Island News
New research shows harvesting chinook before they mature is shrinking salmon and reducing future returns
A new study by researchers at the Wild Fish Conservancy and Raincoast Conservation Foundation has found that marine salmon fisheries along the Pacific coast typically harvest Chinook too early in their life cycle, before they reach their full size as adults. The implications from this are far reaching for fisheries, future Chinook runs, and the […]
Merri Ann Simonson Real Estate Update: San Juan Island Market Snapshot
Here is our Market Snap Shot for the end of May. We reviewed the median home price for the 5-month period in 2026 as compared to the same period in 2025 and the prices reflect an increase in all price categories, except one. The trend may be returning to upward median home prices in 2026, […]
Guest Opinion | WA lawmakers should get involved as AI data centers sprout
||| BY MICHAEL RIORDAN as printed in THE SEATTLE TIMES ||| Artificial intelligence promises benefits, but its pernicious impacts must be anticipated and mitigated, else vast inequities and disruptions will result. State and local governments must act soon to mitigate these effects, especially in regulating the massive data centers that have blossomed in the Pacific Northwest and across the country to enable AI. As underscored by a series of 2024 Seattle Times and ProPublica articles, one of the
Larsen votes ‘No’ on funding ICE without guardrails
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement: “I voted no on this partisan bill to fund ICE, and I will continue to oppose funding ICE until the agency is required to follow the same rules as every other local, state and federal law enforcement agency. “Once again, Republicans ignored bipartisan calls for reform and instead advanced a bill that gives ICE and CBP 70 billion taxpayer dollars […]
Stand-up comedy night with acclaimed comic Adam Cayton-Holland at Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Nationally touring comic Adam Cayton-Holland will perform stand-up comedy on Orcas Center’s stage. Cayton-Holland has appeared on Conan, Corden, Comedy Central, and a bunch of other great stuff that starts with the letter “C.” He will perform on Friday, June 26, at 7 p.m. Along with his cohorts in the comedy troupe, The Grawlix, Cayton-Holland created, wrote, and starred on the TV show, Those Who Can’t, which aired for three seasons. The Grawl
Environment Stewardship community-wide climate survey
Your input guided the first steps—now help us build the next phase of the Climate Action Plan ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK ||| San Juan County is developing a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to guide how we respond to climate change while protecting our community and environment. The County is inviting all residents to participate in its second communitywide climate survey to help shape a future that reflects community values and priorities. Given the current budget restraints and […]
CWR encounters Bigg’s killer whales and humpbacks
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 12:39 PM ObservEnd: 01:36 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss Other Observers: Rachel John Pods: Bigg’s killer whales IDsEncountered: T30A, T30C, T75B, T75B2, T75B3, and T75B4 LocationDescr: Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca/southwest Hein Bank EncSummary: The team was working in the office when we heard reports of a group of Bigg’s southwest of Hein Bank. The group was said to include T30A and T30C, two […
LWVSJ Observer Corps | San Juan County Council regular meeting, June 9, 2026
||| FROM BARBARA SHARP for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| Council issued a proclamation recognizing June 19th, 2026, as Juneteenth National Independence Day. Public Hearings were held to consider land use reclassification of Bayhead Farm on Shaw (no objections) and to discuss a proposed ordinance (addition to county code) regarding wildlife protections. There was substantial discussion with Deputy County Manager Tillery Williams and deputy prosecuting attorney Jon Cain concerning the wording of the
Hotdogs, ice cream and community thank you
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Join us for hotdogs and ice cream on Thursday, July 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Orcas Senior Center. We are deeply grateful for the generosity and support of our community and donors who have helped make our renovation progress possible. Come tour the building, see the exciting improvements underway, and celebrate what we’ve accomplished together. Enjoy free hotdogs, ice cream, live music, and the company of friends […]
While orca and salmon declined, ocean harvests of Puget Sound chinook significantly underestimated for decades
Revised Pacific Salmon Commission data reveal substantially more Puget Sound Chinook were intercepted in ocean fisheries over a twenty-year period, harming local communities and undermining decades of salmon and orca recovery efforts. ||| FROM EMMA HELVERSON for WILD FISH CONSERVANCY ||| PUGET SOUND, WA—Newly revised data released by Canada at the Pacific Salmon Commission shows that for more than two decades ocean fisheries have killed thousands more Endangered Species Act-listed Puget Sound Ch
Rick Larsen’s campaign launch event on Orcas Island
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| What: Congressman Rick Larsen’s Campaign is holding a campaign launch event on Orcas Island to formally launch his reelection campaign. Rick is fighting to lower costs, bring investments home to Northwest Washington, hold the administration accountable, combat fentanyl in our communities, and support our veterans. Rick’s grassroots campaign has been endorsed by more than 80 local elected officials, with support from party organizations, labor unio
Two Orcas women take flight in the 49th Annual Air Race Classic
Submitted by Janna Carter.
