Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
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
Most recent recap of COVID news, updates from State
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 342,269 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on March 31. There have been 5,262 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more,
Senior Center seeks a Companion Services Coordinator
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Orcas Senior Center is seeking applicants for a Companion Services Coordinator. This position coordinates oversight and functionality of the Companion Services program (i.e., Hearts and Hands, Buddy Check-In, and other companion services). Position: Companion Services Coordinator Hours/Week:
‘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.
Library/Rotary hosting upcoming session with Brendan Cowan on being prepared
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY & ORCAS ISLAND ROTARY CLUB ||| Being Prepared Is the Island Way Friday, April 2, 9-10am via ZOOM™ Brendan Cowan Director, Emergency Management, San Juan County The Orcas Island Public Library and the Orcas Island Rotary Club invite you to join us on Zoom
COVID-19 vaccine distribution update from the 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 29, more than 3,325,998 doses of vaccine have been given across the state, which is 83% of the 4,006,330 doses that have
Letter to Editor | Passing along the American Rescue Plan stimulus
||| FROM STEVE JUNG ||| Last week, my wife and I received our American Rescue Plan stimulus payments from the federal government, with gratitude for its efforts to jump start our pandemic-afflicted economy. There is no question that we have bills to pay and necessities to buy that could put
