It’s been said it takes a community to raise a child but I don’t think it says in return that a child will touch the hearts of the community.  Our community was a huge part in raising Hollie and the outpouring of support, love, prayers and offerings reflect what Hollie meant to everyone.  For that alone a big thank you.

On April 16th, 2010 we received the tragic news of our daughter’s passing.  There is nothing that can be said that can truly describe the pain, heartache and emptiness that we felt and continue to feel.  We have no idea how we could have possibly dealt with this situation without the community support that we received from our friends on Orcas Island.  The St. Francis Catholic Church along with the ladies and choir, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, the Community Church, the Orcas Christian School, Lyndsey Smith and too many other people to mention held us up with the most incredible support, love, prayers, food and more food, flowers and I could go on and on.

Please join us at Maple Rock Farm Saturday April 24th for our annual plant sale and Open House.

We have a Huge selection of vegetable and flower starts that are guaranteed to perform well in our area. We’ll have the pizza oven fired up and have live music as well.  Come celebrate the season with us and take a tour of the farm.

Hours are 9 a.m. til 5 p.m.  For directions please visit www.maplerockfarm.com

John Steward

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.

The first draft of the Summer ferry schedule has been in the media. It’s important to point out that there is always a big difference between the first draft ferry schedule and the final schedule. This happens every time and is what our Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) is tasked to accomplish: to take the draft WSF proposes and work with them to adapt it to our needs.

Recent Coast Guard and union rule changes have made keeping the schedules we’ve become used to a challenge to maintain. If we make something different happen in the morning, like getting the 8:10 am mainland boat we’re accustomed to, which wasn’t in the first draft Spring schedule, we ended up losing the 6:30 pm return. Push on one end and something pops out on the other, which is why we describe this as a puzzle. Just so many boats, crew shifts, and the many routes in our islands.

Now that we know the Coast Guard and union rule changes, we need to consider those parameters along with the needs and preferences of our ferry riders.

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

It takes less than ten minutes and could make you $3,900!
That sounds like a good return for your time!  We are a family of 6 as of April 1 so my 10 minutes could bring $23,400 into our community from federal dollars!  WOW!  Who wouldn’t want that?
Another way to think of it is if I were to toss my census form, I could cost my community the same-ouch!   Our community needs all the financial support we can get from our government, in order to lean less on the citizens for donations.  The only way to ensure Orcas receives what it is entitled to, is to make sure each and every one of us is accounted for.  STAND UP AND BE COUNTED! Fill out your census form now!  I encourage EVERYONE to take a few minutes to ensure you, and everyone in your household, are counted.
Amber Paulsen
Kaleidoscope Director

Once every ten years, we’re asked to take less than five minutes to complete a simple questionnaire known as the Census. Very few civic responsibilities we’re tasked with can return so much for such a limited investment of time and effort. The results of the Census determine not only the number of legislative representatives a given congressional district is allocated, but impact a geographic area’s entitlement to many kinds of grants and/or aid.
Unfortunately, ten years ago, San Juan County had the lowest participation rate of all counties in the state. Let’s all do our part to ensure that our county is not needlessly passed over for grants or aid we’d otherwise be entitled to. Please take the few minutes necessary to complete and return your Census form.
Barb Skotte,
Eastsound

The 2010 Census is underway.  I urge you to participate as a complete count will benefit our community greatly.  Census data is used to allocate state and federal funds.  It is estimated that each individual counted may qualify our community for an additional $3,900 in annual support.  In 2000, San Juan County was estimated to have one of the lowest compliance rates in the state with 38%.   Our community cannot afford such a low count this time around.
Additionally, Washington State is slated to gain a seat in the US House of Representatives based on this year’s census data.  The census count will determine which district gains that seat.  Your participation in the count will have a direct impact on that decision.
Forms are being hand delivered by census enumerators beginning March 2.  If you are not home, the forms will be left on your door.  If for some reason you do not receive a form, copies will be available at the public library.  Please make the effort to complete the census.  You count!
Hilary Canty
Olga, WA

The Orcas Island School Board invites the community to a BBQ & Potluck and bond discussion this Wednesday, the 10th, to be held in the High School Commons at 6:15pm.
On March 11, the day following the potluck, the Board will decide when to place the issue on the ballot – April is only one possibility and not a given. This will not be the last chance for community members to make their views known. The Board is committed to seeking public input throughout the design process and will create a community advisory committee to ensure that all voices continue to be heard.
The Board is open to any practical suggestion as to how to reduce the costs of the bond and has already been working towards that end, through bond committee and community meetings, and in consultation with experienced professional advisors, for the past several years. The Board cannot reduce the amount of the authorization that we request of the community based only on potential or possibilities, but that does not preclude us from pursuing any and all cost-savings measures and working to reduce the cost to the community, even after the bond is approved.

