Here’s a thought…
“If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.”
WILLIAM L. MCKNIGHT
OPAL pursues purchase of rental housing on Crosswind Lane
||| FROM QASIM ALI DINO for OPAL ||| OPAL recently entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire eight two-bedroom rental homes on Crosswind Lane in Eastsound. The current owners of the property, Tom Keel, his son Luke Keel and Tom’s partner Tina Leavitt, approached OPAL because they
Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers is next in FHFF Best of the Fest series
||| FROM FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL ||| Join the Friday Harbor Film Festival for a captivating Best of the Fest screening of Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers, followed by a special live-streamed Q&A with award-winning producer Phil Grabsky. The screening begins at 7 pm on Friday, June 20 at the
Update from The Exchange
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING/THE EXCHANGE ||| This Saturday: Hazardous Waste Roundup Clean Harbors professionals will be on site at The Exchange this Saturday, June 14th from 10am - 2pm for the summer Hazardous Waste Roundup. Learn what you can and cannot bring to the event. Businesses must register in advance.
Jurors for Jun 16-20 are excused
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JUNE 16-20, 2025 All jurors summonsed for jury duty beginning Monday June 16th through Friday June 20th, are excused. Thank you.
OIHCD Community Partner Request | 2025 Coalition for Orcas Youth Community Survey
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| What are the Orcas Island community norms around drug and alcohol use for both youth and adults? Please consider taking the Community Survey to share your perspective! Orcas Island Health Care District has been a partner with the Coalition for Orcas Youth for several years. COY,
Medicare Fraud Awareness Month | Fight back against fraud
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| When 73-year-old Eleanor Simmons received a call from someone claiming to be from Medicare offering "free" genetic testing kits, something didn't feel right. The caller knew her name and address and just wanted to “verify” her Medicare number. He insisted that
8 things you should never do when you visit the doctor, according to nurses
These simple missteps can derail your care. ||| FROM REAL SIMPLE ||| Be strategic with your time and come prepared to help avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment. Focus on describing your symptoms to give your provider the best chance at identifying the root cause. Be your own best advocate.
Bragg soldiers who cheered Trump’s political attacks while in uniform were checked for allegiance, appearance
||| FROM MILITARY.COM ||| It was supposed to be a routine appearance, a visit from the commander in chief to rally the troops, boost morale and celebrate the Army's 250th-birthday week, which culminates with a Washington, D.C., parade slated for Saturday. Instead, what unfolded Tuesday at Fort Bragg, North Carolina,
Canadian warship enters Orcas Island waters
||| BY LIN MCNULTY, theORCASONIAN EDITOR ||| A suspicious vessel was spotted in West Sound earlier today by an alert and concerned Orcasonian reader, who forwarded photos to theOrcasonian. Shortly after receiving the photos, what appears to be this same vessel was observed at the mouth of East Sound. According
‘Ticking timebomb’ | Sea acidity has reached critical levels, threatening entire ecosystems
Ocean acidification has already crossed a crucial threshold for planetary health, scientists say in unexpected finding ||| FROM THE GUARDIAN ||| The world’s oceans are in worse health than realised, scientists have said today, as they warn that a key measurement shows we are “running out of time” to protect
LWVSJ Observer Corps Notes | San Juan County Council June 10, 2025
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| State legislators Lekanoff, Ramel and Lovelett reported on what was accomplished in the legislative session, including work on increasing housing supply, securing health insurance in the face of Medicaid cuts, progress on salmon recovery, more support for schools, maintaining improvements
County issues Pride Month Proclamation in recognition of LGBTQIA+ community in the islands
The proclamation, written alongside members of the LGBTQIA+ community, acknowledges that LGBTQIA+ folks have lived in the San Juan Islands since time immemorial and celebrates their valuable contributions to the islands. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During the first meeting of the month, the Council issued a proclamation
Attention San Juan County businesses | Sales tax decrease effective July 1, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Treasurer’s Office is providing notice to local businesses of an upcoming change to sales and use tax in San Juan County. Effective July 1, 2025, local sales and use tax within San Juan County will decrease fifteen one hundredths of
Local Indivisible island groups to host June 14th events
||| FROM PAM HOKE and SUSAN WEST for INDIVISIBLE SAN JUAN ISLANDS ||| SAN JUAN ISLANDS, WA - On June 14th, 2025, Indivisible San Juan Islands, local groups with national Indivisible.org, will be hosting several No Kings events throughout the islands, many have become fun island-style community picnic themes while
San Juan County to test vote counting equipment in June
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Elections office will hold a “Logic and Accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used for the County’s August 5, 2025, Primary election. The test is scheduled for June 24, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Logic and accuracy testing is a standard
Larsen releases statement on protests in Los Angeles
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen released the following statement: "I condemn any violence in Los Angeles and interference with law enforcement activities that seems to involve only a limited number of demonstrators. "Americans have the First Amendment right
