Support for education bills
The state of Washington is legally and ethically obliged to provide the most “basic education” to our children. More than 100 bills are on the table, but the two major ones are House Bill 1410/Senate Bill 5444, also known as the Basic Education Task Force Bill, and House Bill 1817/Substitute Senate Bill 5607, also called the Full Funding Coalition Bill.
I support the Basic Education one because it specifically identifies ways to help our children through: smaller class size, more librarians, more counselors, more nurses, help for struggling students, help for ELL learners, and help for students in special education.
The Basic Education Task Force Bill identifies areas where money should be spent, like for pre-kindergarten programs and for improving high schools. The Full Funding Coalition Bill also wants money for our schools, but it doesn’t identify how these funds should be spent.
Nor does the Full Funding Coalition interpret the meaning of “basic education,” which means that it’s ignoring the constitutional obligation that Washingtonians have for the sake of our children. Instead, it wants to “implement a 10-Member permanent Commission to annually determine the resources necessary to amply provide a K-12 education…” This sounds to me like politicians, not the professional educators, would be calling the shots, and that things would be in constant change every year.
Thank you to our State Legislators – Quall, Morris, and Ranker – who all support House Bill 1410 and Senate Bill 5444. Thank you also to the Washington State PTA (Parent Teacher Association), which also supports the Basic Education Task Force Bill.
In fact, Deb Nolan of the Friday Harbor High School PTSA is chartering a bus on Thursday, Feb. 26 from Anacortes to Olympia, to rally on the capitol steps, along with many other advocates from across the state. If you’re interested in going or writing a letter or getting more information, contact her at debnolan@rockisland.com or call 378-3364.
Claire Reutter, M.Ed.
Deer Harbor
Red Cross needs help
We need your help.
So we can be here when you need our assistance, the local American Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team is asking for a donation of a place where we can store our supplies.
We are presently located in the basement of the senior center in a 10’x10’ enclosure built with materials generously donated by a grant from the OICF and built with the donated time of Locket Goodrich. The senior center board has asked us to vacate the area by March 1 unless we can pay rent. Their needs have changed regarding the space, and we are unable to pay rent.
We are actively seeking a centrally located, dry, easily accessible space. If you have an area that you think might suit our needs and are willing too share, please call Mairi Stagg at 376-4593 or Bea vonTrobel at 376-5285.
All of our supplies are purchased by donated funds generated locally to be used in times of natural disasters, in shelters, and to be there in the event of a single residence fire.
We are truly neighbors helping neighbors. Thank you.
Mairi Stagg
Orcas Island
Pre-paid
cremation
Is a “Free pre-paid cremation offer” tempting, or what?
Mike Stolmeier
Orcas Island
Deer Harbor fire station
This is a reply to the recent article concerning the Deer Harbor Fire Station project.
There has never been any objection to improve the current situation.
Objections are based on the over-the-top scope and the location of the new station. We have continually been presented with quotes from the comp plan and facts known by all. The real facts of the sight limitation and the future of our bridge have simply been ignored.
The fact is that there is and has been a road from Cormorant Road through the Cockston and Connor properties for some years. Spring Point can be accessed via this route. The statement recently made that even if the station was located on Deer Harbor Road the access to Spring Point would be unlikely. The population in Deer Harbor during the off-season is reduced by 50 percent.
The community has recently asked that the building should resemble a barn as to blend in with the surroundings. The property has a high visibility without any greenbelt. The needed amenities would be very visible and would hardly blend or improve the view.
The grant for this project was made in 1999 and the amount was $100,000. The cost of the currently proposed scope will, without doubt, exceed this amount.
I may mention how our station in Eastsound suddenly went far beyond the estimated cost and went to cost overrun of 2,000,000. At any rate, once again, everyone pays.
Karla Rieg
Deer Harbor
Orcas Fire and Rescue banquet
a roaring
success
I am happy to say that the 2009 Orcas Island Volunteer Fire and EMS annual banquet was a success. We had over 150 attendees representing our membership past and present. We were graciously offered the use of Rosario’s Discovery House along with the culinary talents of Libi and Yuriko. Several awards noting service to the community and department were given out along with many wonderful gifts from the following businesses: Bilbo’s Festivo Restaurant, Anita Holladay at Healing Arts Center, Teezer’s, Orcas Island Hardware, Deer Harbor Charters, Wildlife Cycles, New Leaf Café/Outlook Inn, Martin Taylor/Edna Gallery, Shawna Franklin, Outer Island Expeditions, Orcas Mandala Yoga Studio, Cascade Harbor Inn, Doe Bay Resort, Ecotopian Dinner Theater, 376-WEAR, Wood’s Cove.
Thank you, Orcas Island, for supporting our members.
Toby Brown
Volunteer Firefighter/EMS Association President
Thanks for help with lasagna dinner
The Orcas Montessori Public School Program would like to thank the community for their wonderful support of our third annual Lasagna dinner and auction fundraiser. We would especially like to highlight the generosity of Kyle Ater and Homegrown Market for providing food for the third year in a row. We also want to thank Geddes and MaryAnna Bishop-Martin of the Inn at Ship Bay, who provided food, expertise, guidance and a great kitchen. Thanks to Veronica San Martin for linens and help dressing the tables. Thank you to all of you who donated auction items, and of course a hearty thanks to all volunteers and parents whose hard work helps keep this wonderful public school program running.
Jim and Sylvia Biddick, Rachel Bishop, Marguerite Greening, April Pollock, Susan Stoltz
OMPSP Board
Orcas Idol a smash
Once again the Orcas Idol show at the Orcas Center on Feb. 7 was fantastic fun and such a success!
It takes so much planning, hard work and generosity on the part of many to pull this show off.
I’d like to thank the exceptional efforts by the following people, for without them the show would not be the success it was this year:
• The event coordinating committee who start their work way back in September and don’t end until the month after the show is over. The dream team members are Moriah Armstrong, Jeanne Beck, Jim Bredouw, Janet Knowles, Marta Nielson, Marcia Gillingham, Patricia Goffeney, Julie Pinardi, Janice Wiemeyer. Excellent job!
• Anita Orne and Gordon Koenig for the superb job as MCs for the evening. Great humor, great (Gordeaux’s) clothes!
• Grace McCune, Terry Anderson and Gene Nery for their graceful, non-judgmental judging.
• A special thanks to Bennett Video Productions, Patrick Bennett and John Wachter for all of their fancy camera work that provided the video feed into the Madrona room.
• Radio Shack for the first prize cash donation, selling tickets and providing all the CDs needed for the singers.
• Darvill’s Bookstore for selling tickets for us.
• Doug Bechtel and the Grange.
• The Orcas Center and especially Deborah Sparks who provided lots of production extras that made us look so good.
• The Islands Sounder for their great coverage and support.
• And finally, our deepest thanks goes to the courageous and talented singers who really made this year’s show the most diverse and interesting one yet ! Without you there is no show!
On behalf of Orcas Island Prevention Partnership, a sincere thanks to the community for their continued support and for buying tickets in these tough economic times.
See you next year!
Donna Laslo
Event Coordinator
