Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Port Commissioners will meet tomorrow
||| FROM PORT OF ORCAS ||| The Port of Orcas Board of Commissioners will hold a Regular Meeting on Monday, February 24th at 5:00 p.m. online via Zoom and in-person at the airport terminal conference room. Access and agenda information can be found at portoforcas.com.
Puffs – A show at Orcas Center for anyone NOT destined to save the world
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Puffs: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, opens this week at Orcas Center for six shows only from February 28 – March 9. Directed by Jamey Moriarty and staring an all-local cast, you won’t want to
Upcoming Senior Center classes
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Fall Prevention Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance® Class at Orcas Senior Center Join Karol Wilson, DPT, for a three month fall prevention Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance® class at Orcas Senior Center. Karol, a Doctor of Physical
Midnight Mutterings | Report from Bellingham
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES, AKA GRANDCHILDLESS CAT LADY ||| Rose the Cat here. My sister Molly and I have agreed to be guest columnists for Jackie’s regular column. She complains bitterly about how hard it is to write a column and we’re here to show her how easy
Until my last breath, I will not back down
||| FROM DEMOCRACY DOCKET ||| Elon Musk attacked democracy defender and superstar court lawyer Marc Elias as “undermining civilization,” taunting him by asking if he suffered “generational trauma.” Elias’s response was brilliant and worth amplifying: Mr. Musk, You recently criticized me and another prominent lawyer fighting for the rule of
After 10,000 years, let’s bury the plow
No-till farming reduces need for fertilizers and pesticides, and promotes soil health and biodiversity. ||| FROM WASHINGTON POST ||| Since the first farmers tilled the soil more than 10,000 years ago, the plow has been the essential tool of human survival. In the Bible, Isaiah told the people to beat
Sheriff’s Report | February 12 – 18, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 25-000824 Property Damage, Non Vandalism 10:17:02 02/12/25 A Lopez Island Deputy was dispatched to Property Damage. The incident was investigated and documented. 25-000835 Property Damage, Non Vandalism 16:10:42 02/12/25 An Orcas Island Deputy investigated property damage near the West
All about the good
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| We are all thawed out, some businesses return from their hibernation and little signs of new life are appearing in pockets all over the island. Spring is around the corner! These pockets of ideas, energy, and genuine care continually propel us
Latest from Lekanoff
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF DEBRA LEKANOFF ||| Washington State is confronting a projected budget deficit of $4.35 billion for the 2025-27 biennium and $6.7 billion for 2027-29. This challenge arises as state spending outpaces tax collections, a trend recognized in the supplemental budget approved last session. Governor Inslee outlined his 2025 budget before leaving
Enjoy this Daffodil Frolic at SJI Sculpture Park
||| FROM KRISTEN ARNIM for SJI SCULPTURE PARK ||| Come celebrate a Spring at the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park! Visit the park and enjoy our fifth annual "Daffodil Frolic" with over 9,000 Daffodils and thousands of Irises to follow. (Sorry - the deer eat Tulips.) It is the perfect
Guest Opinion | May we each continue to support one another
||| FROM PAUL FREEDMAN ||| At a time when many in our community and across the country are living in fear, it feels critical for our local community-based organizations to unequivocally state their values. In particular the climate of intolerance and the overt assault on the rights of certain groups
New walk-on ferry routes across Puget Sound readied to sail if funded
The possibility of a modern-day Mosquito Fleet is under discussion in the Washington Legislature, but it’s unclear if there’ll be the cash to launch. ||| FROM WASHINGTON STANDARD ||| People who live on Puget Sound islands painted an enticing vision for the Washington Legislature this week of a modern-day Mosquito
WSF Weekly Report | Black history month; terminal repair work; kudos for SJ route
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on the stories and contributions of Black Americans. Many played key roles in shaping the maritime industry despite not always being afforded opportunities for which they were qualified, including
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.
90 dolphins stranded in Australia are being euthanised
Here's why they can't be saved ||| FROM SCIENCE ALERT ||| Wildlife rangers will Wednesday begin shooting 90 dolphins stranded on a remote Australian beach, saying the stressed creatures would be euthanised after attempts to refloat them failed. Tasmania's environment department said only 90 survived by Wednesday afternoon, growing increasingly
OPALCO candidates announced
Vote in OPALCO's election! Voters eligible to win prizes! ||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| The OPALCO election opens March 5 th and the Co-op will be hosting a Candidate Forum on that same day so co- op members can meet the candidates. As a
