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.
My Warning to Washington State | Republicans are trying to make it harder for you to vote
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF SEN. PATTY MURRAY |||
Community Meeting | Provide feedback on new facility at Odlin County Park on Lopez Island
The project has cancelled the request for bids, and the public is invited to a community meeting to learn more, ask questions, and provide feedback ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, & Fair Department is seeking feedback on plans to construct a new
Letter to Editor | Eastsound Water’s Clark Well update raises more questions than it answers
||| FROM CORY HARRINGTON ||| Eastsound Water’s latest installment in its Clark Well series (Episode #5) focuses heavily on history, engineering evolution, and inflation. It walks readers through a 2006 concept design, explains how treatment standards have changed, and argues that a project once estimated at $600,000 would reasonably cost
Auditions | An ATOI Production anxiously anticipated this July
||| FROM LYNDA SANDERS for ACTORS THEATER OF ORCAS ISLAND ||| Moon Over Buffalo is a delightful farce with a whirlwind of hilarious misunderstandings and madcap adventures. This play celebrates the passions and predicaments of theater life, making it a heartfelt tribute to the dedicated “theatre hams” everywhere. In “Moon Over Buffalo,” a
Let’s talk public transit for Orcas & the San Juans
||| FROM COLIN WILLIAMS for FRIENDS OF RURAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ||| You're Invited to a Community Meeting Hosted by the Friends of Rural Public Transportation, Thursday, March 26, 2026, 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM, Orcas Island Public Library Community Room Imagine Orcas & the San Juan Islands where... You can hop
Library presents Ken Burns’ The American Revolution
Sunday, March 29 | 1–3 PM | Orcas Center Free and open to all ages ||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY ||| Join the Orcas Island Public Library for a special community screening of selections from Ken Burns’ powerful new documentary, The American Revolution, followed by a thoughtful
Weather Alert | Heavy rainfall
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Seattle WA 1211 PM PDT Thu Mar 19 2026 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
Medicare’s preventive benefits | Why they matter
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Taking care of your health before problems arise is essential—and Medicare helps make that possible. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) covers many preventive services to detect conditions early. Medicare Part B also includes an annual wellness visit, a yearly appointment
County Health & Community Services publishes its 2025 impact report
Immunizations, dental care, meals for seniors, affordable housing, early learning, and so much more! ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Department of Health & Community Services has released its 2025 Impact Report, highlighting the programs, services, and partnerships that supported the health and well-being of islanders
No jury duty March 23-27
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: MARCH 23-27, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the jury term beginning Monday, March 23rd through Friday, March 27th, 2026, are excused. Thank you!
Guest Opinion | Paul Ehrlich was early, not wrong
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| Paul Ehrlich When Paul Ehrlich died recently (March 13, 2026), many of the obituaries and articles about him repeated a familiar judgment: he was alarmist, even brilliant, but ultimately wrong. His 1968 book, The Population Bomb, warned of mass famine and ecological collapse
Orcas Choral Society is weaving an American choral tapestry
||| FROM LYNN BAKER for ORCAS CHORAL SOCIETY ||| Songs of three centuries swirl through the Orcas Center every Tuesday and Thursday this spring, as the Orcas Choral Society prepares, An American Choral Tapestry, a concert of works by American composers to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. “In only 250
Land Bank meeting coming up on March 20
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting Friday, March 20. The meeting is scheduled from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the Mullis
Review the Critical Areas Ordinance update at community meeting on April 6
A first draft of the updated regulation is now available for public comment, and the Department of Community Development (DCD) is holding a community meeting to accept feedback and walk residents through the documents. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is updating its critical areas protections,
Luck of the Irish stops the rain for St. Patrick’s Day parade
||| FROM KAREN KEY SPECK ||| The clouds parted and the rain stopped at twelve noon. The Luck of the Irish prevailed so the 50-or- so parade participants were able to walk, ride, dance and sing their way up Prune Alley and down Main Street for the annual St. Patrick's
