Here’s a thought…
“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.”
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Latest from Lekanoff | Welcome to 2022 legislative session
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. DEBRA LEKANOFF ||| Welcome to the 2022 Legislative Session Just like last session, we’ll be doing most of our work virtually to help keep the public, staff, and lawmakers safe. There are also some guidelines we’ll be following to help protect the health of our communities
SJC now accepting grant applications funded by SJC lodging tax
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The SJC Council and the San Juan County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee are now accepting applications for grants funded by the San Juan County Lodging Tax. Proposed projects must support the operations and capital expenditures of tourism-related facilities owned or operated by a municipality
Larsen announces WA share of bridge repair funding from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| EVERETT, WA – On Friday, January 14, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) will join City of Everett staff to announce Washington will receive approximately $121 million for Fiscal Year 2022 and $605.1 million over the next five years in federal formula funding to
‘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.
Weekly WSF update | As COVID-19 still affects service, system-wide meetings, transport of pregnant woman from FH
||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Breakthrough COVID-19 crew cases affecting service The highly contagious omicron variant is affecting transportation agencies around the world – airlines, bus services and marine transport. We are not immune to these impacts. Due to COVID-19-related relief requests from hundreds of our
OISD welcomes Chris Sutton back to the school board
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| Following John Fleming's departure from the Orcas Island School Board, previous board member, Chris Sutton has stepped back after a four-year absence. "I am a dad, a garage-tinkerer, a software developer, and a community volunteer. My son is in grade 10, my daughter
Inslee prioritizes poverty reduction efforts
||| FROM THE OFFICE GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee took steps in Dec. to help address the matter as he proposed supplemental budget funding for 2022 that represents a significant investment - more than $1 billion – to reduce poverty, address housing and provide resources to many Washingtonians left behind."In 2017, we created the poverty reduction
2021 ferry ridership nears 75% of pre-pandemic levels
For second year in a row, vehicles outnumber passengers in 2021 ||| FROM IAN STERLING for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| SEATTLE – Annual ridership aboard Washington State Ferries rebounded from 2020 pandemic numbers by almost 3.3 million customers in 2021 to nearly 17.3 million. The arrival of COVID-19 vaccines and a boost
Increase in breakthrough cases related to current COVID-19 surge
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA --The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is seeing an increase in the number of “vaccine breakthrough” cases related to the recent increase in overall cases statewide. Even with the increase in breakthrough infections, data continue to show that vaccination is highly protective
2021 was a record year for orca and humpback sightings in Salish Sea
||| FROM CANADA'S NATIONAL OBSERVER ||| VANCOUVER — The agency that represents 29 whale-watching companies in British Columbia and Washington state says its members report 2021 was a record year for whale sightings in the Salish Sea. The Pacific Whale Watch Association says based on its figures along with data
Letter to Editor | OIFR is not timely in fulfilling public records requests
||| FROM BRIAN EHRMANTRAUT ||| Orcas Fire has a problem with Public Records Act compliance. Hopefully they can learn to do better in the future. Nearly two months ago, I made a very simple request for public records from Orcas Fire, (San Juan County Fire District #2). I merely asked
Firehouse Foundations | A look into what’s behind the fracas at OIFR
||| BY MIA KARTIGANER , SPECIAL TO theORCASONIAN ||| There are some curious and valid questions being put forth by this community out of concern for the well-being of everyone at the Orcas Island Fire Department. Until they are answered I hope the OIFR Management and Board will treat the
Upcoming Meeting of the Minds presenter will compare orca, Bigg’s behavior
Meeting of the Minds: “Orca Behavior: Comparing Two Killer Whale Populations in the Salish Sea” presented by Monika Wieland - Wednesday, January 19 at 1 p.m. by Zoom ||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS ISLAND SENIOR CENTER ||| Monika Wieland The Salish Sea houses two different populations of
See the richness of artists exhibiting in SJIMA Artists Registry show
||| FROM DIANE MARTINDALE for SAN JUAN ISLANDS MUSEUM OF ART ||| Over 80 local artists are participating in this year’s Artists Registry (AR) show at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA). Notably, 19 sculpture artists submitted pieces, some well-known and others showing their work for the first
Newest COVID numbers from State Health Dept.
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 876,167 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 10. There have been 10,026 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent number of cases by county, demographics, and more,
Letter to Editor | Behavior at last night’s Fire Commission meeting was appalling
||| FROM ALI BOE ||| It was disheartening (to put it mildly) to see how a recent tragedy was discussed in this public meeting [Board of Fire Commissioners]. I came to the meeting grieving for my friend. Grateful, absolutely, for the assistance and care provided by the skilled and compassionate
