Archives for category: An eye on the health of local waters

Photo above: Several years back at a farmers market somewhere in the greater Puget Sound area.

To me, the most interesting people in politics are the people who are willing to question their chosen political party.

A video from Jimmy Dore, a progressive Democrat:

Related:

Internet was better 20 years ago

18 Years Ago

June 22, 2005 Whidbey News-Times

Penn Cove listed as ‘polluted’

“…DOE took 28 samples from Penn Cove in the years 1993 to 2000. Scientists found that 24 of the samples had less than the minimum healthy level of dissolved oxygen.”

Today


Love to see newspeople ask:

When is the last time all of Penn Cove was safe for recreational shellfish harvest?

Image above: 5/22/2023

Source/Daily Status Reports: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image once or twice to show detail.

Background

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater. Not climate change.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Coupeville

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Americans do not live in a free and honest society.

In a free and honest society, newspeople would be asking questions related to public policy all of the time.

Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

Related:

Moving Towards A One Size Fits All Society – Climate And Environment

WDFW Monitors Water Quality at Penn Cove

 

Cliff Mass Weather Blog

May 23, 2023

Are the Large Alberta Fires the Result of Climate Change?

 

Mar 16, 2023

Serious Climate Misinformation In Seattle Time Headline Article

 

Mar 03, 2022

Misinformation about Sea Level Rise

 

Dec 13, 2022

More Climate Misinformation and Factual Errors in the Seattle Times. Should You Care?

 

Dec 29, 2022

The Origin of Seattle and Tacoma Flooding This Week

 

When I was a kid, reality TV was The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.

The Night of the Squid:

Also, about this time in history: The first man on the Moon.

The beer ads were a little more robust, back before light beer became the popular thing.

We do not have regular TV at home. Today, the reality TV I see is only in brief ads that are delivered with internet streaming services. Seeing them makes me squirm.

I have often wondered if it just makes business sense to create a reality TV show by putting one together without real actors, real stories, writers, etc. It would cost less to hire people who showed up at their local mall in order to begin the process of trying out for the show?

TV newspeople are not on their way to ask:

When is the last time all of Penn Cove was safe for recreational shellfish harvest?

Daily Status Reports: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Background

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater. Not climate change.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Coupeville

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

 

 

 

 

 

Photo-

Away from the TV – Just north of Perego’s Lagoon.

Local area:

Two Bluff Trails

 

Years ago, it was understood that some people preferred to smoke. Some preferred to be vegan. Some preferred to eat meat. Some preferred electric cars, some preferred a powerful truck to pull a horse trailer.

A live and let live attitude seems to be fading. Governments at various levels are now in the habit of setting deadlines for new restrictions, bans and mandates.

Smoking bans, plastic bag bans, gun bans, federal toilet regulations, bottled water bans, mandates on what sort of vehicle you may drive.

All this, while we are told that US military operations in distant lands are somehow linked to American rights and freedoms.

One Size Fits All

Federal tax money:

December 8, 2022 The Daily World

Dept. of Ag invests $6.3M to purchase Ocean Shores hotel

$6.3 million “to fund the acquisition of an existing hotel. Marathon Enterprises Inc. is located in Ocean Shores, Grays Harbor County, Washington. The project is expected to result in saving eight jobs and creating one full time job.”

$6.3 million in federal cash for a used hotel results in saving eight jobs and creating one full time job? Seems like free enterprise might be better at moving things along Re: hotel properties.

Love to see newspeople ask: Is there any shortage of lodging facilities in this community?

Gas Cans

School children are taught about a free enterprise system. They grow up to find out that the federal government will tell them what kind of shower head they must install in the bathroom, and what type of gas can they must buy for their generator.

If The Troops defend our freedoms, should we ask the Joint Chiefs of Staff to bring back the Free Enterprise System?

0:20

Probably designed by some bureaucrat that never mowed a yard:

Cars

Gov. Inslee plans to ban gas-powered cars by 2035.

Your Toilet

The Energy Policy Act of 1992, which became law in 1994, mandates a maximum flush volume of 1.6 gallons for toilets manufactured and installed after this date.”

Your Shower Head

“In 1992, a federal mandate limited the amount of water that could flow from a replacement shower head to 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM). Some state and local governments mandate even lower GPM flow rates than the federal regulation.”

Your Light Bulbs

The Department of Energy has recently set new standards for light bulb manufacturers.”

Plastic Bags

Central authority hands down one size fits all rules for retailers and consumers: Allowed and banned bags

Download an accessible toolkit in one of 17 languages

Your Lawn Mower

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently updated its regulations for emissions from “small spark-ignition engines”—that is, your lawn mower or tractor and other outdoor power equipment.”

Heating Your Home

Washington State Ban on Natural Gas Heating

Central Control Of The Rental Property You Own

They are working on it:

“If approved, a new section would be added to state law that requires all rental housing units within the state to be registered with the Department of Commerce every two years when a tenant occupies it or it is made available for rent.”

“In addition, landlords must pay a registration fee of $70 to register a unit, plus a fee of $15 for each additional unit.”

“In addition, if a landlord does not register the property, they would not be able to legally evict a tenant from the rental.”

“The money raised by registration fees would be used to assist with programs that provide legal representation in evection cases, assist local government with inspections of rentals, or for administrative purposes only.”

Possibly related:

Both major political parties are now OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens.

Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?

Doesn’t seem to fit with a society that can’t stop bragging about freedom, thanking the troops for freedoms, fighting wars for freedoms, staging military jet flyovers at sporting events for freedom, etc.

Certainly, Americans do not live in a free and honest society.


Seems like most people carry a smart phone. These are always improving. They are extremely popular with consumers. An honest demand for products requires no helping hand from the government. No tax incentive, no public relations and promotional campaigns. Let’s go with the free enterprise system. Let’s go with industries that specialize in making people happy.

US federal government:

A man on the moon in 1969 was a proud American moment.

Since that time, both major parties have taken turns in power and have squandered credibility that would help in the current situation.

We were told we needed to send troops to Vietnam.

Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.

Some may have become skeptical along the way.

Some continue to ask questions:

An old favorite:

Unfortunately, the federal government often gets things wrong. Some may say they have an incentive to do so.

The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.

Response: Large DOD and Homeland Security budgets ever since.

It feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.

Any college or pro football coach would have been fired a dozen times over for what DOD has done with the US Armed Forces during the fake GWOT era.

 

KUOW Aug 10, 2017

A mere 17,000 years ago, a massive glacier the height of five Space Needles covered what is now Seattle and a large part of western Washington.”

Why did it change? Too much gas powered lawn equipment?

Local papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

Various newspapers in the Puget Sound area have gone with this trend.

Honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion.

Suppressing comments, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.

Got it.

Newspeople have moved away from asking basic public policy questions.

Our local TV news today is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.

Newspeople post this statement as is.

A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.

 

Cliff Mass Weather Blog

Mar 16, 2023

Serious Climate Misinformation In Seattle Time Headline Article

 

Mar 03, 2022

Misinformation about Sea Level Rise

 

Dec 13, 2022

More Climate Misinformation and Factual Errors in the Seattle Times. Should You Care?

 

Dec 29, 2022

The Origin of Seattle and Tacoma Flooding This Week

 

Photo at top of page:

Occasionally looking for the Coupeville Ferry

Coupeville/Penn Cove is on the eastern shore of Whidbey Island-no ferry link to Port Townsend exists there.

