Here’s a thought…
“If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.”
WILLIAM L. MCKNIGHT
Quilts from Elena Battles at Library for June
||| FROM ANDREA COHEN for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| For June’s Art In the Library exhibit, the Orcas Island Library will feature the quilts of Elena Battles. Elena is a Deer Harbor resident who has been quilting for 15 years. For this show, she’s chosen her most colorful quilts to
After Trump administration axes $500 million from Washington dam project, Patty Murray says she won’t let it happen again
||| FROM THE SPOKESMAN REVIEW || WASHINGTON – The most fundamental job of Congress is to fund the government each year, typically through a bipartisan process that distributes dollars more or less evenly between red states and blue states. But a dustup over a dam construction project in Washington state
Washington State’s ‘Wenatchee’ becomes largest U.S. ferry to go hybrid
||| FROM GCAPTAIN ||| Vigor Marine Seattle has completed a groundbreaking hybrid-electric conversion of the Washington State Ferry M/V Wenatchee, marking a significant advancement in maritime sustainability. The 202-vehicle ferry, one of the largest in the WSF system, now holds the distinction of being the largest U.S. passenger ferry to undergo
The future needs locals | Fun updates and a call to be counted
||| FROM ISLAND STEWARDS ||| It’s that season again. The sun’s working overtime, the ferry lines are getting longer, and someone’s already claimed the last decent parking spot at Crescent Beach. And yet, there’s something deeper stirring. A sense that the pace of change—on these islands, across the state—is picking
Pickleball summer events on Orcas | Fun and play for everyone
||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for ORCAS ISLAND PICKLEBALL CLUB ||| The Orcas Island Pickleball Club (OIPC) invites all islanders and visitors to come check out the fun and inclusive community of all ages playing pickleball at Buck Park. The courts are public and open to all. The following events are
See The Metropolitan Opera at Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Two stellar performances from The Metropolitan Opera come to the Orcas Center screen next week. Filmed live in HD, these on-screen events from The Metropolitan Opera offer a diverse sampling of the world’s best performers at the height of their careers –
The fastest way to solve a jigsaw puzzle
||| FROM INTERESTING FACTS ||| Jigsaw puzzles originated as an educational tool in 18th-century England, but over time they evolved into an enduringly popular hobby that aids relaxation, instills a sense of accomplishment, and — according to some studies — may improve focus and spatial reasoning. Indeed, there’s something meditative about
‘Nothing left’ | Irish whale-watching company closes amid ‘overfishing’
Sprat fishing has disrupted the food chain and diverted humpback, minke and fin whales as well as dolphins ||| FROM THE GUARDIAN ||| A whale-watching company has abandoned tours off Ireland’s southern Atlantic coast and declared the waters an empty, lifeless sea. Colin Barnes, who ran Cork Whale Watch, announced
Groundwater is rapidly declining in the Colorado River Basin, satellite data show
||| FROM L.A. TIMES ||| New research based on satellite data shows the depletion of groundwater in the Colorado River Basin far exceeds losses from the river’s reservoirs. Scientists say overpumping is leading to alarmingly rapid declines in groundwater at a time when climate change is putting growing strains on
It’s happening at Orcas Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Ukulele Kanikipila: Join the Musical Fun Experience the joy of making music at Ukulele Kanikipila, Hawaiian for "play music," Mondays from 1 to 3 p.m. at Orcas Senior Center. This gathering is open to everyone with an interest in playing music
Two exciting events with author & nature illustrator Robin Lee Carlson
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Two exciting events with author & nature illustrator Robin Lee Carlson on Orcas Island! Sun, June 8 @ 5pm – Join the Orcas Island Library & Garden Club for a fascinating talk on The Light Eaters, exploring plant intelligence and the mysteries of the natural world. Mon,
Pearl Django brings world-class gypsy jazz to Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Prepare for an unforgettable evening of swing, style, and sensational musicianship as Pearl Django, one of the country’s most celebrated gypsy jazz ensembles, takes the stage at Orcas Center on Thursday, June 6 at 7pm, presented by the Orcas Island Jazz Festival.
‘It’s devastating’ | Skagit River summer-fall Chinook population expected to hit 15-year low
With Chinook continuing to slide toward extinction, tribes of the Skagit Valley say more than ever, Seattle needs to stop blocking salmon with its Skagit River dams. ||| FROM KING-TV SEATTLE ||| SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. — The population of summer-fall Chinook salmon expected this year on Washington's Skagit River will
Help stop invasive marine crabs: Join a molt search training
||| FROM ELISE COPE for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| Friends of the San Juans invites you to help protect the Salish Sea’s marine ecosystem by learning how to identify and report European green crab molts (shed shells) on local beaches. Once trained as a community science volunteer, you’ll
Artworks featured artist for June is Marjorie Taylor
||| FROM BJ ARNOLD for ORCAS ISLAND ARTWORKS ||| Orcas Island Artworks is proud to present a new feature wall by multidisciplinary artist Marjorie Taylor, a former psychology professor whose passion for creativity and unconventional materials has earned international acclaim. The display offers a fresh departure from her popular “vegan
New Garden Club member opportunity | Book Club
OIGC Member's Book Club Sunday, June 8, 5 p.m. at the Orcas Public Library ||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Calling all garden lovers and book enthusiasts! We are excited to announce the launch of the Orcas Island Garden Club’s very own Book Club — a space where we’ll
