Here’s a thought…
“When you re-read a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in yourself than there was before.”
CLIFTON FADIMAN
Invest in the next generation of island stewards
YCC featured in spring 2026 GiveOrcas Campaign ||| FROM JULIE CURTIS for YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS ||| The Orcas Island Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), a program of the San Juan Islands Conservation District, has been selected as a featured program in the Orcas Island Community Foundation's Spring 2026 GiveOrcas Campaign, running
WSF Weekly Report | Women in maritime; community meetings
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve Monday, May 18 is International Day for Women in Maritime. This year’s theme is “From Policy to Practice: Advancing Gender Equality for Maritime Excellence.” The message is simple. Real progress takes action, not just promises. At Washington
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Welcome to our weekly feature, Occam's Razor, from local artist S.C. Watson.
Public Health Hot Topic | Hantavirus
Addressing community questions and concerns about Hantavirus ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| With recent news stories about a Hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship, many people have questions about what Hantavirus is, how it spreads, and whether they should be concerned. Public health officials want people to
Port Commissioners to meet on Monday
||| FROM CHIP LONG for PORT OF ORCAS ||| The Port of Orcas Board of Commissioners will hold a Regular Meeting on Monday, May 18th at 4:00 p.m. online via Zoom and in-person at the airport terminal conference room. Access and agenda information can be found at portoforcas.com.
Friday Harbor Film Fest | Explorers & adventures feature, The Last Dive
Best of Fest screens free on May 22 ||| FROM ELLEN ROBERTS for FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL ||| Friday Harbor Film Festival’s Best of the Fest Series continues with another powerful, inspiring documentary, The Last Dive, which will be shown Friday, May 22 at 7 PM at the San Juan Island Library and
WA Legislators introduce bipartisan bill to expand funding for local drug task forces to combat opioids
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Rick Larsen (WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) and Dan Newhouse (WA-04) introduced the End Fentanyl Trafficking with Local Task Forces Act to establish a dedicated federal funding stream to help multi-jurisdictional drug task forces combat opioid trafficking in Washington state and across
On tap at Senior Center | Climbing beyond the summit
||| FROM LYNNETTE WOOD ||| All my life, I’ve been driven by goals. But not achieving a goal is very different from failing. Three years ago, at age 70, I took up rock climbing—and in doing so, I began learning far more than how to scale a wall. Like learning
Notice of upcoming joint Town Council / Port of Friday Harbor meeting
||| FROM TOWN OF FRIDAY HARBOR ||| NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town Council and the Port of Friday Harbor Commissioners will hold a special joint meeting on May 21, 2026, from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. The special meeting will take place in Council Chambers located at 60 Second Street.
OrcasFest music festival returns to Eastsound
||| FROM REEB WILLMS for ORCASFEST ||| OrcasFest is a new music festival held in Eastsound May 28-30, 2026. OrcasFest is in its second year and is a celebration of music and community started by Reeb Willms and Orcas Island born musicians Caleb Klauder and Tashi Litch. These three touring musicians hatched
Latest happenings from The Exchange
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING/THE EXCHANGE ||| Home Composting Classes are Back Join us at The Orcas Grange on 5/22 or 5/23 and learn how to compost at home and keep food scraps, garden, and yard materials out of the waste stream. Tickets are $75 each and include: (1) 82 gallon
Community-hosted candlelight vigil scheduled for Ella & David
Friday, May 15th—7:30 pm ||| FROM FRIENDS OF THE FAMILY ||| 7:30—Gather AT VILLAGE GREEN. Write a thought, memory, or blessing for Ella & David to be offered during the vigil. 8:30—Ceremony with music performed by Grace McCune 8:45—Lighting of the candles 9:11—A shared moment of silence for Ella & David Organized
Land Bank May 2026 meeting, agenda
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY CONSERVATION LAND BANK ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting Friday, May 15. The meeting is scheduled from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will also be available for in person public attendance at the Mullis Community Senior Center, Friday Harbor,
OPALCO receives conditional use permit for Decatur Island solar expansion project
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for OPALCO ||| On Tuesday, May 12, OPALCO was notified that they were granted the Conditional Use Permit for the Decatur Island Solar Expansion Project. The Decatur Island Solar Expansion project is a proposed ~1.6 MW AC Community Solar project. It’s adjacent to OPALCO’s substation and
No jurors needed for May 18-22
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: MAY 18-22, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the Jury Period beginning Monday May 18th through Friday May 22nd, 2026 are excused. Thank you.
Encounter #30 • Bigg’s T23s in Haro Strait
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 11:37 AM ObservEnd: 01:48 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss Pods: Bigg's killer whales IDsEncountered: T23, T23D, T23D3, T23D4, T23D5, and T23D6 LocationDescr: Haro Strait EncSummary: Michael and Dave were working in the office when they
