Opinion/Letters Stories - San Juan Islands

Letters | Mar. 10 Edition

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:05 PDT

Letters | Mar. 3 Edition

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:05 PDT

Letters | Feb. 24 Edition

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:05 PDT

More efficient use of energy in all consuming sectors will help everyone

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:06 PDT

The recent Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen accomplished very little except for the consumption of much fossil fuel by those who attended it.

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

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:06 PDT

Opposed to custom software tax

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:06 PDT

As a member of the WTIA and part of Washington’s high-tech community, I am writing to express my opposition to the new custom software tax included in the House version of Senate Bill 6143. There are more than 2,500 custom software businesses in our state and most of these are small companies, and many are independent and freelance consultants. These companies and their employees already pay more than $150 million in state and local taxes and are held up as the kind of innovation businesses we want to encourage in Washington.

Cahail family says ‘thank you’

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:06 PDT

We would like to offer a heartfelt thanks to all those who helped us through the loss of our mother with your prayers, thoughts, words of encouragement and cards. Also, we thank the whole staff at Islands Convalescent Center for making Mickey’s last five years so comfortable and warm. What a great community!

More efficient use of energy in all consuming sectors will help everyone

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:06 PDT

The recent Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen accomplished very little except for the consumption of much fossil fuel by those who attended it.

The Census counts for our town and our island community

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:06 PDT

Now is our chance to join in and be counted. The U.S. Census happens once every 10 years, so it is important that when it does come around we get the numbers right. So many of our community social services and infrastructure improvements rely on federal funding. We stand to receive federal dollars based primarily on the Census count not just for this year but for the next decade. That money goes toward our schools, roads, libraries, food banks, emergency medical and senior services, hospitals and more.

E-waste program recycles 99 percent of electronic components

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:06 PDT

It’s almost a year since Washington state began one of the most successful recycling programs for waste electronics. Manufacturers who sell televisions, monitors, computers and laptops in our state cover the full cost of the program. By the end of November, almost 36 million pounds of electronics were collected and recycled in our state free of charge to households, small businesses, charities, schools and small governments! About 35,000 pounds have been recycled in San Juan County so far.

Islanders help Haiti recovery

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:06 PDT

On behalf of The Islands Chapter of the American Red Cross, I wish to gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the following businesses who helped make it possible for the citizens of Friday Harbor to donate to the cause of raising relief funds for the citizens of Haiti by placing donation cans on their counters.

Supports Kalb for Congress

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:06 PDT

Many in our state have been devastated by the economic crisis caused by the banking industry. We have a serious problem in our country with deregulation. Foxes guarding the henhouse is the quality of representation we’re getting in D.C.

We need restraint in use of cell phones

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:06 PDT

This is to support Steve Ludwig’s letter in the Feb 9 edition of The Journal calling for restraint in the use of cell phones, which may be causing the disappearance of pollinating honeybees. This information seems to be absent from the major media in this country.

Supports expanded cell phone coverage

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:06 PDT

When we arrived in 1997, this issue was in fierce discussion and the County Commissioners decided “no tower.” Cell phones were new and their future dependency was not understood. Today, most islanders can probably tell you how much the world depends on the cellphone and most islanders have learned how to cope with limited cellphone coverage. The problem is the multitude of visitors and their life-style reliance of expecting cellphone operation — including expecting usage anywhere within San Juan County.

In defense of cell phone technology

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:48:06 PDT

I would like to respond to your front-page article in the Feb. 10 edition regarding changes to regulations that affect wireless communications in San Juan County (“Hearing Feb. 19 on cell changes”).