Island News
Lions Club Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 4
||| FROM MARY MEREDITH for ORCAS ISLAND LIONS CLUB ||| The Orcas Island Lions Club continues its long tradition of the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, to be held this year on Saturday, April 4th at Cascade Lake in Moran State Park. The Hunt will begin at 10am sharp. There will be a face-painting station for kids and the Easter Bunny will make a personal appearance! Event parking prepaid by the Lions Club, no Discovery Pass needed. Mark your calendars and […]
No jurors needed for March 30 – April 2
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: MARCH 30 – APRIL 3, 2026 For the Jury Period beginning Monday March 30th through April 3rd, 2026, all jurors are excused. Thank you.
Share Your Feedback | County & partners developing tools to manage human/wildlife interactions
The County is seeking to define common messaging, identify strategies to manage wildlife/human interactions, and ways to educate the public. Your experiences and feedback are welcome! ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| In an effort to manage interactions between island wildlife and the public, the County is seeking public feedback to develop tools and resources. Since September of 2025, the County has convened a group of stakeholders, including land managers, federal, state, and local a
Bird Walks are back at the SJI Sculpture Park
Join us April 1st 8-10am for the first walk of the season ||| FROM MARITA HOLDAWAY for SAN JUAN ISLANDS SCULPTURE PARK ||| Great news bird fans! The San Juan Islands Sculpture Park will start hosting its monthly Bird Walk series beginning Wednesday, April 1, from 8–10 a.m. Led by local birder Tyler Davis, the Bird Walks will take place on the first Wednesday of each month through October, offering participants an opportunity to observe and learn about the island’s […]
SAMA: To Listen coming to Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| “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. Through intimate conversations and immersive musical experiences, the film explores how music functions as a guide toward emotional clarity, humility and connection. A
Climate and Sustainability Advisory Committee seeks youth & San Juan Island members
Apply by May 1st to help steer climate action in San Juan County ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is accepting applications for volunteer three positions on its Climate and Sustainability Advisory Committee. District 1 (San Juan, Stuart, Brown, Henry) – 4-year term Youth Representative (age 16-19) – 2-year term The Climate and Sustainability Advisory Committee was established by the San Juan County Council in early 2022 to help steer the County’s climate action work b
Health Care District board to meet
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT BOARD ||| The Orcas Island Health Care District Board will hold a regularly scheduled board meeting on Wednesday, March 25th from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room at the Orcas Island Library, 500 Rose Street, Eastsound. The Board Meeting Public Packet is available below. Please see Agenda for Zoom meeting link. Agenda 02. 2026_02_24 OIHCD Claims Payment Request_signed.pdf 03. 2026_03_10 OIHCD Claims Payment Request_signed.pdf 04. 2026_03_24 OIHCD
The Whale Museum opens registration for the 2026 Virtual Gear Up Workshop
||| FROM TRACIE MERRELL for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| The Whale Museum has opened registration for the 2026 Gear Up Workshop! This year’s workshop will take place virtually on Thursday, April 30 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and will prepare participants for the field season ahead. This event is open to the public, so anyone with any interest or knowledge level is encouraged to register. The workshop’s theme is: “Caught Up: Fishery Interactions & Entanglement of Marine Mammals.” In […]
Existing vacation rentals in Eastsound & Lopez Village need a provisional use permit by June 25
The permit process is open until June 25, 2026, and can be completed through the mail or in person ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| If you operate a vacation rental in Eastsound Village or Lopez Village, it is a requirement to apply for a provisional use permit to remain compliant with the County code. The permit process is open until June 25, 2026, and can be completed through the mail or in person. Background All pre-existing vacation rentals […]
High winds expected to impact WSF service through Tuesday evening
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| All ferry passengers should be prepared for possible service disruptions through Tuesday evening due to high winds. Anacortes/San Juan Islands and Port Townsend/Coupeville routes: With stronger winds in the north, we expect these routes to be most impacted by severe weather. This could include delays and cancellations. All routes: Passengers can expect a bumpy ride due to choppy waters. As a safety precaution, we may ask drivers to park farther back from
Orca Action Month plans are underway
||| FROM REIN ATTEMANN for ORCA ACTION MONTH ||| It’s that time again! June is Orca Action Month in the Pacific Northwest, and the Orca Salmon Alliance is looking forward to all kinds of activities throughout the region. Orca Action Month (a.k.a Orca Month) is an annual series of events intended to raise awareness about the threats facing critically endangered Southern Resident orcas, educate the public on what we can all do to protect them, and build a community to […]
Letter to Editor | OPALCO board candidate observations
||| FROM RIKKI SWIN ||| OPALCO Board Candidate observations: District 1: Drew Gislason: He comes across as the candidate best equipped to push back on expensive, low-payback solar microgrids if they don’t deliver rate relief or reliability gains — while still supporting smart local generation where it makes technical and economic sense (including SMR feasibility down the road). His utility-tech experience gives him tools to evaluate “on-demand” integration across sources, not just virtue-signali
Guest Opinion | The ClearWater commitment is a framework for institutional integrity
Transparency is the essential mechanism through which governing boards earn the trust of their constituency. ||| FROM THOMAS OWENS ||| Boards that do not operate at the level of transparency expected by their constituency will be continually questioned and challenged resulting in an increasing level of distrust of their goals and motives at even the simplest of actions. In turn, the Board may come to view their constituency as an adversary rather than a partner and resource available to move […]
Conservation donor fills funding gap on Orcas Island
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Last August, the Land Bank was ecstatic to announce the acquisition of a 23.8-acre waterfront property located on Orcas Island’s East Sound – home to 1,300 feet of undeveloped shoreline, including a 260-foot pocket beach, a small intermittent stream, open fields and forest. The $3.35M purchase was possible, in large part, through a $1.1M award in Salmon Recovery Grant funding from the WA State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO). In addition to t
Something strange in the water and it don’t look good…who ya gonna call? MyCoast!
