Here’s a thought…
“Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”
READER BOARD
Weather Alert | Heavy rainfall
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Seattle WA 1211 PM PDT Thu Mar 19 2026 San Juan County-Cascades of Whatcom and Skagit Counties- Cascades of Snohomish and Northern King Counties- Cascades of Southern King County- Cascades of Pierce and Lewis Counties- Foothills and Valleys
Medicare’s preventive benefits | Why they matter
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Taking care of your health before problems arise is essential—and Medicare helps make that possible. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) covers many preventive services to detect conditions early. Medicare Part B also includes an annual wellness visit, a yearly appointment
County Health & Community Services publishes its 2025 impact report
Immunizations, dental care, meals for seniors, affordable housing, early learning, and so much more! ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Department of Health & Community Services has released its 2025 Impact Report, highlighting the programs, services, and partnerships that supported the health and well-being of islanders
No jury duty March 23-27
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: MARCH 23-27, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the jury term beginning Monday, March 23rd through Friday, March 27th, 2026, are excused. Thank you!
Guest Opinion | Paul Ehrlich was early, not wrong
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| Paul Ehrlich When Paul Ehrlich died recently (March 13, 2026), many of the obituaries and articles about him repeated a familiar judgment: he was alarmist, even brilliant, but ultimately wrong. His 1968 book, The Population Bomb, warned of mass famine and ecological collapse
Orcas Choral Society is weaving an American choral tapestry
||| FROM LYNN BAKER for ORCAS CHORAL SOCIETY ||| Songs of three centuries swirl through the Orcas Center every Tuesday and Thursday this spring, as the Orcas Choral Society prepares, An American Choral Tapestry, a concert of works by American composers to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. “In only 250
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
