Here’s a thought…
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
MARK TWAIN
News Brief | About that election stress and how to manage it
||| FROM MS NOW ||| With the midterm elections just two days away, many Americans are doomscrolling on social media and doom-polling the latest survey results. But there are some things you can do to manage your stress, writes wellness podcaster Dan Harris. As one expert put it: “Treat yourself
Dr. Simpson-Manske opens new mobile medicine practice
||| FROM MARTHA KRAMER for MANSKE MOBILE MEDICINE ||| After a lot of thought about how to keep caring for her patients here on Orcas, Dr. Jennifer Simpson-Manske has opened Manske Mobile Medicine, a house-call practice that brings old-fashioned home visits together with up-to-date care. Services include primary care, physicals
News Brief | How a secret vote by U.N. scientists legitimized carbon capture, skewed decades of climate policy
||| FROM PROPUBLICA ||| Scientists’ Secret Vote: A U.N. climate report legitimized carbon capture and storage, suggesting at least 99% of the CO2 would likely remain underground, despite scant empirical evidence. Oil Industry Favorite: Fossil fuel companies have identified carbon capture as a climate solution that will allow their industry
News Brief | Clash with feds hangs over WA as votes roll in before Election Day
||| FROM THE SEATTLE TIMES ||| The act of voting remains the same — fill out a ballot and turn it in. Democracy, simple and elegant. Election Day isn’t until Tuesday, but with changes to how the U.S. Postal Service processes postmarks, election officials are adamant that if you have
Friday Harbor Film Festival announces 2026 Audience Choice Awards
||| FROM ELLEN ROBERTS & KAREN PALMER for FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL ||| After an extraordinary four days of documentary storytelling, inspiration, and connection the 2026 Friday Harbor Film Festival has come to a close. We greatly appreciate all the filmmakers who shared their remarkable stories, the audiences who filled
News Brief | What happens when you can no longer fight a wildfire?
||| FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ||| As out-of-control wildfires burned hundreds of homes in southern British Columbia this August, Cliff Chapman, director of operations for the province’s wildfire service, issued a sobering statement. “I cannot stress enough that the conditions we are facing right now are conditions that we
I’m Not the Church Lady | Five indications you are a spiritually superior human being
||| I'M NOT THE CHURCH LADY by ROSIE KUHN ||| First, I establish that I’m right. Second, I establish that you’re wrong. Third, I make sure you know it. Fourth, I make sure you feel it. And finally, I take it upon myself to correct you! After all, isn’t that
Letter to Editor | Swanson is dedicated, effective
||| FROM GORDON KOENIG and ANITA ORNE ||| Election day is nearly here, and we in San Juan County are fortunate to have two thoughtful and community-minded women vying to represent us as the District 3 representative on County Council. Having known Jennifer Swanson both personally and professionally for the
Letter to Editor | This Hallowe’en, don’t ‘boo,’ vote
||| FROM STEVE BERNHEIM ||| In August, voter turnout in San Juan County was 46%, the lowest mid-term primary election turnout in twenty years. Fewer than 7,000 county residents cast primary ballots out of more than 15,000 registered. Recent mid-term Primary Elections: The highest recent mid-term primary election turnout was
Letter to Editor | Jennifer Swanson will serve us well
||| FROM KAREN VEDDER ||| Who among us isn’t sick to death of the daily gut punch of the news? Who among us doesn’t envision a world where our elected leaders listen to each other and their constituents and work cooperatively together to solve the problems facing us? Locally, I think we’re
Final chapter of the Love & Relationships Book Club at Darvillls
||| FROM AYN GAILEY for DARVILLS BOOKSTORE ||| A heartfelt thank-you to all the wonderful women and four brave men who joined us for a year of love, happily-ever-afters (and not-so-happily-ever-afters) at the first-ever Darvill’s Love & Relationships Book Club. What began as a little literary experiment brought new friendships, meaningful
Rick Larsen | October in Northwest Washington
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF. U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| From conversations with local food providers about growing demand for assistance to fighting for good-paying jobs and lower prescription drug costs, October has been a month focused on the issues that matter to people across Northwest Washington. I want to
Midnight Mutterings | A poem crept in
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| A Poem Crept In At 3:45 AM, a poem slipped into my room, Tapped on my forehead. I’m here. she said. I’m sleeping. I mumbled. Limited time offer, said the poem. Louder now. Did you not read the sign on my door? I
Resource Center invites islanders to help identify unmet legal needs
||| FROM THE RESOURCE CENTER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM ||| A housing dispute, a confusing medical bill, a family breakup, or questions about a parenting plan can leave someone unsure where to turn. On Orcas Island, the cost of legal help – and the challenge of traveling off island to get it
Fire District 3 introduces new fee structure for false alarms
||| FROM AMY TAYLOR for SAN JUAN ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| San Juan Island Fire & Rescue hopes a new fee structure governing fire alarms will reduce the number of false alarms they respond to each year. Effective November 1, 2026, alarm system users with multiple false alarms within
The Creeks Beneath the Fields | Part 1 of 5
First of a five part journalism series by the San Juan Islands Conservation District on steams and wetlands in the islands, and what people can do to restore them ||| FROM SAN JUAN ISLAND CONSERVATION DISTRICT ||| On summer mornings in the San Juan Islands, the freshwater world can feel