Also Coupeville:

Love to see newspeople ask:

When is the last time all of Penn Cove was safe for recreational shellfish harvest?

Image above: 1/2/2023

Source/Daily Status Reports: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image once or twice to show detail.

Background

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater. Not climate change.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Coupeville

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Americans do not live in a free and honest society.

In a free and honest society, newspeople would be asking questions related to public policy all of the time.

Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

Related:

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

One Size Fits All Society

Goodbye Free Enterprise System

Cultural Honesty

Possibly of interest:

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

 

Love to see newspeople ask:

When is the last time all of Penn Cove was safe for recreational shellfish harvest?

Image above: 11/23/2022

Source/Daily Status Reports: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image once or twice to show detail.

 

More monitoring:

King County already monitors Penn Cove water; Vracin said personnel from the county come in every two weeks by boat to collect samples.”

November 22, 2022 Whidbey News-Times

King County keeps eye on Penn Cove

The Port of Coupeville will partner with King County to monitor the water quality in Penn Cove.

“We try to support anybody and everybody that is an official organization that is there to help protect our environment and study the health of Penn Cove,” he said. “When they reached out for this project, we were very excited to support them.”

“The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks will install solar-powered sensors on the Coupeville Wharf and at other locations in Penn Cove to collect data on the water’s temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen saturation, chlorophyll levels and more.”

“Equipment will likely be installed within the next three months, according to wharf manager Danielle Vracin. King County already monitors Penn Cove water; Vracin said personnel from the county come in every two weeks by boat to collect samples. The new equipment the county is installing will automatically collect data every 15 minutes and transmit it to a website where scientists and members of the public can see it in real time.”

Not seeing any concerns here Re:

Coupeville

Clam, mussel, and oyster seasons CLOSED for harvest year-round.
Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.

Water Quality Comment: This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.
Updated: Wed, 23 Nov 2022 03:00:52 PDT

Source: WDFW

 

Background

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater. Not climate change.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Americans do not live in a free and honest society.

In a free and honest society, newspeople would be asking questions related to public policy all of the time.

Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Coupeville

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Oak Harbor

Oak Harbor City Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

Jan 22, 2021 Whidbey News-Times

Town mayor updates residents with annual address

This coming year is all about stormwater,” Hughes said.

“A big rainstorm in February 2020 sent “hundreds of gallons” of water rushing through the sewer plant.”

“The mayor shared that the wastewater treatment plant operators received an award from the Department of Ecology for outstanding performance.”

We always want to do as much as we can to protect the Cove,” Hughes said.

Love to see newspeople report/ask questions on how/why stormwater is routed to the facility that treats water from toilet flushing?

In both Anacortes and Oak Harbor, we are told that stormwater is separate from what is treated at the plant:

Anacortes – Stormwater is Rainwater

“Storm drains discharge directly into the surrounding waters, they do not lead to the wastewater treatment plant.”

Oak Harbor, WA

Storm Drain

This “surface” water is separate from that which enters the sanitary sewer and is treated by the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.”

 

Related:

Politicians, Puget Sound Press, and Earth Day

Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area – Any News Coverage?

Awards Have Been Awarded

Love To See Newspeople Ask:

Stormwater, Untreated Sewage and Puget Sound

Local Waters

Earth Day Progress Report

Local Waters And The Puget Sound Area Press

High Quality Water For Puget Sound? – Recreational Shellfish Harvesting CLOSED Year-Round

Signs

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

When Things Get Back To Normal

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

 

Related:

Oak Bay Clams

Clam Dip

The Seal Rock Oyster

 

I am not a big promoter of Earth Day. Whatever I believe in is mostly present with the same intensity all year long.

I am fascinated with the actions of elected officials and the press on Earth Day.

Politicians promote themselves on Earth Day. Newspeople play along by not asking questions.

Americans do not live in a free and honest society.

In a free and honest society, newspeople would be asking questions related to public policy all of the time.

Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

Love to see newspeople ask:

When is the last time all of Penn Cove was safe for recreational shellfish harvest?

 

Background

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Image at top of page: 4/22/2022

Source/Daily Status Reports: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to show detail.

 

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Coupeville

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Oak Harbor

Oak Harbor City Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

More here:

Anacortes – Stormwater is Rainwater

“Storm drains discharge directly into the surrounding waters, they do not lead to the wastewater treatment plant.”

Oak Harbor, WA

Storm Drain

This “surface” water is separate from that which enters the sanitary sewer and is treated by the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.”

Related:

Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area – Any News Coverage?

Awards Have Been Awarded

Love To See Newspeople Ask:

Stormwater, Untreated Sewage and Puget Sound

Local Waters

Earth Day Progress Report

Local Waters And The Puget Sound Area Press

High Quality Water For Puget Sound? – Recreational Shellfish Harvesting CLOSED Year-Round

Signs

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

When Things Get Back To Normal

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

When is the last time all of Penn Cove was safe for recreational shellfish harvest?

Image above: 2/28/2022

Source/Daily Status Reports: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

 

Local water quality in the news:

In recent years news reporting has been about Outstanding Wastewater Treatment Plant Awards.

New information:

Feb 22, 2022 Karina Andrew Whidbey News-Times

Ecology permit finalized

New requirements for wastewater treatment plants will not be as dramatic as some officials feared.

Zero questions Re: recreational shellfish harvest.

 

August 10, 2021 South Whidbey Record

Oak Harbor absent from sewage treatment awards

“Facilities in Coupeville, Holmes Harbor and Langley were named as winners of the Department of Ecology’s Outstanding Wastewater Treatment Plant Award for 2020.”

The award is for 2020. Wondering why it was not reported on until August of 2021.

Full compliance with water quality permits does not result in recreational shellfish that is safe for harvest?

Zero questions from newspeople.

 

Background

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Coupeville

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Oak Harbor

Oak Harbor City Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

More here:

Love To See Newspeople Ask:

Stormwater, Untreated Sewage and Puget Sound

Local Waters

Earth Day Progress Report

Local Waters And The Puget Sound Area Press

High Quality Water For Puget Sound? – Recreational Shellfish Harvesting CLOSED Year-Round

Signs

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

When Things Get Back To Normal

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

When is the last time all of Penn Cove was safe for recreational shellfish harvest?

Image above: 2/25/2022

Source/Daily Status Reports: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

 

In The News

In recent years news reporting has been about Outstanding Wastewater Treatment Plant Awards.

New information:

Feb 22, 2022 Karina Andrew Whidbey News-Times

Ecology permit finalized

New requirements for wastewater treatment plants will not be as dramatic as some officials feared.

Zero questions Re: recreational shellfish harvest.

 

August 10, 2021 South Whidbey Record

Oak Harbor absent from sewage treatment awards

“Facilities in Coupeville, Holmes Harbor and Langley were named as winners of the Department of Ecology’s Outstanding Wastewater Treatment Plant Award for 2020.”

The award is for 2020. Wondering why it was not reported on until August of 2021.

Full compliance with water quality permits does not result in recreational shellfish that is safe for harvest?

 

Feb 12, 2022 Josh Farley Kitsap Sun

Scientists question state plan that doubles sewer bills at Puget Sound treatment plants

This is the best and most detailed reporting I have seen on this topic.

