Vendor info: K & R Farms
I’ve never been one to say that military benefits are inadequate. Just stick with whatever was offered when people signed up to stay on for multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and we’re good.
Defense Commissary Agency – trying to explain themselves:
Where did my coffee go?
A large number of comments have been posted in response on the Defense Commissary Agency Facebook page. Real people who aren’t paid by the federal government to post articles and comments aren’t having it.
Many comments about Cooper cheese and why it’s gone. The article posted by DeCA says items are removed if they are slow to sell?
View comments here.
The plan is to save money by defunding the commissaries. Less people will want to shop there after the transition, then we’ll have the numbers to show that it makes no sense to continue to support funding for the commissaries.
Recommendation for budget savings:
Phase out ongoing undeclared/unwon wars overseas.
The Department of Defense track record for winning undeclared wars goes back to 1949.
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Photo- A symbol of Support The Troops Nonsense & federal government credibility
South Shore:
Check out Penn Cove water quality using the Dept. of Health map at the bottom of this page.
North Shore:
WDFW- “Shellfish on this beach should only be harvested west of the Rolling Hills Glencairn Community dock. The portion of this beach that lies to the east of the dock is inside a prohibited zone for nearby municipal sewage treatment plant outfalls.”
Sounds like the municipal sewage treatment plant is sending unsafe product into Penn Cove?
Check out North Shore Penn Cove water quality using the Dept. of Health map at the bottom of this page.
More here: Whidbey Junk Cars and Non-DOD Water Contamination Concerns
Detailed Timeline and Results of Public Records Requests on this Rolling Hills property here:
Island County Records Creation Protocols
Junk cars photo timeline here:
Find us on Facebook: Junk Cars – Penn Cove Watershed
Twitter: Junk Cars – Island County
Vendor info: K & R Farms
The Island’s Weekly Apr 16th, 2018: Town Hall meeting covers drug crisis
Looks like newspeople didn’t show up to ask any questions- so we’ll ask a few here.
“Anacortes law enforcement has agreed to provide the use of their drug dog at Anacortes Ferry Terminal when San Juan officers request it.”
What would be screened? Walk-on passengers? Commercial vehicles? Private automobiles?
“Krebs has requested Washington State Patrol to reinstate a drug dog on the ferries.”
Reinstate? Any history of the Washington State Patrol using drug dogs to make any arrest or drug seizure at Washington State ferry terminals?
Mixed messages:
ABC News Nov 2000: Justices Strike Down Drug Checkpoints
“The court was not swayed by the argument that the severity of the drug problem in some city neighborhoods justified the searches.”
KSN News Jul 2015: Drug check lanes pop up north of Wichita
“I can’t comment on the checkpoint being run by the Kansas Highway Patrol,” said Dehning. “But our deputies still need reasonable suspicion to stop a vehicle just as they would for any other vehicle stop. Participating in an operation like that does not relieve our deputies of that responsibility/requirement.”
“Dan Monnat explains, if you get pulled over in a drug check lane, you do have rights. He says you do not have to consent to a search of your car.”
Reason May 2015: The Border Patrol’s Unconstitutional Drug Dragnet
In City of Indianapolis v. Edmond, the Court said that city’s police violated the Fourth Amendment when they set up checkpoints aimed at catching drug traffickers. “We have never approved a checkpoint program whose primary purpose was to detect evidence of ordinary criminal wrongdoing,” the Court said. “Because the primary purpose of the Indianapolis narcotics checkpoint program is to uncover evidence of ordinary criminal wrongdoing, the program contravenes the Fourth Amendment.”
Alaska-
Juneau Empire March 25, 2018: Coast Guard, partners, search ferries for drugs, explosives
“Dykens said the opioid epidemic has been a motivating factor in wanting to do these searches, as it’s a nationwide issue that has reached Alaska. This search, he said, is one of the ways to see how much the ferry system is used to traffic these drugs.”
“These kinds of searches happen from time to time, and Dykens said they keep the timing of them as random as they can.”
Washington State-
State and local law enforcement agencies do not conduct suspicionless checkpoints in Washington State. Check other states here:
Washington State Ferries-
“Washington State Patrol teams, or teams of officers, may be walking among vehicles in the holding lanes for the purpose of ensuring illegal explosive materials are not taken aboard. These teams may be accompanied by explosive-detection canines. The dogs are trained to detect explosive materials only.”
Lawyers.com:
“First Things First: What’s the Reason for the Stop?”
