Here’s a thought…
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and the government when it deserves it.”
MARK TWAIN
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
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
