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
EDC launches Islands Strong gift card website initiative
-- from Victoria Compton for Economic Development Council -- The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) will launch a gift card website for local businesses, which will be fully live on March 31. The website will include gift card links to businesses, resources for businesses, and more. Businesses are urged
Island Market donates $5,000 from our paper bag proceeds to Community Foundation
-- from Jacob Linnes for Island Market -- Island Market has approved a $5,000 disbursement of our donor advised fund to the Orcas Community Resource Center to help them support their efforts in combating Covid19. These funds will be to give them more capacity to support our most at-risk community
The people behind the County’s emergency response
-- by Steve Bernheim, Orcas Issues reporter -- Just ten days after Washington State identified its first coronavirus case, the San Juan County Council met on February 3, 2020 to declare a state of emergency … caused by heavy rainfall and flooding. But less than six weeks later, on March
Letter to Editor | Mother Nature is a great equalizer
-- from Tom Eversole -- Mother Nature is a great equalizer, and her corona virus pandemic will move us to a new normal. As in past adversities, survivors will adapt their society and governments. This experience may take Americans “back to the future,” embracing anew the original goal of the
Land Bank taking steps to slow spread of COVID-19
-- from Tanja Williamson for San Juan County Land Bank -- Your Conservation Land Bank is taking steps to do its part in slowing the spread of the COVID-19 illness. San Juan County Health and Community Services is monitoring the spread of COVID-19 in the islands. The health and safety
Book Review | A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Dafoe
-- Book review by Jens Kruse -- Daniel Defoe’s 1772 account of the 1665-66 outbreak of the bubonic plague in London makes – shall we say: interesting – reading at our current moment. This Great Plague killed an estimated 100, 000 people, about a quarter of London’s population. Defoe was
Third positive COVID-19 case in county is first on Lopez
Tracing puts known contacts in quarantine for 14 days -- from Brendan Cowan for County Department of Emergency Management -- The third confirmed positive COVID-19 test result in San Juan County was reported to San Juan County public health staff today. This result is the first confirmed positive case on
Complete your census return today
-- from Minor Lile, Orcas Issues reporter -- Looking for something worthwhile to do during these ‘stay at home’ days? This is an ideal time to complete your 2020 Census return. The US Census is conducted every ten years, going all the way back to the first national Census in
HOT TOPIC #6 | Distancing not from, but for
COVID-19 updates from San Juan County around subjects on the minds of islanders — from Brendan Cowan for SJC Department of Emergency Services — This is the second in a series of articles by Nathan Kessler-Jeffrey that aim to take the abstract concept of social distancing and make it real
Community Emergency Fund receives, distributes donated funds
-- from Hilary Canty for Orcas Island Community Foundation -- This community is showing up! So far 101 friends and neighbors have donated $192,000 to the Community Emergency Response Fund (CERF). REMARKABLE! Thank you, Team Orcas! The CERF advisory team (Lisa Byers, OPAL, Erin O’Dell, OCRC, Brian Moss, Orcas Community
Exchange provides free art projects kits for kids
-- from The Exchange -- If you have OISD kids at home between the ages of 5 and 18, Art for Orcas Kids (AOK) is offering free weekly age appropriate art packs during this period of social distancing. Brook Meinhardt is organizing the effort. Meinhardt, teaching artist, New York City
Pandemic Poetry | The Peace of All Things by Wendell Berry
The Peace of All Things by Wendell Berry When despair for the world grows in meand I wake in the night at the least soundin fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,I go and lie down where the wood drakerests in his beauty on the water,
Inslee provides construction guidance and signs proclamations for UI rules, healthcare payments
-- from Governor Jay Inslee -- Gov. Jay Inslee announced new measures to combat COVID-19 today and released additional guidance for construction in his “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. The governor’s guidance on construction states: “In general, commercial and residential construction is not authorized under the proclamation because construction is not
San Juan County Health Officer issues new order to prevent spread of COVID-19
Includes restrictions on travel and lodging -- from San Juan County Communications -- Today, Wednesday March 25, 2020, San Juan County Health Officer, Dr. Frank James, MD, issued an immediate order to restrict non-essential travel to San Juan County, control contact with playgrounds and playground equipment, and limit transient accommodations
Hearts and Hands scales up at Orcas Senior Center
-- from Lena Kassa for Orcas Senior Center -- For 14 years, non-profit Orcas Senior Center volunteers have provided in-home companionship visits to seniors and disabled adults on Orcas Island. Now, with self-isolation and quarantine imposed by COVID-19, we are all finding ourselves suddenly house bound; and many of us
State Parks offers fun (and educational) at-home activities for junior rangers
-- from Washington State Parks -- Now that Gov. Inslee has issued the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order to help combat the spread of COVID-19, many parents or guardians are wondering how to keep their young ones busy and engaged. Washington State Parks wants to help. Parks staff have created a variety
