Here’s a thought…
“Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.”
ALFRED HITCHCOCK
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.
WSF makes schedule adjustments due to SJC Fair
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Expect delays and long lines on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route during the San Juan County Fair, Aug. 13–16, especially on the interisland route. If possible, travel earlier in the week or after the fair. To accommodate livestock trailers and vendors on the last day of the fair, we’re limiting reservation space on the 9:50 p.m. sailing
Larsen announces $7 Million for ferries in Island & San Juan counties
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement: “Rural communities I represent need more support and funding from the federal government,” said Rep. Larsen. “These dollars will help Washington State Ferries serve my constituents whose lives and livelihoods
Dr. Triplett to hold free tooth extraction clinic
||| FROM THE DENTAL OFFICE OF DR. MICHAEL TRIPLETT ||| Dr. Triplett’s dental office at 445 Madrona Street in Eastsound has reserved Wednesday August 26 for free tooth extractions for our Orcas, Shaw, and Waldron residents in financial need. Services are limited to both routine and surgical extractions (including wisdom
Ferry Alert | Ana/SJs- Service during San Juan County Fair, Aug. 13-16
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Expect delays and long lines on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route during the San Juan County Fair, Aug. 13–16, especially on the interisland route. If possible, travel earlier in the week or after the fair. To accommodate livestock trailers and vendors on the last day of the fair, we’re limiting reservation space on the 9:50 p.m. sailing
The Exchange update | August 2026
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING SERVICES - THE EXCHANGE ||| SWAP Meet August 29th We still have a few spaces left at the SWAP Meet - Saturday, August 29th from 10am-4pm. Send us an email to reserve your free spot: info@exchangeorcas.org. There’ll be free food and great finds at this annual
Jurors required to report, beginning Monday
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: AUGUST 17-21, 2026 All jurors summonsed for Jury Duty beginning Monday August 17th 2026 are required to report to the San Juan County Courthouse at 8:30 am on Wednesday August 19th. Thank you.
Orcas Island Garden Club upcoming fall events
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Upcoming Fall Garden Club Events We hope you all are enjoying your Summer! Here's a sneak peak into all the exciting events coming your way soon so mark your calendars. Mushroom lovers, rejoice! September is about to be absolute fungi Flower Pressing Workshop
Results of 56th annual Shaw Island Classic race
||| FROM PEG GERLOCK for SAN JUAN ISLAND YACHT CLUB ||| The Shaw Island Classic, hosted by the San Juan Island Yacht Club, is notorious for light winds, strong currents and avoiding obstacles such as rocks, reefs and ferries. Luckily the scenery is gorgeous, and racers love a challenge, which
Twice-rescued Humpback calf returns to Salish Sea
||| FROM CONOR AGNEW for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| On July 14 2026, Vancouver Island Whale Watch spotted a young humpback whale CRC-22662, known locally as Starry Knight, whose return to the Salish Sea carried unusual significance. The whale was last seen in the central Strait of Georgia on Sept.
Basic hygiene items make a difference for Orcas families
||| FROM THE RESOURCE CENTER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM ||| A roll of toilet paper, a tube of toothpaste, laundry soap, diapers — these are ordinary household items until a family cannot afford them. Coates Cabinet Hygiene Bank, a program of Orcas Community Resource Center, helps islanders access basic hygiene and household
Kid Faire and Up Up Up! in its last Orcas performance
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center is proud to present its annual Summer Concert Series on the Village Green, bringing free, live music to the heart of Eastsound. This vibrant outdoor series, supported in part by Joe Brotherton and the Doe Bay team, celebrates community,
Art opening to feature paintings, sculpture works of Ayame Bullock
FROM AYN GAILEY for CROW VALLEY GALLERY ||| The public is invited to a reception for STONE & STEM, this Sunday, August 16th at 4pm at Crow Valley Gallery. Meet the artist Ayame Bullock and view her newly installed exhibit of paintings and sculptural works. Raised on her family’s permaculture farm
Larsen presses ICE for answers about Ferndale facility
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) wrote to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director David Venturella regarding Larsen’s visit to ICE’s suboffice in Ferndale on July 31: “As part
UPDATED | At Odd Fellows | An evening with educator and author Jackson Katz, Ph.D.
||| FROM ROBERT DASH ||| Join us at Odd Fellows Hall for an engaging talk and discussion on Thursday, August 20, at 6:30 pm led by internationally renowned educator, author, and lecturer -- and longstanding Orcas part-time resident -- Jackson Katz, who will discuss some of the key ideas from
OIHCD’s 2026 Strategic Planning Process | Charting the District’s vision
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| Following our levy commitment in 2025, Orcas Island Health Care District (OIHCD) leadership spent a day earlier in 2026 working through a long-range strategic vision of the District’s role on Orcas. The visioning session looked out as far as 2050, along with
