Here’s a thought…
“Deep breath. Deep breath. The air is free. You can take as many as you want.”
BUDDHIST MONK
Letter to Editor | Council has more to consider with environmental matters
||| FROM BILL APPEL ||| Dear Council Members: You made an excellent start by recently establishing a department into which environmental matters were consolidated. But this action lacks substantive effect without the following: Your willingness to discourage the development axiom, “Forgiveness is more attainable than permission,” with respect to environmental
‘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.
WSF Weekly Report | No line-cutting, new schedules/fares, photo contest
||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| New line-cutting educational campaign To address an ongoing problem of drivers cutting our ferry lines, we’ve teamed up with Washington State Patrol on a new line-cutting educational campaign and emphasis patrols. We explained these new efforts to the media at our Edmonds
Only 73 SRKWs are left, but three of them appear to be pregnant
||| FROM WASHINGTON POST ||| On a routine research trip, two marine biologists were struck by what they saw in the waters of the Pacific Northwest: three endangered orcas with bulges indicating that they are pregnant. The discovery was delightful — there are only 73 southern resident killer whales in the
Letter to Editor | Mammogram van a success
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| For more than five years, Orcas Senior Center (OSC) has partnered with Assured Imaging to make mammograms for breast cancer screening available on Orcas Island. This week, we provided mammograms to 109 patients during our annual Mammogram Van visit, reflecting a
Library Board calls special meeting
||| FROM JANET MARLOW for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Island Library Board will be having a special meeting on Monday, September 27. Topics include consideration of vaccine mandates and appointment of an interim Library Director. Please find the agenda attached.
Case rate shows high case count, hospital admissions, increasing deaths
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA -- The latest COVID-19 modeling and surveillance situation report from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) shows the majority of counties now have case rates above 500 per 100,000. Washington is likely to see continued high levels of cases and hospital admissions, with increasing
Upcoming at SJIMA | Food for imagination
||| FROM DIANE MARTINDALE for SAN JUAN ISLANDS MUSEUM OF ART ||| One physician described the “beautiful formation” of the human body as inspiration for art. Go Figure! celebrating the human form, has just opened at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) in Friday Harbor. Visitors and residents are
Meeting Notice | Fire Commission to gather in special meeting
||| FROM KIM KIMPLE for ORCAS FIRE & RESCUE ||| The Board of Fire Commissioners will hold a Special Meeting on Friday, September 24 at 1 p.m. Meeting access information is located on the agenda.
Auditions to be held at Orcas Center for Pride & Prejudice
||| FROM NICOLE MATISSE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Audition Notice PRIDE AND PREJUDICE By Helen Jerome Adapted from the novel by Jane Austen Directed by Dorrie Braun Assistant Director Ellen Graham Auditions: Sept. 27-28; Oct. 4-5; 6-9 p.m. Madrona Room, Orcas Center Please visit www.orcascenter.org for the roles, rehearsal and
EDC offering free tree worker basics on Orcas
||| FROM MICHELANGELO (MICKEY) VON DASSOW for ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ||| People who want to make a living working with trees or forests are invited to a free, hands-on, outdoor course offered by the Economic Development Council of San Juan County (EDC). The course will be taught by Carson Sprenger,
Latest numbers from State include new language translations
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Statewide Response Updates Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 562,104 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 20. In all, there have been 7,315 deaths in Washington due to COVID-19. For the most recent data on
Planning Board reverses course on vacation rental caps, plans ahead for bike lanes
||| BY STEVE BERNHEIM, theORCASONIAN REPORTER ||| In August, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended a county-wide cap of 413 vacation rental business permits (the current number of active, compliant rentals) in response to hundreds of residents claiming community character and available housing for residents was deteriorating as a result. On
Guest Opinion | SJC residents will vote on amendments addressing climate change, environmental protection, justice and equity in Nov.
||| FROM KEVIN RANKER, CHAIR, SAN JUAN COUNTY CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION ||| Once in a decade the voters of San Juan County have an opportunity to review and, more importantly, improve their own government. This unusual self-governing opportunity exists in only seven of 39 Washington state counties who possess the
Request for federal resources to support hospital surge efforts in Washington
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA -- Like most health care systems nationwide, Washington hospitals and health care workers are under tremendous strain as a result of staffing shortages and increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients. In alignment with Governor Inslee, Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, submitted
Eastsound Water Board corrects misleading report on VR water usage
||| FROM DAN BURKE for EASTSOUND WATER USERS ||| The EWUA Board released a report today in response to an unauthorized and misleading presentation given under the letterhead of Eastsound Water about vacation rental water usage. The prior report was flawed in part because the study did not differentiate between
