LUMMI ISLAND COMMUNITY CLUB
NEWSLETTER
April 21, 1977
C 0 M M U N I T Y C L U B M E E T I N G Wednesday, APRIL 27, 1977
POTLUCK DINNER 6:30 PM MEETING 7:30 PM
GUEST SPEAKER: TOM SUCHANEK
PROGRAM: “THE OIL SCENE”
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
FRIDAY, APRIL 22nd, 11:30 AM CUSTER 5th GRADE BAND & CHORUS CONCERT – – BEACH SCHOOL
SATURDAY, APRIL 2_3rd, 10:00 AM SWAP MEET AT THE ISLANDER
SUNDAY, APRIL 24th, 10:30 AM CHURCH SERVICES ‑ ISLAND CHURCH
MONDAY, APRIL 25th, 6:30 PM POTLUCK DINNER ‑ ISLAND CHURCH
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27th, 7:30 PM LICC MEETING ‑ GRANGE HALL PROGRAM: “THE OIL SCENE”
FRIDAY, MAY 6th, At Dark MOVIE “SINBAD THE SAILOR” ‑ BEACH SCHOOL
THURSDAY, MAY 12th, 10:00 AM CIVIC CLUB SPRING CLEANING DAY – ISLAND CHURCH
THURSDAY, MAY 26th ROLLER SKATING IN FERNDALE
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THE OIL SCENE
There is legislation pending in Olympia which, if passed, will protect Northern Puget Sound waters from oil spill pollution. House Bill 743 provides that if Alaska oil for other than regional needs is to be brought into Washington waters, it must be offloaded at a single facility at or west of Port Angeles. If passed, the bill would affectively prohibit supertankers from entering these waters, and thus reduce the risk of a major oil spill. The bill is currently under consideration by the Chairman of the House and Senate Energy & Utilities Committees.
In order to inform residents of the implication of the legislation, and the importance of its passage, a meeting will be held at the next Lummi Island Community Club meeting on Wednesday, April 27th, 7:30 PM, with Dr. Tom Suchanek; Zoologist at the University of Washington, and property owner on San Juan Island, as guest speaker. A slide presentation will be given outlining the risk involved in a major oil spill. Dr. Suchanek is also a member of the “Coalition Against Oil Pollution”, an organization formed five years ago who made the decision to take on a segment of the most powerful lobby in the world: the oil industry; and he is presently doing research work along the Washington coast.
All residents of Lummi Island, and any other interested individuals, are urged to attend this vital meeting. A decision is going to be made within a few months, which could directly affect our livelihoods and lifestyles. This is the time to express your views and feelings, and learn some facts which you may not be aware of. ********Gerri Neuman, LICC Vice Pres.
LICC AUTCION ‑ SATURDAY, MAY 28th
Due to the overwhelming success and apparent fun had by all at the 1st Annual Auction last Memorial weekend, the 2nd Annual Auction sponsored by the Lummi Island Community Club will be held May 28th with a Potluck Dinner at 4:00 PM followed by the Auction at 6:30 PM. This year’s auctioneer will be David Sklar of the Beach Store (guess Steve Luke thinks he will have more control over Cathy’s bidding if he is in the audience and not standing behind the podium). You may call or contact Gerri Neuman, Chairman (758‑2213/733‑0120) or Cathy Luke (758‑2688) with your donation or service, art work, etc., or if you would like to help out in securing donations and with the function itself.
Last year, as many of you will remember, a profit of over $1,000 was made with everything from a body massage to a cruise in the San Juan Islands being auctioned off. If you really stop and think about it, everyone has a service or item they could donate – so let’s be creative and generous, and let us hear from you! I will give you more developments in next month’s Newsletter. – – -Gerri Neuman, Chairman
VILLAGE POINT COFFEE SHOP OPENING
The Village Point Coffee Shop will be opening for the summer on Saturday, April 30th, from 11:00 AM to 8:30 PM serving lunch and dinner. A more varied dinner menu will be offered in addition to the quick service items. New equipment has been installed for improved service, and other additions made for comfort and decor. The staff invites you to come and enjoy the food and scenery. – – Art & Helen Pabor
NEW ARRIVALS ON THE ISLAND
Congratulations to proud parents Rick and Norma Pepperworth with Beth Ann, born at 8 lb., 3 oz., and Kurt and Donna Harryman with Amanda Claire born at 8 lb., 12 oz.!!!
BLACK TIDES‑‑THE LOOK TO COME
They look so menacing, don’t they? Those ships of steel sitting off Pt. Migley waiting for their liquid cargo to be loaded or unloaded so they can meet a deadline at another port of call; their captains and crews apprehensively anticipating their last call when that unforeseen mishap, that phantom of the dark, rips through the soft underside of one of those huge stallions releasing the black blood that sustains us all, yet has the capability of destroying valuable food stocks and upsetting the near-perfect aesthetic qualities requisite to the Pacific Northwest. Sound a bit fictitious? It is, but read on:
According to Dr. Wallace Heath, a marine biologist who was instrumental in developing the Lummi Aquaculture program, “There can be no question that petroleum oils, especially the lighter components found in processed fuels, are very toxic to plants and animals in water, and in several cases, the toxicity has eliminated shellfish from large areas for years.”
By now everyone (save for a few Lummi Island hermits, are you there?) has heard of the Argo Merchant spill on the East coast which released 7.5 million gallons of petroleum oil into the Atlantic. This unfortunate incident provides several crucial lessons for everyone in the Puget Sound region. Again, according to Dr. Heath, the amount of oil in a single compartment of a 125,000 ton oil tanker (the maximum now allowed in Puget Sound) is enough to cover essentially all of the surface of Puget Sound in two days. In that time, the Argo Merchant (having a volume 1/5 of 125,000 tons), covered an area of the sea one and one‑half times the size of Puget Sound.
Also, a significant fraction of even light fuel oil will sink to the bottom indefinitely in cold waters similar to Puget Sound. It has been measured to mix with and toxify sediments for more than seven years. Furthermore, most, if not all, of the marine plant life around the margin of Puget Sound would be adversely affected. Extensive scientific studies in Britain have shown that plants may survive four exposures with re‑establishment after that very unlikely. A Sound-wide spill would add a new coat of oil to plants during each tide change for an extended period (far more than four exposures).
Most shell fish would be tainted for a period of from one to seven years. One area in the Northeastern coastal area has not yet been reopened for shellfish harvest for human consumption seven years after a spill (which, incidentally, was a spill which measured three percent of the Argo Merchant).
Several classes of authorities have agreed that computer analysis of ship transportation data show high probability for at least one serious oil tanker spill for Puget Sound within 10 years. But even if we were lucky and there were no spills, only tanker traffic, lots of it, through the Straits to and from Cherry Point, inevitably, small amounts of oil would be released as tankers discharge their water-in-oil ballast and ready themselves for the next load of crude or refined oil. Recent evidence indicates that chronic, low‑level oil pollution has the capacity to remove species fr6m large areas (evidenced on the New Jersey coastline) which, in fact, may be the most threatening form of oil pollution confronting Puget Sound.
The choice in this case is ours … yours and mine. Coalitions are forming in all parts of the Puget Sound. Through citizen participation and interaction of legislative members with citizen groups, ideas can be aired, alternatives considered, and, ultimately, safe and sane decision‑making will triumph. Become aware and let someone (no, everyone) know that you didn’t come to Lummi Island just to watch the ships go by.
– – Kevin Baker, Gooseberry Point.
LUMMI ISLAND “DOGS” SOFTBALL TEAM PRACTICE STARTED
The Lummi Island “Dogs” softball team will soon start its 4th season in the Bellingham Men’s Slo-Pitch League. The first practice on Sunday brought a big turnout … many old players and a lot of new ones. It looks like this could be the “big year” to go from the minors to the majors! Schedule of the games will be posted at the Beach Store when received.
Thanks to Will Wright, Ron and Larry Roughton, Dave McAdams, Buf Lapof, and Suzy Tyler for sponsoring the “Dogs” this year in the slo-pitch league. Also, thanks to the many players who helped put up the screen for the backstop last Sunday.
There will be another practice game this Sunday, 1:00 PM. Let’s show the team they have the support to go all the way this season and come on out to cheer them on.
– – – S.Tyler & B.Lapof’
LADY’S SOFTBALL
Lady’s softball for all women of the Island – We’ll be practicing every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM, Beach School. Bring your sneakers and any equipment you have. We’ll have a ball and it’s just for fun. All our games will be on Lummi; no town trips. See you Sunday!
– – -Karen Myers
Note from the Editor… Past Sundays there has been co‑ed softball on Sunday around 11:00 AM.
