Here’s a thought…
“No one, I mean no one, has the right to sit in judgment of who’s American enough.”
MICHELLE OBAMA
State Health Dept. prepares to deploy new rapid COVID-19 tests
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – Within the next five to ten days the Washington State Department of Health will receive and distribute the first batch of Abbott BinaxNOW antigen test kits for COVID-19 from the federal government. These are rapid tests that can return results in as
Letter to Editor | Standing up for your property rights in San Juan County
||| FROM MICHAEL DURLAND ||| SJC County Code has a procedure for appealing decisions you do not think follow County Code: 18.80.140 Appeals. At first it seems a daunting procedure but with careful reading, assistance from County employees, and some advice from one who has done it before it can
You can livestream upcoming test of vote counting equipment
||| FROM CAMOLYN ARMSTRONG, ELECTION SUPERVISOR ||| A “Logic and Accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used in San Juan County for the November 3, General election is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, at 11:00 a.m. The test works by tallying the results of a prepared set of ballots to
COVID-19 vaccine update from the Washington State Department of Health
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) continues to make progress with our COVID-19 vaccine distribution planning efforts. Yesterday we learned that on Friday, October 2, the National Academies will release the final Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine. This report
Letter to Editor | It’s time for a new deal
||| FROM NEW DEAL SAN JUAN ISLANDS ||| The San Juan Islands are like no place on earth. Our remarkable natural beauty is rivaled only by our tight-knit communities. San Juan County also has one of the more progressive voting blocks in the nation. Yet, with a few exceptions, we
A poem for now from the past
Election Day, November, 1884 Walt Whitman - 1819-1892 If I should need to name, O Western World, your powerfulest scene and show, 'Twould not be you, Niagara—nor you, ye limitless prairies—nor your huge rifts of canyons, Colorado, Nor you, Yosemite—nor Yellowstone, with all its spasmic geyser-loops ascending to the skies, appearing
Governors release joint statement on threats to American democracy
||| FROM GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE'S OFFICE ||| A coalition of 11 governors, including Govs. Jay Inslee (WA), Kate Brown (OR), Gavin Newsom (CA), Phil Murphy (NJ), Gretchen Whitmer (MI), Tony Evers (WI), Tim Walz (MN), Ralph Northam (VA), John Carney (DE), Steve Sisolak (NV) and Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM), released
Upcoming Orcas Food Co-op 6th annual member meeting: Thriving together
||| FROM ORCAS FOOD CO-OP ||| At Orcas Food Co-op we’re excited to hold our 6th annual Member Meeting during National Co-op Month. Join us virtually for a chance to connect with fellow members as well as co-op staff and board and talk about the co-op’s future and explore new
Burn permits will go on sale October 5th
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Fall is here and the time has come for burn permits to go on sale. Please follow the link below to purchase a burn permit through our online portal. Burn permits issued at this time will be valid until the end of May
Recent COVID-19 news and updates recap
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| Statewide Response Updates Newest numbers. The Department of Health reported a total of 87,042 confirmed cases as of 11:59 pm on September 28. There have been 2,124 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department
Letter to Editor | It’s imperative that we support our restaurants going into fall, winter
||| FROM ANNA MARIA DE FREITAS ||| As I listen to the rain bounce off my sky light and feel the fall chill settle in the air, I know that the days of outdoor dining for me and my restaurant industry colleagues are quickly coming to an end. What will
Auditor answers frequently-asked questions about ballots in upcoming election
90% turnout expected locally in upcoming election ||| FROM MILENE HENLEY, COUNTY AUDITOR ||| Interest is high in this year’s general election. As a result, San Juan County Elections staff have been receiving a record number of questions. Below are some of the questions asked most frequently, with the answers.
Some COVID-19 rule-breakers could be narcissists, experts say
||| FROM WASHINGTON POST ||| (Reprinted at request of Orcasonian reader.) Susan Whitbourne was shopping recently in her neighborhood Whole Foods in Framingham, Mass., when another patron caught her eye. The man, who was chatting on his cellphone as he meandered around the store, had pulled his face covering down —
School Superintendent: School may be getting closer to holding in-person classes
||| FROM ERIC WEBB, ORCAS SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT ||| Dear Students, Families, Staff, and Community, Fall is very much in the air as we enter week four of our Distance Learning Model at OISD! Teachers, staff, and parents have worked diligently to adjust to a new learning model for our children.
State health experts: Flu vaccine should be considered “essential” this year
||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ||| OLYMPIA – While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our daily lives, autumn brings with it another unwanted visitor – the flu. The presence of both viruses could put more people in the hospital and strain Washington’s health care system. While we don’t yet
Guest Opinion | Prune Alley — We CAN do better
||| FROM FRED KLEIN ||| OPEN LETTER TO COUNCIL: September 29, 2020 To: San Juan County Council, Councilmen Hughes, Stephens, and Watson Gentlemen, Once again I want to thank you for discussing Prune Alley at your meeting on September 15th. You have the power to redirect this project from being
