Here’s a thought…
“I am so convinced of the advantages of looking at mankind instead of reading about them, and of the bitter effects of staying at home with all the narrow prejudices of an islander, that I think there should be a law amongst us to set our young men abroad for a term among the few allies our wars have left us.”
LORD BYRON
Peace rally this Saturday at the Green: No war with Russia
||| FROM SHARON ABREU ||| I invite you to a short peace rally on the Eastsound Village Green this Saturday, Feb. 5, from 12:00-1:00. We'll be protesting our government threatening war with Russia and the buildup of troops currently taking place in that region. If you can, please response on the Facebook event page
Latest COVID numbers from the State
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 1,339,743 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 30.* There have been 10,776 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. Data notes: *Effective Jan. 24, DOH will update the COVID-19 data dashboard on
San Juan County joins Islands’ Trust in asking Canada for a rescue tug In Sidney
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| On Jan. 26, San Juan County Council and the Islands Trust Council sent a joint letter requesting that the Canadian government "facilitate the repositioning of one of Canada's multi-mission emergency towing vessels [ETVs, also referred to as rescue tugs] to Sidney, B.C., to extend the
Firehouse Fracas | Ongoing situation at OIFR requires townhall meeting to answer questions
||| FROM MIA KARTIGANER, SPECIAL TO theORCASONIAN ||| I want to apologize. I volunteered to take on the arduous task of looking into what has been happening at Orcas Island Fire & Rescue (OIFR) without any formal training as a journalist. I didn’t understand at the outset how multifaceted this
EDC and WSBDC offer Financial Discipline workshop
||| FROM GAIL SCHNEE for SJC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ||| The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) has partnered with the Washington Small Business Development Center (WSBDC) to offer a free workshop on financial discipline on Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 1 p.m. via Zoom. The workshop will introduce
Washington Sea Grant and Puget Sound Partnership contribute nearly $2.5 Million to fund research in coastal Washington
Nine projects have been selected through a competitive request for proposals process ||| FROM WASHINGTON SEA GRANT ||| Seattle - Washington Sea Grant (WSG) announced today over $2 million in funding for nine new marine research projects in 2022 and a new research partnership with the Puget Sound Partnership contributing $432,000.
Draft plan for Maritime Washington NHA open for public comment
||| FROM ALEXANDRA GRADWOHL for WASHINGTON TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION ||| SEATTLE. After 18 months of input and collaboration from across the region, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is pleased to share draft plans for the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area. The draft Management Plan charts the course ahead
Application period now open for new County Climate, Sustainability Advisory Committee
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is currently seeking qualified applicants for positions on the new Climate and Sustainability Advisory Committee. The committee will advise on policy, projects, and priorities, to help harness the momentum of County work and support its climate action plan. The goal
Free COVID at-home test kits available now on your island
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| San Juan County Health and Community Services is making more than 5,000 at-home COVID test kits available to islanders at no charge. Thanks to the support of the local non-profits and businesses listed below, kits will be available for pick
10th annual San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit coming up in March
March 4th & 5th, 2022 Virtual and in-person on Lopez Island ||| FROM KRISTEN AMIM for WSU SAN JUAN COUNTY EXTENSION ||| Join us for this year's San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit March 4 and 5, 2022! This is the tenth anniversary of the Summit, and our theme is Building
Pediatric vaccinations, additional doses added to DOH’s data dashboard
Added data paints a clearer picture of vaccine distribution across Washington ||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has added additional vaccination data to the state’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard to include vaccination rates for children ages 5 through 11 and people who received additional
EDC’s Datapalooza! is back – a statistics and demographics event for San Juan County
||| FROM VICTORIA COMPTON for ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ||| Need more data and information to make knowledgeable decisions about your business or as a community legislator or leader? Join the Economic Development Council of San Juan County (EDC) for their fifth annual Datapalooza! event, 1.5 hours of in-depth data and
State re-opens COVID-19 test portal after successful January launch
Rapid antigen tests can be ordered and shipped directly to Washington households at no-cost ||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA –The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is re-opening a statewide portal that allows people to order COVID-19 rapid tests online, then have them shipped to their doorsteps. For
Tourism ‘Management’ Plan is officially underway
||| BY MATTHEW GILBERT, ORCASONIAN OP/ED REPORTER ||| On January 24, Kendra Smith, SJC Director of Environmental Stewardship, briefed the County Council on the long-awaited launch of the “Sustainable Tourism Management Plan” process. It’s goal: “To deliver a balanced approach and plan of action to tourism that meets the needs
Island Way Workshops: OPALCO wants you (to be prepared)
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| We are on the cusp of a major energy shift. Weather patterns are hitting both extremes due to climate change; legislative mandates to remove fossil fuels require development of new renewable resources; the race to electrify heating and transportation
EDC, WSBDC is offering a financial discipline workshop
||| FROM GAIL SCHNEE for SAN JUAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ||| The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) has partnered with the Washington Small Business Development Center (WSBDC) to offer a free workshop on financial discipline on Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 1 p.m. via Zoom. The workshop will