“Dog or no dog, police must have a legitimate reason for pulling you over. In other words, police need to have reasonable suspicion that the driver—or someone else in the car—has violated the law. A minor traffic violation such as speeding or running a red light will normally suffice. Traffic stops without valid justification, however, are illegal. Typically, all evidence police find following an illegal detention will be inadmissible in court—including drugs discovered by a drug-sniffing dog. (Learn more about how the “exclusionary rule” applies to illegal police searches.)”
Nolo: Can the Police Use a Dog to Sniff a Car for Drugs Without a Warrant?
“Police dog sniffs during lawful traffic stops are legal under the Fourth Amendment to the federal constitution (though state constitutions might provide otherwise). (Illinois v. Caballes, 543 U. S. 405 (2005).)”
Don’t miss our companion blog- found here: Old Man Blog
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Photo- Keystone ferry inbound.
When the WA State Parks Discover Pass first came out it was for parking, not for access to parks.
The pass was not required for a short bathroom break:
Today- the pass is used as a credential to gain access to parks when they are constructed to allow a military style checkpoint at the park entrance.
Before the Discover Pass we had the original Natural Investment Pass. I have been paying for these passes since they came out early in this century.
My parent’s generation introduced me to Washington State Parks in the 1970s. Somehow, daytime visits to WA State Parks were covered by taxes in those days. We were able to get in & out of parks for the afternoon without any requirement to interact with state parks authorities or volunteers. The Park Ranger was the local expert and could provide info on beaches, birds, trees and animals to anyone who was interested.
Today- over supervision and enforcement is the vibe.
Midday April 15th, 2018
I arrive at Fort Ebey to get out for an hour or two. A portable stop sign has been placed at the park entrance. I stop and show my valid pass.
The response should have been Thank You.
We weren’t done yet. Having me stopped was a chance to deliver a mini-lecture/reminder that I should take care to properly display my Discover Pass when I park because a ticket was recently written for someone who did not do so.
I would have just driven on if all I was asked to do is show the pass- even though I do not believe this should be a requirement to enter the park. Reminders about properly displaying the parking pass and warnings about tickets feel like babysitting.
I told the park entrance person that I was old school and that I’d been using the parks since the 70s and that I don’t feel there is any need for a guilty until proven innocent checkpoint to look for parking passes.
If people have done nothing wrong they should be left alone to go about their day. Paying for the pass should mean not getting hassled on the way into the park.
Being stopped before parking to show the parking pass that is required to be displayed while parking (under threat of citation) seems redundant.
More here:
Wondering if something like 89 cents of each dollar collected for daytime parking fees goes towards funding enforcement related warning signs, kiosks, pay boxes, fluorescent placards, etc.
Enjoy Washington’s Natural Heritage
Nobody mans the checkpoint during the offseason. We are free to enter the park & display the pass after parking without any additional supervision or interaction with park staff.
Photo above: Approaching the beach at Fort Ebey.
Some version of this scene is pretty common. I mostly don’t post about it. Once in a while- maybe it’s a good reminder. Maybe just a way to vent a little.
Don’t miss our companion blog- found here: Old Man Blog
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt
WAIF Animal Shelter was easy to work with.
Site details here.
Vendor info
A scenic seaport town on an island. Interesting local geography, several nice parks and a farmers market.
Rockfish Grill – Friendly bar. Good service.
Union Tavern – Friendly bar. Good service. Stopped in for a very nice On That Dust IPA.
San Juan Lanes Bar and Grill – Friendly location. Good service. Very nice Fish & Chips. Haven’t tried the bar yet. It opens at 4 PM.
Real Tequila Tex-Mex Restaurant – We enjoyed this one more than the fancy Mexican restaurant in town. These are the only two we have tried so far.
Take a look at water quality for Penn Cove recreational (sport) harvest of shellfish here: Washington State Department of Health Recreational Sport Shellfish Safety Map
WDFW:
“Shellfish on this beach should only be harvested west of the Rolling Hills Glencairn Community dock. The portion of this beach that lies to the east of the dock is inside a prohibited zone for nearby municipal sewage treatment plant outfalls.”
Sounds like the municipal sewage treatment plant is sending unsafe product into Penn Cove?
More here: Whidbey Junk Cars and Non-DOD Water Contamination Concerns
Detailed Timeline and Results of Public Records Requests on this Rolling Hills property here:
Island County Records Creation Protocols
Junk cars photo timeline here:
Find us on Facebook: Junk Cars – Penn Cove Watershed
Twitter: Junk Cars – Island County
Photo- Cold Case Files of the Penn Cove Watershed and Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve
“Turmoil inside KOMO News as conservative owner Sinclair mandates talking points”
I’d have more respect for local TV news stations if there was more in the way of investigative reporting & newspeople asking questions.
