Desperate for housing options, communities turn to ballot initiatives
Cities and counties will vote on measures, like tax increases and curbs on Airbnb, aimed at creating more affordable housing. ||| FROM NEW YORK TIMES ||| REPRINT AT REQUEST OF READER LEADVILLE, Colo. — A small-business owner in a town fueled by vacationers is an unconventional proponent for a tax
Library Arts Committee selects artist exhibits for 2022
||| FROM DAVE KOSIUR for ORCAS LIBRARY ARTS COMMITTEE ||| The Art Committee of the Orcas Island Library is pleased to announce their schedule of artists’ exhibits for 2022. This will make it the fifth year when the Orcas Island Library is displaying the works of local artists. More information
UPDATED: OPALCO energy roundtable will discuss the change in solar rates
Tuesday, November 2 @ 5 p.m. on Zoom ||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT CO-OPERATIVE ||| CLARIFICATION: The energy roundtable is simply a forum for members to discuss the proposal - but staff will not be presenting information - it's up to the members to come to
School Board recognizes school principals’ service in recent meeting
||| FROM CATHY FERRAN ||| I'm hoping your readers will be interested in some highlights of the OISD Regular Monthly School Board meeting that took place in the School Library (and on Zoom) October 28. Here they are: Chair, Linda Sheridan, attended remotely and Member Greg White was excused due
WSU Extension to sponsor introduction to value-added food product development
Geared towards small-scale producers of preserves, sauces, dressings and vinegars, snacks, baked goods, and other value-added products ||| FROM KATE MIKULAK for WSU EXTENSION ||| This workshop will provide the region’s current or interested small-scale prepared food producers with up-to-date information and technical knowledge of the food product development process
Plans underway to remove container ship debris coming ashore off Vancouver Island
Both the coast guard and cleanup organizers urge people not to try to clean up on their own ||| FROM CBC NEWS ||| One of the shipping containers from the MV Zim Kingston that has washed up on the remote northwest coast of Vancouver Island. (Canadian Coast Guard)
Washington State Ferries finds Legionella bacteria in water systems on vessels
||| FROM KITSAP SUN ||| Tests on potable water systems on several Washington State Ferries vessels have found “elevated” levels of Legionella, a bacteria that can grow in unused water systems. Agency officials said in a safety bulletin sent to staff on Thursday that WSF has begun testing for Legionella because
Letter to Editor | Say ‘yes’ to these six Charter Amendments
||| FROM JANE FULLER, CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSIONER ||| As one of a super majority of 18 elected volunteer CRC Commissioners who supports the six charter amendments on the November ballot I wanted to reach out to voters who have not yet cast their ballots, share some key facts to consider,
Jump start your mind/body in these upcoming Qigong Zoom sessions
Wednesdays at 9 a.m. or Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. by Zoom ||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Quiet the mind and strengthen the body with Joan Roulac’s Jump Start in 15 Qigong series. These quick 15-minute sessions will gently loosen tense muscles, strengthen immunity, build better balance,
Tragedy: A Tragedy marks Orcas Center’s return to live theatre
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Join us in celebrating our return to live theatre with our new production, directed by Jake Perrine, TRAGEDY: A TRAGEDY, November 4-13 Due to COVID Precautions, the following guidelines will be followed: Advance ticket sales only: There will be no box office attendant prior
Sun Days on Orcas | The real Orcas Island
||| SUN DAYS ON ORCAS by EDEE KULPER ||| Sometimes I forget why I feel different these days. It's not just the gray blanket across the sky, blocking the possibility of Vitamin D production. Then I remember. Ten years ago we moved here with young children. Life was bursting at
Medicare scam is having a ‘resurgence.’ Here’s what to look for…
Islander received such a call. Shares warning. ||| FROM CINCINNATI.COM, reprint at request of Orcasonian reader ||| Be on the lookout, again, for a scam by people looking to steal Medicare information. The Better Business Bureau said they are seeing a "resurgence" of scammers claiming to offer “free” genetic testing kits that allegedly screen
New Island Hospital classes coming up this week
||| FROM RACHEL LAMBERT for ISLAND HOSPITAL ||| Island Hospital offers free memory screening Free memory screening will be held on Tuesday, November 9, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Island Hospital’s Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy clinic, 1015 25th St., Anacortes. Our experts will help identify the nature of your memory difficulty
Latest report on COVID-19 outbreaks in schools
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA -- The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has released the latest report on COVID-19 outbreaks in K-12 schools across the state, which covers the start of the 2021/2022 school year. The report includes data on both public and private schools that experienced a COVID-19
These on-screen performances are coming to Orcas Center in November
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center brings the world’s best performers to Center Stage in their On-Screen Offerings from The Metropolitan Opera, Bolshoi Ballet, and National Theatre Live. Join us for these great events coming up in November: Saturday, November 6 at 1 p.m.: Cyrano de
Whidbey SAR conducts two MEDEVACs from Lopez Island
||| FROM NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY ISLAND ||| NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. – A Search and Rescue (SAR) team from Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island conducted two medical evacuations (MEDEVAC) with three patients from Lopez Island October 28, 2021 when civilian helicopter MEDEVAC assets were unable to
