Last night a tug and barge carrying 8 million gallons of diesel and jet fuel lost propulsion near the San Juan Islands. The Neah Bay Rescue Tug came all the way from the eastern entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca to rescue the tug and barge.  We were very fortunate to have calm seas and the time that allowed the rescue tug to get there and the fuel barge tug to regain power.

This event underscores the importance of the Neah Bay Tug.  It also however raises a question:  Is one tug positioned at the eastern entrance (almost 100 miles away from the san juan islands) sufficient?

Read the DOE Incident Statement here ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/Commitment

Kids play soccer at Orcas Rec soccer program last fall

Look ahead to Skyhawks All-Sport Camp — MUST pre-register by August 13^th

The Skyhawks Multi-Sport Camp will be held August 23^rd-27^th (Monday-Friday) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. provided at least 16 kids to sign up.

The week-long camp will be held at  Buck Park for kids aged 7 to 12.

This is our 4^th year with the Skyhawks program, which allows boys & girls ages 7-12 to gain experience in several sports. Play soccer, baseball, and basketball in a day-program setting. There is no pressure, just lots of fun, while young athletes participate in all three sports through unique Skyhawks games. Designed to motivate children to lead a healthy active lifestyle while giving them the fundamental skill sets needed to succeed and grow in whichever sport they choose.

The cost is $133.Orcas Rec Coordinator Linda Sheridan says, “Full or partial scholarships are available for all of our programs EXCEPT British Soccer Camp. No scholarships available for British Soccer, sorry.

“Scholarship request forms are located on our website www.orcasrec.org or at our office in the Senior Center. Scholarship recipients must qualify for the free or reduced lunch program; all requests are confidential.

For more information contact Orcas Rec at 376-5339.

Register at www.skyhawks.com or you can sign up at with us (be sure to indicate your child’s t-shirt size). Multi-Sport participants will receive: T-shirt and a Merit Award.

By Stan Matthews
County Communications Program Manager

40 cars were already backed-up up from the entrance to the San Juan Island solid waste station when it opened at 10 a.m. on Friday morning. Workers reported that the backup persisted all day as 490 self-haul vehicles came through the station. It was a rough start on the first week of a new operating schedule at the transfer station.

Adding to the problem of early arrivals was the number of vehicles carrying large loads of construction waste. “One truck unloaded two tons of construction waste by hand. That took up one of our three spaces at the drop box for a long time,” said Public Works Operations Manager Russ Harvey. Harvey reported on the problem to the Council at its meeting Tuesday.

Harvey told the Council that the volume of traffic and the amount of garbage dumped on each of the San Juan Island station’s three operating days varied widely. 18 tons was dumped on Friday, more than three times as much as was dumped on Saturday. 11 tons of waste was dumped Sunday but it came in smaller loads, as the facility handled nearly as many vehicles as on Friday. There were no serious backups on either Saturday or Sunday.

“Beginning Friday afternoon we made an effort to have someone go down the line and direct people with only recycling to pull around and go directly to the recycling area. That turned out to be very helpful and we will continue to do that,” Harvey said.

“We expect the volume of traffic to even out over the weekend days as people get used to the new hours,” he added.

Utility Manager Ed Hale told the Council there were some surprises in how the drop box facility was working, compared to its operation as a transfer station, but he believed the initial backup was the result of a combination of things including the unfamiliar operating schedule and normal seasonal increases in volume.

July and August are always the busiest months of the year and last summer there days when cars waiting to get into the San Juan Island Transfer Station would be backed up to Roche Harbor road as well. “This is not just a problem because we’ve changed the operation,” Hale said. “We have backups every year at this time.”

Harvey said that in addition to trying to expedite recycling-only traffic, solid waste staff is studying the impact of trucks unloading large amounts of construction waste on Fridays to see if a new strategy in dealing with larger volume haulers is called for.

The San Juan Island solid waste facility was converted from a transfer station to a drop box facility on July 5 in order to deal with restrictions on its operating permit. “Packer” trucks and other compacted loads are now being handled on Orcas Island. Some of the Town of Friday Harbor’s trucks are currently carrying their loads to Skagit County.

The operating days for the San Juan Island facility was changed to Friday through Sunday effective July 16, to accommodate the need for more staffing on Orcas to handle the added workload during the week.

Mt Baker Road and Trail Design Workshop, Eastsound Firehall 4 to 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 27

Eastsound Sewer and Water District meeting at 4:30 p.m. East side of Airport, at end of Cessna Lane.

Jim Lynch will read from Border Songs at Darvill’s Bookstore at 7 p.m.

Orcas Fire District Commissioners meeting Eastsound Fire Hall).  Call 376-2331 for more information.  Regularly meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.

