Here’s a thought…
“Peace is not something we ask for — it’s something we practice, together.”
WALK FOR PEACE
High wind watch in the offing beginning Sunday morning
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| Headline High Wind Watch Description * What, Southeast Wind of 40 MPH with Gusts to 60 MPH Are Possible. * Where, San Juan County, Western Whatcom County, Western Skagit County, Admiralty Inlet Area, Western Strait of Juan De Fuca, North Coast and Central Coast.
Midnight Mutterings | More on plastic…
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| It was surprising to me to experience the in-person response to my earlier post on laundry detergent. You (well a few of you) found the information on TruEarth Laundry Detergent (one of the brands that comes in the mail in a light cardboard
Inslee and Murray on establishing solutions for salmon recovery in Columbia River Basin
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Today U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee issued the following joint statement on next steps as they pursue a joint federal-state process to establish a comprehensive solution for salmon recovery in the Columbia River Basin. “Saving our salmon is
Sheriff’s Report | October 13 – 19, 2021
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13 21-009171 Domestic Dispute or Assault 21:27:29 10/13/21 A San Juan Deputy responded to a report of a domestic in Friday Harbor. No crime appeared to have been committed and the incident was documented. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14 21-009173 Court Order
Latest from Lekanoff | Ferry service disruptions, Native mascots, COVID, women in STEM
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. DEBRA LEKANOFF ||| Ferry Service Disruption The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) recently launched a survey to determine economic and social impacts to San Juan County residents from recent Washington State Ferries service disruptions. Key initial findings from the survey: 447 participants from
Orcas Public Library on the search for a new Trustee
Review of applications will begin on November 5, 2021. ||| FROM JANET MARLOW, INTERIM DIRECTOR, ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Island Public Library is seeking a new Trustee to begin serving a five-year term on Jan. 1, 2022. As the trustees’ handbook states, “Throughout our nation’s history, the public
Planning Commission stands firm on a vacation rental cap of 650
||| BY MATTHEW GILBERT, theORCASONIAN OP-ED REPORTER ||| On the table at the Planning Commission’s October 15 meeting was a public hearing on the commission’s deliberations over setting a cap on vacation rental permits before the moratorium on new permits runs out in January. If any issue has run a
Newest statewide COVID numbers
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 625,677 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 20. There have been 8,417 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent number of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit
WSF weekly check-in | “Starting to look at our ability to increase service”
||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Giving thanks to our employees I want to start this week by asking everyone to join me in recognizing and thanking our hardworking and dedicated employees. The last 19 months have created tremendous strain on our workforce and many of my
A dozen new COVID cases in SJC this week
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| Since the last update on Friday October 15, there have been 12 new confirmed or probable cases in San Juan County. Current case count is now 344. Of these 12 new cases, initial investigations indicate that five appear to have
Our community met the need for food assistance, but the challenge grows
||| FROM THE ORCAS ISLAND FOOD BANK ||| As the pandemic continues to negatively affect San Juan County and the rest of the nation and world, we at the Orcas Island Food Bank continue to investigate the need for food support and how we can meet that need in our
‘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. Celebrating one year!
Health District to hold public hearing on FY’22 budget, levy
||| FROM ANNE PRESSON for ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| As a local government entity that imposes a regular property tax levy, the OIHCD is required to hold a public hearing on the setting of the FY ’22 proposed Budget and Levy. At its Regular Board meeting on Tuesday,
Wire sculptures exhibit at SJIMA appropriately titled ‘On Being Alive’
||| FROM DIANE MARTINDALE for SAN JUAN ISLANDS MUSEUM OF ART ||| The Atrium of The San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) has come alive with the figurative wire sculptures of Bellingham artist, Francie Allen. The exhibit, titled, On Being Alive!, invites the viewer to viscerally engage in the
Editorial | We are being too nice to receive excellent WSF service. Wait — what!!??
"Vashon Island has four ferry boats (including Pt. Defiance in Tacoma) that service it, and THOSE islanders complain FAR MORE than ANYONE in the San Juans!" --Anonymous WSF worker ||| BY LIN MCNULTY, theORCASONIAN EDITOR ||| An anonymous Washington State Ferry worker has reached out to theOrcasonian to, if nothing
Orcas islander reaches out to share his cancer journey, help others
||| SHARED BY JIM HELMINSKI ||| As an almost 30-year veteran of the Secret Service, Jim Helminski took pride in maintaining his physical health — both for his own sake and to be better fit to protect others. His demanding career placed the safety of Presidents Bill Clinton and George
