Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
UPDATE | OIFR child passenger safety technician training date change
||| FROM BECCA MCDOWELL for ORCAS FIRE & RESCUE ||| After feedback, we have chosen to push back the dates for the CPST course until May. The in-person course dates will be May 6-8 rather than February 18-20 to allow local organizations more time to plan their staffing such that
In Memoriam | Richard Shattuck Lee,1937 – 2026
||| FROM MARY WEBER ||| Richard Shattuck Lee Richard Shattuck Lee of Anacortes, Washington, passed away peacefully on January 13, 2026, in LaGrande, Oregon. Rich was born December 29, 1937, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Nelson Borland Lee and Mary Flagg. Though he grew up in Woodstock, Vermont, he
No Place Like Loam | Defiance as stewardship and self-reliance: Growing perennial vegetables
||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYO WOLF ||| My grandparents’ three acre garden was a closed system. Nothing essential came in from the outside. Seed stayed. Tubers stayed. Crowns stayed. Fertility cycled through animals, compost, and time. During the war, what left the garden left as food. There
County recognizes MLK Day of Service, 100th anniversary of Black History Month
San Juan County’s history has been shaped by Black and African Americans who have fiercely and courageously engaged in service, leadership, and business over the years. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is proud to recognize the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. During the February
Dog licenses now renewable online
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Auditor’s office is introducing a new way to purchase a dog license – online! You can use the online system if you are purchasing a license for a new dog, or to renew an existing license, and paying via
The AI boom is so huge it’s causing shortages everywhere else
||| FROM THE WASHINGTON POST ||| Five leading public AI companies are collectively on track to spend about $700 billion this year on big-ticket projects, as they splurge on building and outfitting data centers stuffed with powerful computer chips to turbocharge AI calculations. But critics worry that the up-front costs
Grannie’s Attic | A treasure hunt awaits
Time to donate, reserve a booth, volunteer ||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Mark your calendar for the exciting return of Grannie’s Attic at Orcas Senior Center on Saturday, April 18! This community-favorite event is better than ever, featuring artisan booths alongside household items, vintage finds, tools,
News Brief | Are killer whales trying to share food with people?
||| FROM GOOD GOOD GOOD ||| Among their own whale circles, they have long shared their prey with one another, but a new study has recorded wild orcas were spotted trying to share their food with human beings. Wild whales have been documented approaching humans on their own, dropping a
See what’s ongoing at Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Create comfort with fidget quilts Join Brenda Bacon at Orcas Senior Center for a creative Fidget Quilt workshop on Wednesday, February 18, from 1 to 4 p.m. This hands-on session is designed to guide participants in crafting small, tactile quilts that
Guest Opinion | We currently enjoy 90% renewable, 100% carbon free energy – what is OPALCO doing?
OPALCO leadership, years of financial mismanagement, and entrenched tenure ||| FROM RIKKI SWIN ||| I am writing as a concerned OPALCO member to directly question the Board President, the entire Board of Directors, and the General Manager regarding the co-op's persistent pursuit of costly and questionable initiatives, including microgrid installations
Letter to Editor | Put a stop to this trash
||| FROM KIM SECUNDA ||| Below is a photo of Ruralite magazine trash clogging up the post office. Literally all three cans overflowing. Stop it. Have opt in only or electronic magazine. This has to stop. Put it on the agenda and please advertise more broadly, and sooner before a town
Standing Up for Our Community | A legislative update from Alex Ramel
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. ALEX RAMEL ||| In this year’s short legislative session, we have passed our first major deadline this week: House of Origin Cutoff. By February 4th, bills not tied to the state budget must be voted out of committee to stay alive. After this date,
Jigsaw Puzzle event at the library
||| FROM WOODY CISKOWSKI for ORCAS LIBRARY ||| Do you love jigsaw puzzles? Put your skills to the test and join fellow puzzle fans for an afternoon of fast-paced, friendly, speed puzzling at the Orcas Island Library! Teams of four will race to complete a 500-piece puzzle. All teams will receive the same puzzle, but
Midnight Mutterings The best place on Orcas Island for fainting
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| I don’t have permission to name the place specifically, and you might think you recognize it from my brief description, but your guess might be wrong. On the other hand you might be right, but not need a place to faint, but you might want
San Juan County brings mobile passport devices to Lopez
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| As a convenience to the Lopez Island community, the San Juan County Clerk’s Office is hosting a “Passport Day” to accept passport applications. Join County staff at the Lopez Island Library on February 11 from 10 am-4 pm to process applications for first-time
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
