Island News
CWR encounters multiple families of Bigg’s
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 01:20 PM ObservEnd: 04:45 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss Other Observers: Rachel John, Lily, Aspen Pods: Bigg’s killer whales IDsEncountered: T75B, T75B2, T75B3, T75B4, T77, T77D, T125A, T128, T123, T123A, T123D, and T123D LocationDescr: San Juan Channel EncSummary: The team had been working in the office all morning and paying attention to reports of several groups of Bigg’s in the Rosario Strait a
Letter to Editor | My wholehearted endorsement of Katherine Bryant Ingman
||| FROM TERRI ROUSH ||| I am proud to wholeheartedly endorse Katherine Bryant Ingman for County Council. At just 34, she brings a rare combination of intelligence, dedication, and deep-rooted commitment to Lopez Island. Katherine is not someone who just simply talks about community – she has consistently shown up and done the work. From her leadership as President of Catherine Washburn Hospital District to running our Food Share, she has stepped into roles that truly matter and delivered with [
Health Care District meeting tomorrow
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island Health Care District will hold a regularly scheduled board meeting on Wednesday, July 22nd from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room at the Orcas Island Library, 500 Rose Street, Eastsound. Public packet is posted below. Agenda 02. 2026_06_30 OIHCD Claims Payment Request.pdf 03. 2026_07_14 OIHCD Claims Payment Request.pdf 04. Cash_Flow_Model_OIHCD_PFM_2026-05-21.pdf 05. CHN Update Presentation – 07222026.pdf 06. CHN June 2026 Upda
Letter to Editor | Katherine Bryant-Ingman brings experience and a fresh perspective
||| FROM SCOTT SLUIS ||| When I heard that Katherine Bryant-Ingman was running for San Juan County Council I was so elated that I immediately reached out to see how I could help get the word out in support of her candidacy. I met Katherine in 2019 at the Leadership San Juan Islands program that hosts leaders from the business, government and non-profit sectors. The program provides attendees with a view of our county from behind the scenes. I was […]
News Brief | Pacific gray whales facing ‘catastrophic’ die-off as climate crisis hits food supply
||| FROM THE GUARDIAN ||| The whales are in “very, very serious trouble; the stranding numbers last year and this year are enormous compared to their annual average.” The estimates are most dire for 2025 and 2026 – somewhere from 2,500 to 8,000 whales are estimated to have died in this timeframe, which meets the criteria for a “catastrophic mortality event.” Scientific literature estimates the ratio between unobserved, or sunk, mortalities offshore and observed mortalities onshore for gray whale
Letter to Editor | In support of Jennifer Swanson
||| FROM ANITA ORNE and GORDON KOENIG ||| As long time Orcas Islanders, we are writing to express our strong support of Jennifer Swanson for County Council. We have known Jennfier personally and professionally for many years. We have watched her as a leader both on Shaw and county wide, working for the community on a wide range of projects from schools to housing to ferries and beyond, always ready to pitch in where needed, to listen, to serve. While […]
New Orcasonian comment policy
||| FROM LIN MCNULTY, ORCASONIAN EDITOR ||| Due to the number of Orcasonian comments slipping through the ‘system’ using amusing, but obvious, pseudonyms we are instituting a new policy that will require all comments to be approved manually is taking effect immediately. I suspect that only your first comment will require approval, and once approved will flow the system speedily; it’s not like every one of your comments will forever be delayed to go through the ‘system.’ Thanks for your […]
Jigsaw Puzzle event at the library 7.26
||| FROM WOODY CISKOWSKI ||| Do you love jigsaw puzzles? Put your skills to the test and join fellow puzzle fans for fast-paced, friendly, speed puzzling at the Orcas Island Library! The event will be on Sunday July 26th at 3pm. Teams of four will race to complete a 500-piece puzzle. All teams will receive the same puzzle, but only one will finish first and claim the title of Premier Puzzheads! Prizes, glory, and plenty of puzzling fun await. It is free to participate. Space is limited, so […]
Larsen releases statement on petty, pointless tariffs on Canada
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement: “What the hell, Mr. President? Cut the BS. End the tariffs. Renegotiate USMCA. Lower prices.” Today, the Trump administration announced new 50% tariffs on certain Canadian goods starting next month. The 50% tariffs would include goods that had previously been protected from import taxes by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA). This month
Vehicle reservations for fall sailing season open today, July 21 at 10am
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Vehicle reservations for the fall 2026 sailing season (Sept. 20 through Dec. 26, 2026) will be available at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 21. For the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route, the two-week and two-day reservation releases will remain at 7 a.m. The fall 2026 sailing schedules are now online: Anacortes/San Juan Islands Port Townsend/Coupeville To ensure a smooth and fair experience during this high-demand period, we will continue using a virtual waiting roo
Free book event this Wednesday, July 22, at 6:30 pm at Darvill’s Bookstore
||| FROM AYN GAILEY for DARVILLS BOOKSTORE ||| Please join Michelle & Joel Levey, the founders of Wisdom at Work, International Center for Corporate Culture and Organizational Health, and the International Center for Contemplative Inquiry, for a conversation about their new book. The Leveys were invited by Pentagon leaders to develop the once-secret “Jedi Warrior Program” for the Special Forces, where they led the advanced “biocybernautic training” (integrating neurofeedback, “mind-fitness train
Have a garden question? Ask an Orcas Master Gardener
Wednesday July 22nd at the Market Garden Nursery ||| FROM JULIA TURNEY and JAY LUCAS for ORCAS MASTER GARDENERS ||| Do you have a question about your soil, have a problem with your fruit tree, or are thinking about starting a garden? Is something bugging your plants, or you are curious about identifying a plant or insect? Master Gardeners will be staffing Ask A Master Gardener events on Orcas to help answer your questions and collect plant problem samples. Orcas […]
