Here’s a thought…
“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.”
THOMAS PYNCHON
Health officer has additional recommendations regarding school reopening
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| San Juan County Health Officer Dr. Frank James recently released expanded guidance to local school district leaders regarding the opening of schools, in particular grades 7-12. The only modifications to the existing guidance are: Dr. James supports school district leadership
Air quality monitoring is upcoming Meeting of the Minds topic
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Meeting of the Minds continues in February with “Air Quality Monitoring in San Juan County,” a presentation by San Juan County’s Environmental Health Division manager, Kyle Dodd. Over the last several years San Juan County has experienced episodes of poor air
Update on vaccine registration process
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| UPDATE: 7 P.M. When COVID vaccine registration opened at 5pm on Wednesday the 10th, many hundreds of islanders logged on and searched by their zip code for available clinics – just as they were advised to do in our instructional
Sake meets sushi in upcoming ZOOM virtual vineyard
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Join Orcas Senior Center, Doe Bay Wine Company’s Cole Sisson, and sake expert from Seattle, Julie Shizukuishi on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. for “the virtual vineyard”! This month, in place of wine, we are enhancing your knowledge and tastebuds
Finnie Awards | It’s time again to honor our tree-loving, bunny-hugging, dirt worshippers
Hail to the Crew of Spaceship Earth! ||| FROM AMY NESLER for SAN JUAN ISLANDS VISITORS BUREAU ||| Why are recycle bins optimistic? Because they’re full of cans! This award season, let’s honor the ‘cans’ of the San Juans! The Oscars have nothing on the Finnies. Know someone who deserves
Recent news, updates for COVID-19 from state Dept. of Health
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 307,867 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on February 8. There have been 4,558 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's
Island Hospital & Orcas Island Health Care District will hold a community briefing next week
||| FROM LAURA MORONEY for ISLAND HOSPITAL ||| Orcas Island Community Briefing Thursday, February 18 from 5 – 6 p.m. Please join leaders from Orcas Island Health Care District and Island Hospital as we share the latest transition plans for the primary care clinic opening Apr. 1, 2021. The virtual
Artsmith and Darvill’s announces upcoming 2021 salon series
||| FROM JILL MCCABE JOHNSON for ARTSMITH ||| Please join us this winter and spring for three online readings with an impressive slate of local, regional, and nationally-recognized authors. During the "Happy Hour" series, authors will share new works, followed by Q&A led by host Jill McCabe Johnson, so Zoom
Inslee statement on U.S. Rep. Simpson’s proposed Columbia Basin legislation
||| FROM GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE'S OFFICE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement today regarding a proposal to recover salmon in the Pacific Northwest from U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, an Idaho Republican. “Washington welcomes Rep. Simpson’s willingness to think boldly about how to recover Columbia and Snake River salmon in
WA National Guard sending vaccine support (1900 doses) to San Juan County next week
REGISTRATION OPENS 5 P.M., WEDNESDAY, FEB 10 ||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| In the good news department, a joint effort between San Juan County, the Washington National Guard, and the WA Department of Health is planning to deliver 1900 first doses of the COVID vaccine
Local COVID case numbers spike, prompting reminder to wear masks
||| 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
2021 San Juan Islands Ag Summit goes virtual
||| FROM KATE MIKULAK for WSU EXTENSION SAN JUAN COUNTY ||| The 2021 San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit, an annual gathering of farmers, producers, and all those involved in our local and regional food system, will be hosted virtually Saturday, March 20, through Friday, April 16. Designed as a space
Take a look at OCRC’s new client reception/Coates’ Cabinet office
||| FROM ZANETHA AMANI MATISSE for ORCAS COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER ||| The Orcas Community Resource Center (OCRC) is now open for limited in-office hours in their newly established client reception/Coates’ Cabinet space facing North Beach Road. OCRC moved into the previously occupied Apothecary space when it became available during the
State ferries to host February virtual community meetings this week
Topics include hybrid-electric vessels, service and COVID-19 response ||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| SEATTLE – Riders, commuters and terminal neighbors of Washington State Ferries are invited to attend upcoming virtual community meetings designed to provide updates and answer questions about the ferry system. At 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9,
Inslee signs bipartisan bill to support business and workers
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee today signed legislation providing relief for businesses and workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. SB 5061 will increase minimum unemployment benefits for workers and provide significant tax relief for businesses over the next five years, to support recovery from
Health District: Pace of vaccinations expected to pick up
||| BY SUSAN MCBAIN, theORCASONIAN REPORTER ||| The outlook for increasing the pace of COVID vaccinations on Orcas in the near future is good, according to presenters at the Feb. 2 meeting of the Orcas Island Health Care District. Orcas Family Health Center (OFHC) began its vaccination program last Friday,
