Here’s a thought…
“Don’t ask me who’s influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he’s digested, and I’ve been reading all my life.”
GIORGOS SEFERIS
Health Care District in special board meeting tomorrow
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| The Board Meeting Public Packet is available below. Agenda 02. 2025_11_18 OIHCD Claims Payment Request.pdf 03. 2025_12_02 OIHCD Claims Payment Request.pdf 04. 2025_12_16 OIHCD Claims Payment Request.pdf
Celebration of Life for Linda Peth
||| FROM KELLY PETH ||| Celebration of Life for Linda Peth will be held from Noon to 3 pm on Saturday, December 20, 2025 at Orcas Island Odd Fellows Hall, 112 Haven Rd, Eastsound, WA
Holiday Fun | Secret Santa book exchange at Orcas Library
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Join us on Saturday, December 20 at 3:00 PM for a cozy winter gathering filled with stories, surprises, and holiday cheer! Bring a wrapped book you
Emmanuel Episcopal Church to present Jazzin’ with the Classics for Christmas
||| FROM JEFFREY COHAN for JAZZIN' WITH THE CLASSICS FOR CHRISTMAS ||| Emmanuel Episcopal Church presents the 16th annual JAZZIN' WITH THE CLASSICS FOR CHRISTMAS, featuring rhythm & blues vocalist Jaz Lund and her father,
From Pilot to Payoff | SJC’s 32hr work week pilot project brings fiscal savings & workforce gains
The final report on the 32-hour work week found critical financial savings, improvements to recruitment and retention efforts, and promising productivity measures in less sick time used, fewer voluntary employee separations, and lower employee turnover.
Local youth lead mock Town Council meeting
||| FROM DENICE KULSETH for TOWN OF FRIDAY HARBOR ||| The Town of Friday Harbor, in collaboration with Friday Harbor Middle School, hosted an educational event for seventh-grade students to engage with local government through
WSF/fire departments coordinate during High Wind event today
||| FROM BEN LUNA for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| Due to high winds preventing air medical transport, OIFR had two ambulances aboard the WSF Issaquah transporting critical patients to mainland hospitals this evening.
Monthly Land Bank Commission meeting and annual retreat, Friday, December 19
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold an abbreviated monthly meeting and annual retreat Friday, December 19. The monthly meeting is scheduled for 8:40am
News Brief | Is the Pacific Northwest ready for an influx of climate refugees?
||| FROM KUOW RADIO ||| Climate migration is difficult to study, and even harder to predict. But some researchers say a historic population shift has already begun. But we may see an even bigger population
An invitation to our community | Join the conversation on Public Transit
||| FROM COLIN WILLIAMS for FRIENDS OF RURAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ||| Friends of Rural Public Transportation (FORPT) (https://forpt.org/) continues to advocate for a public transit pilot in the San Juan Islands. As we move forward,
Garden Club | Time to think about fire safety
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| With rainy day weather and long nights, fire safety might be the last thing on the minds of the Orcas community. But, with winter’s slower pace, it might
Get ready for the Polar Bear Plunge on New Years Day
||| FROM TOBY COOPER for POLAR BEAR PLUNGE ||| Orcas Island Rowing Association Presents the Legendary New Year's Day Polar Bear Plunge Thursday, January 1, 2026 – Plunge at 11 am sharp! Come to CASCADE
San Juan County resident camping reservations open February 24 | Set up your account now
This special benefit for San Juan County residents to enjoy our County parks opens in February. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Parks, Recreation & Fair Department is pleased to announce
Port Commissioners are meeting today at 4pm
||| FROM CHIP LONG for PORT OF ORCAS ||| The Port of Orcas Board of Commissioners will hold a Regular Meeting on Monday, December 15th at 4:00 p.m. online via Zoom and in-person at the airport
Letter to Editor | Support our EWUA operators
||| FROM SARA PELFREY ||| This article (https://kingcountywtd.com/2025/12/12/stranded-but-steady-operator-keeps-carnation-treatment-plant-running-during-atmospheric-river/) was recently published on King County's site, highlighting the importance of our water operators, especially when we have unexpected events like the historic flooding that happened during
Auditor seeks writers of argument against San Juan Island School District No. 149
The San Juan Island School District No. 149 approved a measure that would authorize the District to levy the following excess taxes, in place of an expiring levy, on all taxable property within the District.