Opinion - Islands' Sounder

No on land bank REET | Guest column

Of course we all want to preserve the beauty of this spectacular environment, but perhaps the land bank tax is not such a necessary part of that task anymore. Generally taxes are problematic because most of them never terminate. In this case we have a choice.

Children and domestic violence | Guest Column

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. This is the final column in a series by local professionals.

Vote no on land bank tax | Editorial

This November’s ballot revolves around how much of our cash we’re willing to part with. We supported the school levy. We wrote in opposition of the solid waste parcel fee. It’s been harder to reach a conclusion about the third initiative on our ballots: the land bank’s REET.

More island control is needed for solid waste | Guest Column

This issue is not the result of public complaints. Remember, we have a waste system that allows us to haul our own garbage to our public transfer stations or have it picked up by the private franchise hauler, San Juan Sanitation. This proposition was put on the ballot by the County Council because they can no longer avoid the long-known fact that funding our waste system solely with income from the volume of garbage we export does not work and that some form of public funding is required.

Domestic violence in the faith community | Guest column

Karen felt nauseated as she watched her husband, the head deacon, smiling and visiting with fellow members at their local church. Her eyes drifted to his strong hands as they so gently helped an elderly woman through the door. Why had those capable strong hands turned so hard and cruel to her?

Vote no on parcel fee | Editorial

After November, the structure of solid waste is going to change drastically. There are two very different proposals on the table, and after careful consideration, we are advocating voting no on the solid waste parcel fee.

We asked for blogs; you answered | Editorial

Last week we asked you to tell us about local blogs. Thank you for the response. Check out www.islandssounder.com for three new blogs written by islanders: “A little bit too much is just enough for me,” “Bruce’s Beach: a monitoring project” and “Energy Matters.”

School’s one-year levy needs to pass | Editorial

We support Orcas School’s levy on this November’s ballot, but we’re not happy about it. We endorsed both of the previous school bonds, which both failed by a slim margin. At $35 million and then $27 million, the project was immense, but we felt the school had conducted a thorough study of the buildings and had a great plan in place for a new campus. We feel that we have no choice but to support this new one-year, $900,000 levy. Because the school owes this money to Cashmere Bank, it must be paid back.

The Sounder is looking for local bloggers | Editorial

Do you have something to say that you want to share with the rest of the community? Are you already writing a weekly column? If so, consider becoming a blogger on our website.

The Good News | Guest Column

There is plenty of good news in the world of volunteerism contributing to Orcas Island’s strong and healthy community. It’s uplifting to know there are people who give their time, be it with a service organization, cooking a meal for someone in need, or offering time to children, elderly, and those who may benefit from community support. Every day in many ways there are volunteers offering their time to be helpful. There are many examples of generosity and ways to be of service.