Here’s a thought…
Guest Column: Proposition 1 Gives Voters a Choice
by retired Orcas Council Member Patty Miller One thing the majority of us may have in common is that we are tired of the negativity in politics. I am tired of people digging to the
Guest Column: Former County Commissioners Reject Proposition 1
by Commissioner John Evans, Republican Senator Kevin Ranker, Democrat Last year, a majority of San Juan County’s citizens voted to make some important updates to our County Charter. Specifically, we voted to create a full
Letter to the Editor: Reject Proposition 1
False: "Proposition 1 is a small change in the Charter." True: This represents small change with enormous consequences effectively removing a prohibition on changing County Council districts by initiative. This restriction originally placed in the
Letter to the Editor: Orcas Fire & Rescue’s 2014 Budget Unrealistic
Based on expected revenues of $2,050,662 for 2014, the OIFR department has devised a budget of $1,712,441 which is an increase of $125,388. in expenditures from 2013. Despite the expenditures of huge amounts for capital
Letter to the Editor: Ghazel’s Years of Building Relationships Count
A heartfelt thank you to all of our public servants that make Orcas a safe and loving environment in which people of all ages can thrive. Our island village helped me raise my four children,
Letter to the Editor: Oppose Barcode Ballot Tracking
Imagine for a moment that former members of the CIA, FBI, and NSA created a product that could monitor and track all our votes. Any reason you'd feel uneasy about that? The Mail-In Ballot Tracker
Letter to the Editor: Ghazel’s Ability to Work with Others Invaluable
I encourage your support of Tony Ghazel for re-election to the Orcas Island School Board. During Tony’s time on the Board, he has helped lead our district from such an unstable and opaque financial situation that
Farm to Cafeteria Has Been Busy!
Tom Burg - salmon smoker extraordinaire by Madie Murray On Monday, the 21st, Tom Burg delivered almost 30 pounds of freshly smoked salmon to the school cafeteria for our school lunches! Are we
Letter to the Editor: Protect Charter & Vote No on Proposition 1
Vote NO on County Charter Proposition 1 This proposition was put forward last May in a last ditch effort by a disgruntled, lame duck, six-member County Council to change our current Charter. If approved, it
Letter to the Editor: Proposition One Threatens Deliberative Process
Currently, our charter requires an elected Charter Review Commission to make recommendations to the voters for any changes to Council districts and the number of Council members. Any recommendations from the Charter Review Commission are
Letter to the Editor: Ghazel Committed to Schools
I am voting for Tony Ghazel for School Board. Tony has served on our School Board with distinction for the past nine years. As a teacher at Orcas Island Elementary School, I have seen first-hand,
Letter to the Editor: Protect the Right to Vote County-Wide
Greater control by the people over County government is not what is really going on here. This effort is largely driven by ex-politicians and ex-Freeholders and their immediate supporters to enable the breakup of the
Letter to the Editor: Dehlendorf Questions Planning Commission Members
Open Letter to Mike Carlson, Tim Blanchard, and John Lackey: Please answer the three questions below regarding a specific CAO-related issue where you play simultaneous and conflicting roles as members of the San Juan
Letter to the Editor: Library Expansion Central to Our Well-Being
I am writing to express my appreciation for the many ways in which our library has contributed to the quality of life on Orcas, and to encourage the Orcas community to support the proposed library
Letter to the Editor: Ghazel Serves Community in Many Capacities
I’ve come to know Tony Ghazel for the past eleven years through our association at the Orcas Island Community Church. Our friendship was immediately sparked by mutual interests, backgrounds and concerns. As I became involved
