Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Environmental Stewardship Department requests salmon recovery project proposals
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Environmental Stewardship Department is requesting Salmon Recovery project proposals for the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) 2024 grant funding cycle. Private citizens, non-profit organizations, local, state, and tribal governments, and special districts are invited to apply. Letters of Intent are
Stay safe from respiratory illness this winter
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Winter is here, and that means respiratory illness season is here, too. Health & Community Services (HCS) wants to remind everyone of five simple ways that can help protect you and your loved ones from getting sick. Consider getting vaccinated. It’s not
Tick Talk | We’re seeing native ticks about a month earlier than usual
||| FROM RUSSEL BARSH for KWIAHT ||| Native ticks are emerging about a month early due to unusually mild fall and early winter weather; be sure to check yourself and your dog if you go hiking or dog-walking along trails or in brushy areas of the island. Local ticks are
San Juan County seeks consultant for Comprehensive Plan update
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Department of Community Development (DCD) seeks a qualified consultant to review and update the County’s Comprehensive Plan in accordance with the Washington State Growth Management Act. The consultant must have immediate availability and relevant experience. All submittals must be received
Join Lopez, Orcas Garden Clubs for native plant discussion
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Master Gardener Jane Wentworth Please join Lopez Island Garden Club and Orcas Island Garden Club on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 when we welcome Master Gardener Jane Wentworth to tell us about using native plants in the garden to enhance biodiversity
Dr. Triplett announces another free tooth extraction clinic
||| FROM TERRI TRIPLETT ||| Dr. Triplett’s dental office at 445 Madrona Street in Eastsound is reserving Wednesday January 24 for free tooth extractions for our Orcas, Shaw, and Waldron residents in financial need. Services are limited to both routine and surgical extractions (including wisdom teeth). To make an appointment
OPALCO offices will be closed on Fridays: Open Monday-Thursday 8a – 5p
||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| OPALCO offices will be closed on Fridays beginning January 5th and open hours are extended by 30 minutes Monday through Thursday. The majority of OPALCO staff are part of the IBEW-77 bargaining unit and a new contract was approved
Request for salmon recovery project proposals
||| FROM SAM WHITRIDGE for SAN JUAN COUNTY DEPT OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP ||| The San Juan County Lead Entity for Salmon Recovery is requesting Salmon Recovery project proposals for the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) 2024 grant funding cycle. In addition to regular Salmon Recovery projects, this year’s grant round
Yoga with Sam | Nourishing body, mind, and spirit
Orcas Senior Center (Fridays, 10 am starting January 5) ||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Join Samantha Fisher in a holistic movement practice suitable for all experience levels, prioritizing an attuned connection to your body's inner wisdom. Drawing from her training in Hatha Yoga and Integrated Movement
Letter to Editor | I’m choosing not to be an OIFR volunteer
||| FROM NICK NEGULESCU ||| I'm able-bodied and in my mid-40s but I will not be choosing to volunteer with this fire department any time soon, if ever. From my point of view as a grown strong man who can do many things still in life and is not crippled
Explore Julia Summers’ captivating photography at Orcas Senior Center
Monday-Friday, 9 am-3 pm (January-February) ||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Visit Orcas Senior Center Monday through Friday, 9 am to 3 pm, to immerse yourself in the stunning photography of Julia Summers. This captivating exhibition will grace our walls throughout the months of January and February.
Elections Office to hold logic/accuracy test of tabulating equipment
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Elections office will be holding a “Logic and Accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used for the County’s February 13, 2024, Special election. The test is scheduled for January 9 at 11:00 a.m. Logic and accuracy testing is a standard
Letter to Editor | A cautionary tale of flying blind and low morale
||| FROM NICK NEGULESCU ||| On December 22, Toby Cooper of the Islands’ Sounder wrote of the December BOFC meeting: Chief Holly VanSchaick included in her report the announcement that three full-time employees — Finance Manager Audra McLain, Volunteer Coordinator Jim “Mac” McCorison, and veteran Safety Officer/Firefighter/EMT Bob Nutt —
Fire Commission will meet on Tuesday afternoon
||| FROM KAT BARNARD for ORCAS FIRE & RESCUE ||| The SJC Fire Protection District #2 Board of Fire Commissioners invites you to a Regular Meeting on Tuesday, January 2nd, at 3:00 p.m. at the Eastsound Fire Hall or on Zoom (link below and in the attachment). Please review the agenda attached
Locals participate in weekly peace vigil in Eastsound
||| FROM DAVID TURNOY ||| If you have driven through the main intersection in town at Main Street and North Beach Road on Sunday between 11:30 and 12:30, you may have noticed a small group of locals standing with signs calling for peace and for a ceasefire in Gaza. We
Lions will be making $14,000 donation to fire department
||| FROM JIM BIDDICK for ORCAS LIONS CLUB ||| The. Orcas Island Lions Club is going to be making a $14,000 donation to OIFR at the next Commissioners meeting on January 2 at 3 p.m. The funds are from the latest fundraising campaign. $9,000 from the community and $5,000 from
