Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
Larsen votes NO on the Republican rip-off budget
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Rick Larsen released the following statement after voting against the Republican budget. The budget passed by a final vote of 215 to 214 with every House Democrat and two House Republicans voting no. “The Republican Rip-Off takes
Jurors for May 27-30 are excused
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: MAY 27-30, 2025 All jurors summonsed for jury duty beginning Tuesday, May 27th through Friday May 30th, are excused.
Gov. Ferguson signs 50 bills into state law on Saturday
||| FROM KING-TV SEATTLE ||| OLYMPIA, Wash. — Fifty bills were signed into Washington state law on Saturday by Gov. Bob Ferguson. This is in addition to the dozens he signed into law earlier this week. Here's what you should know about the bills that became law in Washington state
Guest Opinion | Regarding OPALCO solar project proposed for Decatur Island
||| FROM BRIAN L. GRANT, M.D. I am a longstanding homeowner on Decatur Island. I and a great many others strongly oppose the project proposed for the heart of Decatur, to create a solar farm of significant scale. Given our small population, it is worth noting that a petition against
New WA law will help ferry system, but there’s still work to do
||| FROM THE SEATTLE TIMES ||| As we approach the busiest season for Washington State Ferries, there is hope on the horizon that workforce shortages driving years of reduced and unreliable ferry service will be addressed. Gov. Bob Ferguson named fixing our ferry system a top priority during his campaign.
The San Juan County Fair is just around the corner | Register your exhibits online
Online exhibit registration opens Saturday, June 1st, and SJC Parks & Fair staff will be coming back to Orcas, Lopez & Shaw to pick up your non-perishable entries on August 9th! ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| After steady growth in the number of entries received, the San Juan
Island Air Ambulance reaccredited by CAMTS
||| FROM RICK FRASER for ISLAND AIR AMBULANCE ||| The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) is proud to announce that Island Air Ambulance, a fixed wing emergency medical transport service based in Friday Harbor, was once again awarded full accreditation at the critical care level this past
Maori program coming to Village Green on Thursday
||| FROM GERI AND DAVID TURNOY ||| All are invited to come to the Village Green in Eastsound this Thursday, May 22, from 12 noon until 4 pm, for a very special program featuring Whaia, "Fire," a Maori woman from Australia!! /Fire is traveling with the Native American canoe journey,
The Northwest’s electric grid deserves an upgrade
Up to 40 percent of the region’s grid could be suitable for reconductoring—for less than half the time and cost of building new transmission lines. ||| FROM SIGHTLINE INSTITUTE ||| The lights could soon dim on the Northwest’s climate goals unless the electric grid gets some serious TLC. The region,
Close To Home author at Darvill’s tomorrow evening
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY ||| Though rarely featured in nature documentaries or wildlife magazines, the average backyard or neighborhood park can yield new discoveries. In CLOSE TO HOME: The Wonders of Nature Just Outside Your Door, award-winning author and conservation biologist Thor Hanson helps us retrain our eyes to uncover
The joyful and kind gardener
||| FROM LAURA WALKER for ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| It’s that time of year when it’s easy to get carried away when surrounded by the beauty and variety of plants at a nursery. Guilty. I find it hard to resist the beautiful colors and textures. Just recently, I bought
Video of orcas stranded in algae-infested pools triggers fresh concerns
||| FROM SCIENCE ALERT ||| A video posted online of two orcas circling in an algae-infested pool in southern France has brought a fresh wave of worldwide concern for cetaceans Wikie, 24, and her 11-year-old calf Keijo. France has been struggling to find a new home for mother and son
Guest Opinion | Thinking bigger picture on electricity
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| The message we as a community have received recently from OPALCO is that we are in trouble related to electricity supply meeting demand on the Northwest Grid. Recent articles in The Orcasonian and The Seattle Times have made clear that a cold snap in January
Long-term islanders offer long-term islanders a long-term island home
||| BY LIN MCNULTY, theORCASONIAN EDITOR ||| Following three months of desperate house hunting on Orcas Island, long-term islanders have offered long-term islanders a much-needed long-term island rental home. When we were notified that our landlord had passed, and her children wanted to sell our home of 15 years, we
Letter to Editor | Odd Fellows thank you to community
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ODD FELLOWS ||| The Odd Fellows would like to extend gratitude to our generous community for your support of our quest to upgrade sound and lights at the Odd Fellows Hall. Thanks to the success of the Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) Spring GiveOrcas Campaign, we will
Art opening honors sacred history of Madrona Point
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| The Visual Arts Committee (VAC) of Orcas Center is proud to announce a special art exhibition from Peter Fisher, opening on Friday, May 23 at 5:30pm, celebrating the cultural, spiritual, and natural significance of Madrona Point. Presented in honor of the
