Here’s a thought…
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
MARK TWAIN
Guest Opinion | Covenant-smuvadent – the deforestation of Decatur Island
||| FROM SHANNON WELINSKE ||| It’s a funny thing about islands. They tend to stay put. The trees stay put, too—quiet, hardworking citizens who ask for nothing except a little rain and the chance to stand upright for a century or two. On Decatur Island, where I grew up and
Jurors required to report for October 13 duty
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: OCTOBER 13-23, 2026 All jurors summonsed for Jury Duty beginning October 13th, are required to report to the San Juan County Courthouse for Jury Duty on Wednesday, October 14th at 8:30 AM. Jurors should check here or call the Jury Hotline
Light the Night coming up at Community Church on October 31
||| FROM ALICIA WIGFIELD for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH ||| Join us at Orcas Island Community Church on October 31st for Light the Night, a fun-filled community celebration for all ages! Bring your family, invite your friends and neighbors, and come enjoy an evening of fun, fellowship, treats, activities, and
Timothy Snyder | What if we’re paying attention to the wrong things?
||| FROM NEWS NOT NOISE |||
Sign-ups open for 2026 Battle of the Bands at Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Sign-ups are now open for the 2026 Battle of the Bands, Orcas Island's local music event of the year, returning to Orcas Center on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m. Hosted by Pedro LopezDeVictoria and Jamey Moriarty, the night pits original
Jurors to report for duty beginning October 18
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: OCTOBER 13-23, 2026 All jurors summonsed for Jury Duty beginning October 13th, are required to report to the San Juan County Courthouse for Jury Duty on Wednesday, October 18 at 8:30 AM. Jurors should check here or call the Jury Hotline at
Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens to visit Orcas Garden Club
||| FROM PERRI GIBBONS for ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Please join the Orcas Island Garden Club on Wednesday, October 21,2026 as we welcome Barb Faville, from Meerkerk Gardens to learn all things rhododendron. Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens is a 53-acre peaceful woodland oasis located on Whidbey Island. During this talk
Letter to Editor | Swanson has valuable community background
||| FROM DOUG CROSBY ||| I have known Jennifer since 2013, soon after I moved to Shaw Island. Since then she has served as a Shaw School board member and the superintendent, a Ferry Advisory Board member, the founder of the Shaw Island Brown Bag Lunch monthly community meeting, a
Orcas Library, students explore banned books
||| FROM ANGIE REED for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Island Library was fortunate to receive a grant from Brooklyn’s Books Unbanned group this spring, and we’ve been thrilled to put it to work with our local teens. With the grant, we’ve now run two teen cohorts exploring censorship,
Letter to Editor | Every penny counts
||| FROM BILL APPEL ||| ESHB2442 passed by the 2026 Legislature provides that [quoting from the legislature’s final report] “Beginning January 1, 2027, the legislative authority of a county or city may impose a new sales and use tax at a rate of up to 0.01 percent. Revenue from this
County Council passes 2027 budget, plans for additional budget work leading into 2028-2029
With the 2027 budget now set, Council must shift its focus to the 2028-2029 budget, which presents many of the same fiscal challenges seen in the last few years due mainly to stagnated revenues, increased inflation, and increased operating costs ||| FROM SAN JUAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS ||| At its
Larsen | I will not let them stick you with the bill for data centers
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| Data centers are expanding across the country, including here in the Pacific Northwest. This growth carries real consequences for our communities. Data centers require enormous amounts of electricity and water to operate. Without strong guardrails, the costs of building and
CWR provides update on J31 with deceased calf
||| FROM THE CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH TEAM ||| Our team is saddened to report that Southern Resident killer whale J31 has been observed with a deceased newborn calf. CWR researcher Mark Malleson encountered J31 and her immediate family on October 3rd near Sombrio Point in the Strait of Juan
Announcing 6th Annual Island Market / Funhouse Commons gingerbread house contest
||| FROM SARAH DAVIS for FUNHOUSE COMMONS ||| Get ready for the 6th Annual Gingerbread House Contest sponsored by the Funhouse Commons & Island Market , a holiday Gingerbread House Contest for ALL AGES with cash prizes! Registration to participate in the gingerbread house competition opens on Monday, October 12th
Letter to Editor | Jennifer Swanson has our wholehearted support for Council position
||| FROM ALICE AND PETER NELSEN ||| We are writing to offer our wholehearted support for Jennifer Swanson for County Council. We’ve known Jennifer since she and her husband Chad moved to Shaw Island in 2003. Jennifer is someone who is thoughtful, trustworthy, and deeply committed to serving our community.
Letter to Editor | Endorsement for Katherine Bryant Ingman, County Council, District 3
||| FROM TOM COWAN ||| I was talking with a friend from San Juan Island and asked what he would think about someone from Stuart Island as the San Juan Island representative on the County Council. His response was that it would be a problem; different culture, different issues and
