The Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that this year’s best Community Parade Entry is awarded to the Orcas Island Historical Society and Museum for their “Born Here, Still Here” entry.

Each year the Chamber Board of Directors recognizes the parade entrant whose entry best captures the spirit of that year’s parade theme. This year, that theme was “Celebrate the Classics.” As the winner, the Chamber will award the Museum a check for $100. The Chamber’s Executive Director, Lance Evans, said, “There were many excellent parade entries, each deserving of recognition, but only one could be chosen.”

The museum summed up their winning entry by saying “When you look at one of the best meanings of Classic: ‘judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind,’ the Historical Society felt that Islanders who were “Born Here…Still Here” represent a true “Celebration of the Classic.” Many who qualified had other marching orders in the parade, but the following were proud to wear the title: Corky North, Peg Elliot, Jane Barfoot-Hodde, Lloyd Pinneo, Cliff Thompson, Rob Harvey, Ron Montgomery, Leith Templin Kastelitz, Madeline Haffey and Cal McLachlan. Jim Hamilton drove his restored Classic Land Rover. The group followed behind another Born Here, Still Here island “classic” – John Willis – and in front of other local families – the Madans & Gudgells.