Island News

Letter to Editor | Thank you from Orcas Island Garden Club

||| FROM EVANGELINE O’SULLIVAN for ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Our hearts are joyful after another wonderful Garden Tour event this past June,  2026. On behalf of the Orcas Island Garden Club, we are delivering a wholehearted thank you to our wonderful garden community and supporters. Thank you to the generous garden owners who welcomed us into their beautiful spaces and shared their passion, creativity, and years of gardening knowledge. Thank you to the vendors and artists who brought their wa

Sister island ukulele jam at Doe Bay

||| FROM MARCY MONTGOMERY ||| Hawaiian guest musician Maka Gallinger is featured on Tuesday, July 21st, for a fun class and jam at Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Island. This island-to-island music exchange brings a beloved Hawaiian singer and ukulele player to Doe Bay Resort for a friendly ‘Kanakapila’ jam welcoming all ukulele players. Bring your uke and join in the wonderful music gathering, 1-4pm. Maka is hosted by the Artist in Residence program at Doe Bay Resort, in conjunction […]

Midnight Mutterings | The shed

||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| Time goes so fast and moving house goes so slowly. (I use the term ‘moving house’ in the literal sense here. I wrote two weeks ago about my efforts to move an existing house from the place it was built and lived in for decades to the small lot in Bellingham I bought several years ago—not in the New Zealand term of moving stuff from one house to another. This is different from […]

Larsen statement on Trump’s refusal to sign legislation to make housing more affordable

||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement:  “People across Northwest Washington are frustrated and angry that finding an affordable place to rent or buy has become so difficult. They are working hard, doing everything right and still watching housing costs move further out of reach. “The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act becoming law is an important first step toward addressing that crisis. T

Want to sign this petition to end public fireworks on Orcas Island?

||| FROM THOM CARNEVALE ||| We, the undersigned, respectfully call upon our local leaders and event organizers to end public fireworks displays. While fireworks have long been associated with festivities, the significant harm they cause to animals, the environment, and public resources can no longer be ignored. The explosive noise and bright flashes from fireworks cause extreme distress to countless domestic animals and wildlife. Dogs, cats, horses, and other companion animals frequently experie

Waste Tire Disposal | San Juan County wants to hear from you

Resident input needed on possible waste tire collection event ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Do you have old tires you’d like to dispose of? Let the County know! San Juan County’s Solid Waste Program is assessing the waste tire disposal needs of local residents in an effort to provide better solutions in the future. “Waste tires present real pollution and fire risks – and in the San Juans, that pollution can end up in the same waters our […]

WSF Weekly Report | Walk-ons for World Cup; 390,000 customers for July 4th

||| FROM JOHN VEZINA for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from John With Seattle’s six FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches behind us, I’m proud of how my colleagues worked to plan and manage the increased demand we saw on match days. Daily ridership was up from last year on four match days: June 15, June 19, June 24 and July 6. The biggest increase came on June 19, Juneteenth, when we carried 13,000 more riders than on the same […]

Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson

Parrot Kindergarten screening free on July 17 on San Juan, Lopez

||| FROM ELLEN ROBERTS & KAREN PALMER for FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL ||| What does it mean to truly communicate? It’s a question we rarely pause to ask and one that Parrot Kindergarten, the 2025 FHFF Audience Choice Winner for Best “Things to Consider” Feature Film at the Friday Harbor Film Festival, answers in ways that are by turns surprising, moving, and quietly revolutionary. This Best of the Fest film screens free of charge on Friday, July 17 at 7 […]

2027 San Juan County budget development process | A message from Council Member Justin Paulsen

Conversations to balance the 2027 budget will continue throughout summer and fall months. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| On June 30th, the County Council completed an initial step in what is a multi-step process aimed at reaching a balanced budget for 2027. This process involved gathering information from across the organization on possible cuts, reorganization options and previously unidentified savings available from the current budget period. The goal of this exercise was to iden

New to Medicare? Here’s what you need to know

||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Will you be turning 65, retiring, or qualifying for Social Security Disability Benefits for 24 months in the next year? Then you will be eligible to join Medicare. Enrollment is not automatic for most people, so you’ll probably need to enroll with Social Security. To avoid penalties and make an informed decision about your coverage choices, you’ll need to understand a lot of new information — including when to enroll, what […]

Friday Harbor to host UW football team scavenger hunt

||| FROM JENNIFER KREMBS for TOWN OF FRIDAY HARBOR ||| All 104 members of the University of Washington football team will arrive in Friday Harbor Saturday, July 18, 2026, for a town-wide scavenger hunt. The community is invited to join the Mayor and Town Council at 10:30 a.m. in Sunken Park to meet players and kick off this team-building event with a basketball 3-point contest with local players. “What an amazing opportunity to show off Friday Harbor to UW Football!“ […]

CWR encounter #46 • Bigg’s Killer Whales

||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 04:35 PM ObservEnd: 05:10 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit Other Observers: TAR, AKC, NAZ, LLK Pods: Bigg’s killer whales IDsEncountered: T124A, T124A1A, T124A4, T124A4A, T124A6, T124A7 LocationDescr: North of Flattop Island EncSummary: After leaving the T46Bs and T49C, we headed for Flattop Island, where the T124As and T124A4s were reported. We got on scene at 16:35 as the whales appeared to be finishing up a hunt

No jury duty for July 13-17

||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JULY 13-17, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the Jury Period beginning Monday July 13 through Friday July 17, 2026 are excused.  Thank you.  

