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
Inslee signs emergency proclamation requiring in-person education opportunities for public K-12 schools
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee today signed an emergency proclamation prohibiting all public K-12 schools in Washington from failing to provide opportunities in both remote instruction and on-campus, in-person instruction. The proclamation aims to address the alarming educational inequities and mental health concerns among
EDC to hold a hire local, virtual job fair on March 31
||| FROM VICTORIA COMPTON for ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ||| The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) urges businesses and residents to hire local workers and contractors as the economy starts to reopen. In an effort to connect island workers with local businesses, the EDC will host a Virtual Job
Materials for Tuesday OIHCD Board meeting are now available
||| FROM ANNE PRESSON for ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| The Agenda and materials for the March 16th meeting of the OIHCD Board of Commissioners are now available. You can access the Board materials HERE. The meeting begins at 5 pm and will be held via Zoom. Details on
Annual 2021 Congressional Art Competition open to high schoolers
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| Are you a creative high school student in Washington’s Second Congressional District? Do you know someone who is? Showcase your artwork in the 2021 Congressional Art Competition! The deadline to submit a piece of art to my office is Friday, April 30, 2021, at
State Health Department introduces new interactive mapping tool to pinpoint pollution hotspots in effort to improve health equity
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH), in collaboration with the University of Washington, announces new interactive mapping tools to help utilities improve environmental health equity as they transition to cleaner energy generation. These tools identify communities in Washington that are disproportionately impacted by
Elections officials will test logic and accuracy of ballot tabulating equipment
||| FROM CAMOLYN ARMSTRONG for COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE ||| A “Logic and Accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used in San Juan County for the April 27, Special election is scheduled for Tuesday March 23, at 11 a.m. The test works by tallying the results of a prepared set of
EDC knows all the cool stuff: Unemployment benefits, PPP loans, and more
||| FROM VICTORIA COMPTON for ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ||| Phase 3 Starts March 22! San Juan County just moved to phase 3, up to 50% capacity. We'll also be evaluated on a county-by-county basis, then evaluated on outcomes in 3 weeks. Looking for a new career path? Google Career Certificates
Update from Public Works on Prune Alley street improvements
||| FROM JESSE DOUGLAS SEITZ for SAN JUAN COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS ||| Construction Start Date T.B.D. Spring 2021 OPALCO Joint Utility Relocation Efforts The project includes pedestrian and accessibility improvements, transportation infrastructure, storm drain infrastructure, water quality improvements, landscaping, lighting, and consideration for other streetscape amenities. Project Plans
Fire Commissioners are ZOOM meeting tomorrow
||| FROM KIM KIMPLE for ORCAS FIRE & RESCUE COMMISSIONERS ||| Regular Meeting Agenda San Juan County Fire Protection District #2 Monday – March 15, 2021 5:30 p.m. Online / by phone via ZOOM: Dial # (253) 215-8782 / Meeting ID: 863 6822 8460/ Passcode: 187587 Commissioners: Tim Fuller (Chair),
Shhhhhhh…Washington is No. 1, again
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Washington state was ranked as the best state in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in a new report released Monday night. Washington has held the top ranking since 2019. The publication annually ranks all 50 states across a myriad of
Larsen votes to expand gun background checks, close Charleston loophole
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted for a pair of commonsense, bipartisan bills to require universal background checks for all commercial sales with limited exceptions and close the Charleston Loophole. The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 passed the House of
WSF weekly update looks forward to start of modified peak season
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Modified peak season vehicle reservations available Planning a summer ferry trip on our Anacortes/San Juan Islands or Port Townsend/Coupeville routes? Vehicle reservations are now available for our modified peak season, which begins on May 9 this year instead of a normal late-June start date, and runs through
Meeting of the Minds to explore Cascade Creek coho salmon & water restoration
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Meeting of the Minds by Zoom – “Cascade Creek Coho Salmon and Water Restoration” by Orcas Senior Center: Wednesday, March 17, 2021, 1 p.m. Please join Meeting of the Minds this month for “Cascade Creek Coho Salmon and Water Restoration” presented
Let’s get together and learn about Medicare benefits
||| FROM PEGI GROUNDWATER for SHIBA ||| Are you eligible for Medicare this year? If so, there’s a lot for you to learn. Medicare has its own vocabulary and lots of rules. There are deadlines you must meet and penalties (some lasting a lifetime) for not doing things at the
Dungeons and Dragons and Drama to benefit five local theatres
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center’s Artist Director Jake Perrine, is one of five performers who will be playing Dungeons and Dragons in a two-night live-streamed event to raise money for local theatres at 6 p.m. on Sunday March 21 and 28 at twitch.tv/danddanddrama. The fantasy
Could the Daylight Savings Time folderol be nearing a conclusion?
||| FROM WASHINGTON POST ||| After a long, dark winter, our noticeably sunnier evenings are about to turn even brighter. At 2 a.m. Sunday, the clocks will “spring forward” one hour as we return to daylight saving time (DST). The time shift means we lose an hour of sleep, but
