Here’s a thought…
“We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying.”
DOUGLAS ADAMS
Upcoming jury terms are excused
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: FEBRUARY 2-13, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the jury term beginning Monday, February 2nd through Friday, February 13th, 2026 are excused. If you were summonsed for Monday February 2nd through Friday February 6th you are also excused. Thank you!
It’s time for ticks | A message from Kwiaht
||| FROM RUSSEL BARSH for KWIAHT ||| Tick season is here! In the San Juan Islands, ticks go “questing” for new hosts from January through June, usually peaking in March and April. While ticks are still relatively uncommon here, compared to the East Coast, hundreds of island residents and visitors
Take it easy | Eagles tribute band to play at Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| While the Eagles may have the record for the #1 and #3 selling albums of all-time, hundreds of millions of people have never seen them play live. A big reason for that is that they quit touring for almost 14 years.
Guest Opinion | Get dark money out of politics (Part 1)
||| FROM INDIVISIBLE SAN JUAN ISLANDS ||| “92% of the time the candidate that raises the most money wins in the general election. (Source: Grossman. Niskanen Center. 10/29/2025) With the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010, the flood gates opened to unlimited corporate and dark money. A donor can give millions
Honoring four decades of spill response in San Juan County
||| FROM BILL SYMES and ELAINA THOMPSON ||| One day in 1985, oil and oiled birds began washing ashore on the west side of San Juan Island. Arresting and then remediating the resulting damage to shoreline and wildlife required action within the first few hours of the spill – but
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Welcome to our weekly feature, Occam's Razor, from local artist S.C. Watson.
Health Care District Board to meet tomorrow
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT BOARD ||| Board Meeting - January 28, 2026 The Orcas Island Health Care District Board will hold a Regular Board Meeting on Wednesday, January 27th from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room at the Orcas Island Library, 500 Rose Street, Eastsound. The Board Meeting Public Packet
News Brief | Scientists are using drones to sniff out deadly diseases in whales
||| FROM AZ ANIMALS US ||| Scientists used drones to collect whale blow, allowing them to test for diseases without harming or stressing the animals. The study detected cetacean morbillivirus in Arctic whales for the first time, a highly infectious and often fatal disease. Researchers say drone sampling offers a
Guest Opinion | OPALCO is building without consent
||| FROM KAREN PEARSON ||| OPALCO's posting on January 20th 2026 of December 2025 Member Survey "Materials" Results is a building Materials list. "Materials" means physical objects for manufacture and construction. Materials does not mean information. OPALCO's use of "Materials" in their title sets the tone for objects, and tells
Final report available for county’s Marine Transport Services pilot project
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During the Council retreat earlier this month, County staff discussed past and future efforts to support transportation initiatives throughout the islands. One of the most notable initiatives from 2025 was the County’s 10-week Marine Transportation Pilot Project. The final report is now available
Skagit Valley College announces newly approved Bachelor of Science in Nursing program
||| FROM MARISA PIERCE for SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE ||| MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Skagit Valley College (SVC) has announced the approval of its new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) program, following a vote by the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges at its Oct. 16 meeting
No Place Like Loam | Landscape as orientation: Inheritance
||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYO-WOLF ||| We moved from Ohio when I was in fourth grade. 1978. I loved it there. A small town that knew itself. Friends who showed up without calling, even knocking. Summer heat that meant something because winter had teeth. We lived on
League of Women Voters | SJC Board of Health January 21, 2026
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| The Accountable Communities for Health (ACH) began a second round for its CEO search and will hold a board retreat next week. They are seeking Medicaid data from the state. The Orcas Public Hospital district got an ACH grant to create
Island Stewards | Grounded participation in a time of change
||| FROM ISLAND STEWARDS ||| Humans have been adapting to accelerated change for a long time, often without being given real choices about how that change unfolds. Since the industrial revolution, daily life has been reorganized again and again around efficiency, scale, and extraction. Many people benefited. Many others lost
There is something for you at Orcas Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Art with Carla Unleash your creativity at Art with Carla Fridays, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Orcas Senior Center. Led by experienced artist Carla Stanley, this lighthearted class focuses on the creative process with a strong belief in your artistic
You are invited to a movie with Orcas Pride
This newsletter touches on mental health, the state of queer and specifically trans healthcare in the nation currently, and mentions death/suicide. Please read only if you are comfortable to. There is a TL;DR at the bottom for the event itself. Please stay safe, and stay vigilant. ||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND
