Opinion/Letters Stories - San Juan Islands

Letters | Feb. 3 Edition

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:41:35 PST

Letters | Jan. 27 edition

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:41:35 PST

Letters | Jan. 20 edition

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:41:35 PST

Stolen Olga flamingos were on display for breast cancer — Islands Letters to the Editor

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:41:35 PST

Recycling fee: Don't tax civic and environmental virtue

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:41:35 PST

That the commissioners would seek to tax civic and environmental virtue is short-sighted at best, and 100 percent bass-ackwards (sic) at worst. If they must, they should keep the proposed one-time $1,000 development fee, but instead of levying a tax on conservation-minded citizens, raise the trash tipping-fees even higher yet and use the overage to offset the recycling costs.

Sometimes a dead fish is just a dead fish

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:41:35 PST

We need to establish a genuinely supportable nexus between problem and solution. We need to take alarming claims out of the realm of psychology and fear, and establish a framework to rationally answer the questions that are posed.

Not sure styrofoam is worse than 'biodegradable' products

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:41:35 PST

I asked Neil Hansen, the Lopez guru of garbage, about the acceptability of recyclable food containers. Knowing the corrugated paper board that has absorbed oil is not acceptable for recycling, I wondered about messy little paper boxes that have remnants of food stuck to them. “Our present vendor would not accept them,” was his answer.

Supports renewal of San Juan EMS levy

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:41:35 PST

While partnering with island community leaders to work toward a new critical access hospital in Friday Harbor, I have been privileged to get to know some of the people and programs serving the island communities’ healthcare needs.

CAPR looks forward to producing boots-on-the-ground conservation actions that make a real difference

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:41:35 PST

Recently Mike Kaill, president of Friends of the San Juans, submitted a letter suggesting that the presence of surfactants in stormwater and other runoff is a justification for what he considers to be appropriate setbacks from the shoreline for development on shoreline properties.

School levy election is about investing in our children

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:41:35 PST

Although Washington State's Constitution defines education as the "paramount duty" of the state, school districts increasingly rely on local funding sources. About 16 percent of total statewide school funding comes from local taxes, primarily property taxes through maintenance and operations levies. A levy loss, which can make up to approximately 20 percent of a district's revenue, can be devastating to a school district. A levy is a request by a school district of voters to raise or continue property taxes for a limited number of years for operations costs or capital improvements that help to fund essential education programs and activities such as school libraries, textbooks, computers, tutoring programs, teachers and aides, all-day kindergarten, food service, special education, transportation and extracurriculars.

An outstanding EMS is critical for the life safety of island residents

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:41:35 PST

As PeaceHealth’s project lead for the new San Juan Island hospital, I’ve heard from dozens of islanders about San Juan Island EMS. By all accounts, your EMS is held in high regard for its expertise, quality of care and responsiveness. I have also read about many real-life stories of heroic, compassionate and at times life-saving care provided by the EMTs and first responders. And I’m aware of national measures of performance for which the San Juan Island EMS is rated among the very best in the country.