Wolf Hollow’s Bite of Orcas well attended
The Bite of Orcas was a great success. In fact, it was the best bite ever!
It would not have been possible without the participation of Orcas restaurants. Thank you to Bilbo’s, Cafe Olga, Chimayo, Deer Harbor Inn, erb’s vegetarian, New Leaf/Outlook Inn, Doe Bay Cafe, Lulu’s, Madrona Bar and Grill, Portofino’s, Orcas Village Store, Sunflower Cafe, Roses, Sazio, Olga Store, and Thai Sisters.
Thank you to the Lions Club tent crew, the Lower Tavern, and the many volunteers who were the busy bees behind the scenes: Elyse Van den Bosch, Bob Distler, Larry Everett, Kathy Everett, Bob Toombs, Gail Toombs, Hawk Armstrong, Colleen Armstrong, Rick Christmas, Susan Krieger, Mike Krieger, Jeff Otis, Linda Sullivan, and Larry and Candi Kiger, all the way from Whidbey Island.
See you next year!
Julie Knight
Executive Director
Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Sixty Miles for the Cure Fundraiser a success
The first annual Sixty Miles for the Cure fundraising dinner was a resounding success! Thanks in great measure to more than 30 islanders and island businesses who, as they so often do, stepped up with above-and-beyond generosity to help us accomplish the goal. We exceeded even our highest expectations, collecting over $7,000 to advance new research and education and fund screening, treatment, and support services to patients and their families dealing with breast cancer.
It’s the deeply held vision of all of us on your Orcas Island team that our children, grandchildren, and generations beyond will look back upon this time as one in which we worked tirelessly and gave mightily to end a deadly disease that is no longer a frightening prospect to them or those they love. It’s that future that gives us inspiration to walk 60 miles in three days this September. Your generous contribution to that effort buoys us as we train daily with thousands of others across America toward that one achievable, united purpose.
For this first fundraising dinner Orcas Island and friends have once again shown enormous heart and conviction to do tangible good in our own community and beyond. For that and your enthusiastic support we thank you most sincerely.
Island Girls and Guys
Orcas Island team
Salmon Supper postponed
San Juan Nature Institute regrets that unforeseen circumstances have made it necessary to postpone the Salmon Supper with Seaside Science announced just last week. We are very disappointed, as we were hoping to show you some of the Partners in Science projects conducted at the Elementary School. Of course, it was also to be a fund and friend-raising event to benefit our work at the school and future events on Orcas such as a lecture by Clifford Mass on Northwest Weather later this year.
We are actively seeking a convenient venue and suitable date, perhaps a low tide, for our second Salmon Supper and hope that many of the parents will come to see what their children have absorbed during these field-based classes.
Please watch our website and this newspaper for further information.
Happy summer to all.
Fiona Norris
San Juan Nature Institute
Race for the Eastound mayor continues
Eggitha, candidate for Eastsound Mayor, would like to thank Amber Minnis and Kaleidoscope, for being selected as Grand Marshal at the Pet Parade.
This selection, and the fact that she was the only candidate that appeared for that event, indicates the respect that she brings to the campaign and her serious commitment to the Mayoral position. In fact, during the parade, she laid an egg, thus validating her campaign slogan: “She’ll produce for you.” Vote now and vote often!
Dale Heisinger
Campaign Manager
Readiness to Learn thanks Community Foundation for grant
The Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) awarded the Readiness to Learn school program $7,500 in a Community Endowment Grant “for the purpose of connecting needy families with social services and providing emergency funds.”
Readiness to Learn is the name of the program that enlists social services in the community when a student has some obstacle that makes it difficult to come to school every day “ready to learn.”
The times they are a-changin’ – there is an increase in the stressors on families which make it hard for many children to be ready to learn. These needs have become increasingly apparent to RTL Family Advocates Moriah Armstrong and Julie Pinardi.
Through their efforts, and a caring community, students are able to learn and grow, not worrying if their mom can get a job, or if their dad will get well, or if their family will have to find another place to live – or even if they’re going to be able to go on a $40 field trip with the rest of their class.
RTL also administers an emergency account, funded by island donors, that has helped with rental assistance, utilities, transportation, scholarships, right down to food and shoes.
The Orcas Island Community Foundation has given Readiness to Learn and the Orcas Island School District a huge “vote of confidence” in the $7,500 grant awarded to us. We are deeply grateful that we will be able to continue to help our kids and our community in this way.