Wednesday, July 28

Children’s Tour of Journey Stories Kids going into 3^rd grade and above are invited to sign up for a special tour of the Journey Stories exhibit at the Orcas Island Historical Museum beginning at 10 a.m.  Museum staff and volunteers will explain the exhibits and answer children’s questions.  Advance sign up at the Library is required, and there is no charge for the tour.  376-4985. Meet at the Library at 9:45 a.m., to walk down to the Museum for the tour.

Brown Bag Concert  with Olga Symphony 12 to 12:30 pm at Emmanuel Episcopal Church.  Concerts are free but donations are accepted.

Sustainable Orcas Island meeting 5:30 p.m. at the Public Library).  Call 376-4985 and speak with Phil for more information.  Meets last Wednesday of the month.

Thursday, July 29

Orcas Island Blood Drive at the Eastsound Fire Hall. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Please add donating blood to your summer list of things to do!  Call or email to make an appointment. Contact Paul Losleben @ 376-6804 or email losleben@rockisland.com

Friday, July 30

Orcas Island Airport Fly In Friday through Sunday –Fun for the whole family!  Camping available.  T-shirts & sweatshirts.  Food shack.  Come enjoy the best of General Aviation!  Warbirds, Experimentals, Old Fashioned airplanes, local pilots & aircraft – seaplanes, flying demonstrations. Contact Dwight Guss @ 317-5970.

Ecomusicology Concert at Doe Bay. Acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer Carolyn Cruso takes the stage at 7 pm, followed by the danceable fun of The Hypoxic Punks, featureing Orca’s own Randy Jezierski on drums. As always, seating is limited in the Cafe so please call ahead to book your table – 360-376-8059. Free!

Premiere – ‘Getting Along Famously’ at the Grange. The Actors Theater of Orcas Island announces five performances of ‘Getting Along Famously’ by Michael Jacobs. This play is a fun, light-hearted look at what happens when Harry Leeby, the worlds most successful paperback novel writer wants to write a “good” novel.  Five performances: Friday & Saturday (July 30 & 31), and Friday – Sunday (August 6 – 9). All performances will be at 7:30 pm at the Grange. This script-in-hand production is suitable for all ages. Tickets are $10 and are available at Darvill’s Book Store or on-line at www.orcasactors.com or at the door. Contact Doug Bechtel at 317-5601

Saturday, July 31
Annual Fly-In Pancake Breakfast. The Orcas Island Firefighter & EMT Association invites you to their annual breakfast at the Eastsound Fire Hall, 7 to 11 a.m.  Come enjoy a truly scrumptious breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage and coffee & juice.  Only $7 for adults, and $5 kids under 10.  A fundraiser for the benefit of the emergency responders, scholarships, volunteer retirement fund, annual banquet, emergency fund and other special events. Also on Sunday.

‘Getting Along Famously’ at the Grange. All performances will be at 7:30 p.m. This script-in-hand production is suitable for all ages. Tickets are $10 and are available at Darvill’s Book Store or on-line at www.orcasactors.com or at the door. Contact Doug Bechtel at 317-5601

Alpha Yaya Diallo and his band, Bafing, at Orcas Center at 7:30 p.m.Visit the Orcas Center website www.orcascenter.org for a video sample of Diallo and Bafing in concert, for more information or to purchase tickets. Patrons may also call or visit the Orcas Center box office 360/376-2281 ext 1 during box office hours, Thursday-Saturday, noon – 4 pm. Tickets are $25, $17 for Orcas Center members and $11 for students.

Sunday, August 1

Annual Fly-In Pancake Breakfast. The Orcas Island Firefighter & EMT Association invites you to their annual breakfast at the Eastsound Fire Hall, 7 to 11 a.m.  Come enjoy a truly scrumptious breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage and coffee & juice.  Only $7 for adults, and $5 kids under 10.  A fundraiser for the benefit of the emergency responders, scholarships, volunteer retirement fund, annual banquet, emergency fund and other special events.

Guided Interpretive Walk at the Judd Cove Preserve. The San Juan County Land Bank invites the public to join Ruthie Dougherty, local historian Boyd Pratt, and Steve Cohan on a walk to explore the preserve’s natural and cultural history, including the lime quarry and kiln located on the property, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Meet at the Judd Cove Parking area — 103 Fowlers Way, just outside of downtown Eastsound. For questions, please call 378-4402 for more information

A survey questionnaire about how the County should approach current and future challenges in dealing with solid and hazardous waste has been mailed to approximately half of the households in San Juan County.  The survey is designed to take about 10 minutes to complete and asks questions about:

• Individual use of County solid waste facilities
• The structure of County solid waste management
• Paying for solid waste services

And it provides space for other comments and recommendations.