Nowhere do I advocate for higher sewer bills.

 

Background

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Coupeville

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Oak Harbor

Oak Harbor City Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

More here:

Stormwater, Untreated Sewage and Puget Sound

Local Waters

Earth Day Progress Report

Local Waters And The Puget Sound Area Press

High Quality Water For Puget Sound? – Recreational Shellfish Harvesting CLOSED Year-Round

Signs

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

When Things Get Back To Normal

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

When is the last time all of Penn Cove was safe for recreational shellfish harvest?

Image above: 10/15/2021

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

 

Penn Cove

Coupeville – just west of Captain Thomas Coupe Park

“Clam, mussel, and oyster seasons CLOSED for harvest year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clam, mussel, and oyster seasons CLOSED for harvest year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Newspeople tend to avoid asking questions.

Our questions appear in bold type.

 

In the news:

August 10, 2021 South Whidbey Record

Oak Harbor absent from sewage treatment awards

“Facilities in Coupeville, Holmes Harbor and Langley were named as winners of the Department of Ecology’s Outstanding Wastewater Treatment Plant Award for 2020.”

The award is for 2020. Wondering why it was not reported on until August of 2021. 

Full compliance with water quality permits does not result in recreational shellfish that is safe for harvest?

View the Island County closed beach list here.

 

Oct 1st, 2021 site visit:

A sign remained posted at Coupeville and Monroe Landing warning of a sewage drain pipe.

Image above:

Coupeville

Image above:

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

 

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

Background here:

Make Sure Beaches Aren’t Closed Because of Biotoxins?

Local Waters And The Puget Sound Area Press

 

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

More here:

Stormwater, Untreated Sewage and Puget Sound

Local Waters

Earth Day Progress Report

Local Waters And The Puget Sound Area Press

High Quality Water For Puget Sound? – Recreational Shellfish Harvesting CLOSED Year-Round

Signs

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

When Things Get Back To Normal

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

Out this past week to get some clams. First time in many years. Last outings were in the Oak Bay area, where I had a couple favorite spots that were healthy and had an abundant crop of clams.

This past week-

Grays Harbor County

Washington Coast

Good Morning

Around Low Tide

I lived for several years in an area that featured year-round recreational shellfish closures due to sewage treatment outfalls.

Summer 2021 update:

The text “This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.” has been removed by WDFW for beaches at Coupeville, the north side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing and Oak Harbor.

In its place:

“Health status: Closed by Biotoxin and Pollution”

Sewage treatment plant outfall has been changed to pollution. Biotoxin is a seasonal status.

Several Island County beaches remain closed all year for recreational shellfish harvest.

A year-round closure seems significant, but the WA State Dept. of Health does not provide specific info on why each beach is closed. The word pollution is as close as we get to understanding what is going on.

View the closed beach list here.

The WA State Dept. of Health once made more of an effort to tell the story of why a beach was closed by posting red signs at the beach for all to see.

Earlier this year, a sign remained posted at Coupeville and Monroe Landing warning of a sewage drain pipe.

Image above:

Coupeville

Image above:

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

Are the two signs above still in place?

Why was the text changed on the WDFW pages?

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

Background and beach links here:

Make Sure Beaches Aren’t Closed Because of Biotoxins?

Local Waters And The Puget Sound Area Press

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

 

 

 

 

Photo at top of page:

Jefferson County clams

 

Got into an interesting disscussion here.

Discussion ended after I made the replies below, due to:

“You’re unable to view this Tweet because this account owner limits who can view their Tweets.”

I posted:

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Love to see newspeople asking questions.

What we get now is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.

Newspeople post this statement as is.

I was told something similar to: The press would be able to ask more questions if people paid for more newspaper subscriptions.

My response:

Has an agreement been made that the local press may not report on or ask questions on some stories?

I will provide a couple of examples below.

 

Not picking on local newspapers here. We are hearing they are the ones who need more funds from subscription and advertising sales, federal bailout cash, etc.

The stories below will not be covered by pubic radio, news radio, local TV news stations, etc. If I have this all wrong, please post in comments.

 

Living on an Island near Puget Sound, there seems to be great concern for salmon, orca, eagles, recreational shellfish and clean water.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

Maybe the press should be better about asking questions if they are going to line up for federal bailout cash.

 

Example Number One

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Coupeville

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Oak Harbor

Oak Harbor City Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

Daily status reports here:

Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Following the situation on our blog for several years now.

 

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Example Number Two

Port Angeles

Local people find drugs and report to local (not federal) law enforcement authorities. Federal employees create news story and say that federal agents used a K-9 to “seize” the drugs.

Question for CBP:

Why does the news story created by CBP not line up with local reports?

Mainstream newspeople remain silent.

News links and Sheriff’s Dept. Facebook post here:

Port Angeles Border Patrol – Investigation Stalled For 3 Weeks?

Original blog post:

Port Angeles Border Patrol Agents Seize Meth?

Question to newspeople everywhere:

The average person can follow these stories and ask questions, but the press is not able to unless they get more funding?

 

JFK speaks about the role of the press and voices of dissent in a free society:

 

Related:

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

Blaming Misinformation

Information Suppression

JFK – Voices of dissent and misinformation

FDA Approved

Blaming Misinformation

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

 

 

 

 

Photo-

A symbol of newspeople who fail to ask questions.

 

Image above: 6/23/2021

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

 

In the news:

June 22, 2021 Whidbey News-Times

Digging 4 Dinner Clamming classes planned

“When clamming, people should check online at doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety to make sure beaches aren’t closed because of biotoxins.”

Newspeople,

Are there any concerns or news updates Re: recreational shellfish harvest and Whidbey sewage treatment outfalls?

 

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Coupeville

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Oak Harbor

Oak Harbor City Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Living on an Island near Puget Sound, there seems to be great concern for salmon, orca, eagles, recreational shellfish and clean water.

Maybe the press should be better about asking questions if they are going to line up for federal bailout cash.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

 

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

More here:

Stormwater, Untreated Sewage and Puget Sound

Local Waters

Earth Day Progress Report

Local Waters And The Puget Sound Area Press

High Quality Water For Puget Sound? – Recreational Shellfish Harvesting CLOSED Year-Round

Signs

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

Image above: 4/22/2021

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Coupeville

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Oak Harbor

Oak Harbor City Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Living on an Island near Puget Sound, there seems to be great concern for salmon, orca, eagles, recreational shellfish and clean water.

Maybe the press should be better about asking questions if they are going to line up for federal bailout cash.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

 

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

More here:

Local Waters And The Puget Sound Area Press

Stormwater, Untreated Sewage and Puget Sound

Last year:

Whidbey Earth Day

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

Possibly of interest:

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

Updated daily: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Related:

Local Waters

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

More here:

Local Waters And The Puget Sound Area Press

Stormwater, Untreated Sewage and Puget Sound

Last year:

Whidbey Earth Day

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

Image above: This really nice sign is posted at the Coupeville Wharf. I took this photo on 4/2/2020.

Unfortunately, the waters immediately adjacent to this sign are impacted year-round due to a sewage treatment plant outfall.