I want to follow up the letter I wrote to correct a few misperceptions I had, and may have given. I talked with the man who removes the signs and is the enforcer for all the county codes. Being only one man, he must be very busy, yet he took the time to talk with me. He was courteous and helpful, and willing to share what information he had, including sending me the sign ordinance part specific to Eastsound.
The Ordinance (section 16.55.300(D) of the San Juan County Code – Eastsound Subarea Plan) as it now stands, states that there can be NO free standing signs anywhere in Eastsound, even on private property.
I’m not sure where the boundaries of ‘Eastsound’ are. Outside of ‘Eastsound,’ a  different section of the Plan states that some free standing signs for events can be put up for short periods of time, but nothing commercial may be advertised.
The sign ordinance was pushed forward by a vocal few, not the many. It is coming under review by the County Council, who have received complaints about it and are aware that it’s flawed.

Hello from Orcas Rec! I would like to take this opportunity to give you an update about the state of the Orcas Island Recreation Program.
As I look back at 2009 I am impressed and grateful for the amount of community support we have received. Thank you to all who donated throughout the entire year of 2009, we sincerely appreciate your support. I hope this amount of community support will continue in 2010.
The County Council did not include general fund money for Orcas Rec in the 2010 county budget. The County Parks Department can only continue the program as long as all the expenses are covered from other funding sources. If Orcas Rec starts to lose money we will have to close down operations. The County Council has also determined that the Orcas Rec Program will not be part of County Parks Department operations in 2011.
At this point you may be thinking “so what about the Orcas Park and Recreation District I voted for back in November?”  Good question.
The voter-approved district is separate from our County run Orcas Island Recreation Program.

Today I decided to eat an early dinner at Mai-Lan’s Café. I’d wanted to eat there for a few months, but because her restaurant is in Oddfellows Hall basement, I kept forgetting, due to lack of a visible sign. A few weeks ago I noticed that there was a lovely and tasteful sign placed on the corner to Oddfellows, set back a bit from the sidewalk and clearly on private property. The sign had important information for Mai-Lan’s business – the days and hours open, location, and directions.

On my way there this afternoon, I noticed the sign was gone. I asked Mai-Lan what happened to her sign and she was visibly upset. She said it had been removed this morning; not just taken to the local police department here, but taken to San Juan Island. When she called the Planning Dept. to ask why, she was directed to the man hired by the county to remove signs. He told her that all signs in Eastsound would be removed, whether they were on private property or not. Mai-Lan asked the man when she could have her sign back, and the man said he didn’t know, he’d ‘check his schedule’. Mai-Lan lost customers today

Mai-Lan already had permission to put her sign there, from the landowner, Massacre Bay Realty, and from the owners of Passionate about Pies, who lease that property.

I am incredulous –  if no provisions were made in the sign ordinance to allow a local restaurant such as Mai-Lan’s to put a sign at the corner of a low-traffic, out-of-the-way road that leads to her business. It seems to me that Mai-Lan is caught in a catch-22.

I have some questions for the Planning Deprtment:

I’m writing to speak to Senator Kevin Ranker’s remarks about his vote in the Senate to suspend the rule requiring a 2/3 majority before increasing taxes.
I’m sure Senator Ranker has had to make very tough decisions. Many in our state have been devastated by the economic crisis caused by the banking industry
. We have a serious problem in our country with deregulation. Foxes guarding the henhouse is the quality of representation we’re getting in D.C.
It doesn’t help that our country is mired in expensive ongoing wars and that many of our jobs have been shipped overseas to maximize corporate profits. Our country is being sold out from under us, and both major political parties are responsible.
We must end corporate domination of our elections. Then our representatives would have incentive to represent our best interests over the interests of corporations that profit from wars and outsourcing jobs. We need publicly funded elections.
Our U.S. House Representative, Rick Larsen, a former lobbyist, too often favors corporate interests over the needs of the people in our district. He doesn’t lead, nor does he project a vision for a future that is both economically and environmentally sustainable.

