Here’s a thought…
“It wasn’t a Blue Wave; it was an American Tsunami!”
Community Foundation | Celebrating collective impact
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| The Orcas Island community gave more than 5,000 donations to and through the Foundation last year, enabling more than $6 million in grants to local nonprofits. This tremendous generosity moved forward dozens of projects both big and small, from inspiring
Orcas Center presents music of Zan Fiskum and Sturtz
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Come enjoy a night of live music at the Orcas Center with Sturtz and Zan Fiskum. The two acts have toured together in the past, and both groups are led by vocal powerhouses. Sturtz is a folk duo based out of
Pea Patch Community Campus takes shape; housing construction to begin this Fall
||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for PEA PATCH CAMPUS ||| The Pea Patch Campus is beginning to be shaped into the community we’ve been imagining. Over the summer, local contractor Island Excavating completed site preparation, utility connections, stormwater management (no, that big hole in the ground is not a swimming pool!)
Tender hearts, hopeful outlooks, and a blue wave
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND PRIDE ||| Today, our hearts feel tender, holding both hope and heartbreak. As election results arrive across Washington, Initiative 638—a cruel attempt to exclude transgender girls from school sports and force invasive exams on young athletes—is leading in early returns. This is just one of many
Understanding Political Tribalism | A book talk with Dr. Stephen Ducat
Friday, November 13 | 6 pm Orcas Island Public Library ||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY ||| Why do people become so deeply attached to political movements and leaders? What draws individuals to authoritarian thinking, and how does group identity shape the way we see those with
WSF Weekly Report | Decisions, decisions
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve One of the challenges of leading Washington State Ferries is that there are often more things to do than we have the resources to accomplish. Every day, we make decisions about how best to use our vessels,
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.
Letter to Editor | An island is strongest when nobody has to carry everything alone
||| FROM DOUGLAS VANDERGRAPH ||| Living on an island can teach a person how closely independence and interdependence are tied together. People value resourcefulness, and for good reason. Yet the very conditions that make island life distinctive also make neighborly cooperation essential. A service that seems ordinary elsewhere may take
Damaged electric car chargers removed from Orcas Park & Ride
Any replacement or repair work will be scheduled and prioritized based on available budget resources ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| This week, the County’s Public Works Department was notified that the electric vehicle (EV) chargers at the Orcas Island Park & Ride had been damaged. To protect public
Summer water | Part 2 of 5
This article is the second of a five part journalism series by the San Juan Islands Conservation District on streams and wetlands in the islands, and what people can do to restore them ||| FROM SAN JUAN ISLAND CONSERVATION DISTRICT ||| By August, the islands begin revealing what kind of
Enchanted Forest 6 | The Last Suffer to raise money for Deborah Sparks
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Enchanted Forest Cabaret is coming out of retirement for one last show to raise funds for its “Lady of Mayhem” and long-time islander Deborah Sparks. Enchanted Forest 6: The Last Suffer, a greatest-hits cabaret, will play at Orcas Center on Friday,
Letter to Editor | A post-election apology
||| FROM TENAR HALL ||| I can be rather generous with my family’s resources, but the only things that are mine and mine alone to give are my time and my voice. Lately, despite them being very much under attack, I have given neither my time nor my voice to
OISD seeks applications for PRO and CON statement committees
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| Orcas Island School District is seeking applications from District residents interested in being appointed to committees to write the “for” and “against” statements for the San Juan County Local Voters’ Pamphlet related to the District’s Replacement Capital Projects Levy for Technology, Safety and
In Memoriam | Preston Augustin Lang, June 18 2025 -September 24, 2026
Our Little Nugget, forever loved ||| FROM SUZIE LANG ||| Born: June 18, 2025 - Anacortes, WA Passed: September 24, 2026 - Bellingham, WA Resided: Deer Harbor, WA Survived by: Suzie I.M. Lang (mother) and Patrick Y. Lang (father) Favorite food: Crackers - preferably a table full Spirit animal: Belted
An uncontested election—and another choice for EWUA members
||| FROM CORY HARRINGTON ||| EWUA is asking members to vote in an election with two unopposed incumbents and no alternative candidates. This lack of choice was not inevitable. The Board adopted a policy disqualifying former EWUA employees from serving as directors. Another interested member was excluded after submitting an
What is future of assisted living on Orcas Island?
Friday November 6, 1:30pm, in the Community Room ||| FROM INGRID MATTSON for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Join Dementia Friendly Orcas and the Orcas Island Library as we gather to learn from our island neighbors about how they made senior housing and assisted living a reality in their communities. Lopez
