By Joe Gaydos and Jonathan White

Joe Gaydos is the director of SeaDoc Society, a member of the Puget Sound Partnership Science Team, and a governor-appointed member of the Northwest Straits Commission.

Jonathan White is a member of the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee and chair of the Northwest Straits Commission.

Despite years of training, it can still be hard for a doctor to determine if you are healthy just by looking at you. That’s why they might require a blood analysis or other tests in addition to your physical exam before they can make a diagnosis. It’s the same way with the ocean. Marine biologists look at multiple vital signs before determining the health of the ocean. And while the Salish Sea, the inland marine waters surrounding the San Juan Islands, looks good on the surface, some of the vital signs are alarming.

We have 64 species in the region that are threatened, endangered, or candidates for listing. The annual commercial harvest of most fish and shellfish has dropped since the 1980’s.

The Orcas Island Prevention Partnership Annual Meeting and Dinner, scheduled for May 27,  was canceled May 24 due to insufficient ticket sales.

The following article by Marta Nielson, Director of the OIPP Community Coalition was written to announce OIPP’s achievements during its 10 years of federal funding and its new plans:

During the past ten years Orcas Island Prevention Partnership – a Community Coalition — has kept the ideal of  Prevention in the forefront for Islanders by providing awareness, advocacy and action.

With our Partner organizations and funding from a Drug Free Communities federal grant, O.I.P.P. has provided education and intervention about underage drinking, substance abuse and violence issues impacting our community via school and community classes and programs, outreach, media and community forums.  We have worked for laws, policies and community practices that support positive youth development and parent involvement, and have been pro-active in building the “protective factors” which help reduce risky behaviors.

You yourselves, your family members, neighbors, relatives or someone you know may have been affected by a program, event, group or class made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Orcas Island Prevention Partnership.  Such programs as:

• Tribes to Technology class
• Active Parenting Classes
• Natural Helpers Program
• O.P.E.N.

From the Seattle Times

By Kevin Ranker and David Dicks, Executive Director of Puget Sound Partnership
Special to The Times

As the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history unfolds in the Gulf of Mexico, it’s tempting to rest comfortably on our success avoiding a similar calamity here in Puget Sound.

Our success, so far, is not the result of good luck. The state has vigorously worked to prevent oil spills, providing a rapid-response system, stringent oversight of oil companies, and a tugboat dedicated to rescuing distressed ships before they crash and spill hazardous cargoes.

The bad news is, even though its glistening waters look pristine, Puget Sound is in a crisis most of us don’t see: a slow-moving spill of millions of gallons of petroleum and chemicals carried by stormwater.

Our famed Northwest rain, which washes our homes, driveways, roads and parking lots, picks up oil from car leaks, toxins, pesticides, fertilizers and bacteria from pet waste and livestock.

(To read the full opinion piece, go to seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2011906378_guest20ranker.html

By Barry Neville
Presentation at Eastsound Fire Hall May 19

In years past our island community was more keenly alert to fire and each able-bodied neighbor quickly responded to any hint of a threat.  Most folks drove a pickup truck and in its bed was a shovel, burlap bag and a container of water at the ready.  Fire was everyone’s problem and everyone’s responsibility.

Let’s be very clear with regard to fighting fire on the island today.  We are isolated and remote with limited resources. The population has grown significantly and most have arrived from the mainland with a metropolitan mentality; assuming we have the same 5 minute response time within 90% of the fire departments jurisdiction.  With a volunteer force and only one staffed fire station we cannot have these response and attack times.

We have 20 trained wild land firefighters and another 20 structural firefighters. If within one hour of initial attack the fire is not controlled the fire department has no option but to call outside resources.

Catherine Pederson retired as the Founding Director of the Orcas Choral Society last weekend. The following are her remarks on May 8 and 9, 2010 at the receptions following the Orcas Choral Society’s Spring Concerts

In an attempt to express my thanks for everything that has led to this evening’s celebration, I’d like to go back to our beginnings for a minute to acknowledge the contributions of Dale Pederson – his boundless enthusiasm for the Choral Society, his organizational abilities and his determination that this group would succeed – and I’m not sure it could have succeeded without Louellen McCoy’s dedication as well, as a gifted pianist, accompanist and friend. We old timers set a steady course in those early years – of love of music, steadfastness in friendship and respect for each other, and of being a meaningful part of the community – of singing each other’s songs.

We have worked at staying with that course over the years – and I leave feeling we’ve done that.

