Island News
April 18: The Great Islands Cleanup
The next Great Islands Cleanup will happen on Saturday, April 18, 2026 from 10am-2pm. Details for each island will be added when it becomes available. The first organized “Great Island Cleanup” in San Juan County happened on San Juan Island, organized by locals Lori Stokes and David Delendorf. In 2014, through their inspiration, Orcas resident Kira […]
Study: Pacific Northwest needs to prepare for extreme heat events
The June 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave caused unprecedented mortality for intertidal shellfish, with an estimated 1 billion mussels, clams and oysters dying in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. (Adobe Stock)” /> The June 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave caused unprecedented mortality for intertidal shellfish, with an estimated 1 billion mussels, clams and oysters dying […]
Orca Action Month plans are underway
||| FROM REIN ATTEMANN for ORCA ACTION MONTH ||| It’s that time again! June is Orca Action Month in the Pacific Northwest, and the Orca Salmon Alliance is looking forward to all kinds of activities throughout the region. Orca Action Month (a.k.a Orca Month) is an annual series of events intended to raise awareness about the threats facing critically endangered Southern Resident orcas, educate the public on what we can all do to protect them, and build a community to […]
The Ramba Effect, FHFF’s Best Tales from the Heart Feature, Screens Free on March 27
Friday Harbor Film Festival’s Best of the Fest Series continues with another powerful, audience-chosen documentary, The Ramba Effect, that will be shown Friday, March 27 at 7 PM at the San Juan Island Library and Lopez Center for Community and the Arts. Following the film, director Claire Sandberg will join audiences at the San Juan […]
Existing Vacation Rentals in Eastsound & Lopez Village Need a Provisional Use Permit by June 25
Press Release– If you operate a vacation rental in Eastsound Village or Lopez Village, it is a requirement to apply for a provisional use permit to remain compliant with the County code. The permit process is open until June 25, 2026, and can be completed through the mail or in person. Background All pre-existing vacation […]
Letter to Editor | OPALCO board candidate observations
||| FROM RIKKI SWIN ||| OPALCO Board Candidate observations: District 1: Drew Gislason: He comes across as the candidate best equipped to push back on expensive, low-payback solar microgrids if they don’t deliver rate relief or reliability gains — while still supporting smart local generation where it makes technical and economic sense (including SMR feasibility down the road). His utility-tech experience gives him tools to evaluate “on-demand” integration across sources, not just virtue-signali
Guest Opinion | The ClearWater commitment is a framework for institutional integrity
Transparency is the essential mechanism through which governing boards earn the trust of their constituency. ||| FROM THOMAS OWENS ||| Boards that do not operate at the level of transparency expected by their constituency will be continually questioned and challenged resulting in an increasing level of distrust of their goals and motives at even the simplest of actions. In turn, the Board may come to view their constituency as an adversary rather than a partner and resource available to move […]
San Juan Island Library Reports on Latest State Audit Findings
The San Juan Island Library reports that it has received a clean audit from the Washington State Auditor’s Office. As stated in the Accountability Audit Report, “District operations complied, in all material respects, with applicable state laws, regulations, and its own policies, and provided adequate controls over the safeguarding of public resources.” This report, available […]
Conservation donor fills funding gap on Orcas Island
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Last August, the Land Bank was ecstatic to announce the acquisition of a 23.8-acre waterfront property located on Orcas Island’s East Sound – home to 1,300 feet of undeveloped shoreline, including a 260-foot pocket beach, a small intermittent stream, open fields and forest. The $3.35M purchase was possible, in large part, through a $1.1M award in Salmon Recovery Grant funding from the WA State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO). In addition to t
Something strange in the water and it don’t look good…who ya gonna call? MyCoast!
