Here’s a thought…
“We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying.”
DOUGLAS ADAMS
Queer Valentine Day Dance is today
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND PRIDE |||
Orcas Christian School students give back during Community Service Day
||| FROM LILIANNA STANFORD for ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| On Jan. 23, 2026, Orcas Christian School students participated in a campuswide “Service Day,”dedicating their time to community improvement projects across Eastsound. Kindergarten through second-grade students worked at Buck Park, where they assisted the youth soccer program by inflating deflated soccer
Building the Team | San Juan County welcomes a new public defender
Garth McCardle stepped into the role the first week of February ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is pleased to welcome a new Public Defender, Garth McCardle, to the team. McCardle stepped into the role the first week of February. Public Defender Garth McCardle is the
Guest Opinion | A thousand days of chaos
||| FROM TOM OWENS ||| The Members, Board of Directors, and Staff of the Eastsound Water Users Association have endured a thousand days of chaos. The origins of this chaos are well-documented in our island publications and need not be revisited. However, the ongoing consequences of the chaos must be
Library friends seeks volunteers and board growth
||| FROM MICHAEL ARMENIA for FRIENDS OF ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Friends of the Orcas Island Library is having a meet and greet this Friday, 12-2 PM in the Library’s Community Meeting Room. Did you know this is the 70th Anniversary of the Orcas Island Library Fair? We think
SJC seeks pro & con committee members for Voter’s Guide levy lid lift statements
If interested in serving on one of the committees, please contact the County before February 19, 2026 ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is seeking volunteers to write supporting and opposing statements regarding the proposed regular property tax levy lid lift, which will be placed on
Jurors excused for February 17 – 20
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: FEBRUARY 17-20, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the jury term beginning Tuesday, February 17th through Friday, February 20th, 2026, are excused. Thank you!
News Brief | ICE begins buying ‘mega’ warehouse detention centers across US
||| FROM BLOOMBERG NEWS ||| Despite protests in small towns and cities across the US, the Trump administration is pushing ahead with the purchase of warehouses it plans to convert into immigration jails in what could be the largest expansion of such detention capacity in US history. The cost for
Letter to Editor | Awash in water bills
||| FROM MICHAEL RIORDAN ||| Is anyone else aghast at their January water bills? Ours came in at just over $100, despite using a piddling (puddling?) 2927 gallons — less than 100 gallons per day for just two people, or 3.4 cents per gallon. That included a whopping base rate
Larsen fights drug trafficking, funds public safety, addiction recovery
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U .S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| Today, Rep. Larsen released the following statement about actions within the Fiscal Year 2026 government funding bills to combat the opioid epidemic in Northwest Washington: “The opioid crisis has devastated families and communities in Northwest Washington, and while we
Maintaining health, safety & community services | Council places levy lid lift on April ballot
Council voted to place a levy lid lift on the April Special Election ballot ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Today, the San Juan County Council adopted a resolution to place a levy lid lift initiative on the April 28 special election ballot. The regular property tax levy lid
HB 2395 Update | Full steam ahead into the season
||| FROM DARREN AUSTIN for ONBUOY ||| I wanted to share a brief update on HB 2395 and what it means going forward. As some of you may have heard, the bill did not make it out of committee this session and will not advance to the House floor this
Larsen demands ICE oversight and accountability
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U .S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| The Trump Administration's brutal occupation of American communities with armed, masked agents must end immediately. Congress has a responsibility to defend the American people from this lawlessness. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle must unite in this effort
News Brief | Orcas are drowning in noise
Turn down the volume to turn up orca survival ||| FROM GEORGIA STRAIGHT ALLIANCE ||| The frequency of sound emitted depends on a vessel’s engine type, propeller design, speed and distance from wildlife. The temperature and salinity of the water can also impact underwater noise. All these factors make noise
Letter to Editor | Questions for OPALCO Board
||| FROM RIKKI SWIN ||| Krista, Thank you for taking these questions for the Feb 10 online board meeting: Solar Panels for Bailer Hill What was the total cost of the solar panels purchased for the Bailer Hill project? When were they purchased, and who authorized the expenditure prior to securing full
Orcas Island Public Library hosts Movie Night Bingo at Emmanuel
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Island Public Library invites the community to a fun and interactive Movie Night Bingo on Friday, February 13 at 6:00 p.m. at the Episcopal Parish Hall. Participants will watch the beloved romantic comedy Notting Hill while playing bingo
