Here’s a thought…
“The competition between Nature and the economy is deep and broad.
In the short term, the economy usually wins. In the long term …?”
BILL APPEL
Recreational Fires Again OK in County
Steve Marler, County Fire Marshal Because of the change in weather, the Governor has modified the outdoor burn ban that was expected to last until Monday, October 15. As of 8:00 AM Saturday morning, recreational
Writing Effective Coal Terminal Scoping Letters
By Chom Graecen The Scoping Process for Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point is now in full swing. Yes, we Orcas and SJ residents, have concerns about the potential impacts of our surrounding waters becoming
Letter to the Editor: Citizen-Recommended Charter Refinements Lead to Accountable Gov’t
I urge all to vote "YES" and APPROVE the changes to the County Charter as recommended by the citizen-elected Charter Review Commission. I speak from experience. I have been personally involved with San Juan County
Open House for Leadership San Juan Islands Class
From Leadership San Juan Islands Leadership San Juan Islands (LSJI) is a county-wide program which fosters leadership skills such as facilitation, collaborative problem solving, and public speaking as well as the analysis of local systems
Ten Eye-opening Facts I Learned about Coal Shipping
It can't happen here? This is what the 1989 Exxon Valdez 11 million gallon crude oil spill looked like, transposed to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Salish Sea and Pacific coast. (Reprint use
Tickets Still Available for Historic Barns Tour
Schmidt Barn (by Ray McBride) will be part of the Orcas Island Historic Barns Tour this weekend. By Margot Shaw Tickets for the 2012 ‘History Lives Here’ Historic Barns Tour, sponsored by the
Letter to the Editor: Vote Yes to Ban GMOs
Dear Editor, This to express our support for San Juan County Initiative 2012-4, which would prohibit the growing of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in open systems such as agriculture and landscaping. Having worked in the
Unwrapping the School Library!
Four top sellers (In back row -- l to r: Sabrina Bailey and Madison Todd. Front row: Millie Kau and Jefferson Freeman) From Janet Brownell The Orcas Island Education Foundation (OIEF) is pleased
Letter to the Editor: Opposing Coal Terminal, Orcasians Join Conference
Somewhat by chance, last week I found myself participating in...actually, just listening in on...a conference call orchestrated by the outfit in Bellingham, SSA Marine, which will be building and operating the proposed coal export facility
Letter to the Editor: League of Women Voters in Opposition to Charter Schools Initiative
Vote No on I-1240, Creating a new Charter School System We need proven solutions for all children before unproven ideas for just a few. Here are a few reasons why I-1240 is not the solution.
OPALCO Broadband Study Update
As reported a month ago, OPALCO is on the home stretch in its year-long effort to explore the feasibility of expanding our existing fiber-optic network to create a telecommunications infrastructure that would serve San Juan
Guest Opinion: Legacies Left Behind and the Importance of Initiative 2012-4
By Ken Akopiantz Our generation inherited a world contaminated with PCBs. They were considered as safe as mineral oil and table salt. PCBs were used in hundreds of applications from insulating fluids, plasticizers in
Letter to the Editor: Examine Misleading Charter Proposition Claims
Dear Islanders, I have been reading some of the letters submitted in opposition to the Charter changes and find some of them misleading. For example, one reads that the county-wide voting recommended by the Charter
Letter to the Editor: Citizen Action Needed for Coal Export Project
Dear Editor, I am very pleased that San Juan County was granted a scoping hearing for the Gateway Pacific Terminal (GPT) – the proposed coal export facility outside of Bellingham at Cherry Point. The
Planned Power Outage on Orcas Oct. 11
From OPALCO A routine maintenance inspection showed a weak link in OPALCO’s Eastsound circuit. To make the necessary repairs, an outage is planned for the night of Thursday, October 11 beginning at 11 p.m. The
