Here’s a thought…
“Reality whistles a different tune underwater.”
TOM ROBBINS
School Board will meet on Tuesday evening, in person and Zoom
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island School District School Board will be hosting their meeting on Tuesday, November 30, at 5 p.m. IN-PERSON in The OISD Multipurpose Rm behind the Old Gym AND online VIA ZOOM. Click to view agenda. Here is the link to sign up for
This week, we have 27 new COVID cases in the islands
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT||| Since the last update on Friday November 18, there have been 27 new confirmed or probable cases in San Juan County. Current case count is now 431. There are approximately eight unvaccinated close contacts of positive cases currently in quarantine in
Latest from Lekanoff | Native American Heritage Day, flood response
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. DEBRA LEKANOFF ||| A huge thank you to all of our frontline workers, fire fighters, police officers, community organizations, community members, and the Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit county and city officials who came together to help our region weather the recent flooding! Through
You really don’t want to not see this Go Figure! exhibit
||| FROM DIANE MARTINDALE for SAN JUAN ISLANDS MUSEUM OF ART ||| Islanders and visitors alike are raving about the current exhibit, Go Figure! at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA). “Spectacular!” “We went back to see the show a second time.” “This exhibit has something for everyone.”
Orcas Primary Care clinic update for holiday season
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND PRIMARY CARE ||| Gratitude Pumpkins - A Message of Thanks Island Primary Care – Orcas has been embracing the month of November by noting what we’re thankful for each day. Our Gratitude Pumpkins in the clinic have been capturing everything our staff appreciates, from coffee to
This Fall’s Makers Stroll was an exciting, creative, festive fusion
||| FROM MARCY MONTGOMERY for SAN JUAN MAKERS GUILD ||| The San Juan Makers Guild hosted an Eastsound Village Makers Stroll that featured Orcas Island and San Juan County grown and made products on October 1. As the launch to the popular Farm Tours, local residents and visitors were out
‘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.
Poetry | Belonging by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
||| SUBMITTED BY JOELLEN MOLDOFF ||| Belonging ROSEMERRY WAHTOLA TROMMER And if it’s true we are alone, we are alone together, the way blades of grass are alone, but exist as a field. Sometimes I feel it, the green fuse that ignites us, the wild thrum that unites us, an
Thankful for blessings of having ‘swallowed the anchor’
||| FROM JEFF STRUTHERS ||| It is Thanksgiving Eve, and I find myself recounting the many blessings of having “swallowed the anchor” on Orcas Island now more than two decades go. Yes, serious threats are about. COVID-19 persists, though so-far, locally, held largely at bay … perhaps due, in no
Occam steps in to deliver our Thanksgiving greetings
Welcome to our weekly feature, Occam's Razor, from local artist S.C. Watson.
Keeping food safe during the holidays
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA -- Each year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 48 million people get sick from foodborne illness and 128,000 are hospitalized. As families and friends gather for the holidays, a traditional meal is often a big part of the celebration. So, before
Update from State Health Department
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Note: There will be no bulletin on Thursday, Nov. 25, in observance of Thanksgiving Day. Statewide Response Updates Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 674,917 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 22. There have been 9,177
Letter to Editor | We can build bridges and move a mountain; What a community!
||| FROM CINDY WOLF, COUNTY COUNCILMEMBER ||| The relative calm of this afternoon before Thanksgiving Day is a perfect moment to pause and reflect on the last week with gratitude. In the face of a storm I once again watched our community and our County team build bridges and move
Letter to Editor | Contributions to Community Emergency Fund help direct resources where they are needed most
||| FROM HILARY CANTY for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| Recently, the Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) received a significant anonymous gift to the Community Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This fund was established in March 2020 as the pandemic began to provide a vehicle for the Orcas community to quickly
Crow Valley Road is now a ‘go’ in both directions
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| The green light is lit for Crow Valley Road Crow Valley Road (Orcas Island) emergency repairs are now complete and the road is open in both directions. Thanks to everyone for your patience!
Celebrating our island farm heroes
||| FROM MARCY MONTGOMERY for SAN JUAN MAKERS GUILD ||| Fall is a great time for learning about local food and supporting island farms. As we move into Thanksgiving after the successful Farm Tour events, ‘where’ our food comes from becomes an increasingly relevant conversation. Recognizing Island Farm Heroes is a
