Here’s a thought…
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.”
THOMAS PYNCHON
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
In Memoriam | John Marshall Louton, 1942 – 2023
||| FROM BETSY LOUTON ||| John Marshall Louton died peacefully surrounded by his family on January 19, 2023. John was born on September 4, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Woodstock. He attended Ohio State University and ultimately received his PhD in Chinese Philosophy from the University of Washington.
Earthrise | Extreme Rain
||| EARTHRISE BY JAY KIMBALL ||| Buckets of rain Buckets of tears Got all them buckets comin' out of my ears ~ Bob Dylan I woke up to the roar of extreme rain pelting the metal roof of my home. The overflowing gutters released sheets of water, slapping on the
February water supply outlook report for Washington
||| FROM NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE ||| After the very encouraging snowstorms in December, January flatlined, receiving only 63% of normal total mountain precipitation for the month. The state received several resuscitative events that represented hope. However most carried little precipitation with warm temperatures that hampered true to normal snow
County Council proclaims Southern Resident Killer Whales culturally important to San Juans
||| BY LIN MCNULTY, theORCASONIAN EDITOR ||| We were not the first in the state of Washington, but San Juan County Council has passed a Proclamation urging our State and Federal governments to deepen their commitment to restoring the bounty of the Salish Sea. The proclamation was unanimously approved near
Spring GiveOrcas campaign is just around the corner
||| FROM HILARY CANTY for ORCAS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| The Spring GiveOrcas Campaign is starting to roll. The application is posted on our website and Grants Manager Ed Andrews is at the ready to answer any questions. This is our 10th year running the GiveOrcas campaigns. What a remarkable journey it has been.
Center for Whale Research-led study garners hundreds of media reports, reaches millions worldwide
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| A new research study by the Center for Whale Research (CWR) and the United Kingdom universities of Exeter, York, and Cambridge has shown that “providing care to weaned sons reduces female killer whales’ reproductive output.” In other words, caring for a son lessens a
Orca moms pay a high price to feed large adult sons
A maternal preference for sons in a group of killer whales that swim off the Pacific Northwest may contribute to its endangered status ||| FROM NEW YORK TIMES ||| A fully grown male orca is one of the planet’s fiercest hunters. He’s a wily, streamlined torpedo who can weigh as
What is the Seattle social housing initiative?
Seattle voters have until Tuesday, Feb. 14 to vote on the social housing initiative, I-135 ||| FROM KUOW/NPR SEATTLE ||| REPRINT AT REQUEST OF theORCASONIAN READER If you live in Seattle and are registered to vote, you got a ballot in the mail for the Feb. 14 election. When you
11th annual SJI Ag Summit in-person on San Juan Island
||| FROM KELSEY GREEN for AGRICULTURAL SUMMIT ||| The 11th Annual San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit is taking place in-person on San Juan Island March 3 & 4, 2023. Event highlights include: Friday “Summit Hub” at Brickworks Event Center, where folks can gather, see friends and find resources, with four
