Here’s a thought…
“The question is whether or not you choose to disturb the world around you, or if you choose to let it go on as if you had never arrived.”
ANN PATCHETT
Watercolor Class
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Explore your artistic potential with Robbie Walker’s watercolors class designed for beginners at Orcas Senior Center! Immerse yourself in the captivating world of watercolor painting every Monday from 9:30 to 11 am. Robbie, an experienced instructor with years of expertise in
Larsen requests more than $42 Million for 15 local projects in FY 2025 spending bill
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) requested a total of $42,399,656 for fifteen local projects in the Fiscal Year 2025 spending bill. Larsen submitted the requests to the House Appropriations Committee as the Committee begins work on legislation to fund the federal
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Welcome to our weekly feature, Occam's Razor, from local artist S.C. Watson.
Larsen: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is building safer streets and roads in Washington State
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), the lead Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) announcement of nearly $65 million in Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant funding for projects aimed at improving road
Letter to Editor | Neighborly giving has a profound impact on our community
||| FROM AMANDA SPARKS & STAFF for ORCAS ISLAND FOOD BANK ||| Amazing news, Orcas Island community! Thanks to your support, our Give Orcas grant request was fully funded in just two and a half days. We are simply overflowing with deep appreciation for each and every one of you.
Orcas residents create an internship for a greener future
New environmental communications endowment equips students to tell stories for the Earth ||| FROM WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ||| The Salish Sea Institute Tahlequah Communication Internship, funded by Frank Greer and Stephanie Solien, prepares students to use their communications skills in environmental journalism and advocacy. Frank Greer and Stephanie
Larsen applauds $24.2 Million for Northwest Washington fish passage projects
Recommended funding comes from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act ||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), the lead Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, announced a total of $24.2 million in recommended funding for three Tribal projects to remove and
Meeting | County considers purchasing property on Shaw Island
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Shaw Island community members are invited to a meeting to learn about a possible property purchase that can assist the County in serving the residents of Shaw Island. WHAT: Community meeting to discuss the purchase of property on Shaw Island. WHEN:
San Juan County hires new County Manager
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| New County Manager Jessica Hudson San Juan County Council is pleased to announce the hiring of a new County Manager – Jessica Hudson. Hudson is currently the Director at Fairfax County Public Library in Fairfax, Virginia where she oversees a system
Clean water, healthy futures: Orca Month targets toxics
||| FROM ROSEMARY CONNELLI for ORCA ACTION MONTH ||| Volunteers and advocates across Washington will speak out against toxic pollutants that harm orcas, salmon and people during Orca Action Month. This year’s theme is Clean Water, Healthy Futures. “We learn more every day about the harmful impacts of chemicals like
‘The Magic of Sailing’ film premier
||| FROM BURKE THOMAS for SAIL ORCAS ||| Calling all sailing enthusiasts! On May 28th, join us at 6:30 PM at the Orcas Center for an evening dedicated to the joy and community of sailing. The premiere of Carl Davis’s new film, "The Magic of Sailing," invites you to experience
OrcasHub celebrates milestone with launch of new groups feature
||| FROM TONY GROSINGER for ORCASHUB ||| OrcasHub, the island-grown platform designed for neighbors to exchange goods, is celebrating its first successful year (a few months late). There’s a thriving community of over 1000 members, and new listings every day. Today, OrcasHub is excited to introduce the OrcasHub Groups feature.
LWVSJ Observer Corps | San Juan County Council May 21, 2024
||| FROM LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OBSERVER CORP ||| The Council held a public hearing on the Public Facilities Finance Assistance Program awards then approved the Advisory Committee recommended awards for three Economic Development Commission initiatives and core funding and for an upgraded entrance at the Orcas Community Center to make it ADA compliant. The applications
Rider survey indicates rough waters for Washington State Ferries
||| FROM THE CENTER SQUARE ||| 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 survey
OHS alum releases debut experimental film
||| FROM MARIE BIGBEE ||| Orcas High School alum Ella James BigBee co-directs and captures the cinematography of the wilderness in Western America. In her debut experimental film, WHEN BACKWARDS IS FORWARDS, Ella shadows her father Matthew’s journey, silently documenting and filming the process. The film’s overall theme centers around
Letter to Editor | We owe Eastsound Water an expression of gratitude
||| FROM JOSEPH COHEN ||| There is much to celebrate in the progress achieved at EWUA over the past decade. Paul Kamin’s legacy was in reducing the leaks in the system to about 5%. Saving water enhances the system for all members and provides for increased capacity in the long
