Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
Library After Dark | Writing night offers adults a quiet space to create
||| FROM SAM GAILEY fot ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Orcas Island Library invites adult writers to settle in after hours for Library After Dark: Writing Night on Monday, February 9, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. This welcoming evening is designed for adults seeking focused writing time and a supportive creative community. The event
County publishes guide for reviewing OPALCO’s proposed solar project on Decatur Island
Members of the public interested in engaging in the County’s review of OPALCO’s project can use this guide. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Department of Community Development (DCD) received an application from Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO) for a conditional use permit (CUP) for
How do our packages get here?
||| FROM YOUTUBE |||
Gray whales featured in new picture book
||| FROM NORA FERM NICKUM ||| I have a new picture book coming out next week (Feb. 10) from Candlewick/Penguin Random House titled Twelve Daring Grays: A Whale Migration Adventure. It's a true story about the adventurous gray whales, known as the Sounders, that make a long, risky detour off their usual
Calling all Orcas Island nonprofits | Applications for 2026 Spring GiveOrcas grants now being accepted
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| OICF is inviting all Orcas Island nonprofit organizations to submit grant proposals February 4 - 26, 2026. The application is open to 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) organizations, government agencies, schools, and public service organizations. Applications, qualifications checklist, and campaign policies can
Child Find Screening soon to be available
||| FROM LORENA STANKEVICH for ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| Any child, ages birth to five, whose family or caregivers would like more information about their child’s development can contact their local district to receive a free Child Find Screening. Tuesday, March 3 through Thursday, March 5, 2026 Orcas Island School
Letter to Editor | Property taxes in 2026
||| FROM BOB DISTLER ||| With virtually no change in assessed valuation, our home’s property taxes will increase by about 17% compared to last year. While I understand the somewhat byzantine relationship between assessments and mil rates, it would be interesting for someone in San Juan County government to explain
County Council continues discussing levy lid lift to maintain services
Council is interested in placing a levy lid lift on the April Special Election and is expected to adopt a resolution during its next meeting on February 10. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| This week, the San Juan County Council continued to discuss seeking a levy lid lift
Poetry | Advice from a raindrop
||| FROM NITA COUCHMAN || ADVICE FROM A RAINDROP Kim Stafford You think you're too small to make a difference? Tell me about it. You think you're helpless, at the mercy of forces beyond your control? Been there. Think you're doomed to disappear, just one small voice among millions? That's
Orcas Community Resource Center to host “Financial Disaster Recovery” seminar
||| FROM ORCAS COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER ||| The Orcas Community Resource Center will present a "Financial Disaster Recovery" seminar at the Orcas Senior Center on Wednesday, February 18th, at 1:00 p.m. Part of the Orcas Talks Money program, this specialized session is designed to help seniors navigate financial crises and
Town Council to hold special meeting
||| FROM JENNIFER KREMBS for TOWN OF FRIDAY HARB0R ||| NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town Council will hold a special meeting after the regular business meeting on February 5, 2026, to participate in the first portion of the AWC/RMSA mandatory training for elected and appointed officials regarding the
Jurors for February 9-13 excused
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: FEBRUARY 9-13, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the jury term beginning Monday, February 9th through Friday, February 13th, 2026, are excused. Thank you!
Larsen rejects Trump’s agenda; demands ICE accountability
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement on the Fiscal Year 2026 funding package, which provides full-year funding for jobs, education, health care and national security priorities along with two weeks of funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): “These funding bills are a rejection of Trump administration’s agenda. “Eliminating
Vehicle reservations for spring open next Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m.
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Vehicle reservations for the spring 2026 schedule (March 22 through June 13) will be available at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10. To ensure a smooth and fair experience during this high-demand period, we will continue using a virtual waiting room during the reservations release.
Larsen releases statement on government funding package
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement on the Fiscal Year 2026 funding package before the House of Representatives: “These bills provide full-year funding for jobs, education, health care and national security priorities along with
Guest Speaker | The Constitution, the Supreme Court and the Executive Branch
Where are we today? ||| FROM INDIVISIBLE SAN JUAN ISLANDS ||| Indivisible San Juan Islands (ISJI) is pleased to announce our upcoming Guest Speaker, Garrett Epps. Professor Epps, a nationally renowned Constitutional scholar, law professor, podcaster, and journalist, formerly with The Atlantic and now with the Washington Monthly, will provide
