Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Art Opening: Visual Arts Committee
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Join us for the first Art Show of 2025 at Orcas Center – Friday, January 17 at 5:30pm - showcasing the art of our dedicated Visual Arts Committee! About 20 years ago, a group of artists decided to take up the task
San Juan County Jury Duty: January 13-17, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JANUARY 13-17, 2025 All Jurors summonsed for jury duty the week of January 13 - 17th are excused. Thank you.
Bob Ferguson vows to make fixing Washington’s ferry system a ‘top priority’
||| FROM KING-5TV ||| MUKILTEO, Wash. — Governor-elect Bob Ferguson boarded a state ferry Wednesday and sailed into uncharted waters on Wednesday. The state ferry system is sinking, with a budget deficit of at least $10 billion over the next four years. Ferguson minced no words. "It's a front-burner issue,"
Attention San Juan County businesses: Sales tax increase effective April 1, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Treasurer’s Office is providing notice to local businesses of an upcoming increase to sales tax in San Jaun County. A 1/10th of 1% sales tax will be enacted on April 1, 2025, to support a new Cultural Access Program. Businesses must collect the
Washington State bans net-pen aquaculture
||| FROM NATIONALFISHERMEN.COM ||| Commercial finfish pen aquaculture appears finished in Washington State, after the Board of Natural Resources voted Jan. 7 to ban the industry. The vote was a victory for Washington State’s Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, who pushed for strict limitations on leasing state tidelands for
Here’s how annexing Canada would change American politics
We took Trump literally, not seriously, about the push to make Canada the 51st state ||| FROM POLITICO.COM ||| Donald Trump says Canada should become the 51st state. He should be careful what he wishes for. No, it’s (probably?) not a serious idea, but the president-elect keeps trolling the United
Why local power generation is important | Part 1 of 3
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT ||| OPALCO has been providing reliable power to the islands since 1937. Electricity is an essential and critical component to the modern-day lifestyles powering our hospitals, grocery stores, heating systems, and fire departments. Constant electricity does not come without some tradeoffs.
Deadline extended for vacation rental compliance certification process
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Department of Community Development (DCD) is extending the deadline for filing the 2024 Vacation Rental (VR) Certificate of Compliance to January 31, 2025. Certificate of compliance applications are accepted through the online permit center, through the mail, or in-person. See
Gas pains
||| BY LIN MCNULTY, theORCASONIAN EDITOR ||| As of Aug. 10, 2023, it cost $4.056 for regular gasoline in Idaho, according to AAA. In Washington, regular gasoline cost is $5.017. That’s a price difference of nearly a dollar a gallon. Even Oregon was paying nearly 34 cents a gallon LESS
Les Contes d’Hoffman – Met Opera at Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Start the New Year off right with an incredible performance of Les Contes d’Hoffman on Tuesday, January 14 at 12pm on the big screen at Orcas Center. Filmed live in HD, these on-screen events presented by The Metropolitan Opera offer a diverse
San Juan County publishes 2024 Year-In-Review
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is proud to present the organization’s 2024 Year-In-Review, highlighting accomplishments, notable projects, and the breadth of programs and services provided to island communities. The public is encouraged to access the document on the County website by scrolling the PDF below, clicking
New year brings new vessel distance regulations for Southern Resident Killer Whales
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| As of January 1, 2025, new distance regulations are in effect to better protect the highly endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) in Washington State waters. Boaters are now required to stay at least 1,000 yards away from these whales and disengage engines if
New public zone map aims to enhance accuracy of weather warnings in western Washington
||| FROM KOMO TV ||| When severe weather hits western Washington, where you live can make a big difference in the impact to you and your family. To give a more accurate and more detailed forecast, meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Seattle are about to make a
Uncertain future for orcas as Marineland Antibes prepares for closure
||| FROM THE GLOBAL HERALD ||| Closure of Marineland Antibes and Its Implications Marineland Antibes, a prominent marine park located near Cannes, France, is set to close its doors permanently on January 5 due to evolving animal welfare legislation. This decision leaves the future of two resident orca whales, Wikie
Celebration of Life for Artha Kass
||| FROM RACHEL NEWCOMBE ||| In Hebrew, the number 18 is associated with the word "chai," which means life. So please join us as we share memories and celebrate the life of an island gem. Saturday, January 18th 2pm - 4pm Madrona Room, Orcas Center (Nosh to follow)
Announcing: Orcas Island Cheese Club
||| FROM COLE SISSON for ORCAS ISLAND CHEESE CLUB ||| A monthly club for local cheese enthusiasts to explore unique, artisan cheeses from around the world and our own backyard. Each month, we curate a selection of hand-crafted cheeses, providing a chance to discover new favorites while connecting with fellow