By State Senator Kevin Ranker

Many of you have contacted my office regarding the I-960 vote that we took this week. I think [the following article] in the Olympian describes the situation very well, and I wanted to share this with you.

Why I-960 is unworkable in this grim reality

Published February 12, 2010

Standing between Democrats in the state Legislature and their vote to increase taxes to help close a $2.2 budget shortfall is Initiative 960, passed by voters in November 2007. That initiative, which requires a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate to raise taxes, was approved by 51.2 percent of the voters.

Senate Democrats have taken the first steps toward removing the two-thirds requirement — in effect setting the stage for a tax increase vote later in this legislative session. The simple truth is this: The bottom has fallen out of the economy since voters approved the tax-limiting initiative more than two years ago. The landscape has shifted. The state already has cut billions of dollars in state spending, and an all-cuts budget would have devastating consequences for education, health, social services and public safety in this state.

In a normal budget year, about 59 percent of the budget is off limits to Gregoire and lawmakers. More than half the budget is obligated to pay for elementary and secondary education, Medicaid, pensions and other requirements. By accepting stimulus funds, Washington state has agreed to fully fund many other programs, leaving the governor and Legislature to make the needed cuts from just 29 percent of the budget. As Gregoire says, “There’s not a lot of options.” Lawmakers must find a balance between additional budget cuts and small, targeted tax increases to balance the two-year budget.

SMART VOTERS

Voters understand that the nation is in the depths of an economic recession. Voters understand that national unemployment is pushing 10 percent, and that demands for public services are up at a time when revenue is down.

Now is the time to show your support for the Exchange on Orcas Island!
The County Council is making important decisions that will affect the cost of dumping garbage and recycling at the Orcas transfer station  and your access to and the continuing viability of the Exchange.
In response to reduced income from garbage tipping fees and a long standing lack of capital funding the Council is cutting services at the Orcas transfer station (closing on Fridays starting Feb. 26^th) and devising a new fee schedule. The fee schedules under consideration increase the cost of self hauling and may include a “gate fee”to enter the transfer facility.
The “Take-it-or-Leave-it”on Lopez and the Exchange on Orcas  depend on self haulers to bring and take reusable materials that would otherwise be exported as waste. Any fee increases that further shift the costs of county waste programs to self haulers are contrary to the goals of the county’s Solid Waste Management Plan, which call for an aggressive waste reduction program.

Save the bees! Spring is just around the corner and bees are already starting their work on warm afternoons. But bees, both wild and domestic, native and non-native, are threatened!
Evidence continues to accumulate that radiation from wireless devices is the primary cause of colony collapse disorder (CCD) and the disappearance of wild bees. The radiation seems to affect the bee’s ability to navigate. Do you like to eat? Most of our food crops (especially in SJC) must be pollinated by bees to produce fruit, vegetables, or most important, seed. When enough bees disappear, so will people.

What can you do? It’s simple! Turn off wireless devices during hours of daylight when the temperature is above 50 degrees F (10 degrees C) and tell visitors and tourists to do the same.
Steve Ludwig, Lopez Island

The PTSA is proud to have sponsored our schools’ participation in this year’s Scripps Spelling Bee.  Many students participated in an after school Spelling Club for the last several months, learning words, strategies and taking part in mock bees. The Fourth through Eight Graders took part in class bees in mid-January to select 22 qualifiers to the school bee, which took place, Jan. 29^th.  Congratulations to Dylan Thompson, the 2010 Orcas Island School District Spelling Champion, and to Anthony Kaskurs, the Runner-Up. Dylan will represent our school at the Regional Competition in Mt. Vernon, March 13^th. Both received a one-year subscription to Brittanica Online Student Edition from Scripps. Special thanks to Tim Hance for his vision and drive in making this year’s bee a reality. Many thanks to donors All Islands Inspections, Enzo’s, Islanders’ Bank, The Office Cupboard, Stoltz/Kau Architects, Teezer’s, West Beach Resort and White Construction Co. for their generous support of the bee in the form of prizes for the winner and runner-up, making the winner’s trip to the regional bee (March 13 in Mt. Vernon) an expense paid  proposition.

