Here’s a thought…
“The belief in the possibility of a short decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions.”
ROBERT LYND
Letter to Editor | The cost of a ‘No’ vote on county levy
||| FROM NATHAN KESSLER-JEFFREY ||| As we all consider the County’s proposed levy lid lift, I hope we take a moment to consider the true impact of a “no” vote. I’m a property owner, and yeah, voting ‘yes’ will increase taxes about $22 per month to maintain services. But a
News Brief | Did you feel one of the 18 earthquakes this morning?
||| FROM KOMO NEWS ||| An active swarm of earthquakes has been detected far offshore of Washington state, but experts say it is not a threat to people on land in the Pacific Northwest. The network reported that 18 quakes were detected as of noon on April 12, with a
Letter to Editor | Proposed blubber detoxification technique for female killer whales
||| FROM RIKKI SWIN ||| One of the biggest threats to endangered Southern Resident killer whale calves (and others worldwide) is exposure to man-made toxins such as PCBs, PFAS ("forever chemicals"), and other persistent pollutants. These toxins accumulate in the mother's thick layer of blubber over her lifetime and are
Letter to Editor | In support of San Juan County Levy Lift
||| FROM KATIE FLEMING ||| Please understand that I am writing this letter as a private citizen, not in my capacity as a county employee or in any way affiliated with my employer. I’ve lived on San Juan Island for 15 years, and I feel lucky every day that this
News Brief | The ocean is no longer pure: Scientists find human chemistry woven into the seas
||| FROM THE DAILY MAVERICK ||| If an alien civilisation arrived on Earth and dipped a probe into the ocean, what would it find? These substances are no longer just contaminants drifting through the water. They are part of the water’s chemistry. Traditionally, scientists searched for a limited list of
Letter to Editor | No on levy lid lift
||| FROM CINDY CARTER ||| San Juan County is requesting a levy lid lift to $.85/$1000 of property value. The statement on the county website is the same levy rate that was approved in 2019. What they fail to mention is that in 2019, from the San Juan Assessor’s information,
Peace to All Nations Tour coming to Odd Fellows
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ORCAS ODD FELLOWS ||| Peace to All Nations Tour featuring Adrian Xavier & Ska Island bringing reggae, ska, and dub.to the Odd Fellows Hall on April 17. The event will also include performances by local favorites Minnow Creek and DJ Blazey Blaze. Doors open at 8:00pm. Tickets: $15 in advance
Letter to Editor | We need code updates. Code updates need the county levy lift
||| FROM CHRIS & CHOM GREACEN ||| A “yes” vote on the levy lid lift is a vote to protect the core services that make island life possible: public safety, public health, senior services, and the basic infrastructure of local government. San Juan County faces a projected $3.7 million shortfall
Larsen welcomes major disaster declaration for NW Washington, urges fast relief for flood-hit families, communities
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| EVERETT, WA – Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) today welcomed the Major Disaster Declaration for Washington state following the severe storms and flooding that hit the state in December. “This is great news for the Northwest Washington communities that were hit hard
Conservation Land Bank Commission travels to Orcas Island for upcoming April 17 Meeting
The meeting will be held at the Orcas Island Fire Station ||| FROM TANJA WILLIAMSON for CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its regularly scheduled April 17 meeting on Orcas Island. The meeting is scheduled from 8:30am – 11:10am via Zoom.
Sheriff’s Report | April 1 – 6, 2026
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1 26-001773 Communications Problem 09:11:50 04/01/26 An Orcas Island Deputy responded to a scam attempt. The Deputy learned that a new scam involves the scammer calling and claiming to have your family member held hostage until you pay a ransom.
We are all in this together
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| As the world watched the historic Artemis II mission around the moon this week, the awestruck crew shared unifying words for us, “ultimately, we will always choose Earth. We will always choose each other.” said Christina Koch. Victor Glover shared,
Free financial workshop to empower Orcas Island seniors
||| FROM COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER ||| The Orcas Community Resource Center invites community members to attend a free workshop, "Smart Money Strategies for Seniors," on Wednesday, April 22nd at 1:00 PM at the Orcas Senior Center. This informative session is designed to help seniors feel confident and informed about their
Student art exhibit coming to Orcas Center
||| FROM D. N. KINSEY for ORCAS CENTER ||| To celebrate our island youth, a four-week Student Art Exhibit is being hosted at the Orcas Center from April 24 - May 26, 2026. All are invited to attend this annual exhibit which features a wide variety of artwork created in
Letter to Editor | Vote no on Proposition No. 1
A Permanent, Regressive Property Tax ||| FROM SEAN DEMERITT ||| I am a lifelong Democrat. I have voted yes on levies when they are clear, honest, and benefit the whole community, like our fire department levy, which had a sunset clause and a specific purpose everyone could see. I am
Pea Patch awarded $824,000 from state budget
Thanks to Rep. Debra Lekanoff for her sponsorship and support ||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for PEA PATCH COMMUNITY CAMPUS ||| When Governor Ferguson signed the capital budget last week, it included $824,000 for completion of the first phase of site work for the Pea Patch Community Campus! This means that
