My sister is a nurse and her occupation is in great demand these days. She has worked in a variety of positions in her nursing career, from pediatric wards to internal medicine, wound care, cardiac clinics, urgent care, to complex case management.
In every position, her work ethic of expertise and compassion has helped not only her patients, but her colleagues as well. I think of her as an agent of change and progress, of respectfully challenging people's comfort zones as well as her own.
In the world of institutional medicine, she has been an educated voice for choice and responsibility, all in the service of healing.
Now she is moving on to a position in a gastro-enterology clinic, and leaves another set of colleagues with her standards of respect, trust, responsibility and team work. She teaches so much by example and offers such vision in her constant, compassionate pursuit of excellence.
Her story reminds me of that recent internet saying: Some friends are there for a reason; some friends are for a season; and some friends are for life.
While we may not be acknowledged for the efforts and vision we provide for a cause, or a job, it's important not just to the person whose work deserves recognition, but to the person making the acknowledgment -- to our own sense of the possibility of repeating and building upon good work -- to take note of the good otherst have done while they held certain positions.
In that vein, I'd like to salute Alan Lichter, retiring Council Member from Orcas West. Alan led the charge on the county's vote against the Iraq War. He also proposed a comprehensive environmental rehabilitation program. He served as liaison to the Ferry Advisory Committee when it was being challenged by WSF administration, and resigned in protest when its chair, Alex MacLeod, was axed. Alan Lichter came forward to help form the Veterans Advisory Committee, in support of those who serve in the U.S. military. He reminded the council of the continuing costs in implementing the Rosario Resort Master Plan as he continued his opposition to it.
And something that may have escaped notice in this season of budget shortfalls and economic decline: while knowing that the "part-time" council position often involves more than full-time hours, Alan voluntarily accepted a 50 percent cut in pay when he offered himself as a candidate for re-election to the County Council. While he was elected in 2004 to a $65,000 Commmissioner position, he was willing to continue to serve on the Council at a $34,000 salary, dictated by the 2006 County Charter.
It's something to consider as we look at belt-tightening in both our household and public agencies' budgets.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Final county budget vote this Tuesday: cash balance projected to fall short of $1.5 million mark
The San Juan County Council will vote on the revised county budget on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Last week, they heard from various citizen and county groups who were facing budget cuts. The council voted to re-instate the following budget items:
$48,900 to restore a juvenile probation officer position
$25,000 to the transportation program for senior citizens
$25,000 for personnel to the Health Department
Funding the office assistant position in the Council’s office as a ¾ time level.
(The position had been eliminated in the administrator’s preliminary budget.)
Adding back a half-time office assistant to the Park’s Department
$5,000 addition to the Council budget primarily for lobbying the state legislature
$35,000 to fund the ARC Coordinator’s position
$32,000 to the Sheriff’s department for personnel
Adding back a department assistant in long-ranging planning position to the
Community Development and Planning Department budget.
$15,000 to Lopez/Orcas youth programs
Council Member Gene Knapp asked that the vote on the budget be postponed until December 9 so that the Council and public would have time to review the document in its final form.
After the “add-backs,” Auditor Henley said her projected cash reserve for 2009 is now
$1.18 million. Through the budget process, she has urged the council to maintain a reserve of at least $1.5 million to deal with unexpected expenses or revenue fluctuations and to avoid cash flow problems.
At the end of the public hearing, Council Member Rich Peterson reminded his fellow
Council Members of the Auditor’s projections that the County would run out of money as early as 2010. He asked other members to commit to taking a property tax levy increase proposal to the voters in the near future. “If it’s turned down, then we have our marching orders to make a change."
County Administrator Pete Rose prefaced the Council’s discussion of the proposed 2009
County Budget by saying, “The budget before you is a balanced budget . . . once you’ve settled on an ending cash balance then a dollar-in needs to be a dollar-out.”
Auditor Milene Henley followed by reporting bad news: the County’s cash balance at the end of November was lower than expected and she now projects that the County will end the year with about $200,000 less in the bank than she had previously predicted.
The public hearing was more subdued and briefer than many had expected, with speakers presenting signed petitions and urging the Council to find ways to protect senior services programs, support farmers by funding the Agricultural Resources Committee’s Coordinator and keep parks and public restrooms open.
David Dehlendorf long active with the San Juan Island Trails Committee came offering
money and a volunteer work force. He told the Council that he had raised $1,300 in donations and had 100 volunteers available to help fund and maintain the parks and public toilets that the Parks Department had anticipated closing, due to budget cutbacks.
Parks and Recreation Department Director Dona Wuthnow said that with volunteer help,
and the hope of a grant from the Lodging Tax funds and the restoration of a part-time support position, she may avoid having to close at least three day parks.
