Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue | A busy year and preparing for the future
||| FROM FIRE CHIEF CHAD KIMPLE for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| As we move into fall, I want to update the community we proudly serve. It has been a very busy year for our responders, with 1,010 calls as of October 14, 2025. From medical emergencies to structure
SJC Land Bank to meet October 17
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold a regular monthly meeting on October 17, 2025 from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom. Lopez Island Field Assistant, Claire Waterman, transports plants from the Salish Seeds Project sale to Lopez Island
November 4, 2025, General Election | Vote! Sign! Send!
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Mark your calendars for the exciting General Election on November 4! This is a fantastic opportunity to engage with our community, as we'll be voting on important positions for commissioners and directors in Junior Taxing Districts related to schools, hospitals, fire districts, and
News Brief | Researchers discover remote lake could hold the key to understanding elusive threat of microplastics
||| FROM THE COOL DOWN ||| "There's no point knowing all about microplastics in a lake without using it to make change. Research shouldn't happen in a vacuum." ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY THE COOL DOWN "There isn't another research station like this anywhere else in the world," Read full article
News Brief | ‘We love Hitler’ say young Republicans in a racist chat
Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape. ||| FROM POLITICO ||| The chat offers an unfiltered look at how a new generation of GOP activists talk when they think no one is listening. ORIGINALLY REPORTED BY POLITICO “I'm going to create some
National NO KINGS continues to ripple across rural America
||| FROM DEBBI FINCHER |||
What’s next for Public Works? Council reviews future projects
This six-year plan guides the Public Works Department as it manages new and ongoing projects. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is once again reviewing the Public Works Department’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Annual Construction Program (ACP). The TIP guides the Public Works Department
County issues proclamation in recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month
The proclamation celebrates the valuable contributions of individuals with disabilities who strengthen our workforce and our communities. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During the October 7 meeting, the Council issued a proclamation recognizing October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The proclamation celebrates the valuable contributions of individuals
Building the Team | SJC welcomes new DCD Director, Fire Marshal, Public Defender
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is pleased to welcome a new Director for the Department of Community Development, a Fire Marshal, and Public Defender. These new additions will help strengthen the County’s workforce and improve the organizations' ability to serve the public. Director of
Help Rotary end polio
||| FROM BARBARA MERRETT ||| World Polio Day, October 24 is a time for all who want a world free from polio to come together in support of Rotary International’s over 35-year mission to eradicate the crippling disease. To that end, the Rotary Club of the San Juan Islands annually contributes to
Guest Opinion | The time to establish a Lopez Island Park and Recreation District is now
The time to establish a Lopez Island Park and Recreation District is now. ||| FROM JANE FULLER ||| To my fellow Lopez Islanders, As your San Juan County Council member and mother of a recent graduate (2025) of the Lopez Island K-12 School, I am writing to share with you
Orcas islander Jasmine Ikeda released from Israeli prison
||| FROM KING-5 TV ||| Jasmine Ikeda was one of over 400 detained while attempting to break Gaza blockade on humanitarian flotilla. Just days after her release, a ceasefire deal was announced. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY KING-5 TV "It feels great," she said, still visibly exhausted. "Relief. And I think once
Orca survey 2025 census update
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Fifty years ago, Orca Survey set out on a simple but ambitious mission: to track and understand more about the Southern Resident killer whales. In 2025, we are proud to share the 50th Orca Survey Census. As Dr. Michael Weiss, Research Director at
Columbus: In his own words
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One simple thing you can do to avoid Microplastics: They are everywhere
||| FROM THE WASHINGTON POST ||| As scientists zero in on the sources of microplastics — and how they get into human bodies — one factor stands out. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY THE WASHINGTON POST Microplastics, studies increasingly show, are released from exposure to heat. READ FULL ARTICLE
Before the Door Closes | Autumn dispatch from Island Stewards
||| FROM ISLAND STEWARDS ||| We’ve spent the past months doing what islanders do best — paying attention. To ferry lines that lengthened again this summer. To parking lots that overflowed while long-time residents searched for a place to live — or simply to breathe. To cedars shedding heavily at
