Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
LWVSJ Observer Corps | County Council February 11, 2025
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| During public access a citizen spoke in favor of the Land Bank lease of Beaverton Valley Marsh property to the grange. Two citizens were frustrated by the building code and permitting process for owner/builders, saying DCD staff referred them to the website,
Larsen to host telephone town hall on Saturday, February 15 at 1 pm PT
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| On Saturday, February 15, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) will host a live telephone town hall to provide an update on his work to fight back against the Republican Rip-Off and answer constituents’ questions. Attendees are invited to tune in to a live stream at larsen.house.gov/live or
Grieving B.C. southern resident orca mom no longer carrying dead calf’s body
The killer whale's 'grief procession' lasted at least 11 days ||| FROM TOFINO-UCLUELET WESTERLY NEWS ||| A mother killer whale's 'grief procession' for her dead newborn calf has come to an end. Observed swimming with other members of J pod on Feb. 8 in the Haro Strait, the southern resident orca
‘Ash Smash’ pop-up in February showcases wood firing on Orcas Island
||| FROM SHARON HO for ASH SMASH POP-UP ||| As it often does on Orcas Island, a casual exchange—in this case, a shared curiosity in the ancient method of wood firing—grew organically into a series of exploratory meetings. Before long, nine local artists were pooling resources and time over two
Reminder | Systemwide WSF public meeting
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| This week on Wednesday, Feb. 12 and Thursday, Feb. 13, we’re hosting systemwide virtual public meetings to take questions and update community members on the latest at Washington State Ferries. Registration is required. To learn more and register, visit: https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/washington-state-ferries/about-us/community-participation
LWVSJ Observer Corps | County Council February 10, 2025
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| During public access, Lovell Pratt of the Friends of the San Juans asked the council to support HB 1652 and SB 5519, two bills in the state legislature to require ocean-going ships to use low sulfur fuels, which are readily available. Ships using scrubbers keep
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 Wednesday, February 12th, 2025 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM in the Orcas Island Community Foundation Meeting Room, 33 Urner Street, Eastsound. The agenda is available below. Agenda
Why a WA lawmaker wants to collect data on cow farts and burps
||| FROM JACQUELYN JIMENEZ ROMERO for WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD ||| The latest beef in Olympia? Cow burps, farts, and poops. Washington lawmakers are considering a bill that seeks to gather better data on the scale and scope of methane emissions released by dairies and feedlots in the state. House Bill
Jury Duty cancelled for February 10-24
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: FEBRUARY 10-14, 2025 For the jury period beginning Monday, February 10th through Friday February 14th, all jurors are now excused.
Orcas Christian School students collaborate on essay project about pets
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| Orcas Christian School English students in Mrs. McCutcheon’s class recently worked together with Ms. Debbie’s kindergartners to compose an essay about pets. The collaborative project allowed older students to mentor younger ones while exploring the topic in a fun, engaging way. “Students find meaning
Guest Opinion | Reflections on trade, tariffs, and winning
||| FROM DOUGLAS MARSHALL ||| Recent events recalled my high school textbook which taught that countries should balance their imports and exports. I asked the poor teacher “Why?” She became angry, because she could not explain such a complicated topic. That episode helped point me to a degree in Economics.
Small Plates, Big Table | Community feast at 2025 Agricultural Summit
||| FROM REBECCA MOORE for WSU EXTENSION | SAN JUAN COUNTY ||| The San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit invites farmers, food enthusiasts, and community members to gather for Small Plates, Big Table—an evening of local flavors, engaging discussions, and community connection. This highly anticipated event will take place at the Lopez
Washington Senate passes changes to parental rights in education
After a long debate Wednesday afternoon, the Senate approved changes to the standards outlined in Initiative 2018 from 2024. The amendments, which included removing parental notice of medical services or treatments for their children, were passed on a party-line vote. ||| FROM ALBERT JAMES for OLYMPIA NEWS BUREAU ||| OLYMPIA,
Big brrrrr coming up
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Seattle WA 205 PM PST Sun Feb 9 2025 San Juan County-Western Whatcom County- Including the cities of Friday Harbor and Bellingham 205 PM PST Sun Feb 9 2025 ...COLD WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM
Washington state leaders react to executive order limiting transgender athletes
Democrats are reaffirming their commitment to protecting trans people, following the President's action restricting their involvement in school sports. One Republican legislator believes it is time to push for restrictions at the state level. ||| FROM ALBERT JAMES for OLYMPIA NEWS BUREAU ||| OLYMPIA, Wash. – State leaders are reaffirming
Children’s book written by former OASIS School students has reached Amazon bestseller list
||| FROM TETYANA BURNETT for CHALKBOARD ACADEMY ||| Anna and Ian Burnett Former students from OASIS School (Orcas Island School District) and residents of DuPont, WA (Pierce county) Anna and Ian Burnett have captured the literary world’s attention with their recently released children's book, "The Queen of Spotland,"
