Here’s a thought…
Letter to the Editor: Best Available Science Process Flawed
Dear County Council, Administrator and Planning Staff, You are required to adopt Best Available Science (BAS) that is factual, substantive, local and relevant. We appreciate the actions Council and Staff are taking to avoid personal liability
Letter to the Editor: School Suspends “Pennies for Peace” Efforts
Dear students, families, Orcas Island Business Owners, and Community Members; In recent days the validity of author Greg Mortenson’s book Three Cups of Tea and the spending practices of the Pennies for Peace program have
Guest Column: Prepare for Landslide of Waste Resources
By Gulliver Rankin, Natural Home Builders Inc. To the County Council and Islanders Solid Waste - This I believe: I believe that taking full responsibility for our trash footprint is an essential part of a
Letter to the Editor: Thanks for Moran Park Cleanup
Thank you to the volunteers that came to Moran State Park for the Friends annual clean up. You worked hard and efficiently! At the end of the day with a few straggling volunteers still working
Letter to the Editor: Solid Waste Questions
The solid waste issue is being debated presently. Apparently some options are being considered by our council members. The option that entails keeping facilities open on three islands and includes additional funding through property taxes
Guest Column: Our State Legislators on Ferry Legislation
By Sen. Kevin Ranker, Rep. Jeff Morris, Rep. Kristine Lytton for the 40th Legislative District As lawmakers from a district that’s nearly equal parts land and water, we understand firsthand the vital lifelines that are
Letter to the Editor: Past connects with Present
For all those who participated in the recent History Lives Here Historic Lodgings tour, both volunteers and tour-goers alike, you know what we mean by "from past to present." The sun came out at The
Letter to the Editor: Third Option on the Ballot Regarding Solid Waste?
At the town hall meeting on February 24, County Council members Richard Fralick and Patty Miller offered us two options for solid waste to be put on November’s ballot: close the solid waste facilities and
Ranker Reports from the Legislature
Dear neighbors, As we enter the 11th week of the 2011 legislative session, we find ourselves in a more troubling position than where we began. While we have been working hard for months on budget
Letter to the Editor: Kaleidoscope Could Use Your Help
Hello All, As you may know, Kaleidoscope Preschool & Child Care Center’s expansion project is well underway!! We have had much community support to get as far as we have with an especially huge commitment
Letter to the Editor: Is Ranker’s Gift to Shoreline Homeowners (SB 5451) a Trojan Horse?
Earlier this month, State Sen. Kevin Ranker issued a press release extolling the virtues of his proposed legislation affecting waterfront property owners whose properties are or will be deemed “nonconforming.” The Common Sense Alliance (CSA)
Editorial Column: Being Wise in Times of Fear
I was brought up attending Catholic schools during the Cold War, fearing worldwide nuclear war and radioactivity, and came of age just as the birth control pill and the Army draft were playing a huge
Letter to the Editor: Charlie Binford Thanks Emergency Medics
In the fifteen years we have had our B&B in Deer Harbor, one of the most oft asked questions has been “where do I get medical treatment if I need it while on Orcas?” I
Guest Column: So Just How Does Our Government Spend Our Money?
By Jeff Struthers There is a great furor brewing in the other Washington about government spending, the deficit, and what to do about it. What's new is the intensity of the debate and the scope
Guest Opinion: Public Works Fails to Deal with Recycling Solutions
By Frank Penwell President, Citizens Alliance for Property Rights (CAPR) Dear County Council, The County's management and financial issues, regarding Solid Waste and recycling, are in need of help. I offer the following thoughts for
