By Tom Welch
What are we doing to our island and community? Are we going in the right direction, or is it time to take a breath and consider what we’re collectively up to here?
It seems to me that taking my trash to the dump is a fundamental part of island living, and something I’m sorry won’t be possible in the future. Instead, we’ll have giant garbage trucks rumbling up and down our narrow roads, and we’ll all get to pay a non-competitive fee for the ‘service’. We used to use ‘burn barrels’ and burn our trash, and more than a few disposed of theirs by the simple expedient of digging a hole. We moved beyond those methods some time ago, and disallowed both….but I suspect we’re headed there again. I know, we all voted on this matter, and that should have settled it. But I think we made a mistake, and we’ll come to regret closing the dump.
The county will work on Mt. Baker Road soon, widening, raising the roadway, leveling, straightening it out so vehicles can increase their speed. This is, from what I’ve read, a requirement of the Scenic Byways designation. This whole project seems like a giant boondoggle to me, frankly, and an almost complete waste of money. I know, it’s not our tax money, most came from a grant. Still, why do all this roadwork simply to increase speed for emergency vehicles? Won’t they still have to slow down rather dramatically to make the turn, rendering all that fuss about speed somewhat silly? Couldn’t this amount of money be spent on something better? We have a wonderful EMS crew and a terrific bunch of firemen, and their response times are simply amazing. Do we really need and want these changes to Mt. Baker Road? (I’m told by county officials that ‘that train has left the station’, which I guess means no point fussing about it, it’s a done deal. I still don’t like it.)
We want to save money by cancelling school bus service one day a week. Thankfully OIEF, a foundation, stepped up and raised the needed funds to continue five days a week of bus service. But what the heck are we doing here, anyway? What sort of community wants to cancel a necessary public service, school bus transportation for our children, and replace budgeted tax money with private foundation/donor funds? Isn’t bus service a fundamental part of educating our youth, particularly on an island where, not many generations ago, consolidated schools were impossible due to poor and dangerous roads? Did Howard Wilson drive that old school bus with canvas window shades and bench seats, bouncing and rattling all the way to Eastsound and back every day, for so many years just so we could decide bus service wasn’t ‘necessary’? He went through eight chainbrakes (basically a set of logging chains on a lever that he could release and throw under the rear wheels of the bus to slow or stop on dangerous hills) in a single year, never had an accident, and never harmed a child. A remarkable legacy, our tradition of school bus transport. While I respect the school board, and each member, the very idea of cancelling bus service seems ridiculous.
Many, if not most, of us came here for the sheer beauty of the island and the wonders of the Salish Sea. Orcas Island is a unique treasure of forested hills, towering mountains rising boldly from the sea, green fields rolling down to rocky, tree-lined shores….you know, all those superlatives that still don’t adequately describe this wonderful place. Vancouver’s logbook mentions Orcas, and the U.S. Exploring Expedition in 1841 positively gushed about our green hills with cascading waterfalls. Thousands have come and admired the natural beauty and incredible scenic vistas found at every turn on Orcas Island. But more and more of us seem to delight in transforming the island, cutting the trees, grading the hills, slashing roadways through terrain that took centuries to develop and mature. Why all the ‘terraforming’ of a pristine, natural landscape and ecology just to make it more valuable, or affordable, or convenient for a few? Have we all forgotten why we came here in the first place?
Orcas Island has long been known as the ‘Gem of the San Juans, and rightfully so. But I wonder if it isn’t time to reflect and consider, as we go about pursuing ‘progress’ and ‘value’, and as we change our island landscape and terrain in personal pursuits of one sort or another, whether it isn’t time to change our ways. Every slash, every bulldozed knoll, every tree fallen for a view or because it was ‘in the way’, are simply more rough ‘facets’ in this gem. Even the most rare and precious gem is ruined by cutting too many facets in it. If we continue in this manner, I fear we risk turning our beautiful Gem of the San Juans into just another rock.
Well, I see that I’m alone up here on this soapbox, so I’ll get off it. Thanks for listening!
Tom Welch is a Shaw Island native who now lives in Olga. He is the author of the book, Orcas Island.
Tom, you are most certainly not alone. Keep talking, stay visible about what you feel is right..it’s amazing how many others will come out of the woodwork in support after the first brave soul paves the way. Thanks for speaking on this – it may be the most important discussion on the island.
Although the emotional and sentimental part of me agrees with Tom Welch’s views about Orcas Island, I believe he ignores a simple truth – – a rough gemstone is of less value than one that has been expertly faceted by humans. The key here is that the faceting needs to be done by experts with objective calculation.
Just one example: taking trash and recyclables to the dump when gas was under 75 cents a gallon and global warming was unheard of is one thing; having every household make that trip when fuel is five dollars a gallon and each individual trip is known to contribute to greenhouse gases is uneconomically wasteful, polluting and foolish at this point in history. Emotionally satisfying, yes. Twenty-first century responsible, no.
Progress cannot and should not be stopped. It must be, however, expertly and objectively managed.
Orcas Island
No Tom, you are not alone on the soap box but probably for the very reasons most of the residents of our islands are here makes it hard to get an action group together. Or maybe we couldn’t or didn’t understand what we were voting for in the most recent election or the one before that or the one before that.
As for being out of step with the 21st century – well I would hope so and hope dearly that we stay that way. Or maybe the mess that is on the table so far in this century is OK. Well..not with me, it ain’t!
You’re not remotely alone, Tom. In the 12+ years we’ve been here, there has been some “mainlandization.” I can only imagine the changes you’ve seen.
We voted down a bad trash solution that presented an artificial dichotomy, but that does not give our elected folks the go ahead to come up with a worse alternative that just won’t work well everywhere. Many of us already have curbside pick-up, Nelson, but that’s not a good solution for everyone, or for large or unusual trash loads.
Wider roads are not the answer (but better walking paths are).
I’d guess that the school bus issue was an example of threatening what ecologists call a “charismatic mammal.” Surely the community wouldn’t let that cut go through! Disingenuous budgeting — making cuts that you’re pretty sure will be filled in by private philanthropy — is an unfortunate and unreliable way of doing business, and a poor substitute for responsible planning and having the power to make any necessary and…
… [That’s embarrassing — my rant runneth over the word limit!]
…and responsible cuts at any time during the year.
I think that we’re seeing is the difficulty of maintaining island culture and values while reflecting modern advancements and restrictions.
Make your voices heard. Understand what you’re voting for, and what your elected government is doing, and ask lots of questions!
I agree with much of what is said above. My epiphany occurred when I saw plans for “roadside hazard mitigation” to protect speeders and drunk drivers: eliminating trees, boulders, and other natural features that might get in the way of these drivers. Picture the rows of old trees along, say, Crow Valley Road, being cut down so that a drunk driver doesn’t hit them. Makes no sense to me. And if you love Mt. Baker road changes this summer, you will really like the proposal to straighten Orcas Road! As for most of this mayhem being funded by “grant” money, not tax money, the fact is that virtually all grant money IS tax money, albeit state or federal. We pay one way or the other.