Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
EDC looking for bookkeeping, accounting instructors for Orcas Island
||| FROM ANJI RINGZIN for ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ||| Our upcoming Bookkeeping and Accounting class received an overwhelming response. Orcas Island business owners and managers have requested a class on Orcas. We are seeking a CPA or full-charge bookkeeper (current or retired) to dedicate a few hours to help local
Parasite alert: Houdini fly threatens island Mason bee populations
||| FROM RUSSEL BARSH for KWIAHT ||| One of the risks of importing Mason bee tubes from the mainland has been the unwitting introduction of pathogens and parasites that could impact the islands’ native Mason bee species, which are important for spring pollination of wildflower meadows and early-flowering shrubs and
Liz’s Loveletter | Ferries, policy cutoff, and more
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF SENATOR LIZ LOVELETT ||| We are officially one-third of the way through the 2023 legislative session, which means we’re busier than ever, working to pass bills before key deadlines. It has been so incredible to be back in Olympia with my colleagues these last few
‘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.
Do you feel it? Spring is on the way
||| FROM NITA COUCHMAN for ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| The month of February has a reputation for being the snowiest, most wintery month, not a favorite time of year for some. It starts off with Groundhog Day and weather predictions determined by a rodent, a very curious custom when you
Learn how to navigate Medicare coverage
||| FROM TERRI OSBORNE for SHIBA ||| Is 2023 the year you join Medicare? Depending on your circumstances, Social Security may automatically enroll you, or you may need to submit an application. To make an informed decision about your coverage choices, you’ll need to understand a lot of new information.
Newest offerings from our Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Island Hearing Healthcare @ Orcas Senior Center – Thursday, February 2 Stacie Nordrum, Au.D., CCC-A, of Island Hearing Healthcare will offer hearing appointments at Orcas Senior Center on Thursday, February 2 and the first Thursday of each month moving forward. Services
Our students are just as important as Seattle students
||| FROM BLAKE WILSON ||| We are reaching out to urge you to revisit regionalization and the levy lid limit of San Juan County. Attached is a video of one of our beloved librarians discussing the challenges that many of us face living on a remote island. We cannot staff our school, if we
County begins work on Orcas Island’s Fish Trap Creek culvert replacement
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The County is beginning a project to replace a culvert and repair a section of Cormorant Bay Road near Deer Harbor. The FEMA-funded project will install a ten-foot-wide box culvert, specially designed to improve fish passage to Fish Trap Creek and withstand significant
Half of Orcas islanders qualify for help at Food Bank
||| FROM DAVID & GERI TURNOY ||| Did you know that half the people living on Orcas Island qualify for help at the Orcas Food Bank? The first quarter of 2019 compared to the 4th quarter of 2022, household visits increased by 194%, and new customers continue to register monthly.
The latest info on the aerial objects we shot down
I just got a brief from NORAD. Here's what they told me. ||| FROM REP. JEFF JACKSON ||| Over the last three days, I’ve been swamped with questions about the recent shoot-downs of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs). I just had the opportunity to be part of a congressional briefing with
Rights of Nature movement continues to grow in Pacific Northwest
||| FROM KRISS KEVORKIAN for LEGAL RIGHTS FOR THE SALISH SEA ||| Bainbridge Island, WA (February 14, 2023)— The Mayor and City Council Members of the City of Bainbridge Island, signed a Proclamation describing the City of Bainbridge Island’s support for action by local, state, federal and tribal governments that
County begins planning for Zylstra Lake Trail and answers FAQs
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is eager to begin developing a plan for a multi-use trail connecting the Town of Friday Harbor to the Zylstra Lake Preserve. Recently awarded $5.28 million in federal transportation funds, the County is beginning the project by answering frequently asked
Latest round of $70 million in state pandemic relief assists 3,787 small businesses
Grants provide relief to businesses in all 39 Washington counties ||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ||| The Washington State Department of Commerce, in partnership with the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA), has distributed $70 million in grants to 3,787 for-profit and nonprofit small businesses impacted by the pandemic. Funding
NORAD air defense exercise off BC, WA coast today
||| FROM NORAD & US NORTHCOM ||| COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will conduct a planned, live-fly air defense exercise off the coast of British Columbia and Washington State today. A variety of American and Canadian NORAD aircraft, including fighter aircraft, will operate at high altitude.
Lake Tahoe has a people problem: how a resort town became unlivable
||| FROM THE GUARDIAN ||| REPRINT AT REQUEST OF ORCASONIAN READER Late last year, Lake Tahoe earned a spot on an exclusive travel guide. But the mountain destination, famed for its cobalt blue waters and Olympic-quality ski resorts, wasn’t there for the reason you’d think. Fodor’s “No list” highlighted beloved
