Here’s a thought…
“If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.”
WILLIAM L. MCKNIGHT
Orcas Island School District announces job opening for Director of Operations
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island School District is excited to announce a job opening for the position of Director of Operations. This is a full-time, year-round position offering a competitive first-year annual salary of $98,300 and a comprehensive benefits package. The Director of Operations will
Muse Winter | A Community art exhibition at Orcas Senior Center
Calling all artists! ||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Share your winter-inspired creations at the Orcas Senior Center! Bring in your art on Friday, January 3, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., to be part of Muse Winter, a vibrant art exhibition running through January and February.
Health Care District looking to fill Board vacancy
||| FROM CHRIS CHORD for ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| Following the voluntary resignation of District Commissioner Pegi Groundwater effective 11/30/2024, Orcas Island Health Care District (OIHCD) has formally nominated Alison Sanders for the appointment to fill that vacancy at a special board meeting held on 12/18/2024. The OIHCD
In Memoriam | Artha Freya Kass
||| FROM DEE HEIN ||| Artha Freya Kass (nee Artha Freya Schwartz) died peacefully in a beautiful hospice house following cardiac arrest on November 27, 2024, at the age of 84, with her daughter Julie by her side. Artha was the firstborn child of Jerome and Yetta Schwartz, soon followed
SJC Parks and Fair announces new camping software; delaying reservation availability
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, and Fair Department is pleased to announce updates to the camping reservation system that seek to provide an easier user interface, better sorting options of campsites, and more efficient administrative processing. These changes will delay the reservation
‘Murder Hornet’ has been eradicated from the U.S., officials say
||| FROM NEW YORK TIMES ||| The hunt for the “murder hornet” in the northwest corner of Washington State began like a criminal investigation, with bee carcasses creating a crime scene and the public being asked to send tips about the potential culprit’s whereabouts. Search grids were created. Traps were
County to accept salmon recovery project proposals through January
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Environmental Stewardship Department is eager to accept Salmon Recovery project proposals for the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) 2025 grant funding cycle. Private residents, non-profit organizations, local, state, and tribal governments, and special districts are invited to apply. Interested applicants
Rotary Club presents $7,000 check to SJI School District’s STEAM Program
||| FROM BARBARA MARRETT for ROTARY CLUB OF SAN JUAN ISLANDS ||| On December 9, the Rotary Club of the San Juan Islands proudly presented a $7,000 check to the San Juan Island School District’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) program. The funds will be used primarily to
County kicks off element review portion of 2025 Comp Plan Update
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) as part of its 2025 Growth Management Act Periodic Update – and your input is welcome! Over the coming months, the County will begin reviewing specific elements in an
LWVSJ Observer Corps | County Council and LSWDD
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| Special Meetings December 16, 2024 County Council members convened as the Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District (LSWDD) governing body in a special meeting and approved the 2025 annual budget recommended by the LSWDD managing board by a vote of two in favor and one opposed.
Volunteers needed for Solstice Parade road closures
||| FROM TARA ANDAYA for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| The winter solstice luminary parade is this Saturday at 5 pm! The parade is in need of volunteers to help with road closures for a brief amount of time. Can you help or do you know anyone that can help? Please email
Shoreline Workshop for Local Contractors
||| FROM TINA WHITMAN for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS Join local and regional shoreline experts from Friends of the San Juans, the Northwest Straits Foundation, Peninsula Environmental, the San Juan County Department of Community Development and the State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation on Friday, January 17 from 8:30am
Optimistic gardeners
||| FROM LAURA WALKER for ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| It’s often difficult to be optimistic when faced with the current state of the world, but we gardeners are a lucky lot. We have the good fortune to naturally see possibilities. With hope and positivity, we look beyond the weeds
‘Tis the season
||| FROM ORCAS CHORAL SOCIETY ||| Orcas Choral Society members and Orcas Christian School students carol at Island Market Dec. 16, led by Christian School teacher Andy Rivera.
New winter sailing schedule starts on Sunday, Dec. 29
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| The new winter sailing schedule for the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route begins Sunday, Dec. 29. These schedule changes will help improve on-time performance and provide more certainty that boats will arrive and depart on time. Learn more about how we developed the new schedule on our project
WSF: Expect a bumpy ride
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| All ferry passengers should be prepared for possible service disruptions starting this afternoon through tomorrow morning due to weather. The National Weather Service is forecasting high winds throughout the region that could impact service. Anacortes/San Juan Islands and Port Townsend/Coupeville routes: With stronger winds in
