Island News
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. […]
March 26: Free presentation “Welcome to Medicare” – VIRTUAL
Your local SHIBA volunteers provide free, confidential assistance with applying for the Medicare Cost Savings Program. To schedule an appointment with a SHIBA volunteer, email shibasjco@yahoo.com or call one of the following numbers: Lopez Island: 404-259-6819 Orcas Island: 360-376-5892 San Juan Island: 360-375-0292
Friday Harbor softball players designing and building scoreboard, GoFundMe for funding
Emerald Hurley and Caylee Morton, juniors on the Friday Harbor High School varsity softball team, are leading an effort to get a new scoreboard at Linde Field. They are designing and building the scoreboard themselves. Meanwhile they’ve started a GoFundMe to ask the community to help them fund the project. As players, we’ve spent countless hours on this […]
Grow Your Own Food – Free Hands-On Gardening Series Launches This Spring
Community members interested in growing their own vegetables this spring are invited to register for Grow Your Own Food – A Hands-On Gardening Series, a free, four‑part lunchtime program designed to help new gardeners gain practical, ready-to-use skills. Hosted by Washington State University San Juan County Extension Master Gardeners, the series will feature live demonstrations, step‑by‑step […]
Merri Ann Simonson Real Estate Update: Buying Property in the San Juans
Buying Property in the San Juans Select an Agent to Represent You As you may be aware, all of the brokerage firms on San Juan Island are members of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service; therefore, any of the agents can assist you with any of the properties listed with Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands or other […]
San Juan Island Fire District adopt 20-year Capital Plan
LWVSJ Observer Corps summary of San Juan Island Fire District #3 Commissioners March 17 Meeting. Chief Monin reviewed changes to the 2026 budget, reflecting adjustments for an additional $100K for new fire hoses and outfitting of new engine purchases. Another large addition is $63K for Professional Service, mostly tech work. Chief Monin anticipates this amount […]
Daffodil Frolic at 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 […]
San Juan County WA Sheriff’s Log March 11-17: High speed chase of sex offender smoking meth, derelict vessel, speeding, trespassing
San Juan County Deputies responded to 112 calls from March 11-17, 2026 including: San Juan Island deputies attempted to stop a driver for felony warrants for failing to register as a sex offender. The driver fled and a pursuit ensued before the driver drove into a ditch and was unable to continue. The driver was […]
March 19: San Juan Island Grange Launches “Grow Local” Campaign at Free Community Event
March 19 | 5 pm | San Juan Island Grange Hall | Friday Harbor Are you concerned about rising food costs and fragile supply chains? Take action close to home and keep your family and community fed. On March 19 @ 5:00 pm, San Juan Grange will host a special event “Grow Local“. The topic […]
March 19: Volunteer Bluebird Blitz 1 on San Juan Island
March 19 | 7 a.m. | Red Mill Farm Preserve | San Juan Island Become an independent community scientist during our first Bluebird Blitz of the year, led by SJPT’s Special Projects Director, Kathleen Lewis. After registering, we will email you further details. All participants should plan to meet at Red Mill Farm Preserve, at […]
USPS issues Sunflowers Forever Stamp
The U.S. Postal Service is celebrating a beloved native flower with the release of the Sunflowers Forever stamp, issued March 17, 2026 at the Garfield-Perry Stamp Club’s 136th annual March Party in Strongsville, Ohio. The stamp highlights the sunflower’s beauty and positive symbolism as well as its nutritional and ecological importance. Stamp Artwork Designed by Greg […]
Multiple county advisory board and committee seats seeking volunteers
Press release: San Juan County is seeking volunteers to serve on various boards and committees that help shape daily life in the San Juan Islands. Key positions on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, Agricultural Resources Committee, Ferry Advisory Committee, Parks and Rec Commission, and other boards are open. Are you interested in participating in local […]
March 28: :No Kings Rally and March in Friday Harbor
