Island News
Midnight Mutterings | Planning for cats
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| Planning for cats. is, at best, an oxymoron. As is the term ‘domesticated cat.’ I could have called this column ‘Oh no! Not cats again.’ One more thing before I start writing this: I’m in the ferry line at Orcas Landing, eventually headed for Bellingham where the cats are, I presume. Somehow, I can’t get online, either on my phone or Orcas Online’s free internet here at the Landing. That means there will […]
Tuesday’s EWUA board meeting is a ‘must attend’
||| FROM CORY HARRINGTON for EWUA STEWARDSHIP ALLIANCE ||| We are calling upon all concerned EWUA members to attend the upcoming Tuesday board meeting 6/16 5pm at the Firehall. The EWUA board has rejected calls for a 3rd party investigation into the ongoing crisis of a toxic workplace and continuing operator resignations. This is after: 75+ members showed up to the last EWUA board meeting respectfully calling for an investigation through comment and applause. 140 members signed a public letter t
SJI Museum of Art | SJIMA Summer Exhibitions June 12
Two Parents, One Son. A Century of Vision. ||| FROM BARBARA MARRETT for SAN JUAN ISLANDS MUSEUM OF ART ||| For the first time, the work of world-famous photographer Imogen Cunningham, her husband, Roi Partridge, and their son, Rondal Partridge are being shown together. This groundbreaking exhibition tells an intimate story: how three family members shaped and responded to their times while pursuing their art; how artistic vision travels across generations; and how three artists kept their creati
A benefit of prioritizing natural areas for conservation without public access
||| FROM TANYA WILLIAMSON for SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK ||| Discovered during recent monitoring at Entrance Mountain Preserve on Orcas Island, this petite pink wildflower is extremely sensitive to trampling; heedless hikers can cause serious damage to the population of an area if they step on them. Commonly known as Pipsissewa or Prince’s Pine (Chimaphila umbellata), this native is a low growing evergreen, found in coniferous forests, and mixotrophic. It uses both its green leaves to photosynth
Sheriff’s Report | June 3 – 9, 2026
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3 26-003240 Citizen Assist 09:54:21 06/03/26 An Orcas Island Deputy responded to a citizen needing assistance in the Eastsound area. The Deputy learned that the citizen was a victim of fraud, however, did not incur a financial loss. The incident was documented. 26-003248 Fraud 16:25:46 06/03/26 A Deputy on San Juan Island took a report of fraud. It was reported that a fraudulent account was made in the reporting party’s […]
June is Pride Month; Community leaders call for action
The San Juan County Council formally proclaimed June as Pride Month at its Tuesday morning meeting on May 26, reaffirming the County’s commitment to the rights and dignity of its LGBTQIA+ residents — even as advocates urged elected officials to move from proclamation to concrete action.
The Big Chautauqua show is coming to Odd Fellows Hall
||| FROM ERIC MORRIS ||| The Big Show is at the Odd Fellows Hall on Haven Road @ 7pm Saturday June 20. Featuring internationally known performers including the Flying Karamazov Brothers, Artis the Spoonman, The Fighting Instruments of Karma Marching Chamber Band /Orchestra and more! It’s a knock-your-socks-off extravaganza full of fun, music and magical surprises. Tickets available at the door / also online at: www.tickettailor.com/events/newoldtimechautauqua/2160870 All proceeds to benefit The
Join Us for Orca Sing 2026
||| FROM CONOR AGNEW for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| Join your friends and neighbors at Lime Kiln Point State Park on Saturday, June 20th at 7:00 PM for Orca Sing 2026! Bring your friends, family, and a picnic to enjoy the beauty of the park and the Salish Sea while listening to thoughtful speeches and local musicians. First Nations naturalists Odin Lonning and Orca Annie will offer Indigenous perspective on the endangered Southern Resident killer whales. Fred West will play […]
Harvesting immature Chinook is shrinking salmon and reducing future returns, new research finds
Study shows that millennia-old practice of fishing in rivers could restore salmon size ||| FROM EMMA HELVERSON for WILD FISH CONSERVANY ||| A new study by researchers at the Wild Fish Conservancy and Raincoast Conservation Foundation has found that marine salmon fisheries along the Pacific coast typically harvest Chinook too early in their life cycle, before they reach their full size as adults. The implications from this are far reaching for fisheries, future Chinook runs, and the ecosystem. Th
News Brief | Trump is taking aim at forest and wildfire research just as the West is poised to burn
||| FROM NPR ||| SEATTLE — Few public universities get more federal research funding than the University of Washington. So, as President Trump has already canceled or suspended about a quarter of all funding for the National Science Foundation and National Institutes for Health, the atmosphere on this leafy Seattle campus is tense. “We have a wildfire crisis in the West [and] in the United States,” says Ernesto Alvarado, a fire ecologist and associate professor at the school. But the […]
WSF Weekly Report | Relief boats on standby for World Cup; $150 fine for line-cutting; schedule updates; music on board for 75th anniversary
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve As our region prepares to welcome visitors from around the world for a summer of soccer, we are taking important steps to safely and reliably handle the increased demand. We plan to have two relief boats ready, with crews on standby during the event. These ferries can quickly step in if there is a service disruption, especially on our busy Central Sound routes. We will also have […]
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
(Re)Creation of the OIHS Culture Travel Club
By Leela Griesemer
Sail Orcas launches summer sailing lessons
Submitted by Sail Orcas.
Please return Orcas Art Barn sandwich board sign | Letter
A Message to Our Community:
Planning Scars from the San Juans: Looking back to 2024 by Marc Santos
Three months after my office burned down in the Friday Harbor arson fire that took the Windermere offices, the Crow’s Nest, and a handful of other business back in 2022, I voluntarily left a senior GIS role with the geospatial giant ESRI in order to accept my first local government job. On July 5, 2022, […]
New research shows harvesting chinook before they mature is shrinking salmon and reducing future returns
A new study by researchers at the Wild Fish Conservancy and Raincoast Conservation Foundation has found that marine salmon fisheries along the Pacific coast typically harvest Chinook too early in their life cycle, before they reach their full size as adults. The implications from this are far reaching for fisheries, future Chinook runs, and the […]
Merri Ann Simonson Real Estate Update: San Juan Island Market Snapshot
Here is our Market Snap Shot for the end of May. We reviewed the median home price for the 5-month period in 2026 as compared to the same period in 2025 and the prices reflect an increase in all price categories, except one. The trend may be returning to upward median home prices in 2026, […]