I was a Sergeant with your Sheriffs Department for 30 years and a volunteer EMT with the San EMS for 15 years. During that time I regularly interacted with the Fire Department, EMS and various other departments and agencies. Because of this experience people have asked me what’s going on with the current Fire and EMS issue. So, here’s my take, based on 30 plus years, dealing with these types of departments.
My name is Trish Lehman. I am one of five hospital district commissioners, having just served 2 years, and most recently re-elected for another 6 years. I moved to the island in 1971 and am a retired registered nurse. My parents donated the land, and helped build Sunset Point Fire Station on the west side of the island, where they were both volunteer firefighters.
My first job as an RN was at the Convalescent Center before we had Emergency Medical Services, when we had Dr. Heath, our one full time doctor who served our community, and when our medevac was San Juan Airlines.
Over the years, I have worked closely with San Juan EMS. I am and have always been impressed with their professionalism and dedication to the community and the people they serve. I believe in the men and women who work and volunteer with EMS and have the utmost confidence in their leadership as well as their mission and vision going forward.
Is EMS really in such bad shape?
No, but you wouldn’t know that from a few recent, misleading letters to the editor. So as someone who regularly attends SJC Pub Hospital Dist #1 meetings, and who is partial to facts, I thought I’d weigh in. Please note: if you prefer wild speculation and reckless misinformation, this is not the column for you.
EMS is in good shape. Driven by the strong management provided by our Superintendent and EMS Administrator over the past year, the PHD has:
Dr. King was murdered on April 4, 1968, on the balcony of room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. During those years of tragedy and struggle I lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and taught there at the University of Alabama. Tuscaloosa, where six years earlier the Tuscaloosa police department locked the congregation inside First African Baptist Church by chaining the doors shut and then lobbed tear gas through the windows. Tuscaloosa, the home of Bobby Shelton, the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan and where the Klan office was on main street. The grand wizard usually had breakfast at the Tuscaloosa Grand Hotel each morning.
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stands with other civil rights leaders on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968, a day before he was assassinated at approximately the same place. From left are Hosea Williams, Jesse Jackson, King, and Ralph Abernathy. AP photo
The COVID pandemic has forced many aspects of daily life in rural communities such as ours into crisis mode. Exacerbating this state of affairs have been various local issues that make things even more challenging. The ferry system is an embarrassment and a risk to the Island’s welfare. Housing for potential new professionals and their families has become even more unaffordable. The Department of Health has been stretched to its limits while enduring a constant stream of abuse as well as coping with the foolish and risky behavior of some of our citizens. The Mullis Senior Center Board and its good works were threatened by an extended mean spirited series of attacks which it was able to decisively thwart. Access to traditional primary care medical and dental care are at a precipice as a consequence of departures, death, retirements, and payment gimmicks. The rancor and self interest displayed over and over again is not what is needed in troubled times.
The January 5 edition of the San Juan Journal contained one of the most appalling pieces of sloppy, irresponsible journalism I’ve ever seen. What’s worse, it was in the “Top Stories of 2021” so it was repeating a story from last November that was totally inaccurate when it was first published. Apparently, no one at the Journal figured out in the past several weeks that it was totally wrong.
Message from San Juan Island Fire and Rescue Chief Norvin Collins: As the year comes to a close, your San Juan Island Fire and Rescue (SJIF&R) responders and I wished to take a moment to reflect where we are today and what the future holds. There are three points to address that are timely and germane in terms of response and care in our community, the voices of the majority of the voters, agreement issues, and deployment modeling for SJIF&R.
What keeps on giving each year? Creating traditions that help nature.
A potted fir tree brought inside to decorate, used yearly; growing side by side with us all.
A candle lit every Xmas eve.
A cactus passed down through generations, nourished and watered throughout the year to flourish and bloom for family and friends during our holiday season.
As I reflect on my past eight years working for this council and the Town I so dearly love, I am filled with gratitude for those who have seen fit to allow me to represent their interests as well as those who have made this journey such a pleasure. My thanks go out to our loyal and devoted employees who see our ideas, plans and policies to fruition.
Our public works department is always willing to make improvements that affect our daily lives. From creating one of the State's top water systems to award winning improvements to streets, sidewalks and parks, as well as managing a complex sewer, stormwater and refuse system, the crew never gets enough appreciation for their efforts.
