Here’s a thought…
“We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don’t like?”
Thor Hansen’s Seeds Wins Booksellers Award
-- from Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association -- Thor Hansen of San Juan Island is among the the authors who won the 2016 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Awards for his book The Triumph of Seeds: How Grains, Nuts, Kernels, Pulses, and Pips Conquered the Plant Kingdom and Shaped Human History. Seeds is
Ranna McNeil in Statewide Art Competition
-- from Ranna McNeil -- "A River of Stars - Constellation #1" cast crystal by Ranna McNeil Pacific Northwest artist Ranna McNeil of Deer Harbor, Washington, has been chosen for inclusion in the 2016 CVG Show in Bremerton’s Collective Visions Gallery. The annual CVG Show is one of the
Business Spotlight: Mia’s Café Expands Space, Services
-- by Margie Doyle -- Mia Kartiganer and server Eros Belliveau at the new, expanded Mia's Café in the Our House building Mia Kartiganer, proprietress of Mia's, having successfully navigated from Eastsound Square to the Our House building on North Beach Road last year, now plans to shake things
Orcas Voices: The Dental Van Answers Needs
-- by Sally Buchanan -- In 2012 the Whatcom Coalition for Healthy Communities issued a report detailing the needs and experiences of people living in poverty in Whatcom, Island, and San Juan Counties. Among the key findings was the need for affordable dental care for adults. That report reflected the
Celebration of Life: Edwin (Eddy) Valenzuela
Saturday, January 16 (his birthday) at Random Howse from 3:30-6:30 -- from Clyde & April Duke - Eddy passed away surrounded by family and friends on November 27, 2015 after battling Multiple Myeloma cancer for seven years. He was a strong man who fought it till the very end. He will
OPALCO Board to Meet on Lopez
Thursday, January 21, 8:15 a.m., Lopez Fire Station -- from Bev Madden, OPALCO -- The OPALCO Board of Directors will hold its regularly scheduled meeting at the Lopez Fire Hall Thursday, January 21. The meeting will begin at 8:15 a.m. All members are welcome to attend. For more information, visit
Guest Column: Council, Don’t Rush Salish Sea Protections in SMP
-- by Janet Alderton -- An open letter to Councilors Rick Hughes, Bob Jarman, and Jamie Stephens, I talked with Councilor Hughes this last week. He and I hope that the proposed language in the Shoreline Master Program Goals and Policies that removes a prohibition on cross-Sound underwater oil pipelines
Build It and They Will Come — and Watch
-- from the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) -- Dana Louis creating her art installation at San Juan Islands Museum of Art in Friday Harbor The community is invited to watch Dana Lynn Louis create her installation "As Above, So Below" in the glass Atrium Space
Park and Rec Levy Part of February Election
-- from County documents -- Orcas Island Park and Recreation District (OIPRD) will be on the Feb. 9th 2016 ballot for a new 6-year levy. This levy will replace the current levy allotment beginning in 2017. The budget and assumptions used to develop the levy numbers can be found at
Guest Opinion: OPALCO’s Rate Hikes Signal Bottomless Pit
--by Alex MacLeod -- As 2016 begins, and yet another OPALCO rate hike kicks in, it is worth looking back at 2015 to see how OPALCO’s go-it-alone Internet business is doing. For starters, Rock Island Communications has blown through nearly $5 million of what was to be a three-year, $7.5
County Council Special Meetings this Week
-- from Ingrid Gabriel -- Jan 11, 2016 - Monday - 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM Location: Legislative Hearing Room, 55 Second Street, Friday Harbor, WA Agenda topics include discussion of the Shoreline Master Program. SAN JUAN COUNTY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETINGS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the San Juan County
Leo Lambiel’s Museum: A Lifetime of Local Art
-- by Margie Doyle -- The Lambiel Museum on Orcas Island waterfront The Lambiel Museum on Orcas Island gives credence to its owner's confession: "Collecting never satisfies the appetite it creates," from the fanciful 12-foot mailbox created by Todd Spalti to the engineering marvels of "The Grotto." While
ORS/The Exchange Makes Progress; More Work To Be Done
-- from Pete Moe -- Gravel footprint of the new Exchange building looking northwest. Orcas Recycling Services/The Exchange had a “terrific” year, according to Executive Director Pete Moe, and raised a significant amount of money towards building a new Exchange reuse facility. “However, we still have a ways to go.”
OCS Serving-up Asian Food for Free Community Dinner
Tuesday, January 12, 5 - 7:30 p.m., Orcas Christian School -- from Kelsey Harvey -- It's Community Dinner time once again at Orcas Christian School. For those of you new to the island, Community Dinners are free, all-you-can-eat meals open to all islanders, friends, family and visitors. These meals happen
Remember Martin Luther King
Monday, January 18, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Emmanuel Parish Hall -- from Sharon Abreu -- I hope you can join us for this year's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event on Orcas! It will be on Monday, January 18 from 1:30-3:30 pm at the Emmanuel Parish Hall in Eastsound. Everyone is invited
Sheriff’s Report: December 30 2015 – January 5, 2016
December 30, 2015 15-007439 Theft 07:59:54 12/30/15 A Lopez Island deputy took a report from the post office of several parcel thefts that had occurred around Christmas. Empty packaging had been turned into the post office after it was discovered discarded at a local park. The matter remains under investigation. 15-007443
