Here’s a thought…
“It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.”
JIM ROHN
The Whale Museum’s Virtual Gear Down Workshop for Marine Naturalists
||| FROM TATE THOMSON for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| Register now for The Whale Museum’s Virtual Gear Down Workshop on November 15 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. This year’s theme is: All Rivers Lead to Whales. The workshop will be entirely virtual through Zoom. Invited Presenters include: Madison Rose Bristol, Water
Update | Pegi Groundwater being honored
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| The Orcas Senior Center is deeply moved by the outpouring of appreciation for Pegi Groundwater and her many years of dedicated service as the volunteer coordinator for SHIBA. While we would love for everyone to join in celebrating Pegi on Sunday,
Great WA ShakeOut
Test your earthquake preparedness on October 17 ||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| While earthquakes in the islands are rare, San Juan County is smack in the middle of some of the highest risk quake country anywhere. Being prepared for the eventual catastrophic earthquake is a
Updates from The Exchange
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING SERVICES/THE EXCHANGE ||| Hazardous Waste Cleanup This Saturday - Oct 12th Don’t miss the Household Hazardous Waste Collection event this Saturday, Oct. 12th from 10am-2pm. We will not be accepting any liquid fuel or paint during this event. Learn more about our Hazardous Waste Collection Events. We
Call for Artisans: Handmade Craft Market
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| The Visual Arts Committee (VAC) of Orcas Center is excited to host a Handmade Craft Market on November 30 (Small Business Saturday) from 11am-4pm. This market is for handmade goods made by artisans on Orcas Island. Interested in being a vendor? Applications
Letter to Editor | Consider a No vote for the Land Bank
San Juan County: The Next Nantucket? ||| FROM LISA CROSBY GUARD ||| I’ve long been drawn to Nantucket, often compared to Friday Harbor, where I’ve lived as a native islander and farmer. My family has lived in the San Juans for over seven generations. In September 2022, a trip to
Letter to Editor | Reauthorize SJC Land Bank
||| FROM TODD KADEN ||| I am writing in support of reauthorization of the San Juan County Conservation Area REET. As most know, the local County Conservation Land Bank provides stewardship for a select number of land parcels. These are truly local treasures. Some are made available for low-impact, public
Workshop: Grant Writing for Farmers
October 23 helps San Juan County farmers learn tools for effective grant writing ||| FROM REBECCA MOORE for WSU EXTENSION ||| Join a free virtual farm grant writing workshop hosted by WSU San Juan Extension on October 23rd, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. This workshop will feature a presentation by
Community Wildfire Protection Plan needs your input
||| FROM PAUL ANDERSSON for SAN JUAN ISLANDS CONSERVATION DISTRICT ||| A diverse group of local emergency responders, land managers, and forestry experts from over a dozen agencies and tribes are updating the San Juan County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), and we need your input! Join us in October
NOAA predicts severe geomagnetic storm
||| FROM NOAA ||| Space weather forecasters at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) have issued a Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm Watch for Thursday, October 10 into Friday, October 11. Experts at SWPC are monitoring the sun following a strong X -class solar flare and resulting coronal mass ejection (CME)
5th Annual Funhouse/Island Market Gingerbread House Contest approaches
||| FROM NICOLE SPINOGATTI for FUNHOUSE COMMONS ||| Get ready for the Fifth Annual Gingerbread House contest sponsored by The Funhouse & Island Market! A holiday Gingerbread House Contest for ALL AGES with cash prizes! AND.....if you're a teen between the ages of 13 - 18 and want to
Letter to Editor | McVeigh owes an apology if not withdrawal
||| FROM JOHN NANCE ||| It appears that Kari McVeigh’s “camp” is panicking, and embracing dirty tricks to suppress, deflect, dismiss, or attempt to discredit a verifiable legal decision concerning not only her record as the Superintendent of the Beverly Hills School District more than a decade ago, but also
Orcas Community Resource Center to host lecture on building a stable community
||| FROM MEGAN METCALF for COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER ||| The Orcas Community Resource Center (OCRC) invites you to join them for an educational lecture, Building a Stable Community, at the Orcas Island Public Library. This discussion will explore the impact of trauma, systemic barriers, and life challenges that prevent individuals
School Board vacancies announced
||| FROM SUZANNA SMITH for ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| Orcas Island School District - School Board Vacancy Announcement-Position # 3 The Orcas Island School District Board of Education is accepting applications for a School Director to fulfill an unexpired term for Position # 3. This position expires on 11/30/2025.
Senior Center now owns its building
||| FROM LYNNETTE WOOD for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| At 3:10 pm on October 3, it became official: The Orcas Senior Center nonprofit now holds 100% ownership of the senior center building at 62 Henry Road. This marks the fulfillment of a dream for the original investors who, 25 years
Mayor declares National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
||| FROM TOWN OF FRIDAY HARBOR ||| PROCLAMATION Heal, Hold & Center WHEREAS, October is annually recognized as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and this year’s theme: “Heal, Hold & Center” invites the community to come together, embrace the many cultural ways we can heal from violence and oppression, commit to holding space
