Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
The co-op difference: Capital credit checks are in the mail
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| More than $1.1M in capital credit checks are going out to longtime OPALCO members this month, as they do each year. As an electric cooperative, the margin at the end of any given year goes back into the hands
Heavy snow on the way?
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| * WHAT...Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 6 inches possible. * WHERE...San Juan County, including Stuart Island, Waldron Island, Orcas Island, San Juan Island, Lopez Island, Blakely Island, and Decatur Island. * WHEN...From 7 PM PST this evening through Tuesday evening.
Sun Days on Orcas | Pondering God, III of III
||| SUN DAYS ON ORCAS by EDEE KULPER ||| Today is the final question-and-answer session with my brother Jack... Edee: Fear of God (or fear of an absence of God) can change a person's entire motivation, belief, and desire. When I get to the root of who I am and
Orcas Islander writes of being alone on a SUP in the Arctic
||| FROM 48NORTH.COM ||| She was surrounded by women. They all sat on the bench at the front of the community hall in the center of Paulatuk in the Inuvik region of Canada’s Northwest Territories. She looked me in the eyes, pausing to take another drag of her cigarette. Her
Port of Orcas sets new meeting date due to holiday
||| FROM PORT OF ORCAS ||| Attached you will find the Agenda for the Port of Orcas Board of Commissioners December meeting. This meeting is being held one week early, on Monday December 19th, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. due to the holiday.
Health Care District to hold special board meeting
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| In replacement of the regular December board meeting, originally planned for December 27, the commissioners unanimously agreed to hold a special board meeting to conduct regular board meeting business on Tuesday December 20 from 5 – 7 PM. The board will conduct
Inslee update: State budget, $4 billion housing referendum, WSU clean energy program, behavioral health
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Inslee releases 2023 budget proposal with major focus on housing, homelessness and behavioral health Gov. Jay Inslee revealed his proposed budget for the upcoming biennium on Dec. 14 at the capitol. The highlight of the budget is an audacious housing proposal
Housing, homelessness and behavioral health top Inslee’s budget priorities for 2023–25
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee released his 2023–25 budget proposals today, urging legislators to continue prioritizing investments in housing, homelessness, and behavioral health with urgency and audacity. His budgets also outline updated plans for climate, salmon recovery, education, public safety, state workforce, and
San Juan County launches “Text-to-911” for emergency response
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is pleased to announce that cellular phone users in the county can now send text messages to 911 in an emergency. This new feature increases accessibility to emergency services and helps San Juan County’s emergency response teams quickly and effectively
Sheriff’s Report | December 7 – 13, 2022
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7 22-008648 Theft 08:06:38 12/07/22 An Orcas Deputy responded to a report of fraud involving an EBT card. A report was taken. 22-008652 Found Property 09:58:19 12/07/22 A Deputy on San Juan Island responded to a report of found property
Sustainable Tourism Management Plan has been updated
||| BY MATTHEW GILBERT, ORCASONIAN OP-ED REPORTER ||| After a busy 2022 of surveys and public meetings, the process for developing the Sustainable Tourism Management Plan (STMP) has shifted its focus. As described by Kendra Smith, the county’s Director of Environmental Stewardship, “We are doing some behind the scenes work
Crow Valley Stringband & Brograss coming to Grange stage
||| FROM RACHEL BISHOP for CROW VALLEY STRINGBAND & BROGRASS ||| The Crow Valley Stringband and Brograss will be bringing their annual Home for the Holidays concert to the Orcas Grange on Monday December 26 at 7 p.m. They will be joined by friends including Howard Barbour for an evening
County asks residents to help secure broadband funding
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County urges residents to check Federal Communications Commission (FCC) data to help secure future broadband funding before January 13, 2023. This effort to address broadband deficiencies could bring new coverage to the San Juan Islands, resulting in more reliable, higher-speed internet.
Court recommends halting Alaska’s unsustainable harvest to protect Wild Chinook, Southern Resident Killer Whales
||| FROM EMMA HELVERSON for WILD FISH CONSERVANCY ||| December 16, 2022— In a massive international and coast-wide decision for wild Chinook and Southern Resident killer whale recovery, Seattle’s federal Court issued a landmark opinion on Tuesday that recommends terminating unsustainable commercial salmon harvest that has persisted for decades until
San Juan County is prepared for inclement weather – and you should be, too
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is pleased to provide the public with a reminder of Public Works services, priorities, and mission during inclement weather. Additionally, there are several ways in which the public can support snow removal and safety efforts by following simple guidelines. San
WSF report from the week
||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Washington State Transportation Commission meeting Several ferry-related topics were covered during the Washington State Transportation Commission meeting this week. Key findings from this year’s Ferry Riders Opinion Group survey were presented. More than 6,000 ferry riders provided feedback regarding their travel behavior and frequency between June and
