Here’s a thought…
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
TURKISH PROVERB
Adrift | The housing search, sadly, goes on
||| ADRIFT by LIN MCNULTY, theORCASONIAN EDITOR ||| With only a couple of weeks before our moving deadline, the search goes on for housing on the island where I have been living since before the turn of the last century -- 1991. With the passing of our landlord, we have
In Memoriam | June Cale West, May 8, 1927 to April 26, 2025
||| FROM MARCIA WEST ||| June Cale West “Fly me to the moon” the song begins; however, June’s daily walks and hikes on Orcas Island earned her enough miles that she could have walked there. Her love for the island forests, wildlife, and watching the moonrise over Olga
Fraud Prevention | How to spot and stay safe from scams
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| In today’s digital age, scams, and fraud are more prevalent than ever. Protecting yourself and your loved ones from these threats requires knowledge and vigilance. Fortunately, the Orcas Senior Center and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are here to help. Join
Open house for six soon-to-be-completed homes on Crayfish Way, Lopez Island
||| FROM BRETON CARTER for LOPEZ COMMUNITY LAND TRUST ||| Lopez Community Land Trust and Oystercatcher housing co-op invite you to join us for an open house for the six soon-to-be-completed homes on Crayfish Way, Lopez Island. May 18 from 3-6pm. Crayfish Way is located north of the Lopez Village,
Fun, free, Rotary Spelling Bee is coming to Orcas
||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for ROTARY CLUB OF THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS The Rotary Club of the San Juan Islands invites the community to attend its 19th Annual Spelling Bee at 4 PM, May 15, at the Orcas Island Grange. Watch the excitement as 3th-7th graders from Orcas Island Schools
Don’t forget your septic system inspections in 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Did you add inspecting your septic system to your 2025 to-do list? If you didn’t, don’t worry! Your local health department will be sending reminder postcards to properties with installed septic systems. Regular septic inspection protects the public health of our islands. It
‘It will ruin the charm of our island’ | Decatur islanders push back on solar grid
||| FROM KING-TV NEWS ||| Locals on Decatur Island in the San Juans worry a sizable chunk of their island is being sacrificed for green energy and are pushing back against a proposed solar grid expansion. Decatur Island, located due west of Anacortes, is just 3.5 square miles. Like most
Larsen releases report on his work in Congress this year
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Larsen released the following report on his work in Congress so far this year: "I have been working hard in the 119th Congress to stand up for families and fight back against President Trump. "Here is a
Support island youth, sustain island trails | Help fund Orcas Youth Conservation Corps
Fundraising Bake Sale at Island Market on May 13, 2:30-6:30pm ||| FROM JULIE CURTIS for YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS ||| The San Juan Islands Conservation District’s Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is proud to participate in the 2025 GiveOrcas campaign, hosted by the Orcas Island Community Foundation. We are working to raise
As the Paradigm Shifts | Asking for magic, one day at a time
||| AS THE PARADIGM SHIFTS by ROSIE KUHN ||| I want to share something that bubbled up just yesterday and continued into this morning—something simple and tender, and also kind of profound. Over the years, I’ve heard many spiritual teachers and channelers say: Ask for magic. Ask to experience magic
Sheriff’s Report | April 30 – May 6, 2024
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT ||| WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 25-002448 Theft 10:04:42 04/30/25 A Friday Harbor resident reported a package that may have been stolen from her mailbox sometime around the 16th of April. 25-002466 Domestic Dispute or Assault 15:29:43 04/30/25 San Juan Deputies responded to a report
Be part of Leadership San Juan Island’s class XVII
||| FROM GRETCHEN KRAMPF for LEADERSHIP SAN JUAN ISLANDS ||| It has been a long four years away and we are delighted to announce the return of our Flagship Community Leadership Development Program. Leadership San Juan Islands (LSJI) is recruiting for Class XVII with applications due in late August. Space
Lawsuit seeks overdue federal decision on ESA protections for Alaskan Chinook salmon in peril
||| FROM EMMA HALVORSEN for WILD FISH CONSERVANCY ||| ANCHORAGE, AK — Today, Wild Fish Conservancy filed suit against NOAA Fisheries (NOAA) for failing to meet essential legal deadlines under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and delaying federal protections to at-risk Alaskan Chinook salmon. Once abundant, wild Chinook—also known as
Updates for Douglas/Bailer Hill Rd improvement project on SJI
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The Douglas/Bailer Hill Road Improvements Project is well underway, and San Juan County’s Public Works Department is pleased to share progress updates and safety reminders. Project Updates The project continues to proceed on-time and crews are working diligently to relocate existing utilities and
The power of collective giving
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for SPRING GIVE ORCAS CAMPAIGN ||| We’re a few days into the Spring GiveOrcas campaign, and together we’re making great progress investing in innovative programs that make our island so remarkable. GiveOrcas isn’t just about funding our nonprofits - it’s about building community care, connection, and
Odd Fellows Hall Spring GiveOrcas Campaign
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ODD FELLOWS HALL ||| The Odd Fellows Hall, one of the most-beloved and most-used facilities on Orcas Island, is upgrading sound, lights, and the audiovisual system with the generosity of our community through a grant from the Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) Spring GiveOrcas Campaign. The
Larsen statement on firing of Librarian of Congress
||| FROM. U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement after President Trump fired the Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden: “Carla Hayden is the People’s Librarian of Congress and the idiot decision to fire her won’t change that. “Nothing Trump does will stop
