Island News
Mary Ruth Frazee October 7, 1943 -June 20, 2026
It is with heavy hearts and profound love that we announce the peaceful passing of Mary Ruth Frazee on June 20, 2026, at her home in Oak Harbor, WA. Born on October 7, 1943, in Yreka, California, Ruth graced this world with her compassion, warmth, and an unyielding spirit that inspired all who knew her. […]
Merri Ann Simonson Real Estate Update: Market Update
For both Days on Market and Percentage off List Price Negotiations at the time of sale, some sellers are doing much better than others. Merri Ann Simonson
Five warmest years on record compound Washington’s water crisis
Washington News service: Washington residents will continue to feel the heat, as high temperatures and drought conditions are likely to persist into the fall, according to climate and weather experts. The entire state has been under a formal state of emergency because of drought since April, fueling wildfire risk and straining water supplies. Jason Gerlich, regional drought […]
Candidate Forums: 5:30 pm – July 13 on Orcas; July 14 in Friday Harbor; July 15 on Lopez
Meet the candidates for District 3. The League of Women Voters of San Juan County will be hosting candidate forums on three islands for local voters to hear from the candidates for the County Council District #3 position. Monday, July 13 at 5 :30 pm at the Orcas Senior Center Tuesday, July 14 at 5:30 […]
Acting classes this summer at Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Acting class with Paula Russell begins Sunday, July 19, from 1 to 3:30 at Orcas Center. It runs every Sunday through Aug. 30, and is for ages 18-100+ with all levels of experience. The workshop is for everyone interested in exploring acting. No one way is the only way! Russell is a lifetime member of Actors Equity Association and SAG/AFTRA. She has been teaching actors for over 45 years, beginning with […]
Letter to Editor | Why I support Jennifer Swanson for County Council
||| FROM SOOZ STAHL ||| I’ve gotten to know Jennifer Swanson through operating the Shaw Island post office for the past two years. Shaw didn’t have a designated postal worker when USPS hired me for the role, and mail delivery was sporadic and unreliable. I had been working at the Shaw post office only a few months when we heard that the position might once again be discontinued. A firm and diligent advocate, Jennifer taught me the history of the […]
I’m Not the Church Lady | Recovering my willingness to not already know
The invitation to wonder is where real conversation begins ||| I’M NOT THE CHURCH LADY by ROSIE KUHN ||| A friend called the other day. He said, “Rosie, you are so brilliant. You could charge four times what you currently charge, and I guarantee more people would be knocking on your door.” First, I appreciated his acknowledgment. Second, I found myself triggered. Almost immediately, I dropped into an old, familiar landscape: guilt for not doing more, shame for not being […]
July 23: The Wild Side with Salish Wildlife Rescue
July 23 | 6 to 8 pm | San Juan Island Library Join us for a special presentation by Salish Wildlife Rescue (formerly Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center) about a day in the life of a wildlife rehabber! Learn more about the important work they do for the animals who share our home. Wolf Hollow […]
Margaret Irene Brown July 12, 1938 – May 3, 2026
Margaret Irene Brown, 87, of Woodinville, WA died Sunday morning 3 May 2026 peacefully at home. She was born 12 July 1938 in Redlands, CA, the daughter of Harold Chandler Brown and Wilma Ruth Bonner. She married Edward Harold Durbin 26 Sep 1956 and had three sons, Edward Michael, Daniel Andrew, and Patrick Allen Durbin. […]
Letter to Editor | Thank you from Orcas Island Garden Club
||| FROM EVANGELINE O’SULLIVAN for ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Our hearts are joyful after another wonderful Garden Tour event this past June, 2026. On behalf of the Orcas Island Garden Club, we are delivering a wholehearted thank you to our wonderful garden community and supporters. Thank you to the generous garden owners who welcomed us into their beautiful spaces and shared their passion, creativity, and years of gardening knowledge. Thank you to the vendors and artists who brought their wa
Sister island ukulele jam at Doe Bay
||| FROM MARCY MONTGOMERY ||| Hawaiian guest musician Maka Gallinger is featured on Tuesday, July 21st, for a fun class and jam at Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Island. This island-to-island music exchange brings a beloved Hawaiian singer and ukulele player to Doe Bay Resort for a friendly ‘Kanikapila’ jam welcoming all ukulele players. Bring your uke and join in the wonderful music gathering, 1-4pm. Maka is hosted by the Artist in Residence program at Doe Bay Resort, in conjunction […]
