Here’s a thought…
“Peace is not something we ask for — it’s something we practice, together.”
WALK FOR PEACE
Big wins for Orcas Senior Center | USDA roof funding and GiveOrcas success
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| We’re thrilled to announce that Orcas Senior Center will receive $165,000 in USDA funding in 2026 to help replace our aging roof! This incredible support is thanks to U.S. Representative Rick Larsen’s advocacy for our earmark in the Continuing Appropriations Act
Wingspan game day coming to Odd Fellows Hall
||| FROM WOODY CISKOWSKI for ORCAS PUBLIC LIBRARY || Are you a birder, a board gamer, or (ideally) both? The Orcas Public Library, in collaboration with the Odd Fellows Hall, is excited to present Wingspan Day! Released in 2019, the board game Wingspan has attracted players with its wealth of
As the Paradigm Shifts | A gentle dismantling of poor them, lucky me
Seeing the courage, not the victim ||| AS THE PARADIGM SHIFTS by ROSIE KUHN ||| I’ve been listening lately—really listening—to how I talk about those who are struggling. People who lost their jobs. People standing in Food Bank lines. People with diseases. People torn open by war, weather, or whatever
Etch A Sketch Circle
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR ||| Starting January 8, shake the cobwebs off your creativity at the Senior Center! Join the Etch A Sketch Circle with Anita Orne of AnitASketch every Thursday at 1:30 p.m. for a fun hour of art and conversation. Each session begins with a
Midnight Mutterings | Thinking about Japan: Part 3
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| Kyoko and her family moved to a less expensive house after a year or so, and as a result, we saw less of each other, without the convenience of next door proximity. Yuki was growing up and I had left my job in
OPAL purchases Crosswind Apartments
Another eight rentals affordable for households of moderate and middle incomes ||| FROM QASIM ALI DINO for OPAL COMMUNITY LAND TRUST ||| Eight more apartments on Orcas Island will become permanently affordable rentals with OPAL Community Land Trust’s purchase of the Crosswind Apartments. Thanks to the generosity of a family
Free America Walkout
||| FROM INDIVISIBLE SAN JUAN ISLANDS ||| Indivisible San Juan Islands rallies residents to join the national mass-mobilization walkout, Free America, Tuesday, January 20, 2026, organized by the Women’s March. We will walk out of work, school, and commerce because a Free America begins the moment we stop cooperating with
Keeping what holds us | An Island Stewards reflection from the week of Solstice
||| FROM ISLAND STEWARDS ||| The week of the solstice arrives without settling. Weather moves back and forth. Forecast models disagree. Neighborhoods and infrastructure on the mainland are already damaged by flooding, while the possibility of snow here hangs unresolved, and the winds of change blow wild and continual as
Sheriff’s Report | December 17 – 30, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17 25-008558 Trespassing 10:44:01 12/17/25 An Orcas Island Deputy responded to a trespassing incident in the downtown Eastsound area. The Deputy learned that the landlord wanted his tenant trespassed from the property that the tenant is renting. The incident was
2026 applications now open for Dakota Creek Industries marine trades apprenticeship program
||| FROM CARRIE KING for DAKOTA CREEK INDUSTRIES ||| Dakota Creek Industries, Inc. is now accepting applications for its Marine Trades Apprenticeship Program. This paid program combines hands-on, on-the-job training in a working shipyard with structured classroom instruction, creating a direct pathway into long-term, family-wage maritime careers. Apprentices work alongside
Roller skating is back on Orcas
||| FROM ALICIA WIGFIELD |||
Wolfchild in concert at Orcas Center to kick off New Year
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Wolfchild is a Portland, Ore.-based Cinematic Folk Rock band with influences ranging from the immersive earthy sounds of Gregory Alan Isakov, Lord Huron, and The Paper Kites to the contemporary experimentation you might expect from Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, or Andrew
SJC Monthly News Digest | December 2025
This column is part of a series detailing San Juan County’s recent news. Follow along each month to learn about important County projects, Council initiatives, department updates, and more. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| County Council Passes 2026 Budget but Prepares for Ongoing Financial Discussions in 2027 During
Jury Duty? Check here
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JANUARY 5-16, 2026 Jurors in groups 4, 5, 6 and 7 who were summonsed for the jury period beginning Monday January 5th through January 16th, are to report for jury duty on Wednesday January 7th at 8:30 am in the lobby
Update on Con’s Pit Stop and call for proposals
||| FROM EMILIE ROBINSON for CON'S PIT STOP ||| Con’s Pit Stop closed last month, following an announcement on social media. We are now inviting proposals as we determine next steps for both the business and the building. Con’s has been a vital resource for full time islanders for many
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,
