Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
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
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 –
