Here’s a thought…
“No one, I mean no one, has the right to sit in judgment of who’s American enough.”
MICHELLE OBAMA
LWVSJ Observer Corps | County Council October 1, 2024
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| The Council declared October 2024 as National Disability Employment Month. They got a letter from two advisory committees supporting the resolution in opposition to the state-wide ballot initiative 2117 that if passed would reduce funds for transportation, wildfire prevention, and clean air and
Letter to Editor | Why I don’t support Land Bank
||| FROM RON WHALEN ||| Posted on What’s Up with Free Speech was a question “What do you think is the biggest gripe people have with the Land Bank?” What a great question... I hardly know where to begin, but the following story might be a good place to start.
Letter to Editor | Land Bank is instrumental to our way of life
||| FROM NANCY LARSEN ||| I am enthusiastically voting for Proposition 1 to renew our San Juan County Conservation Land Bank. It goes without saying that over the last 34 years, the Land Bank has been instrumental in enhancing our way of life by protecting water resources, forestland, working farms
Have thoughts on our ferry system?
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Customers are encouraged to participate in the current Ferry Riders Opinion Group survey to share your thoughts on all things Washington State Ferries. The survey is hosted by the Washington State Transportation Commission to hear feedback and suggestions directly from ferry riders. Those looking
County employee Union endorses Kari McVeigh, expresses equal support for both Rick Hughes and Justin Paulson in upcoming County Council election
||| FROM AFSCME LOCAL 1849 EXECUTIVE BOARD FOR SJC EMPLOYEES ||| Approximately 55% of San Juan County’s 293 employees are represented by the public employee union AFSCME, Local 1849. Our Union represents a broad array of staff employed across a diversity of disciplines, including the County’s public works road crews,
Dave Kosiur library art exhibit
||| FROM ANDREA COHEN for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Art in the Library program of the Orcas Island Library features the photography of Dave Kosiur for the month of October. Dave appropriately titled his exhibit The Land, since he has been photographing the grand landscapes and small details of the
Marilee Whitehouse Holm featured this month at Artworks
||| FROM B.J. ARNOLD for ORCAS ARTWORKS ||| Marilee Whitehouse Holm. The Artworks is excited to present our October featured artist Marilee Whitehouse Holm. Marilee, a long time Orcas resident, began “doing art” in high school. She continued to pursue her love of art by completing BFA in
Fibershed Workshop this Weekend
||| FROM SAN JUAN MAKERS GUILD ||| Fiber enthusiasts: there is a Fibershed program brewing in the islands ... This weekend, come enjoy a fun 2hr weaving class, or stop by to visit the Warm Valley Orchard fiber studio during the Farm Tours if you'd like to get a little
Letter to Editor | “Justin time”
||| FROM DEBBI FINCHER ||| I've been researching the SJC County Council District 2 candidates because I don't want to vote for someone just because of name recognition. I'm happy to say I found what I was looking for. I found a quality candidate, and it's Justin Paulsen. Justin Paulsen's
LWVSJ Observer Corps | County Council September 30, 2024
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| The Council recognized September 30 as Orange Shirt Day, known in Canada as Truth and Reconciliation Day, to remember the children of first nations and tribes who were forced into residential boarding schools where many died. The county manager briefed the council on
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease outbreak
||| FROM RUSSEL BARSH for KWIAHT ||| There have been multiple reports this past week of dead feral European rabbits on Orcas and Lopez. While test results have not yet come back from the state veterinary laboratory at WSU, the evidence suggests a fresh outbreak of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHDV2),
County issues proclamation recognizing National Disability Employment Awareness Month
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During yesterday’s Council meeting, a proclamation was issued recognizing October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This proclamation celebrates the value and talent that workers with disabilities add to our workplaces and economy. NDEAM is an opportunity to pay tribute to the accomplishments
Skagit County to curb some glass recycling
||| FROM KING5 NEWS ||| People in Skagit County will no longer be able to take their glass bottles to the transfer station for recycling, effective Tuesday, Oct. 1. The new rule only applies to people who take their recycling directly to the transfer station — not for people who
Southern Resident orcas have more diverse diet than previously thought, research reveals
||| FROM KOMO NEWS ||| Southern Resident killer whales, a critically endangered population that frequents the Puget Sound during the summer and fall, have a more varied diet than previously believed, according to new research. Dr. Amy Van Cise, a postdoctoral researcher with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA)
Letter to Editor | In support of Justin Paulsen for county council
||| FROM JIM CONNELL ||| I’m Jim Connell. I was a member of the Orcas Island and San Juan County communities for twenty years until a month ago when I retired to Arizona. I was involved in non-profit work across the county in the areas of addiction recovery and early
Annual Gardening Workshop
||| FROM KATE YTURRI for SJC MASTER GARDENERS ||| Join SJC Master Gardeners for our Annual Gardening Workshop lecture series, held in October over two weeks and presented as Zoom webinars so that gardeners can enjoy the lectures from the comfort of their homes. The series includes 8 one-hour presentations
