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
County to test vote counting equipment in September
Testing will take place on September 23, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Elections office will be holding a “Logic and Accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used for the County’s November 4, 2025, General election. The test is scheduled for September
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.
Getting ready for Medicare
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Is 2025 your year for joining Medicare? Medicare enrollment is not automatic for most people, so you’ll probably need to enroll with Social Security. Then you’ll have to decide what type of Medicare coverage you want. To make an informed decision
Notice | Request for art submissions for library
||| FROM INGRID MATTSON for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Island Public Library seeks to include exhibits of visual arts in its mission to support all learners. Art will be shown for a month, to be scheduled by the Library Art Committee. To be considered for 2026, please email
Land managers convene for shoreline resiliency
||| FROM ELISE COPE for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| With more miles of marine shoreline than any other county in the lower 48, San Juan County’s land managers are well-positioned to lead in effective shoreline management that benefits both people and nature. To support this, Friends of the
Larsen statement on House-passed defense policy bill
Larsen continues to advocate for Northwest Washington state priorities ||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) advocated for provisions in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to protect families and businesses Northwest Washington state. He
2025 Comp Plan Update | Eastsound UGA map amendments meeting & Planning Commission public hearing
There will be an informational meeting regarding proposed Official Map Amendments in Eastsound on September 16 from 5-6pm at the Orcas Island Library prior to the September 19 Planning Commission Public Hearing on the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is in
News Brief | Reinsurers are taking new steps to shield themselves against financial fallout
||| FROM BLOOMBERG NEWS ||| "The situation has sent powerful tremors through the American homeowners market" Originally reported by Bloomberg News "Americans keep building in risky areas. As home values in these locations rise, so will insurance rates. After all, it’s the industry’s job to signal risk, not subsidize it."
Learn about this infamous Northwest UFO sighting at Orcas Library
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| On August 1, 1947, the tragic crash of a B-25 bomber in Washington State triggered an FBI investigation of “The Maury Island Incident”—an infamous Northwest UFO sighting, and history’s first alleged encounter with the so-called “Men in Black.” The FBI’s records
Killer whales make their own tools
||| FROM INTERESTING FACTS ||| When they aren’t busy attacking yachts or starring in beloved children’s movies, killer whales have an even more impressive hobby: making their own tools. Scientists were initially unfazed by footage of the imposing creatures rubbing against one another for up to 15 minutes at a
Vacation Rental Permits now required in Eastsound & Lopez Village commercial designations
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Property owners within Eastsound Village Commercial and Lopez Village Commercial land use designations must now obtain a provisional use permit through the Department of Community Development (DCD) to operate a vacation rental. Property owners with a vacation rental existing prior to June 25,
County to host ribbon cutting at new county offices on Fern Street
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is pleased to open the new Fern Street building on September 16 in Eastsound that will expand the County’s ability to serve residents of Orcas Island. The community is invited to attend the opening of the new office building that
Let’s work together to protect and improve air quality
||| FROM SETH PRESTON for NORTHWEST CLEAN AIR AGENCY ||| Hi! We’re the Northwest Clean Air Agency, and we can’t wait to meet you and get to know you. You’re going to start seeing some of us in the coming weeks and months. And as much as we want to
Jurors for Sept. 15 – 19 are excused
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: SEPTEMBER 15-19, 2025 All jurors summonsed for jury duty beginning September 15th through Friday September 19th, are excused. Thank you.
Protecting our homes, roads, and habitat | Sea level rise workshops this fall
The County is planning a series of community workshops to share information about sea level rise and solicit thoughts, concerns, and feedback from community members about how to address these challenges together. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is taking steps to better understand and plan
News Brief | Three things that could save your home from the next wildfire
||| FROM WASHINGTON POST ||| Originally reported by Washington Post "Why do some homes burn in wildfires while others do not? Researchers, insurers and government officials have been scrambling to answer this question, made urgent by a decade of deadly conflagrations: the Western fires in 2015, Paradise in 2018, Lahaina