For more information on San Juan County's 2009 budget, go to www.sanjuanco.com.
$48,900 to restore a juvenile probation officer position
$25,000 to the transportation program for senior citizens
$25,000 for personnel to the Health Department
Funding the office assistant position in the Council’s office as a ¾ time level.
(The position had been eliminated in the administrator’s preliminary budget.)
Adding back a half-time office assistant to the Park’s Department
$5,000 addition to the Council budget primarily for lobbying the state legislature
$35,000 to fund the ARC Coordinator’s position
$32,000 to the Sheriff’s department for personnel
Adding back a department assistant in long-ranging planning position to the
Community Development and Planning Department budget.
$15,000 to Lopez/Orcas youth programs
Council Member Gene Knapp asked that the vote on the budget be postponed until December 9 so that the Council and public would have time to review the document in its final form.
After the “add-backs,” Auditor Henley said her projected cash reserve for 2009 is now
$1.18 million. Through the budget process, she has urged the council to maintain a reserve of at least $1.5 million to deal with unexpected expenses or revenue fluctuations and to avoid cash flow problems.
At the end of the public hearing, Council Member Rich Peterson reminded his fellow
Council Members of the Auditor’s projections that the County would run out of money as early as 2010. He asked other members to commit to taking a property tax levy increase proposal to the voters in the near future. “If it’s turned down, then we have our marching orders to make a change."
County Administrator Pete Rose prefaced the Council’s discussion of the proposed 2009
County Budget by saying, “The budget before you is a balanced budget . . . once you’ve settled on an ending cash balance then a dollar-in needs to be a dollar-out.”
Auditor Milene Henley followed by reporting bad news: the County’s cash balance at the end of November was lower than expected and she now projects that the County will end the year with about $200,000 less in the bank than she had previously predicted.
The public hearing was more subdued and briefer than many had expected, with speakers presenting signed petitions and urging the Council to find ways to protect senior services programs, support farmers by funding the Agricultural Resources Committee’s Coordinator and keep parks and public restrooms open.
David Dehlendorf long active with the San Juan Island Trails Committee came offering
money and a volunteer work force. He told the Council that he had raised $1,300 in donations and had 100 volunteers available to help fund and maintain the parks and public toilets that the Parks Department had anticipated closing, due to budget cutbacks.
Parks and Recreation Department Director Dona Wuthnow said that with volunteer help,
and the hope of a grant from the Lodging Tax funds and the restoration of a part-time support position, she may avoid having to close at least three day parks.
For more information on San Juan County's 2009 budget, go to www.sanjuanco.com.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Eastsound committee and cemetery board complete projects
This week the Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) and the Cemetery District met and reported on the completion of several tasks they'd set out for themselves.
The EPRC is a county advisory committee that is becoming more prominent in county planning, and the Cemetery District (for Woodlawn Cemetery) is a county junior taxing district.
So they are both part of county bureaucracy and their members are unpaid volunteers in service to the rest of us.
Here's some of their recent accomplishments:
The Cemetery District Board has organized and updated the files of this historic graveyard, a tedious task that requires much research. Some information is still missing, but there is now a substantially complete record of those buried at Woodlawn. Board member Pierrette Guimond speaks of the legacy of the Cemetery Board's work, that can be passed on to future boards.
The EPRC has arranged their work into committees, with individual EPRC members being the point person for each job:
Steve Hopkins for Development advisor
Audrey Moreland for Transportation advisor
Audrey Moreland for Parking advisor
Patty Miller for Long-Range Planning, Growth Management Act and County advisor
Gulliver Rankin for Utility and Stormwater Advisor
Brian Ehrmantraut for Housing advisor
Brian Ehrmantraut for Community Services and Facilities advisor
Bob Connell for Economy advisor
Bob Connell for Conservation advisor
Mindy Kayl for Outreach advisor
All the EPRC advisors plan to be at the Open House on Monday, Dec. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Eastsound Fire Hall. Representatives from the following public agencies will be on hand to explain their work:
County Administrator Pete Rose
Council Member Gene Knapp
County Land Bank
San Juan Preservation Trust
County Stormwater/Public Works
Orcas Pathways
OPAL Land and Housing Trust
Eastsound Sewer and Water District
Eastsound Water Users Association
Hot cider and snacks will be served. The Open House welcomes all, and further information is available through EPRC Chair Mindy Kayl at 376-5100 or mindy@mindykayl.com. Come get involved in the vision for Eastsound's future.
The EPRC is a county advisory committee that is becoming more prominent in county planning, and the Cemetery District (for Woodlawn Cemetery) is a county junior taxing district.
So they are both part of county bureaucracy and their members are unpaid volunteers in service to the rest of us.
