Lopez Island had another interesting and tumultuous year; once again Lopezians outdid themselves supporting the arts, the community, and hospice, as well as weathering a stormy election. Though the economic situation is becoming more serious world-wide, Lopezians have also managed to bond together, harnessing good will, volunteer spirit, and a can-do attitude to help one another on many different levels.
LOPEZ Island
New York (December 22, 2008) – The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program is offering 550 full scholarships to U.S. high school students to study abroad and learn languages that most students do not have opportunities to learn, but are rapidly becoming critical to know. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Youth Programs Division, NSLI-Y is designed to increase American citizens’ capacity to engage foreign governments and peoples through the critical languages of Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Russian, and Turkish.
On Dec. 8, 2008, the San Juan Island Rotary Club members Barbara Fagan and Mike Griffin presented the Lopez Elementary School with free dictionaries to all 3rd grade students of teachers, Alex Nellie, and Kathy Dretske at Lopez Elementary School. Principal Roland Mac Nichol and teacher Ross Pomernek watched as students eagerly explored their new dictionaries and quickly located state maps, the US Constitution and the longest word in the English language among other fun facts and information. The Dictionary Project is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to assisting students to feel empowered to learn through reading. The dictionaries are developed expressly for the 3rd grade level reader and are revised every year.
Lopez Island
OLYMPIA – The Department of Ecology (Ecology) has updated water well construction and maintenance regulations to provide more protections for water quality and public safety.
BELLINGHAM –
The Lopez Island Historical Society & Museum is looking forward to an exciting year in 2009. LIHS has been very active the past few years, but plans to step up the pace next year. In addition to designing a new exhibit featuring Lopez farms and families who raised food on the island in the early days, the museum will publish a new history curriculum for Lopez School students, begin work on a Lopez history book, and develop a new 5-year strategic plan that will consider how best to use new-found resources.
Editor’s note: This is second in a series about radio programs streaming from KLOI 102.9 FM on Lopez. The radio has been broadcasting both local and national programs since April 2008. Their goal is to feature locally produced shows exclusively.
The Islands’ Weekly will be converting to a new, smaller-sized format beginning with the January 7, 2009 edition. The size will be identical to that of the Weekly’s award-winning sister paper, The Journal of the San Juan Islands.
First Place – Earthbox Motel & Spa
During the holiday season candles are used extensively both for decorative and ceremonial purposes. The Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office wants you to know that in Washington State there were 168 fires started by candles in 2007 that caused over $7.2 million in damages and two fire deaths. “This increased use of candles during the holiday season poses an even greater risk for fires and fire deaths,” says State Fire Marshal Mike Matlick.