Here’s a thought…
“Deep breath. Deep breath. The air is free. You can take as many as you want.”
BUDDHIST MONK
Weekly COVID update reveals 17 cases have been removed from confirmed case list
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| IMPORTANT NOTE: A total of 17 previous cases have been removed from the list of confirmed cases in San Juan County. These are cases that occurred after June 1, 2021 and were first identified by a positive over-the-counter COVID test
Historic map exhibit opening soon at Orcas Museum
Exhibit opens September 4, 2021 ||| FROM ANTOINETTE BOTSFORD for ORCAS HISTORICAL MUSEUMS ||| The Orcas Island Historical Museum's new exhibition “Mapping Orcas: The Way Home” features an extraordinary collection of maps, most of which were assembled, restored, and reproduced by photographer Peter C. Fisher of Orcas Island. They include
Letter to Editor | Eastsound P.O. workers are efficient, friendly
||| FROM DAVID KOBRIN ||| It's impressive that the Orcas Eastsound Post Office is, in itself, a small “community” on our island with a life and culture of its own. There’s a comfortable feeling of welcome, projected so strongly by the women and men who work there that it carries over
‘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.
Fire Commission will hold a special meeting Friday afternoon
Commissioners to approve mandatory vaccination policy ||| FROM KIM KIMPLE for BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS ||| The Board of Fire Commissioners will hold a special meeting tomorrow, Friday, August 27 at 3 p.m. to address a resolution requiring mandatory vaccinations for the department. Special Meeting Agenda San Juan County Fire
Inslee letter to President Biden reaffirms Washington’s support for Afghan refugees
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| In case you missed it: Gov. Jay Inslee today sent a letter to President Joe Biden affirming Washington state's support for the people of Afghanistan and encouraging the president to continue accelerated evacuation efforts and to establish safety and support services for refugees. The
ATOI returns to grange stage with ‘Savannah Sipping Society’
Savannah Sipping Society opens at 7:30 pm on Friday, September 3 with seven performances until closing on Sunday, September 12 ||| FROM DOUG BECHTEL for ACTORS THEATER OF ORCAS ISLAND ||| After almost two years without live theater, The Actors Theater is reopening at the Grange with “Savannah Sipping Society”
An open letter to Airbnb: The pitchforks are coming
||| FROM SURVIVING TOMORROW ||| Dear founders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, board members Angela Ahrendts, Ken Chenault, Belinda Johnson, Jeff Jordan, Alfred Lin, and Ann Mather, and all investors, hosts, and guests; I write to you today in the hope that you will radically re-structure your company before it starts a class war in which you
‘Murder hornet’ nest cut from tree in Washington state; 1,500 developing insects found inside
||| FROM GEEKWIRE ||| Another Asian giant hornet nest has been removed from a tree in Washington as the state’s Department of Agriculture tries to stay a step ahead of the invasive pest sometimes called the “murder hornet.” WSDA took the nest out of the inside of an alder tree
Master Gardeners on hand Wednesday to answer your pesky plant problems
||| FROM DIANNE MACONDRAY for SJC MASTER GARDENERS ||| The Master Gardeners of San Juan County will be collecting diseased plant samples and answering garden questions in front of Driftwood Nursery in Eastsound on Wednesday, September 1 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Please accompany your sample with the form
Boaters, you play critical role in protecting endangered whales
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Labor Day weekend is approaching, the last hurrah for many summer boaters before buckling down for the fall. As scores of vessels take to local waterways over the holiday, it’s an important time to stay vigilant and keep safe on the water. San
$465,000 from Clean Energy Fund granted to OPALCO
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ||| OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced approximately $3.9 million in grants from the state’s Clean Energy Fund for 18 electricity grid modernization projects across the state. As Washington’s utilities advance towards the state’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2045,
Statewide COVID updates from Health Dept.
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 486,574 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 23. In all, there have been 6,417 deaths in Washington due to COVID-19. For the most recent data on cases by county,
Let’s help make OISD’s safe return to school a reality
Old Gym 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 25 to administer free, COVID-19 tests. ||| FROM ERIC WEBB, ORCAS SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT ||| Participate in Screening for a Safe Start In an effort to provide a safe start to the new school year, we are offering Screening for a Safe Start,
Sadly, SJIMA’s appraisal event cancelled for this Saturday
||| FROM DIANE MARTINDALE for SAN JUAN ISLANDS MUSEUM OF ART ||| SJIMA needs to cancel the Appraisal Day and Silent Auction scheduled for this Saturday, August 28 until the COVID virus has receded. This event has been anticipated by the SJIMA team for two years and we are severely
In Memoriam | Liceria “Ting” Zimmerman
||| FROM LESLIE BRAZEAU ||| Longtime Orcas islander, Liceria "Ting" Zimmerman departed this earth on June 28. She will be deeply missed by all who shared the honor of her friendship and the gift of her life stories. Ting's beloved husband and life adventure partner, Tom Zimmerman, predeceased her in
