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
LaPorte Road opens tonight, closes again during day on Tuesday, Wednesday
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| LaPorte Rd. will be open to traffic after crews wrap up their work at the end of the day today. However, the road will be closed again from 8am until 5pm on Tuesday and Wednesday so that utility providers may
Hawaii housing crisis has Maui pushing to phase out 3,000 short-term rentals
||| FROM SFGATE.COM ||| REPRINT AT REQUEST OF CLAYTON PARSONS As Hawaii’s high housing costs and rising property taxes continue to price out struggling residents seeking to find and keep their homes, Maui is examining how to create long-term housing opportunities to make sure local residents remain local. However, some
Auditor’s customer service will close for annual meeting Dec. 15
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The Auditor’s Customer Service division will be closed from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 15, for the department’s annual meeting. Customer Service provides recording services, as well as licensing services for vehicles, vessels, marriages, and dogs. Services will be available on
Guest Opinion | Climate resilience actions overdue
||| FROM RUSSEL BARSH for KWIAHT ||| Road washouts last month gave a clear signal to islanders: an increasingly stormy climate threatens critical infrastructure such as roads, power and communications lines, and supplies of potable water. San Juan County urgently needs to act now to “harden” its infrastructure against a
San Juan County readies its new Department of Environmental Stewardship
||| FROM SHARON ABREU, SPECIAL TO theORCASONIAN ||| The San Juan County Council has moved the Environmental Resources group from a division of the Department of Public Works to the new, independent Department of Environmental Stewardship, elevating the status of this team to be on par with Parks & Recreation,
This weekend at the Grange: “It’s a Wonderful Life”
||| FROM DOUG BECHTEL for ACTORS THEATER OF ORCAS ISLAND ||| The Actors Theater of Orcas Island invites you to celebrate the holiday season with us as we enjoy the beloved American holiday classic, “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.” This heartwarming story of renewal is presented as a 1940s radio broadcast
Film Fest will re-show ‘The Rescue,’ to present the film with an award
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL ||| Many islanders and visitors had the wonderful opportunity to experience the powerful lineup of films, presented at the Orcas Island Film Festival this past October. There were 16 films that screened over the five day weekend and attendees were thrilled to be back
The world’s first anti-vaccination movement spread fears of half-cow babies
||| FROM WASHINGTON POST ||| In the early 19th century, British people finally had access to the first vaccine in history, one that promised to protect them from smallpox, among the deadliest diseases of the era. Many Britons were skeptical of the vaccine, however, with fears extending well beyond the
This WA Notify phone app could give you info you need for your health
||| FROM ANNE PRESSON for ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| There’s a new way to verify your COVID-19 vaccination on the go: WA Notify. If you are planning to attend a large event, bar, restaurant, or other establishment that requires proof of vaccination, you can use the new WA
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