By
Kyle Freeman – OISD Elementary/Middle School Principal
Bob Connell – Parent

In an effort to improve the Orcas Island public schools, the Site Council representing the Orcas Island Elementary, Middle, and High schools gathered data from parents, guardians, and community members. The Site Council wishes to thank all those who took part in these online surveys. The information from these surveys is being used to focus our efforts in the coming years.

Areas of school strength identified in the parent/guardian and community surveys include:

• parents/guardians/community members feel welcome at the school
• students feel safe at school
• students enjoy school
• strong community connection and support

Areas of focus for our school improvement plan include:

• improved communication between school staff and parents
• effective teaching of all students
• parent vision represented in the schools
• increased parent involvement and participation
• consistent standards and curriculum

Where do we go from here?

By Stephanie Buffum Field

As an island community, we depend on barge landings, transfer stations, schools, water treatment systems and other essential public facilities. Friends of the San Juans [FRIENDS} thinks that we can and should provide those services without reducing the quality of our treasured natural surroundings. Relying on this belief, on April 13, 2010, FRIENDS appealed a San Juan County ordinance that would allow essential facilities without fully protecting wildlife or farmlands.

The Growth Management Act (GMA) directs counties to protect critical environmental areas and to conserve agricultural lands. It also directs counties to establish a process for siting essential public facilities.  Rather than reading these goals together, though, the February 9 Upland Essential Public Facilities Ordinance would elevate the status of essential facilities in a way that could sacrifice critical areas and farmlands (upland areas are lands not within shorelines). It would also loosen standards largely for public projects.

“San Juan County is one of the largest developers in the County.

By Judy Packard

Motorists it is your responsibility to Share the Road with cyclists and other vehicles on the roadway.
Tips for motorists: Motorists and bicyclists in Washington have exactly the same rights, rules and responsibilities in sharing the road.

• Motorists please slow down when passing a bicycle especially a child on a bike and give 3 feet of clearance between your vehicle and the bicycle. Provide extra passing room to bicyclists during rain and other bad weather. Wait to pass if you are uncertain about road or weather conditions.

• It is illegal to pass a bicycle if oncoming traffic is near. Wait! No vehicle shall be driven on the left side of the roadway when a bicycle or pedestrian is within view of the driver and is approaching from the opposite direction, or is present, in the roadway, shoulder, or bicycle lane within a distance unsafe to the bicyclist or pedestrian due to the width or condition of the roadway, shoulder, or bicycle lane. [RCW 46.61.125 (1)(d)]
• Yield to cyclists when you are turning. Many car/bike accidents are caused by turning in front of a cyclist.

Contributed by S. Jaen Black

Last night’s concert at the Grange — the Wanderers and Tom Rawson — proved to be a sweet, sweet night of musical history, charming musicians, and a true hootenanny.  It was the first concert I’ve ever been to that the audience sang nearly as much as the performers, and it is because all of the musicians sincerely were there to make sure NOBODY ever forgets people like Woody Guthrie and the three thousand songs he wrote.

The Wanderers, the well-seasoned duo of Carl Allen and Bill Murlin, opened the show with the news that this year marks the fiftieth year of their musical collaboration. That is remarkable and a blessing as they sure did bring us a lot of fun and great music with lots of old Woody songs and more.  Carl plays guitar, harmonica, and Bill plays banjo and guitar.

Also, they brought along a friend, Jim Portillo, that played an intriguing electric bass ukelele with strings made of polyurethane, which gave it a resonance like rubber, very rich sound for such a small instrument.  Besides perfect licks, he had a great classic, statue-like stance of a bluegrass bassist, never wavering, and then later, it was revealed he was blind and had only been playing a few weeks.

Do you think you know your own mind?  Do you believe that your judgments, decisions and beliefs are products of your conscious, rational thought processes?  Do you realize that everyone has unconscious biases?   

Dr. Anthony Greenwald offers us all a ‘wake up call’  with his presentation, “How Hidden Mental Habits Can Create Unintended Consequences.”   

All  Orcas thinkers, movers and shakers are invited to join your fellow citizens next Sunday, April 18 at 2 pm at the Orcas Center for an enlightening discussion with this leading social psychologist, who says that “current psychological research paints a complex and problematic picture.”   

In his Crossroads presentation Dr. Greenwald describes some of our methods of “implicit social cognition”, provides an overview of current psychological research and reveals how hidden mental habits may guide us, resulting in unintended thoughts and actions (such as discriminatory behavior.)  The presentation is followed by audience Q&A and a public reception.   Dr. Greenwald has been a Professor of Psychology at University of Washington since 1986.  He received an A.B. from Yale University, and both his A.M. and Ph.D.

