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
Spring sailing season reservations open Tuesday, Jan. 27
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Vehicle reservations for the spring 2026 schedule (March 22 through June 13) will be available at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27. To ensure a smooth and fair experience during this high-demand
Washington State Ferries 2025 Year in Review
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Washington State Ferries made significant headway in 2025. We reached notable operational milestones by delivering more dependable service. We also unveiled North America’s largest hybrid-electric vessel and strengthened our
Federal 12-Month Endangered Species Act finding for Olympic Peninsula steelhead
||| FROM EMMA HELVERSON for WILD FISH CONSERVANCY ||| Today, NOAA Fisheries issued its 12-month finding on the petition to list Olympic Peninsula steelhead under the Endangered Species Act acknowledging long-term population declines, reduced productivity,
Land Bank to hold monthly meeting on January 16
The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting Friday, January 16. The meeting is scheduled from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person
SJC Master Gardeners open 2026 Native Plant Sale for online ordering January 24
||| FROM VICKI LEIMBACK for SAN JUAN MASTER GARDENERS ||| Calling all nature lovers and garden enthusiasts! The eagerly awaited 2026 Native Plant Sale officially launches online at 8:00 AM on January 24, offering island
Seedy Saturday celebrates seed sharing and community traditions
||| FROM SAN JUAN ISLAND GRANGE ||| The San Juan Island Grange will host the Fourth Annual Seedy Saturday, Saturday, January 31, from 2-4pm, offering a free, community seed swap rooted in long-standing traditions of
Protect yourself in the New Year | Respiratory illness reminders
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS. ||| Each year, respiratory illnesses are responsible for millions of illnesses and thousands of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States. In addition to the virus that causes influenza
Fingerstyle guitarist to take journey through strings, stories at Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Experience the spellbinding artistry of Hiroya Tsukamoto, a master of fingerstyle guitar and evocative storytelling that transcends cultural boundaries. Praised by Acoustic Guitar Magazine for his
Letter to Editor | An open letter to Eastsound Water Users
||| FROM DAN GOTTLIEB ||| In June of 2024, my wife was assaulted in the parking lot of Eastsound Water. In October 2024, Eastsound Water’s insurance company acknowledged the claim. In March 2025, the insurer
Olga Strawberry Council annual meeting on Tuesday
||| FROM SELBY LIGHTHILL for OLGA STRAWBERRY COUNCIL ||| The Olga Strawberry Council Board of Directors will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, January 13, beginning at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will include a brief
Letter to Editor | So, you are thinking about investing in silver or gold?
||| FROM ROBERT AUSTIN ||| Some of you may have noticed that the price of gold and silver has gone a little bit crazy, of late. For example, silver, which rarely has changed much in
OICF Leadership, Excellence, Advancement, and Development (LEAD) grant program application period now open
||| FROM KIM WEST ACTKINSON for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| The Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) is excited to announce that applications are now being accepted for the Winter 2026 Leadership, Excellence, Advancement, and
Library features works of Jessie McConville
||| FROM ANDREA COHEN for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Library is exhibiting the work of artist Jessie McConville in the month of January. Jessie has titled her show Always Something, because, she says, “there is
Chair yoga, ukulele, fidget quilts at Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Ukulele Kanikipila: Join the Musical Fun Experience the joy of making music at Ukulele Kanikipila, Hawaiian for "play music," Mondays from 1 to 3 p.m. at
Orcas student, Thurmond Russell earns silver medal in Bach Festival International
||| FROM MICHELE RUSSELL ||| Thurmond Russell, age 17, competed in the 2025 Bach Festival International in October, earning a silver medal for his age group in the Historically Informed Peformance Category. He chose to
Rep. Alex Ramel | When D.C. pulls back, WA steps up
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. ALEX RAMEL ||| Ahead of the 2026 legislative session, my colleagues and I are staying focused on what matters most to our community: affordability, a fair tax system, and
