Island News
Local headlines from around the San Juans
Register now for Annual Garden Workshop Series
Garden enthusiasts throughout the region are encouraged to register now for the 2026 Garden Workshop Series presented by the San Juan County WSU Extension Master Gardeners and San Juan County Master Gardener Foundation. Registration closes Thursday, October 15. Held over two weeks in October, this popular annual series will be offered as live Zoom webinars, allowing participants to enjoy presentations from the comfort of home. The ser
Gigi Allaway: Supports Swanson for county council
Dear Editor, I write to highlight the excellent work of SJC Council candidate longtime-islander Jennifer Swanson in our community, which is easily applied to the larger islands. Most notably, she has served as an elected official for repeated terms as a school district board member (I served a similar term, staggered to hers, during this […]
Nelsen: Wholehearted support for Swanson for county Council
We are writing to offer our wholehearted support for Jennifer Swanson for county council. We’ve known Jennifer since she and her husband Chad moved to Shaw Island in 2003. Jennifer is someone who is thoughtful, trustworthy, and deeply committed to serving our community. Her dedication is demonstrated through action and looking for practical ways to […]
Doug Crosby: Swanson will be a valuable member of San Juan County council
To the Editors I have known Jennifer since 2013 soon after I moved to Shaw Island. Since then she has served as a Shaw School board member and the superintendent, a Ferry Advisory Board member, the founder of the Shaw Island Brown Bag Lunch monthly community meeting, a Shaw Islanders Inc board member and the […]
Guest column: Getting to Know Katherine: Leadership in Action
I’ve been fortunate to benefit from, and contribute to, impressive and impactful volunteer work throughout my life. From an early age, I’ve looked for ways to bring people together with integrity, care, and joy, and to create the kind of culture and environment that we want to live in, born of the priorities and values […]
Library event | A better world is possible
What does it take to imagine a better future—and what can the next generation teach us about making it happen? Join award-winning journalist Meera Subramanian and beloved poet and author Maleea Acker for an inspiring conversation about our changing planet, the power of young voices, and the places we call home. Meera’s new graphic nonfiction book, A Better World Is Possible: Global Youth Confront the Climate Crisis, illustrated by Danica Novgorodo
If the shoe fits | Annual drive matches kids with footwear for the year
For decades, Sons of the American Legion has been ensuring island kids have proper footwear at the start of fall.
Letter to Editor | Swanson has valuable community background
I have known Jennifer since 2013, soon after I moved to Shaw Island. Since then she has served as a Shaw School board member and the superintendent, a Ferry Advisory Board member, the founder of the Shaw Island Brown Bag Lunch monthly community meeting, a Shaw Islanders Inc board member and the chair of the Shaw Library and Historical Society Education Committee. All of her community building activities have been very affective, long term […]
Orcas Library, students explore banned books
The Orcas Island Library was fortunate to receive a grant from Brooklyn’s Books Unbanned group this spring, and we’ve been thrilled to put it to work with our local teens. With the grant, we’ve now run two teen cohorts exploring censorship, challenged books, and the role young people can play in the conversation. Our first cohort of three teens planned three of our monthly Teen Book Boxes, each featuring a challenged […]
Washington authors speak out against censorship in honor of Banned Books Week
OLYMPIA — In honor of Banned Books Week (Oct. 4-10, 2026), Washington authors speak out against censorship and share what reading freely means to them. The Washington Center for the Book, a program of the Office of the Secretary of State, partnered with the Washington chapter of Authors Against Book Bans to curate a collection of short videos about what […]
San Juan Island School District: Cost of full-size electric bus too high
LWVSJ Observer Corps*: San Juan Island School Board September 30, 2026. Public Comment: Parent Eliza Habegger is concerned about the use of AI in the classroom. She made three recommendations: 1. Remove Google Gemini in all Chrome books. 2. Consider Los Angeles Unified School District AI use policy. 3. Gather community input on using AI […]
Orcas Vikings roll through busy fall sports schedule
By Declan O’Malley
Free immunization clinics for children: Protect your child against influenza and COVID
Submitted by San Juan County.
In support of Jennifer Swanson for County Council | Letter
I have been a voter in San Juan County for more than 50 years and am writing to enthusiastically endorse Jennifer Swanson for County Commissioner. Jennifer and I worked together on the Shaw Island school board for several years. During her term as chairman she was called upon to steer the board through the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a challenging time but Jennifer based her leadership on the facts and the science. Her calm demeanor and ability to listen have made her a valuable member of our isla
Expert speakers highlight sustainable gardening at October workshop series
Submitted by the Master Gardeners.
Orcas Christian School brings generations together for ‘Grandparents Lunch’
The lunch at Orcas Christian School was filled with conversation, laughter and familiar faces as students welcomed grandparents and other special guests for the school’s first Grandparents Lunch.
OCS students develop leadership skills at Sunset Lake Camp
Orcas Christian School high school and middle school students returned Thursday from a week at Sunset Lake Camp in Wilkeson, Washington, where they joined students from several small Adventist schools for activities focused on leadership, worship, teamwork and personal growth.
Letter to Editor | Jennifer Swanson has our wholehearted support for Council position
We are writing to offer our wholehearted support for Jennifer Swanson for County Council. We’ve known Jennifer since she and her husband Chad moved to Shaw Island in 2003. Jennifer is someone who is thoughtful, trustworthy, and deeply committed to serving our community. Her dedication is demonstrated through action and looking for practical ways to make a difference. She helped lead the effort to create and secure funding for a teacher housing project. […]
Letter to Editor | We need Jennifer Swanson’s calm and even temperament for County Council
I write to highlight the profound actions SJC Council candidate longtime-islander Jennifer Swanson’s taken in our community, which are easily applied to the larger islands. Most notably, she has served as an elected official for repeated terms as a school district board member (and board chair for part of that), and then as appointed superintendent. School board member and superintendent duties are the same for small districts as for larger ones. The requirements includ
October 6: Genetic Population Structure of Harbor Seals in WA state
October 6 | 6 pm | The Whale Museum | Friday Harbor Learn about the genetics of harbor seals in Washington state with The Whale Museum’s Alexandrea Otto! Alexandrea is currently finishing her Master’s at Western Washington University studying harbor seal population genetics in the Pacific Northwest. Some of her past projects include studying heart […]
Forester’s Notes | Times are tough
The excellent adventure of the Extension Forestry Program has become a bit of a bogus journey of late. We have been hit with significant budget cuts. A few months ago, we lost 40% of our state funding. On the county side of things, San Juan County has now joined Skagit County in withdrawing all support for Extension Forestry education programs, so education resources are dwindling in the North Sound […]
OCS students learn from Orcas Island musician Jim Bredouw
Students at Orcas Christian School had an opportunity to learn from one of Orcas Island’s longtime musicians and sound engineers when Jim Bredouw visited the school to share stories from his career, projects and music. Bredouw spoke with OCS middle and high school students about his experiences in music and sound engineering, taking students through several stages of his life, including his years as a guitarist, his career in sound engineering, his time in […]
What seeds have you sown?: A harvest festival rooted in reflection
Orcas Islanders gathered at the fifth annual Family Tides Farm & Northwest Indian College Fall Festival on Sept. 20 to celebrate with friends and contemplate their own harvest over the past year.
Free Immunization Clinics for Children: Protect Your Child Against Influenza and COVID
SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. October 1, 2026 – Protect your family this fall and winter by bringing your child to one of our upcoming school-based walk-up immunization clinics. We will have vaccines to protect children against flu and it is anticipated that there will be COVID-19 vaccines available for all children 6 months through 18 years old. […]