We want to express our deep gratitude to all those who worked together to make the memorial celebration for Marcy Lund so beautiful and so healing.

Thanks to Tricia Trainer for guiding us through the service, Tim Burak and Jo Ellen Moldoff for sharing thoughts and poems, all the storytellers who so lovingly offered their window on a wonderful life, Mary McCulloch for creating the program and, along with Ann Jones, for creating picture displays, Sandi Burt for the Guest Book, Mimi Anderson, Mary Macopia, Mary Nash, and many more for the wonderful flowers, Marcia Spees for having an answer for every question, and to all those who helped set up and clean up and everything in between.

A special thanks to Bobby and Bev Olmstead of the Café Olga for providing a wondrous feast (with contributions from Roses, Chimayo, Bilbo’s, Christina’s, Rosario, The Kitchen, Home Grown Market, Island Market, and the Café Olga staff, along with Annie Sparks Demptster, Carol Anderson, Sami Messinger and Sue Roland).

Do San Juan County Sheriffs abuse their power? Judging from what happens at the Lopez Island ferry dock, I’d say yes.

Arriving on Lopez Saturday the 16th on the 3 p.m. ferry from Anacortes I noticed one of our county sheriffs boarding the vessel as a walk-on passenger, leaving his vehicle (identified with the number 9744) parked in the 10 minute waiting spaces closest to the dock.

When I returned this morning (Sunday the 17th) to catch the ferry back to Anacortes for appointments — the vehicle was still parked in the 10 minute loading/unloading zone. 18 hours in a 10 minute zone? And that’s just what I noticed. I’m sure the ferry workers could give much better numbers.

It begs the question of which island our local sheriff lives, it looks like either Orcas or San Juan to me since that’s where the ferry was headed. Make me wonder if he is parking illegally on the other side as well.

The ferry terminal provides overnight parking for vehicles, but it seems the sheriff is too lazy to walk the 100 yards up the hill. Maybe we should put a donut shop at the top of the hill as motivation.

I own property on Orcas and was returning from a visit yesterday (March 18), taking the 1:15 ferry from Orcas to Anacortes. Upon arriving at Anacortes I was routed through an immigration checkpoint. I was quite surprised as this had never happened to me before. The officer was courteous, asked me if I was a citizen (I am a 71-year-old Anglo – not much question), and waved me on my way.

At the time I was mildly irritated that such a thing would happen. After all, I was merely traveling within the state and obviously had not crossed any international borders on this trip.

As I further contemplated it on my trip home, I became increasingly upset. Where does the Federal government get the authority to arbitrarily stop and question persons involved in intrastate travel? Why target the Anacortes ferry terminal when such activities would be applicable to airports, bus stations, train stations, etc. This was, effectively, a Federal road block, and as noted in your article, there is the underlying issue of racial profiling.

I am far less concerned about illegal immigrants living in the San Juans than I am about the fact that Federal authorities have apparently decided that they can stop me whenever they choose as I go about my daily business.

I was unfortunately unable to attend the recent Council meeting to which Deputy Chief Joe Guiliano of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had been invited. I understand that roughly 150 islanders came to hear Chief Guilliano’s justification for the spot checks that have netted and deported at least eight of our neighbors. His responses did not appear to have convinced many listeners of the merits of ICE policy. And there appears to be little or no support for ICE policy within the rest of the community.

I urge all those opposed to the current ICE policy regarding immigrants to voice their objections to your state and federal representative. Silence will not affect a change.

I quote from a recent New York Times editorial:

“Maybe some people do not mind that immigration zealotry is sending the country down a path of far greater intrusion into citizens’ lives, into a world of ingrained suspicion, routine discrimination and economic disruption. Is that what we want – to make the immigration system tougher without fixing it? To make illegal immigrants suffer without any hope of ever becoming legal, because that is amnesty?

Could it be that tightening the screws relentlessly on illegal immigrants, even if some citizens suffer in the process, is all for the greater good?”

Last week I saw that two of our old and beautiful golden chain trees were still standing adjacent to sidewalk on Main St. corner of former Templin House property. Excavating seemed to be such as to leave the two trees standing. What a dreadful shock as I made my next trip to town to see the whole area, including the trees, totally wiped out.

Just a little over a year ago our island suffered the loss of so many trees to forces of nature. Now we lose these landmark trees to senseless forces of humans.

I am sure I am not the only one to grieve this loss of beauty in Eastsound.

