Here’s a thought…
“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.”
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
WSF walk-ons now have option for contactless transactions across system
||| from Washington State Ferries All our terminals are now equipped with new turnstiles that can scan tickets on mobile devices. That means walk-on customers across our system can now ride our ferries without any in-person transactions. To better protect our customers and employees against the spread of COVID-19, I
More students will be able to realize their dream of attending Skagit Valley College, thanks to the Washington College Grant
Free money for college! ||| from Arden Ainley for Skagit Valley College More students will be able to realize their dream of attending Skagit Valley College (SVC), thanks to increased funding by the State of Washington, for low- and middle-income students and families. Free Money for College! The Washington College
Might you qualify for this new small business grant opportunity?
||| from Orcas Chamber of Commerce The San Juan County Economic Development Council is now taking applications for the Working Washington Small Business Emergency Grant (WWSBEG) - Round Two. This grant is provided by the WA Department of Commerce with funding from the CARES Act. Businesses that applied for Working
Letter to Editor | Your support needed to fund school outdoor learning program
||| from Hilary Canty and Janet Brownell ||| Thank you for your generous support of the Community Emergency Response fund. With your help, Orcas has been able to keep families and Seniors fed through the Food Bank and Senior Center, provided mortgage and rental assistance to keep over 170 families in
COVID-19 testing still advised for people with symptoms and close contacts of confirmed cases
||| from Washington State Department of Health OLYMPIA -- The Washington State Department of Health’s guidance around testing has not changed: if you have symptoms, you need to get tested. If you’re a close contact of a confirmed case, you need to get tested. Close contacts of confirmed cases also need to
Hot Topic #30 | COVID case trends and the way forward
||| from Brendan Cowan, Department of Emergency Management In many cultures, including our own, there is a common superstition that says “if you acknowledge good luck, your good luck will end.” We’ll call this the knock-on-wood principle. Well, please knock on wood, because in this long and detailed article we’ll
A pastoral reflection
Morning Blessing for a Mask - by Maren Tirabassi(placing my mask in my hands) God, I pray for a blessing on my mask today --that it may symbolize my love for others,but not advertise self-righteousness.May it remind me to prayfor those who have covid 19,those recovered and marked, those who
You may encounter a house on the roadway today
House moving from Golf Course to Rosario -- from Crystal Mossman for OPAL -- On August 27, 2020 another OPAL recycled house will be moved from its current location near the Orcas Island Golf Course via Orcas Road to its permanent home in the Lydia Lane neighborhood of Rosario. The
New testing metric and methodology updates announced for COVID-19 dashboards used to track progress statewide
-- from Washington State Department of Health -- OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health is making changes to the way we process and report testing data statewide, in an effort to account for the true volume of tests being done and to better benchmark our progress. The following changes
Streaming live from Orcas Center on Thursday evening: Rafe Pearlman
-- from Bethany Marie for Orcas Center -- In a beautiful twist of fate, we find ourselves in the company of Rafe Pearlman who is visiting Orcas this week, and has offered to be a part of Orcas Center's streaming concerts, co-produced with Burl Audio.With over twenty years of experience
A poem for this day
Orcas The sweet scent of hawthornReminder of home, drifting on the airAs we walk the gritty path to EastsoundExchanging stories, thoughts, laughter,Tentative tentacles searching out friendship,Blessed by sun, summer weather in May,Sharing delight in Earth’s beauty:Twitching bunnies on Smuggler’s lawn,Stately heron, ignorant of voyeurs,Stirring at dawn to perform a leisurely
Multiracial coalition launches campaign for equitable 2021 redistricting process
-- from Washington Census Alliance -- SEATTLE—The Washington Census Alliance (WCA)—a statewide coalition of 92 Black and Brown-led community organizations—today announced a campaign to increase and protect community input in the 2021 redistricting process alongside WinWin Action, the Voting Justice Coalition, the League of Women Voters, and Fix Democracy First. On Tuesday, a public panel
Preschoolers prep for the wonderful world of kindergarten
2020 OCRC Kindergarten Transition Program is live -- from Zanetha Amani Matisse for Orcas Community Resource Center -- It’s that time of year again. Orcas Island preschoolers are about to gain entrée into the wonderful world of kindergarten. Orcas transitioning tots will receive an OCRC canvas bag filled to the
Eth-Noh-Tec honors 75th anniversary of Hiroshima, Nagasaki bombings
-- from Eth-Noh-Tec -- In honor of the 75th Anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States, we are presenting our story of one Japanese atom bomb survivor’s journey from revenge to forgiveness. Please take this story into your hearts so that peace has a chance!Takashi's
Recent COVID-19 news and updates
-- from Emergency Operations Center, Camp Murray -- Newest numbers. The Department of Health reported a total of 71,705 confirmed cases as of 11:59 pm on August 24. There have been 1,876 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's
Economics of a pandemic | How is SJC doing?
-- from F. Milene Henley, San Juan County Auditor -- I like horror films. I enjoy them, knowing that they’re not real. Monsters can’t really hurt you, and zombies don’t really exist. Right now, I feel like I’m living in a real-life horror film, one about a global pandemic with
