Island News
Peace to All Nations Tour coming to Odd Fellows
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ORCAS ODD FELLOWS ||| Peace to All Nations Tour featuring Adrian Xavier & Ska Island bringing reggae, ska, and dub.to the Odd Fellows Hall on April 17. The event will also include performances by local favorites Minnow Creek and DJ Blazey Blaze. Doors open at 8:00pm. Tickets: $15 in advance / $20 at the door. Advance tickets are available online at https://linktr.ee/skaisland
Letter to Editor | We need code updates. Code updates need the county levy lift
||| FROM CHRIS & CHOM GREACEN ||| A “yes” vote on the levy lid lift is a vote to protect the core services that make island life possible: public safety, public health, senior services, and the basic infrastructure of local government. San Juan County faces a projected $3.7 million shortfall in 2027, equal to roughly 12–13% of the general fund. Of all the property taxes we pay, only about 9% supports the county’s general operations. The county has balanced its […]
Larsen welcomes major disaster declaration for NW Washington, urges fast relief for flood-hit families, communities
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| EVERETT, WA – Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) today welcomed the Major Disaster Declaration for Washington state following the severe storms and flooding that hit the state in December. “This is great news for the Northwest Washington communities that were hit hard by the December floods and need federal support to recover,” said Rep. Larsen. “Yesterday, I visited flood-affected communities, including meeting with the mayors of Nooksack, Sumas
Conservation Land Bank Commission travels to Orcas Island for upcoming April 17 Meeting
The meeting will be held at the Orcas Island Fire Station ||| FROM TANJA WILLIAMSON for CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its regularly scheduled April 17 meeting on Orcas Island. The meeting is scheduled from 8:30am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the Orcas Island Fire Station, 45 Lavender Lane, Eastsound, WA. The public is invited to attend. What: San Juan […]
Sheriff’s Report | April 1 – 6, 2026
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1 26-001773 Communications Problem 09:11:50 04/01/26 An Orcas Island Deputy responded to a scam attempt. The Deputy learned that a new scam involves the scammer calling and claiming to have your family member held hostage until you pay a ransom. The scammer isn’t aware you live on an island and will claim they have your loved one on the mainland. 26-001776 Weapons Noise 10:47:41 04/01/26 An Orcas Island Deputy responded […]
We are all in this together
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| As the world watched the historic Artemis II mission around the moon this week, the awestruck crew shared unifying words for us, “ultimately, we will always choose Earth. We will always choose each other.” said Christina Koch. Victor Glover shared, “In all of this emptiness — this is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe — you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get […]
Free financial workshop to empower Orcas Island seniors
||| FROM COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER ||| The Orcas Community Resource Center invites community members to attend a free workshop, “Smart Money Strategies for Seniors,” on Wednesday, April 22nd at 1:00 PM at the Orcas Senior Center. This informative session is designed to help seniors feel confident and informed about their financial future. Whether attendees are looking to stretch their budget, protect their assets, or discover benefits they may not know they have, this workshop provides practical
Student art exhibit coming to Orcas Center
||| FROM D. N. KINSEY for ORCAS CENTER ||| To celebrate our island youth, a four-week Student Art Exhibit is being hosted at the Orcas Center from April 24 – May 26, 2026. All are invited to attend this annual exhibit which features a wide variety of artwork created in public school classes, Kindergarten through 8th grade along with select pieces from the Orcas Island High School. We hope to see you at the opening and artist reception – Friday, […]
Letter to Editor | Vote no on Proposition No. 1
A Permanent, Regressive Property Tax ||| FROM SEAN DEMERITT ||| I am a lifelong Democrat. I have voted yes on levies when they are clear, honest, and benefit the whole community, like our fire department levy, which had a sunset clause and a specific purpose everyone could see. I am voting No on Proposition No. 1, and I am asking my fellow Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to do the same. The campaign will tell you that a No vote cuts […]
Pea Patch awarded $824,000 from state budget
Thanks to Rep. Debra Lekanoff for her sponsorship and support ||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for PEA PATCH COMMUNITY CAMPUS ||| When Governor Ferguson signed the capital budget last week, it included $824,000 for completion of the first phase of site work for the Pea Patch Community Campus! This means that site preparation work, installation of utilities, stormwater detention, a new entrance road, signs and the first phase of landscaping – everything needed to complete sub-division of the property — can
San Juan Preservation Trust seeks executive assistant to support growing conservation mission
||| FROM CHARLOTTE CHEVALIER for SAN JUAN PRESERVATION TRUST ||| The San Juan Preservation Trust (SJPT) is seeking a full-time executive Assistant (EA) to support its Executive Director (ED) as the organization enters a new chapter of growth in island conservation. Founded in 1979, the Preservation Trust has worked alongside landowners, community members, and partners to permanently protect approximately 19,000 acres, 50 miles of shoreline, 25 miles of trails, and more than 300 properties across
Coming to Odd Fellows | Women who step up, not aside
