Island News
School music rings in summer on a high note
||| FROM SHARON HO for MUSIC ADVOCACY GROUP ||| Family and community members filled the Orcas Center on Thursday, May 28, to celebrate another successful year for the Orcas public school strings program. Mrs. Pamela Wright, the music teacher and strings director, who will be retiring after 24 years, received a standing ovation. This year’s All-District Strings Concert saw a large group of 66 students from grades 4 to 12 performing on main stage. Mrs. Wright awarded letters to three […]
I’m not the Church Lady | What’s really between psychology and spirituality?
What if the most sane and sacred thing I can do is trust what I know? ||| I’M NOT THE CHURCH LADY by ROSIE KUHN ||| Psychology, at its best, says: What happened to you shapes you—how can you go forward? Spirituality, at its best, asks: Who are you beyond that? Both can become systems that tell us what we should experience instead of helping us articulate what we actually experience. Families—No Escape With the insanity of the world in […]
Happy Pride from Orcas Island Pride
Are you ready to Dance? ||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND PRiDE ||| Happy Pride We are so excited to celebrate this month with you all! In this time where queer people are being villanized, it is VITAL we stay visible and loud. It is VITAL we refuse to slink back into the margins we are pushed to. It is VITAL we come together in this month to celebrate all we are. So come be LOUD with us! Tickets are on sale […]
Strengthening civic culture on Orcas Island
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| Earlier this week, 52 nonprofit board members and staff gathered to bring fundraising into focus on Orcas Island. What may have been surprising to some, was that much of the workshop didn’t focus specifically on asking for donations. Successful nonprofits can’t, and don’t, just rely on funding. They rely on people. People who care, who invest not just their financial resources, but their time, their hearts, their vision. When n
Zuckerberg’s Launchpad visits Orcas Island
||| FROM ROBERT AUSTIN ||| LAUNCHPAD current position and history of port calls are received by AIS. Technical specifications, tonnages and management details are derived from VesselFinder database. The data is for informational purposes only and VesselFinder is not responsible for the accuracy and reliability of LAUNCHPAD data. Photo by Robert Austin
UN report warns AI could soon use 3% of world’s electricity and more water than we need to drink
||| FROM THE CONVERSATION ||| One argument often used to quell concerns about the rising energy and resource demand of data centers is that artificial intelligence (AI) models will need less in the future as they improve and become more efficient. But this seemingly logical thinking is a trap, according to a new United Nations report that quantifies the environmental costs of AI. The report estimates that by 2030, AI’s energy use could double to consume 3% of the world’s […]
Sheriff’s Report | May 27 – June 1, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 26-003064 Found Property 08:18:11 05/27/26 A credit card was found on San Juan Island and turned into the Sheriff’s office which was booked into the property and evidence room. No known contact for the owner. 26-003066 Found Property 09:55:17 05/27/26 A silver bracelet was found on San Juan Island and turned into the Sheriff’s office which was booked into the property and evidence room. No known contact for the […]
Legacies of D-Day | June 6, 1944
||| FROM DOUGLAS MARSHALL ||| Before dawn, a seasick 22-year-old 2nd Lieutenant and his mortar platoon climbed into their landing craft and motored three hours toward the French province of Normandy, on a day code-named D-Day and toward a place code-named Utah Beach. Approaching the shore, the ramps of their landing craft dropped into the cold waters, and they waded into eleven months of combat with the German army which had occupied France for four years. Utah was the westernmost […]
WSF Weekly Report | 75th anniversary celebrations; engine room training; great kudo
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve On Monday, Washington State Ferries marked the 75th anniversary of the state taking over Washington’s ferry service. For 75 years, the state ferry system has connected communities across Washington and has been part of everyday life for millions of people. Ferries have carried workers, students, families, visitors and entire communities across Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. The state’s decision to take over ferry service
SJC Health & Community Services announces staffing reduction due to state grant funding cut
State grant funding cut necessitates staffing reductions while the department remains committed to delivering essential public health services. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Health & Community Services (HCS) is announcing a reduction in staffing as a result from a cut in state grant funding that supports foundational public health services. Impacted staff were notified earlier this week their employment with us will be ending on June 30, 2026. The state grant is on
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
LWVSJ Observer Corps | San Juan County Council May 26 regular meeting
||| FROM BARBARA SHARP for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| Council Chairman Paulsen read an adopted resolution recognizing June as Pride Month for San Juan County in support of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Budget planning and priorities were the main topics of discussion, with presentations from the Auditor’s office concerning the current budget shortfall and the need to continue to close a substantial gap between revenue and expenses. With increasing costs and stagnant revenues, Council is aware of havin
LWVSJ Observer Corps | San Juan County Board of Health, May 20, 2026
