Immigration
solutions
Councilman Peterson is right. We need a broad nation-wide solution to immigration. We need to take an honest introspective look at our own faults before we condemn others for coming here to work without a “permission slip.” To accept our own inadequacies, we would gain an understanding of the symbiotic relationship we have with immigration. This would challenge us to own the responsibilities we have to our fellow human beings, rather than passing off our own problems to an “enemy.”
Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on the hill” has turned into the “shining prison on the hill” for thousands of immigrants in the U.S. With most persons who are detained, there is a broken family grieving for their loved ones and thrown into economic disaster. Is this the legacy we want for our country?
As the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI said just this past April: “The promotion of human rights remains the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups, and for increasing security. Indeed, the victims of hardship and despair, whose human dignity is violated with impunity, become easy prey to the call to violence, and they can then become violators of peace.”
Conversely, it was not so long ago that another modern democracy cast a driftnet over its population in order to “cleanse itself.” As the horrible round-ups began, most citizens stood behind their government in order to conform with the law. They were “just doing their job.”
According to the authorities of the Third Reich, it was the patriotic thing to do – “you’re either with us or against us.” At the last meeting with the Boarder Patrol Deputy Chief Joe Giuliano, we heard a lot of, “I’m just doing my job” in response to what is nothing less than a humanitarian crisis.
Yes – in a nation of rules, “ignorance is no excuse for the law”, but since the laws of man are no substitute for universally accepted laws of God/Morality, no law should serve as an excuse for ignorance, hate, or inhumanity. No “job” of enforcing “the law” should ever serve as a ticket to impunity.
Jeff Bossler
Eastsound
Orcas
finds lost child
For a few brief hours this last Thursday, I experienced the worst nightmare a parent can face. My six-year-old Darby went missing, seemingly without a trace. After calling everyone I knew and driving around in circles for a while I began to seriously panic. It was at that time when I was reminded why Orcas is the best and most wonderful place in the world to live.
Friends, family, the school staff, local law enforcement and even people I had never met started searching for my little girl. I cannot tell you what it means to be checking everywhere you can think of and turn around to find the whole community checking too. Happily, all ended well and Darby was found safe and sound and mom has a whole new appreciation for this place our family calls home. Thank you, thank you again.
Bridget Wright
Eastsound
PTSA celebrates teachers and roller skating
It seems like May is one of the busiest times at the public schools, and this year is no exception. For National Teacher Appreciation Week, the PTSA honored all teachers and staff with a luncheon provided by generous parents. For the first time, many community businesses stepped in to sponsor prizes to be raffled for the teachers/staff. The very generous community businesses supporting our public school staff are: Office Cupboard (with a $100 gift certificate, fortuitously won by a school art teacher!), Moonglow, Chimayo, Salon Mir Toi (six gift certificates!), Ace Hardware, Darvill’s, Wood’s Cove, Radio Shack, Kizmit, Eastsound Instruments, Laura’s Clothes Horse, Tres Fabu, Wildlife Cycles, erb’s, Orcas Center and Boku Books. Thanks so much to our community-minded businesses! The teachers and staff were overwhelmed by this wonderful outpouring of support.
Thanks also need to go to the many volunteers who have made community roller skating possible again this year—without you we couldn’t do it! Thanks to Roller Skating Coordinator Micki Nichols, Bob Connell, “Super Volunteer” Dawn Light, Marian O’ Brien, Keith Whitaker, Pat (Lohman) Hunt, Anne Garfield, Lorena Stankevich and many others for the many hours cleaning, straightening and supervising the gym, along with the many who came to a work party event to help keep our skates in good working order. Thanks also to Teezer’s, for its contributions to the prizes for our skaters throughout the year. As always, we need more volunteers to ensure that we can offer skating as often next year as we did this. Please consider helping if you can. Finally, thanks to all the awesome skaters who come week in and week out to have fun. See you next Fall!
Barb Skotte,
PTSA President
Eastsound
Public Comment at meetings
To all commissioners and council members:
Public comment time in an open meeting is just that, time for public comment. It is not your time to defend, argue or counterpoint. It is your time to listen to the public and take notes unless a specific question has been asked. If you are on the board or in any official capacity (i.e. recording secretary, accountant, director etc.), you are not there as the public.
We, the public have voted for you to represent us and our interests. Transparency is encouraged, not more policies or ordinances to limit true information, actions and plans. Respect that we have taken the time to participate and care about the overall results. Be open to observations or comments made by the public. Honor our time, stick to your agendas and make information available in a timely manner so that the public has time to view it and make concise comments.
