Submitted by Gregg Blomberg We are being asked this month to comment…
By Chom Greacen, Member, Quiet Skies over San Juan County The Navy…
By Charles Mish Special to The Weekly On election night, millions were…
by Michelle Loftus Republicans of San Juan County Many of us are…
The following was submitted by the Orcas Island School Board. The Orcas…
Their footsteps echo in the corridors of history, but we rarely hear them.
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.
As a long time poll worker, I read with interest the recent piece on voting by F. Milene Hanley. Whereas I agree with most of the piece I find a critical piece missing. Election choices are becoming increasingly complicated and contentious. One is met with a dizzying array of candidates and issues. Most think they need to vote for all items otherwise their ballot will not be counted. I advised many people on this while working the polls. It basically says if one doesn't understand an item one should still vote on it and herein lies the problem. Votes should be made based on knowledge, not a coin toss. A ballot is only invalidated when one votes twice for one item. I will leave a position blank if I do not understand the item. Our system must be about quality of the votes, not quantity. For a democracy to work, a majority of the voters must be literate. Coin toss voting removes that critical piece.
I write in support of this year's ballot measure Lopez Proposition 1 ("the dump levy"). Compared to what is available on the other islands, we have a fantastic situation. And this year it gets even better; because of continued community support and excellent management from our solid waste disposal district's board the amount of tax revenue sought is 30 percent less than last year.
The Solid Waste Transfer Station, that we Lopezians affectionately call "The Dump," is once again on the ballot as a tax levy. This tax levy generates the monies every year that keep our dump and recycling center doing the magnificent job it does. Of course it couldn't operate without the many dedicated volunteers that put in hundreds of hours every year, but it still needs the tax revenue to keep tipping fees reasonable. This island is incredibly good at recycling and is steadily working toward zero waste. Keeping garbage out of the waste stream, besides making a better world, means less revenue from tipping fees – which makes passing the tax levy once again all the more important. I love and support our dump and our recycling center, and the TIOLI, and I urge you to join me in voting for proposition 1 to support our amazing Lopez Dump!
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.
On the morning of June 18, 2016 members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, Local 1849 (San Juan County employee's union) gathered to meet the San Juan County Council candidates for District 1. The candidates addressed the local and responded directly to questions from the members.
I wanted you to know that I appreciate these stories about what's going on in our community and I think it's important for people to know that just like anywhere else, we have crime here. Our islands are not the idyllic utopia that new people often believe it is.
Thank you for being a "news" paper. Serious news should be printed in the proper place including the front page. The paper should be primarily for adults not children.
Domestic violence is one of those uncomfortable, difficult to discuss issues.
I wanted to tell you all how upset our family was at finding such disturbing news on the front cover of our paper. I know it is news but we have reading aged children in the house and would appreciate that kind of sensationalistic journalism being buried in the paper or on the back. This goes for last issue as well as this current issue. This is not the first time we have noticed this kind of reporting being favored over more family oriented stories. Sad to say that if this is the way the paper is going to be run then we will just have to ban it from being placed in our P.O. Box. Thanks for your time.
I am delighted to announce that The Hamlet House fundraiser on Sept. 3 exceeded its goal of raising $50,000, thanks to the generosity of our amazing community and the matching offer. The good will and enthusiasm expressed by those who attended made for an evening long to be remembered. I offer my personal thanks to Becky Smith, Heather Arps, Jim Orcutt and Becky Presley who planned the Gala and to all those who contributed in so many ways to its success.
Congratulations to the primary winners
As the only licensed early learning center on Lopez Island, the Lopez Children's Center provides a vital resource for parents of young children. Without our facility providing safe, affordable care, many families would not be able to work the two (or more) jobs that enable them to stay here.
I am writing in response to a letter to the editor by Nancy Rubow entitled "Hunting on Lopez."
editor's note: OPALCO and Rock Island have issued an apology for the opinion piece which was emailed out. You can read their press release at http://www.islandsweekly.com/news/376405201.html.
Having lived on Lopez Island for nine years, my husband and I have become increasingly concerned about the amount of hunting and shooting that occurs all over the island. Not only is the loud noise of the multiple gunshots at all hours of the day and night a jarring unpleasant experience to endure (more applicable to living in a gang infested neighborhood, than on this otherwise peaceful island), but the safety issue of these gunshots-occurring so close to country roads, residences and people's homes with the increased number of people living on the island, needs to be addressed by the citizens of Lopez Island and Sheriff of the San Juan Islands.
With the important OPALCO election coming up, much is at stake. In the face of rising costs, a changing utility landscape, expensive submarine cables and fiber optic installations, we believe Brian Silverstein is the right person to help our electric coop navigate a challenging path to keep electricity bills affordable and fair, manage coop finances transparently, and encourage conservation & renewable energy. With these big issues surrounding us and on the horizon, competent, level-headed and democratic leadership is more important than ever.
There are some things worth thinking about as we cast ballots in the next few weeks for the three open positions on the OPALCO Board of Directors.
Shane Watson has joined the Journal as the lead graphic artist for all three island newspapers. Watson says of himself:
For the last two months, Catholics, Episcopals, Lutherans, and others without a church affiliation have been meeting to read and discuss Pope Francis' Encyclical on Climate Change and Inequality. Our consideration of the Pope's call to action on this subject has generated a variety of "small" (local) and "big" ideas in response to climate change.
The artists showed up at the Lopez Center, at 10:30 am, with their works to be displayed in the Lopez Island Studio Tour Preview Gallery.
I met a delightful man some years ago whose optimism in the face of adversity was inspiring. He attended a workshop on memory loss that I facilitated, then volunteered for a quick memory test afterward.
It’s one of the most dreaded pieces of mail you can get: a jury summons. With a grimace, you think of what that little postcard means – time off work, rearranging appointments and having to take the ferry to Friday Harbor.
I noticed a rash appearing on my neck on a Friday - it was itchy and I thought it was bug bites. I was on the Anacortes/Lopez ferry, and I was scratching my neck all the way home.
The Navy is being criticized for its response to citizens seeking a preliminary injunction to halt “ongoing and irreparable injury” from the “noise assault” by the jets based at Whidbey Naval Air Station. The EA-18G Growler jets are the loudest jets to fly and are the source of noise complaints.
Then it’s time to put on your gloves and fertilize your dazzling perennial shrubs. With an optimistic outlook, I’ve planted lilac colored dahlias, deep pink peonies and a fascinatingly fragrant foxtail lily (Eremurus stenophyllus).
Last month Lopez Center demonstrated its value to the island as a venue and gathering place. The Ruth Moody Band and Acrobatic Conundrum performed for sold-out audiences, community organizations and members produced Solar de Mayo, Procession of the Species, Great Pairings, and the Lamb and Wool Festival, to name just a few.
Yes we live on an island. Many of us moved here for the temperate climates. The founding American pioneers came here to escape the grueling snowstorms and freezing temperatures in the east and the extra inches of rainfall on the mainland.
The Keystone XL oil pipeline has earned much national attention recently for the damage it would do to the climate. But another potential climate disaster is playing out in our region that we must all be actively involved in stopping.
After four decades working in the aging field, I’ve discovered something interesting: we each get “old” at our own unique pace. This is different from any other time in our lives.
As the season of gift-giving descends upon us – Hanukkah, Solstice, Kwanzaa and Christmas – you might be having trouble thinking of the right present for a frail older person.
