Here’s a thought…
“Neither the evil nor the good in our history determines who we are. It is what we do now. If we do not say something ourselves about this horror, we allow ourselves to be changed.”
TIMOTHY SNYDER
Orcas Library presents Karl Marlantes, winner of 2020 WA State Book Award for fiction
||| FROM CAROL DAPOGNY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Orcas Island Library presents a Hybrid Author Event with Karl Marlantes on the Library’s South Lawn and by Zoom meeting on September 9 at 6 p.m. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Karl Marlantes, New York Times-bestselling author of Matterhorn and What
All are welcome at Rosh Hashanah service this week at Cascade Lake
||| FROM DAVID KOBRIN ||| This year Rosh Hashanah day services will be held Tuesday, September 7 beginning at 10:30 a.m., at the Cascade Lake shelter area. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Our service will be followed by a potluck lunch celebration. Please bring a chair or blanket.
Nationwide housing shortage is significant, but for small, entry-level homes, it’s acute
||| FROM NPR.ORG ||| (REPRINT AT REQUEST OF ORCASONIAN READER) America's roaring real estate boom is leaving millions of would-be homebuyers out in the cold. The problem is most severe in that corner of the market that once propelled the American dream: the small entry-level home. "I would like to
Letter to Editor | Time to acknowledge the expert service of OIFR
||| FROM JANICE WIEMEYER ||| The Labor Day Holiday seems like an ideal time to acknowledge the expert work of the men and women of Orcas Island Fire and Rescue. In an ancillary role with the Rescue component, I regularly observe the high quality of training, service and commitment of
A widow, a divorcee & two middle-aged single ladies walk into a bar…
Savannah Sipping Society review ||| FROM LISA SPESARD ||| What a hoot! Opening night at The Grange is a big welcome back to normalcy. Masks required and vaccine checks aside; this gem of a play is laugh out loud funny with rough edges. You won’t need to hold back because
It’s not just COVID that necessitates paying attention to safety tips this weekend
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – With hospital capacity stressed statewide and health care resources stretched nationally, take steps to reducing your chance of needing emergency care. Keep these safety tips in mind this weekend: Prevent foodborne illnesses by following a few simple food safety tips. Follow water safety tips if you go swimming
Statewide Coronavirus response updates
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 512,162 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 1. There have been 6,643 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit
Honolulu Airbnbs shut down when pandemic began. Mayor wants to keep it that way
The mayor sees the crackdown on vacation rentals as a tourism control measure. ||| FROM HONOLULU CIVIL BEAT ||| REPRINTED AT REQUEST OF READER When Hawaii tourism came to a halt in 2020, Honolulu residents were able to feel what the island was like before the advent of short-term vacation
OIFR responds to successfully extinguish small brush fire on Pinneo Rd.
||| FROM KIM KIMPLE for ORCAS FIRE & RESCUE ||| On Thursday, September 2 just before noon, Orcas Fire & Rescue units were dispatched to the 700-block of Pinneo Road due to multiple reports from individuals passing through the area. Smoke was visible from Orcas Rd + Swan Rd. Orcas
Orcas Christian School completes campus-wide LED retrofit
||| FROM MIKE PARNELL for ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| With interest from the Principal, an energy grant, and a partial donation of fixtures and lights, the Orcas Christian School completed a campus wide retrofit, replacing all of their traditional light bulbs, including fluorescent bulbs to “Best Reading” LED bulbs in
Midnight Mutterings | Nurse Ratched
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS BY JACKIE BATES ||| I have been off island assisting my adult son as he recovers from knee replacement surgery. Will be returning in a couple of days for more of the same. I hope I do a better job this next time. My experience with ‘professional’
Sheriff’s Report | August 25 – 31, 2021
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25 21-007695 Citizen Assist 09:17:40 08/25/21 A Lopez Deputy responded to a citizen assist call. A citizen was provided information regarding an ongoing neighborly conflict. 21-007702 Citizen Assist 10:59:49 08/25/21 A Lopez Deputy responded to a citizen assist call. A
Planning Commission recommends aggressive caps on VR permits
||| BY theORCASONIAN OP-ED REPORTER MATTHEW GILBERT ||| The issue of establishing caps on vacation rental permits continues to attract significant public interest, and at the August 20 meeting of the SJC Planning Commission, it was discussed at length with the goal of providing a recommendation to the Department of
Orcas Island restaurants struggle with more tourists, fewer workers, high cost of living
||| FROM SEATTLE TIMES ||| ORCAS ISLAND — During the peak of this summer’s tourist season, Orcas Island seemed to attract just about everyone — except the workers who make it run. Posted on the entrance of Enzo’s Caffe and Gelateria in downtown: “Our summer staff is going back to
Sigh….Weekly SJC COVID case update
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| Since the last update on Friday August 27, there have been sixteen new confirmed cases in San Juan County. Current total case count is now 266. Of these sixteen new cases, initial investigations indicate that five appear to have occurred
Island Hospital to host virtual community briefing on COVID-19
||| FROM RACHEL LAMBERT for ISLAND HOSPITAL ||| Island Hospital will host a virtual community briefing Thursday, September 9 at 5:30 on the current state of COVID-19 in our region. Chief Executive Officer Charles Hall, MSN, MBA and Chief Medical Officer Jason Hogge, MD will be leading the briefing, which
