Here’s a thought…
“Peace is not something we ask for — it’s something we practice, together.”
WALK FOR PEACE
San Juan County 2025 Year-In-Review | Housing projects, dental clinics, infrastructure updates & more
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is proud to present the 2025 Year-In-Review, highlighting key accomplishments, notable projects, and the breadth of programs and services provided to island communities. The public is encouraged to access the document on the County website by scrolling the PDF below,
Community Foundation | Reflections of generosity
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| As 2025 draws to a close, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the care and generosity you've shown throughout this year. Your contributions have made Orcas Island the strong and resilient community it is today. Together, we've navigated
2026 community dental clinic dates announced
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Health & Community Services (HCS) is excited to announce the dates for the 2026 Community Dental Clinics on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Islands. Community Dental Clinics serve people on Medicaid or those who do not have dental insurance and
Guest Opinion | EWUA continues to seek off-island contractors
||| FROM CORY HARRINGTON ||| As EWUA continues to lose operators they seek off-island contractors to fill vacant positions. There is already one contractor in place, this will be the 2nd. Eastsound Water is working around the employees unionization efforts by trying to hire contractors. Their new job posting on
End-of-year town hall recap with Councilmember Fuller | County priorities, challenges, & what’s ahead
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| On December 4, 2025, San Juan County Councilmember Jane Fuller, District 3, hosted a Town Hall meeting at the Lopez Community Center. During this event, councilmember Fuller shared updates with the Lopez community about current County issues, outlined plans for the County in
Port of Orcas will meet today
||| FROM CHIP LONG for PORT OF ORCAS ||| The Port of Orcas Board of Commissioners will hold a Special Meeting on Monday, January 5th at 4:00 p.m. in-person at the airport terminal. The Agenda can be found at portoforcas.com.
‘Coffee with Kari’ offers islanders on San Juan time with Councilmember
Light refreshments will be served, so drop in, mingle, and engage with your community! ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| District 1 Council representative Kari McVeigh is kicking off the new year by hosting ‘Coffee With Kari’ – an opportunity to ask questions, hear the latest County news, and
Announcement of 2026 Orcas Island Garden Club grant opportunity
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| The Orcas Island Garden Club annually funds projects within the community that represent the core values of the club including inspiring beauty in nature, educating our community and ourselves through expert speakers and hands-on learning, and inspiring us to care for the land
Adrift | Just back from an adventure with caring strangers
||| ADRIFT BY LIN MCNULTY, theORCASONIAN EDITOR ||| I've just spent an unexpected week at St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham. Time to get back to work, I guess.
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.
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.
As the Paradigm Shifts | The love that arrives because of you
||| AS THE PARADIGM SHIFTS by ROSIE KUHN ||| Yes, We Need a Little Christmas, and a little Hanukkah, and a little Solstice, and a little … A few years ago, just days before Christmas, I came home from town after a lovely visit with friends. When I walked through the
New impact report on Salish Sea & the San Juan Islands
||| FROM AYN GAILEY for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| “It’s so important to celebrate natural beauty and to rise to the occasion to protect it,” says National Geographic photographer and Friends member Robert Dash. His words and moving photos open Friends of the San Juans’ new 2021–2025 Impact report—and they
Is there something for you at Orcas Senior Center?
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Discover your Artistic Side With a background in teaching classes at the Funhouse Commons, Orcas Island Parks and Recreation, Poppie's, and Orcas Island School District and a history of art contest victories, most recently for the San Juan County Luci B
Sheriff’s Report | December 10 – 16, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10 25-008391 Trespassing 09:55:28 12/10/25 I received a report from the Port of Friday Harbor wanting to trespass people from the Port property. Trespass letters were issued. 25-008393 Death Investigation 10:01:17 12/10/25 A citizen reported finding a human body in
Illuminating Togetherness
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| This may have been one of the most challenging years for nonprofits across the country, with uncertainty still ahead. Together on Orcas Island, we have supplied much needed light and brightness for nonprofits, supporting opportunity and well-being for the whole
