Here’s a thought…
“When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it, always.”
MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND GANDHI
Thank you, San Juan County! Paulsen wins Orcas
||| FROM JUSTIN PAULEN for PAULSEN 4 COUNCIL ||| Hello friends and neighbors, Following the certification of the recent primary election and a fantastic San Juan County Fair, I find myself filled with gratitude for the support of the people of San Juan County. San Juan County voters proved
Update from The Exchange
||| FROM THE CREW AT THE EXCHANGE ||| Safety First We’ve been recycling batteries at ORS/The Exchange for a decade and for safety reasons we are asking that everyone recycle their batteries at the scale house. Read the full story to learn why this is important. SWAP Meet Sept. 14th The Exchange
Take a look: Updated plans for new Washington State Ferries hybrid-electric boats
||| FROM KING-TV SEATTLE ||| SEATTLE — KING 5 got an exclusive look at new hybrid-electric Washington State Ferries (WSF) boat models. The new boats will include charging units on the upper decks. WSF leaders told KING 5 the new fleet will be the most reliable it's ever been. Regular ferry riders
Letter to Editor | Village Green community tree not looking good
||| FROM B. SADIE BAILEY ||| It hurts my heart to see our Community Tree at the Village Green looking so bad. I didn’t notice how damaged it had become until several weeks ago when I was walking past it. I saw between 8 and 10 people - mostly young adults and teens with several kids in tow – all filing in
How it all went wrong for tourism
||| FROM CNN ||| Protests in the streets. Graffiti warning tourists to go home. Local populations dwindling as short-term rentals mushroom and price residents out. It feels like this was the year that tourism turned nasty – and local communities started pushing back. Venice has started charging daytrippers an entry fee, while one
Watercolors Class for Beginners
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Robbie Walker’s popular watercolors class for beginners at Orcas Senior Center will resume Monday, September 9, immediately following Labor Day! Immerse yourself in the captivating world of watercolor painting every Monday from 9:30 to 11 am. Robbie, an experienced instructor with
The return of the Kings (salmon, that is)
||| FROM LISA TERRY for LONG LIVE THE KINGS ||| Wanted to share the news that the first salmon of the season has made it home through the fish ladder at our hatchery on Orcas! We are getting ready for our annual party to celebrate the return of the salmon
WSF Engine room union, negotiators reach an impasse in bargaining
||| FROM KRISTIN HYDE for MARINE ENGINEERS BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION ||| Washington State Ferries’ engine room crew represented by their union, the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association, and state negotiators reached an impasse in bargaining over terms and conditions of their contract. They begin interest arbitration today, Friday, August 23rd. Arbitration is expected to be
Guest Opinion | What will it take?
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| We are told there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In my own journey coming to terms with and accepting the reality of ecological overshoot, I’ve been through all five stages, some multiple times (denial was short-lived and a one-time
Leaning into leadership
||| FROM HILARY CANTY ||| Recently, several organizations have reached out to the Orcas Island Community Foundation requesting help finding skilled Board members. With over 100 local nonprofits, the community needs to have a willing group of volunteers to provide the oversight and direction for each of these organizations to thrive.
WSF Weekly Update | ‘Ferry Talk’ podcast; rescue; retired ferries; a kudo
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve On Monday, I had the unique pleasure of spending time with 13-year-old Toby and his mom Margot Kahn Case. They recently started “Ferry Talk” – a podcast dedicated to Washington State Ferries. Toby’s enthusiasm for our system is contagious
LWVSJ Observer Corps: Board of Health August 21, 2024
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| For the Accountable Communities of Health (ACH), Kristen Rezabek represented the county at a conference in Everett this month. Mark Tompkins will represent ACH at an equity conference in Atlanta. At the September Board of Health meeting the resource centers
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.
In Memoriam | Nick Karras, September 2, 1944 – March 9, 2024
||| FROM DENNIS KARRAS ||| Nick Karras Nick Karras passed away March 9, 2024 in Sedro Woolley, Washington. Nick was born to Spiro and Demetra Karras in Seattle on September 2nd, 1944, exactly one year to the day before the end of World War 2. His youth was
Near-extinct bird exhibit at SJ Sculpture Park
||| FROM KRISTEN ARNIM for SAN JUAN SCULPTURE PARK ||| Last year the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed 21 species from the list of species protected under the Endangered Species Act because of extinction. The extinct species include eight of Hawaii’s precious honeycreeper birds, the Little Mariana fruit bat
County Compass | Navigating the Civil Service Commission
San Juan County is pleased to present the monthly series County Compass: Navigating Civic Participation that shares ways to understand County systems, get involved with local government, and be an informed resident. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County benefits from a variety of boards, commissions, and
