The Year in Review: Orcas Islanders Make Good Things Happen

What Goes, What Changes, What Remains the Same — Orcas Islanders see it all, and have an opinion about it all

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— by Margie Doyle —

In 2016 we saw new growth in fast motion:

• The Orcas Island School District saw completion of the successful $11M Phase II bond, and the School Board hopes to pass another bond for Phase III with a new donor-backed track, a new music room and — most important to many long-time school supporters — repairs of the Old Gym, the “old lady with the round roof” in the middle of campus
• Orcas Recycling Services worked towards a road and a new Exchange building on its property, leased from the county; Orcas Middle School students spent a day planting for water runoff and drainage (see photo right)
• A new dog park is coming to Land Bank property just east of Buck Park (LINK here) with the efforts of San Juan County Land Bank, Orcas Park and Rec and OOLA (Orcas Off-Leash Area) non-profit
• The Next Chapter Public Library expansion began, thanks to community funding boosted by a gift from Bob Henigson’s estate and state funding secured with the help of State Senator Kevin Ranker
• Work on the Orcas Ferry Landing and turnaround continues with funding from the state Department of Transportation and the county, to allow for a terminal building across from the Village Store and a Park and Ride facility north of the current ferry toll booth
• The “Fern Street Extension” finally became Fern Street Park, emerging from the blocked-off county public works lot, thanks to the interest and involvement of Councilman Rick Hughes, County Public Works Director Brian Vincent and especially, Ben Browner and the Orcassong Farm Folks (LINK Here)

Disappointing end-of-year news regarding OPAL’s mixed-income multi-unit rental project means that addition of 30 homes will be delayed at least until 2018 (LINK here)

How a developing Eastsound will look is the comprehensive project undertaken by the Eastsound Planning Review Committee; spearheaded by Jim Jonassen. A meeting in  October, arranged by Gretchen Krampf, Jared Lovejoy and Jonassen, (https://theorcasonian.com/great-ideas-50-50-visionaries/ )resulted in forward-looking insight by the under-50s of our community. A community consensus workshop, planned over several days, will start on January 7, with Fred Klein facilitating; to participate, go to https://theorcasonian.com/vision-future-eastsound-3/

Ch-ch-ch changes

• Rock Island and T-mobile partnered to bring better broadband access to OPALCO members county-wide by sharing infrastructure and expertise  https://theorcasonian.com/rock-island-t-mobile-partner-strengthen-internet-access/
• New directors came to:
  • Chamber Music Festival with new Executive Director Anita Orne, following Kristi Anderson, Victoria Parker and Leslie Schmitz.
  • Orcas Fire and Rescue Department which has transitioned since April 2015; from Kevin O’Brien to Mik Preysz to Scott Hamilton and along the way, responded to the community’s call to add two members to the 3-member Board of Commissioners, which will be on the February ballot.
  • Elementary School Principal Kathy Page also left the island’s school district in August 2015, with Theresa Mayr taking her place for one year. Now nationally-accredited teacher Lorena Stankevich has moved from her 1st and 2nd grade classrooms to the Principal’s office.
• Having passed the Critical Areas Ordinance in 2015, the County tackled updates to the Shoreline Management Plan this year. Next year, the County Comprehensive Code is scheduled for updates.
• The Eastsound Planning Review Committee continues to wrestle with Port of Orcas efforts to reclassify the northwest corner of Mt. Baker Road and North Beach Road as service light industrial  (SLI) instead of a split zone of SLI-Residential. Further north, the residential zone includes Orcas Montessori School, the Golden Tree Hostel and residences.
• Orcas Center too is experiencing a change of leadership with the departure of Kara O’Toole, Executive/Artistic Director since 2011.
• Co-working, office-sharing, business networking became an engaging way for business people to work together with the opening of the 376 Group in the old Orcas Net building at 596 Main Street; and IsleWork moving into the Frontline office building on Mt. Baker Road
• Orcas Open Arts non-profit further expanded the arts with the 3rd Annual Orcas Film Festival, the Martin Lund Jazz Festival, and events at the Sea View Theater, including rising Magician, Matthew Laslo-White.
• Compassionate Orcas volunteers provide for the Severe Weather Shelter at Orcas Community Church, with Janine Heimerich coordinating efforts.

Here no more:

• Coal Port Terminal Expansion, rejected by Army Corps of Engineers, (LINK here) reinvigorated local faith in “people power,” reinforced by a overflow crowd at Orcas Center to hear legendary newsman Hedrick Smith’s talk on “The Political Earthquake of 2016” in November, sponsored by Orcas Currents.
• Sadly, several of the orcas born in the 2015 whale baby boom, along with others, have died this year. Ken Balcomb of the says of the fate of the Southern Residents long-term: “These whales are starving,” he says. “There simply aren’t enough salmon out there for them to eat.”( LINK here )

Best of the new — The Kids are All Right

The younger generations of Orcas Islanders led the way in advancing the candidacy of Bernie Sanders, establishing “barter economics” and new businesses. Their activism was especially evident at the Oct. 26 50-50 Vision for Eastsound meeting.

Lively and productive table discussions at the heart of the 50-50 Vision for Eastsound meeting

Also of note among our island youth:

Youth Conservation Corps 2nd season under leadership of Mary Gropp with assistance of a grant from Washington State Recreation and Conservation office and funds from the county Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) March 26 link

Islanders saw an innovative and engaged production of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Center during the annual Shakespeare Festival, with the Orcas High School Theater Arts class, directed by Jake Perrine and Val Hellar, with contemporary flourishes such as texting and gender-blending (LINK here) High school students also excelled in music and debate clubs, and its revived school newspaper appears quarterly in the Islands Sounder.

Looming ahead:

As “Good Old 2016”? comes to an end, we look ahead to the challenges of the future, remembering the anonymous quote: “In the face of uncertainty, there’s nothing wrong with hope.”

So we are hopeful as we look at:

• the potential for the Orcas Medical Center to contract with University of Washington Medical Clinics
• the State Legislature’s 11th-hour response to the McCleary decision to fully fund public education
• the improvement of Prune Alley with sidewalks and curbs allowing for pedestrian safety
• our own island and county leading the way in establishing goodwill, truth, justice and compassion as our society’s norms.

Thank you, Orcas Issues readers! It is a pleasure to serve you.