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
Sign of normality returning? SJC courts to soon resume jury trials; watch your mailbox for a summons
||| FROM MELLISSA DERKSEMA for SAN JUAN COUNTY DISTRICT COURT ||| The San Juan County Superior Court and District Court are once again resuming jury trials, after postponing trials in November of 2020 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Thanks to transmission rates falling regionally and statewide, and technological
Mobile dental clinics to offer Medicaid and uninsured patients access to dental care on Orcas
||| FROM ERIN O'DELL for ORCASS COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER ||| People in San Juan County who don’t have dental insurance or who are covered by Apple Health (Medicaid) can get free or reduced-cost dental care at upcoming mobile clinics. The public-private partnership making the dental care available includes the North
You will want to listen up! Recording of Island Hospital community briefing is now available
||| FROM ANNE PRESSON for ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| We would like to thank all of the community members who spent part of your Thursday evening learning about the clinic transition. A copy of Island Hospital’s presentation can be found HERE, and the recording is available for viewing
Editorial | Have you noticed something familiar in the air? Relief? Hope?
||| BY LIN MCNULTY, theORCASONIAN EDITOR ||| There's something going on, something afoot, stirrings beneath the surface. Have you felt it? I first felt the unrest shuffling after the result of the 2020 presidential election, although there were plenty of instances when that, too, seemed endangered, that perhaps nothing in
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 13, more than 2,517,506 doses of vaccine have been given across the state, which is nearly 80% of the 3,165,350 doses that
Guest Opinion | A brief history of vaccines — today’s best defense against COVID-19
||| BY THOMAS O. BALDWIN, PhD ||| As a result of amazing strides in basic biomedical science over the past several decades—development of methods allowing the cloning of genes, DNA sequencing, etc.— it has been possible to develop several exceptionally effective vaccines against COVID-19 over the past year, an accomplishment
Inslee announces extension of eviction moratorium, expansion of vaccine eligibility, resumption of long-term care visitations
|||FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE||| Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that the statewide eviction moratorium will be extended through June 30, as well as upcoming vaccine eligibility expansion, including restaurant workers and Washingtonians 60 and older. He also announced that effective immediately, many visitations at long-term care facilities
Lopez Fire Chief Bigby weighs in on water safety
||| FROM PHILIP PROD'HOMME for FRIENDS OF LOPEZ ISLAND POOL ||| For many islanders, warmer weather means water weather. But as people hit the seas for sailing, kayaking, fishing, and (gasp!) even swimming, there are important safety measures to consider. Recently, Friends of Lopez Island Pool (FLIP) talked with Lopez
Sheriff’s Report | March 10 – 16, 2021
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 21-002024 Fraud 09:10:18 03/10/21 A San Juan Deputy responded to a report of fraud. The reporting party realized the transaction was fraudulent and canceled it, resulting in no loss to them. The incident was documented. 21-002025 Threats 09:24:14 03/10/21
New vaccine registration window opens on Monday 9 a.m.
||| 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 March 22 at 9 a.m. These clinics will be on Orcas and San Juan Island. Those who are eligible and wishing to
Rep. Lekanoff shares some good news updates in her weekly report
||| FROM REP. DEBRA LEKANOFF || As of today, all six of my bills have had their public hearings in Senate committees! House Bill 1117 integrates salmon recovery into the Growth Management Act (GMA), which guides land management and planning in our state. The bill also sets a standard for net ecological gain,
School Board is set to meet March 25 on Zoom — and in person
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island School District School Board will be hosting their meetings in-person in The School Cafeteria AND online VIA ZOOM, beginning MARCH 25, 2021 at 5 p.m. Public health guidelines in response the Covid-19 pandemic will be followed. In-person attendees will be expected to sign in with their
Recap of recent COVID-19 news, statewide response updates
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 331,820 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on March 17. There have been 5,168 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit
With more customers, more hours, more fresh food, Orcas Food Bank enters pandemic year 2
||| FROM RICK RHOADS for ORCAS ISLAND FOOD BANK ||| As people lost jobs and income, demand on the Orcas Island Food Bank tripled, practically overnight, from its pre-pandemic level. The demand had to be met under new conditions, including masking and maintaining social distancing between and among volunteers and
No new COVID cases in SJC; Rates remain high in neighboring counties
||| 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
In weekly update, WSF reminds riders to limit ferry travel to essential trips
||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Despite increasing COVID-19 vaccinations and lower case numbers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends we delay travel if possible. That’s why we continue to ask the public to limit rides on our ferries to essential purposes only. Even though
