Here’s a thought…
“Peace is not something we ask for — it’s something we practice, together.”
WALK FOR PEACE
White Wine in the Sun for Christmas, anyone?
||| FROM LIN MCNULTY, EDITOR ||| It's sentimental, I know, but I just really like White Wine in the Sun by Tim Minchin. Beyond the obvious atheism, the message is one to inspire. https://youtu.be/_CeY0VdhXK8
School District sends holiday greetings along with outline of the plan ahead
||| FROM ERIC WEBB, ORCAS SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT ||| Dear Students, Parents, Staff, & Community, Thank you…This Holiday Season is the perfect time to celebrate the magnificent things we as a district and community have accomplished during this challenging time. This cause for celebration is due to the flexibility, creativity, and
COVID-19 reminders during the holiday season from State Health Dept.
How to say no to gatherings, contact tracing effort continues ||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – As we get closer to the holidays, a time normally spent with loved ones, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) would like to remind everyone about safer ways to spend time
A Christmas present! COVID vaccine has arrived in San Juan County
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| San Juan County Department of Health and Community Services has just received a shipment of six hundred doses of the recently approved Moderna COVID vaccine from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). Department staff are actively completing the recently
Might there be something figgy in your Christmas dinner plans?
||| FROM DICTIONARY.COM ||| You know the song. It may start by wishing everyone a merry Christmas, but then the demand starts. “Oh, bring us some figgy pudding…” with its petulant refrain, “We won’t go until we get some.” But do you actually know what figgy pudding is? And why
Celebrating this giving season with and for the community
||| FROM ORCAS COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER ||| Masking up, social distancing, sticking to your pod, Zoom weddings, virtual Thanksgiving feasts – who would have foreseen our new normal back in March when the CDC declared COVID-19 a pandemic? And yet, here we are in the midst of the holiday season,
Debate over short-term rentals comes to ‘Washington’s playground’ as Chelan County considers limits on Airbnbs
||| FROM SEATTLE TIMES ||| As post-pandemic vacationing returns in coming years, tourists may find it harder to book an Airbnb near Leavenworth, Lake Chelan and other coveted areas in Chelan County. County commissioners are considering new limits on short-term rentals and could approve restrictions as soon as next week.
Good holiday news: Inslee announces eviction moratorium extension
||| FROM GOV. JAY INSLEE'S OFFICE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee today announced he will extend the eviction moratorium to March 31, 2021. The current eviction moratorium was set to expire on December 31. "COVID-19 has had a significant financial impact on Washingtonians over the last nine months," Inslee said. "I know
The newest numbers, announcements, proclamations from State Health Dept.
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Department of Health reported a total of 219,584 confirmed cases as of 11:59 pm on December 21. There have been 3,131 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's dashboard and
All In Washington goes ALL IN, fully matching donations through Dec. 31
||| FROM HILARY CANTY for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| The Seattle Foundation has announced that it has secured an additional $25 million from Jeff Bezos. This means that all donations to the Orcas Island Community Foundation’s Community Emergency Response Fund by December 31 and noted “All In WA” will
Concerns noted around unsafe COVID protocols at local building & construction job sites
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| Recent San Juan County COVID case investigations have revealed a trend of lax COVID safety protocols on various construction and building sites across the islands. As in any workplace, consistent masking is a critical tool for preventing disease transmission. Work
Port of Orcas has regular ZOOM meeting scheduled for Monday
||| FROM PORT OF ORCAS ||| The agenda for the regularly scheduled meeting of the Port of Orcas is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87852382775?pwd=M2Nxek5XREtkTzBIT1N3ZGlHT3Judz09 Meeting ID: 878 5238 2775 Passcode: 350949 By Phone: (253) 215-8782 One tap mobile +12532158782,,87852382775#,,,,*350949# US (Tacoma) CALL TO ORDER
State Parks releases environmental determination of U.S. Navy training permit application
Commission will hold public comment meeting Jan. 26 ||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE PARKS ||| OLYMPIA – Dec. 22, 2020 – Today, staff of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission released a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance (MDNS) finding for the U.S. Navy’s application to conduct
Navy conducting noise monitoring at NAS Whidbey Island
||| FROM MICHAEL WELDING for NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY ||| NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. - The Navy completed its first week of real-time sound monitoring at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island as directed by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20). Flight activity
Orcas Community Church invites you to online Christmas Eve service
||| FROM BRIAN MOSS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH ||| Orcas Island Community Church invites you to an Online Christmas Eve Candlelight Service this Thursday, December 24th at 6:00 pm at orcaschurch.org. This service will include Music, Prayer, Candlelight, and a reading of the Christmas story. Pastor Brian Moss will
Upcoming parent orientation night to showcase public school options
||| FROM LORENA STANKEVICH for ORCAS SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| Orcas Island School District has put together a parent orientation night to showcase the three public school options for the Orcas Island School District, especially for those students entering 1st grade. The Zoom event will last about an hour, with short
