Here’s a thought…
“The belief in the possibility of a short decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions.”
ROBERT LYND
COVID-19 vaccine update: Prioritization and pilot project plans
||| from State Department of Health ||| OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health provided an update on progress being made toward a COVID-19 vaccine. Five federal regions (four states and a city) have been chosen to be pilot states in the CDC’s planning. Washington is not one of the pilot states.
Orcasional Musings | You don’t know what you’ve got ’till it’s gone
||| ORCASIONAL MUSINGS BY STEVE HENIGSON ||| Our 20-family water system sprang a leak. During some other era, that wouldn't be terribly important, because our system draws from what seems to be an underground river that empties into the East Sound. We have an almost inexhaustible supply of moderately-poor-quality water.
Sheriff’s Report | September 9-15, 2020
||| from San Juan County Sheriff's Office ||| Wednesday, September 9, 2020 20-007746 Agency Assistance 14:56:45 09/09/20 A San Juan Deputy responded to a report of an agency assist. A report was made. 20-007747 Citizen Assist 15:50:36 09/09/20 A Deputy responded to a call back report of a citizen assist
Gov. Inslee statement on death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
||| from the Office of Governor Jay Inslee || “We have lost one of the greatest American patriots to ever serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was so much more than a judge; she was one of America’s greatest champions for justice, in the truest sense of
Curious? Here’s what’s happening at Fowler’s Pond
||| from Tanja Williamson for San Juan County Land Bank ||| Work is underway at Fowler’s Pond Preserve to repair the existing fencing along Orcas Road. The fence is old and has been damaged repeatedly by roadside mowing, and the Land Bank has received calls from concerned residents regarding public
At the drive-in this weekend: Kiss the Ground and Raiders of the Lost Ark
||| from Orcas Island Film Festival ||| Unfortunately, due to COVID we will not be hosting our in-person October film festival. However, we are still bringing you powerful, meaningful, and entertaining films. Please see this weekend's Drive-in selections, links to our online Virtual Cinema, and special content from the filmmakers
There’s a special advance School Board meeting on Saturday
||| from Orcas Island School District ||| Notice of a Special School Board Mtg./School Board Advance on Saturday, September 19, 2020 AGENDA 9:00am: Call to Order Special Mtg./Board Advance VIA ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7661783771 Team Building with presenter Sandy Hayes. Review Superintendent/Board Roles. Review Board Protocols. Adjourn IMPORTANT FUTURE DATES: THU SEP 24, 2020
Here’s a recap of recent COVID-19 news, updated
||| from State Department of Health ||| Newest numbers. The Department of Health reported a total of 81,198 confirmed cases as of 11:59 pm on September 16. There have been 2,031 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's dashboard and
Navy updates 2015 environmental impact statement
||| from Julianne Stanford for Navy Region Northwest ||| SILVERDALE, Wash — The U.S. Navy has completed a final supplement to the 2015 Northwest Training and Testing (NWTT) Final Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS) to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with proposed ongoing and future military readiness activities
Letter to Editor | Your Navy must be ready to respond
||| from Rear Admiral Stephen Barnett, Commander, Navy Region Northwest ||| As we’ve done for decades, your U.S. Navy conducts critical military readiness activities in the Pacific Northwest, and we are reapplying for authorizations to continue this training and testing for the next seven years, as our current authorizations expire
Letter to Editor | 21st century? We can’t get cell service at our house
||| from Sandra Parker ||| My husband and I live on the east side of Orcas Island in Washington state. We have been T-Mobile customers for the past two years. We chose T-Mobile because we needed a service that would cover the entire island where we live. As it turns
WSF COVID-19 service update
||| from Washington State Ferries ||| Football season and pumpkin spice mean autumn is almost here and normally we would be switching over to our fall sailing schedule. But as I’ve said many times this year, nothing about our service right now is normal. We will continue to operate our current
Council takes another look at Prune Alley redevelopment
||| BY MINOR LILE & MATTHEW GILBERT, ORCASONIAN REPORTERS ||| Prompted by an open letter from former EPRC member and local architect Fred Klein, the County Council raised some last-minute questions regarding Prune Alley’s extensive redevelopment plan at its September 15 meeting. Klein’s eleventh-hour letter contends that the finalized plan
Eat, shop, stay, play locally: Here’s the second 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 San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, EDC and the Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Island Chambers of Commerce ||| When COVID-19 became a global pandemic in March, all of us were suddenly navigating
How and why to avoid butt dialing from your cell phone, especially to 911
||| by Lin McNulty, Editor ||| It's known as pocket dialing, or, even more colloquially, as butt dialing. It's when your cell phone dials all on its own because it's been activated by sitting on it. And the number most dialed with this rear maneuver is 911. Depending upon
SJ Fire concurrently transports two moms in labor, two different islands, to Anacortes
||| from Chuck Dalldorf for San Juan Island Fire & Rescue ||| This time, it wasn’t the stork who made the middle of the night call to assist two pregnant mothers. Just before 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 13, pagers beeped throughout San Juan Island announcing an urgent need for