I am an advocate of developing more cell tower sites on Orcas; particularly on the West side/Deer Harbor area.  This area is out of “line-of-sight” of Mount Constitution and difficult to receive cell reception.  If I had better cell reception, I would be able to have a backup to my land line.  I feel it is a “safety issue” to have better cell reception.  Yes, I would accommodate a cell tower on my private property.  I am not a “NIMBY”!  Sincerely;

H.S. Wright III

By Cynthia Dilling

“Where ever you stand on this issue, now is the time to let the Planning Commission know what you think.  Most county residents have no idea this discussion is going on and that the cell tower ordinance is about to be radically changed.  We all need to speak up.”

The cell tower issue is with us again. Many of you may remember how controversial this issue was in the early 90′s.  At that time our county had no regulatory ordinance for cell towers. On Orcas, Lopez and San Juan a few property owners were informed that cell towers would be built very close to their property lines, in one case 30 feet from their bedroom.

Through determination, education and a lot of public outrage the tower companies went away and the county placed a moratorium on new applications until a Personal Wireless Facilities (PWF) ordinance could be written.

Much has happened since those early days.  88% of all Americans now use cell phones and many in our community, including some of our emergency services, consider them a necessity.  The reason we do not have more towers or antennas has a lot to do with our low population density.  Fewer people translates to fewer dollars for the telecom companies.  Right now our PWF ordinance would allow any tower company to put up roof- or side-mounted antennae in activity centers, or build towers on 22 or more acres of land with 500-foot setbacks from neighboring property lines or place antennae on telephone poles.

During the last few years there has been a push by the fire departments in the county and the residents for more cell service.  A cell tower task force was formed.  It was chaired by County Councilman Rich Peterson and included County Councilman Richard Fralick from Orcas. The balance of the committee was made up from people who had connections to the telecom industry.  No members of the public who had helped write the current ordinance were included.  No one who had concerns or expertise regarding the health effects of microwave radiation was invited. This task force spent the last year writing a new draft PWF ordinance which if passed will effect all of us and our property values.

Our current PWF ordinance was designed to limit the visual impact of telecommunications facilities on the natural beauty of the islands and to conserve natural open spaces.  Our current ordinance compared with other ordinances around our state is not the most restrictive nor the least. It requires:

1. A reference map detailing potentially suitable locations.
2. 500 foot setbacks from property lines.
3. Notification of all neighbors within 1000 feet.
4. Conditional use permits (public hearings)
5. An annual radiation monitoring protocol.

The Cell Tower Task force draft ordinance is quite different.  To create it, they went to the telecom industry and asked what they didn’t like about our ordinance.  T-Mobile responded that our ordinance was stifling, had draconian limitations on site development and a burdensome land use process.  The draft ordinance reflects the telecom company answers:

1. Get rid of the reference map listing potentially suitable locations. Towers and antennas should be able to be placed anywhere.
2. The only setbacks would be the height of the tower or antenna (50-60 feet)
3. Only neighbors within 300 feet (instead of 1000 feet) will be notified.
4. The permitting system would be streamlined and conditional use permits and public hearings would be eliminated.
5. A radiation monitoring protocol will not be specified.

Once the new draft ordinance was created the next step the task force faced was how to get it passed. The existing PWF ordinance is part of the County Comprehensive Plan and is written as a Subarea Plan.  It can only be revised annually. The Task Force decided that the first step would be to remove the current PWF Ordinance from the Comprehensive Plan and place it in the Uniform Development Code (UDC) where it can be revised three times a year.

And this is where the issue sits at this moment.  The Planning Commission is now considering the issue of whether or not to move the existing PWF ordinance and place it in the UDC. They are not considering the details of the “Draft Ordinance” at this time but this is step one in moving toward adoption of the Draft Ordinance.
There will be a Hearing in Friday Harbor on January 15th in the County Council Chambers at 8:45 a.m. It is a continuation of a December hearing.

In December the Fire Chiefs from the county testified to the Planning Commission that if the PWF Ordinance isn’t moved “people will die.”  They stated that comprehensive cell service is an important part of their communication systems.

Here’s where this issue gets complicated.  If the PWF ordinance is moved to the UDC and the new Draft Ordinance is approved, there is still no guarantee that the tower companies will want to put up towers or antennas.