Island News
OPALCO member appreciation event will celebrate local power
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for OPALCO ||| Get ready for the OPALCO Annual Member Festival on May 8 at 3 pm., when Lopez Center for Community and the Arts will be transformed into a hub of fun, freebies and festivities for the whole family. From swag giveaways to an EV show and informational booths, there’s something for everyone at this Co-op member appreciation event. OPALCO’s linecrew will host safety demos and games, showing how they keep our community powered up […]
Leadership San Juan Islands celebrates graduation of Cohort XVII
April 24, 2026 | San Juan Islands, WA ||| FROM GRETCHEN KRAMPF for LEADERSHIP SAN JUAN ISLANDS ||| Leadership San Juan Islands proudly announces the graduation of Cohort XVII on April 24, 2026, marking another milestone in its mission to cultivate informed, connected, and engaged leaders across the islands. We invite community members, alumni, and partners to join us at NOON at the Friday Harbor Grange for a celebratory Potluck Luncheon, followed by a ceremony honoring Cohort XVII and their […]
Permitting with the County | How to use the SmartGov System
Using the online SmartGov portal, you can apply for, renew, and view the status of permits, as well as schedule inspections and make secure payments ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Department of Community Development (DCD) processes permits for building and land use projects, residential and commercial burning, addressing changes, and more. Using the online SmartGov portal, you can apply for, renew, and view the status of permits, as well as schedule inspections and
At Artworks | Rugs series brings textile traditions into focus
||| FROM B.J. ARNOLD for THE ARTWORKS ||| The Rugs series marks a natural evolution from Avi’s earlier Luli paintings, where patterned textiles first appeared as a backdrop. Now, the rugs themselves take center stage—rendered as 30-inch square paintings that invite close attention and reflection. Rooted in personal history, the work draws on Avi’s lifelong familiarity with Persian rugs, objects that once formed his earliest visual landscape. Today, inspired by Afghan and Turkish tribal patterns,
Maddy Sonshine designs dance for choral concert, senior project
||| FROM LYNN BAKER for ORCAS CHORAL SOCIETY ||| Where do dance, high school, and choral music come together? Orcas Island! This spring’s Orcas Choral Society concert will be enhanced by Maddy Sonshine, Orcas Island High School senior. Every Orcas Island High School senior does a senior project. For hers, Sonshine will choreograph, recruit and train dancers, and direct them in three very different numbers: classical, modern, and tap. For this budding artist, it’s a huge chance to grow. “I’ve […]
No jurors needed April 13-17
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: APRIL 13-17, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the Jury Period beginning Monday April 13th through Friday April 17th, 2026, are excused.
Earthrise | The Strait of Hormuz and San Juan County’s Energy Moment
Stopping the burn is a marathon, not a sprint ||| EARTHRISE BY JAY KIMBALL ||| As war rages in the Strait of Hormuz, one wonders if we are watching an important nail in the coffin of our collective global oil addiction. March record heat waves throughout the west and an El Niño cycle gaining momentum tell us this year is different. Records will be broken. Energy analyst Rory Johnston observed: “There is no better advertising for the clean energy transition […]
Larsen condemns Trump’s unhinged and violent comments
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) joined Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and House Democratic Leadership in the following statement: “Donald Trump is completely unhinged. His statement threatening to eradicate an entire civilization shocks the conscience and requires a decisive congressional response. The House must come back into session immediately and vote to end this reckless war of choice in the Middle East before
OPAL Community Land Trust annual meeting coming up April 23
Guest Speaker: Raymond Faber on modular building ||| FROM QASIM ALI DINO for OPAL COMMUNITY LAND TRUST ||| OPAL Community Land Trust warmly invites all community members to attend its 2026 Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 23, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM at Emmanuel Episcopal Parish Hall. Light refreshments will be served. The annual gathering offers an opportunity to connect with neighbors, hear organizational updates, and celebrate milestones from the past year. OPAL staff and trustees will talk abo
The Arrogant Ape: A Review
“What if cooperation were the means by which evolutionary ‘success’ was measured and achieved, or qualities like longevity, resilience, and the ability to sustain thriving interspecies communities?” ||| A BOOK REVIEW by ELISABETH ROBSON ||| One of the implicit assumptions embedded in modern culture is that humans are the most successful species on Earth. We rarely say this outright, but the belief sits just beneath the surface of our stories about progress, intelligence, and civilization. Our ci
The Moat and the Ferry Run | Imagining public transit for Orcas Island
||| FROM COLIN WILLIAMS ||| Framing Transportation We face real environmental challenges, and transportation is a contributing factor towards the issues we face here on our islands. Transportation can also be a barrier to equity. I believe one of the best ways to address both our environmental issues and equity issues related to transportation is to provide a base level of transportation accessible to everyone. In a spirit of volunteerism and wanting to contribute to the public benefit in my […]
Harry Smith presentation at Odd Fellows Hall
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ODD FELLOWS HALL ||| A presentation about Harry Smith by Bret Lunsford and Phil Elverum will take place at the Odd Fellows Hall on Wednesday, April 8 at the Odd Fellows Hall at 7:00. Harry Smith was an artist, filmmaker, mystic, and collector who was an important figure in the Beat Generation scene in New York City. Besides his films, Smith is remembered for his influential Anthology of American Folk Music. $5-$10 by donation. To learn more about Harry Smith, […]
