Here’s a thought…
“Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
It’s Halloween dance time coming up at Odd Fellows
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ODD FELLOWS ||| The annual Halloween dance at the Odd Fellows Hall will take place on October 31 from 8:30 to midnight. Adrian Xavier / Ska Island Experience will provide Afro-Latin, Ska, and Reggae dance tunes. There will be prizes for best costumes at intermission.
Adrift | Algorithms, reality, choice, free speech
||| ADRIFT by LIN MCNULTY, theORCASONIAN EDITOR ||| Recommended:
Letter to Editor | San Juan County is lucky
||| FROM TACY NICHOLS, DON RUPP, and NATE SAWYER ||| San Juan County is lucky. It is lucky to have strong, supportive and engaged leaders that are willing to make the representation and support of ALL members of the community a priority. As new/returning residents and members of the LGBTQ+
Letter to Editor | Why San Juan County should have dark skies
||| FROM JOSEPH FRANETIC ||| When I first moved to San Juan Island, most areas on the island the night skies were black and the stars were bright. Now every year I see more and more lights that burn all night, creating sky glow that dims the stars and planets.
New owner of Rosario Resort faces the economics of paradise
||| FROM THE SEATTLE TIMES ||| ORCAS ISLAND — This wasn’t a five-star summer at Rosario, the storied resort on Orcas Island that changed hands in April. Parts of the 84-acre property remain closed, including the elegant Robert Moran mansion, completed by the former Seattle mayor in 1909. Rooms can
Larsen informs voters of his work on affordability and opioids
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| This fall, Congressman Larsen’s campaign recorded two radio ads and the Washington State Democratic Party produced four mail pieces on Congressman Larsen’s behalf. These ads and mailers seek to communicate with voters in the 2nd District about Larsen’s work to lower
Letter to Editor | Vote for experience
||| FROM ANNA MARIA DE FREITAS ||| I am pleased to support Rick Hughes for San Juan County Council. Our county faces many important issues that need the support of our state legislature. We need to ensure our County’s voice is heard and part of the conversation during the biennial
Evening Vinyasa Yoga
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Discover the enriching benefits of Vinyasa yoga with Karol Wilson, DPT, a seasoned physical therapist with 30 years of experience. Held every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 PM at the Orcas Senior Center, these sessions focus on restoring and enhancing strength,
Reminder | Islands Oil Spill Association forum
||| FROM BILL SYMES for ISLANDS' OIL SPILL ASSOCIATION || IOSA staff, volunteers, and board members welcome the Orcas community to an IOSA Community Forum for an evening of facts, fun, and refreshments. Find out what IOSA has been up to recently, how we act as first responders and support
San Juan County 911 service experiencing disruption | Updated
||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ||| UPDATE: Note that service was fully restored by Lumen late last night. Apparent cause was two simultaneous accidental fiber cuts on the mainland that impacted both primary and back-up routing. Notice for San Juan County residents: there appears to be
Guest Opinion | Myth-busting ‘non-partisan’ office
||| FROM CINDY WOLF ||| There seems to be confusion about what it means that the County Charter says Council seats are non-partisan. It means disclosing party affiliation to run for that office is optional. It certainly does not mean disclosing a party affiliation is illegal or otherwise forbidden. You
Port Meeting
||| FROM CHIP LONG for PORT OF ORCAS ||| The Port of Orcas Board of Commissioners will hold a regular meeting on Monday, October 28th at 5:00 p.m. online via Zoom and in-person at the airport terminal conference room. Access information can be found at portoforcas.com.
‘Fish War’ film about tribal fishing rights coming to all 3 islands
||| FROM JUSTIN COX for SEA DOC SOCIETY ||| The acclaimed documentary Fish War will tour the San Juan Islands over three consecutive days in November as part of Native American Heritage Month. The free screenings will take place on Nov. 7th (Orcas), 8th (Lopez), and 9th (San Juan). The Orcas Island
Council to meet on Orcas Tuesday
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Council will hold its regularly scheduled, October 29 meeting on Orcas Island. The public is invited to join the three councilmembers and County staff at the meeting at the Orcas Fire and Rescue Hall beginning at 10:30am. What: San Juan
Letter to Editor | Fact-checking McVeigh’s statement
||| FROM MINNIE KNYCH ||| There were several statements made by some of the candidates at the forum on Saturday that deserve fact checking. One statement by Kari McVeigh needs a fact check. When asked why she solicited and got an endorsement from the Democrat Party for a position on
Letter to Editor | Hughes is level-headed, reasonable
||| FROM DAN CHRISTOPHERSON ||| Rick Hughes has the experience, the maturity, and the connections needed to be an effective San Juan County Councilman. When Rick was in the council, he was instrumental and moving forward with some of our critical infrastructure. He was behind the planning for the Prune
