Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
How the Trump administration’s interpretation of one word—‘Harm’—could gut habitat protections for Endangered Species
“This administration’s greed and contempt for imperiled wildlife know no bounds.” — Noah Greenwald, Center for Biological Diversity ||| FROM INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS ||| The Trump administration proposed a new rule Wednesday that would rescind widespread habitat protections for species protected under the Endangered Species Act, a landmark law enacted
Dive into education and plastic pollution at this year’s Great Islands Clean Up
Participate in the Great Nurdle Hunt ||| FROM JESS NEWLEY for GREAT ISLANDS CLEAN UP ||| The Great Islands Clean Up is just around the corner! On Saturday, April 26, communities across San Juan County will unite to pick up litter and marine debris from roadsides, beaches, and public lands.
Airhawks Flying Club soars higher
||| FROM ROBERT WAUNCH for AIRHAWKS FLYING CLUB ||| The Airhawks Flying Club continues to spread its wings. We have added a second Beachcraft ‘Sundowner’ named Katie. The aircraft was generously donated by Orcas residents Jack and Robin Becker. With the increasing demand from new students plus existing Club pilots
Art, creativity, flexibility in upcoming classes at Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Discover Gentle Flexibility: A Balance Class Inspired by the Feldenkrais Method Join Andrea Preiss, a seasoned Feldenkrais practitioner and therapeutic eurythmist, for a relaxing movement class at Orcas Senior Center, Tuesdays at 11 a.m. (no class May 20, May 27, and
Learn about this PNW UFO encounter from 1947
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| On August 1, 1947, the tragic crash of a B-25 bomber in Washington State triggered an FBI investigation of “The Maury Island Incident”—an infamous Northwest UFO sighting, and history’s first alleged encounter with the so-called “Men in Black.” The FBI’s records
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at Orcas Center
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| The whimsical world of Wonderland is about to take center stage in an extraordinary new ballet production, offering audiences a fresh and imaginative interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s beloved classic. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland will run at Orcas Center April 25 – May
Easter | A time for renewal
||| FROM JARI-ANDREA BRENNER ||| To me, Easter is a time of renewal and growth. Plants push through dirt to find the Light, and humans do as well. What is this call to growth? We are each a unique part of the Whole. As such, each voice matters. We are
Letter to Editor | Keep Shaw Shaw
||| FROM BARBARA, TED, AND PETER HUSTED ||| Dear County Council, County Mgr, and Community Planner: Public works is planning a future for Shaw Island that it neither asked for nor wants. This future would include heavy industrial activity inconsistent with the spirit and intent of the Shaw Subarea Plan.
OIFR 2024 Year in Review | Annual report and member appreciation
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| Highlights from the 2024 Annual Report were delivered during the meeting of the Board of Fire Commissioners on March 17, 2025. 2024 was a year of significant change and growth for OIFR. Personnel resignations and new hirings reshaped the department. Financial procedures
Bring spiritual awareness to your life with Wu Style Tai Chi
||| FROM STEPHANIE ROSENBLATT ||| Bring a new level of holistic physical and spiritual awareness to your everyday life by learning how this ancient practice creates a mindful, personal journey. Stephanie’s presentation will illustrate the following benefits of Wu Style Tai Chi: What You Didn’t Know About Tai Chi Friday,
Food System Plan charts path to a more resilient local food future in San Juan County
||| FROM CAITLIN LECK for FOOD SYSTEM TEAM ||| Only 4% of food purchased in San Juan County is produced here. How can we grow more local food? That question—and many others—has guided the creation of the Food System Plan for San Juan County, now published and available to the
LWVSJ Observer Corps | Board of Health April 16, 2025
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMAN VOTERS ||| The CEO search process is underway at the Accountable Communities of Health. The Community Collaboration Committee (CCC) awarded a $16k grant to the SJI Food Bank, $6k for 2025 and $10k for 2026; the CCC hopes to provide further support
Sheriff’s Report | April 9 – 15, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9 25-001954 Property Damage, Non Vandalism 10:30:42 04/09/25 Orcas Island Deputies responded to a report of property damage. Upon investigation Deputies found damage to a fence along the road, as well as signs of a vehicle leaving the road. No
Reminder | We the People March in Eastsound on April 19
||| FROM DAVID TURNOY ||| April 19 is another national day of action to protest the madness being propagated by our national government. The Friday Harbor Indivisible group is holding a march that day, and we on Orcas will march to express solidarity with the rest of the country and
Latest from Lekanoff | Vision for the future; housing stability; juvenile justice reform
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. DEBRA LEKANOFF ||| As we enter the final week of the 2025 legislative session, I am holding close the values that guide me—community, cooperation, and compassion. These final days are some of the most intense in Olympia. We’re working long hours, voting late into
The Exchange Update | April 2025
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING/THE EXCHANGE ||| Spring Legislative Update The Recycle Reform Act, SB5284, has passed in both the House and Senate. Learn more about this - and other zero waste-related bills that are moving forward in Washington State! Get Ready for the Spring Great Islands Clean Up The Great