Here's some of their recent accomplishments:
The Cemetery District Board has organized and updated the files of this historic graveyard, a tedious task that requires much research. Some information is still missing, but there is now a substantially complete record of those buried at Woodlawn. Board member Pierrette Guimond speaks of the legacy of the Cemetery Board's work, that can be passed on to future boards.
The EPRC has arranged their work into committees, with individual EPRC members being the point person for each job:
Steve Hopkins for Development advisor
Audrey Moreland for Transportation advisor
Audrey Moreland for Parking advisor
Patty Miller for Long-Range Planning, Growth Management Act and County advisor
Gulliver Rankin for Utility and Stormwater Advisor
Brian Ehrmantraut for Housing advisor
Brian Ehrmantraut for Community Services and Facilities advisor
Bob Connell for Economy advisor
Bob Connell for Conservation advisor
Mindy Kayl for Outreach advisor
All the EPRC advisors plan to be at the Open House on Monday, Dec. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Eastsound Fire Hall. Representatives from the following public agencies will be on hand to explain their work:
County Administrator Pete Rose
Council Member Gene Knapp
County Land Bank
San Juan Preservation Trust
County Stormwater/Public Works
Orcas Pathways
OPAL Land and Housing Trust
Eastsound Sewer and Water District
Eastsound Water Users Association
Hot cider and snacks will be served. The Open House welcomes all, and further information is available through EPRC Chair Mindy Kayl at 376-5100 or mindy@mindykayl.com. Come get involved in the vision for Eastsound's future.
Remembering everyday heroes
Just about a year ago, my Orcas Island hero, Pat Pomeroy, died.
Pat was the broker-owner of Coldwell Banker Orcas Island and many island realtors learned the trade at her offices. She was also the wife of Wes Pomeroy, former teacher, and the mother, grandmother and friend to so many of us.
I worked for Pat for five years, mostly setting up the office website and managing internet communications, including the electronic multiple listing service.
I want to share some of the personal memories that I cherish as I remember Pat.
When I presented a letter to one of our vendors for Pat to review, she asked me, "What are you trying to accomplish here?" Her gentle, to-the-point question made me examine not just what I wanted to say, but how to say it in a way that would make the recipient more receptive -- very helpful in refining communication.
Pat never asked someone to do something that she wasn't willing to do herself. When our water usage seemed high, Pat would go out to the sidewalk every day and hunker down to read and record the water meter.
Every Saturday in the summer, she would go to the Farmers' Market and bring a bouquet of fresh flowers back to the office for us to enjoy all week.
She was a great team player, often referring us to each other to provide assistance in our fields of expertise. She held weekly office meetings to keep us updated and connected with each other.
But I think one memory brings together so many of the aspects of this beautiful person:
Pat loved the arts, especially music and dance. She and Wes had season tickets to the Seattle Ballet, and I think the opera too. Pat didn't have an extensive wardrobe, but her blue wool jacket and black full-length coat always made her look quietly elegant. Just before I became editor of the Sounder, I had a "girls' night out" trip to Seattle with my sister and nieces, and bought a full-length black coat. That coat reminded me of Pat and the business-like way she "cycled" through Eastsound as she went about her work.
(There's a point to this digression.)
In the late spring of 2006, Pat had tickets to the opera that she and Wes couldn't use. She offered them to me and I gladly accepted. When I went to their home to pick up the tickets on a hot spring night, Pat got up from the dinner that she always cooked for Wes, and greeted me at the door, wearing pink bermuda shorts and a T-shirt decorated with the names of all her grandkids. While she was proud of her position in the San Juan County business community, Pat's warmth and practicality always shone through her professional demeanor. Pat really knew how to live, and had her priorities straight.
When Pat died, I found slight comfort knowing that the world was a better place for her having lived in it, because I knew that, without her in it, my world had suffered a huge loss.
Pat was the broker-owner of Coldwell Banker Orcas Island and many island realtors learned the trade at her offices. She was also the wife of Wes Pomeroy, former teacher, and the mother, grandmother and friend to so many of us.
I worked for Pat for five years, mostly setting up the office website and managing internet communications, including the electronic multiple listing service.
I want to share some of the personal memories that I cherish as I remember Pat.
When I presented a letter to one of our vendors for Pat to review, she asked me, "What are you trying to accomplish here?" Her gentle, to-the-point question made me examine not just what I wanted to say, but how to say it in a way that would make the recipient more receptive -- very helpful in refining communication.
Pat never asked someone to do something that she wasn't willing to do herself. When our water usage seemed high, Pat would go out to the sidewalk every day and hunker down to read and record the water meter.
