Here’s a thought…
“There are many forms of patriotism and telling the truth is one of them.”
ANDERSON COOPER
Summer sailing schedule starts Sunday, June 14
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Our summer sailing schedule starts Sunday, June 14, and runs through Sept. 19. Anacortes/San Juan Islands: We’ve made schedule adjustments to improve on-time performance. Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth: The #3 vessel will operate a full-day schedule on Saturdays and Sundays this summer. Last year, it operated half days on weekends due to limited crewing. Port Townsend/Coupeville: Starting Tuesday, June 16, the route will operate a two-boat schedule daily through Oct. 12.
Larsen statement on bill reforming Library of Congress
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement: “The Librarian of Congress is the People’s Librarian, not the President’s Librarian. “I have always stood up for libraries and the books that challenge us to be
Land Bank Commission monthly meeting scheduled
||| FROM SJC CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting Friday, June 12. The meeting is scheduled from 8am – 11:15am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the Lopez Island Family Resource Center, Lopez Island,
Letter to Editor | Bring back our family physician
||| FROM MARTHA KRAMER ||| Orcas Island Primary Care has chosen to terminate a very well loved family practice physician, Dr. Jennifer Simpson-Manske at a time when there are NO other family practice physicians on-island accepting new clients. The decision to terminate Dr. Manske was made by Island Hospital. On
Art Talk event coming up at Crow Valley Gallery
||| FROM AYN GAILEY for CROW VALLEY GALLERY ||| Please join us for a creative conversation at Crow Valley Gallery with artist David Densmore and Ayn Gailey exploring his painting process, techniques, sources of inspiration, and the evolution of his work, including a sneak peek at an upcoming series. This is
Existing vacation rentals in Eastsound & Lopez Village need a provisional use permit by June 25
If you operate a vacation rental in Eastsound Village or Lopez Village, it is a requirement to apply for a provisional use permit to remain compliant with the County code. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| If you operate a vacation rental in Eastsound Village or Lopez Village, it
News Brief | Science-backed reason being in nature makes you feel good
||| FROM COUNTERPUNCH ||| Fish farming, a form of aquaculture, is now the fastest-growing form of factory farming worldwide. Industrial fish farms, particularly open-net salmon pens, concentrate thousands of animals in confined spaces, producing waste and requiring significant inputs of feed, antibiotics, and chemicals to maintain productivity. Fish are essential
News Brief | Impacts of fish farming, industrial aquaculture
||| FROM COUNTERPUNCH ||| While discussions about land-based farmed animals, such as cattle, pigs, and poultry, are dominated by their impact on emissions and the environment, aquaculture has been positioned as a sustainable alternative. Industrial fish farms, particularly open-net salmon pens, concentrate thousands of animals in confined spaces, producing waste
Tickets now available for 2026 Orcas Island Garden Tour
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Mark your calendar for the annual 2026 Orcas Island Garden Tour on Saturday, June 27 & Sunday, June 28 from 11 am to 5 pm each day. Tickets are $25 each. The garden club provides education and experiences to the garden community to
Free workshop for writers at Orcas Library
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY ||| In this evening workshop hosted by the Orcas Island Library, authors Veronica Kornberg and Jill McCabe Johnson use objects and mapping to create fresh writing on family. Participants are asked to bring an object that evokes family memories to use
Help us celebrate the Class of 2026 at Baccalaureate
||| FROM ALICIA WIGFIELD for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH ||| On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 6:00 PM, Orcas Island Community Church will be hosting the Baccalaureate Service for the Class of 2026 at the Moran State Park Picnic Shelter. This is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate
Seven Sisters: Return of the Matriarchy coming to Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Indigenous women have played an outsized role in major environmental justice campaigns in the Pacific Northwest. Se’Si’Le, an Indigenous-led nonprofit, is bringing to Orcas Island an event to honor and celebrate these matriarchs as part of its nation-wide 2026 campaign: Seven
School music rings in summer on a high note
||| FROM SHARON HO for MUSIC ADVOCACY GROUP ||| Family and community members filled the Orcas Center on Thursday, May 28, to celebrate another successful year for the Orcas public school strings program. Mrs. Pamela Wright, the music teacher and strings director, who will be retiring after 24 years, received
I’m not the Church Lady | What’s really between psychology and spirituality?
What if the most sane and sacred thing I can do is trust what I know? ||| I'M NOT THE CHURCH LADY by ROSIE KUHN ||| Psychology, at its best, says: What happened to you shapes you—how can you go forward? Spirituality, at its best, asks: Who are you beyond
Happy Pride from Orcas Island Pride
Are you ready to Dance? ||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND PRiDE ||| Happy Pride We are so excited to celebrate this month with you all! In this time where queer people are being villanized, it is VITAL we stay visible and loud. It is VITAL we refuse to slink back into
Strengthening civic culture on Orcas Island
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| Earlier this week, 52 nonprofit board members and staff gathered to bring fundraising into focus on Orcas Island. What may have been surprising to some, was that much of the workshop didn’t focus specifically on asking for donations. Successful nonprofits
