Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Join new DCD Director and Councilmembers at upcoming land-use meetings
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| This fall, County staff and officials, including the County’s new Director of Community Development, will attend land-use committee meetings on Lopez and Orcas Islands to engage with the public, receive feedback, and answer questions. New DCD Director Visits Lopez and Orcas Sev
Student election results announced at Orcas Christian High School
||| FROM LILLI S. for ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| On Oct. 2, 2025, four Orcas Christian High School students ran for positions in the Student Association. The candidates included Maria Burns, a 12th grader, who ran for president; and three students who ran for vice president — Lula Segault, an
No Place Like Loam | Growing wine grapes in Seattle? Part 1
Finding wine-growing promise in a place that doesn’t give it away ||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYO-WOLF ||| Growing wine grapes west of the Cascades isn’t for the faint of heart. The rain comes hard, the summers vanish in a blink, and the soil won’t give you an
Guest Opinion | Celebrating National Coming Out Day
||| FROM JUSTIN PAULSEN ||| First celebrated in the United States in 1988, National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is an annual LGBTQ awareness day observed each October 11th to support anyone "coming out of the closet". The day recognizes the first anniversary of the historic 1987 LGBTQ March on Washington, and
News Brief | Plan to beam ‘Sunlight on Demand’ at night sparks concerns
||| FROM SCIENCE ALERT ||| In the same way you can bounce sunlight off a watch face to produce a spot of light, Reflect Orbital's satellites would use mirrors to beam light onto a patch of Earth. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY SCIENCE ALERT If a single 54 metre satellite is 15,000
Wind advisory in effect tonight, tomorrow morning
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Seattle WA 1017 AM PDT Sun Oct 12 2025 San Juan County-Lowlands of Western Whatcom County- Including Bellingham and Friday Harbor 1017 AM PDT Sun Oct 12 2025 ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS
News Brief | How shipping noise is harming killer whales
||| FROM DESERET NEWS ||| The whole maritime shipping industry is so loud that ambient underwater noise has more than doubled in decibels since the 1950s. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DESERET NEWS A Canadian economist believes he has a solution that's economically viable and environmentally sound. Read full article
Create comfort with fidget quilts at Orcas Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Join Brenda Bacon at Orcas Senior Center for a creative Fidget Quilt workshop on Wednesday, November 19, from 1 to 4 p.m. This hands-on session is designed to guide participants in crafting small, tactile quilts that offer comfort and engagement for
Plan now for this Community Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner
||| FROM DEBRA LEE BABCOCK ||| The Odd Fellows and friends are hosting a Community Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner again this year and everyone is welcome. Turkey will be provided but this is potluck style, so you are invited to bring a dish to share, suggested by last names A-H bringing
Bailer Hill Rd to fully close on Tues. Oct 14 as project enters final construction phase
The closure will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 1:00 a.m. During this time, through traffic will not be permitted, and a detour will be in place. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The Douglas/Bailer Hill Road Improvements Project is entering the final stages. A road closure will
Fian and Orcas Dance Collective to host Halloween Masquerade
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH for ORCAS CENTER ||| The veil is thin. The verdant thicket of life safeguarding the joys of summer has used itself up. As the canopy withers into its slumber, death and decay are now able to peek down into our mortal world. They are curious. What
Medicare Open Enrollment | Get help navigating your options
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Between October 15 and December 7, you can review your Medicare coverage and decide if changes are needed for 2026. By now, you should have received information from your current prescription drug (Part D) or Advantage plan. Read it carefully—premiums, deductibles,
News Brief | USPS rule changes may complicate mail-in voting, risking late ballots in November election
||| FROM KOMO NEWS ||| Ballots go out starting next week for the November general election but people who mail them back through the United States Postal Service (USPS) could risk not having their votes counted. ORIGINALLY FROM KOMO NEWS That means that the date stamped on letters and parcels
Madrona Institute announces 2025 RFPs for San Juan Islands Stewardship Fund Grants
||| FROM THE MADRONA INSTITUTE ||| The Madrona Institute is pleased to announce the opening of its 2025 Request for Proposals for the San Juan Islands Stewardship Fund, supported by proceeds from the sales of the San Juan Islands Special License Plate. The Stewardship Fund provides small grants to eligible
Register NOW for Mason Bee Cocoon Harvesting and Orcas Isle Cider Tasting
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Mason Bee Cocoon Harvesting Hands-On Workshop Saturday, October 18th, from 2:15 - 4:00 p.m. Orcas Island Library Community Room Give our native bees a helping hand this fall and learn how to provide these important pollinators with healthy habitats to forage and nest.
As the Paradigm Shifts | Self-Deprivation
Cracking open the door to who knows what ||| AS THE PARADIGM SHIFTS by ROSIE KUHN Who knows what will shift when I finally stop saying, “I can’t have that.” Manifestation is something people long for. They pay thousands of dollars for workshops, webinars, and coaches promising to teach them