The independent consultant conducting the survey is asking for a single response from each household (rather than from individuals) because waste is generally collected and passes on for transfer at the household level.

Responses to the survey are due, either by mail or using an on-line option, no later than midnight August 2, 2010.

Beginning Monday July 26, households that are not among the random sample receiving the mailed survey will be able to participate by filling out the survey online. A link to the online survey will be placed under Notices on San Juan County’s home page at http://sanjuanco.com. The link will direct users to an independent server where the survey is available.

Use of the independent server and a consultant not affiliated with the County will help insure the identities and responses of those who complete the survey form will be kept confidential.

The citizen input will be presented to the County Council and used in the process of making the decisions concerning the short and long-term management of solid and hazardous waste throughout the county-wide system over the next six years.

Anyone seeking more information about how their views on the solid waste management system can be heard should contact Elizabeth Anderson, AICP, Solid Waste Planner, at 360-370-0531.

Thanks to all of our customers who commented on the two proposals for the Anacortes/San Juan Islands/Sidney, B.C. fall schedule, which we provided for your review in June. We read all of your suggestions and made adjustments where possible, given our objectives to improve schedule reliability and adhere to U.S. Coast Guard crew endurance requirements. Some changes that reflect customer input include:

• Providing a 6:00 p.m. sailing from Anacortes to Friday Harbor.
• Providing a 4:30 p.m. sailing from Shaw to Anacortes.
• Loading only walk-on traffic at the 11:45 a.m. stop at Lopez.
• The 8:25 p.m. sailing from Anacortes will stop at Lopez and Friday Harbor and the 8:55 p.m. sailing from Anacortes will stop at Shaw and Orcas.

The feedback we received from the Ferry Advisory Committee is that these changes resolved the majority of customer issues. To get a copy of the final fall 2010 schedule, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/Service/ScheduleProposals.htm.

The commercial rate increase brings the base charge to $34.10 per month (up from $32.50). Energy charges for the first 5,000 kWh are $0.0740 per kWh (up from $0.0710); over 5,000 kWh are $0.0655 per kWh (up from $0.0620). The demand charge for the first 20 kW remains at $0.00 per kW; over 20 kW is $2.30 per kW (up from $1.90).

The pump rate increase raises the base charge to $16.50 per month (up from $13.50). Energy charges for the first 370 kWh are $0.1260 per kWh (down from $0.1456); next 4,630 kWh are $0.0650 per kWh (up from $0.0643); over 5,000 kWh are $0.0630 (up from $0.0539). The demand charges remain the same: no charge for the first 20kW; over 20kW is $1.61 per kW.

Why are these rates going up? OPALCO is a non-profit cooperative that sells power to its members at cost. In late 2008, OPALCO completed a cost-of-service study to determine whether each member rate class was paying their fair share of the cost. The study showed that the cost of delivering electrical service is rising and will continue to fluctuate, and that OPALCO’s commercial rates (small and large) were 20-29% below cost of service. In July of 2009, the Board of Directors voted to bring commercial rates up to the cost of service with incremental rate increases over the next four years. The first increase took place in August of 2009. With pump rates, the Board has voted (July, 2010) to bring the basic charge up to cost of service ($25.50) over the next four years.

OPALCO is a member-owned cooperative electrical utility serving more than 11,000 members on 20 islands in San Juan County.  OPALCO provides electricity that is 95% greenhouse-gas free and is predominately generated by hydro-electric plants. OPALCO was founded in 1937 to bring electricity to rural islanders

The fire danger rating is being raised from “Low” to “Moderate” throughout San Juan County effective Thursday, July 22^nd.

The change was implemented by the San Juan County Fire Marshal’s office in cooperation with the fire protection districts serving Orcas, San Juan, Lopez and Shaw Islands. The State Department of Natural resources has advised that the entire region is experiencing warm, dry weather.  This weather pattern is expected to continue into the foreseeable future, with very low chances for any appreciable rain.  The risk of a serious fire is increasing as the area’s natural vegetation begins to dry out.  Residents and visitors are urged to be very cautious of the risk of fire.

“Recreational” fires, such as campfires in developed campgrounds are still allowed.  To qualify as a recreational fire, the burn area may not be more than two feet in diameter, and be surrounded on all sides by at least two feet of clearance to combustibles.  Only clean, dry wood should be burned.  Charcoal and propane barbecues may be used.  Remember, as Smokey Bear likes to remind everyone: All fires must be thoroughly extinguished before being left unattended.

REMINDER: All burn permits expired at the end of June and burn barrels are not allowed at any time of the year.

For more information, contact your local fire department, or the San Juan County Fire Marshal’s Office at 360-378-FIRE.

