SOUNDER THE ISLANDS’
Serving Orcas, Lopez and San Juan County
WEDNESDAY, September 3, 2014 VOL. 47, NO. 36 75¢ islandssounder.com
PEOPLE | Read what your neighbors are up to [2] HISTORY | Cruise into History event coming [3] COMMUNITY | Islanders bike for MS research [5] ARTS | ‘Love Song’ performed by the Actors Theatre [8] LOCAL | Profile of Orcas Library volunteer [9]
Economy looking up for state, county
Small hands
big ideas
Sounder deadlines
by COLLEEN SMITH ARMSTRONG
W
Editor/Publisher
hen Cooper Rankin discovered Orcas Auto Tech, it was love at first sight. “I walked in and said, ‘I could live here!’” said the 10-year-old budding mechanic who first visited the shop with his mom Shelly a few years ago. Cooper knew right then that he and owner Uzek Susol would be close friends – and he was right. He spends a few hours there every Friday learning about engines, plasma cutting, oil changes, tires, tow trucks and classic cars. “Uzek jumped in to make it a really rich and amazing experience,” Shelly said. As Cooper’s friend, Susol lets him watch as he works on projects. “In 25 years of business and dozens of employees, I’ve had adults who don’t have the attention span that he does,” Susol said. “Every single time I drop him off back home, I am ecstatic that I took the time to be with him.” Since he opened in 1990, Susol has worked with teenagers interested in mechanics through the career learning program at Orcas High School. He
by SOUNDER STAFF active enough to suggest that There is good news when it overall activity in Community comes to the state’s economy. Development and Planning will Washington’s taxable retail sales beat projection by 40 percent. totals grew to $27.3 billion in Real estate sales also continue the first quarter to improve. Both of 2014 – Jan. 1 number and dolCounty revenue to March 31 – lar amount of real recording a 4.9 estate sales in the out-performed percent increase second quarter both history and over the same far exceeded the period in 2013. same period last expectation in the Retail trade, year. As a result, first half of 2014. a subset of total real estate excise taxable retail — SJC Auditor Milene Henley taxes on the sale sales, rose 2.4 of property far percent to $12.3 exceeded expecbillion. tations in the second quarter. The results come from a The San Juan County Land quarterly report released by the Bank is already at 70 percent of Washington State Department of 2014 budget and is likely to exceed Revenue of taxable retail sales by budget by 50 percent or more. industry. The report compares The other type of county revethe first quarters of 2014 to 2013, nue that was markedly up through which equalizes any seasonal the second quarter of 2014 is sales effects of consumer purchasing tax. habits. “We tend to associate sales tax Taxable sales were up in many with visitors and the money they sectors: drop while they’re here,” Henley • Construction of buildings – wrote. “But we all pay sales tax 6.1 percent year-round, and the increase • Furniture and home furnish- in sales tax even in the winter ings – 6.4 percent months this year suggests that it’s • New and used auto sales – 6.9 not just tourists spending more percent money.” • E-commerce and mail order sales – 18.9 percent Some sectors saw a small Display advertising: decline including department store purchases, which dropped Friday at noon 9.5 percent over the first three Classified advertising: months of 2013. Monday at noon Last week, the Sounder ran guest column from San Juan Legal advertising: Auditor Milene Henley. She wrote Thursday at noon that county revenue out-perPress releases, Letters: formed both history and expectation in the first half of 2014. Two Friday at 3 p.m. areas in particular suggest real economic recovery: real estate and retail trade/tourism. Office: 376-4500 Real estate activity shows in two ways: increased applications Fax: 1-888-562-8818 for building permits and land use Advertising: advertising@ planning and increased real estate islandssounder.com sales. The sharp drop-off in permitClassified: 1-800-388-2527, ting revenue expected after the classifieds@ CAO implementation date did not soundpublishing.com happen. Applications slowed to a Editor: editor@ more normal pace but remained islandssounder.com
Contributed photo and Colleen Smith Armstrong photo
At top: Ten-year-old Cooper Rankin using a plasma cutter at Orcas Auto Tech. Above: Cooper.
hopes Cooper will participate when he is older. Cooper is not your typical fifth grader. His mom describes him as passionate and creative and having a thirsty mind. “He is bewildered when kids don’t get him,” she said. Cooper has been a go-getter from the start. First he was obsessed with firefighters and big trucks. While living in Las Vegas, he was a regular visitor at the local departments. He was also well-known to the garbage men. Every week he would stand on the curb, waiting to help them pull the lever on the garbage trucks. After moving to Orcas four years ago, Cooper’s desire to learn has been nurtured by a diverse group of islanders.
SEE COOPER, PAGE 6
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