Island News
Latest happenings from The Exchange
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING/THE EXCHANGE ||| Home Composting Classes are Back Join us at The Orcas Grange on 5/22 or 5/23 and learn how to compost at home and keep food scraps, garden, and yard materials out of the waste stream. Tickets are $75 each and include: (1) 82 gallon FreeGarden® EARTH compost bin with a locking lid, harvesting door, rodent-proof bottom screen, and anchoring pins ($150.00+ value) and one instructional class on: Fri, May 22nd (5–6:30pm) or Sat, May […]
Cantwell Grills USFS Chief on Trump Admin Withholding Wildfire Funds Crucial for WA Preparedness Ahead of Peak Fire Season
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture unexpectedly changed the terms for states to receive federal dollars, effectively cutting off their funding as the West heads into peak wildfire season WA communities are waiting on $49 million to help with wildfire response and forest management WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, May 13, 2026 U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), […]
Community-hosted candlelight vigil scheduled for Ella & David
Friday, May 15th—7:30 pm ||| FROM FRIENDS OF THE FAMILY ||| 7:30—Gather AT VILLAGE GREEN. Write a thought, memory, or blessing for Ella & David to be offered during the vigil. 8:30—Ceremony with music performed by Grace McCune 8:45—Lighting of the candles 9:11—A shared moment of silence for Ella & David Organized by friends and community members
Land Bank May 2026 meeting, agenda
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY CONSERVATION LAND BANK ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting Friday, May 15. The meeting is scheduled from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the Mullis Community Senior Center, Friday Harbor, WA. The public is invited to attend. Click HERE to download the agenda (includes Zoom meeting link) and meeting materials.
Orcas Island Kindergarten registration underway
OPALCO receives conditional use permit for Decatur Island solar expansion project
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for OPALCO ||| On Tuesday, May 12, OPALCO was notified that they were granted the Conditional Use Permit for the Decatur Island Solar Expansion Project. The Decatur Island Solar Expansion project is a proposed ~1.6 MW AC Community Solar project. It’s adjacent to OPALCO’s substation and the current Community Solar project that was installed in 2017. In March 2025, OPALCO acquired property on Decatur Island to expand utility-scale community solar. Since then, OPALCO has und
May 14: Kindergarten Kick-Off at Friday Harbor Elementary School
Incoming kindergarteners and their parents or guardians are invited to the Friday Harbor Elementary Kindergarten Kick-Off on Thursday, May 14, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Families can meet school staff, tour classrooms, ride the bus, and connect with others in the community.
No jurors needed for May 18-22
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: MAY 18-22, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the Jury Period beginning Monday May 18th through Friday May 22nd, 2026 are excused. Thank you.
Community-hosted candlelight vigil for Ella and David
Submitted by friends of the family.
Vikings close regular season, advance to playoffs
By Declan O’Malley
What about the smaller farmers and small business owners? | Letter
Looks like County planners need to go back to planning on this tax. I think most of us want the islands to have good roads. We also want most of the things that our taxes are supposed to be used for. My Orcas tax comes to 6.8%. The San Juan Islands are becoming the Martha’s Vineyard of the West Coast.
LSJI Annual Meeting
Submitted by Leadership San Juan Islands.
I spent eight years as Orcas Island’s hospice nurse. Here is what I saw — and what I am building before I go
By Debra O’Conner, RN
Farm transfer 101 webinar supports the future of farming in the San Juan Islands
The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild and WSU San Juan County Extension invite farmers, landowners and community members to attend Farm Transfer 101: Planning for the Future of Your Farm in the San Juan Islands, a 1.5-hour introductory webinar focused on farm succession and transition planning.
Washington state offering rebate program for e-bikes
Submitted by Wildlife Cycles.
Lee announces candidacy for County auditor
My name is Heather Lee, and I am pleased to announce my candidacy for San Juan County auditor.
Gathering of the Eagles: Indigenous leaders from around the world to converge on the San Juan Islands
When Freddy Lane, known by his traditional name Sul ka dub, speaks about the Gathering of the Eagles, he does not speak merely about a canoe journey. He speaks about medicine.
Call to artists: Community show ‘Capturing the Moment’
Submitted by the Orcas Center.
The wrong question … and a suggestion | Column
By Bill Appel
Encounter #30 • Bigg’s T23s in Haro Strait
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 11:37 AM ObservEnd: 01:48 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss Pods: Bigg’s killer whales IDsEncountered: T23, T23D, T23D3, T23D4, T23D5, and T23D6 LocationDescr: Haro Strait EncSummary: Michael and Dave were working in the office when they heard reports that T23 and the T23Ds were right across the way and heading northwest on the Canadian side of Haro Strait. Since these were Bigg’s we didn’t see very […
Celebrate Student Artists | Exhibit at Orcas Center
||| FROM D.N. KINSEY for ART FOR ORCAS KIDS ||| During the month of May, Art for Orcas Kids celebrates Arts Education Month with the Annual Student Art Exhibit at the Orcas Center. Thank you to all who joined us for the exhibit opening and a special thank you to the VAC volunteers who helped set up the exhibit – Julia Summers, Sarah Crigger, Carol Ann Anderson, Marjorie Taylor, Bethany Marie and Julie Rusby plus all the organization provided by Amber Taylor, Leon Rosenblatt […]
Rep. Larsen | Child care costs now rival rent or mortgage payments
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| Coming off of Mother’s Day weekend, I am thinking about how we can better support working families during this affordability crisis. Right now, working families are being pushed to the brink by the rising cost of child care. In communities across Northwest Washington and around the country, parents are struggling to afford safe, reliable care while balancing jobs, bills, and everyday expenses. In many cases, child care costs now rival […]
OIFR graduates 21 new firefighters – one of the largest in department history
||| FROM BEN LUNA for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| Orcas Island Fire & Rescue (OIFR) held its 2026 Fire Academy Graduation Ceremony on Saturday, May 9th at Station 21 in Eastsound. The ceremony was standing room only, with more than 150 friends and family members in attendance. Families traveled from across the country to witness the milestone, including Deputy Fire Chief Charles Hall of Hebron, Maine, who attended to see his son Dan Hall receive his certification, and […]
Fundraisers to help families of car crash victims
Orcas Island is still reeling after the tragic deaths of two beloved young community members. David Klein, 22, and Ella Weaver, 20, were killed in a car crash on US-97 north of Chelan Falls on April 30. A driver headed the wrong way caused the 3-vehicle crash. Two Go Fund Me fundraisers are posted. One […]