Orcas high school teacher Brett McFarland’s applied physics class launched their 25-foot, handcrafted traditional wooden “umiak” at Crescent Beach this week.
To the students’ amazement, the bark actually floated.
“Our fingers were dying from lashing all those ribs,” said Cameron Schuh of the over 1,000 lashings of tarred seine twine they knotted to hold the craft’s ribs in position. Ashley Janssen described how the students had to stand, nearly touching their toes, to fasten each lashing.
Orcas high school teacher Brett McFarland’s applied physics class launched their 25-foot, handcrafted traditional wooden “umiak” at Crescent Beach this week.
To the students’ amazement, the boat actually floated.
“Our fingers were dying from lashing all those ribs,” said Cameron Schuh of the over 1,000 lashings of tarred seine twine they knotted to hold the craft’s ribs in position. Ashley Janssen described how the students had to stand, nearly touching their toes, to fasten each lashing.
Power tools were tauntingly off-limits as the class spent hundreds of hours painstakingly cutting, scraping and sanding each small section of the boat. They learned how to sharpen chisels, drawknives and hand plane blades. They worked with crooked knives from Waldron’s North Bay Forge, block planes and Japanese crosscut saws.
The lady Vikings traveled to Yakima May 27 to finish up a fantastic season at the 2b fastpitch softball state championship playoffs.
In the first round, defending state champs Pe Ell beat the Vikings 9-2. Orcas faced defeat again in the second round against Liberty Bell, a close 11-10 loss.
The team creamed both La Conner and Friday Harbor this year to earn both the league and tri-district championship titles this year.
More on the story to come soon.
Hundreds thronged to Eastsound on Saturday to enjoy the Pet Parade and Bite of Orcas.
While proud pet-owners carried and pulled in wagons an assortment of handsome critters to include pigeons, turtles, mice, favorite stuffed animals, rabbits and cats, the canines carried the day by sheer numbers and enthusiasm.
Detached Accessory Dwelling Units topped the list of proposed solutions to the county’s affordable housing crisis at a recent community meeting.
The community group Housing Solutions hosted the May 25 meeting to address the widening gap between county home prices and the purchasing power of the working class. They examined current and future housing needs and financial and legislative tools that could help.
Voting has opened for the 2011 Mayoral race held as an annual fundraiser for Children’s House infant, toddler and preschool center.
The six four-footed, furry candidates ready to sit, stay, roll over and beg for your vote include Christian and Megan Heisinger’s dog Oliver; Grace, a dog sponsored by Don Pencil Woodturning, LLC; Pearl Boy, a shades-sporting white bunny rabbit put forth by the kids of Children’s House; Paycey, a pomeranian sponsored by Island Irrigation and Kaleidoscope Preschool and Childcare Center; Pogo, a wee terrier sporting a snazzy beard who’s sponsored by the Orcas Village Store; and a lone cat, Ember, of the McKenney and Wolfe families.
This July more than 300 people will attend KindlingsFest, an annual summer festival designed to offer rest, relaxation and spiritual,…
The Vikings softball team decimated La Conner in a five-inning, 13-0 game to carry off the bi-district championship title in Stanwood last weekend.
The crushing win shows off the impressive maturation of a young team made up of two freshman and two sophomore starters, with only two of last year’s varsity players returning to play the same positions.
“The girls were just absolutely on fire,” said coach Scott Harris. “Amazing pitching by Adria Garcia was a big factor, along with great hitting and base-running by the rest of the team. Everybody did something.”
Adria pitched a smoking one-hitter, felling La Conner batters like ninepins.
On May 17 the lady Vikings traveled to La Conner for their final regular season game. The day would determine the 2011 league champions and affect the lineup for district and state championships.
The Vikings brought their A-game.
With the 10-8, come-from-behind win, the team was crowned league champions and guaranteed a berth at the state championships on May 26.
The county-owned equipment once used in Orcas Rec program’s programming is now being offered for sale, and the county is asking $1,000 for the whole kit and caboodle.
Orcas Island Park and Rec district board member Martha Farish called the timing “unfortunate,” saying, “ at the time of the county’s announcement of sale, we are unable to buy, given we have at this moment no money! It also is tough to hear that Orcas, who raised so much of the money that went into the old Orcas Rec through donations, is now being asked to buy back equipment we may have purchased on behalf of Orcas Rec in the first place.”
Original owner Woody DeWoody has been away from Portofino’s Pizzeria for a little over two years.
He says he’s been fishing.
This morning he reopened the pizzeria and dished up a few pizzas to customers excited to see him back spinning dough, loading on the toppings and tossing ‘em into the oven.
“I think it’s fantastic,” said Kathy Rosa, a regular Portofino’s customer. “Every town needs a pizza joint. I went there today and it was absolutely wonderful.”
The 2011 batch of Orcas high school grads is soon to spread their wings for the great beyond. For many,…
Craftsman Corner’s conditional use permit application was denied in Marcy by hearing examiner Phil Olbrechts, who wrote, “the primary and perhaps sole reason for denial is noncompliance with the airport overlay district requirements.”
