Here’s a thought…
“Neither the evil nor the good in our history determines who we are. It is what we do now. If we do not say something ourselves about this horror, we allow ourselves to be changed.”
TIMOTHY SNYDER
Senior Center is now under its own management
||| FROM LYNETTE WOOD, ORCAS SENIOR CENTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ||| Orcas Senior Center is under new management! A new nonprofit, Friends of Orcas Senior Center, took over operations on January 1. Along with the transition, the new nonprofit is acquiring the trade name “Orcas Senior Center (OSC).” We hope that
Tik-tok: It’s now time for a Ticks talk
||| FROM RUSSEL BARSH for KWIAHT ||| Warmer weather means that ticks will once again be questing for warm-blooded hosts including pets and people. Some islanders have already collected their first ticks of the new year for Kwiaht’s tick-borne disease study. And we would welcome more! In 2022, Kwiaht received
New massage practice now at Healing Arts Center
||| FROM IONA MCCOMBIE SMITH for AMBIKA HEALING ||| Ambika Healing is now open for business here on Orcas Island! Working out of the beloved Healing Arts Center, Ambika Healing is a massage practice dedicated to honouring you and your body's needs. Iona McCombie Smith, the dedicated massage practitioner behind
United Way of SJC supports launch of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program
||| FROM UNITED WAY OF SAN JUAN COUNTY ||| San Juan County families now have a great opportunity to give their children from birth up to five years old the gift of reading! United Way of San Juan County has partnered with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, providing free books each
Learn woodworking basics with the EDC
||| FROM MARTI MCCONNELL for ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ||| Back by popular demand, the EDC invites islanders seeking new careers to learn Woodworking Basics in a class offered in partnership with The Fellow Shop. Jean Shearer and Nicholas Coldren, cabinetmakers, will be teaching an introduction to woodworking, on Thursday evenings
Discussion upcoming at Orcas Library: Women writing about desire
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY ||| Please join us at the Orcas Island Public Library on Saturday, February 18th, as we host Margo Kahn, the editor of Wanting: Women Writing About Desire, having a conversation with island moderators, Sara Farish & Theresa Marl.
Free weekend coming up at The Whale Museum
||| FROM TATE THOMPSON for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| We love our community! We love our museum! We want to get the two of you together. We are inviting everyone to a “Free Weekend” at The Whale Museum. All admission fees will be waived during the weekend which will run
EGC announces OPALCO board candidates
Nominations by petition due February 17 ||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| The volunteer member Elections & Governance Committee (EGC) has completed their nominations process and selected a slate of candidates for the 2023 OPALCO Board of Directors election. There are two open positions one
DOH launches Influenza Vaccination Dashboard
First time state-provided data used to surveil flu vaccinations ||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Washington State Department of Health’s (DOH) new Influenza (Flu) Vaccination Dashboard makes it easier to track flu vaccination rates across the state. This is the first time that state-provided data have been used to surveil flu
Whale Museum on the search for a Finance Manager
||| FROM TATE THOMPSON for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| The Whale Museum is seeking qualified applicants for the Finance Manager position. The Finance Manager is responsible for all financial matters for the museum, including record keeping and planning for business transactions. This position requires advanced accounting skills in order to
OCS student takes first solo flight
||| FROM ROBERT WAUNCH for AIRHAWKS FLYING CLUB ||| It was a cold overcast afternoon as Tony Simpson stepped out of the aircraft and told Nicholas Rivera, a senior at Orcas Christian School, “you’re on your own.” Nicholas then proceeded to make 5 takeoffs and landings SOLO; a once in
PeaceHealth Peace Island adds cardiac MRIs to diagnostic imaging toolkit
||| FROM ANNE WILLIAMS for PEACEHEALTH PEACE ISLAND MEDICAL CENTER ||| PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center marked a milestone in its diagnostic imaging capabilities last month when a local resident became the first patient to receive a cardiac MRI on-site. An MRI—which stands for magnetic resonance imaging—is a radiation-free scanning
GoFundMe account set up for local islander
||| FROM LAUREL RUST ||| Those of you who come through the Orcas ferry landing know Dylan Ghiz-Sunn, the young ferry worker who is unfailingly helpful, patient and unflappable. Recently Brian Benthin, a life-long Orcas resident and the father of Dylan's wife, Breena, died unexpectedly. This resourceful and hardworking young
Our school kids deserve the same State support as other districts
||| FROM AYN GAILEY for ORCAS SCHOOL BOARD ||| We believe our island children matter as much as Seattle’s. If you believe that, please read on: Around 2018, the state made two legislative changes that, combined, caused our San Juan County Island schools to lose upwards of $500,000 annually from
Orcas are contaminated with a forever chemical associated with an unlikely product
||| FROM SCIENCE ALERT ||| Orca whales are some of the most contaminated marine mammals in the world. The species are full of chemicals – from "highly toxic and carcinogenic" PCBs to the infamous insecticide DDT. Now, a group of scientists has discovered another chemical of concern – and it's associated with toilet paper. Scientists
Meet your School Board member Ayn Carrillo-Gailey
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL BOARD ||| Ayn Carrillo-Gailey moved to the island in 2016 with her husband, novelist Samuel Gailey and their daughter Gray (OISD Senior). She joined the OISD School Board in 2017. She has a background in education is continuing her service on our School Board because