Every Saturday in the summer, she would go to the Farmers' Market and bring a bouquet of fresh flowers back to the office for us to enjoy all week.
She was a great team player, often referring us to each other to provide assistance in our fields of expertise. She held weekly office meetings to keep us updated and connected with each other.
But I think one memory brings together so many of the aspects of this beautiful person:
Pat loved the arts, especially music and dance. She and Wes had season tickets to the Seattle Ballet, and I think the opera too. Pat didn't have an extensive wardrobe, but her blue wool jacket and black full-length coat always made her look quietly elegant. Just before I became editor of the Sounder, I had a "girls' night out" trip to Seattle with my sister and nieces, and bought a full-length black coat. That coat reminded me of Pat and the business-like way she "cycled" through Eastsound as she went about her work.
(There's a point to this digression.)
In the late spring of 2006, Pat had tickets to the opera that she and Wes couldn't use. She offered them to me and I gladly accepted. When I went to their home to pick up the tickets on a hot spring night, Pat got up from the dinner that she always cooked for Wes, and greeted me at the door, wearing pink bermuda shorts and a T-shirt decorated with the names of all her grandkids. While she was proud of her position in the San Juan County business community, Pat's warmth and practicality always shone through her professional demeanor. Pat really knew how to live, and had her priorities straight.
When Pat died, I found slight comfort knowing that the world was a better place for her having lived in it, because I knew that, without her in it, my world had suffered a huge loss.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Currency and circulation
Sounds business-like, doesn't it? Much more important than kibbitzing with and borrowing from the neighbors.
But business and commerce on Orcas Island has that personal touch that gives accountability, value and service to all our transactions.
This weekend, beginning today, is looming up to be a festival, a flurry, of circulating and exchange on Orcas Island. From craft displays to Christmas shopping to Hannukah celebrations, to Open Houses and entertaining programs, just poking around this weekend is going to be lots of fun.
The PTSA Book Fair runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and tomorrow at the school library. Books, kits, and scientific tools are just some of the items available to expand curiosity and knowledge -- and the Book Fair is open to all.
The Eastsound Planning Review Committee, the closest thing to a Town Hall or Municipal Council on Orcas, holds its monthly meeting from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Senior Center. Their Open House will be this Monday at 5 p.m. and I always get the Fire Station and the Senior Center mixed up for these kind of meetings, but you can call the Fire Station at 2331 to check. But do look into the Open House to see what plans are afoot for the development of Eastsound.
Tomorrow, the Chamber of Commerce tree lighting at Eastsound Village Green starts at 4:45 p.m. From there fan out to "Shop the Rock" as Eastsound businesses offer specials until 7 p.m.
Island quilters will hold an opening reception for their work at the Orcas Center at 5:30 p.m. The lobby and Madrona room are blanketing with these stunning works of beauty and order, made by our own neighbors. The quilts will be on display through the month of December.
The Olga Symphony plays Orcas Center on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. and if you put it out to the universe, you may be able to score a ticket, although both evenings are officially sold out.
Saturday, scarf down your cornflakes and treat yourself to a day of hobnobbing. The Artisans' Faire takes place at the Oddfellows, beginning at 10 a.m. It runs through Sunday until 4 p.m. and benefits the Artists in the School Program.
The American Legion Auxiliary Holiday Bazaar, which benefits their scholarship program and hospitalized veterans, takes place at the legion hall near the "tank corner." As well as local artists and craftsfolk, the bazaar features hearty soups for when your cornflakes wear off.
The Friends of the Library Holiday Tea runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Orcas Island Library on Rose Street, with goodies and musicians at this community center.
The Actors Theater of Orcas Island presents an evening of improvisational (spontaneous) theater at 7:30 at the Grange on Saturday night.
And plan to attend the Historical Museum Dinner on Monday evening, beginning at 5 p.m. This is a great event, located in the woods of Camp Orkila, with their fabulous prime rib, salmon and vegetarian buffet dinner, seating at tables with island newcomers and old-timers alike. Call to make reservations at 376-4849.
Entertainment following the dinner will be "Orcas Moments" featuring John Gorton and Anita Orne's retrospective of historic island parades, salmon derbies, and community endeavors. "Island Spirit" didn't just spring up overnight, and whether you're being introduced to island history for the first time, or reliving treasured memories, you're sure to be entertained by the program.
But business and commerce on Orcas Island has that personal touch that gives accountability, value and service to all our transactions.
This weekend, beginning today, is looming up to be a festival, a flurry, of circulating and exchange on Orcas Island. From craft displays to Christmas shopping to Hannukah celebrations, to Open Houses and entertaining programs, just poking around this weekend is going to be lots of fun.
