Here’s a thought…
“Neither the evil nor the good in our history determines who we are. It is what we do now. If we do not say something ourselves about this horror, we allow ourselves to be changed.”
TIMOTHY SNYDER
There’s a new San Juans emergency preparedness guide online
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| As part of an ongoing effort to increase community preparedness and self-sufficiency in the islands, the Department of Emergency Management has created a new online guide at: www.islandsready.org. This tool is designed to be simple, easy to navigate, and smart
State launches smartphone anonymous COVID exposure notification tool
||| FROM GOVERNOR INSLEE'S OFFICE ||| Gov. Jay Inslee, along with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), today announced the launch of WA Notify, a simple, anonymous exposure notification tool to help stop the spread of COVID-19. By adding WA Notify to their smartphones, Washington residents will be alerted
Protecting the Salish Sea: Washington’s plastic bag ban effective Jan. 1
||| FROM MARK INGMAN for SJC PUBLIC WORKS ||| On March 25 Governor Inslee signed Bill ESSB 5323, also known as the Washington Plastic Bag Ban into law (RCW 70A.530). This means that starting January 1, 2021, retailers and restaurants throughout the state will be prohibited from providing single-use plastic
Did you know? $300 tax deduction for 2020 in addition to standard deduction
||| FROM MIRIAM ZIEGLER for MUSIC ADVOCACY GROUP ||| This Tuesday is #GivingTuesday, and in these challenging times, we want to remind everyone that there are many Orcas non-profits serving urgent needs in our historically generous community. It may have escaped your notice that the CARES Act has a provision
Time to guess this year’s Community Foundation ‘Flat Person’
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| Who will be this years’ Flat Person? Each year, the Orcas Island Community Foundation picks a neighbor to be the ambassador for the Holiday Catalog, which will be open December 1 through 15. Guessing has begun! Guess the right person and your name
Unions praise Governor Inslee for addressing concerns of frontline workers in new proclamation
||| FROM STATE NURSES ASSOCIATION ||| Representing more than 64,000 nurses and frontline health care workers, the Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and UFCW 21 applaud Governor Jay Inslee for listening to and addressing the concerns of our members in Proclamation 20-24.2, “Reducing Restrictions on, and Safe Expansion
Working WA business grant Round 3 applications will open early next week
||| FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ||| This is an update to help businesses prepare for the Working Washington business grant application process that will open early next week. Please read the information below carefully. Last week, Gov. Jay Inslee announced an additional $70 million for business grants. $50 million of
Orcasional Musings | Thanksgiving, the Odd Fellows, and Bill and Monique
|||ORCASIONAL MUSINGS by STEVE HENIGSON ||| The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a community-service organization that reckons up its history in the United States from the early 19th century. Its purposes are, among other things, "extending sympathy and aid to those in need, making their burdens lighter," and "[helping
Guest Opinion | 2020 campaign spending goes through the roof
||| FROM HEDRICK SMITH ||| Washington – The flood tide is still rising, but already the Mega-Money tsunami of Election 2020 is going into the record books as the most expensive election in American history with the biggest flow of dark money ever funneled anonymously to candidates – $750 million,
Sheriff’s Report | November 18 – 24, 2020
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18 20-009806 Harassment 09:21:26 11/18/20 A San Juan Deputy responded to a report of a telephone harassment. The caller stated the suspect has a dispute over an old bill and called numerous times on this day. The Deputy spoke with
Virtual community conversation: Fossil free by ’33
So much has changed since last year ||| FROM ANDE FINDLEY for TRANSITION LOPEZ ISLAND ||| Would you like to know what headway San Juan County has made in developing a vibrant local food system and achieving energy independence? Last November, Transition Lopez Island launched Fossil Free by ‘33, a
COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan update from State Department of Health
||| FROM STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ||| OLYMPIA -- The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) continues to make progress with our COVID-19 vaccine distribution planning efforts. Vaccine authorizations and approvals The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received its first Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) application from a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer on November
Poetry: Chat With a Young TV
||| FROM BRUCE HANNA ||| Chat with a young TV Yes, I am pretty! Why here on this limb? It IS morning, you know Not many uplifts yet and such a bother to… as you say… FLAP my wings But let’s talk about YOU and your kind, lots of you
‘Occam’s Razor’ | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Welcome to our new weekly feature, Occam's Razor, from local artist S.C. Watson.
Perfect Thanksgiving poem | Thanks by W. S. Merwin
Thanks BY W. S. MERWIN Listen with the night falling we are saying thank you we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings we are running out of the glass rooms with our mouths full of food to look at the sky and say thank you we
Port of Orcas gathered 445 pounds of food for community
||| FROM JEANNIE FRANK-SHARPE and MIA KARTIGANER for PORT OF ORCAS ||| The Port Of Orcas would like to say THANK YOU for all the food donations we received at our Fly Washington Passport Program. This was the first annual food drive benefiting Orcas Island Food Bank. With a few
