Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
Creosote pilings removed from Jackson Beach, improving habitat, shoreline
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County and the Marine Resources Committee is pleased to announce the successful removal of the derelict pier at Jackson Beach. This October, 117 creosote pilings were pulled from the water. The derelict pier had been crumbling for decades and the creosote
Annual Halloween Dance coming up soon at Odd Fellows
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ORCAS ODD FELLOWS ||| The annual Halloween Dance will be held at the Odd Fellows Hall on October 31. The Halloween Dance is a benefit for the Odd Fellows Scholarship Fund that awards scholarships to graduating high school students. There will be a costume contest at intermission with great prizes!
Letter to Editor | Kate Hansen has the right experience for Orcas Fire Commissioner
||| FROM TIM BLANCHARD ||| Kate Hansen is the best choice for SJC Fire Protection District No.2 (Commissioner 1) because, in addition to her deep Orcas roots, she brings actual work experience in fire/EMS department administration, giving her insights (about operations, human resources, finance, training, and public records issues) from
Midnight Mutterings | Turtle / Tortoise
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| My father, in his gentle way, insisted that we call things by their proper names. For example: A car has an engine. An electric pump has a motor. And so it was for shelled crawlers. A turtle spends most of its time in
Sheriff’s Report | October 11-17, 2023
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11 23-008125 Citizen Assist 10:58:30 10/11/23 Lopez Island Deputies were dispatched to a citizen assist call. It was determined that the caller had information pertaining to a previously reported incident. An informational report was taken. 23-008129 Suspicious Person/Circumstance 13:29:55 10/11/23
Living in the San Juans
||| FROM HILARY CANTY ||| It was great to have Debra Lekanoff, our Legislative Representative for District 40, spend a day on Orcas. She started the day with a tour of the Food Bank, the Community Resource Center and the Pea Patch property-future home of a Community Commons. Representative Lekanoff is
WSF Weekly Report | Cathlamet investigation report; earthquake preparedness
||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| NTSB investigation report on Cathlamet incident at Fauntleroy terminal More than anything else, safety is top of mind for my colleagues and me at WSF. When Cathlamet struck offshore pilings at Fauntleroy terminal on July 28, 2022, we wanted to make sure that something similar
County and WSF complete Orcas Ferry Terminal Updates, paving the way for greater accessibility
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The latest phase of accessibility improvements at the Orcas Ferry Landing is now complete. The project added ADA-compliant parking spaces, updated stormwater infrastructure, provided additional sidewalks and pavement markings, and added a new retaining wall, among other key features that increase public safety
San Juan County celebrates 150 years as an official county
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| On October 31, 2023, San Juan County turns 150 years old – giving us all a reason to celebrate our community, our islands, and our County. After all, celebrating 150 years only happens once in a lifetime! Established as its own local government on October 31,
Feds OK natural gas pipeline in the Pacific Northwest
||| FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS ||| PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal regulators on Thursday approved the expansion of a natural gas pipeline in the Pacific Northwest over the protest of environmental groups and top officials in West Coast states, who said it goes against the region’s plans to address climate change and could
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.
Lead pollution from small planes threatens human health, EPA finds
Agency takes first step toward regulations aimed at reducing exposure to a dangerous neurotoxin, a potential health benefit for people who live near smaller airports ||| FROM THE WASHINGTON POST ||| The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday announced it has determined that lead emitted from airplanes is a danger to
A Washington island county is trying a 32-hour workweek
||| FROM MARKETPLACE.ORG ||| AT REQUEST OF OCASONIAN READER From the driver’s seat of a yellow school bus with Orcas Island School District on the side, Matthew Steward is training for his newest side hustle: substitute bus driver in the San Juans, a series of lush, forested islands in Washington
Guest Opinion | We should work together in favor of OIFR
||| FROM SADIE BAILEY ||| The new Fire Chief and current BOFC are campaigning hard for the exact same permanent Levy Lid Lift that got rejected by the voters in the primary by at least 2/3 of us. There are signs up everywhere, mailed brochures, town hall meetings. There’s lots
Mariachi Herencia de Mexico coming to Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center is excited to welcome Mariachi Herencia de México on Thursday, October 26 at 7 p.m. with a fantastic evening celebrating Mexican music and culture. The historic tradition of mariachi music has its roots of origin in cities such as Guadalajara
Author to read from, discuss her remote British Columbia fishing lodge experience
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The inspiring story of how an urban woman came to own and operate a remote fishing lodge nestled deep in the British Columbia wilderness. When Caroll Simpson fell in love with a cabin located on pristine Babine Lake in BC, many miles
