Here is a runway report from full time resident Vince (thanks Vince, I thought you were in Florida??)
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Happy 2023 ya all. We have had a deep freeze snow rain king tides wind and anything you can throw at us. Yet the runway is still usable amazing at this point. Stick to the center but even the east 1/3 isn’t to soft. Watch for geese as they are on the runway in mass.
I flew in yesterday, and the runway was fine. Wet in the normal spots, decent in the middle. Today, not so much! But boy is it beautiful!!
Bob Brunkow shared this info with us recently. The following has informtion on how to use your phones text function “text” emergency information similar to making a 911 call. This might be helpful where there is difficulty making a voice call, but a text can go thru.
Thanks, Bob, for pointing this out…
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office operates a state of the art 911 emergency communication center that services all of San Juan County. The communications center is located at the Sheriff’s Office in the courthouse in the Town of Friday Harbor. We currently employ 10 full time dispatchers who take emergency 911 calls, business calls as well as dispatch all emergency services units. Our dispatchers are all trained in the King County EMS protocols for priority dispatching and take a tremendous amount of pride in being good at what they do.
Our dispatch center recently went through a renovation which included upgrading our consoles, phone systems and furniture to better allow the professional men and women in the communication center to better serve the public.
We currently dispatch emergency services for the following agencies:
San Juan County is pleased to announce the addition of ‘Text-to-911’ to its emergency response features. Text-to-911 is a valuable tool for the deaf, hearing impaired, those that have speech disabilities, and for anyone who may not be able to speak due to an emergency such as a home invasion or abusive partner. Learn more about the program through frequently asked questions:
| Questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Q: How do I use ‘Text-to-911 in an Emergency? | A: Using the new feature is easy. Follow these steps: • Enter the numbers”911″ in the “To” or “Recipient” field.• The first text message to 911 should be brief and contain the location of the emergency and type of help needed (police, fire or EMS).• Push the “send” button.• Be prepared to answer the questions and follow instructions from the 911 call taker.• Keep text messages brief and concise. Do not use abbreviations or emojis. |
| Q: When can I text 911? | A: Text is intended primarily for use in four emergency scenarios:• For an individual who is deaf, hard of hearing, or has a speech disability.• For someone who is in a situation where it is not safe to place a voice call to 911.• A medical emergency that renders the person incapable of speech.• A voice to 911 call that cannot be made but a Text-to-911 can. |
| Q: Can I text 911 instead of calling? | A: You can text instead of calling – however, calling 911 is still the preferred method of communication. Texting should be reserved for those who don’t have another choice. A good rule of thumb is to call if you CAN, text if you CAN’T. |
| Q: Can I text photos, videos, URLs or emojis to 911? | A: The short answer is, no. Do not send URLs, emojis, photos, or video – they will not go through to the 911 operator. However, if you have relevant video or photos, save them to share with the responding officers. |
| Q: Can I text 911 in a group message? | A: No, do not send Text-to-911 messages to multiple people. Text-to-911 will not be received if others are included. Group texts are not possible. |
| Q: Do I need to have a text or data plan on my phone to use Text-to-911? | A: Yes, a text or data plan is required to place a Text-to-911 message. |
| Q: Can I text in a language other than English? | A: No, unfortunately at this time, the system is set up only for English texting. There is currently no ability to translate a text from another language within the system being used. The text comes into the 911 center via a phone line, which is not connected to the internet, making translation impossible. |
| Q: What are the important things to know about Text-to-911? | A: If you are deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech disability, you can use Text-to-911 for any situation. We ask that you identify yourself as such when asking for non-emergency assistance. If you are in a dangerous situation, silence your cell phone immediately. When the 911 call taker returns a text message your phone will send an audible notification per your specific phone settings. |
I was asked to post this by one of our owners.
