Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
School Board acknowledges devotion of teachers, staff with unexpected gift
||| FROM AYN CARRILLO-GAILEY, ORCAS SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR ||| With deep respect and gratitude, I am writing on behalf of the Orcas Island School District Board to acknowledge the extraordinary—our teachers, administrators, and all school staff—and announce what we hope will be an empowering gift for all school staff. During
Weekly WSF report indicates they are ‘working on it’
||| FROM NICOLE MCINTOSH for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Service restoration plan Today, we released our COVID-19 Service Restoration Plan, which outlines steps to restore service to pre-pandemic levels on a route-by-route basis. However, our restoration efforts have been underway for months, with full service back to reliable levels on our
‘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 shares their road map to pre-pandemic ferry service
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Washington State Ferries is actively working to bring service to pre-pandemic levels. While that won’t happen overnight, staff have developed a plan that outlines how to get there. Customers are encouraged to take a look at WSF’s COVID-19 Service Restoration Plan to get a clearer picture
Dolphin Bay Road project underway: Expect traffic delays
||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| OPALCO contractors are at work on Dolphin Bay Road between Shaner-Armstrong Road and Killebrew Lake on Orcas Island replacing old direct-buried single-phase conductor with new three-phase conductor and fiber in conduit. The work is expected to continue into May
Island Primary Care – M Avenue welcomes pediatrician Valerie Horn, D.O.
||| FROM LAURA MORONEY for ISLAND PRIMARY CARE - M AVENUE ||| Island Primary Care – M Avenue welcomed pediatrician Valerie Horn, D.O., M.S. to the team this week. Horn earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency at Crozer-Chester Medical
Amy Vira announces candidacy for San Juan County Prosecutor
||| FROM AMY VIRA ||| San Juan Prosecutor candidate Amy Vira Attorney Amy Vira of San Juan Island announced her candidacy for San Juan County Prosecutor today. “I came to San Juan County 10 years ago to work as a deputy prosecutor and built a life in a
Senior Center welcomes Carson Sprenger in talk about forest health, resiliency
Meeting of the Minds: “Forest Health and Resiliency in San Juan County: A Restoration Forester’s Perspective” presented by Carson Sprenger - Wednesday, March 16 at 1pm by Zoom ||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS ISLAND SENIOR CENTER ||| Join Carson Sprenger as he discusses how a 400-year-old tree-ring record helps
DOH updates school guidance as mask mandate lifts starting March 12
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has released new guidance for schools, child care, day camps, and other youth activities, with changes to masking rules effective March 12. This guidance is being announced in coordination with the end of Washington’s masking requirement,
Working through nonprofit Restore Hope: Liberia, John Morris purchases a Toyota 4-Runner to help those in dire need
||| FROM RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA ||| East Chatham, NY—Orcas Island, WA, resident and retired general contractor who had once dedicated his life to historic home repairs/remodels for mostly low-income families, John Morris, took his passion for helping others and turned it into a mission of hope, strength, tenacity and commitment. He
Larsen supports ban on Russian oil and gas to further isolate Russian economy, outlines actions to relieve pressure of Putin’s price hike on consumers
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) voiced his support for the U.S. ban on imports of Russian oil, gas and other energy products. In 2021, Russian oil accounted for 8.2% of U.S. imports and 3.5% of U.S. consumption. “I support
School Board to meet in special session tomorrow
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| Notice of a SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING The Orcas Island School District School Board will be hosting their meeting in person at The OISD School Library and online via Zoom: Here is the link to sign up for free ZOOM: https://zoom.us/freesignup/ Please click
Another COVID update from the State
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Statewide Response Updates Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 1,432,321 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on March 6.* There have been 12,076 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. Data notes *Effective Jan. 24, 2022, DOH updates the COVID-19
From our County Auditor | A surprising 2021 comes with hope for 2022
||| FROM MILENE HENLEY, SAN JUAN COUNTY AUDITOR ||| Spring is a time full of hope. Last spring, we hoped we would soon see the last of COVID. That didn’t turn out the way we’d hoped. But in many other ways, 2021 turned out to be a pretty good year.
To feed people, to build community, join Orcas Food Project
||| FROM GERI TURNOY ||| “Food costs a fortune on Orcas” has become a frequent refrain. We may not be able to fix that, but an easy way for you to help meet the nutritional needs of Orcas Island residents who don’t have a fortune is through the Orcas Food
Health Care District is on the hunt for an Administrative Assistant
||| FROM TOM EVERSOLE, INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island Health Care District (OIHCD) is seeking a half-time Administrative Assistant to work directly with the District Superintendent. Hours can be flexible. OIHCD provides financial support to the Island Primary Care-Orcas Clinic to ensure that high
