Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Center for Whale Research reports encounters with Bigg’s Killer Whales
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| ObservBegin: 03:25 PM ObservEnd: 04:19 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss, Katie Jones Other Observers: Taylor Redmond Pods: Bigg's killer whales IDsEncountered: T65B, T65B1, T65B2, T65B3, T101, T101A, T101B LocationDescr: Skipjack Island The team was working in the office when
News Briefs | Whale, dolphin strandings being investigated
||| FROM BBC SCOTLAND NEWS ||| "Scientists investigate surge in whale and dolphin strandings" Originally reported by BBC Scotland News There has been an "exponential" increase in marine mammal strandings in waters around Scotland, scientists have found. Read the full article
2025 Rotary Car Show sets records for funds, attendance, and fun
||| FROM BARBARA MERRITT for ROTARY CAR SHOW ||| Under clear skies and warm breezes, the 17th Annual Rotary Car Show drew record crowds and fundraising success at San Juan Vineyard on August 10. Over 500 spectators from across the country enjoyed a stunning line-up of 74 classic and innovative
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue provides corrected property tax impact for November bond measure
OIFR Capital Bond Measure - Updated Financial Information ||| FROM BEN LUNA for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| Orcas Island Fire & Rescue is providing updated financial information for Proposition 1, the $18.5 million general obligation bond measure appearing on the November 2025 ballot. An earlier estimate of the
Good news for permit review times & director recruitment | DCD leadership provides summer update
During the August 19 Council meeting, DCD leadership provided an update in key areas: recruitment of open positions, review of permit timelines, and the status of large projects. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During this week’s Council meeting, staff from the Department of Community Development (DCD) provided a
Call for featured artists at Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center’s Visual Arts Committee is now accepting applications for Featured Artists for the upcoming season. Selected artists will have the opportunity to showcase their work in the Center’s lobby gallery, participate in an opening reception, and benefit from Orcas Center’s promotional
News Brief | New WSF ferries to be built in Florida
||| FROM WORK BOAT ||| "Eastern to build as many as three new ferries for WSF" Originally reported by WorkBoat Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, Fla., announced it has received the Notice to Proceed from Washington State Ferries (WSF) to build two 160-vehicle, hybrid-electric ferries with an option for a
San Juan County awards $815,000 in public facilities assistance funding to local organizations
This year, funding was awarded to four entities to finance public facilities serving economic development purposes. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During today’s meeting, the County Council approved a series of Public Facilities Funding Assistance Program (PFFAP) awards to local applicants. Funded by sales and use tax, this
News Briefs | NPR takes a look at data centers
||| FROM NPR ||| "Washington's hydropower has created a data center boom. Some are concerned about its future." Originally reported by NPR The first thing visitors approaching Quincy, Washington see is dry rolling hills, cleaved by the Columbia River. The second, a sign laying claim to the title of the
Return of the Kings comes to Orcas Island this September
Celebrate the Salmon’s Journey ||| FROM LISA TERRY for LONG LIVE THE KINGS ||| Join Long Live the Kings for Return of the Kings, a free community celebration welcoming Chinook salmon home to Glenwood Springs on Saturday, September 13, from 1–4 pm. This annual event honors the return of the salmon that
Duende Libre and Sabu open Jazz Festival with free concerts on The Green
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center proudly kicks off this year’s Orcas Island Jazz Festival with a vibrant, free outdoor concert featuring Duende Libre and Sabu on the Village Green, Sunday, August 24 at 5pm. This FREE event is in partnership with the Summer Concert Series
Council approves $800,000 in affordable housing funds to support OPAL’s Pea Patch Project
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During the July 15 meeting, the Council approved supplemental funding for OPAL Community Land Trust's new rental housing on the Pea Patch Community Campus. This property is on its way to providing permanent space for the Orcas Island Food Bank and a neighborhood
Reminder: Construction begins Sept. 2nd for Bayhead Creek culvert project on Killebrew Lake Rd
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Construction on the Bayhead Creek Culvert Repair Project on Killebrew Lake Rd on Orcas Island will begin on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 and is expected to last until mid-October. It is important for travelers to know that Killebrew Lake Road will be closed
Orca who carried her dead newborn 1,000 miles gives birth to another new calf
Orca who carried her dead newborn 1,000 miles gives birth to another new calf ||| FROM NBC NEWS ||| The killer whale who captured hearts across the world in 2018 for refusing to let go of her dead calf has given birth to her second baby in the last four
ATOI to present Deathtrap, a black comedy
||| FROM LYNDA SANDERS for ACTORS THEATER OF ORCAS ISLAND ||| Actors Theater of Orcas Island presents Deathtrap, a 1978 black comedy written by Ira Levin. It holds the record for the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway and was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Play. Deathtrap was a 1982
Fire danger level remains downgraded to ‘HIGH’
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Fire Marshal, in coordination with local fire districts and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, has announced that fire danger will be downgraded from Very High to High effective Friday, August 15, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. Under the
