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
Island Hospital has online childbirth education series coming up, and more
||| FROM RACHEL LAMBERT for ISLAND HOSPITAL ||| Island Hospital is offering a four-week online class series designed to prepare parents-to-be for the arrival of their new baby. Classes are Tuesdays from 6:30–9:00 p.m. starting January 4 and are taught by Teri Shilling, MS, LCCE, CD(DONA), IBCLC. Cost is $95 and
Sun Days on Orcas | Festivity central
||| SUN DAYS ON ORCAS by EDEE KULPER ||| We are smack dab in the middle of one of the most eventful weekends in almost two years, y’all. Yesterday morning, Tide Pool Coffeehouse and the new Salish Sea Yarn Co. (previously Enzo’s) opened the floodgates for people to circulate meaningfully
Letter to Editor | Taking a closer look at solar power in the San Juans
||| FROM WILLIAM APPEL ||| “Solar is green.” True. Moreover, nearly 85% of our solar displaces the hydro component of BPA’s power and so is salmon-friendly. “Solar is resilient.” Generally false. The reality is that for technical and lineman safety reasons, battery-less grid-connected solar inverters shut down when the grid
OPALCO sets rate increase of 4% for all members in 2022
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| The November OPALCO Board Meeting included several changes for cooperative members including a 4% rate increase for all members, a change to the way solar producers get paid for the excess power they sell back to the co-op, and
Midnight Mutterings | Stacey is back
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| Stacey Abrams, that is. And she hasn’t really been away. She has been working tirelessly for voters’ rights since she last ran for governor of Georgia three years ago. In that race she lost to Brian Kemp by fewer than 55,000 votes. It
More than 129,000 kids ages 5 – 11 receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in less than a month
Pediatric vaccine will help protect children and slow disease spread this holiday season ||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – Across the state, more than 129,000 children ages 5 through 11 have received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine since eligibility expanded to include younger kids Nov.
Snow possible? All indications point to ‘yes’
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| There is the potential for a small amount of snow in the forecast over the weekend and into next week. Below is the UW model run for total snowfall (accumulations will likely be less) through Monday afternoon. This is not
Sheriff’s Report | November 24 – 30, 2021
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24 21-010155 Missing Person 06:13:15 11/24/21 A report of a missing person was made to the Sheriff's Office in the Friday Harbor area. The subject was located deceased a short time later. Nothing suspicious was noted and the investigation was
Current county COVID case count
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| Since the last update on Friday November 26, there have been six new confirmed or probable cases in San Juan County. Current case count is now 437. There are approximately four unvaccinated close contacts of positive cases currently in quarantine
Latest COVID update from State Health Dept.
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Statewide Response Updates Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 684,930 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1. There have been 9,380 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent number of cases by county, demographics,
Weekly WSF report highlights restoration of Anacortes/San Juans service
||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Anacortes/San Juan Islands service restoration update Nearly two weeks into trialing a return to a full four-boat fall schedule on our Anacortes/San Juan Islands route, we've been able to crew 99% of sailings there. However, knowing every sailing is important, taking
Letter to Editor | Where has OIFR gone?
||| FROM TONI KNUDSON ||| "My anger is such I can opine for pages, but I will make this letter short and to the point." This is the first sentence in the anonymous letter that was sent to Hilary Canty, Volunteer EMT for 22 years at Orcas Island Fire and
‘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.
Reminder: Library’s annual Holiday Tea returns with a bit of a sweet, creative twist
Think cookies! ||| FROM DAVE KOSIUR for FRIENDS OF ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The holiday spirit is returning to the library this year! The Friends of the Orcas Island Library will hold their annual Holiday Tea on Saturday, December 4, at the Orcas Island Public Library from 1 to 3
‘Land Acknowledgments’ are just moral exhibitionism
These statements relieve the speaker and the audience of the responsibility to think about Indigenous peoples, at least until the next public event. ||| FROM THE ATLANTIC ||| REPRINT AT REQUEST OF ALEX MCLEOD In David Mamet’s film State and Main, a Hollywood big shot tries to shortchange a set hand
Latest offerings from Economic Development Council
||| FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ||| Adopt a Future Maritime Worker Help the EDC work toward solutions for the shortage of ferry and other maritime workers. Please donate to help our local workers get trained up into great maritime careers. $500 per student will cover maritime certification which will enable