This coming week is all about the NO KINGS mobilization on March 28 across the nation. On San Juan Island the following events are scheduled: “Singing Resistance” Saturday, March 21, from 3 to 4 pm St. David’s Church on Park Street in Friday Harbor – “Singing Resistance” All welcome to join this peacemaker’s activity. Sign-Making event! […]
March 25: DOL mobile licensing unit on San Juan Island
March 25 | 9 am to 3 pm | San Juan Island Grange Hall DOL2Go focuses on helping under-resourced Washington residents get the services they need to live, work, drive and thrive. The mobile unit offers the same services as our traditional offices, including:
April 3: Teen Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt at Jacksons Beach
Island Rec’s Annual Teen Easter Egg Hunt takes place from 8 to 9 pm April 3 at Jacksons Beach on San Juan Island. Bring your flashlight and your bag for a challenging nighttime Easter egg hunt amongst the driftwood. Afterwards you can hang out around the bonfire and enjoy your treats! Keep an eye out […]
Report: Data center boom puts WA’s climate goals at risk
Public News Service: A new report argued the spread of data centers is threatening Washington and Oregon’s shift to renewable energy. The report, released by the environmental advocacy group Columbia Riverkeeper, identifies more than 100 data centers either completed or in progress across 12 counties bordering the Columbia River. Kelly Campbell, policy director for the group, […]
Merri Ann Simonson Real Estate Update: Market Snapshot
Below is a Market Snap Shot for the number of Active and Pending listings for February from the Simonson & Zambrovitz Team at Coldwell Banker SJI. They thought you would find the information interesting. If you have any questions about this information, be sure to contact one of them.
Town hires Robbie Roe as Town Inspector
LWVSJ Observer Corps summary of the Friday Harbor Town Council, March 4, 2026 meeting. Mayor Perrollaz appointed Mary McCullogh to the Arts Council. The Town Clerk updated the Council on a new agenda procedure that begins next week. This new procedure will make it easier for the public to access. The Council held a retreat […]
March 18: Western Bluebird Info Session for New Volunteers at Red Mill Farm
The Western Bluebirds are back, marking two decades that volunteers, San Juan Preservation Trust staff, and their partners in British Columbia have worked together to return these vibrant songbirds to our skies. If you’re “bluebird-curious” and interested in volunteering for this species recovery project, join Kathleen Foley Lewis tomorrow night at Red Mill Farm on […]
April 10-30: Earth Day Orcas News – Join in the 4th Annual Celebration
2026 marks the 4th year of engaging Earth Day learning experiences on Orcas Island and adds new features during this month-long series of Science, Art, Poetry, Music and Ecology Explorations. Open to all islanders and guests, activities launch on April 10 and conclude on April 30 with something for all ages and interests. If you […]
22 tons of oversized refuse collected in Friday Harbor’s 10th successful Spring Cleanup
The Town of Friday Harbor helped its customers jump start their spring cleaning with free pickup of oversized refuse the week of March 9-13. This is the 10th year the Town has offered the Spring Cleanup service to its residential refuse customers. Public Works employee Mateo Blackmon assisted Refuse employees Dave Smith and Andrew Teasdale […]
Governor Ferguson signs HB 2632, Modernizing language in Washington State law
Olympia, WA – Governor Bob Ferguson signed House Bill 2632 into law, updating outdated terminology in Washington State statutes and directing state and local entities to replace references to the term “alien” with “noncitizen” or other context-appropriate language, except where federal law requires otherwise. With the signing of this law, Washington state became the fourth […]
40 acres of pollinator habitat at Scott Reynolds farm
Forty acres of farmland at Scott Reynold’s farm in San Juan Valley are dedicated to providing habitat for pollinators. Since bees ‘bubbles’ cover up to a three-mile radius, the location of the farm means the bees could range from American Camp to False Bay to Zylstra Lake to the Town of Friday Harbor. Brightly colored […]
Update from San Juan Island School District Superintendent
Dear Friday Harbor community, We haven’t seen any snow this winter, and while diehard winter enthusiasts might be disappointed, I enjoyed the reprieve. Waking up at 4:00 a.m. to scout island roads for school closures is a stress I am happy to skip. It’s still cold out there, and regardless of what the groundhog said, […]