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WEDNESDAY, November 25, 2015 n VOL. 108, NO. 27 n 75¢
Flu season is here, be protected
Giving thanks as a community
Panel talks on county water use
By Leslie Kelly
By Anna V. Smith
Be warned, the flu has arrived. But don’t be worried. There’s plenty of flu vaccine available. San Juan County Health Department officials have confirmed that cases of influenza have been reported on the San Juan islands, although the specific number of cases isn’t being tracked locally. “We’ve seen the flu here,” said Ellen Wilcox, community health manager for the San Juan County Health Department. “It started earlier than usual — in September. But despite that, we’re seeing low levels.” In preparation for flu season, the county health department held 21 clinics where children, adults and seniors could get flu shots, Wilcox said. “From September to early November, we administered 723 vaccines,” Wilcox said. “Of that, 530 were adults and 193 were children.” While there are no more county clinics set, Wilcox said that the county will continue to give vaccinations at some schools. “We ran out of the nasal vaccine,” she said. “And that is what some parents prefer. As soon as we get more of it, we will be able to provide that for those children.” This year’s flu, according to the Centers For Disease Control, is predominantly a blend of three viruses. The current prevention vaccination that is being given address those viruses. “The current vaccine is doing a good job of addressing the strains that are out there,” said Cris DuVall, pharmacist at Friday Harbor Drugs. The store has flu shots available and in most cases, insurances cover the cost. Generally, the shot costs around $25, if it’s not covered by insurance. This is the first year that the pharmacy has given flu shots, DuVall said. They are offering the Trivalent, Quadvalent, a high dose
How much water do we use in San Juan County? What do our habitats need to thrive? What are the current water regulations? What are our current water conservation efforts? These were just a few of the questions asked at a water information panel at Brickworks Nov. 16. Hosted by Islands Climate Resilience, the information session brought together six local professionals to explain what they know about water and to take questions from the audience. Islands Climate Resilience members Kari Koski and Doug McCutchen opened the meeting and facilitated questions. San Juan County recharges its aquifers through local rainfall, the only fresh water source on the islands. Fifty-seven percent of the county is on Group A water systems, which generally services 25 or more people, such as water systems in Friday Harbor, Eastsound and Lopez Village. 22 percent are
Special to the Journal
See FLU SHOTS, Page 4
Journal reporter
Minnie and Jim Kynch, above. The pair started the free community thanksgiving dinner 17 years ago.
Contributed photo
By Anna V. Smith Journal reporter
When Minnie Kynch was young and growing up in Tennessee, Thanksgiving was a big family affair. A jumble of aunts, uncles and cousins would fill the kitchen and living room, creating an atmosphere of fun and family. That’s the feeling that Kynch wanted to create for the community when she and husband Jim Kynch first got donations together to create the Community Thanksgiving Dinner, now in its 17th year. “It was fun to have a crowd around, and I just think it’s the time to be with people and be with community,” Kynch said. “That’s what really makes it work for me, I love that. It’s my favorite holiday.” Kynch said that last year almost 500 people came to the dinner, and this year they’ve ordered 36 turkeys, up from the 12 turkeys they cooked at San Juan Island Grange for the first year they held the dinner. “We learned a lot from that,” Kynch laughed. “Now it’s an event that involves every service club on
See WATER, Page 4
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the island and tons of volunteers.” The dinner takes around 100 volunteers to pull off, and Kynch said they could always use more people to help out with the dinner service, or baking pumpkin, pecan or other homemade pies, making gravy and roasting turkeys, and of course, cleaning up. The Kynchs provide seasoned, oven-ready turkeys, and
volunteers pick up the turkeys Wednesday Nov. 25, roast them in their home oven and bring them back Thursday for the dinner. Anyone willing to help out with cooking, baking, serving, set up or clean up should call Minnie Kynch at 360-378-7040 or visit www.communitythanksgivingdinner.weebly.com to sign up for different volunteer slots.
Office: 378-5696 Fax: 1-888-562-8818 Editor: editor@sanjuanjournal.com