Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
News Brief | Gray whale, seen 20 miles inland, dies in WA’s Willapa River
||| FROM THE SEATTLE TIMES ||| A young gray whale that amazed and confounded onlookers for days this week after winding up 20 miles inland in a Southwest Washington river has died. The whale first appeared in the North Fork of the Willapa River on April 1. Although whales occasionally
Letter to Editor | The pandemic is not following a script
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| One of the most dangerous ideas shaping our response to COVID is also one of the oldest in philosophy. The philosopher Karl Popper called it historicism: the belief that history unfolds according to predictable patterns. It is a comforting idea. If history follows a script,
Letter to Editor | Passing San Juan County’s levy lid lift is critical to aging well in the islands
||| FROM JAMI MITCHELL ||| Please understand that I am writing this letter as a private citizen, not as part of my work or in any way affiliated with my employer. It is important to me to personally express my strong support for the upcoming San Juan County general fund
News Brief | Study finds isolated killer whale populations depend on social interaction for survival
||| FROM AZ ANIMALS ||| A group of well-studied orcas known as Southern Resident orcas are endangered and face multiple threats to survival. New research shows they interact more with other populations than expected and this could help or hurt them in different ways Shared habitats can lead to competition
Edge of the Salish Sea | Art, poetry, science walk and workshops
Saturday, April 18th, 10-3 at Parish Hall, 218 Main, Eastsound Exploring Life on the Edge - Waterfront Beach Walk, 10am ||| FROM EARTH DAY ART & NATURE ||| Enjoy some of the year’s first daytime low tides on a guided beach walk with Tina Whitman, Senior Science Director with Friends
Free drawing workshop coming up for our islanders
||| FROM AYN GAILEY for ROAM ||| Because of the remote nature of our location, our artists are at a disadvantage when it comes to studying art and improving their technique and skills. That’s why bringing a figure drawing workshop to Orcas can make such a big impact. The ROAM
New OARS Program offers support for island residents in recovery
||| FROM RESOURCE CENTER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM || The Orcas Community Resource Center (OCRC) is launching the Opioid Addiction Recovery Support (OARS) Program, a new initiative designed to help San Juan County residents stay stable while focusing on their treatment journey. Recovery often requires more than treatment alone. For many individuals
Meeting Recap | Next steps for Odlin County Park facility upgrades
Staff shared why the department is pursuing this project, why the existing site was chosen, how project funds are separate from the County's general fund and not funded by property taxes, and addressed questions/concerns from attendees ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, &
Midnight Mutterings | Gentleness
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| I don’t have permission to tell this first story from the main character, so I won’t use his name, even though you can likely figure out who he is. I hope he doesn’t mind. A month or so ago I bought a car
Sheriff’s Report | March 26 – 30, 2026
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| THURSDAY, MARCH 26 26-001668 VIN Inspection 14:36:27 03/26/26 A Deputy on Orcas Island assisted an individual with a VIN inspection. The Deputy met with the individual and the incident was documented. 26-001669 Suspicious Person/Circumstance 14:42:13 03/26/26 A Deputy on Orcas Island responded
Island Allies of Indigenous Lifeways supports tribally managed hunting at North Shore Preserve
||| FROM JAIME BEECHUM and CAITLIN LECK ||| In recent public discourse around the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank’s proposal to open up hunting at Turtleback Preserve and North Shore Preserve, there have been opinions articulating the unfair nature of having a two week period for Tribal only hunting,
2026 ADU lottery application cycle open April 1 – May 30 for San Juan County
A total of eight (8) eligibility slots are available for the 2026 cycle ||| FROM SAN JAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Between April 1 and May 30, the San Juan County Department of Community Development (DCD) will be accepting Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) applications for detached ADU permits proposed outside of
Guest Opinion | The solar promise that wasn’t
How a small island's experiment in clean energy became a lesson in what happens when a co-op stops listening to the people it serves ||| FROM ALAN MIZUTA ||| I own a piece of a solar farm. I paid for it. I'm proud of what it was supposed to be.
Town & County Councils discuss ferries, affordable housing & more at joint meeting
Town and County Councils will continue to partner on the variety of services residents depend upon ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| This week, the Town of Friday Harbor and San Juan County Councils held a special joint meeting where they discussed tourism and economic development in the islands,
ROAM | Art & literary pop-ups
Eastsound, April 8–12 ||| FROM AYN GAILEY for HUB FOR ARTS & LITERATURE ON ORCAS (HALO) ||| The Orcas Island Library, HALO (Hub for Arts & Literature on Orcas), artists, and our businesses have teamed up to create a weekend of events that will bring inspiration and foot traffic to beloved
CWR encounters three families of Bigg’s
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 08:44 AM ObservEnd: 09:16 AM Vessel: Mike 1 Staff: Mark Malleson Pods: Bigg's killer whales IDsEncountered: T036A, T036A2, T036A2A, T036A3, T036A5, T086A1, T086A1B, T124A4, T124A4, T124A1A LocationDescr: Parry Bay EncSummary: Mark received a call at 0733 from a colleague who
