Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Whale Museum announces new junior marine scientist camp for kids
||| FROM CONOR AGNEW for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| The Whale Museum is launching a new Junior Marine Scientist Camp for kids! This multi-day camp will take place on August 7, 8, 9 and 10, and will give kids a chance to learn about whales, seals, sea lions, and salmon through
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.
End-of-year reflections and gratitude from OISD superintendent
||| FROM ERIC WEBB for ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| As we wrap up the 2024–25 school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable progress we've made together. This year has been filled with growth, creativity, and perseverance. Across every grade level, our students have
Trump is undermining U.S. science. Here’s why that’s dangerous
Science has played a crucial role in making the United States great and powerful. ||| FROM THE WASHINGTON POST ||| The Trump administration’s reckless assaults on U.S. science are endangering the nation. If allowed to continue, they will lead to the destruction of a grand but politically vulnerable edifice that
Actors Theater offering free lights & sound workshop
||| FROM LYNDA SANDERS for ACTORS THEATER OF ORCAS ISLAND ||| Have you noticed how much the sound and lighting in a movie adds to the effect? The same thing happens in our stage plays. If you’ve ever wanted to build and operate the lights and sound for a theater
Iran has been at war with us for 46 years
"America can't do a damn thing against us" ||| FROM FRONT PAGE MAGAZINE ||| “America can’t do a damn thing against us,” Ayatollah Khomeini bragged while holding our hostages. The Carter administration had undermined the Shah’s government in favor of the Islamists who seized power and then prevented the embassy’s
June 19, 1865
||| FROM U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| Juneteenth commemorates the moment enslaved people in Texas received word of the Emancipation Proclamation — two years after it was signed. This holiday is an important opportunity to reflect on the legacy of slavery and to recommit to supporting equality and justice for
The ‘3.5% rule’ | How a small minority can change the world
Nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts – and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change. ||| FROM BBC ||| In 1986, millions of Filipinos took to the streets of Manila in peaceful protest and prayer in
How does the new state budget impact San Juan County funding & programs?
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During the June 3 Council meeting, the County’s Lobbyist Josh Weiss, the County Manager Jessica Hudson, and the Deputy County Manager Tillery Williams, provided information about the potential financial impacts of the State’s newly adopted biennium budget. WA State’s new budget, spanning from
Guest Opinion | A muddle of disharmony
||| FROM STEVE ULVI ||| Opinions about potential solutions for our surprisingly gnarly islands issues are often at odds; from bated breath pleas for environmental preservation everywhere, to deep frustrations about continually restrictive development ordinances and the erosion of private property rights. Broad public agreement through comprehensive planning, streamlining processes
Understanding your Medicare Summary Notices
A crucial tool during Fraud Prevention Month ||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| As we observe Fraud Prevention Month, there's no better time to highlight one of the most powerful tools Medicare beneficiaries have in the fight against health care fraud: your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN). These statements, which
Land Bank June 2025 meeting & agenda
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold a regular monthly meeting on June 20 , 2025 from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the Orcas Fire
Project Reminder | Bayhead Creek culvert project on Killebrew Lake Rd begins in September
||| 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. The new project design significantly reduces the construction window from what was proposed in
Let’s protest Wednesday at noon | No war on Iran
||| FROM SHARON ABREU ||| IMPORTANT: Wed, June 18, 12 Noon in Eastsound: National Day of Protest -- NO war on Iran!! Corner of Main St. & North Beach Rd. (till 12:30 or 1:00, depending on how many people want to speak) - Please bring signs, take photos and videos and
California’s massive dam removal hit a key milestone. Now, there’s a problem
||| FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE ||| Last year, after the historic removal of four dams on the Klamath River, thousands of salmon rushed upstream into the long-blocked waters along the California-Oregon border, seeking out the cold, plentiful flows considered crucial to the fish’s future. The return of salmon to
County Council approves siting of an essential public facility on Shaw Island
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Earlier this month, Council voted to approve an ordinance allowing the siting of an Essential Public Facility (EPF) on Shaw Island to support the operations and maintenance of public transportation infrastructure on the island. The May 20, 2025 and June 3, 2025 Council meetings
