Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
‘On Screen’ series brings epic performances from The Met and National Theatre Live
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| The gold standard in opera and live theatre comes to Orcas Island with this season’s On Screen series. Running from now until June, you can view a diverse sampling of the world’s best performers at the height of their careers in productions
This is Actually Good | Bubble & Squeak
||| THIS IS ACTUALLY GOOD by RACHEL FACTOR ||| It's potato time at Island Hardware! I know you are likely celebrating as we are in my household. There's only one thing better than potatoes and that is free potatoes. This is a plant-based version of a British wintertime classic that
San Juan Preservation Trust hosts upcoming community talks | Land Conservation in the San Juans’
||| FROM KELVIN BAKER for SAN JUAN PRESERVATION TRUST ||| The San Juan Preservation Trust (SJPT) invites the community to two free public lectures exploring how the iconic natural landscapes that define our islands are protected. On Thursday, November 13, join SJPT staff at the Orcas Center in Eastsound for
The Path Less Taken: Part 1
||| FROM ROBIN ELIZABETH BALDWIN ||| Intro: Path Less Taken Over thirty years ago, islander Joe Symons began writing The Path Less Taken, found in entirety here: https://doebay.net/cpupdate/pathlessibook.pdf —a series of essays exploring growth, limits, and what it means to care for a place like the San Juan Islands. I’m
U.S. & Canadian leaders convene cross-border forum to strengthen collaboration & resilience
Building on a smaller virtual gathering in March 2025, the event reaffirmed the enduring spirit of cross-border cooperation and emphasized the vital role of local leadership in fostering a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| October 17, 2025, Sidney, BC — Indigenous leaders, elected
Preliminary Election Results | November 4, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY ELECTIONS ||| November 4, 2025 General Election Last updated on 11/04/2025 8:02 PM Number of Precincts 23 Number of Registered Voters 15,154 Total Ballots Counted 5,292 Est, Ballots Left to Count 850 Next Ballot Count On 11/05/2025 5:00 PM Last Tabulated 11/04/2025 8:02 PM Voter
SNAP benefits support available
||| FROM MEGAN METCALF for ORCAS COMMUNNITY RESOURCE CENTER ||| If your SNAP monthly distribution date has passed and you're currently going without benefits, please reach out to the Resource Center for coordinated assistance. They're here to help! Thank you to supportive community members and community partners who are collaborating
Health Care District Board public budget & levy hearing
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island Health Care District is holding a Special Board Meeting on Thursday, November 6th from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Orcas Island Public Library Community Room. The meeting will include the Public Budget and Levy Hearing, followed by the regular
Community organizations ready to support islanders whose food benefits may be affected by federal shutdown
Community organizations are ready to support islanders whose food benefits may be affected by the federal shutdown. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Community organizations across San Juan County have geared up quickly to assist islanders whose food benefits may be impacted by the ongoing federal shutdown. This update
Adult Spelling Bee? Yep, register now
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS PUBLIC LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Island Public Library presents: Third Annual Adult Spelling Bee! Thursday, November 20th | 6:00 PM | Orcas Center. Think you’ve got what it takes to outspell your neighbors? Or just want to watch the drama unfold, letter by letter?
News Brief | Oysters can be put to work
||| FROM THE COOL DOWN ||| Oysters don't just sit around. Beneath the waves, they're pulling tiny bits of carbon from the water to build their shells. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY THE COOL DOWN Oyster farming could do far more than produce food — it may also help clean the water
News Brief | Residents of Nantucket are split over just how long visitors can stay
||| FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ||| Located 30 miles off Cape Cod, Nantucket has transformed over centuries from a whaling port to a wealthy seasonal enclave, where typical homes cost millions of dollars yet many sit empty all winter. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL An added wrinkle:
No Place Like Loam | Growing Wine Grapes in Seattle? Part 3: Earth, Wind, and Wire
||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYO-WOLF ||| Viticulture reached the Pacific Northwest not with romance but with recordkeeping. In the 1820s, clerks of the Hudson’s Bay Company planted grapes at Fort Vancouver, a small colonial outpost on the Columbia, to see what might survive at the far edge
Meidas Touch Network asks us to share these ICE videos
||| FROM MEIDAS TOUCH NETWORK |||
Artworks features works of Rose Cope
||| FROM B.J. ARNOLD for ORCAS ARTWORKS||| From the reflective surroundings of Orcas Island, artist Rose Cope has cultivated a unique and deeply personal artistic practice that explores the intersection of memory, textiles, and color. Raised in an environment shaped by her family’s contemporary Japanese art gallery, Rose was introduced
Library November art exhibit | Clark Allen
||| FROM ANDREA COHEN for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The photography of Clark Allen is featured in the Orcas Island Library’s November art exhibit. Clark is an artist, photographer and writer who has lived on Orcas for less than two years. His work has appeared in galleries across the US
