Here’s a thought…
“The future is already here. It’s just not evenly distributed yet.”
WILLIAM GIBSON
Recap of recent COVID-19 news and updates
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Newest numbers. The Department of Health reported a total of 105,557 confirmed cases as of 11:59 pm on October 28. There have been 2,359 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's
Letter to Editor | Rick Hughes has worked tirelessly for us; now is not the time to change
||| FROM MARTHA FARISH ||| It is important for us all to realize that our charter calls for our council positions to be nonpartisan. Rick Hughes has often supported Democratic candidates but he has never aligned himself with one party's platform over the other. I am uncomfortable that we are
Island Hospital partners with Orcas Island to operate a primary care clinic
||| FROM LAURA MORONEY for ISLAND HOSPITAL ||| ANACORTES, Washington – Beginning March 2021, Island Hospital (Skagit County Public Hospital District #2) will operate a single clinic providing primary, same day and after-hours services on Orcas Island. The partnership between Orcas Island Health Care District (OIHCD) and Island Hospital enables
Letter to Editor | Nonpartisan Rick Hughes chooses to unify not divide
||| FROM JONATHAN WHITE and DONNA LASLO ||| Donna, Matthew, and I chose to vote for Rick Hughes for many reasons, including the fact that he always takes the moral high ground. For instance, he has long supported Democratic candidates, but chooses not to confine himself to any single party's platform.
Letter to Editor | Breaching four Snake River dams would have major benefit to our ecology
||| FROM SUE BAUER ||| I appreciated reading about county council candidates' views on energy in various local publications. My thanks to the organizations who posed the questions. In the October 21st issue of The Islands' Sounder, a candidate question from OPALCO asked about their views on hydropower. Not one
Letter to Editor | A few of the reasons why I’m not voting for Rick Hughes
||| FROM MICHAEL JOHNSON ||| I appreciate some of the things that Rick has done... for doing his job. But, doing what's expected of you does not make you a champion, and he will not be getting my vote. I fear that some, (especially the many new people who have
Letter to Editor | I remember when …
||| FROM SPIRIT EAGLE ||| When I first came to Orcas Island with my 15 year old daughter in April of 1986, I got a job at Doe Bay doing various things, including painting the cabins. Sometime after that, I got a job at Rosario. I was still wearing high
Guest Opinion | Is it Socialism?
||| FROM DAVID KOBRIN ||| As a boy it was right for me to fantasize, to imagine possibilities, to think grandly about what I might become. Now, my goal is to be realistic; to be right sized; to see myself as neither less nor more than I am. The present
UW Medicine prepares for Orcas Island clinic transition
||| FROM DEBRA GUSSIN for UW NEIGHBORHOOD CLINICS ||| UW Medicine has been proud to provide high-quality primary care at the Orcas Island Clinic for the past three years. As your partners in health, we have been dedicated to delivering patient-centered care and bringing new services and health technology to
Letter to Editor | Rick Hughes delivers pragmatic leadership
||| FROM MARK MADSEN ||| I strongly endorse Rick Hughes for County Council and urge my fellow islanders to do so as well. Rick shows us how local government can be about pragmatism and accomplishment, instead of turning into another arena for partisan battles. Rick has focused his time in
‘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.
Letter to Editor | I am proud to support Rick Hughes’ heart, integrity
||| FROM SPIRIT EAGLE ||| I have known Rick Hughes for years. He is a man of Heart and Integrity. He is a compassionate man, who lives his faith, who ALWAYS does the best he can to help his constituents to navigate life in the County. I am proud to
Letter to Editor | Minney represents authenticity, island experience
||| FROM LINDSEY HOLLOWAY ||| I am a fulltime resident of Friday Harbor and an ardent supporter of Christine Minney for County Council. I believe that local government is not about politics; it is about public service, representation, authenticity, and island experience. Christine is island authentic. She has lived on
Letter to Editor | Cindy Wolf comes from a place of groundedness
||| FROM MARY WACHTER ||| I support Cindy Wolf for County Council, and here's why: I’ve known Cindy for ten years. In that time she’s been a helpful friend and ally. In both the personal and professional realms, she treats others with respect and consideration. She’s always honest and does
Hot Topic #32 | Guidance on symptoms of COVID and when to stay home from work or school
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN, DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| For most of us, one of the challenges of the COVID response has been trying to pull out useful details from the steady stream of complicated and ever-changing information. This Hot Topic will attempt to simplify the complex, but please know
COVID-19 activity intensifying across Washington state
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – Today the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released the latest statewide situation report on COVID-19 transmission, which shows a general rise in the intensity of the epidemic in both western and eastern Washington. Report findings include: Transmission is increasing in