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ODD FELLOWS ||| In this event, sponsored by Humanities Washington Speakers series, part music performance and part talk—acoustic music trio Trillium-239 shares songs and stories of trail-breaking women like Marie Curie, Harriet Tubman, Malala Yousafzai, Annie Oakley, and others. What drove them to step out of their expected roles to forge more difficult paths, knowing they’d face many challenges and barriers? What can we learn from them? With their voices, hands, pens,
WSF Weekly Report | Women’s Transportation Seminar; WSDOT Worker Memorial; Summer schedule;
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve Last Thursday, nine of our women leaders and my deputy represented Washington State Ferries at the Women’s Transportation Seminar Puget Sound Chapter Awards and Scholarships Gala. The event celebrates the significant contributions women make in transportation. It also brings people together to connect, share ideas and support scholarships for women studying engineering and transportation. Two of this year’s scholarship wi
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
News Brief | Seven dead gray whales signal trouble in Washington waters
||| FROM KREM-TV SPOKANE ||| In the waters near La Conner, one gray whale is still alive. This time of year typically marks the beginning of gray whale strandings in Washington. But in 2026, the numbers are already ahead of schedule and rising quickly. At the center of that pattern is a single explanation: food. READ FULL ARTICLE
SeaDoc Society hires new scientist, expanding its impact
||| FROM JUSTIN COX for SEADOC SOCIETY ||| The SeaDoc Society has hired a new full-time veterinary translational scientist, who will join the team on Orcas Island starting this summer. Dr. Michelle Barbieri Lino, who interned with SeaDoc as a veterinary student back in 2009, monitoring the marine mammal stranding network among other roles, will be moving to Orcas Island with her husband and 7-year-old daughter this summer. Lino and her family currently live on Oʻahu, where she formally led […]
Letter to Editor | Please support Prop. 1 to continue meal program
||| FROM LYNNETTE WOOD ||| Last year, 15,889 meals were prepared and delivered or served through the Orcas Senior Center—nearly 46% more than in 2019. This dramatic increase reflects the growing needs of our aging island population. The meal program is administered by the Whatcom Council on Aging (WCOA), which provides a small federal subsidy. Most of the funding comes from meal participants, private donations, and the Levy Lid Lift. Proposition 1 is essential to sustaining this program. Proposi
Random sites celebrating Earth Day Month and ART26ORCAS gallery openings
||| FROM JOHN RAYMOND BERRY ||| John Raymond Berry Neonatura Luminescent Paintings April 11 – July 31 Commencing at Orcas Public Library A generous portion of proceeds will be shared with the long awaited Center for Creative Repair / Orcas Makers Center – helmed by community artist and respected activist Grey Tyson and located in the former Office Cupboard. Berry is supporting this important endeavor that functions in the manner of the global organizations known as the Living Museum, and […]
TEDxOrcasIslandLive | All of us
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Join Orcas Center for a screening of a set of the latest TED Talks from TED2026, Saturday, April 17, 7-9 p.m. on Center Stage. We’ll be sharing the videos and hosting a brief conversation afterwards. Come enjoy this evening of learning with the latest ideas worth spreading from speakers you may recognize or may not have heard of before. Free tickets are available at www.orcascenter.org.
Telemann Paris Quartets coming to Salish Sea music fest
||| FROM JEFFREY COHAN for SALISH SEA EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL ||| The Salish Sea Early Music Festival presents a unique opportunity to hear four of Telemann’s brilliant Paris Quartets on period instruments with violinist David Greenberg, harpsichordist Elisabeth Wright, viola da gambist Susie Napper and baroque flutist Jeffrey Cohan on Thursday, April 23 at 5:00 PM at the Orcas Adventist Fellowship Church in Eastsound. Please note that on May 5 we’ll present Bach’s complete glorious cantata “Ich h
Letter to Editor | Vote Yes on levy lid lift, for all of us
||| FROM LENA KASSA ||| I work at the Orcas Senior Center, where every day I witness what it means to age on this island: the resilience, the deep roots, the quiet courage it takes to ask for help, and the difference it makes when that help is there. That is why I urge every San Juan County resident to vote YES on the general fund levy lid lift by April 28. San Juan County Senior Service staff help seniors […]
San Juan County launches new program to support islanders in recovery
Opioid Addiction Recovery Support (OARS) is available to anyone in active treatment or recovery from a diagnosed opioid use disorder ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is launching a new pilot program designed to provide direct financial support to islanders engaged in active treatment for or recovery from opioid use disorder. The Opioid Addiction Recover Support (OARS) program helps cover essential living expenses for up to 90 days, including assistance with securing st
Is this the secret bunker being built under the new ballroom?
||| FROM THE UNITED FRONT |||
50 years of Orca Survey | A letter to our community
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Fifty years ago today, in the waters of the Salish Sea, a young scientist named Dr. Ken Balcomb had his first encounter with the Southern Resident killer whales. That moment sparked a lifelong commitment – one that would grow into a study spanning generations of whales, and generations of people who care deeply about them and their future. Today, as the Center for Whale Research marks 50 years of Orca Survey, we thank […]