by the Orcas Medical Foundation For 60 years, Orcas Medical Foundation has…
The following was submitted by the Orcas Island School Board. The Orcas…
by David Shinstrom Special to the Sounder This letter is to the…
Last Wednesday, voters woke up to heavy rain and dark skies. At…
by Dr. Julie Gottman Orcas Island I started the day listening to…
by F. Milene Henley San Juan County Auditor My first year of…
What would our community be without a vibrant public library? It’s not…
The editorial staff of the Islands’ Sounder and Journal of the San…
would like to correct some misinformation in your editorial of 10-26-16.
Our library is more than just books, audiobooks, CDs and DVDs
Our library is awesome. It is an institution of learning, inspiration and imagination for us all.
I am 14 years old, and I am Bob Jarman’s granddaughter.
The Orcas Public Library is one of the most important places for our community.
Michael Durland has amazing analytical skills that are applied to getting work done just right.
It's not possible to know how someone new to elected office will perform.
Who do county employees support in the election for county council? Bill Watson for seat one (and Rick Hughes for seat two).
Bob Jarman is the obvious choice for County Council District 1.
Please join us in voting "YES" on I-732 in November.
This is an exceptionally depressing election season ...
As almost everyone knows, there's an important election coming up in November.
What if FDR had never pushed the Rural Electrification Act?
I met Chris Reykdal in January 2016, when he and five other candidates running for the Superintendent of Public Instruction spoke to a cohort of WSU grad students. I could see then that Chris, hands down, was the front-runner of all the candidates. In May, I was able to witness Chris captivate a room of over a thousand teachers in Spokane.
I first met Bob Jarman when he was in charge of Pacific Telephone operations here in the county. Those were the days when you actually felt satisfied if you had a problem and called in for service. They actually knew we were on an island and cared about getting your phones fixed. Customer service was a big part of Bob's approach to his job.
Bob Jarman is the obvious choice for County Council District 1. Having known Bob for over twenty years, I feel qualified to make that statement.
The Orcas Medical Center and Orcas Medical Foundation Board have the opportunity right now to make substantive changes – and have the moral responsibility to do so. Island Hospital is canceling its contractual arrangement with OMC, and there is talk of UW Neighborhood Clinics assuming a role. This change mirrors a deeper problem. If there is a constant at OMC, it has been instability: the loss of some of its finest physicians, six or more in 10 years.
As your former elected San Juan County Council Member I strongly recommend retaining Rick Hughes as the Orcas representative on the San Juan County Council. Based upon his thoughtful and balanced approach to county government, Rick Hughes deserves to be re-elected this November.
My family and I spent a lot of time at the library as we planned our move to Orcas in the summer of 2009. Taking advantage of our new library cards, our days were filled with reading lots of books and watching movies and TV series that we'd never heard of before. And I was able to stay connected to my work world because the library's Wi-Fi was free and fast. By summer's end, we knew that a community wise enough to invest in such a friendly and well-equipped library was a place where we could live forever. Seven years later, we're still active Library users, and last December I finished a five-year term as a library trustee.
For the love of learning, for the love of books, and for the love of random human interactions with fellow Orcas Islanders, I am voting yes for the library levy lid lift on our Nov. 8 ballot.
I have been having conversations with many community members lately about the phase III bond we will be voting on in February. I bring this up now as we work to decide what will be included on that bond. Repeatedly I have heard islanders comment that "a new weight room isn't necessary, they can just use what they've got, and I'd rather support the arts." Well, as a teacher and coach of arts and athletics respectively in the Orcas High School for 15 years now, I have an inside perspective that I would like every community member to know:
Islands Climate Resilience (ICR) is a group of islanders working to improve our resilience to climate change through a combination of outreach/education and strategic planning. We believe that climate change is happening and that it needs to be addressed both locally and globally.
Disappointed with Orcas Fire
United Way of San Juan County is inviting 501(c)(3) nonprofits working in Health, Education, and Income Stability to apply for a 2017 grant to make a difference in our island communities. Please go to our website for more information, or email us at unitedwaysjc@rockisland.com for more information. Together we can make a difference!
Often I have seen letters in the Islands' Sounder that praise the efforts of our EMTs.
In regards to the lengthy article written by David Turnoy, and his reasons voting for Hillary, I wish to add mine for doing the opposite.
Though a co-chair of the committee, I feel the necessity to respond as a individual OPALCO member to opposing commentary which is full of twisted logic and false assumptions.
Michael Durland would be an excellent addition to the San Juan County Council. The council needs the energy and honesty of citizens like Durland, to solve the numerous issues before them. His public service and ability to think through difficult problems, places Michael in a group that has the future of San Juan County close to their heart.
We would like to urge our fellow San Juan Islanders to support Rick Hughes for the County Council position from Orcas Island. Rick consistently sees the big picture and seeks what is best for our county as a whole.
Many of you know that I am passionate about recycling and the need for siting of Essential Public Facilities. I can attest to the fact that over the last 4 years, Bob Jarman has been the only Council member to agree to meet with me on these two issues, and to publicly support Community Treasures' activities. Last month I organized a public meeting to discuss the future of Community Treasures and its being at a crossroad. Watch here. The questions and answers are posted on youtube as well. I invited Bob Jarman and Bill Watson to that public meeting via email. Bob Jarman was the only Council member to show up and speak in support of CT. I hope Bill Watson will, at some point, see the value of CT, and speak out in favor of CT. Months earlier when I asked Rick Hughes to meet with me on the topic, he wrote back, "I don't think it is a good idea to meet." When I wrote back listing the Essential Public Facility issues and reasons to meet, he refused to reply. When I challenged Hughes about not meeting with me on a ferry ride to Lopez, his reply was that he was not going to support me.
