||| by Lin McNulty, Orcas Issues Editor |||
It is that incident, probably more than any other, that bonded me to the island. Not the traffic light itself, but the removal of the light because peaceful, rowdy islanders had seemingly forced the hand of the County. My kind of town!
We didn’t all fall in love with the same island.
Another endearing memory that I often recall with warmth was the width of the aisles at Templin’s Grocery Store — wide enough for only one shopping cart at a time. Ah! Those were the days. You should have been here!
We didn’t all fall in love with the same island.
The Library was in the building that now houses The Sounder (where the new Village Inn is expected to rise), and when the new Library was built, the old biography room became Christine Kenady’s law office where I worked until Chris moved her office to Madrona Street and Windermere moved in. There may have been other tenants in the building, but this is my story and, you know, I’m sticking to it.
Probably many of us refer to Orcas as “my island,” (or is it just me?) as we harbor our individual memories and experiences. Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, has been quoted as saying “change is the only constant in life.” And if nothing changed, what would happen to our memories; why would we even need to have them if nothing ever changed. What if I could live in the same Eastsound Village that existed on the day I moved here. What a drag!
When, and if, the Village Inn is up and running, many will come to visit and someone will fall in love with Orcas because of a bonding experience at that building. It will become a touchstone for somebody who will move here and lament the changes that will naturally follow.
We didn’t all fall in love with the same island. But underground parking?! Really!?!
Well said, Lin! Memories sorta help us celebrate change. I remember fondly the old toy store that used to be where Darvill’s coffee bar is now. Just today we had a guy come through our shop (next door to the Post Office), who told me that his parents used to operate a deli in this space. Next thing you know, I’ll see someone who fondly remembers being in the jail that used to be in this building, as well.
Lin, What you say is true. This place is still so special. But what have we lost and what have we yet to lose? I never experienced the time when people took salmon for granted and could not conceive that their abundance would ever be threatened -but there was such a time in our islands. I cannot conceive of taking orca whales for granted. But there was such a time. Since I arrived on Orcas Island in 2005, the sea birds have declined significantly. In the scope of Earth’s history, fifteen years is but a blink of the eye. In this pandemic time of human suffering, as we keep physically distant from other people, my connection to the natural world is more important to me than ever.
Ah, yes. That was a really good deli. Don’t recall the jail, tho.
We had our very first meal here in 2003 at Vern’s. Ah, yes. The smell of greasy carpets I will never forget, and their breakfasts were good – but the Barefoot Bandit was its demise. Whatever happened to him after his jail stint anyway? Christina’s was next door. We thought it would always be. Hmmm. Well, at least Ship Bay is still in the same place and just as good as the first time!! As you can see, we kinda measure our memories with restaurants that come and go, and go, and go…
“…We didn’t all fall in love with the same island. But underground parking?! Really!?!”
Well, Lin, if the seas continue to rise, maybe it’ll become underwater parking instead.
Now, that’d be a really Orcasian solution to the Eastsound street-parking problem.
In 1936 my father Joe bought a well-used log cabin in Bellingham and ferried it on a small barge over to Doe Bay, and dumped it on our beach. Mother Georgia Belle, after a difficult reassembly, said, “Now, this is how our island should look like! Someone find me my cast-iron griddle!” Two of her pet gulls, Sammy and Esmalitta, from the North Pea Pod Rock habitat, circled overhead,screaming for bait herring, which had been carefully jigged off of the rocks.
And remember when The Lower Tavern was our Medical Center? And Rutabaga was an old garage, now it’s Parnell’s office. Yet, I do think there needs to be an increased sensitivity to the land on which we live and recognition given to the Coast Salish who are also impacted by these changes to their traditional land.
Gretchen, when The Lower moved out of its lower location to move into the Medical Center, I think that was about the time that Night Heron moved into the older, lower Lower location, which is now Madrona with a couple of other things in there in between.
