Here’s a thought…
“If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.”
WILLIAM L. MCKNIGHT
He’s back…and there will be the sound of music…
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY ||| Please join Orcas Choral Society Director Bruce Langford at the Orcas Island Public Library as he continues his Quasi-Accurate Description of Music History in March. Bruce throws back the curtain on the Classical and Romantic periods, including the fascinating lives of its
Adrift | Looking for a new home
||| ADRIFT by LIN MCNULTY, ORCASONIAN EDITOR ||| I first set foot on Orcas Island in December 1990 for a company Christmas celebration at Rosario Resort. The environmental consulting firm I worked for terminated my employment shortly after that gathering because they were not impressed with my choice of venue.
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.
Willow cultivation and crafting by Maria Bullock
||| FROM PERRI GIBBONS for ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Please join us on Wednesday, March 19th at the Orcas Center when the Orcas Island Garden Club welcomes Maria Bullock to speak about cultivating willow for basket weaving. In this presentation Maria will share her experience of cultivating willow
County to test vote counting equipment in March
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Elections office will be holding a “Logic and Accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used for the County’s April 22, 2025, Special election. The test is scheduled for March 18, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Logic and accuracy testing is a
Christopher Peacock named next Executive Director of Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival
||| FROM MARY TAYLOR for ORCAS ISLAND CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL ||| The Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival (OICMF) is delighted to announce the appointment of Christopher Peacock as its next Executive Director. Peacock will step into the role following the retirement of Anita Orne, who will conclude her tenure in
4.5 magnitude earthquake strikes Orcas Island
||| FROM KOMO-TV NEWS ||| If you felt some shaking while making your Monday morning coffee, you weren't imagining things. People across western Washington felt it, too. At 5:02 a.m., a 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck near the town of Olga on Orcas Island, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN). The
Island Expressions art show now at Orcas Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Visit Orcas Senior Center (OSC) from March 3 through April 25, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., to experience Island Expressions—a vibrant showcase featuring three talented local artists: John Ehrmantraut, Marj Franke, and Barbara Wixom. John Ehrmantraut, known for
Grannie’s Attic 2.0 | A treasure hunt awaits
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Mark your calendar for the exciting return of Grannie’s Attic 2.0 at Orcas Senior Center on Saturday, April 26! This community-favorite event is better than ever, featuring artisan booths alongside household items, vintage finds, tools, collectibles, and more. Reserve Your Booth:
Orcas Artist Studio Tour issues call for artists
||| FROM ZOE OSENBACH for ORCAS ARTIST STUDIO TOUR ||| Registration is now open for the 2025 Orcas Artist Studio Tour! The tour will take place on August 8, 9, and 10. Now in its 14th year, the Orcas Artist Studio Tour exists to share the creative processes and studio
Coming to Odd Fellows kitchen | Kainan Kitchen and The Kitchen
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ODD FELLOWS HALL ||| Kainan Kitchen Filipino Take Out will be open for lunch on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Odd Fellows Hall from 11:00-4:30. Healthy and delicious food will be served downstairs in the kitchen. Charles and Jasmine are opening The Kitchen for take
Island Market is the big cheese
||| FROM JANET BROWNELL for ORCAS ISLAND EDUCATION FOUNDATION ||| Congratulations to Island Market – winner of the Orcas Island Education Foundation's 2025 Grilled Cheese Showdown. Their “Hot Lunch Jam” (Orcas Bakery sourdough, Girl Meets Dirt Hot Damn Pepper Jam, gruyere, Cypress Grove fromage blanc, arugula, and bacon) was favorite
In the “dancing plague” of 1518, hundreds of people danced uncontrollably for two months
||| FROM HISTORY FACTS ||| The phrase “dance the night away” took on a more literal meaning back in 1518, when as many as 400 people were struck by a “dancing plague” in the city of Strasbourg in modern France. The epidemic began in July with a single woman known
Guest Opinion | Men from Mars
The president should try being as kind to America’s friend as he is to Putin ||| FROM MICHAEL RIORDAN ||| I WILL NEVER FORGET my first and only encounter with Trump. It occurred in May 1987 at a publication party for him and his book The Art of the Deal at Caesar’s
Invitation to Climate COMPASS: Your voice matters
||| FROM CHOM GREACEN ||| Join us on one of the following dates for Climate COMPASS—an interactive community event designed to shape the future of San Juan County! Lopez: Friday February 21st, 6-8 PM at Lopez Center for Community and the Arts Shaw: Monday March 3rd, 3.30-5.30 PM at Shaw Community
Pea Patch Community Campus update
Project Updates and Presentation on Solar Microgrid Study ||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for PEA PATCH COMMUNITY CAMPUS ||| The Pea Patch Community Campus continues to take shape behind the scenes with site planning, permitting and preparations for a fundraising campaign. Please join us for a report on the project and
