Here’s a thought…
“There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking.”
ALFRED KORZYBSKI
2021 sees building permits, tax revenues soar
||| BY MATTHEW GILBERT, theORCASONIAN OPD-ED REPORTER ||| Summer has not officially arrived, but you would never know it from the hum of activity blanketing the islands. Some of this has been expected as visitors, residents, and new arrivals start spreading their post-pandemic wings and delayed construction projects ramp back
You can help raise money for Buck Park and support this high school senior project
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND PARK & RECREATION||| Join High School Senior Portia White in support of her senior project this weekend at the basketball court in Buck Park. Portia has organized a community Hoop Shoot event for ages 8 - 60+. Help raise money for an upgrade to the Buck
Statewide recap of recent COVID-19 news, updates
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 380,109 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on May 5. There have been 5,553 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit
Weekly COVID case update shows three new 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
Senior Center’s buddy check-in still going strong after nearly a year
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Orcas Senior Center’s Buddy Check-In program launched just over a year ago as an urgent response to COVID-19. Its consistent weekly check-in calls from “Volunteer Buddies” have helped keep “Senior Buddies” safe at home, yet connected to community and resources during
‘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.
OIEF fundraiser postponed to Fall for now, but need continues
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND EDUCATION FOUNDATION ||| You may have recently read that Orcas Island High School ranks #9 in WA state according to U.S. News & World Report. For a rural, small High School that is remarkable. While you consider that ranking, you must take into account the totality
COVID-19 vaccine distribution update from 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 May 3, more than 5,642,156 doses of vaccine have been given across the state, which is nearly 81% of the 6,967,540 doses that
Hot Topic #49 | A COVID-19 update, and looking at the road ahead
COVID-19 updates from San Juan County around subjects on the minds of islanders ||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| This Hot Topic is going to provide updates on current local COVID news and attempt to look ahead to what the rest of 2021 might bring. There
Big thanks from Health Care District to local clinic team during National Nurses Week
||| FROM ANNE PRESSON for ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| As today marks the start of National Nurses Week 2021, the OIHCD would like to recognize the incredible work of the Island Primary Care – Orcas clinical support team. This includes not only the Registered Nurses (RN) but the
Orcas teens reveal they are discovering some bright spots, personal growth during pandemic
||| BY GRAY GAILEY ||| Author: Gray Gailey Prior to quarantine, if you had told any of us teens that we would be confined to our houses for over a year, we probably wouldn’t have believed you. It would have sounded more like the plot of a science
From quilts to masks and back again, islander makes whopping donation to Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Maggie Kaplan, local quilting artist and Orcas District Committee member, has been hard at work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic making hundreds of masks for community members and visitors alike. She, along with Orcas Arts & Gifts, and Sherrie Schiff, have successfully
Next Socrates Café on tap for this Sunday at Senior Center
Sunday, May 11, 4-6 p.m. ||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Join us for the next Orcas Socrates Café by Orcas Senior Center on Sunday, May 9, 4-6 p.m. Orcas Socrates Café is an opportunity to gather virtually, as a community, for a broad conversation on philosophical
County announces 2021 funding round for the Home Fund Program
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Approved by voters in November 2018, the San Juan County Home Fund is projected to generate $15.2 million over a 12‐year period to develop, produce, and/or preserve affordable housing in San Juan County. The Home Fund will be used exclusively for the development
Public Works pushes pause on Prune Alley project
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS ||| Public Works looks to push pause on construction and delay construction-related community impacts until Spring of 2022. Plans for a single continuous construction effort remain unchanged from Main Street through North Beach Road. Staff will utilize this time to continue improving efforts
Latest COVID-19 numbers, updates from State Health Department
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 378,225 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on May 3. There have been 5,528 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more,