Thank you, Harry Patton – that was a wonderful bit of memory – I can picture it all. When i moved here in 1981, the “old timers” were already saying it’d been “ruined.” Most of what you see today didn’t exist. No Funhouse, Christian School, Lavender Hollow, Catholic Church, current Senior Center, Kingdom Hall or Crayola Cottages or any of the other mushrooming development the “boom” of ’89. “Town” had forests and a creek with a living breathing wetland teeming with amphibians, bats, birds, muskrats, ETC. Ospreys were everywhere; all you had to do was look up. You could see the stars in Eastsound! More people lived in town in those days; not just a few. The pace was lowkey. Winters were quiet, reflective, with many businesses including construction shut down for several months. Lots of potlucks, celebrations, sharing and helping each other. Low cost of living back then. Quality of life was so much better. I am so grateful to have lived here in those times, and for those who remember!
Eastsound View Investors, LLC
That ’bout says it all.
Oh Lin, you hit the nostalgia nerve….you knew what reactions you would elicit, with your well-written words and non-combative style. Thank you. You remind me to renew my determination to urge the Historical museum and/or the Senior Center host another series of “Remember When…” gatherings with panels of “old timers” or large families who have been here forever (Madans, Willises, Kimples, and more), or even those of you from the late 1900’s That is,when we can gather in person once more. Or maybe they could start sooner using Zoom. The problem with that is that we wouldn’t be able to see what shoes they are wearing….
p.s. I lived on Orcas in the 60’s, with a 40 year break before returning, to be here “forever”. The comments pushed my memory button…..maybe that’s what that brain function is there for….almost like a dream state, allowing one to be in a delicious, different reality…
The building was built/owned by Bud Russell and the Marketplace deli was Frank’s Deli, followed by Mai Lan’s restaurant. I remember both in the Office Cupboard location. Especially Mai Lan’s as I received a screw in my fried rice. Mai Lan was mortified and we figured out it was the screw from the wok lid handle and we laughed about it for years to come.
1981, arriving with my then 5 year old daughter, rented a house right away through Wally Sr. The clinic was where the Lower is, the lower was where Madrona is, the Post Office was where the Co-op is, Roses’s was the fire station, Mary’s World Famous was where Wendy’s house now is, the library was where the new horrific development is apparently going. Our house was just a house. And yes, people actually lived in the houses in town. So many changes over the years, and that is just in town!
Yes, but people lived here…they didn’t just make money here…
Thanks Lin. Perhaps the best read on this I’ve seen so far. Even the VW Thing has those that love it. Ugly is in the eye of the beholder. And parking that VW underground might just be the best place to view it.
The stop light red was one way, and slow down amber was on two sides. The light was installed by the owners of Darvill’s, Templins and the Porter Station BUILDING. As owners and tenants in Porter, at Christina’s, we could turn the stop/slow light on and off. One day at a Fourth of July parade, a deputy pointed to the light I had turned on and said ” I wonder how that happened”? I pointed out the wires that went to our building and the box that turned on and off the light. One night I turned it on to entertain a group of tourists who had eaten at Christina’s and were waiting for a Rosario Van. They were amused. Opalco used to change the light and we paid the power bill. When the county improved the corner of Main and North Beach Road the light came down. I retrieved from the county shop and used it our car port for a while to light the way for Christina’s classic Jaguar when she arrived home late from the restaurant. We donated it to the museum, and I hope you can see it there
I didn’t grow up on the island and only moved to it last year ( thanks Deborah Jones :). I did however spend a lot of my adulthood in Germany, Norway, Japan and basically anywhere the Army would send me. This magical island captures many of the best spots I’ve witnessed whilst moving about this globe of ours. From the general kindness of the people to natural beauty that can the rival peaks of the Matterhorn area in Switzerland. My neighbors are the best and have been extremely welcoming. Despite the madness that has seemed to gripped our great nation, that magical island that I am blessed to now call my home is very humbling. In summation, I wasn’t here to see it’s past glory but am able to be present to its future glory. I hope all of us to include myself feel blessed to live here and may it stay the way it is; an outdoor man’s/ women’s paradise surrounded by some very wonderful people. Thank you all for making me feel finally that I’ve found a home. John Cheatwood (MAJ, AN Ret.)
