Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
The Countdown Is On | Get your Friday Harbor Film Festival 2025 pass
||| FROM ELLEN ROBERTS & KAREN PALMER for FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL ||| The Friday Harbor Film Festival returns October 23–26 with the largest lineup in our history! From more than 189 submissions, our Selection Committee has curated a schedule of 34 feature documentaries, 21 short films, and 14 inspiring
Senior Center | Where fun meets health
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Ukulele Kanikipila: Join the Musical Fun at Orcas Senior Center! Experience the joy of making music at Ukulele Kanikipila, Hawaiian for "play music," Mondays from 1 to 3 pm at Orcas Senior Center. This gathering is open to everyone with an
2025 San Juan County WSU Master Gardeners Garden Workshop Series
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY WSU MASTER GARDENERS ||| The series includes 4 one-hour presentations with additional time for questions and discussion. Our speakers are scientists, authors, naturalists, professional gardeners, and accomplished Master Gardeners who will share their knowledge, experience, and beautiful photographs of plants, flowers, birds and bees, and
NYT bestselling author Ben Clanton at Library
||| FROM JENNY DEEGROOT for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Join NYT bestselling author Ben Canton at the Public Library on Monday, October 6th at 4pm for an informal storytime. Ben is best known for his Narwhal and Jelly books, Tater Tales, and so much more. Free and open to all
Guest Opinion | AI’s dirty secret
Washington is subsidizing toxic data centers ||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| While the world marvels at the promise of artificial intelligence, a darker reality hums beneath the surface: the sprawling data centers that power AI and other online applications are poisoning communities, draining water, and gobbling energy at a staggering
Port Commission approves ‘better – not bigger’ option for airport
||| FROM CHIP LONG for PORT OF ORCAS ||| At the Port’s September 2025 regular meeting your commissioners approved a motion to formally accept the FAA’s funding award and engage Granite Construction in Bellingham for our ORS pavement rehabilitation initiative. This marks an important step in the most significant port
Midnight Mutterings | Florynce Kennedy
||| Midnight Mutterings: Florynce Kennedy I had a couple of other lame ideas for this little column in the last few days, but somehow Florynce Kennedy popped into my head. I had never heard much (well anything, really) about her, but I did see her on a television panel in
Larsen releases statement on Trump administration raising costs by cancelling clean energy projects
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF. U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| EVERETT, WA – Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement after the Trump administration announced the cancellation of funding for the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub and ten other projects in Washington state: “The Trump administration is raising the cost of
Sheriff’s Report | September 24 – 30, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 25-006604 Found Property 12:18:22 09/24/25 An Orcas Island Deputy responded to a found property incident at a business in Eastsound. The found property was taken and submitted to the San Juan County Sheriff's Office Property division. The incident was
Power of Community | Orcas Island raises $65,000 in September for Resource Center services
||| FROM THE RESOURCE CENTER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM ||| Thanks to the generosity of Orcas Island residents and supporters, the Orcas Community Resource Center is celebrating the successful completion of its September fundraising match campaign, which raised a total of $65,000 to support vital community services. Throughout September, community donations were
Larsen releases statement on Israeli detention of Orcas resident, Jasmine Ikeda
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| EVERETT, WA – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement on the detention of Jasmine Ikeda, an Orcas Island resident detained by Israel on October 1st, 2025 following her participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla: Jasmine Ikeda
Looking into the horizon of OICF’s future
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| Next Wednesday, the OICF Board of Trustees will gather for a planning retreat to solidify our Foundation’s vision, mission, and values, and shape our strategic goals and priorities for the years ahead. We’re grateful for the input from more than
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue equips new EMTs with life-saving AEDs
Thanks to GiveOrcas Grant ||| FROM BEN LUNA for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| Orcas Island Fire & Rescue (OIFR) is proud to announce the purchase of nine new automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for the department's newest EMTs. The equipment was funded by a $25,000 grant from the Orcas
Worm composting workshops coming up at The Exchange
||| FROM PETE MOE for ORCAS RECYCLING/THE EXCHANGE ||| The Exchange is sponsoring another round of workshops that will help you keep your household food waste out of the landfill and turn it into dark, rich compost for your garden! On October 10th and 11th , our resident composting expert
Letter to Editor | Chip, chip hooray
||| FROM EASE WILES ||| I wanted to write in after seeing your piece announcing Chip Long as the new Executive Port Director for the Port of Orcas Island, because I had the most amazing above-and-beyond customer service experience with him, and Orcas should know what kind of person they’ve
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.