We had a dog/sheep incident at the Mills farm this afternoon and would appreciate if you would post something about it on the community website. We were visiting Darren and Valerie and decided to go check on the sheep. When we got to the barn, we heard barking and a lot of commotion on the other side of the hill. The sheep ran up over the rocks and we saw that they were being chased by a small black and white long haired dog wearing a purple harness. Two of the sheep fell on the rocks and the dog began circling them, barking and nipping at them. I chased the dog off and it ran up the driveway, under the gate and headed to the airpark. Luckily none of the sheep were seriously injured but it could have been much worse. We would appreciate it very much if you could post a reminder to everyone to please keep our pets under control and be aware of where they are. Thanks!
The CPR class offered by San Juan County EMS instructor, Karl Kuetzing:
When: Saturday, July 23rd Where: Bob Brunkow’s hangar When: 9am to 3-3:30pm
As it is an almost all day event, please bring a sack lunch and water.
All are welcome!
Danette Carroll, secretary
Mary and I decided to make a short boat trip up to Canada this week. We intended to find a bed and breakfast somewhere for 1 night, and then do some boat camping. Well, we found a really nice place to spend a couple nights – the Saturna Lodge. We ended up staying for two nights, we liked it so much. The room was comfortable, they provided a nice breakfast and coffee to get us moving in the morning. Go check out their website here.
Our Hosts Sylvia and Tex
This is the view from their deck. It’s kind of hard to see here, but they are located right on the end of Boot Cove. They have mooring buoys that are not exactly available right now, but will be in the future. In the mean time we used the public dock, located adjacent to the ferry terminal, and got a ride back and forth from Tex.
This is just a picture near their entrance that we liked! Their website has more pictures of their facility, go check it out. We really enjoyed our stay, they made us feel very welcomed. And, they are dog friendly!
We all see this view from the north shore of Stuart –
I’ve looked at that antenna for decades. Well, we got a chance to go up to the base of that antenna and absorb the view towards our island – wow, spectacular. Here are a couple pictures of our island, taken from the base of that tower on the high point of Saturna Island.
Another high point of the day was a visit to the Sage Hayward Winery, located on the south side of Saturna – Lovely grounds, nice lunch menu and a really nice Pinot Gris.
There is also a nice burger and beer place right at the ferry terminal that we visited. So, we spent 2 nights in the lodge, and during the days we cruised around in our boat and checked out the area. We went as far north as Galliano Island, just cruising around the area. We also checked out Tumbo Island and Cabbage Island, both just north of Saturna. Very nice sandy beach on Cabbage Island, and they say good hiking all around. We intend to return and moor here and camp out for a couple days.
The entry into Canada went very smoothly, we had to use the ArriiveCan app (create an account, put in your profiles, scan passports and covid vax info) and then you clear at Bedwell Harbor. A short phone call, and we were cleared in. We did hear that lines for the phone were 3 hours long on the day before our arrival, yikes. The process took us about 30 minutes. Then, returning back to the states, we used the CBP app and annouced our arrival as we neared the border. We quickly got a call from Customs in Roche, they asked all the usual questions and politely allowed us to go straight to Stuart.
We had a really nice trip. Go check out the Saturna Lodge, you will enjoy it we think.
Hello Stuart Island Owners!Saturday, July 2 & Sunday – July 3: Drive by Garage Sale~Place the items you want to get rid of at the end of your drive by the road.~Make checks payable to Stuart Island Airpark Association. ~Drop check at Randy Thompson’s house or put it in his mailbox at the mail shack.~All proceeds go to the Reid Harbor Ramp project.It’s going to be a fun weekend! ~Friday evening, July 1 – Renquist’s wine and cheese party~Saturday morning, July 2 – Games at the community center~Saturday evening, July 2 – Potluck BBQ at the community center~Saturday evening, July 2 – After the potluck, music at Brunkow hangar ~Saturday, July 2 & Sunday, July 3 – Drive by Garage SaleDanette Carroll, secretary
The book club changed its meeting date/time to July 29th, noon, at Danette Carrol’s house