Here’s a thought…
“I am so convinced of the advantages of looking at mankind instead of reading about them, and of the bitter effects of staying at home with all the narrow prejudices of an islander, that I think there should be a law amongst us to set our young men abroad for a term among the few allies our wars have left us.”
LORD BYRON
LWVSJ Observer Corps | Board of Health July 16, 2025
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| The North Sound Behavioral Health Organization has paused their CEO search. The organization got an access-to-care grant in the latest public health funding round. They are exploring creating a Medicaid billing function to help improve access for providers in areas
Always something happening at Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Discover your artistic side Unleash your creativity at Art with Carla Fridays, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Orcas Senior Center. Led by experienced artist Carla Stanley, this lighthearted class focuses on the creative process with a strong belief in your
Conservation groups sue over aquaculture pollution of Columbia River
||| FROM EMMA HELVERSON for WILD FISH CONSERVANCY ||| Portland, OR – [Earlier this month], Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) filed a lawsuit against Pacific Seafood Aquaculture, LLC, for multiple violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) at three commercial net pen aquacaulture facilities on the Columbia River raising
Letter to Editor | You can’t make this stuff up
||| FROM BOB DISTLER ||| Early this morning, thanking us for our patience while the newer, faster and larger Sealth served our interisland route: Ana/SJs - Update: The Tillikum Returns as Interisland Vessel After successful maintenance, repairs, and inspections, the Tillikum has returned to the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route . The Tillikum has replaced the Sealth as the
Jeffry Steele to perform 8-string guitar in concert
||| FROM JEFFRY STEELE ||| Jeffry Steele performs Suite de las Horas: an original work for 8-string guitar with electronic enhancements Wednesday, 7/30/25 at noon Emmanuel Episcopal Church 242 Main St, Eastsound Part of the Music at Emmanuel series Free will donation to benefit the Emmanuel Music Scholarship Fund Jeffry Steele
New pastor to lead Orcas Island Adventist Fellowship
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| The Orcas Island Adventist Fellowship has announced that a new pastor will be joining the congregation this year. André Luis Rodrigues will assume leadership of the church and also take on responsibilities at Orcas Christian School. He previously served as a missionary on the island of
Art opening | Celebrating the Orcas Artist Studio Tour
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| The Visual Arts Committee (VAC) of Orcas Center, and the Orcas Artist Studio Tour are excited to present the Studio Tour Art Opening on Friday, July 25 from 5:30-7pm in the Madrona Room. Join us in the Madrona Room and Orcas Center
As the Paradigm Shifts | I’m nothing like them. So how am I like them?
A midnight reckoning, a sacred stinging and the grace of seeing me as I am ||| AS THE PARADIGM SHIFTS by ROSIE KUHN ||| So often—through my training, through my struggles with people—the question turns in my direction: How am I like them? My first, reactive response? “I’m nothing like
Sheriff’s Report | July 9 – 16, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, JULY 9 25-004341 Accident-NonInj 10:11:21 07/09/25 A pickup in the ferry lane was struck on the mirror by another truck in the next lane as it was being passed. The mirror was damaged by the passing truck. 25-004346 Civil Problem 12:31:53
SJI Indivisible Group creates special message in the sand
In honor of John Lewis for Good Trouble ||| FROM INDIVISIBLE SAN JUANS ||| Nearly 90 islanders gathered today in honor of John Lewis for Good Trouble Lives On National Event as part of Indivisible National and other movements. Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of nonviolent
Ferry Alert | Plan ahead as major I-5 closures could affect travel
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| If your ferry plans include travel on I-5 through Seattle, prepare for major delays. Beginning this weekend, roadwork for the Revive I-5 project will cause closures and lane reductions. 11:59 p.m. Friday, July 18 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 21: All northbound lanes of
If the Trump administration ran a service organization on Orcas Island
Letter from management and (part of the) board to our valued members ||| BY DAN GOTTLIEB ||| As part of our ongoing commitment to dehumanize our employees and pump more nonsense out to our (hopefully ignorant) island neighbors, management (with partial Board approval—the rest of you don’t matter) have decided
Legal settlement reached for Endangered Species Act decision deadline for Olympic Peninsula Steelhead
||| FROM EMMA HELVERSON for WILD FISH CONSERVANCY ||| EDMONDS, Wash.— The Conservation Angler and Wild Fish Conservancy reached a settlement agreement with NOAA Fisheries establishing a deadline requiring the agency to issue its long-overdue finding on whether Olympic Peninsula steelhead warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Under the
WSF Weekly Report | Visit to Orcas with Gov.; Fall reservations release delayed; Kaleeetan assists in rescue
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve On Monday, I joined Gov. Bob Ferguson, Secretary of Transportation Julie Meredith, our Deputy Assistant Secretary John Vezina, Rep. Debra Lekanoff and the San Juan County Council for a public meeting on Orcas Island. We were there
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 vehicle WSF reservations release postponed
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| We’re postponing our two-month vehicle reservations release for our fall sailing season (Sept. 21 to Dec. 27). The delay is needed while we work on updates to our reservation system. We plan to share the new release date on Tuesday, July 22.
