Here’s a thought…
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
MARK TWAIN
Prospective Critical Areas Ordinance update process
San Juan County is currently reviewing and revising its Critical Areas Ordinance. The County expects to complete the process by the end of the year. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is updating its critical areas protections, also referred to as the CAO. The CAO serves
Midnight Mutterings | Emojis
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| I don’t love emojis. If this were a text, these sentences would be followed by six dancing broken hearts with sad eyes squirting fat tears. Later lines would possibly include a few piles of steaming poop, if I were feeling especially crude.. Ah,
JP and OK Rhythm Boys coming to Orcas Isle Cider
||| FROM ANITA ORNE for JP AND THE OK RHYTHM BOYS ||| Enjoy an afternoon of cider and song as JP and the OK Rhythm Boys bring their inimitable and infectious musical stylings to Orcas Isle Cider on Sunday, Aug. 30! Orcas Isle Cider (orcasislecider.com) is a family-run farm in
POSTPONED | August 26 Clinic expansion town hall
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| The second Orcas Island Health Care District (OIHCD) community town hall had originally been planned for Wednesday, August 26th, from 5:15 - 7:00 PM to share progress on the Island Primary Care - Orcas Clinic Expansion project. OIHCD had previously held a town hall about
WSF Weekly Report | Keeping the boats running; Upcoming public meetings; On-water rescue near Orcas
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve Over the last few weeks, I’ve used this space to provide updates on the construction of our new ferries. By now, most people understand that our biggest constraint is that we simply don’t have enough boats. One
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.
Upcoming Garden Club Event | Flower pressing workshop with Tony Suruda
Saturday, August 22nd, 2:30 pm at the Orcas Library (please note the change in time) ||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| In this workshop participants will use microwave oven presses to dry flowers and leaves. The club will provide mounting materials to make custom bookmarks and drinks coasters. There is
Port Commission to meet on Monday
||| FROM CHIP LONG for PORT OF ORCAS ||| The Port of Orcas Board of Commissioners will hold a Regular Meeting on Monday, August 24th at 4:00 p.m. online via Zoom and in-person at the airport terminal conference room. Access and agenda information can be found at portoforcas.com.
Orcas Center Community Art Show | “Light and Shadow”
Art intake on August 26; Art Opening on August 28 ||| FROM MARJORIE TAYLOR for ORCAS CENTER ||| The Visual Arts Committee of Orcas Center announces a new community show -- “Light and Shadow” – to open on August 28. For this show, the VAC welcomes artists to contribute pieces
Worship Outloud is back
||| FROM ALICIA WIGFIELD for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH ||| Get ready, OICC! Worship OUTLOUD is back, and you do NOT want to miss this night. Come worship. Come sing. Come bring a friend. Come expecting God to move! August 28, 2026 7:00 PM Orcas Island Community Church This is
San Juan County Conservation Land Bank farmland property proposed for sale
The Conservation Land Bank seeks a buyer who wants to continue the agricultural heritage of a 40-acre property on San Juan Island ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank is currently under contract to purchase the 122-acre property at 652 Halvorsen Road on
Ingman is grateful for election landslide & ready for work ahead
||| FROM KATHERINE BRYANT INGMAN FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY COUNCIL ||| Following the certification of the primary, I want to thank every voter across San Juan County who took the time to participate in this election. San Juan County continues to show what engaged, active citizenship looks like, and I'm
Jurors excused for August 24-28
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: AUGUST 24-28, 2026 All jurors summonsed for Jury Duty beginning Monday August 24th through Friday August 28th 2026 are excused. Thank you.
Forests in potential danger as Trump admin scraps roadless rule
||| FROM NEWSWEEK ||| The Trump administration has taken a major step toward repealing one of the most significant federal forest conservation policies in the United States, arguing the decades-old rule has hindered efforts to reduce wildfire risk and manage national forests. Only about 5 percent of inventoried roadless areas
Gardening with mushrooms in the PNW Garden Club presentation
JOIN US AT 9:30 AM (just before the program) for social time, and feel free to bring something for the Sharing Table ||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Please join the Orcas Island Garden Club on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, when we welcome Alex Winstead to share helpful advice for
News Brief | Saving old trees might save lives
||| FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ||| Many cities across the country, including New York, have been planting trees in neighborhoods where cooling shade has been sparse because of neglect in decades past. But a new study has found that simply adding trees is not enough: To get the most from
