Here’s a thought…
“If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.”
WILLIAM L. MCKNIGHT
Stay healthy with Medicare’s free preventive services
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| In the world of health care, taking care of your health before problems pop up or become severe is very important. That's where Medicare comes in. Medicare helps you stay healthy by covering many preventive services, often at no cost. Original
LWVSJ Observer Corps | County Council June 3, 2025
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| The Council proclaimed June as Pride Month noting the challenging times for the LGBTQ community and the commitment of the county to be safe and welcoming for all. Representatives from the SI Pride Foundation and the Orcas Island Pride spoke
Letter to Editor | HolliWalk update from SJC Home Trust
||| FROM AMANDA LYNN and PAUL FISCHBURG for SJC HOME TRUST ||| An open letter to the San Juan Island community from the Home Trust: As we enter the month of June 2025, the families living in our HolliWalk neighborhood still cannot purchase their homes. On May 9th, two years
New Island Health clinic, big impact
||| FROM ISLAND HEALTH CONNECTIONS ||| Island Health is proud to announce the opening of Island Orthopedics, a new clinic focused on full-spectrum orthopedics, from sports-related injuries to joint replacement. Located at 2720 Commercial Avenue, the new facility is designed to meet the growing demand for advanced orthopedic services in
San Juan Islands Museum of Art celebrates summer with Shapeshifters
An Exhibition of Contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous Art and Culture ||| FROM WENDY SMITH for SAN JUAN ISLANDS MUSEUM OF ART || The San Juan Islands Museum of Art is proud to present Shapeshifters – a major exhibition of contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous art, June 13 – September 15, 2025,
Indivisible San Juan Islands will host NO KINGS DAY
||| FROM INDIVISIBLE SAN JUAN ISLANDS ||| Indivisible San Juan Islands — a local group in the national Indivisible.org network — is hosting the following at the San Juan County Courthouse: WHAT: NO KINGS DAY EVENT, Breaking Bread with Neighbors WHO: Indivisible San Juan Islands WHEN: SATURDAY, JUNE 14th, 2025
OIFR Town Hall scheduled for Wednesday, June 11 to present apparatus, facilities funding needs
||| FROM CHIEF CHAD KIMPLE for ORCAS FIRE & RESCUE ||| Orcas Island Fire and Rescue (OIFR) has always been there for our community—responding to emergencies, protecting homes, and providing lifesaving care. As the demands on our fire district grow and its infrastructure ages, OIFR is turning to the community
Hats Off to You | Orcas Senior Center’s fancy hat contest awaits
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Mark your calendars and fluff those feathers—Orcas Senior Center’s annual fundraiser, Let’s Brunch!, is back on Sunday, June 29, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This year’s event promises more flair, more fun, and, most importantly, some fabulous headwear at the
Larsen releases statement on closing of Job Corps Program
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| SKAGIT COUNTY, WA – Today, Representative Rick Larsen released the following statement on the closing of the Job Corps program: “As a part of the Trump administration’s efforts to give a tax break to the richest Americans and wealthiest corporations,
Jury Duty June 6-13? It’s cancelled
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JUNE 6-13, 2025 All jurors summonsed for jury duty beginning Monday June 9th through Friday June 13th, are excused. Thank you.
Contra dance coming to Odd Fellows
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG FOR ODD FELLOWS HALL ||| There will be a Contra Dance at the Odd Fellows Hall on Saturday, June 7 from 7:00-10:00pm. Blueberry Jam will supply the great music coming from Bellingham. The cost is $10-$20 sliding scale. There will be a short lesson from 7:00-7:30.
OASIS students set to graduate on Saturday, June 7
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT |||
Early Music Festival will feature folk song from three centuries
||| FROM JEFFREY COHAN for SALISH SEA EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL ||| WHAT: FOLK SONG FROM THREE CENTURIES WHEN: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM WHERE: Orcas Adventist Fellowship Church at 107 Enchanted Forest Road in Eastsound ADMISSION: suggested donation: $20 to $30 (a free will offering), 18
Stagecraft | Learn to crank up the sound, light up the lights in this ATOI class
||| 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
Orcas Island students shine in powerful production of ‘Little Women’
||| FROM ANDY RIVERA and ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL STAFF ||| A group of extraordinary young women at Orcas Island High School didn’t just lead the stage—they inspired a schoolwide journey of growth, self-discovery, and theatrical excellence that culminated in a stirring production of Little Women at Orcas Center over Memorial
Youths sue Trump to stop anti-climate agenda, arguing it violates right to life
According to lawsuit, Trump’s orders will “irreparably harm our nation’s most important asset: our children” ||| FROM SIERRA CLUB ||| As the Trump administration moves to turbocharge fossil fuel production while undermining clean energy, young Americans have turned to the courts to fight back, arguing that these executive actions violate
