OPINION Islands’ Sounder
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Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012 • The Islands’ Sounder
Reporter’s notebook
Just my feet and me
H
itchhiking is the subject of many tales of terror around the campground. It’s also the focus of one of my favorite authors David Sedaris, who tells of awkward, hilarious and downright frightening tales of being a young man on the road with his thumb stuck out. On Orcas, tales of hitchhiking have a different flavor. But before I learned that, I cut my “hitching” teeth during a 1,200-mile bike trip from Colorado to Oregon in 2010. My tires got so worn out that even the smallest piece of tin would pierce the tube, so I often stuck out my thumb. The families of four, the demographic that picked me up the most, had loads of questions and seemed to get a kick out of the “adventure” of picking up a forlorn cyclist. One family emailed me after giving me a lift in Yellowstone National Park and said, “Our 10-yearold daughter’s favorite part of the trip was picking up a real live hitchhiker.” On another occasion my bike broke down and 30 cars passed without even slowing down. So I picked up my 40-pound bike, loaded with 40 pounds of gear, and started walking down the road. Thankfully someone took pity on what was a ridiculous scene and gave me a ride into town. After “relying on the kindness of strangers” during that trip, I vowed to never deny a fellow hitchhiker. I felt I had been selected for an exclusive club of wayward travelers. When I moved to Orcas in February, I found that this promise would easily come to fruition. The first hitchhiker I picked up was a chatty older gentleman, who imparted some knowledge on the consequences of living in a small town. “You make one mistake and they won’t ever let you forget it,” he said. “And don’t even get me started on the women.” Over the summer I had several pleasant hitchhikers climb aboard my 2007 Toyota Camry. Once a group of three young girls crammed into the backseat and whispered nervously to each other. But mostly people like to talk about their travels, their business or their passion about how to deal with solid waste on the island.
One island resident, Sandra Mursu, summed up her time hitchhiking over the span of 20 years in a few choice words. “Those excursions of necessity and preference were always interesting and part of my enjoyment of people and feeling free,” she said. “Just my feet and me.” Hitchhiking is one thing that makes the island special. It’s an opportunity to spend a few minutes with a stranger, maybe learn something new or help someone out. It can also simply give you a funny story to tell over dinner. During the holiday months, it’s always a good time to lend a hand, give a lift or just share a few kind words. You never know where it will lead and what adventures you will have. – Cali Bagby, staff reporter
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To the Editor: Ayers considers running for county council The recent election saw the recommendations of the Charter Review Committee affirmed by the voters, substantially changing the operations of our government in San Juan County. No longer will there be an absolute separation of powers, as Proposition 2 grants administrative authority to the council. Therefore our new council will play an active role in the operations of the county. Council members will need to be more efficient, logical and deliberate in setting policy and also in working directly with county staff in implementing policy. The new positions will require individuals who are able to set and carry out well-defined goals and objectives, else the council will become hopelessly ineffective in providing quality county services. More importantly, the new council members will need to be in even closer contact with their constituents, ALL the residents of San Juan County. You may be asking yourself “Why is this important to me?” Over the next five months, the county will hold special elections and you will be asked to select candidates who
Publisher/Editor Colleen Smith Armstrong editor@islandssounder.com Staff Reporter Cali Bagby cbagby@islandssounder.com County Reporter Scott Rasmussen srasmussen@sanjuanjournal.com Advertising Sales Colleen Armstrong carmstrong@soundpublishing.com
Circulation/ Gail Anderson-Toombs administrative gandersontoombs coordinator @islandssounder.com Marketing Artist Scott Herning sherning@soundpublishing.com Kathryn Sherman ksherman@sanjuanjournal.com Legals/Office Staff admin@islandssounder.com
you feel have the skills and experience that will allow them to serve you in this new role. As an island resident, I live here because I enjoy our unique way of life, living in a tight knit community that works together for common goals. I want to make sure that council members have the capacity, time and experience, to protect our island culture. I am excited by the prospect of helping our community as a member of the new, threemember council. However, before making my decision whether to seek election, I want to learn what you want of county government and what aspects of our community you want improved. I want to meet with as many fellow residents as are willing to share their thoughts with me. Please contact me (gregayers@ayers2013. com or 206-390-6714), or you can contact Kate Hansen (katehansen@ ayers2013.com) who is working with me on this important project. I look forward to discussing how we might work together to capitalize on these recent changes. Please help me in protecting our island culture while improving our island life. Greg Ayers Orcas Island
Mailing/Street Address P.O. Box 758, 217 Main Street, Eastsound, WA 98245 Office (360) 376-4500 Classifieds (800) 388-2527 Fax (360) 376-4501
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CRC changes will be positive – have faith I would like to thank everyone who supported the work of the Charter Review Commission. The result of the vote brings significant changes and challenges. I hope we can all join in the effort of making our county government an example of good management and responsiveness to the will of the people. Change is never easy but with good leadership the transition can be smooth. This requires our elected council members to keep a steady hand on the tiller. The voter-approved amendments will bring positive change to our county council and administration, and that will be good for our community. As voters we will have more control over the actions of local government. This is the core principle of Home Rule. The Charter Amendments are not complicated, but they do require some patience and care to implement. According to state law they must be implemented within 6 months. The amendments become effective when the election is certified on Nov. 27. The transition to
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