The PTSA Book Fair runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and tomorrow at the school library. Books, kits, and scientific tools are just some of the items available to expand curiosity and knowledge -- and the Book Fair is open to all.
The Eastsound Planning Review Committee, the closest thing to a Town Hall or Municipal Council on Orcas, holds its monthly meeting from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Senior Center. Their Open House will be this Monday at 5 p.m. and I always get the Fire Station and the Senior Center mixed up for these kind of meetings, but you can call the Fire Station at 2331 to check. But do look into the Open House to see what plans are afoot for the development of Eastsound.
Tomorrow, the Chamber of Commerce tree lighting at Eastsound Village Green starts at 4:45 p.m. From there fan out to "Shop the Rock" as Eastsound businesses offer specials until 7 p.m.
Island quilters will hold an opening reception for their work at the Orcas Center at 5:30 p.m. The lobby and Madrona room are blanketing with these stunning works of beauty and order, made by our own neighbors. The quilts will be on display through the month of December.
The Olga Symphony plays Orcas Center on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. and if you put it out to the universe, you may be able to score a ticket, although both evenings are officially sold out.
Saturday, scarf down your cornflakes and treat yourself to a day of hobnobbing. The Artisans' Faire takes place at the Oddfellows, beginning at 10 a.m. It runs through Sunday until 4 p.m. and benefits the Artists in the School Program.
The American Legion Auxiliary Holiday Bazaar, which benefits their scholarship program and hospitalized veterans, takes place at the legion hall near the "tank corner." As well as local artists and craftsfolk, the bazaar features hearty soups for when your cornflakes wear off.
The Friends of the Library Holiday Tea runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Orcas Island Library on Rose Street, with goodies and musicians at this community center.
The Actors Theater of Orcas Island presents an evening of improvisational (spontaneous) theater at 7:30 at the Grange on Saturday night.
And plan to attend the Historical Museum Dinner on Monday evening, beginning at 5 p.m. This is a great event, located in the woods of Camp Orkila, with their fabulous prime rib, salmon and vegetarian buffet dinner, seating at tables with island newcomers and old-timers alike. Call to make reservations at 376-4849.
Entertainment following the dinner will be "Orcas Moments" featuring John Gorton and Anita Orne's retrospective of historic island parades, salmon derbies, and community endeavors. "Island Spirit" didn't just spring up overnight, and whether you're being introduced to island history for the first time, or reliving treasured memories, you're sure to be entertained by the program.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Money found for Orcas Rec, Seniors and Farmers
"You can't always get what you want, but if you try, you get what you need."
This week, the County Council proposed restoring $10,000 to the Orcas Rec program, and $5,000 to the Lopez Youth programs. This is great news, considering all funding to these groups was planned to be cut.
The revised budget also includes $25,000, reinstated for Senior Transport, and $48,964 for a Juvenile Probation Officer.
The Agricultural Resources Committee coordinator position would also be continued at $35,000.
For all the complaints about a "do-nothing" council that I hear, what is true is that the council and the County Administrator, Pete Rose, make every attempt to respond to citizen concerns. Go to the council web pages for further details, www.sanjuanco.com.
Bravo, fellow citizens, for standing up for these programs.
This week, the County Council proposed restoring $10,000 to the Orcas Rec program, and $5,000 to the Lopez Youth programs. This is great news, considering all funding to these groups was planned to be cut.
The revised budget also includes $25,000, reinstated for Senior Transport, and $48,964 for a Juvenile Probation Officer.
The Agricultural Resources Committee coordinator position would also be continued at $35,000.
For all the complaints about a "do-nothing" council that I hear, what is true is that the council and the County Administrator, Pete Rose, make every attempt to respond to citizen concerns. Go to the council web pages for further details, www.sanjuanco.com.
Bravo, fellow citizens, for standing up for these programs.
Look out your window
We learn so much from our friends.
Earlier this year, fellow Orcas A Cappella member Mireille Paulson created a honey-toned Byzantine-style icon, "Virgin of the Sweet Kiss," under the tutelage of fellow Lopezian Colin Goode. I was so comforted and astonished by the beauty of it that I asked her to create another icon for me.
When she presented it to me, she also gave me a copy of philosopher Henri Nouwen's book, "Praying with Icons." As someone whose upbringing included icons and prayer, this idea is entirely within my comfort zone.
That being said, I found the idea of prayer, or meditation, through gazing at beautiful images profoundly soothing and grounding.
My Orcas home looks out to Buck Mountain and Mount Constitution. In the mornings I gaze out to them and note the sunrise further south each winter day. Between my home and Buck Mountain I see the crossroads of North Beach Road and Mount Baker Road with its churches and Senior Center. In the near distance I see the airport, whose fence illegally encroaches on our property, but that's another battle fought and lost and left behind. Behind the airport road I see the wildly popular dog park, where dogs play in total happiness with their owners nearby, and I think about what we can learn from dogs, or in kindergarten, or in any release from strife and complexity to the simple goodness that life offers us, if we just choose to accept it.
