Here’s a thought…
“There are many forms of patriotism and telling the truth is one of them.”
ANDERSON COOPER
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.
Letter to Editor | Open letter to Legislature about WSF card surcharge
||| FROM BOB DISTLER ||| Washington State Ferries has announced that, beginning March 1, it will add a 3% surcharge to “all card transactions.” The so-called Durbin amendment to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act passed in 2010 specifically bars surcharges on debit card transactions, whether processed
Open letter to community from Sheriff Eric Peter
||| FROM SHERIFF ERIC PETER ||| Fellow community members, It is with a heavy heart that I share this message. Throughout my career and life, I have faced numerous injuries and health challenges that have led to several chronic conditions I manage each day. The past year, 2025, was especially
Letter to Editor | Compare: OPALCO General Manager compensation is huge
||| FROM RIKKI SWIN |||
Guest Opinion | Root cause of struggles at EWUA
||| FROM FRED KLEIN ||| Perhaps a bit of history from the point of view of a long time member and former board member of EWUA would be helpful for the membership to understand, confront and deal with the current chaos. Once upon a time…for many years since its inception
Beaverton Marsh Trail open house March 4
Stop by for an in-person update on the grant-funded project to develop a boardwalk across the marsh ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Join Conservation Land Bank staff and commissioners at the Mullis Community Senior Center on Wednesday, March 4, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, for an open house about
Land Bank Commission to meet Friday
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting Friday, February 20. The meeting is scheduled from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the San Juan Island
Canoe Island Music Camp with JP and the OK Rhythm Boys
||| FROM ANITA ORNE for JP AND OK RHYTHM BOYS ||| Registration is now open for Canoe Island Music Camp 2026! Join JP and the OK Rhythm Boys for a weekend of music and fun on Canoe Island, May 2-3. The trio (Gordon, JP, and Anita) will offer workshops for
New calf reported in L Pod | Welcome L129
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| We’re happy to report that Center for Whale Research biologists documented a brand new calf with L pod on February 16, 2026 near Race Rocks, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The calf, designated L129, was travelling with L55 matriline, and was
News Brief | High severity blazes influence bee species
||| FROM THE WILDLIFE NEWS ||| To the degree that wildfires are seen as somehow non-destructive, it is usually couched in phrases like the fire was low intensity and most trees “survived” the blaze, as if tree survival is the important criterion for judging wildfires. We hear constantly about “good
Orcas Island Garden Club newsletter
||| FROM ROBIN SULLIVAN for ORCAS GARDEN CLUB ||| From my rainy-day window, the garden looks calm and peacefully at rest. As daylight slowly lengthens and rain settles into the soil, this quieter season invites reflection on the living community beneath the surface—plants, fungi, soil, and water working together with
Letter to Editor | Solar power just doesn’t work here; doesn’t make sense
||| FROM RIKKI SWIN ||| Solar power works well in many places — but NOT HERE The San Juan Islands have some of the lowest solar potential in the continental U.S. due to latitude, persistent clouds, fog, and rain — among the most difficult and lowest output in the lower 48. For site-specific
Jurors excused February 23-27
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: FEBRUARY 23-27, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the jury term beginning Monday, February 23rd through Friday, February 27th, 2026, are excused. Thank you!
Town to hold special meeting for training
||| FROM JENNIFER KREMBS for TOWN OF FRIDAY HARBOR ||| NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town Council will hold a special meeting after the regular business meeting on February 19, 2026, to participate in the second portion of the AWC/RMSA mandatory training for elected and appointed officials. The third
Lahari dissolves, turns assets over to Lions Club
||| FROM TERI WILLIAMS for LAHARI ||| Lahari, an Orcas Island non-profit corporation (previously known as the “Circle of the Spirit” corporation), announces that it has requested and received WA State approval to dissolve the Lahari non-profit organization. The State also approved the plans approved by Lahari’s BOD, to distribute its
An evening with guitarist Diego Salvetti at Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Guitarist, composer and teacher Diego Salvetti is coming to the San Juans for a special night of music. He comes to the Orcas Center stage on Sunday, March 1, at 7 p.m. Born in Bergamo, Italy, Salvetti grew up listening to