For some of our most vulnerable children, the need is overwhelming. We all can be generous, and the Community Foundation is leading the way in seeing and answering the needs of Orcas Islanders.
We want Orcas Islanders to know that we welcome their concerns if they should see a child in need of financial, emotional, social or academic support. Please feel free to contact Readiness to Learn at 376-1566, or email mdoyle@orcas.k12.wa.us. All information and services are confidential.
Thank you, Orcas Island Community Foundation.
Margie Doyle
Readiness to Learn Coordinator
Thanks to Orcas Community Foundation
Orcas Family Health Center would like to express our deepest appreciation to Orcas Island Community Foundation for their generous contribution to our new ultrasound machine. This diagnostic test has never before been available on Orcas and all residents can expect to benefit, not just the patients of OFHC.
We would also like to thank the Orcas High School seniors who used $800 of their allotment to contribute to our fund for patients who cannot afford to pay for medical care. Over the past couple of years patients have benefited from OFHC “writing off” over $30,000 providing care for these patients.
There is still an outstanding balance for our ultrasound as well as our recently purchased x-ray machine, so any additional donations would be appreciated. OFHC is a 501(c)3 non-profit rural health center so all donations are tax deductible.
Thanks again.
David C. Shinstrom, M.D.
Medical Director, OFHC
Ken Speck
President OFHC Board of Directors
RESPONSE TO BAR CODE EDITORIAL
Editorial was inaccurate
I see that you have re-run the editorial you ran last year about barcodes on ballots. The article was inaccurate then, and is even more so now.
RCW 29A.36.111 was revised during this year’s legislative session. SB 5359 addressed the concerns of local Green Party members, and others around the state, about barcodes on ballots. In its final form, the bill says that: “no paper ballot or ballot card may be marked by or at the direction of an election official in any way that would permit the identification of the person who voted that ballot.”
San Juan County is in full compliance with this statute. In fact, as County Auditor, I worked with other election officials around the state to get this bill passed. Notice that the bill does not say that ballots cannot have barcodes; it says that barcodes cannot be tied to voters. Ours are not. Again, I worked last year with the Secretary of State’s Office and the vendor of our ballot tracking system to ensure that no tie exists between our ballots and our voters’ identifications.
You are incorrect that our ballot tracking system allows voters to track their ballots to the point of tabulation. In fact, all we can tell voters is that their envelope has been received. In 2005 and 2006 we used a system which allowed voters to check to see if their ballots had been tabulated. At the recommendation of the Secretary of State, we ceased to use that functionality in 2007 (my first year in office), and in 2008 we worked with the SOS and the vendor to remove it.
Twenty-one counties in the state use the Hart InterCivic election tabulating system, and all of those use barcodes on their ballots. More counties use barcodes in other ways. I recommend that you contact Paul Miller or Patty Murphy of the Secretary of State’s Office and get educated on technology and security measures in today’s voting environment. Better still, come down to the local Elections office and talk to us. There you can look at the system, ask questions, and gather facts for an accurate piece on the conduct of elections today.
F. Milene Henley
San Juan County Auditor
Bar code editorial was spot-on
The reprint of your July 8, 2008 editorial asking for the removal of barcodes from county ballots was indeed timely. This is an update of events since your editorial:
July 14, 2008: Excerpt from the Auditor’s report to the County Council: “… And beginning with the primary election of 2008, San Juan County will no longer be using the [ballot tracker] system …”
July 15, 2008 – The County Council votes 5 to 1 to recommend that the barcodes be removed from the ballots. The Council did not order the removal of the barcodes since Prosecutor Randy Gaylord maintained that the council has no such authority. This was a questionable decision, given the fact that the King County Council unanimously passed an identical ordinance for ballot barcode removal with no legal questions.
The primary election of 2008 and all subsequent elections to date: Barcodes remain on the county ballots.
December 2008: The County Council approves the budget for 2009 with money for BallotTracker in it. See line item 511.70.48.0004 ElectionTrust Contract (page 30 of 86 pages) ElectionTrust is the company that owns and maintains BallotTracker.
This last action seems inexplicable. Why would the County Council approve money for an item that they have recommended against? They may have been told they don’t have the power to remove the bar codes, but they certainly have the power to cut off the funding. And we are looking for ways to reduce the budget shortfall.
We suggest that you assign a crack investigative reporter to find out what’s going on.
Tom Munsey
Green Party of San Juan County
Editor’s note: The Sounder and Journal are continuing to research both sides of this issue.
