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
Current SJC board, committee vacancies
||| 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 Position
There’s only one measure on upcoming ballot and it needs your support
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| This week ballots are being sent out by San Juan County Elections to all Orcas registered voters. There is only one measure on the ballot: replacement of Orcas Island School District's Capital Projects and Technology Levy. This last year the pandemic has amplified
San Juan County needs an Orcas member for Housing Advisory Committee
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Are you an Orcas resident who is passionate and knowledgeable about affordable housing in San Juan County? San Juan County is seeking a new member for the Housing Advisory Committee to fill the Orcas Island position on the committee. The Committee is the
Check out Wolf Hollow’s upcoming photo competition
||| FROM SHONA AITKEN for WOLF HOLLOW ||| We are lucky to live in a place where there is so much wildlife all around us. During Earth Month in April, Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is launching a PHOTO COMPETITION to celebrate the wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. During April,
WSF reports increasing ridership, but nowhere near 2019 levels
||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Ridership increasing as spring arrives Last week we had 300,000 riders from Monday through Sunday. While it was our busiest week since last summer and triple the number from the same time last year, it was just two-thirds of 2019’s ridership.
Senior Center has new Little Free Library. How many books can you find?
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Orcas Senior Center is excited to announce the installation of a Little Free Library at Orcas Senior Center (OSC). Many thanks to former OSC employee, Vicki O’Keefe (pictured), now Orcas Island School District Librarian, for envisioning this project. Also, thanks to
Midnight Mutterings | Of cats and crows
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS BY JACKIE BATES ||| I like Cats and Crows in equal measure. However, it has come to my attention that Cats and Crows dislike each other in equal measure. Of course, I can’t know who started the Crow-Cat War, but I blame the Crows. (And if you
Letter to Editor | Personal invitation to Land Bank’s community conversation
||| FROM BRIAN WIESE and SANDI FRIEL ||| INVITATION--Please join us for the LAND BANK’S ORCAS COMMUNITY CONVERSATION, via Zoom, next Wednesday, April 7, 5:30 – 7 p.m. We will talk about the Land Bank’s local preserves, goals and recent conservation successes. We hope to hear what you like best
Statement from State Health Dept. Secretary Umair A. Shah
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is pleased everyone age 16 and older will be eligible for vaccine starting April 15, which also marks the four-month anniversary of vaccine rollout in Washington. The state’s phased eligibility approach has helped ensure those most vulnerable
Sheriff’s Report | March 24 – 31, 2021
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24 21-002413 Malicious Mischief 11:50:59 03/24/21 A Deputy on Orcas Island was dispatched to a report of Graffiti at Orcas High School. An offense report was filed. 21-002414 Fraud 11:51:44 03/24/21 A Deputy on Orcas Island was dispatched to a
New vaccine registrations open Monday for San Juan; other islands, contact local pharmacy
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| San Juan County Health and Community Services will be opening registration for first dose vaccine appointments on Monday April 5 at 9 a.m. These appointments will be for San Juan Island. Please note that Lopez doses will be administered by
Weekly update: Case count shows increase of 10 new COVID cases on San Juan
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| Note: Current positive case numbers are available online at the County Case Data Dashboard. As indicated on that page, these numbers are only updated after case confirmation is complete, usually daily. It is possible that other information sources in community
Rep. Lekanoff chronicles her most recent legislative activities
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF DEBRA LEKANOFF ||| Updates on my bills House Bill 1117 integrates salmon recovery into the Growth Management Act (GMA) and sets a standard for net ecological gain in community development. Through these policies, we can protect our environment and mitigate the impacts of climate change as we
Letter to Editor | We are in support of upcoming school levy
||| FROM JEN VOLLMER & LOREN DICKEY ||| We support the 2021 Capital Projects/Technology Levy (Proposition No. 2) that if passed, will result in technology upgrades and improvements for Orcas Island School District students and staff. As parents of a sixth grader, we witness daily the importance of technology for
Hot Topic #47 | COVID straight talk for right now
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES ||| First off, though it was slightly tempting to combine COVID and April Fools’ Day, in the end good judgment won out. The info below is very real. These Hot Topic updates have always tried to take complex information and make
Guest Opinion | Can vacation rentals be good neighbors?
||| FROM YONATAN ALDORT ||| As the dust settles around the County Council’s decision to extend a limited moratorium on new vacation rental permits, we have a moment to catch our breath and reflect on what brought us to this point. In 2019, I was a voting member of the