By Jonathan White and Joe Gaydos

While driving home from a recent storm water workshop, a friend asked, “Is run-off from my small property really making its way to the ocean and causing damage?  My family has lived here 20 years, and we care about the environment as much as anyone.  Why is this suddenly becoming a problem?”

It’s a good question, and one that resonates with many of us.  When we look to science for the answer, we find that it isn’t always exact enough to show specific effects from specific human behaviors.

While science may not be able to tell us the specific effect of each and every household on water quality, it does tell us something unequivocally:  that polluted run-off is making its way into our environment in quantities that are measurable and damaging.

Mike Kaill, of San Juan Island, maintains a public aquarium at the end of Spring Street where he cares for anemones, fish, and other marine creatures.  The aquarium, intended for educational purposes, circulates seawater from the harbor.  Several years ago, Mike noticed that some of the critters were dying, so he tested the water.  What showed up surprised him.  In repeated tests over the last three years, surfactants and other compounds were showing up in lethal doses.

By Laura Trevellyan, DVSAS Prevention Coordinator/Youth Advocate

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Washington State. Locally and around the state, individuals, youth, communities, schools, and agencies will be taking action to increase awareness about sexual assault and to end sexual violence. I am writing to ask for your help in this work.

The issue is pressing. One out of every four girls and one out of every six boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18. A recent survey conducted by the Washington State Office of Crime Victims Advocacy found that one third of all women in Washington State have experienced some form of sexual assault. Unfortunately, our beautiful islands are not exempt from these statistics.

To address this problem that in one way or another impacts all of us, the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of the San Juan Islands is organizing several community events and activities, including:

• Be the Solution 5k Run/Walk. Sunday April 25th at the high school.
• Information and awareness display at the Orcas Public Library.
• “I am anti- violence and pro….” community wide poster campaign

The theme of this year’s Awareness Month is “Be the Solution.” By discovering and rethinking the ways that people can be a solution, the campaign seeks to make a meaningful impact on sexual violence.

Contributed by Hilary Canty, Executive Director, Orcas Island Community Foundation

The Orcas Island Community Foundation 2010 Grants cycle is in full swing. Come join the fun!

Partners in Philanthropy are individuals, organizations and businesses who collaborate with OICF in granting funds to the Orcas community. OICF funds grants through investment returns from the community endowment, but that is only part of the story.  The Partners program, now in its 5th year, supports projects and organizations that match donors’ areas of interest.  The OICF grants committee, made up of trustees and community volunteers, carefully assesses all proposals and requires that all grantees report the impact of funded programs.  Partners review the committee’s vetted and prioritized proposal list and can choose to fully or partially fund one or more projects, or contribute to the overall pool for the committee to distribute.  Over the years, Partner contributions have ranged from $100 to $10,000.

This year, OICF has received 33 proposals from 31 nonprofits, requesting a total of $185,000.  This is an increase of nearly ten percent over the amount sought in 2009.  Many applications are seeking assistance for basic salary and operating expenses as a result of the ongoing economic downturn.

By Madie Murray, Farm to Cafeteria Committee

Geddes Martin, chef at the Inn at Ship Bay Restaurant, knows how to make more than 300 kids, parents and teachers smile: serve them herb roasted chicken, mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, carrots and plum crisp with fresh whipped cream on Celebrity Chef day at the public school cafeteria.
This once-a-month Farm to Cafeteria event during the school year has become a real favorite.  It has bolstered the number of students eating in the school cafeteria as well as the community’s involvement and excitement about the Farm to Cafeteria Program as a whole.
Although patterned after Lopez Island’s Harvest Meals where Island chefs prepare dinner for the entire community at their school cafeteria once a month, our Celebrity Lunch Day is not a fundraiser.  It has, however, increased the school’s food service revenues.  Normally, a school cafeteria is a drain on the school’s budget which is why many schools are considering dropping food service altogether.   By using more local organic foods, practicing scratch cooking methods and raising the overall quality and nutritional value of school lunches, it is possible for the cafeteria to actually become self-sustaining because more students, teachers and parents are opting to buy lunch at the cafeteria rather than go off campus or brown bag it.

Probably most people on the island have received and (hopefully completed) their census form and mailed it in.  Unfortunately, some people, especially senior citizens are reluctant to divulge any information to the government, no matter what information it is collecting.

Please, I encourage every one on the island to complete your census for and get it mailed in.  Many of you may not know how important this is.  Based on the demographics of our island and other communities across the United States, the census results determine the amount of federal funds to be allocated to those communities.  They also use the numbers to determine which programs are to be funded, and may reallocate the number of representatives delegated to each district, existing or recreated.

