Here’s a thought…
“Peace is not something we ask for — it’s something we practice, together.”
WALK FOR PEACE
Regional flooding / travel advisory for islanders
The flooding forecast for Skagit County may impact both Highway 20 and I-5. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Island residents and businesses who are planning on mainland travel this week should be aware that the flooding forecast for Skagit County may impact both Highway 20 and I-5. The
All jurors excused December 15-19
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: December 15-19, 2025 All jurors summonsed for the week beginning Monday, December 15th through Friday, December 19th 2025, are excused. Thank you.
Holiday tips from The Exchange
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING/THE EXCHANGE ||| Grinding for Good Learn More Our next big goal? Repurposing food waste and organic material here on the island! We’ve got big plans for continuing to turn waste into a valuable resource that supports healthy soil, local agriculture, and a more sustainable island. Give
Potential flood impacts to I-5 and Hwy 20
Important update for islanders. Please help spread the word. ||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for SJC DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| Island residents and businesses who are planning on mainland travel this week should be aware that the flooding forecast for Skagit County may impact both Highway 20 and I-5. The
It’s time for the Holiday Jammie Jam
||| FROM ANITA ORNE for FLOATING UKULELE JAM ||| It’s December, and the Floating Ukulele Jam is slightly different…still bring your uke, your voice, and maybe a song (holiday or otherwise) to share, but for this one – we wear pajamas! Not sure why, but we do…but grab your favorite
3 days left to give gifts that make an impact in our community
||| FROM KIM WEST ACTKINSON for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| We are more than halfway through the Holiday GiveOrcas campaign and our community has already shown incredible generosity - but there is still more we can accomplish together! Giving through GiveOrcas helps build strong community connections. When you support
Holiday greetings from Garden Club
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| I will begin with the Nice List, knowing that this must be a very long list because gardens and gardeners bring so much joy to so many people! At the top, of course, are our loyal garden heroes: the bees and butterflies, who
Larsen introduces legislation to improve veterans’ access to transportation, health care
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced the introduction of the Veterans Access to Transit Act (H.R. 6451), legislation to establish a Department of Transportation (DOT) pilot program to provide veterans with public transportation to Department of Veterans Affairs
Recovery in Community Director receives grant funds
||| FROM MADS HALL for RECOVERY IN COMMUNITY ||| Mads Hall Recovery in Community is happy to announce that Mads Hall, Recovery in Community’s Operations Director, has been selected to receive funds from the Orcas Island Community Foundation’s Leadership, Excellence, Advancement, and Development (LEAD) Grant Program to finish
Update | Improv class for seniors coming to Senior Center
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND PARKS & RECREATION ||| In this Improv Theatre for Seniors class, we will focus on the core tenets of improv: to say “yes!” to the action, to listen closely, to work as a group, to discover organically, and--most importantly--to have fun. Games and group work will
Community Band presents island-favorite Holiday Concert
||| FROM KAREN KEY SPECK for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY BAND ||| The Orcas Island Community Band favors the number 35. Averaging thirty-five musicians-strong each season, the Orcas Island Community Band is concluding its 35th year as a non-profit, (though the Band can actually trace its roots to 1978!) The Band's
Now, it’s just rain, rain, rain; and then flooding
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Seattle WA 131 AM PST Mon Dec 8 2025 San Juan County-Cascades of Whatcom and Skagit Counties- Cascades of Snohomish and Northern King Counties- Cascades of Southern King County- Cascades of Pierce and Lewis Counties- Foothills and Valleys
Protect What Makes Orcas Island Home: Support the Salish Sea Dome Project
||| FROM AYN GAILEY for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| Friends of the San Juans has joined this year’s OICF GiveOrcas campaign with a project designed to spark wonder, deepen local knowledge, protect the Salish Sea, and empower the next generation of Salish Sea stewards. We’re honored to stand alongside several beloved island nonprofits
CRW logs two encounters with two eco-types
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Two Encounters with Two Eco-Types! Encounter #71 • Bigg's killer whales T36/T36Bs + T137s • November 9, 2025 ObservBegin: 09:16 AM ObservEnd: 09:20 AM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss Other Observers: Monika Wieland Shields, Jason Shields, Molly Henling, Amanda
No Place Like Loam | The last apple standing, Part 1
||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYO-WOLF ||| I walk a lot on this island, and this is my favorite time of year to do it. Why? Because walking now is an act of defiance—against the rain that slants sideways, the winds that rake the trees raw, the early
Running on Empty | What copper teaches us about the limits of ‘clean energy’
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| We live in a moment when the word renewable has taken on a near-mythic glow. The story goes like this: if we electrify everything—cars, heating, ferries, industry—and generate that electricity locally with solar arrays, tidal machines, batteries, and new grid infrastructure, we can continue our
