By Roy L Hales
Over the past few months I’ve focused on some of Cortes island’s problems with the Strathcona Regional District. There are times this is needed, but even if my reporting is 100% accurate the resulting impression is inherently flawed because there is always much more to the story than problems. I’ve seen much in the Strathcona Regional District Board that deserves respect.
Continue reading Thank-you Strathcona Regional District Board & StaffThe article that follows was originally published on July 14 and had additional material added July 18, 2019. It is my personal opinion, not necessarily the opinions of the Cortes Radio Society, its’ board, staff, volunteers, or membership.
By Roy L Hales
Regional Director Jim Abram recently accused me of unfairly targeting him, and by extension I would include Director Brenda Leigh, in my posts and radio program. This is a fair question. The legal petitioner’s lawyer claim his clients were “put up to” that frivolous lawsuit, but there is no definitive proof that Abram and/or Leigh were the instigators. Similarly, Director Leigh may have been receiving phone calls and emails from disgruntled Cortes Islanders for the last decade, but this does not prove they warped her ability to carry out her duties. While there are times neither of these two appear to like Director Noba Anderson personally, they are not required to. However they also appear to be continually opposing Anderson as she attempts to carry out her duties as Regional Director of Cortes Island. As Abram and Leigh are the Chair and Vice Chair of the Strathcona Regional District’s four member Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC), can EASC treat Cortes fairly?
Continue reading Updated: Can EASC Treat Cortes Fairly?By Roy L Hales
While I interviewed Rick Bockner last year, it was a musician’s story minus the music. So here it is again, with eight songs inserted into the audio. His musical roots go back to the McCarthy era, when the United States was purging itself of anything that could be labelled communist. Pete Seeger gave him tips on how to play the guitar. He was a member of the psychedelic rock band Mad River, which released two albums in San Francisco before it disbanded in 1969. On Cortes Island, he is somewhat of a musical icon. In addition to being a songwriter, he is one of the key organizers of Lovefest and the face of CKTZ’s Lip Syncs for the past decade. In this morning’s interview, Rick Bockner talks about paths of beauty.
Continue reading Paths of BeautyAccording to the description on their website, the McKentys saga starts sounds on a steep snowy mountainside in the backwoods of British Columbia. Robert and Elizabeth had a small cabin, “many children of various sizes, a wood stove, a small battery-powered stereo system that sometimes worked, a mandolin, and several fiddles.” By the time they moved to Cortes, the Merry McKenty were on their way towards becoming a band.
Continue reading The Merry McKentys Return Home On Tour
