Here’s a thought…
“There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.”
ERIC SEVAREID
Sing in Orcas Youth Chorus or Kids’ Chorus this Winter!
||| FROM LYNNE BAKER for ORCAS CHORAL SOCIETY ||| All Orcas kids and youth are invited to have fun making music together this winter with the Orcas Youth Chorus (grades 6-12) and Kids’ Chorus (grades 1-5). The two choruses will meet for an 8-week winter session January-March, with a spring
Council extends agreement with Lopez Solid Waste by three months
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Council held a special meeting today and voted to extend the existing interlocal agreement with the Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District (LSWDD) for three months. The LSWDD’s managing board had signed the extension during a meeting on Friday, December 13. This extension enables
Poetry | ‘Twas December on Orcas
||| BY HELEN HUBER, ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB |||
Holiday Music Celebration at Orcas Adventist Chapel
||| FROM ORCAS ADVENTIST CHAPEL ||| A festive holiday music celebration will take place at the Orcas Adventist Chapel, featuring island musicians of all ages. The event will begin at 11:00 AM on Saturday, December 21 where the chapel will come alive with the sounds of local talent performing a
Candlelight Labyrinth Walk
||| FROM JEFFRY STEELE ||| Candlelight Labyrinth Walk (indoors), 12/31/24, 5-7:00 PM, Emmanuel Church Parish Hall, 242 Main, Eastsound This annual ritual to be accompanied this year by Jeffry Steele, offering 8-string guitar improvisations through atmospheric audio effects.
How everything became surgery
Removing a wee splinter? Treating a wart? If a doctor does it, it can be billed as surgery. ||| FROM THE WASHINGTON POST ||| When George Lai of Portland, Oregon, took his toddler son to a pediatrician last summer for a checkup, the doctor noticed a splinter in the child’s
2024 Bullitt Prize winners weave culture and conservation together for environmental justice
||| FROM WASHINGTON CONSERVATION ACTION ||| SEATTLE, WA – Washington Conservation Action announces Free Borsey and Raven Borsey, of the Lummi Nation, as the winners of its 18th annual $100,000 Bullitt Prize. They dedicate themselves to nurturing and passing on traditional ecological knowledge, to resisting projects that damage the natural environment,
First Sounder gray whale of season spotted in Salish Sea, continues early arrival trend
||| FROM KOMO NEWS STAFF ||| The first of many Sounder gray whales returning to Puget Sound was seen in the Salish Sea earlier this week. The whale’s appearance marks the continuance of a recent trend of early arrivals for the North Puget Sound Gray Whales or “Sounders,” according to
Victory! Europe’s largest marine prison will finally close In January 2025
||| FROM WORLD ANIMAL NEWS ||| After years of relentless campaigning by PETA, animal protection groups, and tens of thousands of activists, Marineland d’Antibes (Marineland France) is finally closing its doors in January 2025. This monumental victory highlights the power of advocacy and the growing public rejection of keeping marine
Holiday Jammie Jam
||| FROM ANITA ORNE for FLOATING UKULELE JAM ||| It’s December, and the Floating Ukulele Jam is slightly different…still bring your uke, your voice, and maybe a song (holiday or otherwise) to share, but for this one – we wear pajamas! Not sure why, but we do…so grab your favorite pair
Port of Orcas Meeting
||| FROM CHIP LONG for PORT OF ORCAS ||| The Port of Orcas Board of Commissioners will hold a Regular Meeting on Monday, December 16th at 5:00 p.m. online via Zoom and in-person at the airport terminal. Access information as well as the Agenda can be found at portoforcas.com.
LWVSJ Observer Corps | County Council December 10, 2024
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| During public access eight people from Orcas Island spoke in favor of the cultural access program. A person from Lopez supported the tree planting plan for Lopez Village. This was the last in-person meeting for council members Minney and Wolf, but they
Midnight Mutterings | Huh?
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| I had planned to write about something much different, something academic that happened a half century ago in California that has repercussions today, that is still controversial and has ties to what is going on socially, politically and personally to each of us.
Sheriff’s Report | December 4 – 10, 2024
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4 24-007707 Agency Assistance 09:00:04 12/04/24 A Detective on San Juan Island responded to an agency assist. The incident was investigated and found no probable cause for a crime. The incident was documented. 24-007712 Trespassing 12:32:47 12/04/24 A San Juan
Wind, coastal flooding in forecast for tonight / tomorrow
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Seattle WA 157 PM PST Fri Dec 13 2024 San Juan County-Western Whatcom County-Western Skagit County- Everett and Vicinity-Admiralty Inlet Area-Central Coast- Including the cities of Port Townsend, Burlington, Everett, Sedro-Woolley, Mount Vernon, Marysville, Bellingham, Lynnwood, Friday
Medical Assistants: A guided path to helping others
||| FROM GRAY GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| From left to right: Kailley, Bridget, Mary, Alenna, Gabi, Syann, & Noah. Medical Assistant Kailley describes her work at Island Primary Care - Orcas as the “most challenging and rewarding career [she] could have ever fathomed pursuing.” Kailley is