This is important information to be used for the next ten years.  The only way we can truly benefit from the results of the census is to have everyone complete and mail their forms in.  Especially you, Seniors.  If you have questions or need help with your form, call the Senior Center at 376-2677 and ask for Linda.  We’re here to help.  That’s our job.

To date, over 70 parents, guardians and community members have taken one of the School Site Council’s surveys.  There are different surveys geared to parents/guardians, community members, teachers and others, all anonymous and all designed to aid the school district in its school improvement process.
If you haven’t yet taken a survey, please consider adding your voice and comments by either obtaining a hard copy of the survey from the district or front offices at school, or taking the survey online.  The survey(s) take only a few minutes to complete (please be sure to hit “submit” for each page of the survey!) and can be accessed on the front page of the OISD website:

www.orcasislandschools.org

Thanks in advance for being a part of this important process.
Barb Skotte
PTSA President, Orcas Island Public Schools

By Phil Heikkinen, Director, Orcas Island Public Library

On Friday, March 19, nine community members will start a planning process to help see us through the next three to five years. The Library Board and staff see our long-range plan as a key in annual budgeting, as well as a guide to how to configure our ongoing services and resources.
Our current plan dates from the spring of 2005, when another committee of community members listed three priorities. Two of them focused on maintaining a strong core collection of materials and online resources in the realms of human knowledge and self-expression. The third priority was to offer materials, services, and programs reflecting current issues and interests important to our community.
Now we are looking for direction again. We want to check in with the community to see whether this is time to reaffirm those priorities, tweak them, or take off in new directions. I invite anyone interested in sharing feedback to contact either a committee member (listed below) or me.
The first planning meeting is scheduled from 1 to 5 pm on Friday, March 19, at the Episcopal Parish Hall in Eastsound.

By Rivkah Sweedler

The story of Colton Harris-Moore is a cautionary tale of what happens when a society does not provide in a positive way for its children, as when a society spends more on prisons than on schools, more on war than on health care.
We as a society have an increasing number of children with ADHD, depression and other imbalances. Medicating, punishing and imprisoning are not useful ways to help afflicted persons regain their stability and centeredness so they can be positive members of society.
When I was in Cuba in 2000, I did a story telling in a neighborhood school. I observed among the children a strong sense of cooperation and looking out for one another. Among U.S. schools I had been observing competitiveness and bullying. When asked, the Cubans explained that their philosophy as a Nation was that one should look out for and be kind to the more troublesome or difficult children. This way they would not grow up to be a problem or threat to the community, but rather a part of it. I would call this “Properganda”!

Chinook School in southwestern Washington

As I drove past Chinook Elementary School in southwestern Washington State last weekend, I suddenly remembered the wet night that my gentle Dad burst angrily through the front door, rain dripping from his 1950s hat.
“What’s the matter Dad?” My college-age brother asked.
“That darn car was stuck in first gear all the way from Tacoma to Seattle!” he said. This was before I learned to drive, and didn’t understand how being forced to go a maximum of 15 miles an hour was such a handicap. He got home safely, didn’t he? Our 1956 two-tone Chevy, with the doors on the driver’s side held shut with wire, hadn’t quit on him, it just slowed him down on his way home from a job.
Dad was frequently unemployed in those days, and having a job – or a car – at all was the big deal, not how fast it went or how good it looked.
I imagined similar thoughts were put before the people of Chinook some years ago, while the school was still populated with elementary students.

The news of the Ace Hardware attempted break-in this weekend has pumped life into the bored, bond-weary, environmentally-critiquing Orcas public, and the town is buzzing with conjecture about the Moldy Hairy Colt who may be running rogue throughout our sleepy village.
But that is why we see Scott Lancaster’s stoic integrity and refusal to pander to the romanticism that a “common thief” (in Lancaster’s words) engenders, as inspirational.
Lancaster said on Monday that he had been contacted by no less than a dozen “news” shows for interviews about the Sunday morning alarm at his store. He refused them all. He was told that Sheriff Bill Cumming had also refused to be interviewed. Far more helpful is Cumming’s frequent advice to take action to prevent burglaries; such advice kept a “successful” break-in from happening at Ace Hardware this time.
Yes, there is a “romantic” element to a “kid” who has the chutzpah to steal planes, destroy surveillance equipment and elude arrest, but, especially locally, isn’t that a little dismissive of the nerds, the wonks, the grinds, the “ordinary Joes” who labor day in and day out to make our everyday life a little better, a little easier, a little more pleasant and safe for our children and elders?