Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Upcoming health education & portal support class opportunities
||| FROM RACHEL LAMBERT for ISLAND HEALTH ||| Join our Health Education and Portal Support teams for in-person classes on Thursday, November 30th at the Orcas Senior Center. Both of these events are free and walk-in, so tell your friends about this exciting presentation! Move Your Way® Learn the most
Clearing for Safety: Upcoming OPALCO tree trimming projects
||| FROM ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| OPALCO has several right-of-way clearing projects happening the coming months throughout San Juan County. Right-of-way clearing helps manage trees and vegetation near power lines and is critical for wildfire prevention and safety for the OPALCO crews. All year long, OPALCO crews do
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.
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.
Letter to the Community: Controlled substance homicide sentencing on 11/21/23
||| FROM SHERIFF ERIC PETER ||| My fellow community members, As a San Juan County resident, as an advocate for public safety, and as your Sheriff, it is with a heavy heart and genuine frustration with our judicial system that I am addressing everyone with an update on the sentencing
Orcas orchards’ hidden treasures
||| FROM MADRONA MURPHY for KWIAHT||| From the 1860s until the 1920s, the San Juan Islands were the center of apple production in the Pacific Northwest. Hundreds of acres on Orcas were planted with apples, and tons of fresh fruit were shipped “up the Sound” to Seattle, where Pike Place
Winter Makers Auction showcases holiday gifts
||| FROM SAN JUAN MAKERS GUILD SUPPORT ||| From the mountains to the sea, from the forests to the village, San Juan Islands maker studios have inspired gifts for delight-filled holiday giving. The Winter Makers Auction is a festive seasonal shopping experience, certain to connect the winners with treasures that
My adventures into Tai Chi Land: Third of a four-part series
“Tai chi is often described as “meditation in motion,” but it might well be called “medication in motion.” There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice... has value in treating or preventing many health problems." --Harvard Women’s Health Watch, May 2009 ||| FROM STEPHANIE ROSENBLATT ||| “Thank you for inviting
Orcas Island Garden Club presents Preserving your Garden Bounty
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Please join the Orcas Island Garden Club on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 when we welcome Jennie Bryan-Goforth from WSU San Juan County Extension. Jennie will be presenting remotely from Skagit county. We will learn about a variety of safe methods available for preserving
Guest Opinion | Thank you for your service and welcome aboard
||| FROM JIM BIDDICK ||| I want to start by saying thank you to Leith, Allan and Nick for your service to the fire department and to the Orcas Community. To Brian, Randy and Kate, I want to congratulate you on your election win and I look forward to working
Nearly 300K people expected on Washington ferries over Thanksgiving week
||| FROM KOMO NEWS ||| SEATTLE — Travelers riding on Washington State Ferries (WSF) Thanksgiving week can expect long lines and possible last-minute schedule changes. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said nearly 300,000 people are expected aboard Washington ferries from Wednesday through Saturday. The Edmonds/Kingston route will be
Rebirth of a beach with big impact
||| ELISE COPE for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| In a remarkable effort to return a beach to its natural state, a comprehensive restoration project was successfully completed this past month on Shaw Island. Situated on the western edge of Broken Point, this revitalized beach is re-joining a vast
NaNoWriMo writing sprint Part 2 coming up at the Library
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) writing sprint is back by popular demand. Bring your pencils, notebooks, laptops and ideas. Thursday, November 30th, 6pm - 10 pm, at the Orcas Island Public Library. Join other writers on the last day of November
And away we go!
||| FROM HILARY CANTY ||| The Holiday Give Orcas campaign opens this Monday, November 20th and runs through December 6th. There are 18 great programs seeking funding in this cycle. I hope you received a guide in the mail this week. If not, you can check out the opportunities at www.giveorcas.org. We will
San Juan County responds to public’s feedback on Destination Management Plan
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County would like to acknowledge the public response to the Preliminary Draft San Juan Islands Destination Management Plan (SDMP) and thank those community members who have taken the time to submit feedback, ask questions, and engage in the conversation about the
Guest Opinion | Why is San Juan County not talking about ecological overshoot?
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what life here in San Juan County might look like as life-as-we-know-it crumbles with the ongoing and ever-increasing impacts of ecological breakdown. As the average time between U.S. billion-dollar disasters decreases, from 82 days in the 1980’s to
