Here’s a thought…
“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help.”
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
What a great ride
||| FROM HILARY CANTY for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| Today is my last day as the Executive Director of the Orcas Island Community Foundation. After 18 years, I am stepping down to enjoy retirement with my family. When speaking with folks about my time with OICF, the focus has
Immigration agents detain, send home crew after failed WA ferry tow
||| FROM GAZETTE EXTRA ||| SEATTLE — Four mariners tasked with transporting two retired state ferries to Ecuador for scrapping became ensnared in the U.S. immigration system after failing to move the vessels. The crew members — from Peru, Colombia and Panama — had been aboard the tugboat Wycliffe for
State officials scramble after discovering highly invasive species capable of wiping out major West Coast industry
'Threatens our environment and coastal economies' ||| FROM THE COOL DOWN ||| An invasive crab species is spreading in Washington, and officials are urging residents to help control the dangerous population. What's happening? The European green crab was recently discovered for the first time along the state's North Central Coast,
WSF Weekly Update | Converting depts. to 5 teams; Labor Day traffic, of course; Crew rescue; more Colman Dock awards
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve As I enter my sixth month as assistant secretary and we evolve and position Washington State Ferries for future success, we’ll be making a big change next week by combining our 11 departments into five strategic teams.
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.
Friday Night Writes
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Not just another Friday, but a Friday Night Writes! Working on a novel, short story, poem, or song? Need a little encouragement and guidance? Please join me and other island writers in a creative and supportive space. A few writing coaches
Where are you going, Orcas Senior Center?
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| You probably know that Orcas Senior Center (OSC) is raising money to purchase San Juan County’s 49% interest of the building. In 1999, OSC undertook construction of the senior center building at 62 Henry Road in Eastsound. At the time, the
Resiliency planning for San Juan Islands included in transformational $73.6MM-Federal Climate Award
||| FROM ELISE COPE for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| In a groundbreaking step towards protecting the future of the San Juan Islands, the Samish Indian Nation and Friends of the San Juans are excited to announce that they have been awarded $499,000 as part of a transformative $73.6
Farm Funding Workshop
Farm Funding Workshop September 10th helps San Juan County farmers find grant funding to support their farming enterprises ||| FROM REBECCA MOORE for WSU EXTENSION ||| Join a free farm funding grant workshop hosted by WSU San Juan Extension at Skagit Valley College on San Juan Island, on September 10th,
Letter to Editor | McVeigh checks all the boxes
||| FROM MAUREEN SEE ||| Kari McVeigh brings all the right characteristics to the table: integrity, intelligence, compassion, the art of collaboration, and leadership. She is the right person, at the right time to bring transparency back to our local government. The community shares her values as does our elected
SJC diversity, equity, inclusion, & belonging survey sets baseline for ongoing change
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During a special Council meeting on August 28, County staff and councilmembers reviewed findings from the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Survey and related focus groups. With approximately 56% of employees participating in the data collection process, the initial data sets the
Letter to Editor | Time for Teri to resign
||| FROM MICHAEL RIORDAN, FRED KLEIN, AND ROBERT AUSTIN ||| We hereby call for the resignation of Teri Nigretto from the Board of Directors of the Eastsound Water Users Association. Her almost-daily drumbeat of letters emailed to the EWUA membership have been impugning the character and motivations of former board
Orcas challenge the Bering Sea’s black cod industry
||| FROM KUCB NEWS ||| Black cod fishermen in the Bering Sea have reported an increase in orcas taking their catch off their fishing lines in recent years. Orca depredation isn't just a costly headache for fishermen — it can be dangerous for orcas, too. Jeb Morrow has been long-lining
Washington state ferry cancellations cripple service before the busy Labor Day weekend
||| FROM KOMO NEWS ||| SEATTLE — Headed into the last summer holiday of 2024 when thousands plan to take a ferry, cancellations and delays alter many routes operated by Washington State Ferries (WSF). WSF announced that the Seattle/Bainbridge route is operating on a one-boat service due to a crew shortage on
U.S. officials plan to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls to save another species from extinction
||| FROM PBS.ORG ||| To save the imperiled spotted owl from potential extinction, U.S. wildlife officials are embracing a contentious plan to deploy trained shooters into dense West Coast forests to kill almost a half-million barred owls that are crowding out their smaller cousins. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Letter to Editor | O’Day has a working knowledge of the law
||| FROM CARLA J. HIGGINSON ||| I am a fifth generation islander and have been practicing law in San Juan County for the past 44 years. I write this letter in support of Stephanie O’Day as a candidate for County Council. I first met Stephanie 33 years ago when she
