Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
San Juan County Courts hold first annual Law Day celebration
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County District Court invited seventh grade students from across the county to participate in their first Law Day celebration. On May 15, 2024, sixty-five students from Friday Harbor and Orcas Island visited the courthouse and participated in law-themed activities hosted by
Avi Shmueli art exhibit
||| FROM ANDREA COHEN for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Island Library will feature the paintings of Avi Shmueli, which will be on exhibit for the month of June. Originally from Jerusalem, Avi took early classes in drawing and painting but didn’t start painting in earnest until he moved
Grow financial skills through Orcas Money Smart
||| FROM SOPHIE TIMIN for ORCAS COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER ||| Would you like to join a free financial education program as a participant or a mentor? Orcas Community Resource Center is gearing up for its third round of Orcas Money Smart, a financial education and mentorship program in which participants
Weather weirding & homeowner’s insurance
||| FROM JANET ALDERTON ||| Homeowner’s Insurance protects what may be our largest investment. This insurance is required by lenders and protects them financially. Without Homeowner’s Insurance you cannot get a mortgage. If you lose your Homeowner’s Insurance, you must scramble to find replacement coverage. In the worst case, a
Cider, Mead Festival
||| FROM MICHELLE HASSEBROOK for ORCAS MUSEUMS ||| The Orcas Island Historical Museums are pleased to be hosting the 12th Annual Orcas Island Cider and Mead Festival on Saturday, July 13 on the Village Green in Eastsound. The festival will have a number of cider and mead producers, their fabulous
Night Yoga
||| FROM LELNA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Join Tara Plank's active vinyasa-style yoga sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at Orcas Senior Center. Classes emphasize the science of yoga, with attention given to moving from a place of stability. Each class addresses core strength
Author visit to Library
||| FROM JENNY DEGROOT for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Island Public Library is pleased to welcome back acclaimed children’s author Rosanne Parry on Wednesday, June 5th at 2pm for an author visit. Parry is a Portland-based author of numerous novels, many of which have landed on the New
Needlework Circle
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Are you passionate about knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, or embroidery? Join Orcas Senior Center’s Needlework Circle on Tuesdays at 2 pm. Grab your ongoing project and be part of a wonderful gathering filled with camaraderie, engaging conversations, and the exchange of tips
OIHS band and strings students graduate on a high note
||| FROM MUSIC ADVOCACY GROUP ||| Set to graduate on June 15, the Orcas Island School District class of 2024 is notable for having begun their freshman year in online classrooms. Their mettle has been tested and honed as the district navigated COVID-19 challenges of first transitioning students to virtual
Midnight Mutterings | Tools
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES || What can be better than a tool that works well? That makes a task easier? That makes a repair possible by a mere mortal that would be hard, perhaps impossible, without it? I particularly love small elegant tools that fit so nicely in
Rider survey indicates rough waters for Washington State Ferries
||| FROM THE DISPATCH ||| Passenger unhappiness remains a major challenge for Washington State Ferries, according to the results of a recent survey. Members of the Washington Transportation Commission were briefed last week on the 2024 FROG survey of riders and non-riders. FROG stands for Ferry Riders Opinion Group. The
Hotel-aquarium resort with west Japan’s only orca shows opening June 1 in Kobe
||| FROM THE MAINICHI ||| KOBE -- A new aquarium and hotel resort facility featuring western Japan's only killer whale performances opens in Suma Seaside Park in this city's Suma Ward on June 1. Kobe Suma Sea World is a joint venture whose managing firms include the operator of Kamogawa
Several Orcas Island beaches closed to recreational shellfish harvesting
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The Washington State Department of Health has closed recreational shellfish harvesting at the beaches in East Sound on Orcas due to unsafe levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP). This closure includes all species of molluscan shellfish including clams, geoduck, scallops, mussels, oysters, and
Finally! State ferry system goes out to bid for new hybrid-electric vessels
Deliveries will begin in 2028 if all goes well — delays and escalating costs have bedeviled the procurement process until now. ||| FROM THE SALISH CURRENT ||| Washington State Ferries on Thursday published an invitation to bid on building five new hybrid-electric ferries, an overdue achievement that promises to eventually
Sheriff’s Report | May 22 – 28, 2024
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, MAY 22 24-002964 Found Property 11:33:00 05/22/24 A selfie stick was turned into the Sheriff's Office after being found by a resident. The stick was booked into the property room. 24-002965 Unwanted Person 13:01:24 05/22/24 A Deputy responded to a report
Orcas Community Foundation tops national ranking
||| FROM HILARY CANTY for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| The Council on Foundations has released the results of their 2022 national survey of over 200 Community Foundations of all sizes. The Orcas Island Community Foundation is ranked #1 for Gifts per Capita. OICF was also recognized as #7 for