Coupeville

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

Image above: 3/26/2021

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

More here:

Local Waters And The Puget Sound Area Press

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

Image above: 2/17/2021

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

In the news:

Feb 16, 2021 Whidbey News-Times

Small fish, big barriers: A county confronts climate change

“…workers are putting the finishing touches on Oak Harbor’s most expensive investment ever, a $150 million state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility. Mayor Robert Severns takes pride in the purity of the water that the plant releases into Puget Sound.”

“Our citizens are paying higher rates as a result of that. It saves shellfish and salmon,” he said.

 

Jan 22, 2021 Whidbey News-Times

Town mayor updates residents with annual address

This coming year is all about stormwater,” Hughes said.

“A big rainstorm in February 2020 sent “hundreds of gallons” of water rushing through the sewer plant.”

“The mayor shared that the wastewater treatment plant operators received an award from the Department of Ecology for outstanding performance.”

We always want to do as much as we can to protect the Cove,” Hughes said.

 

Oak Harbor

November 6, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

Sound Off | Negotiations with Navy over connecting to sewer have ceased

“This facility is built to last the next 50 years while putting high-quality water back into the Puget Sound.”

“The high cost of this facility comes from the Washington State Department of Ecology and its requirement regarding the removal of nutrients to stringent levels in order to protect endangered marine life in our Puget Sound.”

 

Oak Harbor City Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Penn Cove

Coupeville – just west of Captain Thomas Coupe Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Questions for newspeople:

Mayor Hughes,

Can you help us to understand how/why stormwater is routed to the facility that treats water from toilet flushing?

In both Anacortes and Oak Harbor, we are told that stormwater is separate from what is treated at the plant.

City of Anacortes:

Storm drains discharge directly into the surrounding waters, they do not lead to the wastewater treatment plant.”

City of Oak Harbor:

Storm Drain

This “surface” water is separate from that which enters the sanitary sewer and is treated by the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.”

 

Living on an Island near Puget Sound, there seems to be great concern for salmon, orca, eagles, recreational shellfish and clean water.

Maybe the press should be better about asking questions if they are going to line up for federal bailout cash.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

Related:

Signs

Stormwater, Untreated Sewage and Puget Sound

Anacortes – Stormwater is Rainwater

Various Versions of Hometown Pride

High Quality Water For Puget Sound? – Recreational Shellfish Harvesting CLOSED Year-Round

Not Climate Change

Whidbey Island Toilet Flush or Rain Water?

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

Whidbey Earth Day

When Things Get Back To Normal

 

The Press

Ready To Purchase A Subscription – Whidbey Water Quality

I will purchase a subscription to any Puget Sound area newspaper working to inform us on Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls.

Ready to Support Local News on Whidbey Island

Both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

 

Podcast 8 Senator Cantwell and the local press

The Press Is Weak – Newspaper Revenue Down Compared To 20 Years Ago

Press might need less bailout cash if it was more in the habit of asking questions

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

 

JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

 

Image taken on 2/3/2021

Click image to enlarge.

More about this sign here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

February 2, 2021 Lew Rockwell

America’s Trust in the Mainstream Media Hits an ALL-TIME LOW and “Journalists” Are Shocked

By Robert Wheeler

“But, there is some good news.”

“For the first time, most Americans do not trust the mainstream media”

 

Newspapers are suppressing online comment sections, getting away from asking questions related to public policy, and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales while lining up for federal bailout cash.

 

What I see in local papers:

Shaming and scolding alternative and social media while backing off from asking questions and reporting the news.

September 28, 2016 Whidbey News-Times

Social media a digital version of ‘telephone’ | In Our Opinion

Inaccurate or misleading information is still rampant in the community. Misinformation morphs until the original information becomes unrecognizable.

A journalist’s responsibility is to report facts, not rumors, not hearsay. We rely on official sources and verify information before it’s printed.”

“When there is an escalated news situation such as this weekend, readers must ask themselves, do they want minute-by-minute updates, likely rife with misinformation and unverified facts, or do they want clear, concise and accurate information? We hope it’s still the latter.”

Recommendation for local papers:

Try harder to report the news.

Be in the habit of asking questions.

People go to alternative media because the family friendly, hometown pride-oriented local small town papers and TV news folks have moved away from asking questions.

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local newspaper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

Various newspapers in the Puget Sound area have gone with this trend.

Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

 

Do they want minute-by-minute updates?

A journalist’s responsibility is to report facts, not rumors, not hearsay. We rely on official sources and verify information before it’s printed.”

Here are some examples of local stories unrelated to minute-by-minute updates.

Plenty of time here for the local paper to dig in & ask questions:

Image above: 1/23/2021

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

Living on an Island near Puget Sound, there seems to be great concern for salmon, orca, eagles, recreational shellfish and clean water.

Underreported news stories are curious.

Maybe the press should be better about asking questions if they are going to line up for federal bailout cash.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

More here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

Ready To Purchase A Subscription – Whidbey Water Quality

I will purchase a subscription to any Puget Sound area newspaper working to inform us on Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls.

Ready to Support Local News on Whidbey Island

 

2014-

Island county to purchase new patrol boat to help with Puget Sound security:

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.”

Took a quick look on the web to see if there is a post 911 history of maritime “cross-border activity” on Whidbey & could not find anything. If anyone has info, please post in comments.

A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.

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?

Even one time?

Newspeople remain silent.

More here:

Whidbey Homeland Security Grant Money- Newspeople Remain Silent

 

Reporting the facts?

2016

“For the past couple of years, the Whidbey News-Times paid the insurance for the Veterans Day Parade, about $200, because it was a small way of saying thank you to the men and women who sacrificed so that we may have our liberties, including our Freedom of Speech.”

Were US troops sent to Vietnam so that Americans could be free to send letters to the editor?

Is there any case in which the US Armed Forces have been sent to distant lands on a mission to protect freedom of speech?

Is protecting freedom of speech even part of training scenarios?

As the decades of undeclared/unwon wars stack up (The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.) the greater the cultural urge to glorify people who do, or did time in uniform.

If there is an honest reason to send people away into decades of undeclared/unwon wars overseas let’s hear all about it.

Why do we pretend that the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization?

In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.

In terms of American rights and freedoms- The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.

 

Related:

Podcast 8 Senator Cantwell and the local press

The Press Is Weak – Newspaper Revenue Down Compared To 20 Years Ago

Press might need less bailout cash if it was more in the habit of asking questions

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

Maybe Get Away From The Bragging About Freedom?

Jet Noise Made Them Free?

Growing Up In The Cold War Era

 

Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs staff as local authorities prepare for the Super Bowl.

Security Theater

 

How Do The Troops Defend The Constitution?

Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.

 

The family friendly, hometown pride-oriented local small town papers and TV news folks are more welcome to do interviews related to public policy. Unfortunately, they seem to have moved away from asking questions.

Operating A Camera In A Public Place

 

JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

Image above: 1/23/2021

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

In the news:

Jan 22, 2021 Whidbey News-Times

Town mayor updates residents with annual address

This coming year is all about stormwater,” Hughes said.

“A big rainstorm in February 2020 sent “hundreds of gallons” of water rushing through the sewer plant.”

“The mayor shared that the wastewater treatment plant operators received an award from the Department of Ecology for outstanding performance.”

We always want to do as much as we can to protect the Cove,” Hughes said.

 

Oak Harbor

November 6, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

Sound Off | Negotiations with Navy over connecting to sewer have ceased

“This facility is built to last the next 50 years while putting high-quality water back into the Puget Sound.”