As most islanders know, one facet of the 1977 ferry rates ( ? ) recently challenged in Whatcom County Superior Court: The denial of permits to non-Whatcom County registered vehicles. A visiting Snohomish County judge has orally ruled that such a denial is improperly discriminatory. The judge’s written order, however, has yet to be signed. Neither the Prosecuting Attorney’s office nor the County Commissioners are inclined to appeal the ruling even though County park fee schedules differentiate on the same basis, and the Prosecuting Attorney feels the denial is legally justifiable.
The County’s position was that the permit denial was based on an overall goal of increasing ferry revenues, as well as on the fact that the County’s share of the State gas tax is partially based on the number of vehicles registered in the County.
The judge felt that the permit denial was strictly a “political decision”. He apparently ignored the gas tax argument.
One of the most interesting “facts” brought out at the trial; one agreed upon by the County’s Attorney and the County Engineer, was the plan of the County Commissioners to do away with the permit system entirely within four years. What effect will the decision have on our future ferry rates? Some sources at the Court House feel that the Commissioners plan to use the decision as a means of doing away with permits entirely ‑‑‑ and within less than four years. – – Will Roehl, LICC Board Member
FERRY PASSES TO BE ELIMINATED?
I met with Corky Johnson, Chairman of the County Commissioners, today (April 18) to ask pointedly, “Do the Commissioners plan to do away with the pass system?” His reply was that they have not yet discussed the matter; no one is sure what the judge’s decision means for the future of the ferry rate system. When the judge’s order is signed, the Commissioners will meet with the Prosecuting Attorney and learn indeed what the effect of the ruling will be. We, as Islanders, will be invited to that meeting to learn the facts along with the County Commissioners.
While he does not yet have the information to decide, Mr. Johnson sees returning to the former system of passes – available to everyone – as a possible alternative to Larry McIntyre’s “equal-pay” plan proposed at the last ferry rate hearings.
The important thing is no decision has yet been reached, and we still have the opportunity for input. While Mr. Johnson has assured me we can be a part of the decision making process, I believe it wouldn’t hurt at this point to voice our individual opinions by telephone (Commissioners office ‑‑‑‑ 676‑6717), if only to leave a message that you are opposed to an elimination of the annual ferry passes and wish to be informed of all upcoming meetings on the subject.
The Commissioners must know that we, the‑Islanders, are concerned about the future of Lummi Island – – they will not make this decision without us.
– – Carole Hammond, LICC Board Member
FIRE DEPARTMENT FLICKERINGS
At the April llth Fire Commissioners’ meeting, John Granger’s high bid of $650 was accepted for the old ambulance. Three other bids were submitted.
Matching funds thus far received for the new ambulance total $6,400, and efforts are being made to obtain more.
Chief, Bill Hawley, reported one aid car use for George Bringolf on March 16th. There were no fire calls this past month. – – Jackie Gaines, Sec.
SUCCESSFUL ISLAND CLEANUP
A brisk, sunny morning enabled the Island Cleanup to go ahead as scheduled April 16th. Six pickup trucks, a few adults, and many eager children made short work of the project, and everyone was back to the Grange Hall by 11:30 AM to eat a delicious lunch prepared by Maria Anderson and Jean Finney and just in time too, for it began to rain shortly afterwards
There seemed to be less to pick up this year – could this be due to the absence of litterers during last year’s ferry strike, or are people finally paying a little more respect to our beautiful scenery? The best finds of the morning were a baby rabbit and two $1.00 bills.. Still, the sight of it all together was pretty impressive, and Dave Nesbit and Gary Gaines each hauled a truckload to the reservation dump.
I want to extend my personal thanks to all who made the Cleanup a success. I trust all Islanders will appreciate not having to look at litter for a short time as they drive around. In my own case, however, the feeling of success was short-lived; killed by the sight of a Budweiser can lying alongside the road at Village Point Saturday afternoon. Hoping to see you at next year’s Cleanup. – – Gary Gaines, LICC Board Member
CIVIC CLUB NEWS
Civic Club Members enjoyed a lunch and tour of the Whatcom County Museum on April 14th. The next meeting will be the Spring Cleaning Day at the Church and cemetery starting at 10:00 AM on May 12th. Bring a sack lunch, and coffee will be furnished. Also, bring your cleaning supplies, or gardening tools if you want to work outside. Remember to bring surplus plants to the Spring Swap Meet on April 23rd. – – Lois Peterson
LIARS.
