Here’s a thought…
Letter to the Editor: Thanks for Family Literacy Month Help
Family Literacy Month We would like to thank everyone who helped make Family Literacy Month on Orcas a huge success. Because of your collaboration, more than 50 families participated in and benefited from fun educational
Letter to the Editor: Let Your Voice Be Heard on Bond Measure
You may already know that the school district plans to put a bond proposal on the February ballot. As of now, the bond proposal is currently estimated to cost about $25 million, with the funds
Editorial: Nitty-gritty Sustainability meets Orcas Island Government as School Bond Approaches
Disclosure: Margie Doyle, Orcas Issues Editor, is a part-time employee of the Orcas Island School District. All of the facts below are part of the public record. Big government is us. Every schoolteacher and employee,
Guest Opinion: Orcas Rec Needs a Swimming Santa
By Linda Sheridan Orcas Rec Coordinator As our last week of swimming lessons finish up it is my job to decide if Orcas Rec can afford to host another session of lessons. Although we have
Letter to the Editor: Thanks Santa! and your Missus!
We’d like to send a special thanks to Santa and Mrs. Claus for another wonderful holiday season! The two jolly friends visited the Children’s House Annual Holiday party on December 9 and made many children
President Obama's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
Ordinarily, OrcasIssues concentrates on local news, view and issues only.But it is rare and historic in our lifetime that an American President receives the Nobel Peace Prize, initiated by the Norwegian inventor of dyanmite. Here
Letter to the Editor: PTSA Book Fair/Reading Night Success
In these times of chronic state underfunding of our public schools, especially including our school libraries, we here on Orcas have yet another example of how fortunate we are to live in such a caring
Letter to the Editor: Land Bank Thanks Volunteers
To the Editor: On behalf of the Land Bank Commission I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who have helped to make this a year of accomplishment for the San
Guest Opinion: How to Recognize and Deal with an Influenza-like Illness (swine flu)
By John Manning Director of the San Juan County Department of Health and Community Services San Juan County school students have experienced a significant outbreak of influenza-like illness (ILI) this school year, quite likely due
Sad Day at Courthouse
From the San Juan County Prosecutor's Office The sudden death of Judge John Linde was felt hard at the San Juan County Prosecutor’s Office reported Prosecuting Attorney Randall K. Gaylord. “The legal community is small
Guest Opinion: Orcas Historical Society and Museum Seek Our Journey Stories
By Tom Welch, President Orcas Island Historical Society One hundred and sixty eight years ago, a journey was begun from the shores of Orcas Island that will finally be ‘completed’ on July 17th, 2010. That
Letter to the Editor: Education Foundation is Thankful for Success of Dinner
The Orcas Island Education Foundation wants to thank all who attended our 8th Annual Food for Thought dinner! Your generosity, and some after-event donations, helped bring the evening's net proceeds to $20,000. That is $20,000 that
Thanksgiving Poetry: A Brief for the Defense
A Brief for the Defense By Jack Gilbert Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere. If babies are not starving someplace, they are starving somewhere else. With flies in their nostrils But we enjoy our lives
Thanksgiving Poetry: The Gathering
The Gathering By Billy Collins Outside, the scene was right for the season, heavy gray clouds and just enough wind to blow down the last of the yellow leaves But the house was different that
Guest Opinion: No rational conclusion to CAO debate
By Walter Corbin After careful consideration of the CAO -- the Critical Areas Ordinance -- I have come to the conclusion that this has done nothing but polarized people and there will be no rational
