Here’s a thought…
“Neither the evil nor the good in our history determines who we are. It is what we do now. If we do not say something ourselves about this horror, we allow ourselves to be changed.”
TIMOTHY SNYDER
CWR logs encounter with Biggs whales
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 02:40 PM ObservEnd: 03:27 PM Vessel: Mike 1 Staff: Mark Malleson Pods: Bigg's killer whales IDsEncountered: T019, T019B, T019C, T49B, T049B3, T049B4, T049B5, T117A, T117B, T117B1, T172 LocationDescr: Freshwater Bay EncSummary: Mark left Victoria on Mike 1 at 1355
Friday Harbor Film Festival will host an inspiring double feature
||| FROM ELLEN ROBERTS for FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL ||| Friday Harbor Film Festival's Best of the Fest returns on Friday, April 24 at 7 PM with a special double feature — two inspiring documentary films from the 2025 FHFF program, screening simultaneously and free of charge at the San
Letter to Editor | Just say no!
||| FROM PHIL PETERSON ||| A no vote on Proposition 1 will force needed change in the way we the people, our elected representatives and our essential public servants do our business. At issue is AFFORDABILITY for all of us. Inflation resonating through our economy continues to effect each and
Midnight Mutterings | Lights out
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| I hadn’t planned to write about the power outage April 15, 2026, three days ago, because you already know about it, especially your own experience. However one thing I found out checking the internet is that I misunderstood a major factor: that not
Sheriff’s Report | April 8 – 14, 2026
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8 26-001936 Attempted Suicide 10:10:52 04/08/26 An Orcas Island Deputy and Orcas Island Fire and Rescue responded to a medical emergency in the Olga area. The Deputy learned that a citizen was experiencing a mental health crisis. The citizen was
Earth Day | Loving this place is not enough. We must protect it, too.
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY ||| This Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22nd at 6 pm, Orcas Island Public Library, sponsored by Friends of the San Juans, welcomes the community to Salish Sea Dome, a breathtaking 360° projection experience that invites viewers into the hidden underwater world
News Brief | A mysterious new pod of killer whales is making waves near Seattle
||| FROM PEOPLE ||| Three previously unrecorded orcas have been spotted near Seattle multiple times in recent weeks Researchers believe the transient pod may have traveled from Alaska The rare sightings have delighted whale watchers and also sparked questions about the animals' journey READ FULL ARTICLE
Letter to Editor | Regarding that county levy
||| FROM RICHARD GROUT ||| If you haven’t returned your ballot yet, please read this carefully. The mini–voters pamphlet that came with your ballot says the proposed county levy is 85 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. That’s technically true—but it’s also misleading. This is not an 85-cent increase. 54
Guest Opinion | Board responsibility and credibility in the Decatur matter
||| FROM ALAN MIZUTA, et. al ||| What Happened Before This Was Published On April 14, 2026, thirty individuals and one community organization from the Decatur community formally asked the OPALCO Board to defer the April 21 vote on the Decatur solar expansion. That letter is linked here: https://tinyurl.com/5a8627bn It took
News Brief | Panic in East Coast town as families fear LOSING their homes over massive 50% tax hike
||| FROM THE DAILY MAIL ||| In South Hadley, a leafy East Coast community, residents will vote tonight on whether to approve a dramatic increase that could send bills soaring by as much as 50 percent. Town officials say the measure is needed to save the school district, which faces
Orcas Center unveils Spring Gala
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Join Orcas Center for a special evening of food, fun, and fundraising during its Spring Gala: Indivisible Through Art on Saturday, May 9 at 5 p.m. in the Madrona Room. Attendees will be treated to dinner from award-winning chef Avery Adams
No jurors needed for April 20-24
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: APRIL 20-24, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the Jury Period beginning Monday April 20th through Friday April 24th, 2026, are excused. Thank you.
WSF Weekly Report | Summer reservations available; partnership with USCG; work zone awareness week
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve Today we released our updated Service Contingency Plan. The plan explains our operations and how we'll adjust when service is unexpectedly disrupted. This could happen because of mechanical problems with a ferry or a terminal. The plan
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.
Move It On Over: Songs and Stories of Hank Williams coming to Odd Fellows
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ODD FELLOWS HALL ||| "Move it On Over: Stories and Songs of Hank Williams" will be presented by music historian, folksinger, story-teller, Joel Underwood on Sunday, April 19 at 2:00pm at the Orcas Island Odd Fellows Hall. Joel Underwood weaves story and sing along with
Island Primary Care – Orcas welcomes Fralick, PA-C, back to Orcas
||| FROM LAURA MORONEY for ISLAND HEALTH ||| Cameron Fralick, PA-C, recently joined the team at Island Primary Care – Orcas after six years working emergency medicine at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. There he served as adult and pediatric physician assistant at the Level
