Here’s a thought…
“People will forgive you for being wrong, but they will never forgive you for being right.”
THOMAS SOWELL
Letter to Editor | The San Juans don’t belong in same legislative district as Whidbey Island
||| FROM KEARA AXELROD and MICHELE RODRIGUEZ ||| Washington state has a four-person commission charged with redistricting Washington’s legislative districts in light of the population information recorded in the 2020 census. The Commission recently released proposals for state-level Legislative Redistricting. Two of the four proposals include significant changes to our 40th Legislative District. The
OHS ‘Futures Lounge’ provides inviting opportunity for students to take a deep breath to plan their futures
||| FROM KATE LONG for ORCAS ISLAND HIGH SCHOOL ||| Tucked away at the end of the first-floor hallway at the Orcas Island High School is a classroom converted into a new space: the ‘Futures Lounge.’ The room has many elements of a traditional classroom – whiteboard, overhead projector, and
WSF surprises with early return of Tillikum. Back to normal schedule Tuesday A.M.
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| WSF maintenance teams and vessel crews were able to repair the Tillikum sooner than expected, and the San Juan Islands route will return to its regular Fall sailing schedule with interisland service beginning Tuesday, Oct. 5. Customers will once again be able to make
There are some ferry good objections to this redistricting scheme
||| FROM CINDY WOLF, SAN JUAN COUNTY COUNCILMEMBER ||| Census numbers are in and the proposed redistricting maps are out. You can see them HERE. In my opinion, the strongest move we can make this week for the future of our ferry system is to respectfully request that Anacortes and
New research indicates COVID variants have higher infection rates than non-variant SARS-CoV-2
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA -- People in Washington state infected with Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants have a higher risk of hospitalization compared to those infected with non-variant versions of SARS-CoV-2, according to new research from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), in collaboration with Fred Hutchinson
Guest Opinion | It’s long past time for Council to start hollering at WSF
||| FROM ALEX MCLEOD ||| Everyone knows by now that the Tilikum, our interisland boat, stopped running Friday morning, cutting off the ability for school kids and workers and others to move among the islands. Yet it took three days for WSF to switch to the emergency winter weekend schedule
Three raffle winners announced by OPALCO
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| Since the OPALCO Annual Meeting in April, co-op members who participated in the Island Way workshops have been entered to win raffle prizes including ten shares of the Bailer Hill Microgrid Project (to be completed in 2022), a Greenworks
School superintendent shares a look into first month of new school year
||| FROM ERIC WEBB, ORCAS SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT || Fall has arrived on the island and OISD is entering its second month of the 2021-2022 school year. September has provided students and staff with wonderful learning opportunities and engaging activities, from field trips to sporting events. These opportunities and events could
Beginning Monday, SJI ferry route moves to winter weekend schedule
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| The San Juan Islands route will be on its Winter Weekend Schedule beginning Monday, Oct. 4 while the Tilikum remains out of service with a generator issue. The route will be on this schedule for at least a week. Switching to this schedule will help maintain
A Portrait in Charcoal workshop coming soon to SJIMA
Note date change to November ||| FROM DIANE MARTINDALE for SAN JUAN ISLANDS MUSEUM OF ART ||| Multi-talented instructor, Taylor Bruce is giving a portrait workshop as part of the complete experience of the Go Figure! exhibition at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA). The workshop, A Portrait
When it comes to recycling glass, the Exchange will soon be crushing it
||| FROM PETE MOE for ORCAS RECYCLING SERVICES/THE EXCHANGE ||| In a big step toward their “Zero Waste” goals, on November 1, The Exchange will add glass to the list of materials they accept separated from standard “co-mingled” recycling at the transfer station. Separated glass and cardboard will cost $3
Island Hospital offers upcoming classes
||| FROM RACHEL LAMBERT for ISLAND HOSPITAL ||| Island Hospital offers virtual stroke safety class Join Island Hospital’s specialized stroke coordinator for an in-depth look at what you really need to know about stroke, how to quickly identify a stroke, and when to call 911. This virtual class is will take
Sen. Lovelett | Work is ongoing as we approach 2022 legislative session
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF SENATOR LIZ LOVELETT ||| We’ve still got a few more months to go before the 2022 legislative session kicks into high gear, but in the meantime - I wanted to update you all about ongoing work I’m doing for our district, and send out some
Sun Days on Orcas | Like mice
||| SUN DAYS ON ORCAS by EDEE KULPER ||| Our younger son has two mice. They live in a plastic storage bin, sleeping in a little box during the day, and busybodying all night long. In the morning, their entire landscape is usually completely rearranged, and their leavings on the
Winter is coming. Are you ready for power outage season?
OPALCO can help you prepare ||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| As we approach the winter storm season, it is a good time to think about being ready for potential power outages: replenish your battery supply, fill up your gas tank (or charge up your
2021 Assessor change of value notices mailed on October 1
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The Assessor’s Office mailed the 2021 Change of Value Notices on October 1, 2021. The notices show market value as of January 1, 2021 based on sales between January 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021. The total assessed value for San Juan County
