Here’s a thought…
“It wasn’t a Blue Wave; it was an American Tsunami!”
Guest Opinion: Increased Cell Phone Service Access Dangerous
By Steve Ludwig of Lopez Island A few of our County Council Members are determined to help out the enormous US wireless industry by drafting a new ordinance that makes it easier to locate cell towers in tiny SJC. Bad idea C.C.! Improving cell phone service is essentially a form
School District Awarded Energy Grant: How to Match?
School Board Debates Options for Raising Match Funds Orcas Island School District (OISD) Superintendent Barbara Kline announced to the school board last week that the district has been awarded a grant of $460,000 from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to repair and replace the heating-ventilation-air conditioning
Power Outage Caused by BPA Equipment Failure
The power went out for most of San Juan County on Monday, December 6th at 11:27 am. OPALCO engineers used their SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system to pinpoint possible faults and determined that the outage was on the BPA transmission side. While the engineering staff spoke
Ranker Elected to Chair Natural Resources & Marine Waters Committee
From the Office of the Senate Democrats Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-San Juan, has been elected by majority Democrats to chair the recently rechristened Natural Resources and Marine Waters Committee and to serve as assistant whip for the Democratic Caucus in the state Senate. Ranker served as the committee’s vice- chair
PTSA Holds Another Scholastic Book Fair
The Orcas Island Parent-Teacher-Student Association(PTSA) will hold another Book Fair in association with Scholastic Book Company, the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. "This is a fantastic opportunity to find high quality, low-cost books and support the school at the same time," says Orcas School District
Sherman Leads Orcas Choral Society at Christmas Concerts This Weekend
Choir to Sing Historic and Contemporary Christmas Music Roger Sherman, new Director of the Orcas Choral Society, has chosen music from the 16th century to contemporary classical repertoire for the Christmas concerts this weekend. “There will be many beautiful moments in this concert,” Sherman says, including “many contemporary
Lorraine Feather’s “Ages” Wins Grammy Nomination
Vocalist/songwriter Lorraine Feather's 2009 CD, "Ages," received a Grammy award nomination in the "Best Jazz Vocal Album" category. The press release for "Ages," released in February 2010 says, that the original songs on Ages "range from the hilarious to the heart-rending; Feather’s lyrics cover a wide range of topics including
The week ahead: Music, Art and Crafts and Some Business Too
Note: all events are on Orcas Island unless their locations are highlighted. Monday, Dec. 6 Orcas Island Public Library Board of Trustees Meeting 9 a.m. “Birth Works!” a free monthly birth class for expecting women and all others interested in birth and babies. “Vaccinations: new research, new guidelines, new decisions
“Art Squared” and Holiday Celebration at Artworks
The Orcas Island Artworks will celebrate the holidays on Sunday, December 12 from 3 to 6 p.m.. There is no charge for admission - everyone is invited to share refreshments and good cheer. The “Hot Wall” for the month of December will feature “Art Squared” - a collection
Cost Share Program Helps Buoy Owners Restore Eelgrass
From the Friends of the San Juans Boaters interested in greening their mooring buoys can now save some green doing so. In 2009 Friends of the San Juans received a grant from the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board to map buoys in San Juan County and develop a cost
Artsmith Salon with Ellen Welcker at FIRE tonight
Salon & Writers' Open Mic this Monday is guaranteed to light a flame or two at the much-requested Eastsound location.The popular literary event will be held at 7 p.m. at FIRE restaurant in Eastsound. The featured writer is Ellen Welcker. Ellen was the first writer to ever read for the
Holiday Crafts Night for Kids this Friday
Orcas Open Arts is having its first Holiday Craft Night! The event will be this Friday, December 10 from 6-8 p.m.at the public school cafeteria. Kids ages 5-12 will be able to make handcrafted holiday gifts and decor, such as frames, magnets, gift bags and more, for family
Susan Osborn Entertains Again for Christmas
The public is invited to join Susan Osborn and Friends for a musical celebration of Christmas and the winter season. These concerts have become a community tradition here in the islands over more than 20 years. This year they will be presented not only at Susan's traditional venue,
OASIS Graduates Four Today
Rion Brandt, Piper Fohrman, Alyssa Ledgerwood and Thomas Willbanks were honored today at the OASIS (Orcas Alternative Student-Initiated Studies) High School Commencement Ceremony. The students all completed either a high-school diploma or General Education Development (GED) certification. Orcas Island School District Superintendent Barbara Kline congratulated the students as
“Less is More” at Writer’s Roundtable Dec. 11
JoEllen Moldoff, coordinator for the Writer's Roundtable says the December meeting "will focus on figuring out what we want to say using just six words. Inspired by SMITH Magazine, originators of the six- word memoir, this exercise will be the springboard for balancing brevity and expansion." The public is invited to join Rachel
Ready for Fun? The Weekend’s Full of It!
Saturday, December 4 Darvill’s Bookstore 21st Annual Holiday Party from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Everything in the store will be discounted by 15%. As always, gift wrapping is complimentary. Cookies and cider will be served all day and we will have more nibbles and beverages from 3:00 – 7:00