In sorrow,

I suggest that, as each of us approaches the INS checkpoint at the Anacortes Ferry Terminal, we should answer any question asked of us in Spanish, to the best of our abilities.

Let’s see if the INS can handle the overflow.

When the grins were biggest and the music was at its height, we were all reminded of how important and lasting an impact can be made when many people work together toward a common goal.

Mimi and Slim Sommerville’s sponsorship of IM: In Music’s visiting Musician-in Residence set the stage. Contributions to the Annual Campaign provide sustaining dollars for OICMF’s on-going operating work. Collaboration among OICMF’s staff with the school’s administration and teachers created the schedule. Young musicians K-12 welcomed Ms. Mead with gracious enthusiasm and tons of talent. Orcas Center staff’s cooperation in providing the venue for the Master Class was timely and professional. The community musicians who stepped forward to receive coaching from Monique demonstrated the versatile nature of our island artists.

Volunteers Phil Burbo, Rose Ann Dolan, Kathi Ciscowski, Barbara Trunkey, Joe Floren, Bob Waunch, Phyllis and Bob Henigson, and Valerie Anders were each instrumental in their individual gifts of time or in-kind help. OICMF’s Artistic Director Aloysia Friedmann stepped in to moderate the Master Class when I lost my voice – a perfect and elegant solution that was loved by all who attended and performed. And to Monique Mead, our visiting Musician-in-Residence, we wish to say, “Come back soon! You made a difference in our lives.”

Applause to the Islands’ Sounder for letting the community know of our Musician-in-Residence offering and Ms. Mead’s credentials.

Thank you all and with particular appreciation to OICMF’s Board of Directors who set a high priority on the community’s access to the Festival’s artists combined with music education. Let’s do this again!

With warm regards,

On Friday, March 21, Larry Berg, the girl’s high school basketball coach as well as athletic director on Lopez, was presented the annual “Mal Walton Sportsmanship Award” at the end of the season banquet held by the Northwest Board of Basketball Officials.

This award is voted on by 65 officials who cover 23 schools in our area. Over 2000 ballots were cast. Lopez received the highest overall score ever (4.4 out of 5). The previous high was 3.8. The Orcas Vikings placed second, a mere .025 of a point behind the Lady Lobos.

The vote takes into account all aspects of sportsmanship from the fans, the players as well as the coaches. I highly recommend you take a few minutes to check out Coach Berg’s website: www.lopez.k12.wa.us/LBerg

His philosophy is simple – “Let the players play, let the coaches coach, let the officials officiate and let the spectators cheer!”

Both schools should be very proud of this accomplishment. In my opinion, the most important lessons that our students are learning when playing any high school sport are sportsmanship and teamwork. Those are the lessons they will carry into their adult lives. The community should be grateful for the leadership and guidance our coaches are providing at every level.

I’m writing in regard to Steve Garrison’s article that appeared in last weeks Sounder. The piece tells of an undocumented Orcas man arrested by Immigration Services in Anacortes as he drove off the ferry. He was on his way to the airport to pick up his wife and child. He was arrested, cuffed and shackled, and eventually taken to a detention facility in Tacoma. He is now back home, on bail, awaiting trial.

The article was particularly meaningful to me because through recent genealogical research I learned that my father, 1897-1981, was an undocumented alien. He told his wife and five children that he was born in Ritzville, Wash. But I learned that he was born in Hussenbach, Russia, as were his parents. Hussenbach village was founded and populated for many generations by unassimilated Germans. When pressure to assimilate became intense, and anti-German sentiment increased, thousands fled to the US. Among these immigrants was my 14-year-old father accompanied by his uncle. It is startling to think that if my father were alive today, he too could be cuffed and shackled and spirited away, no matter that his wife and children were citizens.

I am ashamed that in this Country, right here in San Juan County, an Orcas man, with a citizen wife and child, had to suffer such indignities as a consequence of Home Land Security’s enforcement of their not inconsiderable powers. We can educate ourselves about what is going on regarding immigration policies, and we can make our voices heard through our legislator in the hope of bringing about change. And, we are called upon to help this family. They must have excellent legal representation. That is their only hope for remaining here, and we can help.

Please join me in donating to the “Social Justice Fund,” which has been set up by the St Francis Catholic Church, 425 Price Street, Friday Harbor. Attn: Carrie Lacher.

I am making my donation in memory of my father, Philip Propp, an undocumented alien, a good man, honest and hard working, who gave his children opportunities which he, himself never had.