||| FROM BARBARA SHARP for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| Director Mark Tompkins reported that ACH has a new CEO and Community Collaboration has received $20,000 for the Recovery Café. He presented a budget update for Foundational Public Health Services. He expected no budget claw backs for the 2025- 2026 budget on FPHS grant funding. For the 2026-2027 budget, FPHS expects a budget reduction of $346,000, effective July 1, 2026. The director is working with human resources on next steps. Suggestions
San Juan Island Sculpture Park to unveil three new sculptures
Youth Sculpture Mentorship Program ||| FROM MARITA HOLDAWAY for SAN JUAN ISLANDS SCULPTURE PARK ||| These sculptures were created by Kate Douglas, Kristina Girvan, and Penelope Moore through the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park’s Youth Sculpture Mentorship Program. Under the guidance of local bronze artist and advisory board member Kristen Douglas-Seitz, the students participated in an immersive six-month experience exploring the complete sculptural process, from concept development and clay mode
You’re invited to Orcas Island Community Church to meet new pastor
||| FROM ALICIA WIGFIELD for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH ||| Join us this Sunday, June 7, at 10:00 a.m., for a special morning of worship, fellowship, and celebration as we welcome Scott Harris, who will be bringing his first message as the new Senior Pastor of Orcas Island Community Church. Whether you’re new to the island, searching for a church home, or simply looking for a place to connect, all are welcome. We would love the opportunity to meet you […]
In Memoriam | Robert (Bob) Alden Littlewood
||| FROM ERICA LITTLEWOOD ||| Our world has lost a brilliant, kind, funny, and talented soul. Robert (Bob) Alden Littlewood died on April 29, 2026, near his home on Orcas Island, Washington. Bob was born in Hempstead, New York on March 24, 1930, to William and Dorothy Cushman Littlewood. Early years were spent in Saint Louis, the Chicago area, and Garden City, NY, where Bob graduated from high school. Demonstrating the curiosity that would be a feature of his life, […]
School bus shuttle will be available for graduation
||| FROM SUZANNA SMITH for ORCAS ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT ||| Orcas Island School District is excited to celebrate the Class of 2026 on Saturday, June 13. To help make arrival easier for our guests during campus construction, a complimentary school bus shuttle will be available from 1:15 PM to approximately 2:15 PM. Shuttle Location: Community Church, 176 Madrona Street, Eastsound Guests are welcome to park in the church parking lot or adjacent grassy area and ride the shuttle to campus. Following
What should you do if you’re offered free medical services?
||| FROM MARGARET MILLS ||| I called Medicare to report three attempted fraud calls in two days. Medicare sent me this reminder, maybe worth publishing in Orcasonian? Phone callers asked me to confirm that I had Medicare A & B – “In order to inform you about additional services” or the like – If you can capture the caller’s number on your phone, and /or note how they identify themselves, Medicare fraud report services would like to have that information […]
Another EWUA operator resigns
||| FROM CORY HARRINGTON ||| Today, June 3, 2026, another EWUA water operator submitted their resignation. Just days ago, more than 118 members signed an open letter requesting an independent third-party workplace investigation into interactions between management, the Board, and staff. The request followed a May 19 Board meeting attended by more than 75 members concerned about employee turnover, workplace conditions, and the long-term stability of the utility. The Board declined that request, c
Get help paying for Medicare
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Are you having trouble affording the medical care you need? If you are on Medicare, there are three programs that can help: Medicaid (called Apple Health in Washington state) The Medicare Savings Program (also called MSP, and Apple Health in Washington state) The Low-Income Subsidy Program (also called Extra Help or LIS) If your total income from all sources is less than $1,995 per month ($2,705 for a couple), you may be eligible […]
No jurors needed for June 8-12
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JUNE 8-12, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the Jury Period beginning Monday, June 8 through Friday, June 12, 2026 are excused. Thank you.
Have a garden question? Ask an Orcas Master Gardener
Saturday June 6th at the Market Garden Nursery ||| FROM JULIA TURNEY and JAY LUCAS for ORCAS MASTER GARDENERS ||| Do you have a question about your soil, have a problem with your fruit tree, or are thinking about starting a garden? Is something bugging your plants, or you are curious about identifying a plant or insect? Master Gardeners will be staffing Ask A Master Gardener events on Orcas to help answer your questions and collect plant problem samples. Orcas […]
San Juan County announces 2026 Home Fund notice of funds available
Applications will be accepted June 1 to July 13, and staff are available pre-application meetings now ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Health & Community Services (HCS) has released a Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) for the 2026 funding round for the Home Fund program. Applications will be accepted starting June 1, 2026, with response being due no later than July 13, 2026. HCS staff are available for pre-application meetings. Eligible recipients are nonprofit agencies
Orca Action Month film series brings free documentary screenings to San Juans
Four Events. Six Documentary Films. One Urgent Story ||| FROM ELLEN ROBERTS & KAREN PALMER for ORCA ACTION MONTH ||| Throughout June the San Juan Islands are celebrating Orca Action Month with a remarkable series of free documentary film screenings dedicated to the story of the Southern Resident killer whales as well as the salmon, rivers, kelp forests, and communities whose fates are bound to theirs. The Orca Action Month Film Series is presented by the Stewardship Network of the San […]