It’s hard to believe that our building department is actually harassing an art museum on Orcas to obtain a building permit for something that was built 20 years ago.

And it’s not a building – it’s a sculpture. And it is on private property that has been opened to the public to view and enjoy.

Have you seen the Lambiel Museum on Orcas? It is well worth the trip. It represents the largest and finest collection of art by local masters through the years.

It has the largest collection of Helen Loggie works in the world, which is highly sought after by a local university. It also houses a fabulous collection of almost every art form you can think of, ranging from paintings to kites to ceramics to books written by local authors, and more.

It is an incredible celebration and exhibition of our local artistic talents, and the building department is harassing the owner, Leo Lambiel, to the point where he is going to move it to LaConner. What a huge loss this would be to our community, and to local tourism.

Why are we shooting ourselves in the foot?

If you want the details about the harassment – call Leo Lambiel and he will fill you in; (360) 376-4544

If you have not seen it – go there soon before it closes. It’s a “don’t miss”.

It’s a 2-hour guided tour by appointment; www.lambielmuseum.org

Rikki Swin/San Juan Island