Island News
Guest Column by Chris & Chom Greacen: We need code updates. Code updates need the county levy lift
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 […]
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
Share your feedback: County and partners are developing tools to manage human/wildlife interactions
Submitted by San Juan County.
County seeks voter approval for levy lid lift
Decades of capped revenue, runaway inflation and a creative labor deal have left the County at a financial crossroads. San Juan County is asking voters to approve a property tax levy lid lift in the April 28 special election — a measure officials say is essential to preserving the public health, safety and community services that island residents depend on every day.
Sheriff’s Log San Juan County WA April 1-7, 2026: Scams, drugs and vehicle prowl tools found, speeding
San Juan County Deputies responded to 157 calls from April 1 – 7 , 2026 including: An Orcas Island deputy responded to a traffic hazard on Crescent Beach Dr. The deputy discovered a disabled vehicle in the middle of the road on a blind corner. The driver arrived at the scene with a gas can […]
Traffic Safety Emphasis Patrols Highlight Dangers of Distracted Driving
OLYMPIA – The Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) is recognizing Distracted Driving Awareness Month this April by supporting high-visibility enforcement (HVE) patrols focused on distracted driving from April 6–13. Law enforcement agencies across the state will be increasing patrols to remind drivers to keep their eyes, and attention, on the road. According to studies, it […]
May 8: OPALCO Annual member festival on Lopez Island – Member Appreciation Event Celebrating Local Power
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 […]
April 18: The Great Islands Cleanup
The next Great Islands Cleanup will happen on Saturday, April 18, 2026 from 10am-2pm. Details for each island will be added when it becomes available. The first organized “Great Island Cleanup” in San Juan County happened on San Juan Island, organized by locals Lori Stokes and David Delendorf. In 2014, through their inspiration, Orcas resident Kira […]
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 […]
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
Bringing it home: Sea-level rise impact and response planning for Orcas | A climate solutions workshop
Submitted by Earth Day Orcas.
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 […]