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
Guest Opinion | Protecting our democracy, Step 1
||| FROM HEDRICK SMITH for RECLAIM THE AMERICAN DREAM ||| Washington – You may have missed a hugely important story recently because the media soft-pedaled it. But Congress has just taken a major step toward hand-cuffing the unchecked presidential abuse of power that was a hallmark of the Trump Presidency.
Senior Center seeks home maintenance/repair coordinator
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Orcas Senior Center is recruiting for a part-time independent contractor as a coordinator for its Home Maintenance & Repair (HM&R) pilot program. The HM&R Coordinator will be responsible for receiving HM&R requests, facilitating agreements with contractors, and assuring that work is
Inslee announces new homeless proposals for 2022 legislative session
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee today announced his homelessness proposals for the 2022 legislative session, which will bolster Washington’s leadership in finding solutions for individuals living without shelter and help those at risk of becoming homeless. The governor put forward a $800 million investment
So, how is the Elwha River salmon recovery doing?
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| ELWHA RIVER SALMON RECOVERY by Florian Graner/Sealife Productions Since the removal of the two Elwha [River] dams—to this date the largest dam removal in US history—the development of salmon runs in this pristine Olympic mountains’ river has been of great interest, not only
School Board will meet tomorrow
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island School District School Board will be hosting their meeting IN-PERSON on Thursday, December 16 at 5 p.m. in The OISD Multipurpose Rm behind the Old Gym AND online VIA ZOOM. Here is the link to sign up for free ZOOM: https://zoom.us/freesignup/ Please click
DOH commemorates one year of COVID-19 vaccines in Washington
Since Dec. 2020, more than 11 million doses of vaccine have been given out across the state ||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – One year ago, the first COVID-19 vaccine shipment arrived in Washington. Since then, more than 11.3 million doses of vaccine have been administered across the
SJI National Historical Park announces contest to design a new logo
||| FROM CYRUS FORMAN for SAN JUAN ISLAND NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK ||| San Juan Island National Historical Park is proud to announce a contest to design a new logo for our park! The winning designer will receive an award of $500 and a feature story about their work and artistic
The Co-op difference: Capital credit checks are in the mail
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| More than $1M in capital credit checks are going out to OPALCO members this month, as they do each year. As an electric cooperative, the margin at the end of any given year goes back into the hands of
Statewide COVID response updates
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Statewide Response Updates Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 698,493 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 13. There have been 9,608 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent number of cases by county, demographics,
Make note of these Dental Van dates for 2022
||| FROM HILARY CANTY for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| The Medical Teams International Mobile Dental Van is returning in 2022 thanks to a public-private partnership making dental access to care available across the islands. 2022 Dental Clinic Dates: Friday Harbor - January 19-22, March 7-10, October 5-8, and December
Hey, Orcasonians, you know you can get free PCR testing kits at Senior Center, right?
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| We’re almost out of kits on San Juan, and they’re going fast on Lopez, but for some reason they’re not flying out the door on Orcas.
County seeking new members for advisory committees
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Bring your expertise and passion to the table! San Juan County is currently seeking qualified applicants for positions on the following advisory committees coordinated by the Department of Environmental Stewardship: Marine Resources Committee (Council Representative: Jamie Stephens) #4 At Large (partial term- 1
Water management has become a top priority for San Juan County
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Doe Bay Creek culvert photo by Byron Rot From drought conditions this summer to record rainfall and flooding last month, water management is certainly a critical issue. San Juan County’s Clean Water Utility, managed by the Department of Environmental Stewardship, serves
SJC Land Bank schedules a couple of meetings on December 17
||| FROM TANJA WILLIAMS for SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK ||| All in a day's work for our stewards! Check out this time lapse video volunteer Michael Noonan shot of the dock demo at Fisherman Bay Spit Preserve Lopez Island. The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its
Letter to Editor | We should talk about board members and salaries
||| FROM LEITH TEMPLIN ||| I attended the last Orcas Port Commissioners meeting and came away being disappointed. I learned from Chair, Mia Kartiganer, that they received CARES Act Funding because “someone pushed the paperwork in front of me and I sign it because it was free money." This is
EDC offers free woodworking course on Lopez Island
||| FROM MICHELANGELO (MICKEY) VON DASSOW ||| People seeking job skills or career inspiration are invited to a free, hands-on woodworking course, offered by the Economic Development Council of San Juan County (EDC). This four-session course, Introduction to Woodworking, will be taught by Kristen Ryan, the woodworking instructor at Lopez
