Here’s a thought…
“It wasn’t a Blue Wave; it was an American Tsunami!”
Christmas Observances — Reverent and Festive
Updated Friday, Dec. 23 at 2 p.m. FAITH Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Saturday, December 24 at the West Sound Community Hall at 4 p.m. "Candlelight Service and Reading" with Michael Ream and Howard Barbour. Howard will read "A Child's Christmas in Wales" and Michael will lead Christmas Carols. All are welcome to attend. Orcas
Charter Commission to Convene First Meeting January 7
By Stan Matthews County Website and Communications Manager The San Juan County Charter Review Commission will convene its first meeting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, January 7, 2012 in the County Council Chambers, 55 Second Avenue in Friday Harbor. The County’s Charter calls for a review by an elected Charter
Winter Ferry Schedule Goes into Effect Jan. 1
From Washington State Ferries, Dept. of Transportation All routes will switch over to the winter sailing schedule on Sunday, Jan. 1. The winter schedule notes annual service reductions, which WSF makes to match the reduced seasonal demand. Changes include: no inter-island vessel on the weekends in the San Juan Islands;
A Winter’s Poem
Winter Solstice By Rebecca Parker Perhaps for a moment the typewriters will stop clicking, the wheels stop rolling, the computers desist computing, and a hush will fall over the city. For an instant, in the stillness, the chiming of the celestial spheres will be heard as earth hangs poised in
Christmas Trees: A Renewable Resource
From Helen Venada, Waste Reduction and Hazardous Waste Coordinator San Juan County Solid Waste Division The County Public Works Department is sponsoring a Christmas tree collection program this year. Trees will be chipped for mulch for use at a public project and not sent to a landfill. Help us reduce the volume of
4-H, Lions and Girl Scouts Work Year-Round to Stuff Stockings
By Lorena Stankevich This holiday season the Orcas Island Trailblazer 4H club stuffed 98 stockings for local children in need. This is an ongoing community service project for the club - our members also serve as members of the local Girl Scouts troop; we sell Girl Scout cookies in
Guest Column: Joining a Board, Anything but Boring
By Rachel Newcombe Thirty-three. This is the number of upcoming vacancies on various boards and commissions in San Juan County. I’ve been wondering, why do any of us volunteer to serve on a board or commission? Is it a calling? A humanitarian quest? Or maybe it’s an opportunity to become intimately
School Board Authorizes Levy Vote, New Officers, Donations
Career and Technical Education Report Advocates Job Training The Orcas Island School District (OISD) Board moved quickly through its Dec. 20 agenda to approve a replacement Maintenance and Operations Levy vote on Feb. 14, 2012. The Levy to be put before voters will collect $1,880,000 for two years, and then
Gaylord Says Layoff in Prosecutor’s Office Will Disrupt Justice
From the San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Prosecuting Attorney Randall K. Gaylord announced that budget cuts in in March 2012 will force him to lay off the one deputy prosecutor handling misdemeanors from full-time to about half-time. “This 50 percent reduction in misdemeanor prosecution will disrupt what people expect
A Tale for the Winter Season from Eth-Noh-Tec
By Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo and Nancy Wang of Eth-Noh-Tec Amaterasu is the Sun Goddess of Japan who was once so angered and frightened by her brother Susano the Storm God’s destruction and betrayal of her world, that she hid in a cave taking her light with her. Her world turned dark
Search for Orcas Fire Chief Begins
FIRE CHIEF POSITION San Juan County Fire Protection District #2 Orcas Island Fire and Rescue, Orcas Island, Washington Position: Fire Chief, San Juan County Fire Protection District #2 This position is available January 1, 2012 Method of Application and Deadline: Please contact Fire Commissioner Barbara Bedell at bedellorcas@gmail.com for a
Ring in 2012 with Dinner/Dance Events at Rosario
From the Orcas Dance Club The public is cordially invited to come party with the Orcas Dance Club, Orcas Island Yacht Club, fellow Orcasians, Rosario people and other folks on New Years Eve at the Rosario Beachhouse (formerly the Discovery House.) No reservations are needed and tickets will be available
Guest Column: Hannukkah Brings Light and Transformation to Dark Days
By Cara Cohn Hanukkah celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its destruction by the Syrian Greeks in 164 BCE. The eight-night festival of Chanukah is also known as the Festival of Lights and takes place in December, the time of year when the days are shortest in
Letter to the Editor: Council’s Support for Strong CAO Protections Appreciated
We would like to thank County Council Members Fralick, Miller, Pratt, Rosenfeld, and Stephens for their decision on December 5 not to support an effort by Council Member Peterson to weaken the proposed update to our county's existing Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO). “Critical Areas” consist of wetlands, fish and wildlife
Orcas School Board Plans Busy Year-End Meeting Tomorrow
The Orcas Island School Board of Directors will have its final meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 20, with the public portion beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the School Library. The meeting is scheduled to vote in new officers, accept donated funds, act on resolutions concerning levies and budget extensions, hear the
School Science Club to Lead Night-time Low Tide Walk
Friday, Dec. 23 at 8 p.m. by Waterfront Park By Russel Barsh On December 23, the Orcas Elementary School Science Club will conduct a night time low-tide walk around Indian Island beginning at 8 p.m. on the beach below the county park in Eastsound: if you see headlamps and flashlights
