Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
Orcas Island’s Music Advocacy Group invites all to the March 29 concert
||| FROM SHARON HO for MUSIC ADVOCACY GROUP ||| Did you know that 292 students participate in music programs at Orcas Island public schools? The Orcas Island community is invited to fill the Orcas High School gym on Sunday, March 29, at 4 p.m. for a family-friendly benefit concert presented
No Place Like Loam | The pruning mistake creating water sprouts
(and costing you fruit, time, and money) ||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYO WOLF ||| The Problem Made Visible I walk the same roads through Eastsound most mornings. It’s an old habit now. After enough years, a walk like that becomes a way of orienting yourself. Collar up
Letter to Editor | Congratulations to OPALCO … but
||| FROM RIKKI SWIN ||| I extend my sincere congratulations to OPALCO's subsidiary, Rock Island Communications, on securing the $16.5 million BEAD grant to expand broadband connectivity across the San Juan Islands. This funding represents an important step forward for internet access in our community. That said, OPALCO and Rock
OCS Goes to Auburn Academy for Arts Fest
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| The Orcas Christian middle school has recently visited their sister school, Auburn Adventist Academy, for an event called the “Washington Conference Fine Arts Festival.” At the festival, the OCS guitar and choir class was invited to give a performance. The guitar class started with
Spring 2026 Great Islands Clean-Up | Our power, our planet
Join us for the 2026 Spring Great Islands Clean-Up on Saturday, April 18 ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| When islanders work together, small actions add up to big impact. This spring, the community is invited to take part in the 2026 Spring Great Islands Clean-Up on Saturday, April
Poetry | Summon the Buddhas
||| FROM ANJI RINGZIN ||| return from your wanderings open your eyes now to see the two worlds have collided and pulse in tyranny's grip kronos ticks at warp speed his hands ensnared in disorder's web yet you still hope for happiness yes there will be grief but the love,
News Brief | AI and the decline of human agency
||| FROM POPULATION BALANCE ||| AI, under the dangerous control of tech oligarchs, is creating a world with shrinking human choice, creativity, and connection. How tech journalism emphasizes novelty and business profits and amplifies tech companies' hype as journalists seek to maintain access to powerful tech leaders; How profit-driven AI
Larsen announces $17.5 Million investment in Skagit Transit
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement: “Finally! Trump’s Department of Transportation (DOT) released $17.5 million it was holding hostage that will now allow Skagit Transit to move forward with its new Operations facility. I have been
News Brief | Inside the dirty, dystopian world of AI data centers
||| FROM THE ATLANTIC ||| This is Colossus: a data center that Musk’s artificial-intelligence company, xAI, is using as a training ground for Grok, one of the world’s most advanced generative-AI models. Training these models takes a staggering amount of energy; if run at full strength for a year, Colossus
Guest Opinion | Getting ready to tighten our belts
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| Many of us in San Juan County have noticed the same thing over the past decade: life here keeps getting more expensive. Electric bills have climbed. Property taxes have climbed. Groceries, insurance, transportation, building materials—almost everything costs more than it used to. Our local electric
SJC requests qualifications from consultants for Human Services Transportation Plan update
San Juan County Department of Health & Community Services solicits interest from consulting firms with expertise in developing Human Services Transportation Plans (HSTP) ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Department of Health & Community Services solicits interest from consulting firms with expertise in developing Human Services
Poetry | Drumbeat
||| FROM SANDORA HEDRICH ||| Even the mountains weep as humanity keeps the war drum beats alive with death Toxic tears rain a river run fresh rivulets into flesh frayed fragments lace tomorrow’s sorrows As pearls in tidepools promising peace keep silent keep shells closed tight This shellstock shell-shocked holding
Sheriff’s Report | March 4 – 10, 2026
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT ||| WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 26-001270 Parking Problem 11:53:42 03/04/26 An Orcas Island Deputy responded to a parking problem at the Orcas Island ferry terminal Park and Ride. The Deputy learned that a vehicle exceeded the 72-hour abandoned vehicle notice and submitted a request
The Exchange Update | March 2026
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING (THE EXCHANGE) Drifting Dock Highlights Growing Microplastic Risk Last month, residents of Orcas Island responded to an incident involving a drifting dock with deteriorating plastic-wrapped styrofoam floats. The floats were breaking apart and spreading around the beach and into the next cove. The incident sheds light
All-kid production to open at Orcas Center is a hilarious musical romp for all ages
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center is producing an all-kids musical theater show, “How to Eat like a Child.” It’s a comedic crash course on the essential skills of childhood through teen years. Through 23 hilarious lessons, children teach the audience the joys and sorrows
Get your Washington State boating education card
On-Line U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Safety Classes ||| FROM PAMELA CHELGREN-KOTERBA for U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY ||| Bellingham, Wash. – The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Bellingham and San Juan Islands Flotilla offers boaters four opportunities to take an online Washington State Basic Boater Education Course. The course is for
