Here’s a thought…
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and the government when it deserves it.”
MARK TWAIN
Christmas at Orcas Island Community Church
||| FROM CAROL KULMINSKI for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH ||| Celebrate the Christmas season at the Community Church with Advent Services and Vespers, Concerts, and a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.
Community Band is back for Holiday Concert
||| FROM KAREN KEY SPECK for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY BAND ||| It's been a long hiatus since the Orcas Island Community Band presented a Holiday Concert - last in 2019! The Band is excited to host a winter concert at Orcas Center, Friday, December 20, 2024 at 7:00pm. Admission is
County Council considers extending agreement with Lopez Solid Waste to allow for more collaboration
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During the Council meeting on Monday, December 9, 2024 (2:26:45), San Juan County Council discussed recent community feedback regarding the proposed update to the Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District (LSWDD) interlocal agreement. Based on public sentiment and the desire to strengthen the working relationship
Great news for San Juan County arts, cultural, heritage, science access
||| FROM SAN JUAN ISLANDS MAKERS GUILD ||| County Council has passed the new Cultural Access Initiative that will invest 1/10th of 1% of sales tax in valuable programs that enrich all ages of our community, across all islands in the San Juans. This initiative creates a fund of aprox.
Plunge like you’re a Polar Bear and its 2025
||| FROM TOBY COOPER ||| Wednesday, January 1, 2025 – Plunge at 11 am sharp! Grounds open at 10 am. Gather at the Boathouse Beach, South End of Cascade Lake.
In Memoriam | Joseph Richard Murphy
||| FROM ANNE GARFIELD ||| Joseph Richard Murphy was a man of many threads: an aspiring writer; an ardent student of philosophy, religion, and life; a lover of jazz; a Buddhist; a husband and a father, he passed away on November 6, 2024, in Pullman Washington. Joseph was 72, and
A Ferry Fate Ball Christmas Poem
||| BY BRIAN LEONARD ||| Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the isles Travelers were wondering if the ferries would be a trial The reservations were made months in advance But being on time was subject to chance The ferries were nestled all tight to the docks Waiting
Blue Health | How the sea benefits our physical and mental wellbeing
||| FROM THE CONVERSATION ||| Have you ever gazed out at the sea and felt the world become smaller? Perhaps you have swum in its waters and felt that time stood still, that the noise and chatter of the world faded away to a distant whisper, or you have marvelled as
OCS Culinary class prepares pies for school-wide Thanksgiving Dinner
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL STAFF ||| The Orcas Christian School (OCS) high school culinary class recently ventured into the art of pie-making for their annual school-wide Thanksgiving dinner. This year marked the return of the culinary class as an elective for grades 6-12, providing students the opportunity to learn
Sea Island Nutcracker | An On-Screen Encore Production
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center and the Orcas Dance Collective are proud to present an encore screening of 2023’s Sea Island Nutcracker on December 14 at 6pm and December 15 at 2pm. Tickets are by donation (minimum $10), with proceeds benefiting Orcas Dance Collective’s springtime
Chair Yoga
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Join us for Chair Yoga, a soothing practice tailored for seniors and those with disabilities, held every Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 to 10:45 am. This gentle technique incorporates the use of a chair for support, enabling participants to explore balance
Yuletide Baroque: Jazzin’ with the Classics for Christmas
||| FROM JEFFREY COHAN for SALISH SEA EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL ||| For the 15th year, our annual Yuletide Baroque: Jazzin' with the Classics for Christmas, presented as always by Emmanuel Episcopal Church, will feature jazz pianist, flutist and clarinetist Martin Lund, classical flutist Jeffrey Cohan and bassist Paul Gabrielson in
Councilmember Fuller publishes statement regarding Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District Agreement
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The following is a statement from San Juan County Councilmember Jane Fuller, District 3: To my fellow Lopezians and constituents I deeply respect, represent and serve as your elected County Council member for District 3, I have been a resident of this island
Limited regulatory changes could drastically decrease collisions between ships and whales, UW study finds
||| FROM KING-TV ||| Today, the leading cause of death in whales is due to collisions with large vessels. A study led by researchers at the University of Washington found that introducing regulations in very select places could have a major impact on whale mortality. Global data on whale and
Ukulele Kanikipila at Orcas Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Experience the joy of making music at Ukulele Kanikipila, Hawaiian for "play music," every Monday from 1 to 3 pm at Orcas Senior Center. This gathering is open to everyone with an interest in playing music for two hours each week.
Struggling Rosario Resort looks to hotel experts, searches for cash
||| FROM THE SEATTLE TIMES ||| This week brought some early holiday cheer to Rosario Resort, the iconic vacation property on Orcas Island that has struggled since changing hands this spring. Chris Robison, the 39-year-old real estate investor who paid $6.65 million for most of the resort in April, has brought