CWR encounter #45 • Bigg’s Killer Whales

||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 03:20 PM ObservEnd: 04:10 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit Other Observers: TAR, AKC, NAZ, LLK Pods: Bigg’s killer whales IDsEncountered: T46B, T46B2, T46B2B, T46B3, T46B3A, T46B4, T46B6, T46B7, T46B8, T49C LocationDescr: Western Boundary Pass EncSummary: With a decent-sized group of Bigg’s killer whales reported near Turn Point and new interns to train, we decided to head out for an encounter. We departed Snug Harb

Join OPALCO on July 15 at Eastsound headquarters

||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| OPALCO will be hosting monthly informal chats with the leadership team starting this month. Ask questions about the Decatur Community Solar Expansion and OPALCO’s renewable energy future. The first of these meetings will be held at OPALCO’s headquarters in Eastsound, starting at 12 pm on July 15. These events will be rotating islands each month. Stop by for a treat and bring your questions for the leadership team!

Letter to Editor | Fire Works – but doesn’t

||| FROM SUSAN SLAPIN ||| Fourth of July and New Years seem to be the times… There are other ways to commemorate holidays, and create something that benefits humans and animals in a kind, fun, entertaining and positive way. Fireworks Animals are absolutely shaking, trembling, and terrified…I’ve seen it again recently – first hand. Dogs panic, shake and tremble. Some run if given the open field.Horses often run and flee, with severe injury resulting – often irreversible and life threatening.Birds

No more Sheriff’s Report …

||| FROM SHERIFF ERIC PETERS for SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ||| Effective immediately, the Sheriff’s Office will no longer prepare or distribute the weekly media line report to local newspapers. The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to transparency and keeping the public informed. However, the publication of the weekly media log has resulted in a significant increase in public records requests for the incidents listed in the report, as well as requests for associated body-worn camera foot

Celebrating Revolution | 250 years of independence

||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for OPAL COMMUNITY LAND TRUST ||| As we mark the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence, OPAL Community Land Trust homeowners and volunteers, along with friends from the Orcas Island Food Bank, marched in our island’s Fourth of July parade chanting: “Hope, not fear! We all belong here!” July 4th marks the anniversary of the Continental Congress adopting the Declaration of Independence in 1776. While Congress officially voted in favor of independence on July 2nd, it

JP and OK Rhythm Boys coming to Warm Valley Farm

||| FROM ANITA ORNE for JP AND THE OK RHYTHM BOYS ||| Don’t miss the inaugural Music in Warm Valley concert! Join JP and the OK Rhythm Boys at the Event Meadow on Saturday, July 18 from 5-7pm for a fine evening of summer music at Warm Valley Farm. JP and the OK Rhythm Boys is a trio (JP Wittman, Gordon Koenig, and Anita Orne) performing with strings & vocals, mostly. Music ranges across many genres & decades (swing, hoedown, […]

News Brief | Whale sightings are surging off Canada’s Pacific coast

But 10 grey whales have been found dead ||| FROM THE COOL DOWN ||| Researchers say the Salish Sea, the waterway between Vancouver Island and the mainland, is seeing an unusual concentration of whale activity, helped by plentiful food supplies and years of conservation work. However, as of mid-June, 10 grey whales were found dead along the coast, raising some concerns. Whales are key indicators of ocean health. When they suffer, it can signal food-web disruptions, warming waters, or other […]

San Juan County recognizes ‘America250’ with proclamation and local events

This anniversary is an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the foundational principles, structure, and purpose of both the nation’s and our county’s democratic system. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is proud to recognize the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and, with it, the nationwide and local efforts to reflect thoughtfully on our past, present, and future. During the June 30 meeting, the County Council issued a

Have a garden question? Ask an Orcas Master Gardener

Wednesday July 11th at the Market Garden Nursery ||| FROM 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 Master Gardeners will be at the […]

John Berry exposition at Orcas Public Library / July 2026

||| FROM JOHN BERRY ||| A lone traveler/hiker/pilgrim, kneels prayerful with a living divining branch , and meditatively so, on the top of a hillside mountain that has been stripped of trees. Amidst the apparent devastation of this nature area, water as a spring flows from the aerie, freely flowing down the mountain top hill. This figure inspired by his photograph taken during a blessing of native art on Madrona Point, is the subject of two different works by artist […]