Here’s a thought…
“The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.”
ROBERT M. PIRSIG
Larsen joins 167 lawmakers demanding Trump administration halt its Roadless Rule rollback
||| FROM U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) joined a bipartisan coalition of 167 Members of Congress last Friday in urging the Trump administration to abandon its proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule, a longstanding and successful conservation guardrail protecting 44 million acres of iconic landscapes and National Forest System lands.
Community meeting to provide feedback on new facility siting at Odlin County Park
The public is invited to a community meeting to learn more, ask questions, and provide additional feedback on Odlin County Park project direction ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, & Fair Department is seeking to construct a new facility to serve as a
WSF holding community meetings, Thursday, Sept. 10
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| We’re hosting two virtual community meetings on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Our staff will answer questions and provide updates on the latest at Washington State Ferries. Learn more and register on our community participation webpage.
Fall 2026 Great Islands Clean-Up
Caring for our island home ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| We live in a special place and caring for it is part of being an island dweller. This fall, communities across San Juan County will come together for the Great Islands Clean-Up on Saturday September 26, helping care
Talking Horse Farm acquisition and sale project
652 Halvorsen Road San Juan Island ||| FROM PEGGY BILL for SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK ||| In response to recent concerns about this project, I wanted to provide clarity to the community on the specific details involved. The Land Bank is currently under contract to purchase this 122-acre property,
Orcas Island Farmers Market Harvest Festival September 26
||| FROM ERICA LYONS for ORCAS ISLAND FARMERS MARKET ||| The Orcas Island Farmers Market is proud to announce the conclusion of our Summer Outdoor Market Season with our Harvest Festival on September 26th from 10am to 2pm! Four hours of fabulous live music brought to you by local favorites
Orcas Center Role Out to preview upcoming season
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| After a rolicking summer of free outdoor shows to close out the year, Orcas Center is launching its 2026-27 season, which is also the organization's 40th anniversary season. Anyone interested in their community arts center is invited to a “Role Out”
San Juan Islands residents brave ferry lines, medevacs to get to the doctor
||| FROM KUOW, NPR NETWORK ||| Bonnie Oak Boesky has lived in the San Juan Islands for more than 40 years, since she was in her early 20s. She raised her four children there. “It's like a chance to live in paradise for most of your life,” she said. But
Join us as summer tips into fall for music, food
||| FROM NATALIE MENACHO ||| Delicious wines, saffron-kissed beef and chicken kebabs from Tank's Beastro, and the sounds of Bonita Fishwife drifting across the lawn. Bonita Fishwife is a beloved band out of Seattle blending rich jazz stylings with driving indie rock riffs and lush harmonies. Drawing inspiration from The
Trump | “Most people don’t know that ‘dumb’ has a B”
||| FROM CNN.COM ||| There are far more important issues to discuss. But in these divided times, surely we can all come together for a brief moment and agree that President Donald Trump’s “dumb” story makes no sense. Trump has been saying it over and over for months, straight-faced and
A message from Peggy Bill, SJC Conservation Land Bank Commission Chair
SJC Conservation Land Bank Commission Chair, Peggy Bill, issues letter to the community to address questions regarding the Talking Horse Farm Acquisition and sale project located at 652 Halvorson Rd. on San Juan Island ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| In response to recent concerns about this project, I
OCS students explore ‘Love in Action’ through service
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| Middle and high school students at Orcas Christian School recently heard from guest speakers about serving others and putting their faith into action. Lauren Lombard, who coordinates service mission work abroad with the nonprofit education group EducareNow, spoke with students about serving communities
Local boy makes good
||| FROM DAN GOTTLIEB for CANOPY JAPAN ||| In 1989, I moved to Orcas because it was, and still is, a climate change refuge. I now live on Okinawa, in Japan for the exact opposite reason. I have, of course, maintained my home on island. In 2026, so far, on
I’m Not the Church Lady | The opening Is unimaginable until it isn’t
||| I'M NOT THE CHURCH LADY by ROSIE KUHN ||| The Cultivating Intelligence Chamber isn’t necessarily a place where we cultivate answers. It is a space in which we become willing to rendezvous with what we could not previously imagine. There she is. Houdini in a paper bag. Fighting like
School District strategic planning | Building our future together
||| FROM SUZANNA SMITH for ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island School District is beginning a new Strategic Planning process to help shape the future of our schools. The goal is to celebrate what’s working, identify opportunities for growth, and establish clear priorities that improve experiences and outcomes for students.
News Brief | Judge once again blocks mail-in ballot rules
The ruling arrived before the Supreme Court could decide whether to intervene but appeared certain to set off yet another round of appeals. ||| FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ||| A federal judge in Boston ruled for the third time on Friday that the Trump administration’s plans to restrict mail-in
