Orcas Currents started with a truly cosmic bang last year with an astronaut discussing possible asteroid collisions with Earth.
Safety, biking and preserving the rural nature of the island were all issues discussed at the San Juan County Public Work’s recent open house at the fire station on March 3.
Cloaked in sea water and fog for the majority of the year, Indian Island is an intriguing place. Its enigmatic presence is part of the reason it gets a spotlight at the annual Tides of March. The small island is also an important area to study marine science.
San Juan County Sheriff Ron Krebs said he was not surprised to find that 59 percent of 240 participants in a recent poll said drug activity was their main worry when it comes to crime in island communities.
Big tsunamis come every 300 to 600 years, and the last one for the west coast was 315 years ago, which means a disaster could be headed our way.
Rescuing a wild animal is no easy feat. Rescuing a 1,400-pound sea mammal is an entirely different feat.
For Jami Mitchell, finding a job that enables her to give back to the community is crucial. So when the position for the manager of Orcas Senior Center came up, Mitchell jumped at the opportunity.
Susan Osborn loves singing for people, and she loves collaborating with musicians. So when her long-time Japanese friend Kentaro Kihara informed her he was on a tour in the U.S. and could be on island around Valentine's Day, Osborn jumped at the chance for the duo to perform a concert celebrating love.
Regina and Katie were friends for several years before sparks flew one night under the stars on Orcas Island.
The survey stake was a casualty of a typhoon that occurred in the south of Japan, six months prior to the tsunami that ravaged the country.
Nineteen hopeful spellers took to the stage at the Orcas Christian School on Jan. 28 to take their chances at a plethora of words. Orcas Island Public School, OASIS and Orcas Christian School all participated in the bee.
Why would a teenager steal a plane and fly it without any training? Why would a young man break into strangers’ homes, steal from small businesses and live in the woods for long stretches of time? Why would he become a symbol of rising up against authority, why would he be called a folk hero by some and a criminal by others?
“Honk if you like quiet skies” was written in bright letters and posted outside of the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts where the Navy held its first ever scoping meeting on Lopez on Dec. 3. Just a few feet down the road, dressed in down jackets Stanley and Kip Greenthal passed out blue papers labeled “Growler EIS Scoping Meeting.”
This is the question posed to Orcas Recycling Services Director Pete Moe on a daily basis.
Being happy isn’t a mood that is 100 percent achievable 24 hours a day. I like to think of happiness as something that comes and goes.
On Monday, Undersheriff Bruce Distler will get on a ferry with his wife Bonni, their car and trailer and say farewell to the island he has called home for the last eight and a half years.
For seniors facing the winter months, Marla Johns said there are three concerns: depression, isolation and an increase of falls.
I met Sgt. Gil Frazier during the war in Afghanistan. I was an embedded journalist and he was a Marine. One of the reasons I am alive today is probably, in part, thanks to him.
At the Orcas Island Elementary Veteran Appreciation Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 7 veterans were honored for their service.
Last year, just a few weeks after stepping into her role as elementary principal, Kathy Page organized an assembly to honor veterans in the community.
Lopezian Brian Swanson has always wanted his daughters to be compassionate and caring.
“We’ve always encouraged them to find their role in society and how they can contribute within our community,” said Swanson.
Robin Jacobson loves local history, whether she is helping people find their ancestors’ graves or digging up island ghost stories.
Paul Kamin, general manager of the Eastsound Water Users Association, sent a letter to EWUA members on Sept. 18. The document outlined the Guest House Upgrade Initiative, which requires members who have a second living space on their property to upgrade their memberships to reflect two buildings.
Tom and Karen Ritter have been married for 51 years. They have raised four daughters, moved across the country and faced countless obstacles along the way.
She was gardening when they came. She said she could see their faces. She said it was as if she could reach up and touch the body of the jet. She said it was so loud she was knocked to the ground.
How many times do you drive down Orcas Road wondering what will happen when you make that left turn into the ferry terminal lanes? How many times has your heart plummeted on a Friday afternoon as you see that all six lanes are full?
Travel may get easier or be more of a hassle depending on whom you talk to when ferry reservations become a reality this December. While some islanders are all in favor of a guaranteed travel option, other islanders have gone as far as creating a petition against the new program.
The trespassing sign at Madrona Point was illegally removed in an act of vandalism in April.
Now islanders who head that way will see there is still no sign. Is Madrona Point open or not?
For eight years, Foster Hildreth has been preparing for his new role as general manager of OPALCO. Now as he officially takes the helm he looks to the community to help him with the future.
As an avid hiker, I often find myself alone in the woods. I find it peaceful among the trees where I am soothed by the smell of pine and fir.
You are not crazy, it just means you are a human being. Everything you are experiencing is normal.
Stormwater became a focal point for many islanders after the intense flooding at the Templin Center last September after two inches of rain fell in just one hour. The surge of pooled water happened to coincide with the county’s attempt to update their stormwater plan for the county.
On Sept. 11, two Lopez men threw over five pieces of luggage into the Salish Sea after incorrectly assuming that the bags contained bombs.
A fisherman found decomposed human remains with a wallet in a collapsed tent located off-trail in a secluded area of Moran State Park near the bridge over the Cascade Lake lagoon on Sept. 6.
That is according to Dr. Melody Rose, President of Marylhurst University and former Chancellor of the Oregon University System, who will present “Leader of the Free World? The Future of American Women in Politics” on Saturday, Oct. 18, 4 p.m. at Orcas Center as part of the Orcas Crossroads Lecture Series.
The future of the Exchange, an update on the library's renovations and a new parking space at the Orcas ferry landing were all up for discussion at the county council meeting at the Eastsound Fire Station on Sept. 9.
The school bell will be accompanied by the grinding of heavy machinery this school year as students head to the classroom.
Libraries are constantly changing. Where once books were the main event now you have computers and DVDs taking up the majority of space.
“It’s about honor and tradition,” said the Orcas Golf Club employee. “And as far as the tournament goes, you have an opportunity to help the community.”
The tournament he is referring to is none other than the annual Orcas Center Golf Classic, which raises funds for artistic endeavors at the center.
The sign at Madrona Point, stating the area is closed by authority of the Lummi Nation until further notice, has recently disappeared.
