Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
School music benefit concert to feature beloved island musicians
||| FROM SHARON HO for MUSIC ADVOCACY GROUP ||| On Sunday, March 2, at 3:00 PM, local musicians and music lovers will gather at the Orcas Island High School gym to celebrate the benefits of music education on Orcas Island. This annual Orcas Island tradition is a community celebration that
Washington’s state flag could change under proposed legislation
House Bill 1938 would create a committee to redesign the green banner. Supporters say the current design featuring the state seal with George Washington’s likeness is flawed, while opponents question the necessity of the move and see it as a criticism of the founding father. ||| FROM ALBERT JAMES for
Free Tooth Extraction Clinic
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF DR. MICHAEL TRIPLETT ||| Dr. Triplett’s dental office at 445 Madrona Street in Eastsound has reserved Wednesday March 12 for free tooth extractions for our Orcas, Shaw, and Waldron residents in financial need. Services are limited to both routine and surgical extractions (including wisdom teeth).
Health Care District Board Meeting – Special – February 20, 2025
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT BOARD ||| The Orcas Island Health Care District Board will hold a Special Board Meeting on Thursday, February 20th, 2025 from 5:30 - 6:30 PM in the Orcas Island Community Foundation Meeting Room, 33 Urner Street, Eastsound. The agenda is posted below. Agenda
Land Bank February 2025 Meeting & Agenda
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold a regular monthly meeting on February 21, 2025 from 8:45am – 11:30am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the San Juan Island Grange, located at 152 First Street
Jurors excused for February 24-28
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: FEBRUARY 24-28, 2025 For the jury period beginning Monday, February 24th through Friday February 28th, all jurors are excused. Thank you.
A climate ad that reached millions
Science Moms’ Super Bowl ad, why extreme heat worsens diabetes, & three S’s of climate action ||| FROM TALKING CLIMATE ||| If you tuned in to the Super Bowl this year, you might have seen an ad from Science Moms, a nonpartisan climate advocacy group of climate scientists and moms I'm
Climate COMPASS | Islanders invited to shape San Juan County’s climate future
||| FROM CHOM GREACEN and FAITH VAN DE PUTTE for THE MADRONA INSTITUTE ||| Join fellow islanders on Saturday March 8th from 3-5PM at the Emmanuel Episcopal Parish Hall for COMPASS (Comprehensive Plan Outreach for Meaningful Public Action & Sustainable Solutions). San Juan County is updating its Comprehensive Plan, a
PROCLAMATION | Day of Remembrance February 19, 2025
||| FROM TOWN OF FRIDAY HARBOR ||| Photo courtesy of the San Juan Historical Museum. Pictured left to right: Edna Hemphill Nash, Beryl Wade, Jack Saoka, John Nash, and Yuki Saoka Jack and his first wife, Fuji Saoka, moved to the island in 1917. Jack found work at
County seeks proposals from transportation service providers for pilot project
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is seeking proposals from interested parties to provide a variety of transportation services throughout the County. Three separate Requests for Proposals (RFPs) outline services including foot passenger transportation to Anacortes, inter-island foot passenger transportation, and emergency barge transportation services.
It’s a girl! Researchers confirm newest Southern Resident J Pod calf is female
||| FROM KOMO-TV SEATTLE ||| The newest member in the J Pod of the Southern Resident killer whales, calf J62, has been confirmed as a female by the Center for Whale Research. A team was sent to Snug Harbor on Feb. 8 after receiving reports of probable resident whales off the
OPALCO meets with County Council: Energy supply will not meet demand
What’s our energy future going to be? ||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| The OPALCO team attended and presented at the San Juan County Council meeting on February 10. The team outlined the dire situation that the regional power supply is facing. Our shrinking regional
Memoir writing discussion at Orcas Library
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| This Friday, Feb. 21st, at 6 pm, please join writers Edee Kulper and John Ashenhurst as they discuss their process of writing memoirs during their time in the San Juan Islands. They will also explore the journals of Rachel Adams, a
Island Health looking for a Medical Assistant
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| Island Health is looking for a full-time Medical Assistant at our clinic on Orcas Island, with an opportunity for on-the-job training. Under the direction of the Clinic Manager, the Medical Assistant oversees the effective clinical operations of the clinic. The Medical Assistant provides
Amid statewide drop in test scores, OCS performance defies the trend
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| As Orcas Christian School (OCS) students complete their Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing, the school is reporting strong student performance. MAP is a standardized assessment that evaluates a student's knowledge in reading, language, and math. Schools use the test to help educators identify
Community Water Taxi requesting support for HB1923
||| FROM COMMUNITY WATER TAXI ||| San Juan Island Community, We continue to shape and support legislation to help our local ferry crisis. We are asking for your support for HB1923, "The Mosquito Fleet Act", which will provide funding for passenger transportation initiatives in San Juan County and beyond. If