Examples:
Zero questions asked Re: the US Dept. of Homeland Security/CBP role in keeping heroin away from the Puget Sound area. Local law enforcement agencies may benefit when the US Dept. of Homeland Security fails to keep heroin out of the US:
KOMO News “Heroin busts could finance police construction in Snohomish”
US Border Patrol, Port Angeles, WA-
A new, $11.9 million, 50 agent facility, secret arrest statistics, denied FOIA requests, heroin in the community & a Border Patrol whistleblower investigation Re: fraudulent overtime that resulted in further suppression of information- keep the focus on asking questions in these areas.
No cross-border USBP arrest has happened here in more than 7 years.
Newspeople, reporters and journalists are free to ask basic public policy questions and post updated reports at any time.
News links:
Whidbey Heroin:
“The 29-year-old is homeless and has been a heroin addict for the past six years.”
Federal grant money goes to “…gain a better grasp on cross border activity and to prevent illegal crossings.”
“Funding for the boat was issued through the Homeland Security Grant Program under Operation Stonegarden.”
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been able to intercept any inbound heroin?
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been involved in any arrest or seizure related in any way to the US/Canada border?
Whidbey Homeland Security Grant Money- Newspeople Remain Silent
More here:
Puget Sound Heroin – Newspeople Remain Silent
Meth:
The script says opiod crisis.
The news tells us that various states cracked down on the availability meth ingredients several years back.
Now- cartels are moving meth into the US:
“Meth’s evolution in Tenn.: From homemade labs to Mexican super drug”
“They are filling the void, Jordan said with super-strength crystal meth produced in super labs in Mexico.”
“Ohio’s largest meth bust: 140 pounds of methamphetamine seized from warehouse in Summit County”
The script tells us that we’re seeing a big law enforcement success story when federal agents swing into action to nab 140 pounds of methamphetamine after product moved past strict post 911 security protocols and federal agents staffing a $40.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security.
Do the good guys who made the local bust notify the good guys at the border about the weak links in their process? Check the script.
Dec 2, 2017
Meth-related overdose deaths hit record number in WV
“…crystal meth from Mexico has become the preferred choice among users.”
“We’re seeing a lot more meth, and it’s a different kind of meth than we were seeing five or six years ago,” Gupta said. “There’s a push from the cartels to get these drugs out there.”
More here: CBP Human Resources update
War on Terror:
The US Dept. of Homeland Security “stops an average of 7 known or suspected terrorists a day – 50 a week- trying to come to our country.”
Question for newspeople: With such an impressive handle on US Dept. of Homeland Security performance- why do Heroin-Trafficking Cartels continue to move product into local communities?
Any newspeople available to ask where the “…7 known or suspected terrorists a day – 50 a week…” statistic comes from? Do we need to look for the script?
More from The US Dept. of Homeland Security:
The Troops:
TV networks may be prone to emphasize the idea that everyone who shows up is a hero. They’re not about to ask any questions about the Department of Defense track record for winning undeclared wars since DOD was established in 1949.
Tearful reunions and spreading the idea that it’s for your freedoms helps to normalize failed wars that never end.
“These folks paid the price when they go off and defend our freedoms all over the globe. It makes me feel very good to be able to say thanks to the people who will still step up and get the job done and fight for the freedoms that we enjoy here in the united states.”
Undeclared/unwon wars that never end?
0:24
The purpose is to protect our freedoms:
TV newspeople around to question any of this? Not a chance.
Don’t miss our companion blog- found here: Old Man Blog
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt
A part of the movie Point Break was filmed at this location.
Nice enough on Tuesday to sit outside and enjoy a Big Timber IPA at U Street Pub – Seaside, OR.
Crescent Beach, Oregon
Port Angeles quality of life update:
“We know there are beds available at night, but I think people for whatever reason, be it mental health issues, opioid addiction or other addictions, people would rather camp out,” he said.
Indiana meth:
Strict post 911 security protocols and a $40.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security fail to keep meth out: “…meth is flooding into the United States from cartels south of the border.”
Border Wall update:
Welcome Home Troops
Thanks for your many years of service in Iraq & Afghanistan- working to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things.
Tried to have your back with strict post-911 security protocols, a $40.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security, federal agents at border crossings & ports of entry & passports/enhanced & Real IDs to keep us all safe.
We’ll try harder next time.
Did newspeople and politicians swear an oath to call it opioids instead of heroin?
Heroin crisis: A situation involving illegal product moved from outside the US into local communities. The US Dept. of Homeland Security has jurisdiction at the border, border crossings & ports of entry.
With a budget of $40.6 billion- how is the US Dept. of Homeland Security doing at keeping heroin away from local communities?
