Here’s a thought…
“Volunteering is at the very core of being a human. No one has made it through life without someone else’s help.”
HEATHER FRENCH HENRY
Legislature Adjourns with a Solid Budget, Action on Key Priorities
-- from Jaime Smith, Governor Inslee's Office -- Gov. Jay Inslee lauded the completion of this year’s session which concluded with bipartisan passage of an historic transportation investment package and a new state operating budget that reinvests in Washington after years of deep cuts in education, health and human services,
Rick Larsen: Breaking Down Barriers, Building Up Opportunity
-- by Rep. Rick Larsen -- When I talk to people in Northwest Washington, I hear about a lot of different issues that matter to them. People want high quality education for their children, they want secure jobs and access to affordable health care, they want opportunities for their families.
Sheriff’s Report – July 1 – 7, 2015
-- from Robin DeLazerda -- July 1, 2015 15-003526 Found Property 18:56:52 07/01/15: An Orcas deputy was dispatched to the 10 block of Lavender Lane Eastsound in regards to an abandoned BMX bicycle. I went there and found the bicycle. No one was around to claim it. I took possession of the bicycle
Ferry Cancellations and Rescheduling
-- from Washington State Ferries -- UPDATE Saturday, July 11: 7:30 a.m.: The 8:05am departure from Friday Harbor to Anacortes is cancelled due to necessary repairs to the Elwha. The next departure from Friday Harbor to Anacortes is 11:00am. The Kitsap will replace the Elwha with the 9:35am departure from
Sen. Ranker Reflects on Special Session Education Challenges
-- from Aaron Wasser -- This afternoon [Thursday, July 9, 2015], after six months in Olympia, we finally finished our work… for now. I will provide a more detailed summary later of what got done this year and what did not, but I wanted to provide you with this outline
MacKaye Harbor Water District Special 3-day Candidate Filing Period
-- from San Juan County Elections Office -- On June 29th, the San Juan County Council adopted a resolution to call for an election for the formation of MacKaye Harbor Water District [Lopez Island] and to also call for a special filing period for the election of three commissioners to
Young Local Musicians to Perform in Portugal
-- from Kristen Wilson -- Three young Orcas Island musicians – Paris Wilson (violin), Emy Carter (violin), and Lisa Carter (piano) – are part of a 13-piece youth orchestra from the Seattle-to-Bellingham area who will be performing at The Lisbon International Youth Music Festival in Lisbon, Portugal, this month. The
Larsen Votes Against Flawed Federal Education Bill
-- from the office of U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen -- Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, voted [July 8, 2015] against a Republican Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) bill, H.R. 5, that takes funding away from low-income schools and districts and lowers standards designed to improve outcomes for all students. While
Guest Column: Just How Clean are Electric Vehicles?
-- by Tom Owens -- Last month, I wrote an opinion piece in OrcasIssues that tried to describe the impact (CO2 production) of new electric loads (including EV’s) here in the San Juans. To understand this, we must know what type of fuel is used by the plant meeting the
State Funds Road Projects on Orcas
Stormwater and Public Works road funds for Prune Alley also receive state money -- by Margie Doyle -- Parked cars increase traffic danger on Orcas Road by the ferry landing In addition to the $1.4M granted to Orcas Island Public Library for its expansion project, the Washington State
State Senate Agrees on Student Testing Requirement
-- from the Office of Governor Jay Inslee -- Statement from Inslee on the Senate student testing agreement “Today’s [July 8, 2015] announcement from Senate leaders about an agreement on student testing is great news and allows the Legislature to move forward on wrapping up its work for this year.
Brown Bag Concert with Abreu-Hurwicz
Wednesday, July 15, 12-12:30 pm at Emmanuel Episcopal Church -- from Sharon Abreu -- For our Brown Bag Concert at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, we're sharing our glorious half-hour with good friend and excellent baritone Bill Felber. I'll be singing a duet with Bill, a solo (with Ron Myers on piano),
Ferry Runs Aground at Coupeville
-- from KOMO.com -- Dive teams work to repair the damaged M/V Kennewick ferry that ran aground on July 8, 2015. (Photo courtesy: Washington State Ferries) One of the state ferry system's newest vessels ran aground Wednesday morning while docking at Coupeville, shutting down all service on the
KindlingsFest 2015 – Joy: The Art of Living
-- from Meredith Griffith -- On July 21-24 Orcas Islanders are invited to attend KindlingsFest 2015, a celebration of art and ideas where they meet with the spiritual. The theme this year is "Joy: The Art of Living." “C.S. Lewis writes that ‘The serious business of heaven is joy,’ ”
Business Spotlight: Paul and Cathy Vierthaler Invent Paxis Backpacks
-- by Margie Doyle -- Paul and Cathy Vierthaler with the Paxis patented swing arm backpack Long-time islanders Paul and Cathy Vierthaler -- excavator, bookkeeper, entrepreneurs and business-builders and parents of two adult sons -- are avid day-hikers. One day on a hike, Paul expressed the recurring frustration
Deer Harbor Planning Review Committee Agenda
Wednesday, July 8 from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. at Deer Harbor Community Club --from Pamela Kyle -- 1. Chair call to Order 2. Minutes from previous meeting 3. Recognize public attendees and speakers 4. Old Business a. Fire station conference room usage - status W. Heinmiller b. Deer Harbor 5
