Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
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
Join your fellow islanders in New Years Eve candlelight labyrinth walk
Sunday, December 31, 2023, from 3-5 p.m. ||| FROM NANCY AYER for EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH ||| This is the 14th year Emmanuel Church has hosted a New Years Eve indoor candlelight labyrinth walk for the community. This event is free and all are welcome. This will be a time to
Student Stories: Washington State History as a graduation requirement
||| FROM OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION ||| Do you know what’s noteworthy about Washington state’s high school graduation requirements? It’s Washington state history. From seventh to 12th grade, all students in Washington State are required to take one semester of Washington state history. This course covers the geography, history,
Sheriff’s Report | December 20 – 26, 2023
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20 23-009625 Vehicle Prowl 14:22:16 12/20/23 A San Juan Deputy took a report of a vehicle prowl. The investigation is ongoing. 23-009626 Death Investigation 15:08:15 12/20/23 Deputies on San Juan Island responded to a report of a death in Friday
Native and state leaders push for K-12 schools to fully implement tribal history curriculum
The program is required under a Washington law passed eight years ago but still hasn’t been fully adopted. A pending bill would tighten standards and provide additional support. ||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD ||| When Lopez entered her senior year, she had no idea what she wanted to do next.
Midnight Mutterings | We are all immigrants
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| Words at the base of the Statue of Liberty that stands over the New York Harbor: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
Rising rents are drowning Washington’s smaller cities
Seattle may have the highest rents statewide, but communities such as Walla Walla and Spokane have seen the most drastic losses in affordability. ||| FROM CROSSCUT.COM ||| Over the past two decades, Walla Walla has become a destination for wine lovers who travel to the region to enjoy some of
Happy New Year
||| FROM HILARY CANTY for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| Looking back on 2023 fills me with gratitude. So many of you supported this community and donated through OICF this past year. We ran three GiveOrcas campaigns in 2023 - Spring, Pea Patch Match, and Holiday. All in all, over
Early childhood education on Orcas: Work and results of Early Childhood Education Initiative
||| FROM JAMES CONNELL for EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ||| Who Are We? For ten years, preschool educators and board members from our three state-certified preschool programs, county early childhood education staff, education and child development experts, along with community advocates and investors have participated in a public/private partnership called the
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Welcome to our weekly feature, Occam's Razor, from local artist S.C. Watson.
It’s getting quieter in Puget Sound and easier for orcas to find dinner
||| FROM KUOW.ORG ||| Orca conservation groups are thanking commercial ships and other big vessels for slowing down around endangered southern resident killer whales. They are asking vessels to voluntarily reduce their speeds in a section of Puget Sound where orcas are often present. It’s a 22 nautical mile long
