Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
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
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
Sheriff’s Report | October 1 – 7, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1 25-006783 Parking Problem 08:18:39 10/01/25 A Lopez Deputy responded a report of a vessel moored overnight at a county dock. The Deputy tagged the vessel with a warning sticker. Three days later, the vessel had still not been moved.
WSF expects service disruptions on all routes this evening
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Washington State Ferries is expecting service disruptions that may impact all routes this evening due to a shortage of crew. If you're attending the Mariners game plan accordingly. Take public transportation or walk-on if at all possible. Expect extensive delays returning home after the
Marineland marine park threatening to kill 30 whales
||| FROM THE U.S. SUN ||| Some 18 beluga whales, one killer whale and one dolphin have died at Marineland since late 2019. ORIGINALLY FROM BY U.S. SUN It was also infamously home to the world’s loneliest whale, Kiska, who died aged 47 after living alone for decades in one
Guest Opinion | Vote NO on the Orcas Fire District bond proposition 1
||| FROM ROBERT DASHIELL ||| A NO vote on the Orcas Fire District bond proposal on the November 4, 2025 ballot can result in an estimated $10 Million in Fire District additional capital funding at lower or same cost to Orcas Island taxpayers. Orcas Fire District commissioners had two sensible
Land Bank’s fall newsletter is here
||| FROM SJC CONSERVATION LAND BANK ||| Director's Note Lincoln Bormann It’s migration season – Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) at Weeks Wetland on Lopez Island, Snow geese (Anser caerulescens) at Zylstra Lake on San Juan Island and Red breasted mergansers and harlequin ducks in our coves. continue reading → What's Happening
