Island News
Local headlines from around the San Juans
Port to use $650k grant to pave Jensen’s and Shipyard Cove’s driveways
LWVSJ Observer Corps: Friday Harbor Port Commission, September 25, 2026 A new lease was approved for San Juan Canvas with all terms remaining identical with the previous agreement and with a five-year extension. A new lease was approved for San Juan Air’s Hangar 80 (Units A & B) with all terms remaining the same except […]
Enter OPALCO’s co-op member photo contest or grand prize giveaway
October is National Co-op Month Every year in October, cooperatives around the nation celebrate National Cooperative Month. OPALCO, San Juan County’s local not-for-profit cooperative utility, is spending this month celebrating co-op members. Throughout October, check the OPALCO social media accounts (@orcaspower) to learn more about what it means to be a co-op and benefits of the cooperative model. This year OPALCO is holding the fi
October is National Co-op Month
Enter OPALCO’s co-op member photo contest or grand prize giveaway Every year in October, cooperatives around the nation celebrate National Cooperative Month. OPALCO, San Juan County’s local not-for-profit cooperative utility, is spending this month celebrating co-op members. Throughout October, check the OPALCO social media accounts (@orcaspower) to learn more about what it means to be […]
Guest Opinion | Permanent, until inconvenient
OPALCO bought land with a recorded Native Growth Area covenant and open-space protections intended to preserve a wildlife corridor. Its solar project conflicted with those restrictions. San Juan County has now approved moving the open-space designation to accommodate the project. The protections dated to 2012. OPALCO bought the property in 2025. Apparently, the forest was in the wrong place. And what project warrants this accommodation? A solar expansion approaching $6 m
Orcas Island Clothing Bank returns this fall
The Orcas Island Clothing Bank will return this fall, offering community members an opportunity to find clothing and other household items while giving gently used goods a second life. The Clothing Bank will be held Oct. 24-25 at the Orcas Christian School (OCS) gymnasium. The event will be open from 1-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25. Community members are encouraged to shop both days, with new items added […]
I’m Not the Church Lady | Marketing as a spiritual practice
Marketing as a Spiritual Practice I think maybe God has a Bingo cage. You know the kind—the big wire ball somebody cranks around at Bingo Night while everyone sits staring at their cards, waiting to see what number comes tumbling out. “B-12!” People look down. Nope. “G-46!” Someone puts a little marker on his card. “I-7!” And so it goes. Except I’m beginning to suspect that somewhere along the way […]
Emmanuel’s summer Market Day helps Orcas islanders all year
Warm homes. Good food. Help in need. Services for seniors. And, for students, a chance to learn to fly. These are the gifts to Orcas islanders from shoppers at July’s Market Day, the annual rummage sale of Emmanuel Episcopal Church. From the proceeds, Emmanuel has donated $1,150 each to OPALCO’s Project Pal, the Orcas Island Food Bank, the Orcas Community Resource Center, Orcas Senior Center, and to the Air Hawks Flying […]
WSF Weekly Report | Reducing fleet age; week without driving challenge; Nevey’s 5-year anniversary
A message from Steve Today marks my five-year anniversary at Washington State Ferries. I joined WSF in 2021 as operations director and stepped into my current role in the spring of 2024. When I arrived, we were facing unprecedented crew shortages and struggling to put 11 or 12 of our 18 scheduled ferries into service on any given day. Drawing on my private sector experience developing maritime crews, we worked with […]
Orcas Airport is now open – two days early
A few moments ago the A2,A3 and A4 barricades were removed as well as all midfield and east side hangar barriers, ORS is 100% open, two days early! A huge thanks for your flexibility, understanding, safe ops and professionalism throughout the project. There’s still work to do, but we have arguably the nicest GA airport in Washington, your continued safe attention to all things air and ground related at ORS is […]
Is it really just about beer? Or is there a deeper meaning? | Column
By Jacob Linnes