a sprinkle a week ago wasn’t enough to alter the course. And, it’s only gotten hotter ever since. San Juan County fire officials on raised the fire-risk status Monday, June 1, from low to moderate. Fire officials at that time cited the current fuel conditions and a long-range weather forecast calling for warmer temperatures and drier weather for elevating the fire-risk mark. That was prior the recent stretch of un-seasonally hot weather, which reached 80 degrees on the westside of San Juan Island and nearly 80 degrees on Orcas and on Lopez islands (See Weather Almanac, pg. 2). As a result, outdoor burning will be restricted to mornings only, 6 a.m. to noon, and fires must be completely extinguished by noon, according to San Juan Island Fire Department. Other than recreational fires, permits are required for burning outdoors in San Juan County, either for residential or commercial purposes. The cutoff date for burning outdoors has historically been June 30, and the season typically reopens in late September, See FIRE, Page 5
Journal photo / Kathryn Sherman
Diplomas in hand, the 64 graduates of the Friday Harbor High School Class of 2015 assemble on the balcony of Turnbull Gym at the final stage of commencement ceremonies, with the traditional tossing of the cap only moments away.
Obama girls gifted orca adoptions
See MAN, Page 4
Obama daughters Malia, second from left, and Sasha, far right, became the recent recipient of the Friday Harbor Whale Museum orca adoptions, presented as gifts by orca whale advocates.
By Scott Rasmussen Journal editor
Gary Weiss has witnessed firsthand how having friends in high places can help further an important cause. And, that’s a big reason why the photographs of a certain two Southern resident killer whales are likely tacked up on a wall somewhere in the White House by now, or perhaps on the refrigerator. The daughters of the First Family of the United States, Malia and
A Friday Harbor man died in a motorcycle crash, Sunday, May 31, at about noon, on Mount Baker Highway. Sixty-one-year-old Michael A. Wayner, traveling with a group of fellow Friday Harbor motorcyclists at the time, was headed up the mountain when he plunged over a cliff near a series of switchbacks leading to Mount Baker Ski Resort, near mile post 49. He suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the
Contributed photo
Sasha Obama, recently became united with two members of J-pod through the Friday Harbor Whale Museum’s Orca Adoption Program. Dr. Weiss presented a pair of adoption certificates and accompanying memorabilia to the
president as gifts for his daughters girls at a May 27 roundtable discussion in Washington D.C. The gifts are intended to help raise the profile of the plight of the Southern residents and underSee ADOPTIONS, Page 4
Winner of six 1st place awards in Washington Newspaper Publishers Association 2014 BNC, 17 in all
2015 Graduation Check out sanjuanjournal.com for this year’s slideshow capturing the graduating class of 2015.