Here’s a thought…
“I am so convinced of the advantages of looking at mankind instead of reading about them, and of the bitter effects of staying at home with all the narrow prejudices of an islander, that I think there should be a law amongst us to set our young men abroad for a term among the few allies our wars have left us.”
LORD BYRON
This year’s Chamber Music Festival is both live at Orcas Center and livestreamed
2021 Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival August 6 – 21 ||| FROM LINDA SLONE for ORCAS ISLAND CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL ||| Clarinet! Horn! Bassoon! Double Bass! Return of the Montrose Trio! Kostov & Valkov! And of course, plenty of violins, violas, cellos and piano… Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival’s 24th
Statewide COVID response updates from State Health Dept.
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 409,361 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on June 14. There have been 5,800 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. Data note: Death data from Monday, June 14, include about 31 fewer deaths than
Governor’s “Smart Communities” Awards nominations now open
Annual awards recognize outstanding work in community planning and development ||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ||| Olympia, WA --- The Washington State Department of Commerce today called for nominations for the 15th annual Governor's Smart Communities Awards, a program that recognizes outstanding work by local governments and their partners on
Jacob Miller, Tony Furtado and Stephanie Schneiderman perform this weekend on Village Green
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Summer Concerts on The Village Green, a joint venture between Orcas Center and Doe Bay, continue June 27 with a double bill featuring solo performer Jacob Miller, Tony Furtado, and Stephanie Schneiderman. Showtime starts at 6 p.m., and is free to the
Schedule some walk & talk time this summer in Moran State Park program
How will you choose? Newts, forage fish, squirrels, music, bats night out, S'mores, and more ||| FROM RACHEL BAKER for FRIENDS OF MORAN ||| Summer Walks & Talks are free educational programs offered by Friends of Moran in support of Moran State Park every year. This summer’s programs feature local
County Council meets tomorrow, agenda posted
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COUNCIL ||| San Juan County Council Agenda PRELIMINARY AGENDA: Discussion items may be added and/or the order or content changed at the discretion of the Council Chair. If there is a change in location, the alternative meeting location will be visibly posted at the location
Matthew Laslo brings back his live magic performances to Sea View for July 4th weekend
A Magic Show for the Entire Family ! ||| FROM LASLO MAGIC ||| After over a year of being closed for live performances and movies, the Sea View Theatre will welcome back audiences for the Magic of Matthew Laslo, July 1-4 with two shows daily. Matthew Laslo is an
Special 3-day candidate filing opens up due to ‘void in candidacy’ for some positions
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Whew! You almost missed your chance to run for office. Fortunately, you’ll get a second chance. During the candidate filing period in May, several of the offices open for filing had no candidates file. When no one files for an open office, it’s
Skagit Valley College bestows prestigious Yates Award on Orcas student
||| FROM SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE ||| This year, an Orcas Island student was nominated for the Yates Award, the highest award bestowed at the Skagit Valley College Whidbey Island Campus. The award is given in honor of Rear Admiral Earl Preston "Buddy" Yates who was the commanding officer at NAS
Letter to Editor | A note of gratitude
||| FROM CAMILLE and JOHN FLEMING (Mother and Father of SOFIA) ||| The class of 2021 graduates this week. As the parents of a senior, we had the great fortune to attend the special events of the week that celebrate the many successes of these students… We read every note
The Honorary Mayor of Eastsound campaign is BACK post-pandemic
VOTE EARLY! VOTE OFTEN! ||| ADY WALKER for CHILDREN'S HOUSE ||| For over a decade, our island has elected a cherished animal to be our honorary mayor during this light-hearted community fundraiser for the Orcas Island Children’s House. The Orcas Island Children’s House has served island families and their children
Land Bank shares an update on Coffelt Farm Preserve’s agricultural use
||| FROM TANJA WILLIAMSON for SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK ||| As we enter another phase in planning the future of Coffelt Farm Preserve’s agricultural use, the SJC Land Bank offers this community update. The Conservation Ag Resource Team (CART) submitted its final Coffelt Farm report (click here to view)
Inslee extends proclamation on the Family Emergency Assistance Program
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee [on Thursday, June 10] extended a proclamation allowing for the expansion of the Family Emergency Assistance Program (FEAP) to assist families both with and without children. This proclamation is issued under the authority granted to the governor by SHB 1151,
Spring 2021 Great Islands Clean-up was a great success
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY ||| One hundred thirty-eight miles of road and 55 miles of beach are much cleaner thanks to the Spring Great islands Clean-up. Thanks to more than 400 dedicated volunteers on Orcas, San Juan, Shaw, Lopez, and Henry Islands, 5,435 pounds of garbage was collected by
Island Hospital acquires breakthrough laser technology for urology services
||| FROM LAURA MORONEY for ISLAND HOSPITAL ||| ANACORTES, Washington – Island Hospital is expanding urology services with breakthrough laser technology designed for treating kidney stones and prostate procedures. The Olympus SOLTIVE™ SuperPulsed Laser System enables physicians to deliver quicker and more efficient stone removal, which may translate to shorter
Inslee announces reopening guidance, renews call for climate action
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Reopening guidance Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday announced more details on what COVID mitigation measures will remain in place after the state's economy fully reopens June 30 or earlier. Industries may return to usual operations at that time – with one
