Here’s a thought…
“Look into any man’s heart you please, and you will always find, in every one, at least one black spot which he has to keep concealed.”
HENRIK IBSEN
2025 San Juan County WSU Master Gardeners Garden Workshop Series
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY WSU MASTER GARDENERS ||| The series includes 4 one-hour presentations with additional time for questions and discussion. Our speakers are scientists, authors, naturalists, professional gardeners, and accomplished Master Gardeners who will share their knowledge, experience, and beautiful photographs of plants, flowers, birds and bees, and
NYT bestselling author Ben Clanton at Library
||| FROM JENNY DEEGROOT for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Join NYT bestselling author Ben Canton at the Public Library on Monday, October 6th at 4pm for an informal storytime. Ben is best known for his Narwhal and Jelly books, Tater Tales, and so much more. Free and open to all
Guest Opinion | AI’s dirty secret
Washington is subsidizing toxic data centers ||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| While the world marvels at the promise of artificial intelligence, a darker reality hums beneath the surface: the sprawling data centers that power AI and other online applications are poisoning communities, draining water, and gobbling energy at a staggering
Port Commission approves ‘better – not bigger’ option for airport
||| FROM CHIP LONG for PORT OF ORCAS ||| At the Port’s September 2025 regular meeting your commissioners approved a motion to formally accept the FAA’s funding award and engage Granite Construction in Bellingham for our ORS pavement rehabilitation initiative. This marks an important step in the most significant port
Midnight Mutterings | Florynce Kennedy
||| Midnight Mutterings: Florynce Kennedy I had a couple of other lame ideas for this little column in the last few days, but somehow Florynce Kennedy popped into my head. I had never heard much (well anything, really) about her, but I did see her on a television panel in
Larsen releases statement on Trump administration raising costs by cancelling clean energy projects
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF. U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| EVERETT, WA – Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement after the Trump administration announced the cancellation of funding for the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub and ten other projects in Washington state: “The Trump administration is raising the cost of
Sheriff’s Report | September 24 – 30, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 25-006604 Found Property 12:18:22 09/24/25 An Orcas Island Deputy responded to a found property incident at a business in Eastsound. The found property was taken and submitted to the San Juan County Sheriff's Office Property division. The incident was
Power of Community | Orcas Island raises $65,000 in September for Resource Center services
||| FROM THE RESOURCE CENTER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM ||| Thanks to the generosity of Orcas Island residents and supporters, the Orcas Community Resource Center is celebrating the successful completion of its September fundraising match campaign, which raised a total of $65,000 to support vital community services. Throughout September, community donations were
Larsen releases statement on Israeli detention of Orcas resident, Jasmine Ikeda
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| EVERETT, WA – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement on the detention of Jasmine Ikeda, an Orcas Island resident detained by Israel on October 1st, 2025 following her participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla: Jasmine Ikeda
Looking into the horizon of OICF’s future
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| Next Wednesday, the OICF Board of Trustees will gather for a planning retreat to solidify our Foundation’s vision, mission, and values, and shape our strategic goals and priorities for the years ahead. We’re grateful for the input from more than
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue equips new EMTs with life-saving AEDs
Thanks to GiveOrcas Grant ||| FROM BEN LUNA for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| Orcas Island Fire & Rescue (OIFR) is proud to announce the purchase of nine new automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for the department's newest EMTs. The equipment was funded by a $25,000 grant from the Orcas
Worm composting workshops coming up at The Exchange
||| FROM PETE MOE for ORCAS RECYCLING/THE EXCHANGE ||| The Exchange is sponsoring another round of workshops that will help you keep your household food waste out of the landfill and turn it into dark, rich compost for your garden! On October 10th and 11th , our resident composting expert
Letter to Editor | Chip, chip hooray
||| FROM EASE WILES ||| I wanted to write in after seeing your piece announcing Chip Long as the new Executive Port Director for the Port of Orcas Island, because I had the most amazing above-and-beyond customer service experience with him, and Orcas should know what kind of person they’ve
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.
Israeli military stops nearly all boats in aid flotilla, sparking global protests
||| FROM WHAT A DAY ||| Israeli forces raided ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip. Moments before they detained crewmembers, an activist on board detailed the “fucking scary” situation in an exclusive interview with What A Day. Israeli soldiers donned night-vision goggles and helmets as they boarded dozens of
Orcas resident illegally detained by Israeli military
||| FROM MADS HALL and BAILEY QUISHENBERRY ||| Urgent! Jas Ikeda, Orcas resident, has been illegally detained by the Israeli military. Yesterday, October 1st at approximately noon Pacific Standard Time, Ikeda's vessel, the Sirius-Haifa, was intercepted and boarded in international waters. The crew has been detained and is being held