I see the Fire Station "palace" in the foreground, with the Senior Center behind it, and am thrilled to know that last Saturday's Holiday Festival netted the Senior Center $8,400.
Up Mt. Baker Road is the Center for Community and the Arts, where Orcas quilters are hanging their beautiful handcrafted works of beauty and comfort this month. This weekend the wacky and earthy Olga Symphony will perform (sold out, but you can always come hoping for a last-minute ticket), and next weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, Catherine Pederson's Orcas Choral Society will present the annual winter concert with accompaniment by glorious brass. Catherine always includes universal (can I say catholic?) cultures in the Choral Society concerts, and this year, the most peaceful African "Kumbaya" and a rousing Jewish song with solo by John Heath are interspersed between traditional carols. Don't wait until the last minute for your ticket and get turned away from the concert, as happened to some people last weekend.
Across from the Center, the new OPAL houses rise. I note that they now have roofs and are no longer the naked wood frames that punctuated the vista earlier this year. Next year, ten new households will spring up in our neighborhood.
I confess that just gazing out my window gives me a proprietory feeling (hmmm looks like I better look that word up in the dictionary) -- it makes me feel like the Empress of Orcas Island or a rancher ready to set out to mend fences.
For someone who's spent most of her life looking close at words and books and now computer screens, the wealth of an expansive gaze is a gift I can give myself if I just accept it.
Earlier this year, fellow Orcas A Cappella member Mireille Paulson created a honey-toned Byzantine-style icon, "Virgin of the Sweet Kiss," under the tutelage of fellow Lopezian Colin Goode. I was so comforted and astonished by the beauty of it that I asked her to create another icon for me.
When she presented it to me, she also gave me a copy of philosopher Henri Nouwen's book, "Praying with Icons." As someone whose upbringing included icons and prayer, this idea is entirely within my comfort zone.
That being said, I found the idea of prayer, or meditation, through gazing at beautiful images profoundly soothing and grounding.
My Orcas home looks out to Buck Mountain and Mount Constitution. In the mornings I gaze out to them and note the sunrise further south each winter day. Between my home and Buck Mountain I see the crossroads of North Beach Road and Mount Baker Road with its churches and Senior Center. In the near distance I see the airport, whose fence illegally encroaches on our property, but that's another battle fought and lost and left behind. Behind the airport road I see the wildly popular dog park, where dogs play in total happiness with their owners nearby, and I think about what we can learn from dogs, or in kindergarten, or in any release from strife and complexity to the simple goodness that life offers us, if we just choose to accept it.
I see the Fire Station "palace" in the foreground, with the Senior Center behind it, and am thrilled to know that last Saturday's Holiday Festival netted the Senior Center $8,400.
Up Mt. Baker Road is the Center for Community and the Arts, where Orcas quilters are hanging their beautiful handcrafted works of beauty and comfort this month. This weekend the wacky and earthy Olga Symphony will perform (sold out, but you can always come hoping for a last-minute ticket), and next weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, Catherine Pederson's Orcas Choral Society will present the annual winter concert with accompaniment by glorious brass. Catherine always includes universal (can I say catholic?) cultures in the Choral Society concerts, and this year, the most peaceful African "Kumbaya" and a rousing Jewish song with solo by John Heath are interspersed between traditional carols. Don't wait until the last minute for your ticket and get turned away from the concert, as happened to some people last weekend.
Across from the Center, the new OPAL houses rise. I note that they now have roofs and are no longer the naked wood frames that punctuated the vista earlier this year. Next year, ten new households will spring up in our neighborhood.
I confess that just gazing out my window gives me a proprietory feeling (hmmm looks like I better look that word up in the dictionary) -- it makes me feel like the Empress of Orcas Island or a rancher ready to set out to mend fences.
For someone who's spent most of her life looking close at words and books and now computer screens, the wealth of an expansive gaze is a gift I can give myself if I just accept it.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Christmas Trees benefit kids' sports and 4-H
Christmas Trees (priced from $25-$95) are now available at Ace Hardware. They are being sold by kids from the school, and all sales proceeds benefit the school sports programs (other than football) and the 4-H Trailblazers. Sales are happening now until all the trees are sold. For further information, contact Mimi Anderson at 376-2682.
Long live print journalism too!
