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
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
‘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.
Upcoming Island Health classes
||| FROM RACHEL LAMBERT for ISLAND HEALTH ||| Island Health offers in-person childbirth education class series Island Health is offering a five-week class series designed to prepare parents-to-be for the arrival of their new baby. Classes are Tuesdays from 6:00–8:30 p.m. starting January 3 in the Fidalgo Room at Island Health
Letter to Editor | Many thanks to the Lions Club
||| FROM BOB WAUNCH for ORCAS AVIATION ASSOCIATION ||| When the Orcas Aviation Association announced they were running short on funds to support the Mercy Flights, the Orcas Lions Club immediately rallied their members and announced a $2,000 matching fund drive. Little did they know how successful they would be.
Inslee issues emergency proclamation for a series of severe autumn storms
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee issued an emergency proclamation today related to a series of severe autumn storms that occurred between Nov. 3 and Nov. 8 in Clallam, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, Lewis, Okanogan, Pierce, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, and Wahkiakum counties. These storms caused
