Island News
A musical journey across the globe | Rafe Pearlman to open film showing
“SAMA: To Listen” follows filmmaker Darek Mazzone, composer Peter Culshaw and entrepreneur musician John Goodfellow as they journey through Turkey, Morocco and Malaysia, engaging with musicians, instrument makers, spiritual leaders and community elders rooted in Sufi traditions.
Eco Club champion conservation and the environment
Submitted by Friends of the San Juans.
Latest from Lekanoff | Reflecting on the Legislative session
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. DEBRA LEKANOFF ||| As the legislative session comes to a close, I find myself reflecting with deep gratitude on the work we’ve done together, and looking ahead to the season before us. Spring is arriving here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, bringing longer days, fresh air, and a sense of renewal. It’s a time to slow down, to ground ourselves, and to reconnect with the land, with one another, and with the communities we […]
Bernie vs. Claude | A couple of revealing AI chats
||| FROM YOUTUBE ||| Also see: But, wait! There’s more
Grow Your Own Food | Free basic gardening class series
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Community members interested in growing their own vegetables this spring are invited to register for Grow Your Own Food – A Hands-On Gardening Series, a free, four‑part lunchtime program designed to help new gardeners gain practical, ready-to-use skills. Hosted by Washington State University San Juan County Extension Master Gardeners, the series will feature live demonstrations, step‑by‑step instruction, and opportunities for participant questions. Wi
Letter to Editor | Thank you for making Soda Shop Sock Hop a success
||| FROM JAKE PERRINE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center held Soda Shop Sock Hop fundraising events before the last two Saturday performances of Grease, which would not have been possible without the donation of time and food from the Lower Tavern. Thank you to Katie O’Rourke and her team for cooking and cleaning and doing it all with a smile. We also received an ice cream donation from Clever Cow Creamery to make delicious ice cream sodas to go […]
Port to meet on Monday
||| FROM CHIP LONG for PORT OF ORCAS ||| The Port of Orcas Board of Commissioners will hold a Regular Meeting on Monday, March 23rd at 4:00 p.m. online via Zoom and in-person at the airport terminal conference room. Access and agenda information can be found at portoforcas.com.
WSF Weekly Report | 4th Annual Career Day; Walla Walla crew makes rescue
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| For several years now, it’s been a priority to grow and stabilize our workforce. One way we are doing that is by partnering with local schools to get young adults interested in maritime. Today, we hosted nearly 200 students at our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility for our fourth annual Career Day. They learned about the many jobs we offer on our ferries, at our terminals and in our trades shops. The […]
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Friday Harbor softball players designing and building scoreboard, GoFundMe for funding
Emerald Hurley and Caylee Morton, juniors on the Friday Harbor High School varsity softball team, are leading an effort to get a new scoreboard at Linde Field. They are designing and building the scoreboard themselves. Meanwhile they’ve started a GoFundMe to ask the community to help them fund the project. As players, we’ve spent countless hours on this […]
Grow Your Own Food – Free Hands-On Gardening Series Launches This Spring
Community members interested in growing their own vegetables this spring are invited to register for Grow Your Own Food – A Hands-On Gardening Series, a free, four‑part lunchtime program designed to help new gardeners gain practical, ready-to-use skills. Hosted by Washington State University San Juan County Extension Master Gardeners, the series will feature live demonstrations, step‑by‑step […]
Merri Ann Simonson Real Estate Update: Buying Property in the San Juans
Buying Property in the San Juans Select an Agent to Represent You As you may be aware, all of the brokerage firms on San Juan Island are members of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service; therefore, any of the agents can assist you with any of the properties listed with Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands or other […]
San Juan Island Fire District adopt 20-year Capital Plan
LWVSJ Observer Corps summary of San Juan Island Fire District #3 Commissioners March 17 Meeting. Chief Monin reviewed changes to the 2026 budget, reflecting adjustments for an additional $100K for new fire hoses and outfitting of new engine purchases. Another large addition is $63K for Professional Service, mostly tech work. Chief Monin anticipates this amount […]
Daffodil Frolic at San Juan Islands Sculpture Park
Spring is arriving, and it’s time to get outside and San Juan Islands Sculpture Park is the perfect place to start. This year, we are celebrating our 25th Anniversary Mid-March to Mid-April with our Daffodil Frolic. David Jenkins, the board president, has planted 1,000 bulbs every year for the past 10 years, culminating in 10,000 […]
Preparing for the next avian flu outbreak
Submitted by Russell Barsh, director of Kwiaht.
Orcas nutritionist brings healthy eating home | Women in Business profile
Submitted by Holistic Nutrition In Your Home LLC.
Capitol celebration marks Declaration of Independence, America’s 250th birthday
By Annika Hauer
Local 4-H members attend 2026 San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit
By Aurora Miller
My Warning to Washington State | Republicans are trying to make it harder for you to vote
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF SEN. PATTY MURRAY |||
Community Meeting | Provide feedback on new facility at Odlin County Park on Lopez Island
The project has cancelled the request for bids, and the public is invited to a community meeting to learn more, ask questions, and provide feedback ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, & Fair Department is seeking feedback on plans to construct a new facility for the County Parks operation on Lopez Island. The facility is planned to serve as a visitor contact station, maintenance facility, and office for park rangers on Lopez Island. […]
Letter to Editor | Eastsound Water’s Clark Well update raises more questions than it answers
||| FROM CORY HARRINGTON ||| Eastsound Water’s latest installment in its Clark Well series (Episode #5) focuses heavily on history, engineering evolution, and inflation. It walks readers through a 2006 concept design, explains how treatment standards have changed, and argues that a project once estimated at $600,000 would reasonably cost around $1.2 million today. That may all be true. But it’s not what members have been asking. The central issue is not whether a project designed in 2006 would c
Auditions | An ATOI Production anxiously anticipated this July
||| FROM LYNDA SANDERS for ACTORS THEATER OF ORCAS ISLAND ||| Moon Over Buffalo is a delightful farce with a whirlwind of hilarious misunderstandings and madcap adventures. This play celebrates the passions and predicaments of theater life, making it a heartfelt tribute to the dedicated “theatre hams” everywhere. In “Moon Over Buffalo,” a delightful and hilarious backstage farce by Ken Ludwig, we meet Charlotte and George Hay, a struggling acting duo on tour in Buffalo in 1953. Their repertoire
Let’s talk public transit for Orcas & the San Juans
||| FROM COLIN WILLIAMS for FRIENDS OF RURAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ||| You’re Invited to a Community Meeting Hosted by the Friends of Rural Public Transportation, Thursday, March 26, 2026, 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM, Orcas Island Public Library Community Room Imagine Orcas & the San Juan Islands where… You can hop on a bus from the ferry to Eastsound, Doe Bay, or Deer Harbor. Kids can get to activities independently. Neighbors have reliable backup transportation when their car is in the […]
Library presents Ken Burns’ The American Revolution
Sunday, March 29 | 1–3 PM | Orcas Center Free and open to all ages ||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY ||| Join the Orcas Island Public Library for a special community screening of selections from Ken Burns’ powerful new documentary, The American Revolution, followed by a thoughtful civic conversation about the founding of our nation — and what it means today. After viewing a portion of the film at the Orcas Center, attendees are invited to stay […]