Some end up living in campers with no indoor plumbing, or pitching tents in the state parks. It's a sobering economic picture. Our tourist magazines may describe this as a laidback, relaxed place to put your feet up on the table and stare out at the water, but if you're not retired and don't have money in the bank, it's a bunch of bull. And while there's almost no violent crime, statistics on domestic violence, Child Protective Services referrals and substance abuse among youths exceed state averages. This is not a place to escape, not a place to come to work on your marriage or relationship.
Every social problem exists here.
As Kermit says, its not easy being green. But on an island with a big heart and a head full of ideas, many locals are confident they can find ways to keep the Orcas soul intact. I think that there is a spirit here that will guide us. Enge, in gray ponytail, has a familiar island profile. A graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, he works out his aesthetics painting canvas, his economics painting houses.