Here’s a thought…
“If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.”
WILLIAM L. MCKNIGHT
All San Juan County beaches are closed to recreational shellfish harvesting
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| As of June 18, 2024, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has closed recreational shellfish harvesting in San Juan County due to unsafe levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP). This closure includes all species of molluscan shellfish including clams, geoduck, scallops, mussels,
Mayor Jackson recognizes Juneteenth 2024 with proclamation
||| FROM RAYMONT C. JACKSON, MAYOR, TOWN OF FRIDAY HARBOR ||| WHEREAS, on New Year's Day ot 1863, using his war powers as President, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all persons held as slaves within rebellious states "are, and henceforward, shall be free;" and WHEREAS, word about
Land Bank meeting
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its regular monthly meeting on June 21, 2024, from 8:30am – 11:15am at the Orcas Island Library, located at 500 Rose Street, Eastsound. The meeting will also be available online via Zoom. The public is invited
Judge orders railway to pay Washington tribe nearly $400 million for trespassing with oil trains
||| FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS ||| BNSF Railway must pay nearly $400 million to a Native American tribe in Washington state, a federal judge ordered Monday after finding that the company intentionally trespassed when it repeatedly ran 100-car trains carrying crude oil across the tribe’s reservation. U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik
Feldenkrais and Eurythmy Class
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Join Andrea Preiss, a seasoned Feldenkrais practitioner and therapeutic eurythmist, for a relaxing movement class at Orcas Senior Center, Tuesdays at 11 a.m. (No class Tuesday, July 30). Emphasizing a seated position, these subtle exercises rooted in the Feldenkrais Method and
Quilter’s Showcase
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Step into the Orcas Senior Center any weekday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to delve into a magnificent display of quilting artistry! Throughout the months of July and August, we invite you to explore the dynamic Quilters' Art Exhibition, featuring
Salish Sea Music Festival returns with award-winning harpsichordist
||| FROM JEFFREY COHEN for SALISH SEA EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL ||| Irene Roldàn from Spain, one of Europe’s prominent young harpsichordists and winner of the prestigious Bach Prize and an additional special award at the 2022 International Bach Competition in Leipzig, Germany, will perform “Johann Sebastian Bach” with baroque flutist
Eastsound Water Users will meet tomorrow
||| FROM DAN BURKE for EASTSOUND WATER USERS ||| Our Regular Board Meeting is tomorrow night. Please join us at the Eastsound Firehall at 5:00 pm. Mission Statement Eastsound Water Users Association is a service-oriented association whose goal is to utilize all available resources to ensure that an adequate and
Update | County awaits funding for infrastructure resiliency work on Lopez Island
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County continues to wait for updates regarding its grant application to engage in sea level rise adaptation and infrastructure resiliency work on Lopez Island. San Juan County and its partners in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Resilience Regional
Master Gardeners to answer plant questions at Orcas Library
||| KATE YTURRI for SJC MASTER GARDENERS ||| As we welcome summer with days spent in our gardens, we have high hopes of success. However, sometimes the weather, insects, disease, or our garden practices betray our dedication. The Master Gardeners of San Juan County are here to help with science
Protect marine ecosystems & island resources; become a Green Boater today
||| FROM JESS NEWLEY for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| Boating season is here, and soon our waters will be buzzing with local and visiting boats. Our amazing group of islands, where boaters find wonder and relaxation, are also where fish and wildlife find food and shelter. To help
Are B.C.’s open-net pen salmon farms closing — or not?
Five years ago, with wild salmon in sharp decline, the federal government promised a transition away from open-net farming. As the clock ticks towards a 2025 deadline, wild salmon advocates worry Ottawa is back-peddling ||| FROM THE NARWHAL ||| The federal government walked back a commitment to close open-net salmon
Rep. Larsen statement on House-passed defense policy bill
Larsen votes “no” on FY25 NDAA, outlines support for bipartisan path forward ||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the below statement after voting “no” on the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): “I opposed the NDAA because
Guest Opinion | So, what is it, exactly, that nonprofit Boards are supposed to be doing?
||| FROM ROBERT AUSTIN ||| It’s a well-known fact that we have a lot of nonprofit organizations here on Orcas, and many of us have had experience volunteering to help them with their missions. These might range from sailing to education, raising money for the library to managing our utilities.
Support local renewable energy projects
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT CO-OP ||| Earlier this year OPALCO requested changes to the Comprehensive Plan regarding land use designations and now those changes are being reviewed by the San Juan County Planning Commission. Members can submit comments to the Planning Commission regarding OPALCO’s requests.
Alchemy Art Center & SJC Conservation Land Bank partner for summer series of FREE painting sessions
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County's Conservation Land Bank is excited to partner with Alchemy Art Center for a series of free painting sessions that connect artists with nature. Led by Alchemy Art Center co-directors, Maria Michaelson or Glenn Hendrick, these free, two-hour painting sessions will