Discover Yellow Island with Orcas Garden Club
||| FROM ORCAS GARDEN CLUB ||| REGISTER TODAY Orcas Island Garden Club P.O. Box 452 Eastsound, WA 98245 oigc376@gmail.com www.orcasislandgardenclub.org Orcas Island Garden Club | P. O. Box 452 | Eastsound, WA 98245 US
San Juan County brings mobile passport services to Lopez Island on April 22
Appointments are recommended, so make yours today by calling: 360-378-2163 ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| As a convenience to the Lopez Island community, the San Juan County Clerk’s Office is hosting a “Passport Day” to accept passport applications. Join County staff at the Lopez Island Library on Wednesday, April 22 from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm to process applications for first-time passports and children’s passports. Appointments are recommended, so make yours today by calling 360-378
News Brief | Gray whale, seen 20 miles inland, dies in WA’s Willapa River
||| FROM THE SEATTLE TIMES ||| A young gray whale that amazed and confounded onlookers for days this week after winding up 20 miles inland in a Southwest Washington river has died. The whale first appeared in the North Fork of the Willapa River on April 1. Although whales occasionally wind up in rivers, it’s not common. The young whale was found floating lifeless in the river Saturday. READ FULL ARTICLE
Letter to Editor | The pandemic is not following a script
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| One of the most dangerous ideas shaping our response to COVID is also one of the oldest in philosophy. The philosopher Karl Popper called it historicism: the belief that history unfolds according to predictable patterns. It is a comforting idea. If history follows a script, then crises eventually resolve themselves: pandemics come and go, society returns to normal, and humanity adapts. Popper argued that this belief is wrong. History does not move along a predetermi
Letter to Editor | Passing San Juan County’s levy lid lift is critical to aging well in the islands
||| FROM JAMI MITCHELL ||| Please understand that I am writing this letter as a private citizen, not as part of my work or in any way affiliated with my employer. It is important to me to personally express my strong support for the upcoming San Juan County general fund levy lid lift because it directly impacts our ability to age well in the islands we love. As a full-time islander for 24 years, I believe this measure is vital […]
News Brief | Study finds isolated killer whale populations depend on social interaction for survival
||| FROM AZ ANIMALS ||| A group of well-studied orcas known as Southern Resident orcas are endangered and face multiple threats to survival. New research shows they interact more with other populations than expected and this could help or hurt them in different ways Shared habitats can lead to competition for food but, if they interbreed, can provide needed genetic diversity. Protecting them requires international cooperation to address the issues that affect them. READ FULL ARTICLE
Edge of the Salish Sea | Art, poetry, science walk and workshops
Saturday, April 18th, 10-3 at Parish Hall, 218 Main, Eastsound Exploring Life on the Edge – Waterfront Beach Walk, 10am ||| FROM EARTH DAY ART & NATURE ||| Enjoy some of the year’s first daytime low tides on a guided beach walk with Tina Whitman, Senior Science Director with Friends of the San Juans. Observe and identify local species and habitats that thrive at the intersection of land and sea, learn how our shorelines support the regional marine ecosystem and […]
Free drawing workshop coming up for our islanders
||| FROM AYN GAILEY for ROAM ||| Because of the remote nature of our location, our artists are at a disadvantage when it comes to studying art and improving their technique and skills. That’s why bringing a figure drawing workshop to Orcas can make such a big impact. The ROAM Art Trail, starting next week, will include a free 2-day Figure Drawing Class with Juliette Aristides, an internationally respected painter, author, and co-founder of the Classical Atelier at the Gage […]
New OARS Program offers support for island residents in recovery
||| FROM RESOURCE CENTER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM || The Orcas Community Resource Center (OCRC) is launching the Opioid Addiction Recovery Support (OARS) Program, a new initiative designed to help San Juan County residents stay stable while focusing on their treatment journey. Recovery often requires more than treatment alone. For many individuals and families, everyday challenges—like paying rent, keeping the lights on, or getting to appointments—can become barriers to healing. The OARS Program was
Meeting Recap | Next steps for Odlin County Park facility upgrades
Staff shared why the department is pursuing this project, why the existing site was chosen, how project funds are separate from the County’s general fund and not funded by property taxes, and addressed questions/concerns from attendees ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Parks, Recreation, & Fair Department hosted a community meeting for Lopez Islanders to provide feedback on plans to construct a new facility for the County Parks operation on Lopez Island. The meeting
Midnight Mutterings | Gentleness
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| I don’t have permission to tell this first story from the main character, so I won’t use his name, even though you can likely figure out who he is. I hope he doesn’t mind. A month or so ago I bought a car from someone moving from the island and it came with a few things, one of which I couldn’t identify. It is a black plastic thing maybe 5 by 8 inches […]
Sheriff’s Report | March 26 – 30, 2026
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ||| THURSDAY, MARCH 26 26-001668 VIN Inspection 14:36:27 03/26/26 A Deputy on Orcas Island assisted an individual with a VIN inspection. The Deputy met with the individual and the incident was documented. 26-001669 Suspicious Person/Circumstance 14:42:13 03/26/26 A Deputy on Orcas Island responded to suspicious activity in the Killebrew Lake area. After the Deputy spoke to the reporting party and checked the area, it was discovered that multiple vehicle