Here’s a thought…
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.”
THOMAS PYNCHON
Larsen, DelBene call for answers around persistent postal delays, workforce shortages in NW Washington
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WHATCOM COUNTY, WA – Representatives Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Suzan DelBene (WA-01) are calling for answers about persistent mail delays reported to both offices in Northwest Washington, including in Whatcom County during the December holiday period. In a letter to Postmaster General Louis
Legislation introduced to address climate change in state and local planning
||| FROM STATE HOUSE & SENATE DEMOCRATS ||| OLYMPIA - Sen. Liz Lovelett (D-Anacortes) and Rep. Davina Duerr (D-Bothell) have introduced legislation that aims to address climate change by updating Washington’s planning framework. “This is about protecting our homes and businesses from floods, wildfires, and droughts while reducing greenhouse gases,” said Duerr.
See what’s going on at Orcas Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Feldenkrais Method/Eurythmy Class @ Orcas Senior Center, beginning Tuesday, January 24-March 14, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Orcas Senior Center and Andrea Preiss, Feldenkrais Method practitioner and therapeutic eurythmist, invite you to join an 8-session movement class at Orcas Senior Center
Public engagement is vital to WSF
||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Community engagement Public engagement is crucial to the decision making we do at Washington State Ferries. Each year we host two rounds of systemwide community meetings to hear from those we serve. In 2020 we changed our in-person meetings to virtual
‘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.
WSF weekly update takes a look at 2022
||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES || During my second year as the head of Washington State Ferries I was focused on service restoration and workforce development. 2022 was a year of rebuilding – our ferry service, our new flagship terminal, our workforce and investments to our fleet.
Council Meeting Review: January 10, 2023
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| This meeting included adopting legislative priorities, setting public hearings, and more. This document is a review of the County Council meeting, Tuesday, January 10, 2023. Information related to agenda changes, Consent Agenda, and Public Comment are on the County website. DISCUSSION/ACTION: Approve a
Welcome to Medicare? SHIBA has all the answers you need
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHIBA ||| Is 2023 the year you join Medicare? Depending on your circumstances you may be enrolled automatically by Social Security or you may need to submit an application. To make an informed decision about your coverage choices, you will need to understand a lot
2022 state ferry ridership up slightly from 2021
After two years of pandemic effects, passengers again outnumber vehicles ||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| SEATTLE – Washington State Ferries carried 17.4 million riders in 2022. That’s a total ridership increase of roughly 100,000 – or 0.5% – over 2021. The rise in annual ridership was fueled by a strong increase
It’s time for annual Point in Time homeless count
||| FROM HEATHER STANSBURY for COALITION TO END HOMELESSNESS ON ORCAS ||| The annual Point In Time (PIT) Count of the homeless across the country will occur on January 26, 2023. This count aims to record sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January every year.
Washington Water Supply Outlook Report for January now available
||| FROM SCOTT PATTEE for WA SNOW SURVEY OFFICE ||| SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. - Following a very dry summer, water-year 2023 started off with extremely dry conditions. The last waning days of October brought much needed rain to the region. November continued the trend but remained warm preventing much snow accumulation
Actors Theater of Orcas Island announces auditions for the play ‘The Tin Woman’
||| FROM DOUG BECHTEL for ACTORS THEATER OF ORCAS ISLAND ||| The Tin Woman is the story of a woman who receives a heart transplant and her eventual meeting with the family of the donor. Instead of relishing life after her heart transplant, Joy becomes depressed, unsure whether she truly
Join us for the first Art Show of 2023 at Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center’s Visual Arts Committee (VAC) is pleased to present New Perspectives: Classical and Digital Photography on Friday, January 20 from 5:30 - 7 p.m. in the Madrona Room. Capturing a perfect moment to preserve forever requires not only an artistic eye,
The bipartisan Tax Structure Work Group recommends improvements to Washington state’s taxes
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE ||| OLYMPIA, Wash. The Tax Structure Work Group (TSWG) announced its recommendations for improving Washington state’s taxes after four years of studies and community engagement. This bipartisan group of legislators and policymakers provided a recommendation to the Legislature to replace the state’s business and
Guest Opinion | Do Southern Resident Killer Whales have inherent rights?
||| FROM SHARON GRACE ||| Do Southern Resident Killer Whales have inherent rights? Port Townsend, Gig Harbor, and Langley think so. They have adopted a proclamation that describes their support for action by local, state, federal and tribal governments to secure the inherent rights of the Southern Resident Orcas. The
New York playwrights to present new works at Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| The Orcas Center is hosting three young playwrights from EST’s YoungBlood Program in New York as they finish drafts of three new plays. On January 20th and 21st there will be public staged readings of the plays followed by talk backs with
