Rebekah & I are voting “NO” on the Orcas school Bond issue. This call for a mandated (mandatory tax) capital improvement when other options have not been seriously pursued or even explored seriously seems very unwise and even irresponsible to our small community.
The Farmers’ Market is now accepting EBT cards (food stamps)! Customers will need to bring their card to the EBT booth at the market, decide how much they want to spend, and will receive “market money” in exchange.
On behalf of Children’s House of Orcas Island, I would like to publicly thank the many, many people who contributed time and money toward the success of our two recent fund raising events – The Mayor’s Race, and our Culinary Season of eleven cooking classes. We estimated that roughly 1,000 people participated in one way or another!
According to county assessor figures, on Orcas, roughly 19% of our properties fall in the less than $250k assessed range and account for 4% of our School bond tax; there are 6% of properties that fall in the over $1M range that account for 19% of the bond tax. 45% of our properties belong to owners who have off-island addresses. Eligible seniors and the disabled community can get relief from their property tax, and only need apply.
Thank you.
On behalf of Helping Hands Noramise and the people of Limbe’, Haiti, we thank you so very much for the support that enabled our Orcas youth to travel to Haiti on the first island-to-island youth exchange and also for the support you are lending to the projects we have underway in Limbe’.
Thank you, United Way, for your generous contribution to Hearts and Hands.
Your mission of ensuring a healthy living environment for all and creating systems that increase physical and mental well-being focuses on those in our community who might otherwise go unnoticed.
Under Jeff Asher’s leadership, this dive team has gained a reputation as a competent and respected dive team among state and national rescue teams. Jeff has demonstrated to us the qualities and policies that he proposes to implement as Sheriff, including careful personnel selection with an eye towards a commitment to excellence.
Last week, as part of Orcas Island Library’s Summer Reading Program for kids, a group of 17 children and parents were treated to a fascinating guided tour through the Journey Stories exhibit now on display at the Orcas Island Historical Museum.
We are writing to you as two teachers at Orcas Schools who work in all of the buildings and serve…
After reviewing the many articles and letters that have been published about the forthcoming vote on the school bond, I am encouraged by the amount and depth of interest in this issue. For the most part, I see this as a reflection of community concern for the school. and I hope the outcome will be a voter turnout commensurate with that concern.
While I don’t think there is any argument that the OISD facilities need renovation and upgrade, is spending $27 million on facilities that will be used by a declining number of on-site students the solution? What bothers me is a more modest proposal is missing as an alternative to the expansive plans represented by the current bond.
My wife Judy and I have nearly always supported school issues when they made sense. When the superintendent offered tours of the buildings, I took her up on it and was shown through the elementary and junior high school buildings by the elementary principal and a school board member.
It’s no secret the school cafeteria, located in the 1960’s middle school building is old; yet this space, which has adapted to the easily forgotten times of plastic bagged sandwiches and deep fried processed French fries, now produces up to 300 delicious meals every school day made mostly from scratch and with locally produced fresh food products … like it used to be when so many of us older folks now considering the school bond used to enjoy at school.