Island News
Medicare’s preventive benefits | Why they matter
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Taking care of your health before problems arise is essential—and Medicare helps make that possible. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) covers many preventive services to detect conditions early. Medicare Part B also includes an annual wellness visit, a yearly appointment to review your health and create a personalized prevention plan. Many preventive services are available at no cost, meaning no deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance. These benefi
County Health & Community Services publishes its 2025 impact report
Immunizations, dental care, meals for seniors, affordable housing, early learning, and so much more! ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Department of Health & Community Services has released its 2025 Impact Report, highlighting the programs, services, and partnerships that supported the health and well-being of islanders across the county over the past year. “I am proud to present this report to our community and to celebrate the achievements made this past year,” sa
No jury duty March 23-27
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: MARCH 23-27, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the jury term beginning Monday, March 23rd through Friday, March 27th, 2026, are excused. Thank you!
Guest Opinion | Paul Ehrlich was early, not wrong
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| When Paul Ehrlich died recently (March 13, 2026), many of the obituaries and articles about him repeated a familiar judgment: he was alarmist, even brilliant, but ultimately wrong. His 1968 book, The Population Bomb, warned of mass famine and ecological collapse that did not arrive on schedule. Critics still point to the famous Simon–Ehrlich wager as proof that he misunderstood the future and missed the advances in our capabilities to extract “resources” (i.e. natur
Orcas Choral Society is weaving an American choral tapestry
||| FROM LYNN BAKER for ORCAS CHORAL SOCIETY ||| Songs of three centuries swirl through the Orcas Center every Tuesday and Thursday this spring, as the Orcas Choral Society prepares, An American Choral Tapestry, a concert of works by American composers to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. “In only 250 years, our young country has overseen the expansion of older forms and contributed major genres to world culture, including jazz, rock and roll, and musical theater,” said OCS Artistic Directo
Land Bank meeting coming up on March 20
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting Friday, March 20. 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, 589 Nash Street, Friday Harbor, WA. The public is invited to attend. Click here to download the agenda (includes Zoom link). About the Conservation Land Bank The […]
Review the Critical Areas Ordinance update at community meeting on April 6
A first draft of the updated regulation is now available for public comment, and the Department of Community Development (DCD) is holding a community meeting to accept feedback and walk residents through the documents. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is updating its critical areas protections, also referred to as the Critical Areas Ordinance or CAO, and the public is invited to comment on the first draft. The CAO serves as key regulation to ensure that […]
Luck of the Irish stops the rain for St. Patrick’s Day parade
||| FROM KAREN KEY SPECK ||| The clouds parted and the rain stopped at twelve noon. The Luck of the Irish prevailed so the 50-or- so parade participants were able to walk, ride, dance and sing their way up Prune Alley and down Main Street for the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Eastsound. Orcas store keepers and shop visitors smiled and photographed the parade entrants as they passed through the Village accompanied by Irish music presented by the Orcas […]
Katherine Bryant Ingman announces candidacy for San Juan County Council, District 3
||| FROM KBI4SJC for KATHERINE BRYANT INGMAN ||| Katherine Bryant Ingman is thrilled to announce she will be running for San Juan County Council seat #3 in 2026. “My goal as your council representative is to listen first — to essential workers and small business owners, farmers and working families, newcomers, seniors and longtime residents — as we tackle the issues that matter most: keeping people housed, keeping ferries running, ensuring access to healthcare, protecting our unique island envir
Salmonberry students tour sacred sites
||| FROM PAUL FREEDMAN for SALMONBERRY COMMUNITY SCHOOL ||| Last week, Salmonberry Community School students returned to Seattle for a learning adventure that these fifteen 9-12 yr old students will never forget. Every three years, this classroom centers its studies on a year-long thematic exploration of world cultures and world religions. After being immersed in the geography, history, religion, and culture of regions as diverse as the Himalayas and the Middle East, these students got to experi
The Island Gardener for March 2026
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| March in the garden is always a bit of a tug-of-war between patience and pure excitement. Even after all these years, I still find myself getting swept up in the “spring fever” that hits right after a trip to the NW Flower and Garden Show. It’s so easy to let a few sunny days lull you into planting early, only to have a sudden chilly night remind you Mother Nature’s in charge! But […]
No Kings update
||| FROM INDIVISIBLE SAN JUAN ISLANDS ||| Hello Indivisible San Juan Islands Community! We hope everyone is doing well, despite how this administration would like us to be doing or feeling. Let’s lead with joy for another opportunity to meet up and support one another as we defend our democracy from this authoritarian regime. This coming week is all about the NO KINGS mobilization on March 28 across the nation! Join us: Thursday, March 19, at 5pm (PST), Kick-Off […]
This March, ‘spring’ into a new role
Multiple County Advisory Board & Committee Seats Open ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| 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 government and sharing your skills? See if one of the vacan
UPDATE: Eastsound water main break | Repair resolved
||| FROM DAN BURKE for EASTSOUND WATER ||| Eastsound Main Break – Repair Resolved UPDATE: The leak has been repaired and everyone is back in service. As of roughly 6:30 PM this evening – all water service was restored to the approximately 28 parcels on Main Street that were affected by today’s main break. The break was located in about 6 feet of water pipe right under the drive entering the frontage park coming off Main Street in front of […]
Earth Day Orcas News | Join in the 4th annual celebration
||| FROM MARCY MONTGOMERY for EYE OF THE WHALE ARTS ||| 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 10th and conclude on April 30th with something for all ages and interests. If you love the San Juan Islands and care to see this unique bioregion protected, mark […]
Orcas Island’s Music Advocacy Group invites all to the March 29 concert
||| FROM SHARON HO for MUSIC ADVOCACY GROUP ||| Did you know that 292 students participate in music programs at Orcas Island public schools? The Orcas Island community is invited to fill the Orcas High School gym on Sunday, March 29, at 4 p.m. for a family-friendly benefit concert presented by Music Advocacy Group (MAG). There will be performances by Orcas Choral Society, Orcas Public School Strings, Wind Ensemble, Mariachi, and special guests. Proceeds support public school music programs for [
No Place Like Loam | The pruning mistake creating water sprouts
(and costing you fruit, time, and money) ||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYO WOLF ||| The Problem Made Visible I walk the same roads through Eastsound most mornings. It’s an old habit now. After enough years, a walk like that becomes a way of orienting yourself. Collar up against whatever the strait is sending inland that day, moving slowly through the town before it fully wakes. Thin light. Air thick with brine. Over time you begin to notice […]
Letter to Editor | Congratulations to OPALCO … but
||| FROM RIKKI SWIN ||| I extend my sincere congratulations to OPALCO’s subsidiary, Rock Island Communications, on securing the $16.5 million BEAD grant to expand broadband connectivity across the San Juan Islands. This funding represents an important step forward for internet access in our community. That said, OPALCO and Rock Island Communications have incurred substantial costs for members, resulting in elevated electricity rates that will persist for years. The following facts warrant attent