Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
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.
Food Bank needs your help supporting vital Orcas youth feeding programs
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND FOOD BANK ||| This week you can make a difference! Today, we’re raising funds for three life-changing programs that give children the tools, care, and confidence to rise above challenges and reach for their dreams. WEEKEND PACKS FOR YOUTH - Providing healthy meals for kids to
Island Stewards launches Common Ground transit talks
Petition and Surveys Now Open ||| FROM ISLAND STEWARDS ||| Island Stewards has launched Common Ground Transit Talks, a community-driven effort to explore how public transportation can strengthen what is already in place, supporting connection and resilience across the islands while protecting what makes them special. The project invites every
Letter to Editor | How about some solar-operated speed signs?
||| FROM JOHN ERLY ||| I wonder what the cost would be for two (2) solar operated speed signs. The kind that tells the driver how fast they are going. Should this be a county funded or private funded project? There is about a five block area, from Mt. Baker
Nearly 59 million acres of National Forest are at risk right now
||| FROM U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| Last month, I went on a hike at the Baker Lake Trail, which is inside the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. I joined the Outdoor Alliance of Washington on this hike, where we looked at the forest and the trails, as well as discussed
Fire safety preparation as heating season approaches
September Fire Safety Reminders from Orcas Island Fire & Rescue ||| FROM BEN LUNA for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| As September marks the transition to cooler weather and the beginning of heating season, Orcas Island Fire & Rescue reminds residents to prepare their homes for the safe use
San Juan County announces beginning of road striping
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Public Works Department is announcing its annual summer road striping schedule beginning on Monday, September 8 and lasting approximately two weeks. Pavement markings, including centerlines, shoulder markings, arrows, and more, are critical features of any safe and effective roadway, and it
County seeks volunteers to review new cultural access material
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, and Fair Department is seeking volunteers from local nonprofit organizations whose field of focus is on culture, science, art, and history to participate in a feedback session on the materials for the County’s new Cultural Access Program.
News Brief | Artificial Intelligence systems are thirsty
||| FROM SCIENCE ALERT ||| "AI chugs a bottle of water every time you chat with it." Originally reported by Science Alert "Many people assume AI is inherently harmful, especially given headlines calling out its vast energy and water footprint. Those effects are real, but they're only part of the
Letter to Editor | As I bid farewell…
||| FROM TONI KNUDSON ||| As I write this letter, it is with mixed emotions that I bid farewell to an incredible chapter of my life’s journey. After 17 years of hard work, creating, growth, and dedication, the time has come for me to turn a new page. I wanted
Our Shared Lands Rally September 6
Join the Totem Pole Journey! ||| FROM ALEXANDRA GAYEK for MOUNT BAKER GROUP ||| We're excited to announce the Our Shared Lands rally will now host the first stop on this year's Way of the Masks tour led by Lummi Nation master carver Jewell James. Join us at this special action; support
September art show at Orcas Library
||| FROM ANDREA COHEN for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Island Library’s Art Show for the month of September features the work of Sally Walker and Ritambhara Tyson, two outstanding pet portraitists who use art to express their love of animals. Sally gravitated toward zoology in college, immediately discovering
Jurors excused: September 8-12
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: SEPTEMBER 8-12, 2025 All jurors summonsed for jury duty beginning September 8th through Friday September 12th, are excused. Thank you.
‘Battle of the Bands’ coming to Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| The famed showdown of musical might has returned! The 2025 Battle of Bands makes a jump to the Orcas Center on Saturday, September 13 at 6pm for an event that is bigger than ever! Featuring all local and regional music, on this fateful
Longstanding Orcas businesses sponsor $15,000 community match
||| FROM MEGAN METCALF for RESOURCE CENTER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM ||| In a world where online and off island business are easy to choose, the Orcas community has continued to support locals by choosing to keep their dollars on island. Island Market and Ray’s Pharmacy are two of the longest standing
Fall Festival afoot at Family Tides Farm
||| FROM EMILIE ROBINSON for FAMILY TIDES FARM ||| Family Tides Farm & Northwest Indian College invite you to the fourth annual Fall Festival on Sunday, September 21 st , from 11am-4:00pm, at 6389 Deer Harbor Road. Come enjoy delicious free food and fall treats, arts & crafts for kids