How to report marine debris in San Juan County ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Marine debris like fishing gear, floats, docks, parts of vessels, creosote waste, and microplastics wash up on our islands’ beaches. If it’s on your property, you’ll likely dispose of it responsibly on your own. If it is on public property, San Juan County’s Environmental Stewardship Department assists with removal and disposal. But if it’s something too big or toxic like creosote, or if it’s […]
Queen Mother | A tribute to the music of Queen coming to Orcas Center
Can anybody find me somebody to love? ||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Experience the genius and spectacle of Queen’s music live and in person, the way it was meant to be, with Seattle-based tribute band Queen Mother on Orcas Center’s main stage on Friday, April 3 at 7 p.m. Stomp, clap, sing and shout as Queen Mother harnesses the Northwest’s best talent to bring these epic songs to life, including Under Pressure, We Are the Champions, […]
The Ramba Effect, FHFF’s best tales from the heart, screens free March 27
||| FROM ELLEN ROBERTS & KAREN PALMER for FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL ||| Friday Harbor Film Festival’s Best of the Fest Series continues with another powerful, audience-chosen documentary, The Ramba Effect, that will be shown Friday, March 27 at 7 PM at the San Juan Island Library and Lopez Center for Community and the Arts. Following the film, director Claire Sandberg will join audiences at the San Juan Island Library screening for a live, in-person Q&A following the film. Viewers […]
Frolic in Daffodils at Sculpture Park
||| FROM MARITA HOLDAWAY for 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 blooming daffodils for our 25th anniversary this year. Throughout the month of March, they […]
Story Night is back at Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center, in collaboration with Phil Klein, is presenting its second Story Night, an evening of sharing true stories among friends. All are welcome on Wednesday, April 1, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Madrona Room. The theme of this event is “On Second Thought.” Stories of choices considered, and then reconsidered. Revised and revived. The plans that we altered. The decisions we rethought. The moments when a pause changed everything. […]
Eastsound Water cited for repeated safety violations
Total penalties exceed $24,000 ||| FROM CORY HARRINGTON ||| Eastsound Water Users Association has received multiple safety and health citations from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) following workplace inspections conducted in 2025 and early 2026. The most recent inspection (March 2026) resulted in several violations—many classified as “serious”—with penalties totaling $9,792. This follows earlier citations issued in: October 2025 – $2,448 December 2025 – $12,240 In to
Letter to Editor | Tightening our belts, for real
The conflict has triggered the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. — International Energy Agency (IEA), March 20, 2026 ||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| In my previous op-ed on “tightening our belts”, I wrote about the need to prepare for harder times; to “tighten our belts” as global instability begins to ripple outward into everyday life here at home. That moment is here. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has made something unmistakably clear: […]
Community Lunch celebrates a year of connection
||| SUBMITTED BY THE RESOURCE CENTER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM ||| The Resource Center is excited to share that the Community Lunch program has completed its first year as a thriving weekly gathering that strengthens food access and social connection for island residents. What began as a simple meal has grown into a vibrant community tradition that brings together neighbors from all walks of life. Each week, approximately 125 community members gather to share a nutritious meal and meaningful conversat
4th Annual Earth Day Month – Update
Poet Laureate Rena Priest is joining the 4/25 Concert ||| FROM SAN JUAN ISLANDS MAKERS GUILD ||| 2026 marks the 4th year of engaging Earth Day learning experiences on Orcas Island and adds new features. This month-long series of Science, Art, Poetry, Music and Ecology Explorations are offered at no cost, but space may be limited so reserve your space at chosen events. Open to all islanders and guests, activities launch on April 10th and conclude on April 30thwith something […]
Update | Anacortes to honor 50 veterans for free day of fishing
Saturday, May 9, 2026 | Anacortes, WA ||| FROM CARRIE KING for ANACORTES HONOR FISHING EVENT ||| What Anacortes Honor — a Puget Sound Anglers & Salmon for Soldiers event welcoming 50 military veterans and active-duty service members for a fully sponsored day of bottom dwelling fishing, fellowship, and appreciation. Twenty volunteer fishing vessels will donate their boats, fuel, time, and expertise to ensure each veteran experiences a meaningful day on the water at no cost to the veterans. When [