I love hearing about what used to be where, and find it somewhat reassuring that the island has survived the many changes that seemed so disruptive while there were in process. I hope we never have a traffic signal again.
I do miss the Pyewackit (sp) used bookstore that was near Rays Pharmacy and of course the great meals at Christinas restaurant.
This is reminding me of a funny Dilbert poster an engineering friend of mine had at Agilent Technologies in Palo Alto:
“Change is good. You go first”.
My family has been in Washington state since the late 1800’s and have seen many changes over time. In particular, Webster’s Cafe and Smokehouse in Ellensburg, WA that was established in 1909 by my great grandfather and was family owned by four generations. It is no longer around but the character of the old establishment is something that could never be captured without the passage of time, community interaction and memory. In contrast, ‘Shiny new’ always seems sterile and uninviting.
Thank you, Lin! Nobody’s mentioned the Bungalow, the restaurant that was where White Horse Pub is now. It was owned by a couple of retired schoolteachers when we arrived in the early 70’s. They surprised us one morning by turning off the lights and calling out, “Everybody duck down!” It turned out that a tour bus was just pulling down the hill into town – and they didn’t want to be bothered with all those orders for cups of tea! Their standard solution when business was good was to put up the Closed sign and turn off the lights! We cooperated, of course.
oh boy… back when… for me it was just before 2001 and I thought the Funhouse was a “pop-up” to celebrate Halloween
Since then Jim Bredouw, Pete Moe, Krista Bouchey grew it into an important community gathering place. hope future growth comes with the same heart, intelligence and consideration. Underground parking? not so much
And when we moved to Heartwood House, on Langell Lane, Wendy’s house, at the top of the hill, was Eby’s Tavern. And The Upper.
What about electricity, water, increased ferry service, paved roads, Internet, and a few other things that represent change? I suspect most islanders wouldn’t want to give them up despite the clamor for the “good old days.” Or, everyone could vote on what year they want to stop the clock and work to restore Orcas to exactly how it was in that particular year!
Conservatives want to conserve-to keep things how they are/were. Progressives embrace change and try to improve on what was/is. I prefer to think of the majority of Orcasians as belong to the later.
Neil, you have a point.
But when we wax nostalgic – and the story telling starts – it doesn’t necessarily mean we want to be transported back there. Sometimes it’s more that we don’t want the stories to be lost.
Progress does not necessarily mean ‘capitalist’ progress. Internet? Sure, Eastsound View Properties LLC, not so much. Attention must be paid, as the lady says, to distinctions within the realm of ;progress.” or we get run over by the beast.
OH LIN, Remember when!
When I was very young my adventures included walking from Templin’s to the post office (Suzuanne Lyon’s Gift Shop) across to the Bungalow where I would stand on a box and wash dishes with the Hurley boys and then back to the store. The Tavern orginated in Templin’s Store with the big moose head over the bar. After the store closed at 6 you could go to the Tavern and walk into the very dark store and get afew things. The joke was “I need to get milk for the baby” however there also seemed to a six pack of beer and a steak involved. Then for enterainment on the weekend Louis from Outlook had a statue outfront the Inn and that was what seemed to migrate around town when on Sunday morning in would be infront of the Tavern, on the deck at Bartwood and many other places as well as Bob Grass’s little aframe on wheels. They always managed to get back home somehow!
Maybe that’s the way you folks do it back in the big apple Neil… but not here. You might be happier staying where you are.
Lovely.
And weren’t there chained cuffs attached to the old house on Main St where the deputy could attach a ‘prisoner’ until he could be put on a ferry to the jail in Friday Harbor?