Here’s a thought…
“There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking.”
ALFRED KORZYBSKI
Additional county approved to move to phase two of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan
-- from Emergency Operations Center, Camp Murray -- Camp Murray, WA — Today Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman approved the variance application for Whitman County to move into Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan. This brings the total to 9 counties. Businesses in the counties approved to
COVID-19 Community Conversations: Round Six
-- from Brendan Cowan, Department of Emergency Management -- This week “COVID-19 Community Conversations” continues with another set of videos highlighting specific efforts from organizations and people in our community that provide key services and crucial leadership around the county. You can find our entire collection of videos on our
Farmers Market to open tomorrow — beginning in phases
-- from Kristen Fay, Market Manager -- Pavilions dot the Eastsound Village Green at the Saturday Farmers Market The Orcas Island Farmers Market Board plans to open the Orcas market slowly, in Three Phases. The first of these phases will begin Saturday, May 16 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. on
Letter to Editor | Time to diversify our local economy?
-- from The Vacation Rental Work Group -- We face a unique challenge in San Juan County. We have a greater ability than most areas to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, yet simultaneously depend economically on visitors. We also have a disproportionately elderly population, who are at increased risk for
Inslee issues additional guidance for outdoor recreation in Phase 1 and Phase 2
-- from the Office of Governor Jay Inslee -- Gov. Jay Inslee today issued guidance clarifying Phase 1 outdoor recreation requirements, and set forth outdoor recreation guidance for Phase 2. Through the Washington "Safe Start" plan, more businesses and activities will re-open in phases, with adequate safety and health standards in
Pandemic poetry | Immortality by Lisel Mueller
IMMORTALITYby Lisel Mueller In Sleeping Beauty’s castlethe clock strikes one hundred yearsand the girl in the tower returns to the world.So do the servants in the kitchen,who don’t even rub their eyes.The cook’s right hand, liftedan exact century ago,completes its downward arcto the kitchen boy’s left ear;the boy’s tensed vocal
This week’s virtual cinema features two cutting edge women filmmakers
-- from Orcas Island Film Festival -- “Saint Frances,” - written by and starring Kelly O’Sullivan. The movie premiered at last year’s SXSW Film Festival and won the audience award in the narrative feature competition, as well as a special jury recognition for breakthrough voice. O’Sullivan (who makes her feature screenwriting debut while also
Recap of today’s COVID-19 news and updates
-- from Emergency Operations Center, Camp Murray -- Numbers: As of May 13, there are 17,773 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Washington state, an increase of 261 cases in the last 24 hours.Visit the Department of Health's website for cases by county, demographics, and more. Statewide Response Updates Long Term Care Facility (LTCF) Reporting: As of May 9, a total of
The testing of three northwest counties
--by Michael Riordan, excerpted from Northwest Citizen -- Comparisons of the Covid-19 public-health responses and data from San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties reveal striking differences that may help these counties and Washington state chart a viable path forward beyond the current crisis. The novel coronavirus SARS-Cov-2 crept northward from King and
County Council will hold joint meeting on Friday with Board of Health
-- from Ingrid Gabriel -- Please Notice that the San Juan County Council and San Juan County Board of Health will be holding a Special Meeting via Skype teleconferencing on Friday, May 15, 2020 beginning at 9 am. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the Board’s COVID 19-Response.
Letter to Editor | Public health, protests, and the missing link
-- from Tom Eversole -- Public Health functions include assessment, policy development, and assurance. Successful response to a pandemic requires an “All of Government” approach to successfully manage the outbreak. When data show that too many children are dying from vaccine-preventable diseases (assessment), a school exclusion policy requiring proof of immunity serves to
Recap of Today’s COVID-19 News and Updates
-- from Emergency Operations Center, Camp Murray -- Numbers: As of May 12, there are 17,512 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Washington state, an increase of 182 cases in the last 24 hours. Visit the Department of Health's website for cases by county, demographics, and more. Statewide Response Updates 2020 Wildland Fire Season & COVID-19 Telebriefing: Warm, sunny days have
OICF releases a new set of posters to encourage mask-wearing
-- from Kate Long for Orcas Island Community Foundation -- The Orcas Island Community Foundation has created a series of posters for businesses and organizations to use as they see fit to encourage mask-wearing in their establishments. There are seven posters both in English and Spanish with different messages. They
Letter to Editor | Visitors from off-island also need to be mindful of COVID rules
-- from Russel Barsh for KWIAT -- Last weekend Indian Island had over fifty visitors from the mainland, only a handful had masks, and they seemed completely clueless. That put my (masked) researchers and volunteers at risk. I am altogether happy to be welcoming and positive with visitors, but they
It’s a Wrap! Health Care District issues RFP for a new medical practice
-- from Susan McBain, Orcas Issues reporter -- After two years of operations, observations, research, and professional and public input, the commissioners of the Orcas Island Health Care District approved a Request for Proposal (RFP) describing in detail the medical system and services they would like to see on Orcas
Guest Opinion | The road ahead is ours to chart
-- from Joseph Murphy -- As the late senator from Illinois, Everett Dirksen once said, “A billion here and a billion there, pretty soon you’re talkin about real money.” Those were simpler times, when government spoke in terms of billions rather than trillions of dollars. Last Friday, the current occupant