Opioid crisis: Term favored by the press & politicians to describe the abuse of product which may be stolen from Grandma’s medicine cabinet- also a very serious issue.
Accurate reporting allows people to learn how to prevent future incidents.
Anytime there is a plane crash- a thorough investigation takes place. Lessons learned are used to prevent future accidents.
Was the aircraft fueled with opioids before it crashed? Was it running on heroin?
Recovery, rehab, treatment, & addiction are important parts of this story.
What part of the story is missing?
Has anyone ever seen the press question the US Dept. of Homeland Security/CBP on their role in keeping heroin away from the Puget Sound area?
Interesting that the heroin problem seems to have grown after 911, the addition of The US Dept. of Homeland Security and the requirement for passports/enhanced & Real IDs.
Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009. For your safety.
Don’t miss our companion blog- found here: Old Man Blog
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt
Photo- Skagit Valley
Out to the Fort Ebey Bluff Trail on Saturday. Ranger station was closed. No one stopping vehicles on the way in to check for parking passes. Weather was sunny & calm. Bell buoy seemed silent today.
Trail condition was good. It had been a little squishy in spots over the past week.
Lots of people, families & dogs out enjoying the day. Passed one group that must have been more than a dozen people on the trail. Campground is open. Lots of happy sounds as I passed by. Saw snakes and eagles. Saw someone flying a kite in front of the gun emplacements- they were doing well with what looked like an old school-style kite.
Walked down to the viewpoint at Cedar Hollow and was able to see people walking on the beach near Perego’s Lagoon.
Beach parking area to Cedar Hollow & back- 1:37.
March 2, 2018 Whidbey News-Times:
“Landing’s water tests high in fecal coliform”
“Penn Cove has been designated at risk of having its water quality designation downgraded, which would eliminate shell fishing in the area.”
March 26, 2018 Whidbey News-Times:
“NPS steps up to tackle water contamination”
“Caitlin Budd, a water quality specialist with the county, said fecal coliform levels do seem to be lower after the completion of the project.”
“However, she said the department will require data over two years with at least 12 samples per year to draw a conclusion on the effectiveness of the project.”
“Budd also said there are many other smaller pollution sources that are dispersed throughout the Ebey’s Landing watershed that also likely contribute to the poor water quality designation.”
March 31, 2018 South Whidbey Record:
“WEAN digs into asphalt mounds”
“Every agency is pointing at every other agency.”
We live next to a large collection of junk cars in the Rolling Hills community. Multiple junk cars were towed to this property during the Spring/Summer of 2017. This property is located within the boundaries of the Penn Cove Watershed and Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve.
The previous property owner was issued Island County Cease and Desist Order: Case No. 025/14 dated 2/19/15 for storage of junk cars. This Cease and Desist Order indicates several reasons why junk car storage can not be permitted in this residential neighborhood.
From Cease and Desist Order Case No. COV 025/14:
Page 2 of 4 C. No Junk/Salvage yard can be permitted in a Rural Residential Zone.
Page 2 of 4 D. No more than one junk vehicle can be stored on a lot less than one acre in size.
Page 3 of 4 I. Minimum parcel size for home industry is 2.5 acres. In order to operate home industry on parcel- owner must be full-time resident.
There is no permitted residence on this parcel.
The lot in question is less than one acre in size.
There is no legally established permitted use at this property. A fence may be used to cover up vehicles secondary to a legally established permitted use.
Applicable Island County Code 17.03.180 – Land use standards. “Junk vehicles shall have all batteries and fluids properly removed and disposed of to protect the groundwater supply pursuant to applicable Island County Health Department regulations.”
We made public records requests and were able to determine that no procedures exist for inspecting junk cars to verify that all batteries and fluids have been properly removed and disposed of to protect the groundwater supply pursuant to applicable Island County Health Department regulations.
We made public records requests and were able to determine that the Island County Health Department has never found any junk vehicle, anywhere in the county, anytime in the past 5 years that was in violation of code.
Public Records Requests results here: Public Records Request – 5 Year History – No Junk Vehicle Found in Violation of Code – Anywhere in Island County
Take a look at water quality for Penn Cove recreational (sport) harvest of shellfish here.
More here:
Ebey’s Landing & Penn Cove Water Quality
Detailed Timeline and Results of Public Records Requests on this Rolling Hills property here:
Island County Records Creation Protocols
Junk cars photo timeline here:
Find us on Facebook: Junk Cars – Penn Cove Watershed
Twitter: Junk Cars – Island County
Photo- Cold Case Files of the Penn Cove Watershed and Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve
Skagit Valley
