Island News
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
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
Community show | “Color, Texture & Pattern” will be on display from June 26 to July 28
Art intake on June 24, art opening on June 26 ||| FROM ORCAS CENTER VISUAL ARTS COMMITTEE ||| The Visual Arts Committee of Orcas Center announces a new community show — “Color, Texture & Pattern” – to open on June 26. For this show, the VAC welcomes art in which color, texture and/or pattern is a central feature of the work. This is a broad theme for abstract or representational art in all mediums. Community shows are open to ALL […]
County issues Pride Month proclamation in recognition of LGBTQIA+ community in the islands
Pride Month is celebrated throughout June to coincide with the gay liberation movement ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During the May 26 meeting, the County Council issued a proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month in San Juan County. The proclamation, written alongside members of the LGBTQIA+ community, acknowledges that LGBTQIA+ folks have lived in the San Juan Islands since time immemorial and celebrates their valuable contributions in areas such as education, arts, healthcare
Monthly training brings oil spill volunteers to Orcas Island Marina
||| FROM BILL SYMES and ELAINA THOMPSON for ISLANDS OIL SPILL ASSOCIATION ||| On the morning of May 13, ten volunteers gathered at Rosario Marina on Orcas Island with a training mission: find a boat leaking diesel into the marina and contain it before it spreads. Time is of the essence in oil spill mitigation, and the right equipment must be deployed in the right way. Thus, response training is a major focus of Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA) activity. […]
Orcas Center summer concert series announced
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center is proud to present its annual Summer Concert Series on the Village Green, bringing free, live music to the heart of Eastsound. This vibrant outdoor series, supported in part by Joe & Maureen Brotherton and the Doe Bay team, features many artists from the Doe Bay Artist in Residence program (www.doebay.com/music-and-art/). It celebrates community, creativity, and the magic of music under the open sky. All performances are free for
Council discusses budget priorities, planning for 2027 budget amidst funding challenges
Current estimates for revenues and expenses in 2027 show that the County is facing a $4 million budget deficit. Council gears up for ongoing discussions on anticipated cuts to staffing and service levels. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During the May 26th meeting, the County Council discussed strategies for balancing and preparing the 2027 budget. County Auditor Natasha Warmenhoven, Budget Analyst Dr. Molly Foote, and County Manager Jessica Hudson led a discussion with Council about
No jury duty June 15-18
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JUNE 15-18, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the Jury Period beginning Monday June 15 through Thursday June 18, 2026 are excused. Thank you.
Summer sailing schedule starts Sunday, June 14
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Our summer sailing schedule starts Sunday, June 14, and runs through Sept. 19. Anacortes/San Juan Islands: We’ve made schedule adjustments to improve on-time performance. Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth: The #3 vessel will operate a full-day schedule on Saturdays and Sundays this summer. Last year, it operated half days on weekends due to limited crewing. Port Townsend/Coupeville: Starting Tuesday, June 16, the route will operate a two-boat schedule dail
Larsen statement on bill reforming Library of Congress
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement: “The Librarian of Congress is the People’s Librarian, not the President’s Librarian. “I have always stood up for libraries and the books that challenge us to be better. I will keep fighting to keep Trump from undermining libraries and the education and freedom they support.” Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed legislation to vest the powe
Land Bank Commission monthly meeting scheduled
||| FROM SJC CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting Friday, June 12. The meeting is scheduled from 8am – 11:15am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the Lopez Island Family Resource Center, Lopez Island, WA. The public is invited to attend. Click HERE to download the agenda (includes Zoom meeting link) and meeting materials.
Letter to Editor | Bring back our family physician
||| FROM MARTHA KRAMER ||| Orcas Island Primary Care has chosen to terminate a very well loved family practice physician, Dr. Jennifer Simpson-Manske at a time when there are NO other family practice physicians on-island accepting new clients. The decision to terminate Dr. Manske was made by Island Hospital. On June 1st, Dr. Manske’s patients received a email requesting that they reschedule with one of three Physician Assistants. Many folks feel that our health care is possibly being dictated by
Art Talk event coming up at Crow Valley Gallery
||| FROM AYN GAILEY for CROW VALLEY GALLERY ||| Please join us for a creative conversation at Crow Valley Gallery with artist David Densmore and Ayn Gailey exploring his painting process, techniques, sources of inspiration, and the evolution of his work, including a sneak peek at an upcoming series. This is the perfect event for fans of David’s work or landscape painting, or artists wanting to explore painting for the first time. It’s also a great chance to connect with other […]
Existing vacation rentals in Eastsound & Lopez Village need a provisional use permit by June 25
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. ||| 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 […]
News Brief | Science-backed reason being in nature makes you feel good
||| FROM COUNTERPUNCH ||| Fish farming, a form of aquaculture, is now the fastest-growing form of factory farming worldwide. Industrial fish farms, particularly open-net salmon pens, concentrate thousands of animals in confined spaces, producing waste and requiring significant inputs of feed, antibiotics, and chemicals to maintain productivity. Fish are essential to healthy ocean ecosystems, but almost 90 percent of the world’s fisheries are considered “fully exploited” or “overfished” by the Un
News Brief | Impacts of fish farming, industrial aquaculture
||| FROM COUNTERPUNCH ||| While discussions about land-based farmed animals, such as cattle, pigs, and poultry, are dominated by their impact on emissions and the environment, aquaculture has been positioned as a sustainable alternative. Industrial fish farms, particularly open-net salmon pens, concentrate thousands of animals in confined spaces, producing waste and requiring significant inputs of feed, antibiotics, and chemicals to maintain productivity. Fish are essential to healthy ocean ecos
Tickets now available for 2026 Orcas Island Garden Tour
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Mark your calendar for the annual 2026 Orcas Island Garden Tour on Saturday, June 27 & Sunday, June 28 from 11 am to 5 pm each day. Tickets are $25 each. The garden club provides education and experiences to the garden community to enrich lives and to improve the overall ecology of Orcas Island. This one fundraiser helps us fund many educational programs and fun events throughout the year as well as support […]
Free workshop for writers at Orcas Library
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY ||| In this evening workshop hosted by the Orcas Island Library, authors Veronica Kornberg and Jill McCabe Johnson use objects and mapping to create fresh writing on family. Participants are asked to bring an object that evokes family memories to use as a springboard for guided writing, listening, and small group sharing. It can be a photo, a teapot, a tie-pin—anything. All ages are welcome. Date: June 10 Time: 6-8:00 pm […]
Help us celebrate the Class of 2026 at Baccalaureate
||| FROM ALICIA WIGFIELD for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH ||| On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 6:00 PM, Orcas Island Community Church will be hosting the Baccalaureate Service for the Class of 2026 at the Moran State Park Picnic Shelter. This is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate and encourage our graduates as they prepare for the next chapter of their lives. We would love your help in making this event a welcoming and memorable celebration for the […]
Seven Sisters: Return of the Matriarchy coming to Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Indigenous women have played an outsized role in major environmental justice campaigns in the Pacific Northwest. Se’Si’Le, an Indigenous-led nonprofit, is bringing to Orcas Island an event to honor and celebrate these matriarchs as part of its nation-wide 2026 campaign: Seven Sisters — The Return of the Matriarchy on Saturday, June 13 at 5 p.m. on Center Stage. These courageous women have stood up time and again against overwhelming odds, achie