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
Experience a sound bath, or do some yoga at Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Sound Bath Tuesdays Join us at Orcas Senior Center every Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. for a relaxing sound bath with crystal bowls. Sessions are guided by
Letter to Editor | OPALCO General Manager makes how much per year?
||| FROM ALEX MACLEOD ||| I saw OPALCO’s notice the other day inviting candidates on San Juan and Orcas Islands to consider running for open seats on its board. To any mulling the possibility, and
The Whale Museum, Alchemy Art Center partner to launch new workshop series
||| FROM CONOR AGNEW for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| The Whale Museum is partnering with Alchemy Art Center to launch a new artistic workshop series, “Digging into Bones!” This series brings art and science together
Learn all about how birds fly at upcoming pesentation
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Peter Cavanagh, a dedicated bird photographer, pilot and expert in the fields of biomechanics and anatomy, has dedicated a decade to crafting this remarkable book, How Birds
News Brief | He voted for George Washington AND Abraham Lincoln
||| FROM WASHINGTON POST ||| There was once an American who voted for both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. In this year of the nation’s 250th anniversary, you should know his name. We always remember
Guest Opinion | When a Water Board stops listening, a community loses its voice
||| FROM ELISABETH BRITT ||| Water is a public trust, and on an island it is a lifeline. That is why the recent direction of the Eastsound Water Users Association should concern every member it
Sheriff’s Report | January 7 – 12, 2026
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7 26-000128 Controlled Substance Problem 13:26:17 01/07/26 A Deputy in Friday Harbor received some prescription medications from a citizen that had been left by another
Building a legacy of hope and opportunity
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Larsen and colleagues secure reinstatement of addiction, mental health funding
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) cheered the reinstatement of nearly $2 billion in grants to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Health Care Board Retreat | Special Board Meeting – January 17, 2026
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island Health Care District will be holding a Special Board Meeting on Saturday, January 17th, 2026 from 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM at the Emmanuel
LWV | County Council notes for January 13, 2026
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| The council recognized January 19, 2026 as Martin Luther King Day and a Day of National Service. The WSU Extension Service reviewed programs in the county
WSF to host two online meetings next week
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| We’re hosting two online community meetings on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. This is your chance to share feedback and ask us questions. Each meeting
Jurors cancelled for January 20-23
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JANUARY 20-23, 2026 For the jury term beginning Tuesday, January 20, 2026: Jury trials for this term have been cancelled. ALL JURORS assigned to this jury
Site work to begin at Pea Patch Community Campus
Ground Turning Event on January 24th ||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for PEA PATCH COMMUNITY ||| The Pea Patch Community Campus is coming alive! San Juan County has issued preliminary plat approval with conditions. This means
Council reviews major initiatives and priorities for 2026 at two-day retreat
The County Council elected a new chair and vice chair, reviewed significant projects from 2025, and began setting priorities for the upcoming year. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| This week, the San Juan
The Exchange Update | January 2026
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING (THE EXCHANGE) ||| Composting: The Drive Continues At the end of 2025 we asked for your support for our efforts to get Community Scale Composting happening at the Exchange. We are
