Here’s a thought…
“No one, I mean no one, has the right to sit in judgment of who’s American enough.”
MICHELLE OBAMA
Unlike recent rains, this Village Green shower is welcome
||| FROM CINDY WOLF, SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMISSIONER ||| Many years ago (at least ten, so I’m told) the quest began to locate a public shower somewhere in Eastsound. After unsuccessful attempts to locate it at the Public Library, at the airport, or in a portable trailer, it was finally
OICF honors retiring educators with Marilyn Anderson excellence awards
||| FROM HILARY CANTY for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| Marilyn Anderson, retired military physical therapist and force of nature, had a favorite saying: “Prior planning precludes poor performance.” She strived for excellence in everything she did in life. She left several local nonprofits legacy gifts when she passed in
Upcoming Garden Club meet features Emmy Gran and her seasonal wreaths
||| FROM HELEN HUBER for ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Orcas Island's Emmy Gran On Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 10:30 am, the Orcas Island and Lopez Island Garden Clubs’ virtual (Zoom) meeting features Emmy Gran demonstrating how to create a seasonal wreath using foraged and dried materials.
Burning down the house? An ongoing investigation into Orcas Fire & Rescue
||| BY MIA KARTIGANER, SPECIAL TO theORCASONIAN ||| With much the same provocation that led me to run for Port Commissioner two years ago, I find myself once again moved to action by the discord in our community. How is it possible that a group of people, many of whom
Peace Island earns national distinction for ER patient experience
||| FROM ANNE WILLIAMS for PEACEHEALTH PEACE ISLAND MEDICAL CENTER ||| We are pleased to announce that PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center has been recognized with a 2021 Guardian of Excellence Award® by Press Ganey, the national leader in healthcare consumer and workforce engagement. PeaceHealth Peace Island has earned this
Karl Kruger’s Northwest Passage quest is featured in next Endurance Series episode at Library
December 2 at 6 p.m. at the library or register to attend by Zoom meeting ||| FROM CAROL DAPOGNY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Orcas Island Library is excited to present Episode Five of The Endurance Series: Endurance & Vulnerability with Karl Krüger. Karl Kruger near Salt Spring Island on the Race to
Coming up, on-screen at Orcas Center in December
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center brings the world’s best performers to Center Stage in their On-Screen Offerings from The Metropolitan Opera, Bolshoi Ballet, and National Theatre Live. Join us for these great events coming up in December: Saturday, December 4 at 1pm: The Curious Incident
8th Annual Children’s Holiday Market returns with original, handmade gifts by island kids
||| FROM RACHEL BISHOP ||| Children all over the island have been spending their evenings and weekends busily crafting to get ready for the 8th Annual Children's Holiday Market. With a new date and time, this is being held at the Orcas Public Library on Sunday December 5 from 3
Governor Inslee states Omicron COVID variant does not change our approach to pandemic
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan released a statement on the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. "The discovery of the Omicron variant does not change our approach to fighting the pandemic. We are
Water build-up has now closed LaPorte Road
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| A blocked culvert has created a dangerous situation on Laporte Road on Orcas Island. A large amount of water has built up on the uphill side of the road, and the roadway is in danger of failure, in particular with
Rep. Larsen: The debt ceiling needs to be eliminated
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| Politicians have been weaponizing the debt ceiling as long as it has existed, and it is wrong. This has been especially true in the time after Donald Trump's presidency, where we saw tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans that piled up
We shall light the tree on Saturday — donate cookies, treats
Saturday, December 4, 3:45 p.m. Village Green ||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ||| The Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual tree lighting festivities on Saturday, December 4, starting at 3:45 p.m. Islanders and visitors can join the fun on the Village Green with hot cider
This Saturday, let’s plant daffodils at Children’s House in memory of Abby Rueb
||| FROM ADY WALKER for CHILDREN'S HOUSE ||| In the past weeks many of us have shared fond remembrances of Abby Rueb, and we have marveled at the contributions she made to the community of Orcas Island over her long life here. A favorite story is the Easter party the
SJC voters have passed one of the strongest anti-discrimination policies in the country
||| FROM JANE FULLER for CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE'S JUSTICE & EQUITY COMMITTEE ||| With the certification of the election last week, San Juan County voters have passed some of the strongest anti-discrimination policies of any government in the Nation. Known simply as County Charter Amendment Proposition No. 5, this amendment
How to save a ski town (or perhaps a small, green island)
All over the West, a housing crisis is causing workforce shortages, crippling local businesses, and threatening the culture and existence of mountain towns as we know them. But amid the doom and gloom, some people are fighting for solutions. ||| FROM OUTSIDEONLINE.COM ||| REPRINT AT REQUEST OF A READER Once
A poem for Chanukka: The Olive and the Oil
||| BY CHAYA ROSEN ||| The Olive and the Oil From the midst of constellations and the distance of the ages A Maccabean miracle unfolds How does this story get told? It’s all about the olive and the oil. She was crushed and beaten humbled and pressed a distinct purity
