Sounder The Islands’
Dog Days of Summer – page 8-9
Serving Orcas, Lopez and San Juan County
WEDNESDAY, August 1, 2012 n VOL. 45, NO. 31 n 75¢
www.islandssounder.com
Student to dine with first lady Major changes ahead
for county gov’t?
Young Orcas chef wins state-wide competition There is only one winner per state. And Orcas Islander Arla Sutton is one of them. More than 1,200 junior chefs ages nine through 12 answered the call to enter their favorite recipes in the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. Only one young cook from each state won a trip to the White House to attend the “Kids’ State Dinner” hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama on Aug. 20. The judges were White House Assistant Chef Sam Kass; Chef Jose Andres; Marshall and Alex Reid, authors of “Portion Size Me;” Epicurious Editor-in-Chief Tanya Steel; and representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Education. On July 24, Arla learned that she was winner for the state of Washington with her recipe for salad noodle wraps. “Your recipe was particularly impressive, as it was creative, tasted great, and most importantly was healthy,” said Jennifer Goanach with Epicurious.com and Gourmet Live in her congrat-
by MEREDITH M. GRIFFITH Sounder contributor
contributed photo
Arla Sutton and her mom finding out that Arla won the competition. ulatory email to Arla. “So that’s why we picked yours as the best from your state.” Sutton is a two-time winner of the Farm to Cafeteria/OISD Student Chef Competition event: the first year for her favorite orange-almond granola, and the second year when she teamed up with her friend, Millie Kau,
for the now famous salad noodle wraps. “Arla is in an excited state of shock,” said her mother, Kate Long. “I don’t think she really thought she would win.” A list of all the winners and particulars about the state dinner are at www.recipechallenge. epicurious.com.
County residents will decide how much to shake up the current county council structure in this November’s election with a vote on three propositions devised by the Charter Review Commission. “Decisions are twice as hard to make with six compared with three [council members]. This has been costly,” said Commission Chairman Gordon Peterson in a public presentation facilitated by the Eagle Forum on July 26. The propositions would cut the council from six part-time members to three full-time members; replace the executive county administrator position with a county manager; and mandate that all county council meetings are open to the public. Approved by majority vote by the 21-member commission, the propositions were developed through a series of meetings that included testimony from county officials, former freeholders, and others with a goal to facilitate a more effective governance structure. The propositions do not overturn Home Rule, adopted in 2005. Proposition One The CRC said having a sixmember Council has resulted in
Council asks for more from potential solid waste vendors by STEVE WEHRLY Journal reporter
Orcas Recycling, operator of the Exchange at the Orcas Island transfer station, put on a full-court press to save its bid to operate the county-owned, but soon to be privatized, tipping floor and self-haul facility. Pete Moe, Michael Greenberg, Mark DeTray, Errol Speed, Jared Lovejoy and as many as 60 Orcas volunteers did some old-fashioned, grass-roots lobbying – telephone calls, letters and a petition – to stymie approval by the San Juan County Council of the Vendor Selection Committee’s recommendation that Cimarron Trucking of Anacortes be selected to operate the facility. County Council Chairwoman Patty Miller guided the July 24 council meeting away from
approving the recommendation.Instead, Miller and the council agreed that both bidders have three weeks to address “deficiencies” and “limitations” in their proposals before the council takes further action. A new decision date has not been set. A major deficiency was how and whether the Exchange would be included in future facility operations, a point made at the meeting by both council members and selection committee members. The Exchange, which is located at the transfer station, is an organization run by Orcas Recycling Services that allows islanders to both donate and pick up reusable items. Although Miller stood by the selection committee’s “unanimous” recommendation, she did not want to enter into negotiations with
See SOLID WASTE, Page 6
deadlocked votes, wasted time, and overall cost increases due to a greater load on county support staff and higher overhead, saying three is a more efficient number for decision-making. Each Council Member is currently elected by voters in his or her own district; under Proposition One, all three would be elected by voters county-wide. While the three Council Members would still come from and represent three main geographical districts, candidates could be more likely to campaign - and address voter concerns - county-wide. The commission says this will provide for greater voter representation. Of 39 Washington state counties, 34 operate with councils of three. Peterson said a three-member leadership body has “140 years of success in San Juan County.” Proposition Two The commission states that the current county administrator, appointed by the council, is too powerful and unaccountable to the people of San Juan County. “We don’t elect that guy [the county administrator]; he’s very powerful; he’s working with staff to come up with legislation,” said
See CRC, Page 6
Sounder deadlines Display advertising: Friday at noon Classified advertising: Monday at noon Legal advertising: Thursday at noon Press releases, Letters: Friday at 3 p.m.
How to reach us
Colleen Smith Armstrong/staff photo
Mark DeTray of Orcas Recycling Services speaking during an informational meeting on July 27.
Office: 376-4500 Fax: 376-4501 Advertising: advertising@ islandssounder.com Classified: 1-800-388-2527, classifieds@ soundpublishing.com Editor: editor@ islandssounder.com