What I have observed is that the more the public attends meetings, the more you want to limit public input and find ways to make it more difficult for the public to be involved. These actions do not create trust with the citizens, they only raise more questions.
Kathleen Speed
Eastsound
DVSAS
Family Options
program hailed
As the Readiness to Learn Student/Family Advocate at the Lopez Secondary School, I would like to go “on record” with my appreciation for the DVSAS Family Options Program.
The Family Options Program is new to DVSAS this year. It provides 12 free counseling sessions to families who are experiencing or have experienced conflicts within their families. This counseling is provided by a psychotherapist with 30 years of experience working with families. Many of us are well aware that the stress of working and raising a family is real and not getting any easier in our world today. For those who have not been parented in a healthy way themselves, this task is even more stressful. It was for this reason that the Family Options Program was developed.
In my job at the Lopez School, I have referred several families to the program, and have been most impressed with the help they have received. This program is a huge gift to island families. In these days of budget cuts for most education and social programs, it is heartening to see that we can support a program of this type.
So thank you to DVSAS and the various funding sources for this program!
Sincerely,
Nancy Ewert
Readiness to Learn Student/Family Advocate
Lopez Secondary School
Thing-a-Thon
winners
Sunshine and enthusiasm helped make this year’s Orcas Island Education Foundation’s Annual Thing-a-Thon a great success. Students from K thru HS, parents and teachers all came and joined in the fun and showed support for the schools.
Two people really helped to organize this year’s event – Kristen Zbornik/Volunteer coordinator and Michelle Keyes /Food coordinator. We are grateful to everyone who volunteered to make this a smoothly run and enjoyable event. Michelle did an amazing job creating a sumptious feast with many donations from local restaurants and parents.
This year’s Ribbon winners: 10K Bike – 1st – Hannah Brunner 2nd – Anthony Kaskurs; 10K Run – all crossing the finish line together – Pete Moe, Kevin O’Brien, Dennis Dahl and Greg (in record 1:10:53!), 5K Bike: Daria Stankevich: 5K Run – Jake Griffith and Chris Idelman and Obstacle Course: Keith Light. For Most Creative “Thing” – HS – great drumming exhibited by Coyote Womack and Andon Hilter, MS- lovely singing led by Kelsey Whitaker and Elem – a long crocheting session by Enzo Thixton and Wylie Kau. For Longest Endurance “Thing” – Erin Ledgerwood and Celestine Kaltentach actually swinged for 2 hrs straight! For Show of Strength “Thing” – Susan Stolemeier, Susanne McClure, Roann Mietzner, Jacob Stolmeier (and others) weeded the Elementary school flower beds. And Catherine Laflin’s High School Spanish students won for their delicious Quesadilla-a-thon Making booth.
Again, we appreciate efforts of all the participants and all the community that helped to sponsor them. Hope to see you next year.
Alison Monico
& Julie Brunner-Gaydo
Thing-A-Thon Chairpersons
Sweep out the Scotch Broom
One can’t miss the bright yellow flowers of the ever-spreading Scotch Broom along the roadways and in our yards. And there’s more than ever. Now is the time to pull (or cut, if too large) these plants before they go to seed. The Noxious Weed Control people (376-3499) can loan you a weed wrench, a very satisfying tool to use. Or do it your own way. Unless everyone on this island gets into the program and works to eliminate these plants every year (they keep popping up), we’re not going to win.
Margot Shaw
West Sound
Doe Bay supports Funhouse
Despite the rain that fell on May 19, almost 90 people supported The Funhouse while enjoying the beauty, great live music and delicious food at Doe Bay Resort and Café. Huge thanks to resort owners Joe and Maureen Brotherton, managers Harreld Dinkins and Jami Mitchell, chef Janay Destello, café manager Nicole Proffitt, and other staff for making this event such a success.
Our gratitude also to the guests who attended the event, Lopez Island Creamery for discounting their delicious ice cream, the Orcas Island Fire Department for its loan of tables and chairs, and Donna Laslo and Jonathan White and Tom and Jenny Welch for the use of their tents. Special thanks also to the AM String Band for setting the mood and Funhouse board members and staff who helped at the event.
All these generous contributions directly support The Funhouse’s mission of serving the urgent needs of young people by providing a safe and stimulating environment where they can learn, discover, create, socialize, and be heard.
On behalf of The Funhouse Board, staff, and all the children we serve, thank you!
Pete Moe
Executive Director
The Funhouse