Once again, the Lummi Island Anglers Recreational Society held its regular non-scheduled meeting. All members were present and refreshments were served. The featured speaker told of a recent fishing trip to Lake Terrell. He said that fish were caught, but the real high spot of the expedition was gathering the bait. He claims that digging worms for fishing is his favorite Springtime sport, and his wife wanted the garden spaded anyway.
A cloud of evil-smelling smoke has hung over the “Rock” recently as several members of our organization have been testing their new Black Powder rifles. Interest in the old guns is running high, and plans are being made for the 35th Annual Lummi Island Championship Muzzle Loading Rifle Shoot. The first 34 annual shoots will be held later; possibly next year.
Club members report varying degrees of success in hunting for the wily mushroom this Spring. The junior member says he not only can’t find the morels; he can’t find anyone else’s secret mushroom spots either.
Several good clam tides have occurred recently, and all members came to the meeting anticipating a chowder feed. It seems that everyone thought that someone else would bring clams, potatoes, onions, etc. As the only thing brought to the meeting was appetites, no chowder was served.
This prompted the senior member to mention, regretfully, that he had just eaten the last package of deer meat in his freezer. He was reminded that he has reported eating the “last package” at least 17 times since March 1st, and as he showed no signs of malnutrition, little sympathy was shown.
The meeting was then adjourned amidst some confusion, and this reporter picked up the empties and other debris next morning. – – O.W. Hunter
BEACH SCHOOL NEWS
Our biggest accomplishment was the workday one Saturday this month. Around 50 people…. parents, children, and friends … participated and finished these projects: 37 trees were planted … 27 of them donated by Lehr Miller!…last year’s trees were fertilized, watered, and mulched … logs placed to define a parking area…overhead climbing apparatus built … our slide stabilized … area under swings filled in ‑ drain from tennis court extended over bank and completed … tether ball and volley ball poles set up … rings and trapeze added to swing set… baseball backstop wiring put up … picnic tables sanded and painted (2 young’uns are still sprouting blue hair at school) … and lots of weeding and other work. If we tried to mention names, we’d go on all night so I guess we’ll just say that probably the next four out of five people you smile and wave at on Lummi Island probably helped … so smile extra warmly and come by your school yard and enjoy it one of these lovely days! The spirit and mover behind the whole thing simply must be mentioned though so Mike McRory and Lehr Miller … thank you from our hearts for making our whole community a more beautiful place in which to live.
The Beach School Kids turned out in number to help with the Island Cleanup also. One little kid was overheard to say….”Everywhere I go, Jeanne Finney feeds me chili!” She headed up the lunch for everyone at the school workday too, you see … along with lots of P.T.A. helpers. Will that kid be surprised at the Swap Meet when Jeanne is selling PIE (again … along with others from P.T.A.).
Thanks go to Lee Greeley for the nice party and art project on St. Patrick’s Day … and for listening to little ones read lately … also to John Brown for sharing Spanish materials with our Spanish classes from his recent South American trip … and to Jerry Anderson for the tennis balls … and to Annie Dillard for the books … and cheerfulness….and to you all for being there.
Things Are Happening! Fifth graders are being achievement tested…school nurse plans a ‘shoot ’em up’ clinic … swimming lessons at the “Y” for everyone for the next two weeks … we hope to “drown proof” every child before summer … and the following “doin’s” to which the whole Island is invited.
*******Apr‑4l 22, 11:30’AM, Custer 5th Grade Band and Chorus Concert
*******May 6, at dark, SINBAD THE SAILOR … movie..with popcorn!
*******May 26 … Skating (Roller) in Ferndale..time announced later, but be practicing!
SWAP MEET AT THE ISLANDER
The rescheduled Swap Meet will be this Saturday, April 23rd, on the grass area next to the Islander beginning at 10:00 AM. No charge for booth space. Buyers and sellers welcome. In case of rain, will be postponed until the 30th. – – Lylene Johnson
CHURCH NEWS
There will be a potluck dinner for friends and supporters of the Lummi Island Church on April 25th, 6:30 PM in the Church basement. The guest will be James Halfaker, United Church of Christ Conference Minister for Washington and Oregon. This is the first time any Conference personnel has visited Lummi Island, and we hope all of you who support our church will join us. – – Lois Peterson
PROUD GRANDMOTHER
Easter Sunday festivities were enjoyed by all available relatives and friends at the home of Eric & Joanne Gutzmann. Joanne is proud to boast that she is the only grandmother living on Lummi Island who has her married children & grandchildren living here also.