Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
Island blood drives coming up on June 3rd & 4th
||| FROM BLOODWORKS NW ||| Did you know only 3% of us donate blood each year? Summer blood shortages are real, and you can help save lives in our local hospitals by rolling up your sleeve. To celebrate your blood donation this June, you can enter for a chance to
Systemwide community ferry meetings coming up
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| On Wednesday, May 21 and Thursday, May 22, we will host two virtual community meetings. At the meetings, we'll outline plans for summer service, provide project updates, and invite public input on the Washington State Transportation Commission’s fare proposals. Both meetings will cover the
Odd Fellows community potluck this Saturday
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ORCAS ODD FELLOWS ||| There will be a community potluck at the Odd Fellows Hall on Saturday May 17 from 5-7. Everyone is invited. This potluck is intended for the community to get together, celebrate spring, share a meal, connect, laugh, maybe make some music,
Emergency maintenance power outage scheduled for tonight, countywide
Starting Tuesday, May 13 @ 11:00 pm until 7 am on May 14 ||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| All of San Juan County will be affected by an emergency power outage from our mainland power supplier to do critical maintenance on the system that
Guest Opinion | What are we really protecting?
||| FROM ISLAND STEWARDS ||| Island Stewards began this year with a simple belief: the future of the San Juan Islands should be shaped by those who live here — not just by markets, mandates, or well-funded visions from afar, but by people rooted in place, memory, and responsibility. This
Airhawks Flying Club celebrates two special events in May
||| FROM ROBERT WAUNCH for AIRHAWKS FLYING CLUB ||| The first special event celebrates our very first Airhawks student, Josh Izakson, who participated in our initial introduction class, the Basics of Flight, in 1995. Josh received a scholarship to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado and graduated in 2004.
Tiny artists. Big ideas. See why art class matters.
Without donor support, elementary art classes would not exist. ||| FROM A*OK, ART FOR ORCAS KIDS ||| From paint-splatterings to cardboard self-portraits, Art for Orcas Kids (A*OK) helps over 170 Kindergarten–5th grade students each year express themselves, build confidence, and discover the power of creativity. A*OK bridges the gap between
Free tooth extraction clinic coming up
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF DR. TRIPLETT ||| Dr. Triplett’s dental office at 445 Madrona Street in Eastsound has reserved Wednesday May 28 for free tooth extractions for our Orcas, Shaw, and Waldron residents in financial need. Services are limited to both routine and surgical extractions (including wisdom teeth). At
Monthly Land Bank Commission meeting this Friday, May 16
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold a regular monthly meeting on May 16, 2025 from 8:30am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the San Juan Island Grange, located at
Liberal Oregon and Washington vowed to pioneer green energy. Almost every other state is beating them.
||| FROM PROPUBLICA ||| On Feb. 17, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek released a video assuring Oregonians that Donald Trump would not derail the progressive state’s efforts to combat climate change. As promised during his presidential campaign, Trump had issued executive orders during his first week in office aimed at halting
Friday Night Writes returns to Orcas Library
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Not just another Friday, but a Friday Night Writes! Working on a novel, short story, poem, or song? Please join me and other writers in a creative and supportive space. Hope to see you at the OI Library Friday, May 16th
Boogie down the garden path at Senior Center ‘Let’s Brunch’
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Join us for a delightful twist on a classic game at the Orcas Senior Center’s annual fundraiser, Let’s Brunch!, on Sunday, June 29, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Introducing the Botanical Boogie—a plant-powered version of the traditional cake walk,
The Bachs are coming to Orcas
||| FROM JEFFREY COHAN for SALISH SEA EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL ||| We're off to Frederick the Great's court in Potsdam with concerti with orchestra by illustrious members of his musical establishment, with both harpsichord and flute concerti by CPE Bach, a concerto by Frederick himself and Johann Sebastian Bach's Suite
Goldilocks Gate 2025 | What we heard; let’s dive deeper
||| FROM ISLAND STEWARDS ||| In the first round of our survey, you told us what’s working, what’s not, and what’s on the line. The responses were clear, heartfelt, and striking in their consistency — a collective voice rising from different islands but pointing toward the same crossroads. (View Current
Jake Perrine named Executive Director of Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| The Orcas Center Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Jake Perrine as the new Executive Director of Orcas Center. Perrine succeeds Dimitri Stankevich, whose leadership over the past six years guided the organization through a transformative period of
Funhouse Commons receives $3,000 grant
||| FROM NICOLE SPINOGOTTI for FUNHOUSE COMMONS ||| The Funhouse Commons is honored to announce it has been selected to receive a $3,000 grant from the Robin DiGeorgio Endowment Fund, administered by the Madrona Club. The grant reflects the legacy of Robin DiGeorgio, a beloved Orcas Island resident who lived
