Here’s a thought…
“Peace is not something we ask for — it’s something we practice, together.”
WALK FOR PEACE
Eat, shop, stay, play locally: Here’s the third in a series of stories about small business survival
Small businesses are relying more than ever on your support as they creatively cope with COVID. ||| FROM VISITORS BUREAU, EDC, LOPEZ, ORCAS, SAN JUAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE ||| It's been six long and challenging months since Governor Inslee issued his stay at home order. Are you starting to crave
A second brand new calf born just yesterday into J-pod
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| The Center for Whale Research confirms that another calf has been born into the Southern Resident killer whale community, and the mother is J41. CWR will eagerly await the whales' return to evaluate the calf's condition and hopefully determine its sex. J41's new
Planning Commission discusses limits on vacation rentals
||| BY MATTHEW GILBERT, theORCASONIAN REPORTER ||| As part of the Comprehensive Plan Update, the Department of Community Development (DCD) was directed by the County Council and the Planning Commission to “evaluate vacation rental saturation and answer the question, ‘How many vacation rentals is too many?’” The first step in
WSF: Reservation no-show fees resume Oct. 1
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| On October 1, Washington State Ferries will resume charging no-show fees to customers who do not cancel their reservations by 5 p.m. the day before travel. As a courtesy, these fees were suspended in March at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic while travel
PUBLIC NOTICE: San Juan Island Fire and Rescue surplus vehicle auction
||| FROM SAN JUAN ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| San Juan Island Fire and Rescue is offering a surplus vehicle for sale by a sealed bid process: 2008 Chevy Trailblazer 4X4, Gasoline Engine, White SUV 164,000 +/- miles. VIN: 1GNDT13S682221234 Minimum Bid on this vehicle is $4,200 Bids will be accepted
Guest Opinion | These five trees will be cut down during Prune Alley Phase One improvement project
||| FROM FRED KLEIN ||| Among the first consequences of the implementation of Phase One of the present plan for the improvements on Prune Alley will be the cutting down of the five trees which are located between the two entry ways to Island Market. These five trees will
Big day planned by Whale Museum: Virtual “gear down” workshop
||| FROM TRACIE MERRILL FOR THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| The Whale Museum (TWM) is holding an exciting virtual Gear Down Workshop for Marine Naturalists this fall on Saturday, November 14. This workshop will be held from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Pacific Time and registrants will join sessions through the
Letter to Editor | Keep Rick working for us
||| from Margie Doyle ||| I wholeheartedly endorse Rick Hughes for San Juan County Council. In the years he has served our community as the elected legislator, he has been a workhorse for local and interconnected government. His schedule is brutal, often involving ferry transit to other islands and to
SmileMobile dental clinic coming to Friday Harbor
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The Arcora Foundation - SmileMobile, a brightly painted 39 - foot dental clinic on wheels, will return to Friday Harbor on October 7 – 9 and 12 – 14 and will park at the Friday Harbor High School - 45 Blair Ave. SmileMobile
Tahlequah’s new baby, J57, is a boy
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Updating our recent announcement concerning J35's new calf, J57: we can confirm that it is male (see top photograph). This feisty young boy was seen last evening, September 22, near Point Roberts, Washington. He was photographed rolling, spyhopping, and swimming alongside his mother,
League of Women Voters will host online General Election candidate forums
||| FROM HAYLEY DAY FOR LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| The League of Women Voters of the San Juans will host three nights of online forums for local candidates in the Nov. 3 General Election. From 5:30-7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 6, incumbent Rick Larsen will face his opponent Timothy Hazelo,
Senior Center shares results of county candidates Q&A
||| FROM LENA KASSA FOR ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Orcas Senior Center recently asked our members what questions they would like to see answered by the 2020 San Juan County Council candidates for the General Election. Of the seventeen questions submitted, we consolidated them down to three questions and invited
The first residents move into April’s Grove
||| FROM CRYSTAL MOSSMAN FOR OPAL COMMUNITY LAND TRUST ||| The first nine households moved into April’s Grove at the beginning of September. It was a day filled with joy, exuberance and relief. On move-in day one woman arrived at 8 a.m., because she had borrowed a friend’s van and
Letter to Editor | Thank you Orcas Island, and thank you Kevin Ranker
||| FROM HILARY CANTY FOR ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| Early this year, our community began experiencing the impacts of the pandemic and consequent economic slide. While national unemployment rose to 14%, our local Economic Development Council estimated the rate in San Juan County was 28%. For many families and
Another recap of recent COVID-19 news and updates
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. Data for 9/22 are still being processed. Updated numbers will be posted here. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's dashboard and the state’s COVID-19 risk assessment dashboard. It’s more important than ever to get a flu
FBI: Foreign actors, cybercriminals likely to spread disinformation regarding 2020 election results
||| FROM FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ||| The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are issuing this announcement to raise awareness of the potential threat posed by attempts to spread disinformation regarding the results of the 2020 elections. Foreign actors and cybercriminals could