Forty years ago, I delivered our weekly neighborhood newspaper. I wanted to be a journalist, but my mom discouraged me, saying it was a rat race. When I looked into graduate school journalism, my state university only offered courses in television journalism. When I lived in NY City, and worked for an insurance annuity company, headlines from corner newsboxes announced the earth-shaking developments of Watergate.
Finally, some 45 years later, after working for trade journals, video production companies, medical labs, publishers and internet marketers, I got my "dream job" as editor of my small-town newspaper.
I covered County Council, School Board, Fire District, and local Plan Review Committee meetings regularly. Our "local" issues are national issues too -- immigration arrests, the crisis in public education funding, the environment and water supply, employment and the cost of housing. Not to mention breaking news incidents of eco-terrorism, neo-Nazism and personal rescues. I also reported on local stories that inspire for a lifetime -- innovative new businesses, cultural exchanges, highly-renowned music and writing festivals, sustainable farming, and graduation from high school, alternative schools, and trade schools.
When I was lucky enough to get a reporter, we covered sports and more of the above stories. When I didn't have a reporter, I relied more on community press releases and regional wire services. The Sounder website continues to be plagued by technological glitches and dated postings from spotty archives.
Now, I watch a bit of CNN, and a bit of Fox on TV. Every Friday, I watch Washington Week (a panel of journalists) on PBS. I read the NY Times and the Seattle Times Business Digest online, often after printing the articles out. I regularly read the print version of my community's newspaper, and that of our two neighboring communities. Whenever I travel, I read the community newspaper.
This blog on Orcas Issues is not print journalism, in that it contains my personal reflections on public and civic matters. The perspective and promise of traditional journalism -- to present a comprehensive, accurate, fair view of what's happening in the world -- is conveyed better through good print journalism than through television or internet media. This applies to local, regional, national and international news coverage.
Would we know about the conflicts in the Near East, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan or the conditions at Walter Reed Hospital or the firing of U.S. Attorneys if it weren't for national and international news coverage?
We need a free press to be a free country. The business model of print journalism is still valid, but it's up to the communities they report on to continue to support, if not save, newspapers. The mutual support of reporting, advertising and patronage are necessary to support the quality of our lives and our democracy.
Finally, some 45 years later, after working for trade journals, video production companies, medical labs, publishers and internet marketers, I got my "dream job" as editor of my small-town newspaper.
I covered County Council, School Board, Fire District, and local Plan Review Committee meetings regularly. Our "local" issues are national issues too -- immigration arrests, the crisis in public education funding, the environment and water supply, employment and the cost of housing. Not to mention breaking news incidents of eco-terrorism, neo-Nazism and personal rescues. I also reported on local stories that inspire for a lifetime -- innovative new businesses, cultural exchanges, highly-renowned music and writing festivals, sustainable farming, and graduation from high school, alternative schools, and trade schools.
When I was lucky enough to get a reporter, we covered sports and more of the above stories. When I didn't have a reporter, I relied more on community press releases and regional wire services. The Sounder website continues to be plagued by technological glitches and dated postings from spotty archives.
Now, I watch a bit of CNN, and a bit of Fox on TV. Every Friday, I watch Washington Week (a panel of journalists) on PBS. I read the NY Times and the Seattle Times Business Digest online, often after printing the articles out. I regularly read the print version of my community's newspaper, and that of our two neighboring communities. Whenever I travel, I read the community newspaper.
This blog on Orcas Issues is not print journalism, in that it contains my personal reflections on public and civic matters. The perspective and promise of traditional journalism -- to present a comprehensive, accurate, fair view of what's happening in the world -- is conveyed better through good print journalism than through television or internet media. This applies to local, regional, national and international news coverage.
Would we know about the conflicts in the Near East, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan or the conditions at Walter Reed Hospital or the firing of U.S. Attorneys if it weren't for national and international news coverage?
We need a free press to be a free country. The business model of print journalism is still valid, but it's up to the communities they report on to continue to support, if not save, newspapers. The mutual support of reporting, advertising and patronage are necessary to support the quality of our lives and our democracy.
Bullwings updates at noon
Hi there!
It's a foggy cold morning on Orcas Island and I'm multi-tasking layered with reflective thoughts of peace and hope. Isn't that what this season is all about?
Today Mindy Kayl, candidate for Orcas West County Council position, is observing a hand-recount of last month's ballots. She lost by about 100 votes to Richard Fralick in the General Election, and is exercising her right to make sure the count was accurate. Tomorrow she plans to butcher sheep on her farm.
In her book, "The Artist's Way," Julia Cameron refers to early-morning journal writing as "junk" writing, which always reminds me of that corny expression, "God don't make junk" so I've always referred to it as "fresh" writing. I wake up with so many bright ideas, practical and outlandish, that mornings are the best time for me to update this blog.
