Here’s a thought…
“When you think of it, we shouldn’t even have an election.”
DONALD tRUMP
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
Alaska harvests millions of Canadian salmon while Canadian fishermen tied to the dock
||| FROM ANNA KEMP for WATERSHED WATCH ||| VICTORIA, B.C. — As salmon runs in British Columbia hit record lows, commercial fisheries along the Alaska panhandle are catching a growing share of salmon bound for B.C. rivers, according to a new technical report. The report, which includes a detailed analysis
Applications open for Dakota Creek Industries 2022-2023 trade apprenticeship program
||| FROM CARRIE KING for DAKOTA CREEK INDUSTRIES ||| Dakota Creek Industries is very proud to publish our first Apprentice Program Application for the July 2022-July 2023 session. Dakota Creek Industries will be apprenticing four trades: Machinery Assembler, Marine Electrician, Production Welder, and Shipfitter/Fabricator. The Dakota Creek Industries, Inc. Apprenticeship
2022 annual docket application period is January 1 – March 1
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The deadline for proposed amendments to the San Juan County Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Code (UDC) is 4:30 pm on March 1, 2021. The “Annual Docket of Comprehensive Plan Amendments” or “Docket” process allows interested persons, community members, hearing examiners, and
Upcoming Garden Club meet to discuss growing vegetables from seed
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| On Wednesday, January 19, at 10:30 a.m., the Orcas Island and Lopez Island Garden Clubs’ virtual (Zoom) meeting will feature Carol Miles who will discuss Growing Vegetable Crops from Seeds. Carol Miles This presentation will be recorded. The link to the
Letter to Editor | Disastrous handyman encounters
||| FROM KEVIN and JENNIFER BERRINGER ||| I am writing in about our recent encounters with so called handyman on San Juan Island. An epic topic amongst most all my neighbors. Do qualified, skilled and licensed handymen really exist? We have been working on a year long house renovation. We
Governor’s statement on start of 2022 legislative session
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement today on the first day of the 2022 legislative session. “As the Legislature starts its work in a supplemental budget year, it should be anything but a quiet few months. This may be a short
CWR logs first Orca pod sighting of 2022
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Mark and Joe were with a pair of humpback whales on the Victoria waterfront when they received reports of multiple groups of killer whales in the vicinity of Active Pass. They set a course for Active Pass and were passing Clover Point by
PeaceHealth urges judicious use of emergency care
||| FROM ANNE WILLIAMS for PEACEHEALTH ||| BELLINGHAM, WA – With local and regional emergency department capacity stretched by extremely high patient volumes, PeaceHealth is asking people with non-emergency healthcare needs to seek care at primary care, same-day and urgent care clinics. Reducing the volume of patients visiting the ER allows
Challenging week at Orcas Schools with COVID testing, weather, return to distance learning
||| FROM ERIC WEBB, ORCAS SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT ||| Dear Students, Families, Staff, & Community, It’s been an interesting and challenging first week of 2022 for Orcas Island School District, to say the least. This last week included lots of snow and ice, late starts, increased COVID testing, a spike in
Poetry | Holding the Light by Stuart Kestenbaum
||| REPRINT AT REQUEST OF JOELLEN MOLDOFF ||| Holding the Light by Stuart Kestenbaum Gather up whatever is glittering in the gutter, whatever has tumbled in the waves or fallen in flames out of the sky, for it’s not only our hearts that are broken, but the heart of the
Sun Days on Orcas | Cohabitating with moss, mud, and mold
||| SUN DAYS ON ORCAS by EDEE KULPER ||| You experience your worst winter of mold because you’ve foregone burning wood and running the heater over 62°, and instead worn your knee-length down jacket inside. It was supposed to be a good financial move. You’re now “paying” for it by
