On Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 1, a call arrived on my answering machine from a representative at CenturyLink: “Hi, this is Jeff at CenturyLink. My tech tells me that Orcas Online is going out of business and we’re wondering what you’ll be doing for internet service.”

I had received an email from Orcas Online the beginning of October informing me that in order to offer DSL they had to rent phone lines from CenturyLink and the cost had become too high for Orcas Online to stay competitive. My DSL connection expired on Oct. 31. The following day I received the call from CenturyLink.

An hour after the CenturyLink call I went into town half expecting to find a “Closed” sign on the door at Orcas Online. Fortunately, they were open for business. While explaining to Nathan what happened, Mindy overheard and said: “You’re the third person who has told me the same thing!”

To demonstrate the difference between Orcas Online and CenturyLink, Mindy actually helped three of their former customers set up their service with CenturyLink!

Orcas Online also said they would let me keep my email address. So even though I am no longer a customer, I can still send and receive email via Orcas Online. Bless their heart.

I would drop CenturyLink if I could, but there’s no other choice I know of that offers a landline.

However, if I could afford a high-speed internet provider, it would be Orcas Online hands down.

As for CenturyLink, they can go to Hell, Michigan (3 miles southwest of Pinckney via Patterson Lake Road) (if you reach County Rd., you’ve gone too far) and take their hand basket with them.

Phil Knight

Orcas Island