Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
Land Bank meeting coming up on March 20
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting Friday, March 20. The meeting is scheduled from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the Mullis
Review the Critical Areas Ordinance update at community meeting on April 6
A first draft of the updated regulation is now available for public comment, and the Department of Community Development (DCD) is holding a community meeting to accept feedback and walk residents through the documents. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is updating its critical areas protections,
Luck of the Irish stops the rain for St. Patrick’s Day parade
||| FROM KAREN KEY SPECK ||| The clouds parted and the rain stopped at twelve noon. The Luck of the Irish prevailed so the 50-or- so parade participants were able to walk, ride, dance and sing their way up Prune Alley and down Main Street for the annual St. Patrick's
Katherine Bryant Ingman announces candidacy for San Juan County Council, District 3
||| FROM KBI4SJC for KATHERINE BRYANT INGMAN ||| Katherine Bryant Ingman is thrilled to announce she will be running for San Juan County Council seat #3 in 2026. “My goal as your council representative is to listen first — to essential workers and small business owners, farmers and working families, newcomers,
Salmonberry students tour sacred sites
||| FROM PAUL FREEDMAN for SALMONBERRY COMMUNITY SCHOOL ||| Last week, Salmonberry Community School students returned to Seattle for a learning adventure that these fifteen 9-12 yr old students will never forget. Every three years, this classroom centers its studies on a year-long thematic exploration of world cultures and world
The Island Gardener for March 2026
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| March in the garden is always a bit of a tug-of-war between patience and pure excitement. Even after all these years, I still find myself getting swept up in the "spring fever" that hits right after a trip to the NW Flower and
No Kings update
||| FROM INDIVISIBLE SAN JUAN ISLANDS ||| Hello Indivisible San Juan Islands Community! We hope everyone is doing well, despite how this administration would like us to be doing or feeling. Let's lead with joy for another opportunity to meet up and support one another as we defend our democracy from
This March, ‘spring’ into a new role
Multiple County Advisory Board & Committee Seats Open ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is seeking volunteers to serve on various boards and committees that help shape daily life in the San Juan Islands. Key positions on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, Agricultural Resources Committee, Ferry
UPDATE: Eastsound water main break | Repair resolved
||| FROM DAN BURKE for EASTSOUND WATER ||| Eastsound Main Break – Repair Resolved UPDATE: The leak has been repaired and everyone is back in service. As of roughly 6:30 PM this evening – all water service was restored to the approximately 28 parcels on Main Street that were affected
Earth Day Orcas News | Join in the 4th annual celebration
||| FROM MARCY MONTGOMERY for EYE OF THE WHALE ARTS ||| 2026 marks the 4th year of engaging Earth Day learning experiences on Orcas Island and adds new features during this month-long series of Science, Art, Poetry, Music and Ecology Explorations. Open to all islanders and guests, activities launch on
Orcas Island’s Music Advocacy Group invites all to the March 29 concert
||| FROM SHARON HO for MUSIC ADVOCACY GROUP ||| Did you know that 292 students participate in music programs at Orcas Island public schools? The Orcas Island community is invited to fill the Orcas High School gym on Sunday, March 29, at 4 p.m. for a family-friendly benefit concert presented
No Place Like Loam | The pruning mistake creating water sprouts
(and costing you fruit, time, and money) ||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYO WOLF ||| The Problem Made Visible I walk the same roads through Eastsound most mornings. It’s an old habit now. After enough years, a walk like that becomes a way of orienting yourself. Collar up
Letter to Editor | Congratulations to OPALCO … but
||| FROM RIKKI SWIN ||| I extend my sincere congratulations to OPALCO's subsidiary, Rock Island Communications, on securing the $16.5 million BEAD grant to expand broadband connectivity across the San Juan Islands. This funding represents an important step forward for internet access in our community. That said, OPALCO and Rock
OCS Goes to Auburn Academy for Arts Fest
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| The Orcas Christian middle school has recently visited their sister school, Auburn Adventist Academy, for an event called the “Washington Conference Fine Arts Festival.” At the festival, the OCS guitar and choir class was invited to give a performance. The guitar class started with
Spring 2026 Great Islands Clean-Up | Our power, our planet
Join us for the 2026 Spring Great Islands Clean-Up on Saturday, April 18 ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| When islanders work together, small actions add up to big impact. This spring, the community is invited to take part in the 2026 Spring Great Islands Clean-Up on Saturday, April
Poetry | Summon the Buddhas
||| FROM ANJI RINGZIN ||| return from your wanderings open your eyes now to see the two worlds have collided and pulse in tyranny's grip kronos ticks at warp speed his hands ensnared in disorder's web yet you still hope for happiness yes there will be grief but the love,