So, by noon, the new day's input should be online and you can read new content. I'm still working on getting RSS feeds and more complicated items on the site. In the meantime, feel free to contact me at pub@PortGamblePublishing.com.
It's a foggy cold morning on Orcas Island and I'm multi-tasking layered with reflective thoughts of peace and hope. Isn't that what this season is all about?
Today Mindy Kayl, candidate for Orcas West County Council position, is observing a hand-recount of last month's ballots. She lost by about 100 votes to Richard Fralick in the General Election, and is exercising her right to make sure the count was accurate. Tomorrow she plans to butcher sheep on her farm.
In her book, "The Artist's Way," Julia Cameron refers to early-morning journal writing as "junk" writing, which always reminds me of that corny expression, "God don't make junk" so I've always referred to it as "fresh" writing. I wake up with so many bright ideas, practical and outlandish, that mornings are the best time for me to update this blog.
So, by noon, the new day's input should be online and you can read new content. I'm still working on getting RSS feeds and more complicated items on the site. In the meantime, feel free to contact me at pub@PortGamblePublishing.com.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sing out!
We're having fun now! Friday night was the Orcas A Cappella concert on Lopez Island, and last night we performed on Orcas -- to sold-out houses both nights.
From the African welcome song to the Pilgrim's Chorus finale we sang and played songs of harvest and home, of spinning wheels and triumph and dreaming of water and longing for beautiful valleys and crossing the Deep River to the Promised Land. With over 30 friends who've come together weekly just for the pleasure and beauty of singing together, some of us novices, some of us old pros.
We perform on Shaw Island today at 2.
The Choral Society's winter concert is in two weeks, Saturday Dec. 13 and Sunday Dec. 14 and it's going to be "killer" as one of the teenagers of the college choir I was in when I was 40. My favorite is a new arrangement of "The Holly and the Ivy" by Stephen Paulus. The nature of Christmas always really speaks to me, and I'm so glad we live in a climate where holly and ivy grow.
Karen Blinn and I are recording a Christmas CD, titled "Christmas Songs of Longing and Wonder." We've been working on it for almost a year now; her beautiful oboe playing gives just the right "longing" note to the songs. It's ready-or-not time.
This Wednesday is the PTSA's Book Fair with Santa and Mrs. Claus from 5 to 8 at the library. In trying not to get sucked in by the over-consumption of Christmas, I've always given my kids a book each for Christmas. One year, money was very tight, so I re-wrapped the books from the previous Christmas and gave them again. They caught on, but at least they had the pleasure of opening one more gift.
And Thursday at 3 the Eastsound Planning Review Committee meeting is at the Senior Center. This is the closest Orcas Island has to a municipal governing body, and its members are knowledgeable about both the laws and the lifestyles of the island. Challenge yourself to understand some of our more complex acronyms (the CAO, the GMA, CARA, the UGA)and wrestle through the bureaucracies to preserve what we cherish and plan what we desire.
But for today, lift slowly with the fog and say goodbye to November.
From the African welcome song to the Pilgrim's Chorus finale we sang and played songs of harvest and home, of spinning wheels and triumph and dreaming of water and longing for beautiful valleys and crossing the Deep River to the Promised Land. With over 30 friends who've come together weekly just for the pleasure and beauty of singing together, some of us novices, some of us old pros.
We perform on Shaw Island today at 2.
The Choral Society's winter concert is in two weeks, Saturday Dec. 13 and Sunday Dec. 14 and it's going to be "killer" as one of the teenagers of the college choir I was in when I was 40. My favorite is a new arrangement of "The Holly and the Ivy" by Stephen Paulus. The nature of Christmas always really speaks to me, and I'm so glad we live in a climate where holly and ivy grow.
Karen Blinn and I are recording a Christmas CD, titled "Christmas Songs of Longing and Wonder." We've been working on it for almost a year now; her beautiful oboe playing gives just the right "longing" note to the songs. It's ready-or-not time.
This Wednesday is the PTSA's Book Fair with Santa and Mrs. Claus from 5 to 8 at the library. In trying not to get sucked in by the over-consumption of Christmas, I've always given my kids a book each for Christmas. One year, money was very tight, so I re-wrapped the books from the previous Christmas and gave them again. They caught on, but at least they had the pleasure of opening one more gift.
And Thursday at 3 the Eastsound Planning Review Committee meeting is at the Senior Center. This is the closest Orcas Island has to a municipal governing body, and its members are knowledgeable about both the laws and the lifestyles of the island. Challenge yourself to understand some of our more complex acronyms (the CAO, the GMA, CARA, the UGA)and wrestle through the bureaucracies to preserve what we cherish and plan what we desire.
But for today, lift slowly with the fog and say goodbye to November.
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