“The high cost of this facility comes from the Washington State Department of Ecology and its requirement regarding the removal of nutrients to stringent levels in order to protect endangered marine life in our Puget Sound.”

 

Oak Harbor City Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Penn Cove

Coupeville – just west of Captain Thomas Coupe Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Questions for newspeople:

Mayor Hughes,

Can you help us to understand how/why stormwater is routed to the facility that treats water from toilet flushing?

In both Anacortes and Oak Harbor, we are told that stormwater is separate from what is treated at the plant.

City of Anacortes:

Storm drains discharge directly into the surrounding waters, they do not lead to the wastewater treatment plant.”

City of Oak Harbor:

Storm Drain

This “surface” water is separate from that which enters the sanitary sewer and is treated by the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.”

 

Living on an Island near Puget Sound, there seems to be great concern for salmon, orca, eagles, recreational shellfish and clean water.

Underreported news stories are curious.

Maybe the press should be better about asking questions if they are going to line up for federal bailout cash.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

 

We are told that stewardship is a priority:

Sign below educates the public on local waters.

Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area

Has there ever been a news story to inform the public on the Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area?

Looks like a significant area.

Image above:

I found this sign posted on 4/2/2020 at the west end of Penn Cove. The sign has been there long enough to become faded from the weather.

WDFW has posted this permanent sign showing a dark shaded area in the eastern part of Penn Cove. The dark shaded area indicates a location that is unsafe for clam & oyster harvest.

Interesting that the part of the cove farthest from open waters is the part where the water is cleaner.

This sign remains in place even during the driest months of the year.

Image above:

Coupeville

Another Month With An R at Captain Thomas Coupe Park – Site Visit

Love to see newspeople provide updated reporting on this:

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

Image above:

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

Site Visit – Another Month With An R at Monroe Landing

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

Is the sewage treatment plant sending unsafe product into Penn Cove?

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

Coupeville site visit 4/2/2020:

Back in 2017, Island County Public Health posted a sign at the Coupeville Wharf about restrictions on recreational shellfish harvesting.

Why no warning sign on 4/2/2020?

Image above: Sign posted at Coupeville Wharf on 4/2/2020.

Unfortunately, the waters immediately adjacent to this sign are impacted year-round due to a sewage treatment plant outfall.

Coupeville

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

Related:

Stormwater, Untreated Sewage and Puget Sound

Anacortes – Stormwater is Rainwater

Various Versions of Hometown Pride

High Quality Water For Puget Sound? – Recreational Shellfish Harvesting CLOSED Year-Round

Not Climate Change

Whidbey Island Toilet Flush or Rain Water?

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

Whidbey Earth Day

When Things Get Back To Normal

 

The Press

Ready To Purchase A Subscription – Whidbey Water Quality

I will purchase a subscription to any Puget Sound area newspaper working to inform us on Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls.

Ready to Support Local News on Whidbey Island

Both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

 

Podcast 8 Senator Cantwell and the local press

The Press Is Weak – Newspaper Revenue Down Compared To 20 Years Ago

Press might need less bailout cash if it was more in the habit of asking questions

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

 

JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

Bainbridge Island

Jan 4, 2020, Kitsap Sun

250,000 gallons of effluent flows into Puget Sound from Bainbridge Island treatment plant

“About 250,000 gallons of partially treated effluent was sent into Puget Sound from Bainbridge Island’s wastewater treatment plant over the weekend after heavy rainfall temporarily overwhelmed the facility’s capacity.”

“The overflow is the second such dump into the Eagle Harbor vicinity in about a week’s time.”

The city said that between 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, the partially treated water was sent out through the facility’s outfall to Puget Sound east of Wing Point after heavy rains “exceeded the plant’s capability to fully treat the wastewater.”

Ready to purchase a subscription to any Puget Sound area newspaper that will show initiative and curiosity in asking questions.

“City staff stopped the discharge by reconfiguring the plant to increase capacity,” the city said in a news release. “An on-call staff technician became aware of the incident through an alarm on the system.”

Should alarm threshold be set to allow preventive action to take place before a spill occurs?

Was this weather event predicted?

 

On Twitter:

Kitsap Sun,

Can you help us to understand how/why stormwater is routed to the facility that treats water from toilet flushing?

In both Anacortes and Oak Harbor, we are told that stormwater is separate from what is treated at the plant.

 

Answer from Ecology – Northwest Region:

Most sanitary sewers are separate from stormwater drains. But, in heavy rains, “infiltration” can add flow to sanitary mains. This can be thru joints in mains, or older side sewers that include roof gutter runoff. 1/2

It looks like spending on a new and modern treatment plant may not eliminate weak links if stormwater somehow finds a way to enter the lines that move toilet flush water to the treatment facility.

September 25, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

Sewage plant continues to be money suck

“The City of Oak Harbor will need to sink hundreds of thousands of dollars more into its $150-million sewage treatment plant after a rainstorm and regular use exposed design issues.”

Heavy rainfall exceeded the capacity of the city’s treatment plant. A manhole cover exploded and water flooded several homes and about a million gallons of untreated sewage was dumped into Puget Sound.”

 

City of Anacortes:

Storm drains discharge directly into the surrounding waters, they do not lead to the wastewater treatment plant.”

City of Oak Harbor:

Storm Drain

This “surface” water is separate from that which enters the sanitary sewer and is treated by the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.”

City of Bainbridge Island:

Not seeing stormwater routed to the treatment facility here:

Stormwater Management Program

 

Port Angeles

January 3, 2021 Peninsula Daily News

Port Angeles sewage overflow under scrutiny

“The state Department of Ecology is reviewing the city’s Dec. 21 rainfall-swollen overflow of 1.5 million gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater runoff into Port Angeles Harbor.”

“The deluge, which overloaded the city’s 4-year-old, $46 million combined sewer overflow (CSO) system and inundated the region, appears to have “overwhelmed the system as it was designed,” Steve Ogle, Ecology’s lead engineer for municipal operations for the southwest office, said Wednesday.”

“It was Port Angeles’ second combined sewer overflow in 2020; the first two since the costliest public works project in the city’s history was completed in 2016.”

 

Over on Whidbey Island

Image above: 1/6/2021

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Oak Harbor

November 6, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

Sound Off | Negotiations with Navy over connecting to sewer have ceased

“This facility is built to last the next 50 years while putting high-quality water back into the Puget Sound.”

“The high cost of this facility comes from the Washington State Department of Ecology and its requirement regarding the removal of nutrients to stringent levels in order to protect endangered marine life in our Puget Sound.”

 

Oak Harbor City Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Over at Penn Cove – Please see image above

Coupeville – just west of Captain Thomas Coupe Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Living on an Island near Puget Sound, there seems to be great concern for salmon, orca, eagles, recreational shellfish and clean water.

Underreported news stories are curious.

Maybe the press should be better about asking questions if they are going to line up for federal bailout cash.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

 

We are told that stewardship is a priority:

Sign below educates the public on local waters.

Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area

Has there ever been a news story to inform the public on the Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area?

Looks like a significant area.

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

Related:

Anacortes – Stormwater is Rainwater

Various Versions of Hometown Pride

High Quality Water For Puget Sound? – Recreational Shellfish Harvesting CLOSED Year-Round

Podcast 8 Senator Cantwell and the local press

The Press Is Weak – Newspaper Revenue Down Compared To 20 Years Ago

Not Climate Change

Anacortes – Stormwater is Rainwater

Whidbey Island Toilet Flush or Rain Water?

