Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
San Juan County 911 service experiencing disruption | Updated
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| UPDATE: Note that service was fully restored by Lumen late last night. Apparent cause was two simultaneous accidental fiber cuts on the mainland that impacted both primary and back-up routing. Notice for San Juan County residents: there appears to be
Guest Opinion | Myth-busting ‘non-partisan’ office
||| FROM CINDY WOLF ||| There seems to be confusion about what it means that the County Charter says Council seats are non-partisan. It means disclosing party affiliation to run for that office is optional. It certainly does not mean disclosing a party affiliation is illegal or otherwise forbidden. You
Port Meeting
||| FROM CHIP LONG for PORT OF ORCAS ||| The Port of Orcas Board of Commissioners will hold a regular meeting on Monday, October 28th at 5:00 p.m. online via Zoom and in-person at the airport terminal conference room. Access information can be found at portoforcas.com.
‘Fish War’ film about tribal fishing rights coming to all 3 islands
||| FROM JUSTIN COX for SEA DOC SOCIETY ||| The acclaimed documentary Fish War will tour the San Juan Islands over three consecutive days in November as part of Native American Heritage Month. The free screenings will take place on Nov. 7th (Orcas), 8th (Lopez), and 9th (San Juan). The Orcas Island
Council to meet on Orcas Tuesday
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Council will hold its regularly scheduled, October 29 meeting on Orcas Island. The public is invited to join the three councilmembers and County staff at the meeting at the Orcas Fire and Rescue Hall beginning at 10:30am. What: San Juan
Letter to Editor | Fact-checking McVeigh’s statement
||| FROM MINNIE KNYCH ||| There were several statements made by some of the candidates at the forum on Saturday that deserve fact checking. One statement by Kari McVeigh needs a fact check. When asked why she solicited and got an endorsement from the Democrat Party for a position on
Letter to Editor | Hughes is level-headed, reasonable
||| FROM DAN CHRISTOPHERSON ||| Rick Hughes has the experience, the maturity, and the connections needed to be an effective San Juan County Councilman. When Rick was in the council, he was instrumental and moving forward with some of our critical infrastructure. He was behind the planning for the Prune
The AI power struggle | Data centers are in a desperate search for energy
||| BY MICHAEL RIORDAN, SPECIAL TO THE SEATTLE TIMES ||| The booming electricity demands of the nascent artificial intelligence gold rush boggle the mind and will likely hit ordinary ratepayers in the pocketbook if nothing is done to mitigate the downsides of this impending technological revolution. According to a recent series of
“The Velocity of Autumn” play review
||| FROM KATHI CISKOWSKI ||| I wish everyone could see this play! The Actors Theater of Orcas Island has once again presented a thought provoking, pertinent drama at their home at the Orcas Island Grange. “The Velocity of Autumn”, by Eric Coble, touches so many emotions and covers so much
Guests Opion | Public lands, a question of values
||| FROM MICHAEL VOURI ||| The advent of fall weather has resulted in the classic rain shadow the past few days, best seen from American Camp. I photographed several views (offered here) looking south from the old county road trail and the redoubt to the Olympics Mountains, hiding beneath a
In Memoriam | Carl H. ‘Savvy’ Sanders, Jr. USN (Ret.)
||| FROM SAVVY SANDERS ||| Longtime Orcas Islander, Carl Herman “Savvy” Sanders Jr., peacefully passed away at home, September 9, 2024. He was 91. Born on an island off Newport, RI, January 28, 1933 to Captain Carl H. Sanders, Sr. and Frances (Stoney) Sanders, the young Sanders grew up as
Letter to Editor | O’Day has our vote
||| FROM GENE GEARHART & SUSEA MCGEARHART ||| It really bothers and disappoints me that The San Juan County Democrats Election 2024 flyer recommend Kari McVeigh. I feel it is no longer about party affiliation, but who can “Protect the Island Way of Life!” Stephanie O’Day has long, deep, strong
Sheriff’s Report | October 16 – 22, 2024
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16 24-006710 Boating Problem 09:16:40 10/16/24 A report of a hit and run at the county boat dock on Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island was made. Significant damage was done to the boat by an unknown boat at about 8:15am
The many hats we wear
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| We all wear multiple hats. We may be parents, professionals, teachers, volunteers, aunties and uncles, activists, emergency responders, coaches, board members, artists, and more. We often approach these roles in different ways and reap different benefits from them. It's this
LWVSJ Observer Corps: County Council October 22, 2024
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| County departments introduced three new employees: Darcie Nielson as DCD Planning Manager, Deputy Prosecutor Katelyn Kelel and Election Specialist Cortney Evans. The Council proclaimed October Domestic Violence Awareness Month. During public access ten county residents from the three largest islands spoke in favor
Andrew Collins Trio at the Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Join us on Friday, November 1 at 7pm on Orcas Center’s mainstage for the Andrew Collins Trio. Mando maestro Andrew Collins finds himself – through no actual fault of his own – at the epicenter of Canada’s burgeoning acoustic/roots music scene. He
