Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Here’s what’s scheduled for Prune Alley roadwork this week
||| FROM JESSE DOUGLAS-SEITZ for PUBLIC WORKS ||| Prune Alley construction update for the week of March 21, 2022 Road Closure south of Fern Street for Stormwater Main replacement. Road Closure may run 24hr a day. Utility excavation and potholing throughout the project limits. Please respect temporary traffic control measures,
Are you an early riser? Lahari is looking for early morning drivers to red-eye ferry
||| FROM SARA PELFREY for LAHARI ||| Looking for early morning drivers to the red-eye ferry Lahari’s Door to Door is calling for volunteer drivers willing to take riders for the red-eye ferry for vital medical appointments (such as dialysis). Many islanders lack transportation options when needing to make it
Sun Days on Orcas | 30 things about Frank Loudin
||| SUN DAYS ON ORCAS ISLAND by EDEE KULPER ||| Frank Loudin I’ve recently become acquainted with artist Frank Loudin through BJ Arnold’s friendship with him, and as always, it’s fascinating to learn about a new friend’s life experiences. I didn’t know a thing about him until I
Fire Commission to meet Monday, March 21
||| FROM KIM KIMPLE for ORCAS BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS ||| The Board of Fire Commissioners will be holding a regular monthly meeting on Monday, March 21st at 5:30 p.m. online via Zoom. (The BOFC will also hold a separate special meeting next week on Thursday, March 24th at 5:30 p.m. for the
Inslee signs abortion access bill and more
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Inslee signs abortion access bill, policing law, and more at this week's bill signings Following the end of the 2022 legislative session last week, Gov. Jay Inslee will be taking action over the next couple weeks on more than 300 bills
Orcas Christian School introduces island’s first transitional kindergarten program
||| FROM REBECCA CARTER for ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| Orcas Christian School is bringing the island its first transitional kindergarten program for the 2022-2023 school year. Transitional kindergarten is a program that supports students who would not turn 5 by August 31, providing extra resources and preparation in order for
Funhouse mentors, mentees create something unique together
||| FROM FUNHOUSE COMMONS ||| Throughout this challenging pandemic, it has been heartening to see our mentors stepping up to maintain their relationships with Orcas youth. During our second Covid winter, mentors have had to get exceptionally creative, with some choosing to meet virtually to stay safe. One mentor and
Orcas Island Farmers Market is hiring
||| FROM ERICA LYONS for ORCAS ISLAND FARMERS MARKET ||| Would you like to be more involved in this vibrant island community but don’t have the time for full time work? Does championing the agricultural and artisanal heart of the island get your pulse racing with joy? We are looking
Islanders want to dump the name of a notorious general, rename a Salish Sea channel for 20th century Native leader from Orcas
||| FROM KEN CARRASCO ||| You may be aware that a proposal was recently submitted to Washington State to rename Harney Channel. Several of us, notably Stephanie Buffum of Shaw Island and myself, a resident of Orcas, realized that General William S. Harney (1800-1889), for whom the channel was named
Get your state boating education card with online Coast Guard Auxiliary boating safety classes
||| FROM CHUCK DALLDORF for US COAST GUARD AUXILIARY ||| Bellingham, Wash. – The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Bellingham and San Juan Islands Flotilla is offering three opportunities for boaters to take an on-line, Washington State Basic Boater Education Course. The course is for anyone wishing to learn safe boating
Sheriff’s Report | March 9 – 15, 2022
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 22-001482 Pornography 13:38:48 03/09/22 A Deputy on Orcas responded to a local daycare about their Facebook page being hacked. A report was taken and the case is ongoing. 22-001486 Accident-Injury, Traffic 18:51:54 03/09/22 A Lopez Deputy responded to an
State Health Dept. rolls out its long-term ForWArd plan for next pandemic phase
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – As Washington’s COVID-19 response continues to evolve, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is laying out its long-term ForWArd plan to keep people safe and healthy as we move to the next phase of the pandemic and co-exist with COVID-19 for the foreseeable future.
State Health Dept newest COVID numbers
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 1,442,947 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on March 15. There have been 12,273 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. Data note (Monday, March 14): Due to a technical issue in our data systems, the
This week’s Washington State ferry report
||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Seattle/Bainbridge route to begin trial service stage of restoration process Tuesday, March 22 Chief of Staff Nicole McIntosh shared our COVID-19 Service Restoration Plan here last week. The document outlines steps to restore service to pre-pandemic levels on a route-by-route basis. This week,
Our local nonprofit boards are in search of new members
||| FROM HILARY CANTY for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| Lum Farm lambs (Photo by Jenn Staplin) It is the season of renewal. Baby lambs are prancing in the fields, daffodils are opening up in the rain, and the trees are starting to bud out. I suspect that
Pacific Herring are now spawning in East Sound
||| FROM SHANNON DAVIS for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| A very exciting and significant event happened in East Sound this week- the annual herring spawn! Each spring, in bays across the Salish Sea, herring spawning events create what looks like white clouds or “whitewater” from the shore, as
