Here’s a thought…
“If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.”
WILLIAM L. MCKNIGHT
Governor Ferguson announces plan to restore Washington State Ferries to full service by this summer
Delay is part of plan to fully restore domestic ferry service by this summer ||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR BOB FERGUSON ||| SEATTLE – Governor Bob Ferguson announced today he will delay hybrid-electric conversion for two of the state’s largest ferries, putting Washington on the path to restoring full domestic
Jury excused for March 10-21, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: MARCH 10-21, 2025 For the jury period beginning Monday, March 10th through Friday March 21st, all jurors are excused.
San Juan County rejoins the Northwest Clean Air Agency
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is pleased to announce that it has rejoined the Northwest Clean Air Agency (NWCAA) in an effort to better monitor air quality, collect local data, and provide resources to islanders. The final decision came in December of 2024 with the official start
Guest Opinion | My Constitutional Oath remains binding and honored since 1956
||| FROM SAN OLSON, VETERAN||| I was in grade school during WWII, a teenager during Korea and a young adult serving my country in our next war. It is unbelievable that the party of my grandfather, father and my younger self would select and enable a leader who would turn
Vashon Island reacts to Ferguson WSF announcement
||| FROM AMY DRYER for VASHON CHAMBER ||| Vashon Island, WA – At a press conference this morning, Governor Bob Ferguson announced a major win for ferry-served communities: Washington State Ferries (WSF) will restore full service to domestic routes starting this June. That will include the Triangle Route, including Vashon, Fauntleroy,
Guest Opinion | Vote yes on upcoming ballot measure to keep our Health Clinic operating
||| FROM MIKE MILLER ||| The upcoming April election contains a vital measure to continue funding our health clinic. I propose we should all vote Yes. Why? First some back story. For those of you that want a challenging and often thankless job – the role of Health District Commissioner
Bill would allow people to sue Washington cities and counties over public camping bans
||| FROM CAMERON SHEPPARD for TACOMA NEW TRIBUNE ||| The Washington Legislature is considering a bill that would allow cities and counties to be sued for enforcing any ban on public camping that is not considered “objectively reasonable.” While advocates for those living unhoused in Washington say the bill would
Canoe Island Music Camp with JP and the OK Rhythm Boys
||| FROM ANITA ORNE ||| Registration is now open for Canoe Island Music Camp 2025! Join JP and the OK Rhythm Boys for a weekend of music and fun on Canoe Island, May 3-4. The trio will offer workshops for guitar, uke, bass, mandolin, fiddle, voice, squap dance, saw, ensemble
New monthly card game at Orcas Senior Center – ‘Karma’
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Starting Thursday, March 13, recent Orcas Senior Center members Mark Ferrari and his mom, Jackie Ferrari, will host a new monthly card game at the center. Karma is a fun, fast-paced, and easy-to-learn game that always brings surprises—no two games end
Call for artists at Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| The Visual Arts Committee (VAC) of Orcas Center welcomes artists of all genres to participate in the next community show: Art and The Elements, with Featured Artist Peter Olesen in the lobby. Installation Day: Thursday, March 20, 10:15am – 12pm Art Opening:
Time to share your Irish-ness in upcoming parade
||| FROM KAREN KEY ||| On Monday, March 17th EVERYONE is Irish! Wear your green and join your island friends and neighbors for a brief but beloved island event - the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. If you want to bring props, decorate a float, ride in a car -
SJC Monthly News Digest – February 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Prioritizing Accessibility & Connectivity, San Juan County Launches Newsletters & Website Update San Juan County is pleased to announce new ways to stay connected to news and events as well as easier access to online information. Based on feedback from the 2024 Communications Survey,
Me and Anna down in the backyard
||| FROM KEN WOOD ||| On a grey day in early February, while standing quietly in my snowy garden, I was surprised to hear a hummingbird zoom overhead and followed the sound to find a fluffed-up female Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) perched on the tip of a branch of the crabapple
Trump moves to increase logging in National Forests
The president wants to circumvent environmental regulations to expand timber production, something sought by homebuilders and the construction industry. ||| FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ||| President Trump has promised to “drill, baby, drill.” Now, he also wants to log. On Saturday, Mr. Trump directed federal agencies to examine ways
Public Meeting | Land Bank using prescribed fires to manage wildfire risks & restore ecosystems
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| A consortium of organizations is researching prescribed fire as a tool to reduce wildfire fuels in the San Juan Islands. Studies indicate that fire occurred every 6–15 years before Euro-American contact, with the Coast Salish people using controlled burns to maintain ecosystems for
Jury duty cancelled for March 3 – 7
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| For the jury period beginning Monday, March 3 through Friday March 7, all jurors are now excused.