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

Whidbey Earth Day

When Things Get Back To Normal

Ready To Purchase A Subscription – Whidbey Water Quality

I will purchase a subscription to any Puget Sound area newspaper working to inform us on Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls.

Ready to Support Local News on Whidbey Island

Both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

 

 

Image at top of page:

City of Anacortes, WA

Storm drains on the street are marked with reminders to keep pollutants out of the salt water.

The City of Anacortes, WA has prepared an explanation of their Storm Drainage System.

View it here.

 

Image above: 12/21/2020

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

 

In the news:

December 18, 2020 Peninsula Daily News

BC begins treating sewage before releasing it into Strait

I was wondering why the water looked so clean in front of my house on Bainbridge [Island],” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee was quoted by Canadian news sources as saying during a video call with B.C. Premier John Horgan.

I grew up in Port Angeles, right across the water from Victoria,” said Congressman Derek Kilmer. “So it’s been concerning to me to know that Canada has been sending raw sewage right into our shared waters for years.

“That’s why I’ve worked with our Canadian partners to encourage them to find a solution to this problem. The opening of this new wastewater treatment plant at McLoughlin Point is good news — and will help protect our waters and our marine environment for years to come.”

 

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Oak Harbor

November 6, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

Sound Off | Negotiations with Navy over connecting to sewer have ceased

“This facility is built to last the next 50 years while putting high-quality water back into the Puget Sound.”

“The high cost of this facility comes from the Washington State Department of Ecology and its requirement regarding the removal of nutrients to stringent levels in order to protect endangered marine life in our Puget Sound.”

 

Oak Harbor City Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Over at Penn Cove – Please see image at top of page

Coupeville – just west of Captain Thomas Coupe Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Living on an Island near Puget Sound, there seems to be great concern for salmon, orca, eagles, recreational shellfish and clean water.

Underreported news stories are curious.

Maybe the press should be better about asking questions if they are going to line up for federal bailout cash.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

 

We are told that stewardship is a priority:

Sign below educates the public on local waters.

Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area

Has there ever been a news story to inform the public on the Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area?

Looks like a significant area.

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

Related:

High Quality Water For Puget Sound? – Recreational Shellfish Harvesting CLOSED Year-Round

Podcast 8 Senator Cantwell and the local press

The Press Is Weak – Newspaper Revenue Down Compared To 20 Years Ago

Not Climate Change

Anacortes – Stormwater is Rainwater

Whidbey Island Toilet Flush or Rain Water?

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Green colors show safe places for recreational shellfish

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

Whidbey Earth Day

When Things Get Back To Normal

Ready To Purchase A Subscription – Whidbey Water Quality

I will purchase a subscription to any Puget Sound area newspaper working to inform us on Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls.

Ready to Support Local News on Whidbey Island

Both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Oak Harbor

November 6, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

Sound Off | Negotiations with Navy over connecting to sewer have ceased

“This facility is built to last the next 50 years while putting high-quality water back into the Puget Sound.”

“The high cost of this facility comes from the Washington State Department of Ecology and its requirement regarding the removal of nutrients to stringent levels in order to protect endangered marine life in our Puget Sound.”

 

Image above: 11/09/2020

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

 

Oak Harbor City Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“Washington Department of Health (DOH) cautions that clams, oysters, and mussels from this beach are not fit for human consumption at any time.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Over at Penn Cove

Image above: 11/09/2020

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

 

Coupeville – just west of Captain Thomas Coupe Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Living on an Island near Puget Sound, there seems to be great concern for salmon, orca, eagles, recreational shellfish and clean water.

Underreported news stories are curious.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

 

We are told that stewardship is a priority:

Sign below educates the public on local waters.

Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area

Has there ever been a news story to inform the public on the Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area?

Looks like a significant area.

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

Related:

Podcast 8 Senator Cantwell and the local press

The Press Is Weak – Newspaper Revenue Down Compared To 20 Years Ago

Not Climate Change

Anacortes – Stormwater is Rainwater

Whidbey Island Toilet Flush or Rain Water?

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Green colors show safe places for recreational shellfish

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

Whidbey Earth Day

When Things Get Back To Normal

Ready To Purchase A Subscription – Whidbey Water Quality

I will purchase a subscription to any Puget Sound area newspaper working to inform us on Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls.

Ready to Support Local News on Whidbey Island

Both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

Senator Cantwell claims that local press is a policeman on the beat against misinformation

Local Trails:

Two Bluff Trails

 

October 28, 2020 The Seattle Times

Report released by Sen. Maria Cantwell slams Google and Facebook for decimating local news outlets

“Local journalism has been the policeman on the beat against misinformation,” Cantwell said in an interview Tuesday. “Keeping local news is too important to let these unfair market practices continue.”

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

Image above: 10/29/2020

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

 

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

 

Coupeville – just west of Captain Thomas Coupe Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

More here:

Not Climate Change

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

 

Zero Questions/Zero Curiosity from Newspeople

Local press:

“For the past couple of years, the Whidbey News-Times paid the insurance for the Veterans Day Parade, about $200, because it was a small way of saying thank you to the men and women who sacrificed so that we may have our liberties, including our Freedom of Speech.”

Were US troops sent to Vietnam so that Americans could be free to send letters to the editor?

Is there any case in which the US Armed Forces have been sent to distant lands on a mission to protect freedom of speech?

Is protecting freedom of speech even part of training scenarios?

Military Town – Hometown Pride

 

JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:

 

Newspeople need to step up their game.

The Press Is Weak – Newspaper Revenue Down Compared To 20 Years Ago

Journalism Needs Our Support Now, More Than Ever

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

Ready to Support Local News on Whidbey Island

WA Voting – Did the science say marijuana jobs were essential?

 

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

November 12, 2020 ABC 7 Chicago

Black Friday 2020: From Walmart to Best Buy here are the deals for holiday shopping

 

Nov 12, 2020 WCBD News 2

NATION & WORLD NEWS

Did you make Santa’s 2020 naughty or nice list? Check here

 

Nov 11, 2020 Fox 8 News Cleveland

Free Popeyes Chicken Sandwich? This is how you can get one

 

November 10, 2020 The Sun

Farmer Boys adds fried chicken sandwiches to menu

 

Oct 28, 2020 News 5 Cleveland

Hard seltzers for the holidays? Bud Light hopes so

 

Oct 22, 2020 Bellingham Herald

The much-maligned mullet is back. And there’s a national contest to find the best one

 

Oct 28, 2020 Fox News

Wendy’s is giving away new chicken sandwich for free for 2 weeks

Wendy’s just released its new ‘Classic Chicken Sandwich’ last week

 

Oct. 30, 2020 KBTX News 3

McDonald’s to bring back the McRib nationwide

 

Giant grocery chain update:

Oct 30, 2020 WKRN

LOCAL NEWS

Kroger releases list of top-selling Halloween candy in Middle Tennessee

 

Looking for a story to report on update:

Oct 30, 2020 KUOW Public Radio

What are your plans for Election day–or the day after? Are you taking the day off work, getting out of town? And would you be willing to share your story with KUOW? Let us know and a KUOW reporter will get in touch.”

