Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
Letter to Editor | Health Care District support letter
||| FROM HILARY CANTY ||| I am deeply grateful to the Hospital Taxing District for their support of our Community Dental Program. This pilot program provides dental care to neighbors who have medicaid or Apple Health patients, as well as those neighbors with no coverage. The Hospital Taxing District is
WSF Weekly Report | Life-saving Walla Walla crew; new rescue boats; summer reservations start Tuesday
||| FROM JOHN MEZINA for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from John Proud to spend time on Saturday with a group who are vital to providing safe and reliable service but are rarely seen by our customers. Our engine room employees – Chief Engineers, Assistant Engineers, Oilers, and Wipers
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.
New baby spotted in J Pod of endangered Southern Resident orca whales
||| FROM KOMO NEWS ||| There’s new hope in the J Pod of endangered Southern Resident orca whales. A new calf has arrived! On Apr. 6, Center for Whale Research biologist Mark Malleson spotted the J Pod heading west past Victoria Harbour, off Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It was
Community dental clinics update – Lopez clinics start April 24!
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Health & Community Services and Lopez Island Hospital District are partnering with DentALL to offer Community Dental Clinics on Lopez Island. This expansion means essential dental services are now available on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Islands. Community Dental Clinics
Statement from Washington Wildlife First on Governor Ferguson’s appointments to Fish and Wildlife Commission
||| FROM HEATHER NICHOLSON for WASHINGTON WILDLIFE FIRST ||| Until this week, Washington had been a beacon of light in a world growing progressively darker for fish and wildlife. Under the leadership of former Governor Inslee, we were making progress toward an independent wildlife commission that would be more than
Save a spot on Darvill’s first-ever Love+Relationships book club
||| FROM SARA FARISH for DARVILLS BOOK STORE ||| RSVP to reserve a spot, then get ready for a fun, frank, and fresh conversation led by writer Ayn Gailey on the evening of Sunday, May 18, at Darvill’s. Refreshments will be served. Space is limited, so don’t miss out! Participation is free, but
Jury instructions for April 14-25, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| For the jury period beginning Monday, April 14th through Friday, April 25th, all jurors are required to report to the San Juan County Courthouse lobby for jury service on Monday, April 14th at 8:30am. Please remember to check the jury hotline 360-378-9407 or
Get ready for the Spring 2025 Great Islands Cleanup
||| FROM THE EXCHANGE ||| It’s hard to believe that this is the 11 th year of the Great Islands Cleanup. The GICU started right here on Orcas, in 2014. Since then, community volunteers have picked up 12.45 tons of garbage and recycling from the beaches and roadsides of Orcas
Larsen, Meeks, Neal introduce resolution to force vote on Trump tariffs
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, DC - Representatives Rick Larsen, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Richard E. Neal, Ranking Member of the Ways & Means Committee, introduced
San Juan County Comp Plan: Get involved!
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| San Juan County is updating the County Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) this year. The Comp Plan is an important guiding document for managing land use and infrastructure in a coordinated and sustainable way. The Comp Plan goals and policies
Letter to Editor | I encourage you to vote for Health District levy
||| FROM DAVID SHINSTROM ||| My name is David Shinstrom and I am writing to encourage you to vote yes for the Orcas Health Care District levy lift, proposition 1. I would wager that there is no one on Orcas who better understands the history of medical care on Orcas
Loyalty to the Earth | How to connect with the natural world
"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness." —John Muir ||| LOYALTY TO THE EARTH by ELIZABETH ROBSON ||| The first thing to understand is that we are already connected. We breathe because trees exhale. Our blood is salted like the sea. The calcium in our bones
Guest Opinion | Which side are you on?
||| FROM MINOR LILE for SALISH CURRENT ||| (Originally published in the Salish Current on April 7, 2025) Perhaps you’ve noticed that there’s a lot happening out there lately. The wild swirl of commotion and destabilization that has arisen since the Trump Administration took office just over two months ago
Wind advisory until 5pm
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Seattle WA 1050 AM PDT Tue Apr 8 2025 San Juan County-Port Townsend Area-Island County- Including Freeland, Port Townsend, Langley, and Friday Harbor 1050 AM PDT Tue Apr 8 2025 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM
Health Care District Public Levy Lift informational town hall tomorrow
||| FROM HEALTH CARE DISTRICT BOARD ||| San Juan County Public Hospital District #3 dba Orcas Island Health Care District (OIHCD) is proposing a Levy Lift Ballot Measure in the April 22nd, 2025 Special Election. In order to provide more details for community members, and to allow community members to
