Here’s a thought…
“If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.”
WILLIAM L. MCKNIGHT
Letter to Editor | I am happy to be on this beautiful island
||| FROM FRAN HOLT ||| As a new part-time resident, I want to express my appreciation for this community. On Tuesday my fiance and I miscommunicated on where he would pick me up after I took a long walk on the Cascade Lake trail. I waited and waited and he
Guest Opinion | So what happens to Home Fund after election? You sure?
||| FROM RON WHALEN ||| The Voters Pamphlet will be mailed out the first week in October. A copy can be accessed here: https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30770/2024-Genral-VP-San-Juan-County-Final?bidId= Page 12 explains Proposition No. 1 – Extending Conservation Area Real Estate Excise Tax. Page 13 presents advocacy arguments. In the argument for, first paragraph, last
Conversion of Washington ferry to hybrid-electric power is delayed
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD ||| When Washington State Ferries took its Jumbo Mark II vessel, the Wenatchee, out of service last September to convert it from diesel to hybrid-electric power, the plan was for the boat to be back in action sometime around late summer this year. The agency now
Life Line Screening
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Life Line Screening will be at Orcas Senior Center on Thursday, October 10 to offer non-invasive and painless health screenings. The screenings will help identify dangerous plaque buildup or blockage, a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease. The screenings
Orcas Food Heroes Celebration
Orcas Island Winery, 4:30-8pm, Fri. Oct 4 ||| FROM SAN JUAN MAKERS GUILD ||| Join local Farmers and island film makers in celebrating Orcas Island Food Heroes for a dinner and preview of the fun new San Juan Islands Ag short film selected for inclusion in the Friday Harbor Film
New Southern Resident orca calf seen in stunning NOAA drone video
||| FROM KOMO TV ||| A team of scientists captured a new orca whale calf alongside its mother in a stunning drone video, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. The footage was captured on Sept. 15 in the Haro Strait area west of San Juan Island by a joint science team including
Letter to Editor | Locally, regionally, Rick Hughes is ready on day one
||| FROM STEVE ULVI ||| San Juan County is an unusual place alright. Some think a paradise. Others a paradise lost, depending on how biocentric your beliefs. In any case, these distinctive islands and eclectic communities – forest edged, patchwork fields, and huge seascapes in changing light – create a
Letter to Editor | Generosity, authenticity, integrity define Paulsen
||| FROM STEPHANIE PRIMA ||| The first time I heard Justin Paulsen speak, I was thoroughly impressed with his ideas, his dedication to the working families of these islands, and his extensive community-minded engagement in working towards solutions to our County issues. His idea to have 5 or so pre-approved
Letter to Editor | Paulsen advocates for all of us
||| FROM BRIAN WRIGHT ||| One of the many reasons I feel Justin Paulsen is the right choice for our community is his efforts with the Ferry System. As a commercial driver who uses the ferry daily to provide goods and services to our community Justin's efforts and willingness to
Letter to Editor | It’s time for Justin Paulsen on Council
||| FROM SANDY PLAYA ||| I am voting for Justin Paulsen for San Juan County Council because he walks the talk. I work with Justin in the Community Water Taxi Group. He not only listens – but also considers information and opinions offered. Justin speaks succinctly, offers to do the
Exploding legal expenses at Eastsound Water
||| FROM MICHAEL RIORDAN, FRED KLEIN, and ROBERT AUSTIN ||| This morning brought yet another in a misleading series of emails from Eastsound Water Users Association, this time about all the legal expenses it has been running up during the past two years — and blaming the more than $160,000
Shadows & Secrets live stream
||| FROM NANCY WANG for ETH-NOH-TEC ||| There are just days left to purchase tickets to Shadows & Secrets! September 27 will be here before we all know it, and we have a special event starting at 5PM PT that Friday evening: a live streaming of Nancy Wang's very own
Help Orcas Center thrive in 2025
||| FROM ORCAS CENTER ||| As we wrap up a dynamic season overflowing with activity, preparation for 2025 is already well underway! Orcas Center is proud to be the home for the creative community on Orcas and we strive to create a supportive environment for youth to experience the arts.
Candidate Forum
||| FROM LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| The League of Women Voters of the San Juans, a non-partisan, non-profit organization, is sponsoring voter forums on San Juan, Orcas, and Lopez Islands for county residents to get to know the County Council candidates on the ballot for
North Shore Preserve opening
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Don't forget to mark your calendars for the much-anticipated opening of North Shore Preserve on Saturday, September 28th! Located near the northwest corner of Orcas Island, the 58-acre preserve offers forested uplands, wetlands, and over 1,800 feet of natural shoreline with prime nearshore
Letter to Editor | O’Day exhibits good planning, common sense
||| FROM JOHN and MARILYN GRESSETH ||| We are writing in support of Stephanie O'Day for San Juan County Council District 1 Commissioner. Stephanie has the right background to address the difficult challenges of permitting, housing, environmental protection and budgeting within the context of our Island lifestyle and institutions. Unlike