As editor of San Juan Islander I debated whether to post this column. The part accusing the current Mullis Center Board of financial mismanagement skirts right on the edge of libel. I decided to post it because the Mullis Center Board has written about this letter and has explained fully the need to amend some tax forms.
In the wake of the recent Washington Superior Court’s Order mandating the San Juan County Senior Services Council restore improperly removed voting rights to local seniors and disabled constituents, the current San Juan Mullis Center Operations Committee recently sent out two misleading communications to further deflect responsibility and mislead our community.
In the recent publications, included in the San Juan Journal, the San Juan Islander, and the Mullis Center Newsletter, the current Council minimized their role in improperly seizing voting rights from local seniors. In short, in August 2019 the existing Council illegally changed the bylaws such that they would stay in power indefinitely without fear of standing for election again.
Rather than explain the rationale for their illegal and unauthorized actions, the Council has instead doubled down and attacked the very folks who stood up against their abuse of authority, departure from 40+ years of established practice, and undemocratic actions. No amount of deflection or spinning can change what happened and what the Court reversed: Six people on the Council stole your voting rights and consolidated full unaccountable power to themselves. Many citizens were rightly concerned at this illegal power grab and violation of trust to all citizens.
If there is any shred of light coming from this recent blatant and immoral power grab it is that every representative from Lopez Island saw right through this sham from the beginning and tried to vote it down. Not one representative from Lopez Island supported this Council’s illegal actions in 2019.
The reality is that the upcoming election in October for new council members would not be happening if not for the conscientious folks who stood up to the current Council. The Court had to specifically order this Council to follow their own bylaws and hold this election. And this upcoming election is to fill all the seats that should have been filled in the elections of 2019, 2020, and 2021 that were improperly cancelled because of the current Council’s illegal actions.
Unfortunately, this may not be the end of the misconduct. Recently, potentially gross unexplained financial deficiencies have been discovered. Specifically, in December 2020, the current Council quietly and suspiciously amended past tax returns eliminating over $500,000 in assets. On the heels of their illegal actions in taking away our votes and becoming less transparent, there needs to be a better explanation other than their mysteriously stated explanation: "to remove community foundation funds held by others.”
This is no small matter and suggests further disturbing misconduct or incompetence. We should all demand an audit of these financials that the current Council has avoided up to now by their unilateral actions to hold on to power.
Our Senior Centers are critically important community assets held in trust by a 501(c)(3) Foundation. The Public is entitled to competent oversight, integrity, and transparency in such matters. Current leadership is not providing these essential qualities. It is high time for a change.
Signed by: P. Arroyo, S. Blair, C. Brooks, B. Buck, R. Callegari, S. Carnes, T. Christensen, E. Christensen, A. Commins, K. Commins, B. Dragin, J. Fodor, M. Gallagher, P. Gallagher, A. Gavora, S. Haley, S. Harrison, G. Illif, K. Keller, R. Keller, S. Keller, J. Knych, M. Knych, J. Musburger, F. Penwell, P. Penwell, R. Peter, G. Peterson, S. Plummer, R. Polda, T. Polda, W. Ray, B. Reilly, B. Robinson, K. Robinson, D. Schwartz, K. Schwartz, M. Skuffeeda, R. Swenson, R. Taylor, P. Vincillette, D. Ware, R. Ware
This guest column by Stephen Shubert, Chair of Mullis Community Senior Center District Committee explains recent amendments to Mullis Senior Center tax forms.
TO: The San Juan Island Community FROM: Stephen Shubert, Chair of Mullis Community Senior Center District Committee
You may have seen a recent message sent from a group calling itself Friends of Mullis Center, accusing the Mullis Community Senior Center of possible financial mismanagement. I wish to provide the facts related to this accusation.
Dear Editor,
Home Depot is coming! And not just to town, but to your residential neighborhood be it Portland Fair, the Cape, or off of Bailer Hill or Roche Harbor Rd. Did I get your attention? Ok – so the big box stores aren’t coming, but the industrial metal box buildings are coming soon to a residential lot next door to you as we recently learned would be happening next door to us and fundamentally changing the fabric of our community.
A satellite view and overlay of the proposed structure in the residential Bridle Trails neighborhood.
Snake River salmon advocate Northwest Resource Information Center on September 1, 2021 called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of the House of Representatives to block Washington Senator Maria Cantwell’s effort to allow Bonneville Power Administration to borrow an additional $10 billion from U.S. taxpayers. LETTER