Here’s a thought…
“Deep breath. Deep breath. The air is free. You can take as many as you want.”
BUDDHIST MONK
Letter to Editor | And now the end is near and so we face the final curtain…
||| FROM DOUG & MICHELL "MITCH" MARSHALL ||| Dear Friends and Neighbors, The Office Cupboard was always more than a place to buy your office, school, and art supplies, or to get your print work done. It also has been a meeting spot, a pause in the day, a place
I don’t want you to miss this…
||| FROM YOUTUBE ||| Across a divided nation, a simple journey is drawing Americans together — without speeches, signs, or slogans. Nineteen Buddhist monks are walking 2,300 miles across the United States, moving steadily from town to town in a quiet journey for peace. They are not protesting. They are
Experience a sound bath, or do some yoga at Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Sound Bath Tuesdays Join us at Orcas Senior Center every Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. for a relaxing sound bath with crystal bowls. Sessions are guided by Andréia Henigson, founder of attune.you, a sound healing practice offering calming, restorative experiences for physical and
Letter to Editor | OPALCO General Manager makes how much per year?
||| FROM ALEX MACLEOD ||| I saw OPALCO’s notice the other day inviting candidates on San Juan and Orcas Islands to consider running for open seats on its board. To any mulling the possibility, and to those already holding seats on the cooperative, I’d like to pose a question: Why did
The Whale Museum, Alchemy Art Center partner to launch new workshop series
||| FROM CONOR AGNEW for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| The Whale Museum is partnering with Alchemy Art Center to launch a new artistic workshop series, “Digging into Bones!” This series brings art and science together through fun, exciting workshops focusing on different skeleton and bone themes. The series starts on
Regular Monday WSF schedule for MLK Day
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| We are running our regular Monday schedule on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 19,except on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth and Seattle/Bremerton routes. These two routes are on reduced service due to urgent vessel repairs. Visit our schedules webpage to view your route schedule and learn more about our holiday schedules.
Learn all about how birds fly at upcoming pesentation
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Peter Cavanagh, a dedicated bird photographer, pilot and expert in the fields of biomechanics and anatomy, has dedicated a decade to crafting this remarkable book, How Birds Fly. Through awe-inspiring photography and conversational prose, Peter unveils the complex evolutions and physics of
News Brief | He voted for George Washington AND Abraham Lincoln
||| FROM WASHINGTON POST ||| There was once an American who voted for both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. In this year of the nation’s 250th anniversary, you should know his name. We always remember Lincoln and other great presidents. We build them monuments and name things after them. But
Guest Opinion | When a Water Board stops listening, a community loses its voice
||| FROM ELISABETH BRITT ||| Water is a public trust, and on an island it is a lifeline. That is why the recent direction of the Eastsound Water Users Association should concern every member it serves. In recent years, EWUA has shifted toward less transparency and more centralized control. Rates
Action alert for San Juan Islands, Salish Sea
||| FROM AYN GAILEY ||| This action takes less than a minute to complete and is a simple way to show support for efforts to protect Southern Resident killer whales, salmon, and human health. If you care about the Salish Sea and its future, please take a moment to sign
As the Paradigm Shifts | Let there be peace on earth — and let it begin with me
||| AS THE PARADIGM SHIFTS by ROSIE KUHN ||| Peace isn’t an idea. Nor is it a concept to agree with or a value to defend. Peace is a manifestation of energy. That’s all!! I want to see peace in the world—on the planet, in cities, in families—because seeing it out
Sheriff’s Report | January 7 – 12, 2026
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7 26-000128 Controlled Substance Problem 13:26:17 01/07/26 A Deputy in Friday Harbor received some prescription medications from a citizen that had been left by another person. The Deputy took the medication and booked it into evidence. 26-000129 Accident-NonInj 14:01:40 01/07/26
Building a legacy of hope and opportunity
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| During these continued dark times in our country, with threats to the safety of
Larsen and colleagues secure reinstatement of addiction, mental health funding
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) cheered the reinstatement of nearly $2 billion in grants to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), including seven Health Care Authority-administered grants in Washington state. The reinstatement of this funding,
Health Care Board Retreat | Special Board Meeting – January 17, 2026
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island Health Care District will be holding a Special Board Meeting on Saturday, January 17th, 2026 from 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Benson Hall Building - 218-242 Main St, Eastsound, WA 98245. The purpose of this
LWV | County Council notes for January 13, 2026
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| The council recognized January 19, 2026 as Martin Luther King Day and a Day of National Service. The WSU Extension Service reviewed programs in the county including Master Gardeners, 4-H, Native Plant Sales, Agricultural and Forest management programs, and Agricultural Summit.
