Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Island Health looking for a Medical Assistant
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| Island Health is looking for a full-time Medical Assistant at our clinic on Orcas Island, with an opportunity for on-the-job training. Under the direction of the Clinic Manager, the Medical Assistant oversees the effective clinical operations of the clinic. The Medical Assistant provides
Amid statewide drop in test scores, OCS performance defies the trend
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| As Orcas Christian School (OCS) students complete their Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing, the school is reporting strong student performance. MAP is a standardized assessment that evaluates a student's knowledge in reading, language, and math. Schools use the test to help educators identify
Community Water Taxi requesting support for HB1923
||| FROM COMMUNITY WATER TAXI ||| San Juan Island Community, We continue to shape and support legislation to help our local ferry crisis. We are asking for your support for HB1923, "The Mosquito Fleet Act", which will provide funding for passenger transportation initiatives in San Juan County and beyond. If
Senator Murray on Trump indiscriminately firing workers at Hanford and Bonneville Power Administration
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF SENATOR PATTY MURRAY ||| Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement in response to reports that the Trump administration began firing Washington state workers at the Hanford site and the Bonneville Power Administration.
“We might have to shut down the Country”
Anthony Romero, the A.C.L.U.’s executive director, talks about what he thinks could happen if the Trump Administration defies the authority of the courts. ||| FROM THE NEW YORKER ||| In less than a month, Donald Trump has come through on his promise to exact retribution on his enemies and to
Trump and Musk are playing ‘Russian roulette’ with the Northwest power grid
||| FROM LATITUDE MEDIA ||| The Trump administration’s layoff spree at the Department of Energy is now hitting federal workers who keep the power grids running, posing serious reliability issues for large swaths of the country. Power dispatchers, transmission schedulers and planners, field workers, and realtime traders have been laid off from
Our country’s first American-born president
||| BY LIN MCNULTY, EDITOR, theORCASONIAN ||| There were seven presidents elected in the United State before we elected our first American-born executive, and English was not his first language. The first U.S. citizen to run for president and be elected was Martin Van Buren in 1836, 60 years after
Booing an anthem? Three fights in nine seconds? Welcome to USA-Canada hockey.
||| FROM THE WASHINGTON POST ||| There hadn’t been a fight in an international hockey tournament since the NHL hosted the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, but there hasn’t been an international hockey tournament at a time of such strained relations between the United States and Canada. Against the backdrop of
Upcoming Senior Center events
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Discover your Artistic Side: Art with Carla at Orcas Senior Center! Unleash your creativity at Art with Carla Fridays, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Orcas Senior Center. Led by experienced artist Carla Stanley, this lighthearted class focuses on the creative
Pay-per-mile? Proposed legislation could replace Washington’s gas tax
||| FROM KOMO-TV SEATTLE ||| Washington State House Transportation Committee Chair Jake Fey introduced legislation to phase in a road usage charge for drivers to lessen the state’s reliance on the gas tax. But Fey acknowledged that after years of stakeholder meetings and feedback, it would likely be a voluntary program to
Resolve common Medicare concerns with SHIBA assistance
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| January through March is your opportunity to correct many common Medicare problems. Your local Statewide Health Insurance Benefit Advisors (SHIBA) volunteers can help you with the following problems: You didn’t receive your new Drug or Advantage Plan Card. Your doctor or
PeaceHealth Peace Island nationally recognized for excellence in patient experience
||| FROM ANNE WILLIAMS for PEACEHEALTH PEACE ISLAND MEDICAL CENTER ||| The Emergency Department at PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center has been recognized with a 2024 Human Experience Pinnacle of Excellence Award® by Press Ganey, the national leader in healthcare consumer and workforce engagement. This is the eighth consecutive year that PeaceHealth
Health Care District Board meeting
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island Health Care District Board will hold a Special Board Meeting on Monday, February 17th, 2025 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon in the Orcas Island Community Foundation Meeting Room, 33 Urner Street, Eastsound. The agenda is available below. Agenda
breaking news | CLIMATE CHANGE IS COMING FOR OUR CHOCOLATE!!
||| FROM SCIENCE ALERT ||| Climate change drove weeks of crop-withering temperatures last year in the West African countries that underpin the world's chocolate supply, hitting harvests and likely further stoking record prices, researchers said Wednesday. Farmers in the region – which account for some 70 percent of global cacao
Park & Recreation announces resignation of Commissioner Justin Paulsen
||| FROM KIM IHLENFELDT for ORCAS ISLAND PARK & RECREATION DISTRICT ||| Justin Paulsen Orcas Island Park and Recreation District announces the resignation of Commissioner Justin Paulsen, effective February 14, 2025. Paulsen has been a dedicated member of the Board since September 2014, contributing significantly to the growth
Muse Winter | A community art exhibition at Orcas Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Visit Orcas Senior Center, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., to experience Muse Winter! This vibrant art exhibition runs through the end of February, showcasing stunning winter-inspired creations from our talented Orcas community. Celebrate the beauty and spirit of
