Here’s a thought…
“The true civilization is where every man gives to every other every right that he claims for himself.”
ROBERT GREEN INGERSOLL
School board holds bond work session prior to regular board meeting on Thursday
The school board will hold a work session Thurs. Jan. 22 beginning at 3 p.m. to discuss whether to pursue a future bond issue. Public input is welcome. The work session will be followed by the Board's executive (private) session at 4:30. The regular January meeting, will convene at 5:30
Tidbits and factoids nourish community in service projects
The national Day of Service on Jan. 19 was a day of fun and camaraderie for those who joined in some of the projects happening on Orcas Island. About 25 volunteers of all ages showed up at the Orcas Island school to work in the garden just
Orcas Irthlingz and Obama honored at the Outlook
A happy crowd filled the Victorian Room at the Outlook Inn last night to celebrate both the inauguration of President Barack Obama and the recognition awarded Orcas resident Sharon Abreu and her environmental organization, Irthlingz, for submitting a National Strategy for Sustainability, which ranked in the Top Ten
Today's party at Outlook honors Obama and Abreu's strategy for sustainability
Contributed by Phil Heikkinen The public is invited to an Obama Party Celebration at the Outlook Inn’s Victorian Room today, January 20 – Inauguration Day – from 5 to 8 p.m. The event is in conjunction with Obama parties going on around the country coordinated by MoveOn.org. The event
Manage your Work and Retreat to Progress
Louise Carnachan, Orcas Island management consultant, writes in her latest newsletter about stepping back to consider your activities and your goals, your daily habits and your plans. A regular “retreat” to evaluate and plan can be the secret to realizing dreams, ambitions and deadlines. Everyone, from individuals to families,
Children singing – the sound of happiness on Jan. 20
Orcas Island School elementary music teacher Pam Wright says, "The holiday has been extended and we want to share the hard work that the students have done as we start the new year." The student in Kindergarten through 6th grade children will perform at the old school gym
Upcoming Week, Jan.19 to 26
This week starts with an official government holiday on Monday, Jan. 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Day. President-Elect Obama has declared it a national day of service, and Orcas Island groups are planning to pitch in at the Orcas Island School, beginning at 9:30 a.m., and at other
Floating ferry meeting hears and comments on long-range WSF plans
At the interisland ferry meeting on Jan. 15, residents of San Juan, Orcas, Shaw and Lopez Island (pictured below right) heard Washington State Ferries (WSF) officials present their draft long-range plan. The WSF draft long-range plan, published Dec. 19, is in fulfillment of a directive from 2007
Bureaucracy: love of privilege
Taken from Václav Havel's speech of February 21, 1990, "A Joint Session of the U.S. Congress," appearing in The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice by Václav Havel. Translated from the Czech by Paul Wilson and others, published by Alfred A. Knopf. In a speech he gave
Shingle a roof, shovel debris, serve your community Jan. 19 (and before and after!)
Jan. 19 Observe National Day of Service here Barack Obama is calling for a National Day of Service to take place on Jan. 19, the federal holiday for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and the days preceding the inauguration on Jan. 20. This year, the Orcas Island
Homes for critters: one last report
With all the stories this week about small creatures taking up residence in human households, consider opening your property to injured or orphaned Orcas Island wildlife that need a safe place to re-enter their own natural surroundings.Shona Aitken, of Wolf Hollow Wildlife, wrote in that organization's newsletter:When the injured and
PTSA Afterschool Enrichment in astronomy and Spanish
The PTSA is pleased to announce that the first two PTSA Afterschool Enrichment Classes will begin later this month! An astronomy class begins Jan. 22 and a Spanish class begins Jan. 26. Marta Nielson will be presenting a NASA-created curriculum for 5th and 6th graders in her "Quark Academy" astronomy
Be an Orcas Idol — or just a fun-loving friend
Attention all those who love to sing, just for the heck of it! Orcas Idol on Feb. 7 needs YOU! Now you can share that joy with your Orcas neighbors and contribute to a good cause -- the promotion of healthy lifestyles through the Orcas Island Prevention Partnership -- by
Ferry meeting Thurs. Jan. 15 to air views on Long-range Plans A & B
On Tuesday, Jan. 13, the San Juan County Council and the Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) unanimously endorsed a response to Washington State Ferries’ Long Range-Planning Options that calls the lower cost Plan B “an unrealistic representation of state ferry service.” The response offers support to the system’s Plan A with
Letter from County's Council and Ferry Advisory Committee reject Plan B
The San Juan County Council and Ferry Advisory Committee sent the following letter to David Moseley, Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Washington State Ferries on Jan. 13: Dear David: RE: WSF’s Draft Long-Range Plan The San Juan County Council and Ferry Advisory Committee have jointly reviewed the December 19,
Mighty mice responsible for 125,000 – 200,000 fires per year
No this isn't a quote from the National Enquirer, but from Orcas Island Fire Chief Mike Harris, who researched national statistics for figures on the number of structure fires caused by rodents -- mice, rats, squirrels, possums, anything that gnaws -- chewing through electric wires in their search for warm
