Here’s a thought…
“The propagandist’s purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human.”
ALDOUS HUXLEY
Funhouse launches first annual gingerbread house contest
||| FROM NICOLE SPINOGATTI for FUNHOUSE COMMONS ||| Housebound and bored? Sad having to limit visits from loved ones over this holiday season? Well, here’s a great, fun project anyone can do! The Funhouse, w/Island Market and Orcas Center’s help, is sponsoring a Gingerbread House Contest for ALL AGES (covid-friendly,
Recap of recent COVID-19 news and updates
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Department of Health reported a total of 167,216 confirmed cases as of 11:59 pm on November 30. There have been 2,805 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
Flotsam & Jetsam | An irregular feature
FLOTSAM & JETSAM by MAURICE AUSTIN And no, this one is not about advising the poor to eat their babies. And yes, you should know that reference. Alas, this proposal came pre-tainted with the aftermath of a missed Thanksgiving, which by the way I feared mom would countenance somewhat like
Orcas resident Dr. Rosie Kuhn publishes her 13th book
||| FROM ALISHA WHEELER ||| Dr. Rosie Kuhn, author, well-known life coach and longtime resident of Orcas Island is celebrating the release of her 13th book that just hit stores this past week. “I’ve Arrived! Well, Sort Of: 101 Discoveries and Revelations Stumbled Upon While On the Sacred Path to
Jump in and help build the Lopez community swim center
The nonprofit community Swim Center, open to all San Juan County islanders and visitors, gets closer to construction with its end-of-year $125,000 challenge. ||| FROM CLAIRE ANDERSON for FRIENDS OF LOPEZ ISLAND POOL ||| With only 37% of the building budget remaining to complete funding for the Lopez Island Swim
Coming in February: Behind the scenes with The Olga Symphony
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| For over 20 years, many folks on Orcas have enjoyed starting off the holiday season with a night at the Orcas Center with the Olga Symphony. Like so many other events, the annual concert can’t happen as usual this year, but never
A gift for your canine friends: 2021 dog licenses are now on sale
||| FROM NATASHA WARMENHOVEN for COUNTY AUDITOR'S OFFICE ||| The dog licensing season has begun! It was difficult to name just one celebrity dog this year, with so many of our canine companions providing much needed support for their owners and friends. The honor went to Little Bit, an 8-year-old
U.S. Navy gets OK for increased disturbance of orca
||| FROM TIMES COLUMNIST (BRITISH COLUMBIA) ||| Environmental groups are worried that the U.S. Navy’s activity in southern resident killer whale habitat spells trouble for the endangered animals. The navy has had authorization for decades to conduct testing and training in the waters of the Pacific Northwest, including Juan de
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