 

Senator Cantwell is concerned for local news organizations:

October 28, 2020 Seattle P-I

Senator Cantwell calls out big tech companies for hurting local news organizations

The report predicts that local newspaper revenue will be down 70% by the end of the year compared to what it was 20 years ago.”

“Broadcasting is facing similar losses, with advertising revenues down more than 40% in the past two decades.”

 

News Tip/Story Idea:

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

Image above: 10/29/2020

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

Coupeville – just west of Captain Thomas Coupe Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

More here:

Not Climate Change

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

 

Related:

The Press Is Weak – Newspaper Revenue Down Compared To 20 Years Ago

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

Growing Up In The Cold War Era

Dystopian Leanings

 

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

 

 

 

 

Photo-

Our buyers inspect and select only the leanest cuts of meat for the grill-

 

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Image above: 9/30/2020

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

 

Underreported news stories are curious.

Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?

Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?

 

Coupeville – just west of Captain Thomas Coupe Park

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

We are told that stewardship is a priority:

Sign below educates the public on local waters.

Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area

Has there ever been a news story to inform the public on the Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area?

Looks like a significant area.

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

Related:

Anacortes – Stormwater is Rainwater

Whidbey Island Toilet Flush or Rain Water?

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Green colors show safe places for recreational shellfish

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

Whidbey Earth Day

When Things Get Back To Normal

Ready To Purchase A Subscription – Whidbey Water Quality

I will purchase a subscription to any Puget Sound area newspaper working to inform us on Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls.

Ready to Support Local News on Whidbey Island

It looks like both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Two images above:

City of Anacortes, WA

Storm drains on the street are marked with reminders to keep pollutants out of the salt water.

The City of Anacortes, WA has prepared an explanation of their Storm Drainage System.

View it here.

 

Oak Harbor, WA

Storm Drain

This “surface” water is separate from that which enters the sanitary sewer and is treated by the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.”

 

Big rains arrive in Oak Harbor

Two local news articles describe the impact of big rains back in February of 2020. The most recent article describes potential upgrades to the sewage treatment plant to prepare for a similar event in the future.

The recent article also describes an Oak Harbor manhole cover that was shot into the air: Heavy rainfall exceeded the capacity of the city’s treatment plant. A manhole cover exploded and water flooded several homes and about a million gallons of untreated sewage was dumped into Puget Sound.”

We have some questions for the press on Whidbey Island.

Oak Harbor

How does a big rainstorm blow a manhole cover into the air and allow sewage to pour out onto a city street if the storm drains are separate from lines that are routed from toilets to the treatment plant?

How does a big rainstorm allow sewage to be dumped into the city’s harbor because the new treatment plant can’t keep up with a huge increase in the flow if the storm drains are separate from lines that are routed from toilets to the treatment plant?

How is adding more membrane filtration units at the plant going to help with big rains if the storm drains are separate from lines that are routed from toilets to the treatment plant?

Penn Cove

In Central Whidbey, about 25,000 gallons of “fine solids” from a sewage treatment plant spilled into Penn Cove due to flooding.”

In the Penn Cove area, are storm drains separate from lines that are routed from toilets to the treatment plant?

 

Daily Penn Cove status reports from WDFW:

Coupeville – just west of Captain Thomas Coupe Park

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing

“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

Source: WDFW

 

Both news articles here:

February 7, 2020 South Whidbey Record

Excess rain causes sewage discharges on Whidbey

 

September 25, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

Sewage plant continues to be money suck

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

Related:

Whidbey Island Toilet Flush or Rain Water?

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Green colors show safe places for recreational shellfish

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

Whidbey Earth Day

When Things Get Back To Normal

Ready To Purchase A Subscription – Whidbey Water Quality

I will purchase a subscription to any Puget Sound area newspaper working to inform us on Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls.

Ready to Support Local News on Whidbey Island

It looks like both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

Image above: 9/26/2020

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

Click image to enlarge.

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

September 25, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

Sewage plant continues to be money suck

“The City of Oak Harbor will need to sink hundreds of thousands of dollars more into its $150-million sewage treatment plant after a rainstorm and regular use exposed design issues.”

“One proposed fix is to prevent another overflow event like the one that happened in early February of this year. Heavy rainfall exceeded the capacity of the city’s treatment plant. A manhole cover exploded and water flooded several homes and about a million gallons of untreated sewage was dumped into Puget Sound.”

“To avoid a repeat of the incident in the future, staff recommended the city buy more membrane units to increase capacity. The plant is a membrane bioreactor that uses submerged membrane units for advanced filtration. The extra membranes would cost more than $550,000.”

“Asked why the capacity wasn’t already built into the design, Arvidson again reiterated that February’s rainstorm was unexpected.”

 

How is adding more membrane filtration units at the plant going to prevent rainwater from getting into the sewage lines through cross connections between sewer and stormwater pipes?

Is rainwater getting into toilet flushing/sewage lines?

Is product from toilet flushing getting into lines that remove stormwater runoff from city streets?

 

February 7, 2020 South Whidbey Record

Excess rain causes sewage discharges on Whidbey

Oak Harbor

A manhole cover shot into the air and sewage poured out onto a city street in Oak Harbor Wednesday night. Untreated sewage is being pumped into the city’s harbor because the new treatment plant can’t keep up with a huge increase in the flow.”

Penn Cove

In Central Whidbey, about 25,000 gallons of “fine solids” from a sewage treatment plant spilled into Penn Cove due to flooding.

 

“Oak Harbor declared an emergency water use restriction Thursday for commercial and residential water users in hopes of reducing the amount of water going to the sewage treatment plant.”

The Washington State Department of Health closed shellfish harvesting in the area.”

It’s closed all 12 months of the year guys. That’s the point of this blog.

“Bridges said rainwater is likely getting into the sewage lines through cross connections between sewer and stormwater pipes — which is a byproduct of days gone by when the two systems were connected — and through cracks in pipes.”

“…a surge in a sewage trunk line caused a manhole to shoot in the air on Ely Street at about 10 p.m. Wednesday.”

 

City of Anacortes, WA

Storm drains on the street are marked with reminders to keep pollutants out of the salt water:

In Coupeville and Oak Harbor, do storm drains route to the sewer treatment plant or do they route to the salt water?

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

Related:

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Green colors show safe places for recreational shellfish

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

Whidbey Earth Day

When Things Get Back To Normal

Ready To Purchase A Subscription – Whidbey Water Quality

I will purchase a subscription to any Puget Sound area newspaper working to inform us on Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls.

Ready to Support Local News on Whidbey Island

It looks like both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

In the news:

August 18, 2020 South Whidbey Record

West Whidbey, Deception Pass closed to shellfish harvesting because of biotoxins

This article does not link to the Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map.

This article makes no mention of checking for green colors on the Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map, before heading out for a legal limit of clams and oysters. We talk about that here.

Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

Image above: 8/19/2020

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

Coupeville site visit 4/2/2020:

Back in 2017, Island County Public Health posted a sign at the Coupeville Wharf about restrictions on recreational shellfish harvesting.

Why no warning sign on 4/2/2020?

Three reasons why it looks like a warning sign should still be posted:

1  On 4/2/2020 the Washington State Department of Health tells us that this is not a safe location for recreational shellfish harvest: Shellfish Safety Map

Image above: April 2nd, 2020

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

2  WDFW tells us that this is not a safe location for recreational shellfish harvest:

This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”

3  The sign posted at the west end of Penn Cove by WDFW tells us that this is not a safe location for recreational shellfish harvest.