John Payne Geyman, MD 1931 – May 28, 2026
John Payne Geyman, MD, a devoted husband, father, physician, pilot, educator and advocate for health care reform passed away peacefully at his home in Friday Harbor, WA, on May 28, 2026, at age 95. Born in Santa Barbara, CA in 1931, John graduated from Princeton University in 1952, served three years in the Navy, and […]
Steve McMurtrie died June 29, 2026
Beloved Friday Harbor resident Steve McMurtrie passed away peacefully at home last Friday, after calling San Juan Island home for the past 37 years. Known for his warm smile and cheerful spirit, Steve never missed an opportunity to wave or stop and say hello. He deeply loved his island home, its natural beauty, and the […]
San Juan County WA Sheriff’s Log June 3 – 9, 2026: Sunk boat, fraud, speeding, missing man found
San Juan County Deputies responded to 127 calls from June 3-9, 2026 including: A Lopez deputy responded to a report of persons rescued from a sinking vessel. Two recreational shrimp harvesters were rescued by Good Samaritans after their vessel took on water and sunk. Both persons were treated by Lopez Fire and EMS and were […]
Town of Friday Harbor earned its 11th Well City Award
LWVSJ Observer Corps* summary of the Friday Harbor Town Council, June 4, 2026 meeting. Executive Assistant Greene presented an Annual Report on the Friday Harbor Arts Commission. Adrian Kilpatrick and Teresa Smith have stepped down from the Commission. Joining the Commission are Mary McCulloch and Councilmember Dyer. The Poetry Contest submissions are due by July […]
What is the capacity of Nantucket | The question no one wants to, or can’t, answer
During a recent Unscripted conversation, Andy Lowell recalled once being told that “nobody on this planet is qualified to put a capacity on the island of Nantucket.” It was a striking line because it points to a question the island has long circled but rarely asked directly: what is the capacity of Nantucket? ||| FROM BELOW DECK | NANTUCKET ||| At some point, every island has to confront the question: how much can it hold? For Nantucket, that question has […]
Community Survey | Human Services Transportation Plan
Take the survey here! ||| FROM RICHARD URI for FRIENDS OF RURAL TRANSPORTATION ||| We want to know about you and the help you need with transportation. For some individuals that don’t drive or don’t have access to a car and require other options to meet their travel needs, finding transportation can be a challenge. San Juan County is looking to better understand the travel needs of residents and these transportation limitations as part of the Human Services Transportation Study. Your opinion i
Everything you always wanted to know about the county budget
A 12-page graphic-heavy downloadable document summarizing San Juan County’s 2026 budget is available on line. The plethora of data includes sources of funding, comparisons to prior years, details on how reductions were made to balance the 2026 budget, projected shortfall for 2027, demographics of San Juan County, funding priorities, and the county’s organizational chart. The […]
Lopez Island Friends meeting speaks out on failures of US Government
A minute of conscience and public witness ||| IRIS GRAVILLE for LOPEZ ISLAND FRIENDS ||| The Lopez Island Friends Meeting (Lopez Island, WA) adopts this minute of conscience at this specific time in our country’s history. As Quakers, we believe that God can be found in each of us. Our faith in the inherent dignity and worth of each person guides our vision of the world we seek and leads us to advocate persistently for policies to bring it closer […]
Islanders encouraged to participate in transportation survey
Survey responses and community feedback will help identify transportation needs and support future funding and service planning efforts ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County residents are invited to help shape the future of transportation services through our community survey for the Human Services Transportation Plan (HSTP). The survey is open now and we are collecting responses until July 15. Click here to take the survey! This survey is available in English and Spanish o
OIPC announces 9th Annual Pickleball Tournament
||| FROM KEITH LIGHT for ORCAS ISLAND PICKLEBALL CLUB ||| The Orcas Island Pickleball Club (OIPC) is excited to announce that the 9th Annual Orcas Island Pickleball Tournament will return to the Buck Park Pickleball and Tennis Courts on August 22nd and 23rd. Saturday will feature Mixed Doubles, and Sunday will feature both Women’s and Men’s Doubles. After record attendance in 2025, this year the Club welcomes Pickleball Is Great (PIG) Tournament Management! Registration options include one event
Local pilots to compete in Annual Air Race Classic
||| FROM BETHANY CARTER ||| On June 23, 2026, Elizabeth Menozzi and Bethany Carter will take off from East Alton, Illinois to kick off the start of the 49th Annual Air Race Classic. They will compete as Team 8 in a field of 46 teams, flying a 2,743-statute mile route around the Eastern United States, starting in East Alton, IL and returning to Mount Vernon, IL. The Air Race Classic is a historic all women’s cross county flying competition, featuring […]
San Juan County publishes the ‘Budget in Brief’ to summarize the 2026 budget
Rich with graphics, photos, and reduction and expenditure highlights, the Budget in Brief provides an overview of the County’s complex funds. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is pleased to publish the 2026 Budget in Brief, posted in tandem with the full 2026 budget book. Rich with graphics, photos, and reduction and expenditure highlights, the Budget in Brief provides an overview of the County’s complex and numerous funds, as well as the key initiatives and community s