Here’s a thought…
“The belief in the possibility of a short decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions.”
ROBERT LYND
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
Library stepping outside normal boundaries to try something new
||| FROM CAROL DAPOGNY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| WE'RE TRYING SOMETHING NEW AT THE ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY THIS THURSDAY AT 5 P.M.! It may be a little chilly (but hopefully dry!) so bring your warm clothes, lawn chairs, blankets, snacks, and hot drinks to the Library South Lawn for
Letter to Editor | La Porte Road residents thank all who put our road back in service
||| FROM JESSICA JAMES ||| On December 1, at dusk, twenty feet of La Porte Road fell fifteen feet into the ravine and stream below. Up to that time, the road crossed above the ravine. In the two days before, neighbor David Densmore noticed that a sink hole had developed
Fire Commission is meeting tomorrow morning for executive session
||| FROM KIM KIMPLE for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE COMMISSION ||| Attached you will find the agenda for the Board of Fire Commissioners special meeting being held this Tuesday, December 14th at 10:00 a.m. online via Zoom. Meeting access information can be found on the agenda. Members of the public are
Inslee announces his climate package for 2022
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee today announced his climate proposals for the 2022 legislative session, which will bolster Washington’s leadership in clean energy and economic growth. The governor put forward a $626 million investment in a climate strategy that will: Decarbonize the building sector
Ruby the Elf, in interview, discusses the Santa Mailbox at Emmanuel Episcopal
||| FROM STEPHIE MAC for EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH ||| JASPER, the roving Eastsound Associated Press reporter interviews Ruby the Elf on the Santa Mailbox in Eastsound. Jasper: Hi, Ruby. We’ve gotten wind about a Christmas activity that the kids can get involved in. We hear that there is a mailbox
Federal Magistrate declares Navy’s 2019 decision authorizing the EA-18G “Growler” expansion at NAS Whidbey violated National Environmental Policy Act
||| FROM CITIZENS OF EBY'S RESERVE ||| Coupeville, WA – Friday, December 10, 2021, Federal Magistrate J. Richard Creatura filed his Report and Recommendation in State of Washington, et al., v. United States Department of the Navy, et al., Case No. 2:19-cv-01059-RAJ-JRC. Judge Creatura determined that the Navy’s 2019 decision
Letter to Editor | Thank you from Orcas Island Park and Recreation District
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT ||| It took until the final counting of the ballots, but the voters of Orcas Island came through for the Orcas island Park and Recreation District! Your approval of the recent six-year levy proposition will not only allow us to begin moving