 

March 13, 2020 Whidbey News-Times

4th grade students publish book on Salish Sea

“Invisible Pollution in the Salish Sea”

School teachers,

Are you teaching your students to look for green colors on the Recreational Shellfish Safety Map?

 

Related:

Green colors show safe places for recreational shellfish

4 Stories The Puget Sound Press Will Not Question Or Report On

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

Whidbey Earth Day

When Things Get Back To Normal

Ready To Purchase A Subscription – Whidbey Water Quality

I will purchase a subscription to any Puget Sound area newspaper working to inform us on Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls.

Ready to Support Local News on Whidbey Island

It looks like both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

 

 

 

 

Image at top of page:

8/19/2020

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

# 1 The Drug War

Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.

Are newspeople forbidden to ask questions related to Homeland Security funding and performance?

What We Have Now

A $49.8 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security that fails to keep cartel product from showing up all over the US.

Billions of dollars spent every 12 months to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things.

Newspeople ask zero questions in this area.

The press release style of news reporting means that a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.

Newspeople post this statement as is.

A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.

 

DEA’s drug threat report: Mexican cartel flooding Northwest with fentanyl

Source: March 2, 2021 KTVZ

 

Another DEA Press Release – Zero Questions From Newspeople

 

Love to see newspeople schedule an interview with the US Dept. of Homeland Security & ask:

Are passports/enhanced/Real IDs effective in keeping cartel-sourced product out of the US?

Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009.

 

Nov 19, 2021 KONP Port Angeles

CLALLAM TRACKING TO LARGEST YEARLY OVERDOSE DEATH RATE

Have opioid lawsuits played any role in improving the situation?

How do cartels react to opioid lawsuits?

Zero questions from newspeople.

 

After squandering DOD credibility for decades in distant lands, a new WWII style uniform look and a pledge to clobber the cartels:

April 1, 2020 C-SPAN

Have General Milley’s efforts reduced access to cartel product anywhere in the US?

Has there been enough time for newspeople to ask questions?

Newspeople remain silent.

 

Port Angeles

Local people find drugs and report to local (not federal) law enforcement authorities. Federal employees create news story and say that federal agents used a K-9 to “seize” the drugs.

Question for CBP:

Why does the news story created by CBP not line up with local reports?

Mainstream newspeople remain silent.

News links and Sheriff’s Dept. Facebook post here:

Port Angeles Border Patrol – Investigation Stalled For 3 Weeks?

Original blog post:

Port Angeles Border Patrol Agents Seize Meth?

 

Is Port Angeles CBP staffing and infrastructure at all relevant in keeping heroin and meth from entering the Puget Sound area?

Has Port Angeles CBP been able to intercept any inbound meth or heroin?

Even one time?

Newspeople remain silent.

Local meth news stories here.

Local heroin news stories here.

Port Angeles CBP Staffing and Infrastructure

Port Angeles Border Patrol Agents Seize Meth?

 

What role do 1,200-horsepower Border Patrol Interceptor boats play in keeping heroin away from Port Angeles?

 

Are fraudulent overtime claims still the norm at Port Angeles?

Border Patrol whistleblower pays price for refusing overtime pay

Has Port Angeles CBP been able to intercept any inbound meth or heroin?

Even one time?

Port Angeles – Post 911 CBP Spending Spree

 

# 2 Enhanced background checks required for guns since 2014

Puget Sound area shootings roll on.

Will the press ever do a follow up on the enhanced background check requirements that have been in place for years now?

WA voters approved enhanced background checks back in 2014.

The new requirements have had time to take hold.

Did the new requirements reduce gun crimes?

Has there been time for newspeople to ask questions?

Washington Universal Background Checks for Gun Purchases, Initiative 594 (2014)

“Furthermore, the initiative rendered it illegal to hand off a firearm to people outside a person’s immediate family, though exceptions were mentioned, including situations in which people are at a shooting range or hunting.”

Newspeople Show Little Curiosity Unless It’s A Sports Story

 

# 3 Several Whidbey beaches remain closed all year long for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.

Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.

Reporting on this topic appears to be completely off limits to the press.

Local Waters And The Puget Sound Area Press

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

Image above: 7/15/2020

Source: Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map

View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.

 

Distance learning idea:

Podcast 4 Another Month With An R – Whidbey Sewage Treatment Plant Outfalls

Whidbey Waters – Mixed Signals of Concern

 

A photo tour of Penn Cove here:

Wastewater Treatment Plant – Department of Ecology Award For Outstanding Performance

 

Related:

“…talking to officials at the Town of Coupeville…”

Whidbey Signs of Water Quality

Whidbey Earth Day

When Things Get Back To Normal

Ready To Purchase A Subscription – Whidbey Water Quality

 

# 4 An ongoing glorification of military service

Local press:

“For the past couple of years, the Whidbey News-Times paid the insurance for the Veterans Day Parade, about $200, because it was a small way of saying thank you to the men and women who sacrificed so that we may have our liberties, including our Freedom of Speech.”

Were US troops sent to Vietnam so that Americans could be free to send letters to the editor?

Is there any case in which the US Armed Forces have been sent to distant lands on a mission to protect freedom of speech?

Is protecting freedom of speech even part of training scenarios?

Military Town – Hometown Pride

 

September 27, 2019 Whidbey News-Times

Sound Off: Freedom doesn’t come free, and it’s sometimes noisy

“…the men and women of the armed forces guarantee our freedom…”

 

 

While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20. Can elected officials of any party or any member of the press help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?

 

1967

Did the Joint Chiefs of Staff send The Troops to safeguard American freedoms?

Was it the Viet Cong that set up laws in 16 US states to prohibit interracial marriage?

Jet Noise Made Them Free?

 

Congressman Derek Kilmer:

Wars are for freedom and democracy.

 

Glorification of military service / total nonsense:

WA Secretary of State

Our right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces.”

If a right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?

Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if overseas military operations somehow secured voting rights?

If a right to vote is protected by the US Armed Forces, what becomes of that right when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?

Men Died For the Right to Vote?

Right To Vote Linked To Military Operations/US Troops in Distant Lands?

 

The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.

In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.

In terms of American rights and freedoms- The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.

 

Legal marijuana, concealed carry of handguns, semi automatic rifle sales, federal minimum drinking age, sports betting, voting rights, bump stock baninterracial marriage, gay marriage, tobacco sales, open container laws, etc.

None of these are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.

As the decades of undeclared/unwon wars stack up (The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.) the greater the cultural urge to glorify people who do, or did time in uniform.

If there is an honest reason to send people away into decades of undeclared/unwon wars overseas let’s hear all about it.

Just Be Honest.

Stop with the glorification of undeclared/unwon wars in distant lands.

Maybe Get Away From The Bragging About Freedom?

Growing Up In The Cold War Era

The US Armed Forces – A Giant Civil Rights Organization?

 

How Do The Troops Defend The Constitution?

Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.

 

JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:

 

Related:

Ready to Support Local News on Whidbey Island

It looks like both Whidbey papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.

I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.

Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.

Manage it, don’t ban it. Online comment sections

 

Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog

Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt

 

 

 

 

Photo-

Early winter morning- Point Wilson, Washington