Midnight Mutterings | The shed
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| Time goes so fast and moving house goes so slowly. (I use the term ‘moving house’ in the literal sense here. I wrote two weeks ago about my efforts to move an existing house from the place it was built and lived in for decades to the small lot in Bellingham I bought several years ago—not in the New Zealand term of moving stuff from one house to another. This is different from […]
Survey about waste tires may result in amnesty collection event
Old tires aren’t just an eyesore. They’re a fire hazard, and they can leach pollutants into the same waters our salmon depend on. Getting them out of yards and ditches is a small step that adds up to a real difference for our islands. The Dept of Environmental Stewardship is considering a waste tire amnesty […]
July 11: Go Take A Hike – Circumnavigating Lopez Hill
From the preserve parking lot we will go counterclockwise on the trails around Lopez Hill, taking a rest and snack break at the top. While there aren’t any distant views, the trails pass through a range of environments from alder bogs to rocky outcrops, a very peaceful hike through a second-growth forest. Start time: 9:30am at […]
Larsen statement on Trump’s refusal to sign legislation to make housing more affordable
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement: “People across Northwest Washington are frustrated and angry that finding an affordable place to rent or buy has become so difficult. They are working hard, doing everything right and still watching housing costs move further out of reach. “The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act becoming law is an important first step toward addressing that crisis. T
Want to sign this petition to end public fireworks on Orcas Island?
||| FROM THOM CARNEVALE ||| We, the undersigned, respectfully call upon our local leaders and event organizers to end public fireworks displays. While fireworks have long been associated with festivities, the significant harm they cause to animals, the environment, and public resources can no longer be ignored. The explosive noise and bright flashes from fireworks cause extreme distress to countless domestic animals and wildlife. Dogs, cats, horses, and other companion animals frequently experie
Waste Tire Disposal | San Juan County wants to hear from you
Resident input needed on possible waste tire collection event ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Do you have old tires you’d like to dispose of? Let the County know! San Juan County’s Solid Waste Program is assessing the waste tire disposal needs of local residents in an effort to provide better solutions in the future. “Waste tires present real pollution and fire risks – and in the San Juans, that pollution can end up in the same waters our […]
WSF Weekly Report | Walk-ons for World Cup; 390,000 customers for July 4th
||| FROM JOHN VEZINA for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from John With Seattle’s six FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches behind us, I’m proud of how my colleagues worked to plan and manage the increased demand we saw on match days. Daily ridership was up from last year on four match days: June 15, June 19, June 24 and July 6. The biggest increase came on June 19, Juneteenth, when we carried 13,000 more riders than on the same […]
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Thunderpussy to play next Orcas Center summer concert
Submitted by the Orcas Center.
JP and the OK Rhythm Boys at the Event Meadow on Saturday, July 18
Submitted by event organizers.
New Paramedic Will Serve San Juan Island Following Graduation from One of the Nation’s Premier EMS Programs
Seattle, WA – July 9, 2026 – This weekend, Maddy Harmon will graduate from the nationally recognized Medic One Paramedic Training Program, joining the next generation of highly trained paramedics serving communities throughout Western Washington. Following graduation, Maddy will begin serving with San Juan Island EMS, providing advanced life-saving care to residents on San Juan Island. […]
Jeremy Nash: Listening to the Voters
According to a recent County press release, officials are working to close roughly a $4 million shortfall. Among the possibilities are holding positions vacant, eliminating management positions, reducing park maintenance, decreasing Meals on Wheels service, reducing funding for the Islands Oil Spill Association, reducing Guardian ad Litem funding, cutting the WSU Extension Forestry program, and […]
People-watching at the parade
It’s not quite a week after the 2026 Friday Harbor 4th of July parade, we’re posting a slideshow of photos of the spectators. To start the slideshow, just click on any photo. Matt Pranger photos.