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
COVID-19 vaccine distribution update from State Department of Health
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) continues to make progress with our COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration efforts. As of May 3, more than 5,642,156 doses of vaccine have been given across the state, which is nearly 81% of the 6,967,540 doses that
Hot Topic #49 | A COVID-19 update, and looking at the road ahead
COVID-19 updates from San Juan County around subjects on the minds of islanders ||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| This Hot Topic is going to provide updates on current local COVID news and attempt to look ahead to what the rest of 2021 might bring. There
Big thanks from Health Care District to local clinic team during National Nurses Week
||| FROM ANNE PRESSON for ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| As today marks the start of National Nurses Week 2021, the OIHCD would like to recognize the incredible work of the Island Primary Care – Orcas clinical support team. This includes not only the Registered Nurses (RN) but the
Orcas teens reveal they are discovering some bright spots, personal growth during pandemic
||| BY GRAY GAILEY ||| Author: Gray Gailey Prior to quarantine, if you had told any of us teens that we would be confined to our houses for over a year, we probably wouldn’t have believed you. It would have sounded more like the plot of a science
From quilts to masks and back again, islander makes whopping donation to Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Maggie Kaplan, local quilting artist and Orcas District Committee member, has been hard at work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic making hundreds of masks for community members and visitors alike. She, along with Orcas Arts & Gifts, and Sherrie Schiff, have successfully
Next Socrates Café on tap for this Sunday at Senior Center
Sunday, May 11, 4-6 p.m. ||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Join us for the next Orcas Socrates Café by Orcas Senior Center on Sunday, May 9, 4-6 p.m. Orcas Socrates Café is an opportunity to gather virtually, as a community, for a broad conversation on philosophical
County announces 2021 funding round for the Home Fund Program
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Approved by voters in November 2018, the San Juan County Home Fund is projected to generate $15.2 million over a 12‐year period to develop, produce, and/or preserve affordable housing in San Juan County. The Home Fund will be used exclusively for the development
Public Works pushes pause on Prune Alley project
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS ||| Public Works looks to push pause on construction and delay construction-related community impacts until Spring of 2022. Plans for a single continuous construction effort remain unchanged from Main Street through North Beach Road. Staff will utilize this time to continue improving efforts
Latest COVID-19 numbers, updates from State Health Department
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 378,225 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on May 3. There have been 5,528 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more,
Alert: Orcas airport will be out of fuel until mid-May
||| FROM JEANNIE SHARPE for PORT OF ORCAS ||| I am sending this quick notice out about the fuel level at the pump. We have roughly 100 gallons of pumpable fuel left in the fuel tank as of this morning. The truck of fuel will be here on 5-14-21. To
Climate Eyes | Taking an inventory of where we are in this climate crisis
||| CLIMATE EYES BY STEVE BERNHEIM ||| “How can we work with the Comprehensive Plan … to create a culture that lives harmoniously with … Nature?” Last week twenty local residents hooked up on a conference call to ponder this question and share their thoughts. According to several persons at
Help Orcas Montessori School celebrate their new expansion project
||| FROM THERESA CHICANO for ORCAS MONTESSORI SCHOOL ||| Orcas Montessori School invites the community to come celebrate the completion of our Expansion Project at our Grand Opening on Saturday May 15 from 11-1. Come tour the school at 1147 North Beach Road, and meet the staff. We are so grateful
Deer Harbor Plan Review Committee monthly meeting coming up
||| FROM BARRY MADAN for DEER HARBOR PLAN REVIEW COMMITTEE ||| Deer Harbor Plan Review Committee Monthly Meeting (DHPRC) Public Meeting Agenda for May 11, 2021 4:00-5:30 p.m. VIA Zoom Meeting ID 883 0891 7591 Password 828652 Chair: Barry Madan Call to Order at: Establish a quorum: Chair: Recognize public
Current board, committee vacancies, and positions with terms ending within 30 days
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| If you are interested in serving on a board or advisory committee fill out an Advisory Committee Application or contact the Council Office at: (360) 378-2898 Email:ingridg@sanjuanco.com. Committee Position Term Agricultural Resources Committee Agricultural Tax Advisory Committee Position #3 At Large 1 Year
Inslee signs economic justice legislation to help working families
||| FROM GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE'S OFFICE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee today signed an economic justice legislative package, including the Working Families Tax Credit and the capital gains excise tax, that starts the process of making Washington’s upside-down tax system fairer and more equitable. The governor signed the package at the
It’s time to be on the lookout for newborn fawns
||| FROM SHONA AITKEN for WOLF HOLLOW ||| In the past week Wolf Hollow has received several calls about newborn fawns, so we know spring fawn season has arrived. May is when most local Black-tailed Deer give birth to their fawns and people become concerned when they find a little