How to report marine debris in San Juan County ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Marine debris like fishing gear, floats, docks, parts of vessels, creosote waste, and microplastics wash up on our islands’ beaches. If it’s on your property, you’ll likely dispose of it responsibly on your own. If it is on public property, San Juan County’s Environmental Stewardship Department assists with removal and disposal. But if it’s something too big or toxic like creosote, or if it’s […]
Queen Mother | A tribute to the music of Queen coming to Orcas Center
Can anybody find me somebody to love? ||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Experience the genius and spectacle of Queen’s music live and in person, the way it was meant to be, with Seattle-based tribute band Queen Mother on Orcas Center’s main stage on Friday, April 3 at 7 p.m. Stomp, clap, sing and shout as Queen Mother harnesses the Northwest’s best talent to bring these epic songs to life, including Under Pressure, We Are the Champions, […]
Board of Health: Orcas Island Healthcare District received funding to establish a CHN to address public health
Observer Corps summary of the San Juan County Board of Health March 18, 2026 meeting The Accountable Communities of Health (ACH) search for a CEO is ongoing. BSO (Behavioral Health Services Organization): receipt of over 2,800 questions on HB 1813 causing a resource drain. Public Comment: Dr. Dale Heisinger, former BOH member, submitted a letter […]
Let’s talk public transit for Orcas and the San Juan Islands
Imagine Orcas and the San Juan Islands, where:
County Council travels to Orcas Island for upcoming March 24 meeting
Submitted by San Juan County.
All-League awards for Orcas Island High School basketball
Submitted by The Booster Club.
March 23: Community meeting for County Parks Operation facility on Lopez Island
San Juan County Parks, Recreation, & Fair Department is seeking feedback on plans to construct a new facility for the County Parks operation on Lopez Island. The facility is planned to serve as a visitor contact station, maintenance facility, and office for park rangers on Lopez Island. The facility seeks to replace the existing carport […]
The Ramba Effect, FHFF’s best tales from the heart, screens free March 27
||| FROM ELLEN ROBERTS & KAREN PALMER for FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL ||| Friday Harbor Film Festival’s Best of the Fest Series continues with another powerful, audience-chosen documentary, The Ramba Effect, that will be shown Friday, March 27 at 7 PM at the San Juan Island Library and Lopez Center for Community and the Arts. Following the film, director Claire Sandberg will join audiences at the San Juan Island Library screening for a live, in-person Q&A following the film. Viewers […]
Frolic in Daffodils at Sculpture Park
||| FROM MARITA HOLDAWAY for SAN JUAN ISLANDS SCULPTURE PARK ||| Spring is arriving, and it’s time to get outside and San Juan Islands Sculpture Park is the perfect place to start. This year, we are celebrating our 25th Anniversary Mid-March to Mid-April with our Daffodil Frolic. David Jenkins, the board president, has planted 1,000 bulbs every year for the past 10 years, culminating in 10,000 blooming daffodils for our 25th anniversary this year. Throughout the month of March, they […]
Story Night is back at Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center, in collaboration with Phil Klein, is presenting its second Story Night, an evening of sharing true stories among friends. All are welcome on Wednesday, April 1, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Madrona Room. The theme of this event is “On Second Thought.” Stories of choices considered, and then reconsidered. Revised and revived. The plans that we altered. The decisions we rethought. The moments when a pause changed everything. […]
Orcas Island Fire recruits brave rain, hail and heavy winds to pass live fire training
by Darrell Kirk
Chanda Stone — bringing people and wildlife together
At the tender age of 8 years old, Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center’s Executive Director, Chanda Stone, was already taking steps toward a career in animal rehab work when she rescued a baby house finch.
A new generations takes the helm at Washington’s oldest solar installer
From off-grid cabins to the regional grid, one island company is redifining what solar can do
Port of Friday Harbor soliciting ideas for Jacksons Beach Cannery building; tours can be arranged
LWVSJ Observer Corps summary Friday Harbor Port Commission, March 13, 2026 meeting. A motion was passed to approve the reassignment of the lease on Hangar K6A from Gossom to Howard. The new lease for the Oystertale Restaurant was approved. The Commission thanked Kyle Gropp for all of the work he and his staff put in. […]
Eastsound Water cited for repeated safety violations
Total penalties exceed $24,000 ||| FROM CORY HARRINGTON ||| Eastsound Water Users Association has received multiple safety and health citations from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) following workplace inspections conducted in 2025 and early 2026. The most recent inspection (March 2026) resulted in several violations—many classified as “serious”—with penalties totaling $9,792. This follows earlier citations issued in: October 2025 – $2,448 December 2025 – $12,240 In to