Here’s a thought…
“The worse the cellphone coverage is, the nicer people are.”
Rahm Emanuel
Washington State Ferries launches largest hybrid-electric ferry in North America
||| FROM MY NORTHWEST.COM ||| Washington State Ferries took delivery of its first hybrid-electric ferry. The Wenatchee, already one of the largest boats in the fleet, is now the most technologically advanced ferry in the fleet. The conversion cost $133 million and makes the Wenatchee the largest hybrid-electric ferry in
Community Foundation | New LEAD grant program
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| For 30 years, the Orcas Island Community Foundation has focused on encouraging and supporting local philanthropy and strengthening nonprofit organizations. Anniversaries are a good time to reflect upon and celebrate the past, clearing the way for renewal and fresh energy.
Nantucket’s workers are living on the margins
Teachers, police officers, firefighters and other workers live in overcrowded and substandard housing, or even in their cars on the beach. ||| FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ||| The median home price in Nantucket is currently around $2.5 million, which is out of reach for many of the people who
Celebration of life, open mic
||| FROM LOLA APPLEGATE |||
WSF Weekly Report | Wenatchee soon to be in service; requesting feedback on fare changes; SR20 delays in Anacortes
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve We’re excited to share the Wenatchee will return to service next week as our first hybrid-electric ferry. It will run part-time in the evenings on our Seattle/Bainbridge route, before returning to full-time service by the end of
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Welcome to our weekly feature, Occam's Razor, from local artist S.C. Watson.
Scotland’s Tidal Bet | Net zero, net loss
||| FROM WHAT'S. UP WITH THAT? ||| Let me invite you to consider the Scottish coast, where the tides are large and the headlines are gushing—much like the capital outflow—over the MeyGen tidal project, a four-turbine, six-megawatt marvel whirring away beneath the waves. The headlines scream Underwater turbine spinning for
Orcas Island School District seeking applications for pro and con statement committees
||| FROM SUZANNE SMITH for ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| Orcas Island School District is seeking applications from persons interested in being appointed to a committee to write the “for” or “against” statements for the San Juan County Local Voters’ Pamphlets related to the District's Capital Project Levy and EP&O
Larsen: Local impacts of Republicans’ big ugly law
||| FROM U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| This week, I have been traveling around Northwest Washington state to talk to local health care providers and food banks about how Republicans' Big Ugly Law will impact our friends and neighbors. At Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, the Big
Jean Cocteau documentary film at Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center is proud to present a special public screening of the acclaimed feature documentary Jean Cocteau, directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland. This captivating film, which explores the life, art, and enduring legacy of the French polymath Jean Cocteau, will be shown on
Free Community Beach Walks | Learn about our unique shorelines
||| FROM KATHERINE DIETZMAN for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| Get outside and explore the incredible shorelines of San Juan County! Join Friends of the San Juans, coastal geologists, and local experts for a fun and informative afternoon at the beach on Orcas or Lopez Island. You’ll learn how
Join peace rally Saturday, July 12 at 3 pm in Eastsound
||| FROM SHARON ABREU ||| Come be part of World Beyond War's 24-Hour International Peace Wave! 3:00-3:30 Peace rally with music outdoors at the Emmanuel Church Labyrinth - Please bring your peace/anti-war signs! (The rally will be streaming live on the internet worldwide!) 3:30-4:30 Reception with lemonade and cookies in the
Penalties undetermined for disturbed cultural site at Rosario
Owners installed glamping tent platforms without permits ||| FROM SALISH CURRENT ||| The soil beneath Rosario Resort in Eastsound is like a historical tome, each layer a chapter in the story of human life here. There was a Lummi community here in the time of the grandparents’ grandparents — before
West Sound wildland fire on July 8, 2025
||| FROM BEN LUNA for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| The wildland fire which started midday on July 8 th in West Sound remains active and will be so for the next 48-72 hours. The fire is contained at just over 5 acres with multiple hot spots still smoking
High costs may force WA ferry electrification program off course
With the state’s first converted hybrid-electric ferry “days away” from entering service, lawmakers are questioning whether it’s realistic to transition the fleet to 22 plug-in vessels by 2040 ||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD ||| Washington aspires for its largest-in-the-nation fleet of passenger ferries to operate reliably and emission-free by 2050.
No jury duty, July 14 – 18
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JULY 14-18, 2025 All jurors summonsed for jury duty beginning Monday July 14th through Friday July 18th, are excused. Thank you.
