Here’s a thought…
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
MARK TWAIN
Help our community thrive. Volunteer at the Food Bank
||| BY THE ORCAS ISLAND FOOD BANK COMMUNICATIONS TEAM ||| In 2025, 40% of island households (1,160 households) relied on the Orcas Island Food Bank to help meet their nutritional needs, freeing up money for other necessities, such as gas, heating fuel, medical care, and housing. As seasonal work winds
Letter to Editor | Why I support Katherine Bryant Ingman for Council
||| FROM EMILIO SANTIAGO ||| This is a rallying cry to my fellow San Juan Islanders! I enthusiastically support Katherine Bryant Ingman for San Juan County Council, and I hope you will too. District 3 covers Lopez, Shaw, and Decatur, but we all know that our County Council's decisions affect
Coming home to community
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| It's Homecoming season, and not just for Orcas Island High School, but for all of us who feel that familiar pull back toward the people and places that make us feel a sense of purpose and belonging. Homecoming is about
Neighbor to neighbor shelter seeking community volunteers
||| FROM ALICIA WIGFIELD for NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR SHELTER ||| Neighbor to Neighbor Shelter opens November 8, and we’re looking for volunteers to help welcome and support our neighbors. There are lots of ways to pitch in—whether you can take a shift, help with laundry, or make a meal. Morning
Notice of special meeting on land use
For elected and appointed officials ||| FROM JENNIFER M. KREMBS, TOWN CLERK ||| NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town Council will hold a special meeting on October 26, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., to participate in an AWC/RMSA mandatory training on Land Use for elected and appointed
Annual Halloween Dance coming to Odd Fellows Hall
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND ODD FELLOWS ||| Get your costumes ready and join us for a Halloween night at Odd Fellows Hall! Our Annual Halloween Dance returns on October 31 from 8:30 PM to midnight, with live music from The Studs, dancing, costumes, and plenty of Halloween spirit. Come dressed
Help Rotary and Its PolioPlus partners deliver more than vaccines
||| FROM BARBARA MARRETT for SAN JUAN ISLANDS ROTARY CLUB ||| World Polio Day, October 24, is an opportunity to unite in support of Rotary International’s longstanding mission to eradicate polio. That effort goes beyond vaccines: polio cases can reveal gaps in health systems, and contaminated water can spread the
Letter to Editor | Jennifer Swanson: A Shaw islander for all of San Juan County
||| FROM RANDALL GAYLORD ||| I’m voting for Jennifer Swanson and I hope you do too. County Council members represent islanders county-wide and must serve them well. Where the candidate lives helps define their character. Swanson lives on Shaw Island. With that, Swanson recognizes the central values we share of
BELONGING: Five writers, five perspectives, one universal question at Library
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| What does it mean to belong? To a place, a community, a family—or simply to ourselves? Join the Orcas Island Public Library on Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m. for Belonging, an evening of readings and conversation exploring one of the
WSF Weekly Report | Running the numbers; Colman clock; Maritime Blue’s One Ocean Week
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve It's easy to become discouraged by the challenges facing Washington State Ferries. Aging vessels, financial constraints and service disruptions are very real problems, and customers sometimes question whether things are getting better. It's easy to focus on
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.
Fall food gardening on Orcas
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Welcome to another flavorful smoothie! You'll hear not only from the presidents but also other leaders within the club. They'll share their personal stories, values, perspectives or updates. We don't know what to expect but like a smoothie, these messages will be a
News Brief | One-quarter of data centers are located in water-stressed areas, study shows
||| FROM SCIENCE ALERT ||| Data centers need water to stay cool and functional, and lots of it: The larger facilities can consume as much water a day as a town of 50,000 people, and because much of the cooling involves evaporation, freshwater is often preferred. That raises serious questions
Trump wanted the power to make arrests without providing a reason
The Trump White House seriously studied how to "cancel" habeas corpus, your right to know why the government has arrested you ||| FROM DEFIANCE.ORG ||| Last year, the White House considered a proposal that could’ve enabled the president to arrest anyone, without a stated reason. A bombshell report from two
Letter to Editor | Katherine Bryant Ingman brings leadership and a voice for our future
||| FROM LAUREN BIGELOW ||| I wholeheartedly endorse Katherine Bryant Ingman. She brings the lived experience, leadership, and commitment needed to help guide our county through the important issues we face. She represents a generation whose voices and futures are vulnerable in our island communities, yet whose presence is essential to
November highlights from Orcas Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Orcas Senior Center offers a variety of ongoing classes, social groups, wellness activities, and creative programs throughout the month. All programs are open to everyone, regardless of age, and new participants are always welcome. A full calendar with dates and times
