Here’s a thought…
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
MARK TWAIN
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
Letter to Editor | Jennifer Swanson is a proven leader
||| FROM JIM AND KATE SCHUMAN ||| We’ve known Jennifer Swanson for over 20 years and worked with her on numerous community events on Shaw. She’s empathetic, smart, and seemingly tireless. On issues that impact our islands’ way of life, she’s purposely well-informed and open to hearing all views. Jennifer’s
Letter to Editor | We need Jennifer Swanson’s calm and even temperament for County Council
||| FROM GIGI BERARDI ||| I write to highlight the profound actions SJC Council candidate longtime-islander Jennifer Swanson’s taken in our community, which are easily applied to the larger islands. Most notably, she has served as an elected official for repeated terms as a school district board member (and board
Enter OPALCO’s co-op member photo contest or grand prize giveaway
October is National Co-op Month ||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| Every year in October, cooperatives around the nation celebrate National Cooperative Month. OPALCO, San Juan County’s local not-for-profit cooperative utility, is spending this month celebrating co-op members. Throughout October, check the OPALCO social media
Katherine Bryant Ingman on ferries & transportation
||| FROM KATHERINE BRYANT INGMAN FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY COUNCIL ||| Transportation is essential to daily life in San Juan County. Ferry service remains our most critical link, but residents also rely on roads, transit, freight movement, and regional connections to get to work, healthcare, school, and the essentials of
Washington lawmakers, colleagues demand transparency after U.S. Forest Service coordinates with ICE on public lands
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Kim Schrier, M.D. (D, WA-08), Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Jared Huffman (D, CA-02), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, Adriano Espaillat (D, NY-13), Chairman of the
Governor Ferguson statement on disruptions in Washington State Ferries service
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR BOB FERGUSON ||| OLYMPIA — Governor Bob Ferguson offered the following statement regarding disruptions today in Washington State Ferries service: “As a regular rider on our state ferries, I know how important our ferry service is to Washingtonians. Restoring our ferry service has been one
Islands’ Oil Spill Association utilizes eyes in the sky
||| FROM BILL SYMES and ELAINA THOMPSON || Wednesday morning, September 16, was glorious in Deer Harbor: bright sunshine glinting on the water, color from early-turning leaves, light breeze out of the north, pleasant temperatures. In short, a perfect day for…an oil spill response drill! Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA)
WSF experiencing lack of crew affecting San Juan routes
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| For Monday, October 5, Vessel #1 Chelan and #2 Yakima will be out of service due to the lack of crew. The #3 Samish will sail all-stops from Anacortes to Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, and Friday Harbor Update: The following sailings are canceled today, Monday,
Guest Opinion | Open letter to County Council
Beheading the Department of Environmental Stewardship ||| FROM CINDY WOLF ||| In the State of Washington, responsibility falls on the local and Tribal governments to execute Salmon habitat conservation and restoration projects, which is a focused way of saying projects addressing marine health in general. This mission dovetails nicely with
Burn permits now local on Orcas Island
||| FROM BEN LUNA for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| Orcas Island Fire and Rescue (OIFR) will begin issuing burn permits for Orcas Island. Permits will be available starting October 12, 2026, if weather and conditions allow. The process is online. Apply and pay at orcasfire.org. The site also
Guest Opinion | Permanent, until inconvenient
||| FROM ALAN MIZUTA ||| OPALCO bought land with a recorded Native Growth Area covenant and open-space protections intended to preserve a wildlife corridor. Its solar project conflicted with those restrictions. San Juan County has now approved moving the open-space designation to accommodate the project. The protections dated to 2012.
Orcas Island Clothing Bank returns this fall
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| The Orcas Island Clothing Bank will return this fall, offering community members an opportunity to find clothing and other household items while giving gently used goods a second life. The Clothing Bank will be held Oct. 24-25 at the Orcas Christian School (OCS) gymnasium.
Letter to Editor | I am enthusiastic about Katherine Bryant Ingman
||| FROM FARHAD GHATAN ||| I am giving my enthusiastic support to our County Council candidate Katherine Bryant Ingman. As a thirty five year resident of the County and past Planning Commission Chair, Councilperson and Mayor for the Town of Friday Harbor I see a rare opportunity in electing someone
Larsen reintroduces bill to fight discriminatory voter ID laws
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Mark Veasey (TX-33) reintroduced the America Votes Act to protect U.S. citizens who face disenfranchisement because of restrictive voter identification (ID) laws. “As Trump and Republicans in Congress continue their unlawful attempts
Letter to Editor | Protecting your vote
||| FROM HEATHER LEE FOR COUNTY AUDITOR ||| Many people have shared their concerns about election security with me and how election officials can address those concerns. I believe the biggest issues are cybersecurity, ballot security, chain of custody, staffing, and misinformation. My approach would be to be proactive-review our
