Here’s a thought…
“There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking.”
ALFRED KORZYBSKI
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
Ken Balcomb passed away today
Kenneth C. Balcomb 1940-2022 ||| FROM THE CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| With profound sadness, the Center for Whale Research announces the passing of our beloved founder and longtime leader Kenneth C. Balcomb. Ken’s family and loved ones surrounded him in his final hours on December 15, 2022. He was
Help shape the future of internet access in Washington
||| FROM SJC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ||| Washington state’s funding partners, working to expand broadband access to all businesses and residents, are asking the public to help check FCC data in a recently published National Broadband Map. The accuracy of this map is essential to future broadband funding in Washington, in
OPALCO Board nominations open December 16
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER AND LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| OPALCO nominations for board candidates are now open. You can help shape our energy future! There are two positions open: one position in District 1 (San Juan, Brown, Henry, Pearl and Spieden islands) and one in District 2 (Orcas,
San Juan County Fair seeks artists for 2023 poster
"Dancing with the steers!" ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Parks and Fair staff are already planning for the 2023 Fair! It is with great excitement that San Juan County announces the theme: “Dancing with the Steers,” a play on the TV show “Dancing with the
Needham brings decades of leadership and executive-level experience to Island Health
||| FROM LAURA MORONEY for ISLAND HEALTH ||| Tammy Needham joins the Island Health team Tammy Needham, MSN, BSN, BAOM, RN joined Island Health’s Senior Leadership Team as its new Chief Clinical Officer this week. Needham recently served as Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operating Officer at University
Gig Harbor proclaims support for legal recognition of rights of Southern Resident Orca; becomes second city in Washington to do so
||| FROM KRISS KEVORKIAN for LEGAL RIGHTS FOR THE SALISH SEA ||| Gig Harbor, WA (December 13th, 2022)—Yesterday evening, Gig Harbor’s Mayor Tracie Markley signed a Proclamation describing the City of Gig Harbor’s support for action by local, state, federal and tribal governments that secure and effectuate the inherent rights
Daycares in Finland built a ‘forest’, and it changed kids’ immune systems
||| FROM SCIENCE ALERT ||| Playing through the greenery and litter of a mini forest's undergrowth for just one month may be enough to change a child's immune system, according to an experiment in Finland. When daycare workers rolled out a lawn, planted forest undergrowth (such as dwarf heather and
OPALCO to undertake power line clearing to improve safety, reliability, wildfire prevention
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER AND LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| OPALCO is clearing the right-of-way areas under power lines to protect the island’s electrical system. This clearing prevents power outages caused by overhanging trees and branches, removes forest fuels that could feed a wildfire and improves safety and access
