Island News
Friday Harbor Mayor and Town Council participate in Day of Service
Those seeking more greenery in town will notice that the garden bed on Front Street across from the ferry landing was replanted on July 2 with help from the mayor and Town Council members in celebration of Friday Harbor’s America 250 Day of Service. Port of Friday Harbor gardener Winter Zigzagger lent his expertise in […]
July 23: Echoes of SENCOTEN 2026
Thursday, July 23, 2026 | 6 PM Sunset | Lime Kiln Point State Park | San Juan Island Join us for an evening where the land, sea, language, and people come together Echoes of SENĆOŦEN is a community gathering celebrating the living language, songs, stories, and teachings of the W̱SÁNEĆ people in one of the […]
July 23: Learn about Salish Wildlife Rescue in Friday Harbor
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 […]
July 24: Clinton Fearon performs on Lopez Island
September 11-13: Archipelago Collective’s 12th Annual Chamber Music Festival
Archipelago Collective presents their 12th Annual Chamber Music Festival September 11th – 13th, 2026 at multiple venues on San Juan Island. Tickets For the first time, the Archipelago Collective is thrilled to bring their 12th Annual Chamber Music Festival to San Juan Community Theatre! Returning to San Juan Island from September 11th to 13th, the […]
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 […]
Washington state leads lawsuit to prevent Department of Education’s cuts to school mental health grants
Attorney General Nick Brown led a lawsuit on Friday, July 10, with 14 other attorneys general to prevent the U.S. Department of Education from unlawfully terminating congressionally approved school-based mental health grants. In defiance of a court order, the administration plans to terminate these grants at the end of July, which is projected to cost Washington schools and universities over $20 million.
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 […]
Hops on the Rock returns to Eastsound for its 10th anniversary celebration on Nov. 7
Submitted by event organizers.
The Room Knew It Last Night. Katherine for Council.
Last night, the League of Women Voters held their Voter Forum on Lopez Island, and 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 closing remarks. This was a clear sign of where the […]
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 […]
July 19: Retirement Celebration for Suzie Lefever
July 18: Local Harvest Band at Fairweather Park on San Juan Island
Saturday, July 18 | 2 to 4pm | Fairweather Park | Port of Friday Harbor Port of Friday Harbor Park Concert features THE HENRY ROSE BAND as THE LOCAL HARVEST BAND for one show. We are featuring three sit in acts with the band on the second half of our two hour show. Can’t tell […]
Letter to Editor | Tiger Construction partially demolishes local beloved memorial garden
||| FROM MAURICE AUSTIN ||| While improvements to the Orcas Island High School parking lot proceed apace, it was nonetheless frustrating to see the much-beloved grape plant chopped down and several fence posts removed. This could have been planned. Why wasn’t it? Indeed, Tiger Construction seems to care less not just about the memorial garden’s boundaries, but also about the faucet box, sprinkler, timer, and plants. Kudos for the individual who agreed to replace the fencing, temporarily, to keep
July 18 and 19: 25th Annual Lavender Festival on San Juan Island
Saturday July 18 | 11am-9pm Sunday July 19 | 11am-5pm FREE ADMISSION Join us for the 25th Annual San Juan Island Lavender Festival, Saturday, July 18 – Sunday, July 19! Stroll fragrant lavender fields in peak bloom, enjoy stunning photo opportunities, and celebrate the “peak of purpleness” with art, music, and community. Explore handcrafted lavender […]
Victoria Compton’s message to the community as she leaves EDC
Dear Islanders, As this marks my final newsletter with the EDC, I want to take a moment to simply say thank you. It has been an incredible privilege to serve this community through my work at the EDC over the past 17 years. I’ve had the chance to work alongside dedicated board members, entrepreneurs, business […]
Washington Secretary of State responds to President Trump’s July 16 nationally televised address
OLYMPIA — As expected, the information presented yesterday does not change the fact that claims of widespread election fraud have been repeatedly disproven. What we heard last night sounds like concern about election security, when in fact this administration has dismantled the critical federal cybersecurity programs that support our elections. We have been aware of and […]
Cantwell Response to Trump’s Prime Time Speech Attacking Election Integrity
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, President Donald Trump delivered a prime time speech from the White House during which he baselessly attacked the integrity of elections in the United States. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) issued the following statement: “The President is wrong. Washington State’s universal vote-by-mail system is safe and secure and so was the […]