Island News
Local headlines from around the San Juans
October 17: Orca Recovery Day Open House in Friday Harbor
October 17: Orca Recovery Day Open House in Friday Harbor
Sophia Swanson: In Support of Jennifer Swanson, My Mom, for County Council
I believe that my mom’s candidacy for county council is both unexpected and a long time coming; that is to say, it’s such a natural role for her to step into. The depth to which she cares for our community is obvious: she served on the Shaw Island School Board for eleven years while my […]
Borner: Jennifer builds community through service and hard work.
I have known Jennifer for 20 years. She is a thoughtful, inclusive leader who brings people with diverse opinions together to find solutions. Jennifer has a proven record of public service and strong relationships throughout the county. She served 11 years on the school board and later led as superintendent through COVID. During that challenging […]
Gigi Allaway: Supports Swanson for county council
Dear Editor, I write to highlight the excellent work of SJC Council candidate longtime-islander Jennifer Swanson in our community, which is easily applied to the larger islands. Most notably, she has served as an elected official for repeated terms as a school district board member (I served a similar term, staggered to hers, during this […]
Nelsen: Wholehearted support for Swanson for county Council
We are writing to offer our wholehearted support for Jennifer Swanson for county council. We’ve known Jennifer since she and her husband Chad moved to Shaw Island in 2003. Jennifer is someone who is thoughtful, trustworthy, and deeply committed to serving our community. Her dedication is demonstrated through action and looking for practical ways to […]
Doug Crosby: Swanson will be a valuable member of San Juan County council
To the Editors I have known Jennifer since 2013 soon after I moved to Shaw Island. Since then she has served as a Shaw School board member and the superintendent, a Ferry Advisory Board member, the founder of the Shaw Island Brown Bag Lunch monthly community meeting, a Shaw Islanders Inc board member and the […]
Guest column: Getting to Know Katherine: Leadership in Action
I’ve been fortunate to benefit from, and contribute to, impressive and impactful volunteer work throughout my life. From an early age, I’ve looked for ways to bring people together with integrity, care, and joy, and to create the kind of culture and environment that we want to live in, born of the priorities and values […]
Washington authors speak out against censorship in honor of Banned Books Week
OLYMPIA — In honor of Banned Books Week (Oct. 4-10, 2026), Washington authors speak out against censorship and share what reading freely means to them. The Washington Center for the Book, a program of the Office of the Secretary of State, partnered with the Washington chapter of Authors Against Book Bans to curate a collection of short videos about what […]
San Juan Island School District: Cost of full-size electric bus too high
LWVSJ Observer Corps*: San Juan Island School Board September 30, 2026. Public Comment: Parent Eliza Habegger is concerned about the use of AI in the classroom. She made three recommendations: 1. Remove Google Gemini in all Chrome books. 2. Consider Los Angeles Unified School District AI use policy. 3. Gather community input on using AI […]
October 6: Genetic Population Structure of Harbor Seals in WA state
October 6 | 6 pm | The Whale Museum | Friday Harbor Learn about the genetics of harbor seals in Washington state with The Whale Museum’s Alexandrea Otto! Alexandrea is currently finishing her Master’s at Western Washington University studying harbor seal population genetics in the Pacific Northwest. Some of her past projects include studying heart […]
Free Immunization Clinics for Children: Protect Your Child Against Influenza and COVID
SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. October 1, 2026 – Protect your family this fall and winter by bringing your child to one of our upcoming school-based walk-up immunization clinics. We will have vaccines to protect children against flu and it is anticipated that there will be COVID-19 vaccines available for all children 6 months through 18 years old. […]
October 3: Sea Change Summit
October 3 | 5 pm | Brickworks | San Juan Island Friday Harbor UW Labs HL is hosting two amazing speakers on October 3, 2026 as part of a special, public event they’re calling the Sea Change Summit. At the event, Rick Spinrad, the NOAA administrator from 2021-2025, and UW professor Alex Gagnon about the […]
San Juan County Council set budget public hearing for October 5
LWVSJ Observer Corps* summary of the San Juan County Council September 22, 2026 meeting. The County Council approved a Joint Letter to Washington State Ferries supporting the System’s long-range planning. The council appointed applicants to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee and Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District. After a public hearing, the council unanimously approved a […]
It was a soggy but spirited Friday Harbor HS Homecoming parade
Friday Harbor High School students kept their spirits up despite a downpour Friday, September 25, 2026. The homecoming parade proceeded despite the wet weather. Ironically, the skies cleared about half an hour after the parade. The football game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Friday Harbor is hosting South Whidbey. […]
October 1: SJI Childcare Cooperative Open House
Thursday, October 1 | 5 to 6 PM | 425 Spring Street | in the Basement of the Presbyterian Church | Friday Harbor Families are invited to join us for an open house to see the space, meet current families, and ask questions. At SJICC, we believe play is how babies and toddlers do their […]
San Juan Island Library Celebrates Record Participation in 2026 Summer Reading Program
San Juan Island Library is celebrating record youth participation in its annual Summer Reading Program, with more than 450 registrants for the second consecutive year. In 2026, the program reached a record 496 registrations—the highest total to date. A cornerstone of the library’s commitment to lifelong learning and community engagement, the Summer Reading Program encourages […]
Sheila Gaugin: Supports Swanson for county Council
I’m voting for Jennifer Swanson for County Council, District 3 position, and I hope you will too. I have known Jennifer for more than 20 years and have seen her in numerous community service roles, including school board, Ferry Advisory Committee, The Shaw Community Land Trust board, the teacher housing committee, and more. Of all Jennifer’s […]
September 20: Writing Workshop Orcas Island Library
Sep 20, 2026 | 2 to 4 PM | Orcas Island Public Library | 500 Rose St | Eastsound | RSVP Join Island Verse founder Danny Sherrard for a free, in-depth writing workshop from 2–4 PM at the Orcas Island Library. We’ll spend the afternoon digging into the craft, generating new work, and making space to […]
Week 3: FRIDAY HARBOR WOLVERINE FOOTBALL Trivia, numbers, history, ramblings and stuff by Bruce Bennett
Friday, September 18 at 4:00 p.m. Friday Harbor (1-1) vs Annie Wright (0-2) at Stadium For the second week in a row the Wolverines will take on a member of the 1A Nisqually League…last Friday Bellevue Christian here at home and this Friday Annie Wright in Tacoma. This will be the first time the […]