Here’s a thought…
“It wasn’t a Blue Wave; it was an American Tsunami!”
Volunteers needed to help with upcoming dental van visit
||| FROM JAMES BIDDICK for ORCAS LIONS CLUB || The MTI Dental Van is returning to Orcas April 14 - 17. Applications can be found at Orcas Community Resource Center, Orcas Senior Center and online at OICF.us/resources. I am also looking for some volunteers to help with registration for the
Recent COVID surge on SJI serves as a reminder to all about continuing to take precautions
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| A recent surge of cases has focused attention on San Juan Island. Nine new cases so far this week and ten last week is a significant spike. Some of these new cases have clear connections to off-island travel, some are
Today’s recap of recent COVID-19 news, updates
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 346,420 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on April 5. There have been 5,299 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's
School Board to huddle in special budget work session tomorrow
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| Orcas Island School Board will convene a Special Meeting/Budget Work Session this Thursday, April 8 at 5 p.m. in the School Cafeteria and on Zoom. CALL TO ORDER 1.1 Call to Order 1.2 Approval of Agenda COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 2.1 Technology Capital Projects Levy 2.2 Covid
Orcas Christian School announces their National Honors Society students
||| FROM MIKE PARNELL for ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| Six OCS high school students were recently recognized by the National Honors Society for their accomplishments in the four pillars of the organization: Character High Academic Performance Strong Leadership Service. This year’s recipients were: Alina, Meriel, Cadence TJ, Nick and Diego.* Principle
Significant COVID surge on San Juan Island prompts community alert
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| Due to a significant surge in positive COVID cases in the San Juan Island community, residents are instructed to take the following actions to prevent further spread: Immediately limit high-risk indoor contact with those outside of your household. This includes
NAS Whidbey wraps up second sound monitoring period
||| FROM MICHAEL WELDING for WHIDBEY NAVAL AIR STATION ||| NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. - The Navy completed its second week of real-time sound monitoring at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island as directed by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20). Flight activity
County takes thoughtful approach to North Beach trees
||| BY MATTHEW GILBERT, theORCASONIAN OP-ED REPORTER ||| Back in January, concerns were raised about the condition of trees – mostly mature maples –along North Beach Road across the street from April’s Grove. One group led by Children’s House and Salmonberry sought to take them down, citing safety issues; another
Letter to Editor | We need to support our schools with new Capital Projects ballot levy
||| FROM MADIE MURRAY ||| Dear Orcas Voters, I am writing this letter to urge your YES votes for the Capital Projects /Technology Levy on the April 27, 2021 ballot. The pandemic highlighted the crucial role technology now plays in education. Our public schools rely on your support in providing
Hospital District Superintendent revisits the past to reinforce how we create a sustainable future
||| FROM ANNE PRESSON, HOSPITAL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT ||| Early last month the District Office moved to a new location. While packing up my files I came across an article from the August 13, 2003 issue of The Islands’ Sounder, which was a Q&A with Dr. Roger Rosenblatt, Associate Professor at
EDC is providing opportunity to learn Computer Aided Design in free class
||| FROM MICHELANGELO (MICKEY) VON DASSOW for ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ||| Those seeking to enter a new career or boost their jobs skills are invited to learn Computer Aided Design (CAD) in a free, online class offered by the Economic Development Council (EDC). Brett Paul, Staff Engineer at Luxel, will
Six people in Washington sickened by Salmonella illness linked to wild songbirds
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – Six Washington residents have been sickened as part of a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium, believed to be linked to wild songbirds, particularly Pine Siskins. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports a total of 19 cases of Salmonella in eight states. Washington state is currently
New podcast examines endangered southern resident killer whales
‘Pod of Orcas’ is a podcast by local nonprofit, SeaDoc Society ||| FROM SEADOC SOCIETY ||| Among the many live events that were wiped away by the pandemic was the SeaDoc Society’s live Ocean Night series that they host at the SeaView Theatre each winter. “We love Ocean Night because
Huge dam demolition could save salmon on the edge of extinction
Spring-run Chinook salmon, critical to Indigenous fishers along the Klamath River, are in steep decline. But two recent developments may offer a path to their recovery. ||| FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ||| When Karuk tribal member and cultural biologist Ron Reed was just a toddler in the early 1960s, he liked
Garden Club presenter is a well-known garden myth debunker
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| On Wednesday, April 21, 2021 the Orcas Island Garden Club will welcome Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott to give a virtual presentation titled The Informed Gardener: Gardening Myths. Dr. Chalker-Scott will help us differentiate good gardening advice from bad advice. The answers may surprise you!
Inslee sends letter to Congressional delegation detailing our infrastructure priorities
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ||| In case you missed it: Gov. Jay Inslee sent a letter to members of the Washington congressional delegation that details his priorities for infrastructure and clean energy in federal infrastructure legislation through the president's "American Jobs Plan." The letter reads, in part:
