State Parks, recreation land managers designate Juneteenth a free day
Designation means four free days in June ||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE PARKS ||| OLYMPIA – May 24, 2021 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission announces Juneteenth will now be a Discover Pass free day. In addition to this new free day, June also has three established free days: Saturday, June
Join this rally, march for Palestine solidarity coming up Saturday
||| FROM SANDY STREHLOU ||| You may already know that I am organizing a Palestine Solidarity rally and march. It starts at 11 a.m. next Saturday, May 29, at the SJC courthouse lawn. I hope, pray, beg that you will come. 90 minutes, that’s all I ask. Why The recent
An invitation to ‘sound the call’ in remembrance on Memorial Day
||| FROM KAREN SPECK for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY BAND ||| On Memorial Day, Americans remember those who have died in military service to the United States. The National Moment of Remembrance is an annual event that asks all citizens, wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time, to pause for
A new experience, three years in the making, awaits you at the ferry landing
“I descend from King Salmon and Cedar Trees” --Patti Gobin ||| BY AYN GAILEY ||| When Patti Gobin of the Tulalip tribe was a child and fished the shores of the San Juan Islands with her elders, she was told, "Never step on land here. You might be taken." Today,
Here’s the San Juan County slate of local candidates for upcoming primary
||| BY LIN MCNULTY, theORCASONIAN EDITOR ||| Online Candidate Filing for the upcoming primary election, open from 9 a.m. May 17 to May 21 at 4 p.m., has now closed. Upcoming deadlines of note for the August 3 primary are as follows: 07/16/21 Start of 18-day voting period (through Election
School Board has agenda ready for Thursday ZOOM meeting
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island School District School Board will be hosting their meetings in-person in The School Cafeteria AND online VIA ZOOM. Public health guidelines in response the Covid-19 pandemic will be followed. In-person attendees will be expected to sign in with their names and contact information
Salish Sea Early Music Festival readies for Jan. 2022 in-person season return
In the interregnum, they share an indispensable performance ||| FROM JEFFREY COHAN for SALISH SEA EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL || 2021 Salish Sea Early Music Festival ~ Musical Fairy Tales ~ + + + OBBLIGATO: Joseph Bodin de Boismortier + + + Sonata II in G Minor from Opus 91 by Joseph
Commerce awards $4 million to make community buildings more energy efficient
Projects save taxpayer dollars by retrofitting schools, hospitals and municipal facilities and upgrading heating, cooling and lighting systems to reduce energy consumption. ||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ||| OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced nearly $4 million in grants to state and local government
Larsen, Payne: Investment in green ferries steers U.S. toward cleaner transportation future
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Reps. Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Donald Payne (NJ-10) introduced legislation to make it easier for ferry systems to invest in cleaner and greener ferries and combat climate change. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Environmental Enhancement through New Ferries Act (GREEN Ferries Act) amends the Federal
Annual evaluation of shellfish growing areas yields good news for some, concern for others
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) continues to evaluate the conditions in and around Washington’s shellfish harvesting areas and make growing area classification changes. This year, based on shoreline pollution, source corrections and improved marine water quality, we’ve upgraded 66 acres
Spring clean-up of Senior Center was a total success
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Audrey Hall The Orcas community turned up to help with cleaning up the Orcas Senior Center grounds on Sunday, May 2! The day was beautiful, and the volunteers were cheerful. A special thanks goes out to Allan Rosato and
You’ll want to catch this Artists’ Registry Show at SJIMA before it closes
||| FROM DIANE MARTINDALE for SAN JUAN ISLANDS MUSEUM OF ART ||| “Black Oystercatchers” by Shawna Marie Franklin. Linoleum block print The Artists’ Registry Show with 60+ artists and VOYAGER by Steven Jensen closes on May 31. Catch them before they leave. On Memorial Day, the museum will
County Council regular meeting agenda posted for Tuesday
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COUNCIL ||| COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING Legislative Hearing Room, 55 Second Street, Friday Harbor, WA, 9 a.m.CALL TO ORDER & FLAG SALUTE EXCUSED ABSENCES (if any) APPROVAL OF AGENDA APPROVAL OF MINUTES: May 18, 2021 APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA APPROVAL OF CORRESPONDENCE PUBLIC ACCESS TIME DISCUSSION:
Deer Harbor Plan Review monthly meeting is scheduled
||| FROM BARRY MADAN for DEER HARBOR PLAN REVIEW COMMITTEE ||| Deer Harbor Plan Review Committee Monthly Meeting (DHPRC) Public Meeting Agenda for May 25, 2021 4:00-5:30 p.m. VIA Zoom Meeting ID 896 6140 4618 Password 118998 Chair: Barry Madan Call to Order at: Establish a quorum: Chair: Recognize public
Disease activity seen declining, curves flattening across the state
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – The latest COVID-19 modeling and surveillance situation report from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) shows disease activity is declining across the state. Immunity from vaccination is helping slow the spread of the virus and reduce its impact on the health care system.
School testing program will now include funding for screening tests
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH), in conjunction with Health Commons Project, is making it easier for schools across the state to do both diagnostic testing and screening testing for COVID-19. New funding will allow districts and schools the option to
