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 Washington 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 March 8, more than 2,140,418 doses of vaccine have been given across the state, which is nearly 78% of the 2,746,870 doses that
On the path to normality, Library is expanding its hours! Repeat: Library is expanding its hours!
||| FROM PHIL HEIKKINEN for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Island Library is pleased to offer the following expanded hours and services, effective March 15, 2021: Open hours from 12 to 5 pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Access within the building for up to 30 people concurrently,
‘Occam’s Razor’ | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Welcome to our weekly feature, Occam's Razor, from local artist S.C. Watson.
In 11 days, Governor says the entire state of Washington will all move to Phase 3
Take me out to the ballgame! ||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee today announced that Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery will be transitioning from a regional approach to a county-by-county evaluation process. The governor also announced a new third phase of the Roadmap, a
Peace Island Medical Center names Chief Administrative Officer
||| FROM DEANNA ELLEFSON for PEACEHEALTH PEACE ISLAND ||| FRIDAY HARBOR, Washington, March 10, 2021 — Charles Prosper, chief executive for PeaceHealth in the Northwest, announced the appointment of Jack Estrada as the chief administrative officer (CAO) for PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center. Estrada had been acting as interim CAO since Mary
Orcas Garden Club preparing for upcoming 2021 Safe Garden Tour
||| FROM ORCAS GARDEN CLUB ||| Each year, as spring brings sunshine and warmer temperatures, gardeners begin their search for new plants. We gardeners are varied in our planning. Some design an artistic palette of flowers, some raise an abundance of healthy food, and others create a refuge for birds,
State Parks’ annual ‘Spring Aboard’ campaign launches this month
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE PARKS ||| OLYMPIA – March 10, 2021 – The Washington State Parks Boating Program encourages boaters and paddlers to prepare for the upcoming season by taking a safety education course. Developed by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), and produced under a grant administered by the
Land Bank requests seasonal sheep grazing lease proposals for 2021-2022
FOWLER’S POND PRESERVE, ORCAS ISLAND 12 acre Seasonal Sheep Grazing Short-term Lease Arrendamiento de Agrícola para Ovejas Que Pastan 12 acres ||| FROM TANYA WILLIAMSON for SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK ||| The San Juan County Land Bank is requesting proposals from anyone interested in a short-term seasonal sheep grazing
Letter to Editor | The pure joy, gratitude of having received my vaccine
||| FROM SUSAN BAUER ||| My husband and I were almost too excited to concentrate on much else in advance of our first Covid vaccine date last week. Like everyone, we are yearning to see and hug loved ones -- both family and friends. The morning of we made pathetic
Poetry from Jens Kruse | Quandary
QUANDARY By Jens Kruse With apologies to Kafka’s ‘’The Cares of a Family Man’’ A box showed up on our porch. We took it in, opened it, and found a strange creature. Round, black, maybe 12 inches across, with short protrusions like mandibles sticking out one side. Occasionally it’ll tweet
Unvaccinated? Over 65? County wants to hear from you in this survey
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| To better understand the current need for vaccinations from the San Juan County 65+ community, San Juan County Health and Community Services asks that those who meet ALL of the four measures below fill out a simple form. PLEASE BE:
Council approves VR moratorium but limits length/scope
||| BY MATTHEW GILBERT, theORCASONIAN OP-ED REPORTER ||| A February 23 public hearing on an emergency moratorium on new vacation rental permits was extended to the County Council’s regular March 9, and although the comment period was officially closed, three hours of open access time showed the public still had
Solid Waste Program is set to discuss our handling of organic materials
||| SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The Solid Waste Program is holding a meeting on the handling of Organic Materials. The intent of our first meeting is more introductory in nature. Some questions I ask you to consider: Why are you interested in organic materials? What kind of general vision
Larsen supports American Rescue Plan passage to deliver real relief to Northwest Washington
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted to deliver further relief to Washingtonians struggling with the economic and public health impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The final version of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 passed the House
School Board will meet tomorrow in special budget work session
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| 1. CALL TO ORDER 1.1 Call to Order 1.2 Approval of Agenda 2. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 2.1 Technology Capital Projects Levy 3. WORK SESSION 3.1 Discuss budget for 2021-22 School Year. 4. ADJOURN 4.1 Adjourn Meeting 5. IMPORTANT FUTURE DATES: Regular School Board Mtg.
Alex Ramel: Update on floor debates, bills passed
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. ALEX RAMEL ||| Two Weeks of Floor Debates For the past two weeks we have been working to pass bills out of the House of Representatives before March 9, when bills that haven’t passed out of their house of origin will no longer be
