Here’s a thought…
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and the government when it deserves it.”
MARK TWAIN
Council will meet on Lopez March 25
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Council will hold its regularly scheduled March 25 meeting on Lopez Island. The public is invited to join the three councilmembers and County staff at the meeting at the Lopez Center for the Community beginning at 10:00am. What: San Juan
San Juan County Point in Time unhoused count results
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The 2025 San Juan County “Point-In Time” (PIT) Unhoused Count identified 69 unhoused people who have no stable place to live. This is up from the 59 unhouse people identified in 2024. The Washington State mandated count was conducted on Jan. 30, 2025,
Deer Harbor Charters expands to Brandt’s Landing Marina
||| FROM DEER HARBOR CHARTERS ||| Deer Harbor Charters has expanded their operations on Orcas Island, Wash. to include a new location at Brandt’s Landing Marina in Eastsound at Northbeach in addition to their existing location in Deer Harbor Marina. Since 1988, the locally owned company has offered whale watching,
Guest Opinion | Health Care District temporary levy lid lift — A financial perspective
||| FROM TREY HOLLAND ||| Prior to 2018, it was difficult, if not impossible, to operate a profitable medical office on Orcas Island because of the high percentage of Medicare and Medicaid patients and the low reimbursement rates paid to healthcare providers who treated those patients. Orcas Island Health Care
Rep. Lekanoff to sponsor 2025 Pea Patch capital request town hall
||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for PEA PATCH COMMUNITY CAMPUS ||| Representative Debra Lekanoff will be on Orcas Island on Saturday, March 15 th from 5:00 – 6:00 pm at the Eastsound Fire Hall to discuss the 2025 legislative session and answer questions. “The 2025 legislative session has presented significant challenges,
Orcas Island churches invite community to Lenten prayer and soup dinners
||| FROM CAROL KULMINSKI for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH ||| As Lent begins—a season of reflection and preparation leading up to Easter—churches around Orcas Island are coming together for evenings of prayer, fellowship, and soup dinners. Beginning next week, all are invited to gather for a time of prayer at
Reminder: Cultural Access Program sales tax effective April 1, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Treasurer’s Office is providing a reminder to the public and local businesses of an upcoming increase to sales tax in San Jaun County. A 1/10th of 1% sales tax will be enacted on April 1, 2025, to support a new Cultural
Contra Dance coming to Odd Fellows
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ODD FELLOWS HALL ||| There will be a Contra Dance on Saturday, March 15 at the Odd Fellows Hall from 7-9pm. Caller, Sherry Nevins and the Electrodes, will walk through each dance. All ages and all skill levels are welcome to wear their best twirling
Lawmakers propose $50 million for passenger ferries
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD ||| Missed doctor appointments. Hours-long delays. Students unable to get to school. These are just a few of the issues fueling a bill to expand passenger-only ferries in Washington. Since 2020, businesses and local communities on Vashon Island struggled with the ongoing ferry crisis, said
Spring cleaning tips for your boat
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| As the days grow longer and warmer, San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship is pleased to share a few spring cleaning tips with boat owners. Before jumping on the boat for your first spring adventure, it’s wise to make sure your vessel
Local OCS graduate places 4th in Leukemia Fire Fighter Stair Climb
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| The Billings Fire Department placed 12th out of 226 Fire Department Teams from across the United States and a few European Countries in the Leukemia Stair Climb. This event is the largest Fire Fighting event of the year as over 2000 participants raise money
Local Food Access | Nourishing our community
||| FROM MEGAN METCALF for ORCAS COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER ||| Access to healthy, affordable food is essential for a thriving community. Here on Orcas Island, we're fortunate to have a robust network of programs and resources designed to ensure that no islander goes hungry. March is National Nutrition Month, and
Public meeting on prescribed fire in the San Juan Islands
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK ||| 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
Ferry Alert | Ana/SJs-Additional Thursday sailings on Anacortes/San Juan Islands route
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| To accommodate heavy westbound traffic, we will operate additional afternoon service the next two Thursday afternoons on the Anacortes-San Juan Islands route. The route will run a Friday schedule on: Thursday, March 13, 2025 Thursday, March 20, 2025 This schedule change will add the
Garden Club launches Project Blossom
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| The Orcas Island Garden Club is sponsoring a citizen science project called Project Blossom. Orcas has many microclimates that affect the bloom time of flowers. This project will help gardeners understand the differences unique to their neighborhoods. In October, we were able to
Your local health department, answering your questions about measles
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| In West Texas there is a large measles outbreak. The outbreak is severe and, tragically, one unvaccinated and otherwise healthy school-aged child and an unvaccinated adult died in this outbreak. Cases and outbreaks are popping up around the country, including in Washington state.