The Alaskan "Exxon Valdez" surface oil spill, here represented at 11 million gallons, though estimates vary between 11 and 39 million, extrapolated onto Salish Sea and Pacific Ocean waters. (Courtesy of the Pratt Historical Museum).

“Tool for balancing and regulating the multiple uses of shoreline and aquatic lands” is signed into law

From State Senator Kevin Ranker’s Office

After President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing the first-ever national ocean policy on July 20, state Sen. Kevin Ranker, D- San Juan, said Washington is uniquely positioned to benefit from this unprecedented effort to coordinate national policy for our oceans and coastlines.

“Nothing has highlighted our nation’s dependence on healthy oceans and coasts more than the current BP oil spill disaster,” said Ranker. “A massive spill in the Puget Sound or on our coast is unthinkable, but it’s not impossible. It’s clear that we can and must do better in how we protect and manage our oceans.”

The new federal ocean policy framework includes marine spatial planning as a key element, which Ranker helped establish as state policy when his Senate Bill 6350 passed into law in the 2010 legislative session. Washington became only the second state in the nation to adopt this tool for balancing and regulating the multiple uses of shoreline and aquatic lands – which include fishing, aquaculture, shipping, recreation and potential renewable energy facilities – in a comprehensive manner.

The range of the "Exxon Valdez" Alaskan oil spill of 1989, as depicted at the Pratt Historical Museum.

“At the federal level, you have 20 separate agencies trying to implement 140 separate and sometimes conflicting laws governing specific activities like commercial fishing, coastal development, water pollution control, issuing oil and gas contracts – just to name a few,” said Ranker. “It’s time for a management structure to not only identify all the multiple management objectives but also to coordinate across agencies and with the states to help us uniformly manage our ocean resources and protect them from harm. That’s what we’ve done in Washington and our efforts will fit beautifully with the same approach now being adopted at the federal level.”

Over a year ago President Obama convened a task force of 24 federal agencies and ordered them to develop recommendations for a policy that protects, maintains and restores our ocean, coastal and Great Lakes ecosystems. Ranker testified before the task force at the White House Conference Center.

“Those who depend on our aquatic resources – those in fishing, shipping and energy, as well as conservationists and recreationists – know that protecting our marine resources means protecting Washington’s economy and our nation’s economy now and into the future,” said Ranker. “There’s no question that we need to repair the damage in the Gulf of Mexico, but we especially need to work towards the future now with the type of national ocean policy that, among other things, will help ensure that a similar disaster never happens again.”

The recycling rate for the 2009 County Fair was 11.2%.  Could we do even better this year to pump up that recycling rate?  We’re looking for some bold and adventurous volunteers to be “Trash Monitors.”   These good folks (young and old) will be stationed at major trash collection areas at the Fair (for 1 to 2 hour shifts) to help Fairgoers decide on just what can be recycled; we’ll also provide instruction about eliminating contamination, like liquids and food,  in the recycling bins.   Please, call the county’s waste hotline at 370-0503 to sign up early for the Trash Monitoring team …to get your shift of choice.

With all the fun, food, and festivities at the Fair comes the typically unsavory by-product of trash…TONS of it!  The 2006 County Fair generated 8.8 tons of garbage; 5.51 tons of 2009 Fair trash went to the dump (i.e. landfill in eastern Oregon).  This waste reduction by Fair-going island residents and visitors was mostly due to better-than-“fair” recycling at the Fairgrounds.  The effort saved on transportation to the mainland, landfill space, AND saved the Fair $$$$!

A re-energized community focus on waste reduction seems particularly on target this year since this will be the lst polystyrene-free San Juan County Fair!  All Fair vendors have been advised of the county-wide ban on food containers made from polystyrene (most commonly known as Styrofoam) that went into effect this past April.

Speaking of waste reduction, don’t forget to start making your TRASHION FASHION outfit contrived of items that would usually become garbage without your excellent imagination and creativity.

Exhibitors, could you find some reuse value in all of those cardboard boxes generated at the Fair?  Sure, they can easily be recycled but reusing them 3, 4, 5 times saves a lot more energy than recycling them.  You can also save money by reusing excellent quality white paper, in large format or not, that’s been printed on one side; call 370-0503 to get yours.

How about BYOB’s…bringing your own (shopping) bags…this year?  You could even put together a kit with your own washable/reusable plates, cups and utensils before hitting the Food Court.  Reusable steel water bottles would save on a mountain of used-once plastic bottles that need to be trucked to the mainland recycler.  After you’ve read those informational fliers that get handed out, please save them as a resource or share them with others…recycling them is a last resort.

You get the picture.  Reducing waste begins with thinking ahead about new ways to PREVENT waste.  Let’s keep the good stuff here by reusing as much as possible, littering less, recycling all that we can, and diverting more from landfill burial than ever!

370-0503