Eastsound Water Users Association reaches first-ever collective bargaining agreement with IBEW Local 77
||| FROM DAN BURKE for EASTSOUND WATER USERS ASSOCIATION ||| The Eastsound Water Users Association announced it has reached a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 77 on Friday, July 17, marking the first union contract in the association’s history. The three-year agreement covers Eastsound Water’s eight-person bargaining unit and includes annual wage increases, a standby wage program for employees on call, and upgraded workpl
LWVSJ Observer Corps | San Juan County Council, July 14, 2026
||| FROM BARBARA SHARP for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| Public Access Time: residents deplored a swastika recently painted on San Juan Island; supported the SJC Public Works Department on Shaw Island; and supported the Environmental Stewardship Department. The Council heard the Department of Community Development’s (DCD) recommendations for each of the Annual Docket Requests, submitted by the public in 2026, to amend the Comprehensive Plan. DCD Planner III Sophia Cassam recommended in favor of app
Charlie Porter quintet summer concert coming to Village Green
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center is proud to present its annual Summer Concert Series on the Village Green, bringing free, live music to the heart of Eastsound. This vibrant outdoor series, supported in part by Joe Brotherton and the Doe Bay team, celebrates community, creativity, and the magic of music under the open sky. All performances are free for the community and take place on Sundays at 5 p.m. The series runs now through […]
Letter to Editor | Jennifer Swanson is kind of candidate we need
||| FROM RHEA MILLER ||| Jennifer Swanson is a different kind of leader. She is the thoughtful listener sort and yet intrepid in her outreach. On the 4th of July, Jennifer drove her boat to Lopez, and despite the windy weather conditions after the parade, braved the white caps to return to Shaw for the 4th of July afternoon event she’d organized there. Yesterday, I rode with her to the Decatur Farmer’s Market. It was the opening of sports fishing, […]
Stranded orca freed following coordinated response in Strait of Juan de Fuca
||| FROM KGW.COM ||| FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash. A young killer whale that stranded on a beach in the Strait of Juan de Fuca freed itself Thursday after a coordinated response from Washington leaders. A team of trained biologists and wildlife veterinarians from the SeaDoc Society and The Whale Museum gathered live whale stranding equipment and traveled to the scene by boat. Responders conducted a health evaluation from about 15 to 20 feet away, close enough to observe the orca but […]
Larsen’s water resources bill clears committee hurdle
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02)’s Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (WRDA 2026) passed out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee by a unanimous vote of 66-0. The bipartisan, biennial bill protects Northwest Washington’s environment, supports Columbia River Treaty negotiations and authorizes critical investments in Northwest Washington ports, inland waterways, flood management systems a
I’m Not the Church Lady | Who do I pray to?
I’m so confused ||| I’M NOT THE CHURCH LADY by ROSIE KUHN ||| Hello. Thank you for your call. Your prayers are important to us. Press 1 for Jesus, Press 2 for your Guardian Angel, Press 3 for prosperity and abundance, Press 4 for issues with people, pets and lost items…. For all other inquiries, please stay on the line. Your prayers are being listened to. Even after all these years, I’m still confused when it comes to who I […]
Letter to Editor | Why we should all support Jennifer Swanson for Council
||| FROM SOOZ STAHL ||| Jennifer Swanson is an amazing community advocate who is well-versed in the history of our beautiful islands. In my many interactions with her, she has always been warm, welcoming, responsive and thoughtful. I’m very grateful to know her and was thrilled to learn that she’s running for local office. I can think of no better candidate for San Juan County Council position #3 than Jennifer Swanson. We will benefit from her knowledge of the islands, her […]
Chamber Music Festival Olga Concert
||| FROM SUSAN GORDON BENTLEY ||| I’m very pleased to announce that this year’s Chamber Music Festival’s Olga Hamlet Concert will be performed on Sunday, August 9 at 10:00am in the Olga Community Clubhouse (old Energetics Club). Following the concert there will be a potluck brunch in the park featuring mimosas, coffee and other drinks, along with contributions to the potluck. Please bring a dish to share with everyone and enjoy chatting with the musicians as well as your friends […]
The room knew it | Katherine for Council
||| FROM ED ANDREWS ||| On July 15, the League of Women Voters held their Voter Forum in the heart of District 3, Lopez Island. In true Lopez fashion, it felt like the entire island was there, including an amazing contingent from Orcas. Okay, it wasn’t the entire island, but it was standing room only with over 80 folks there. After Katherine’s closing statement, the room erupted in applause and cheers before all of the other candidates had finished their […]
Help inspire the next generation of scientists
||| FROM INGRID MATTSON for ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY ||| Established in 2023, the Ken Gibbs Fund for Youth Science Education provides lasting support for science education at the Orcas Island Public Library. Funded entirely through community generosity, the endowment makes it possible to offer inspiring science programs, purchase educational books and equipment, and provide hands-on learning opportunities for local youth. Recent programs supported by the fund include Owls of the San Juan Isla
WSF Weekly Report
||| FROM JOHN VEZINA for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from John With my boss Steve on a well-deserved break, I’m using this space to share gratitude for colleagues – many of whom you never see – in this five-minute video. I hope you share not only my appreciation for our employees’ hard work, but behind-the-scenes shots of where they work. One year later: How Wenatchee is charting our course toward a cleaner future Saturday is the one-year anniversary […]