Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Updates from The Exchange
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND RECYCLING/THE EXCHANGE ||| Household Hazardous Waste Clean-up in March Another Springtime tradition: Cleanout the toxins! On March 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. bring us your chemicals—everything from cleaning supplies to pesticides to epoxies. Bring us anything BUT the following: No gasoline or other liquid
In Memoriam | Nancy Carol Frey, 1953 – 2024
UPDATED “We will be holding a Viking-themed Celebration of Life to honor Nancy’s memory, and we would love for family, friends, and members of the community to join us in tribute to her love for Viking culture. We invite you to celebrate with Viking attire or come dressed comfortably.” |||
Forest Service loses billions subsidizing logging, not cleaning outhouses
||| FROM THE WILDLIFE NEWS ||| We have all read about the thousands of Forest Service employees Elon Musk laid off without cause in Trump’s reckless attempt to cut the Federal budget by $2 trillion. Unfortunately, many of those laid off were minimally-paid seasonal employees who clean outhouses, maintain campgrounds,
Goodbye, El Capitan | Islands Oil Spill Association in action
||| FROM ELAINA THOMPSON and BILL SYMES for ISLANDS' OIL SPILL ASSOCIATION ||| The San Juan Islands’ miles of beautiful shoreline are amongst their greatest attractions to residents and visitors alike, but also one of their greatest vulnerabilities. With ever-increasing traffic of both pleasure boats and commercial vessels in the
Larsen votes against the Republican rip-off
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the below statement after voting against the Republican budget. The budget passed by a final vote of 217 to 215 and now heads to the Senate for consideration. "The Republican budget betrays the
LWVSJ Observer Corps | County Council February 25, 2025
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| At a February 19 special meeting as requested by the organizing committee, the council removed the proposition for a Parks District on Lopez from the April 22 ballot. On February 25, the new risk and safety manager, emergency preparedness coordinator and victim
Health Care District Board to meet tomorrow
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT BOARD ||| Board Meeting - February 26, 2025 The Orcas Island Health Care District Board will hold a regularly scheduled board meeting on Wednesday, February 26th from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room at the Orcas Island Library, 500 Rose Street, Eastsound. The agenda and
Local businesses unite to support Orcas Island Public School Music Program
||| FROM SHARON HO for MUSIC ADVOCACY GROUP ||| Three iconic Main Street establishments in Eastsound Village—Darvill’s Bookstore, Pawki’s Pet Store, and New Leaf Café—are partnering throughout March to support the Music Advocacy Group (MAG) in enhancing music education for Orcas Island public school students. From March 1st through March
Rep. Larsen and Sen. Cantwell to Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration: Fund the Pipeline Safety Trust
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| BELLINGHAM, WA – Yesterday, Rep. Rick Larsen and Sen. Maria Cantwell sent a letter to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Associate Administrator Ben Kochman expressing their strong opposition to purported plans to withhold funds for a 2025 Technical Assistance Grant
Rescheduled Bruce Pavitt program
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Bruce Pavitt is a cultural icon and founder of Seattle’s Sub Pop, the record label that first discovered Nirvana, Soundgarden and Mudhoney. Few people have influenced music & popular culture as much as Bruce Pavitt. As founder of Sub Pop fanzine &
A rare alignment of 7 planets is taking place in the sky this week
||| FROM SCIENCE ALERT ||| A very rare treat is about to grace Earth's night skies. On the evening of 28 February 2025, all seven of the other planets in the Solar System will appear in the night sky at the same time, with Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars all lining up in a
FREE Best of the Fest Night of award-winning short documentaries
||| FROM ELLEN ROBERTS for FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL ||| Join us for a night of award-winning short documentaries, featuring captivating stories and a filmmaker Q&A at the SJI Grange on Friday, February 28 at 7 pm. Friday Harbor Film Festival’s Best of the Fest Series will screen Managed to
High winds expected to impact WSF service until tomorrow morning
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| All ferry passengers should be prepared for possible service disruptions starting this afternoon through tomorrow morning due to high winds. Anacortes/San Juan Islands and Port Townsend/Coupeville routes: With stronger winds in the north, we expect these routes to be most impacted by severe weather. This could include
RIP: Bills that didn’t survive the WA Legislature’s first major deadline
A slew of measures are done for the year. More will be on the chopping block next week. ||| FROM THE WASHINGTON STANDARD ||| Bills dealing with cow burps, the state flag, and changes to police traffic stop standards are among the first to land in the legislative graveyard this
Wind gusts up to 50mph expected thru Tuesday morning
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Seattle WA 227 PM PST Sun Feb 23 2025 San Juan County-Western Whatcom County-Southwest Interior-Western Skagit County-Everett and Vicinity-Tacoma Area-Admiralty Inlet Area-Hood Canal Area-Lower Chehalis Valley Area-Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca-Western Strait of Juan De Fuca-East
What does it mean to home harden?
||| FROM THE WILDLIFE NEWS ||| I have written numerous critiques of the current fire policies that primarily focus on hinterland fuel reduction by logging and prescribed burning. While some limited use of these strategies has a place in reducing fire risk to homes, the main emphasis should be on
