Here’s a thought…
“True patriots don’t pander to divisiveness or hate. They work to confirm the “WE” in “We the People of the United States.”
ROBERT REICH
News Brief | 23 Gray whale deaths on Washington shores since March
||| FROM MY NORTHWEST ||| Changes in the food supply on the whales’ Arctic feeding grounds are leading to a lack of food. Cascadia Research Collective said the public can help by protecting alternate feeding areas the whales rely on, like the ghost shrimp beds in North Puget Sound, and
Port of Friday Harbor invites community to June 4 Open House
Jackson Beach Cannery planning and Friday Harbor Marina office public art ||| FROM MIKE ROLING for PORT OF FRIDAY HARBOR ||| The Port of Friday Harbor invites the community to a public open house on Wednesday, June 4, from 5:30 to 7:00 PM at the Mullis Community Senior Center (589
Celebration of life scheduled for Catherine Pederson
||| FROM SUSAN ASPLIN ||| There will be a Celebration of Life for Catherine Pederson on Sunday, June 7, 2026, from 2-4pm, at the Orcas Center. All are invited. SEE ALSO
Grow Your Own Food program cultivates skills and community in 2026
||| FROM CAITIE BLETHEN for WSU EXTENSION SAN JUAN COUNTY ||| The 2026 Grow Your Own Food program helped local residents turn curiosity into confidence, equipping participants with practical skills to grow their own food while strengthening community food resilience. Originally piloted in 2019 through a collaboration between the Joyce
Maria Burns, Orcas Christian School class of 2026
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| Maria Burns, a senior at Orcas Christian School, plans to attend Seattle Central College for two years after graduation to study pre-architecture before transferring to continue her education in architecture. Her favorite memory at OCS was the school’s mission trip to Hilo, which she
Orcas Senior Center June highlights
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Orcas Senior Center offers a variety of ongoing classes, social groups, wellness activities, and creative programs throughout the month. All programs are open to everyone, regardless of age, and new participants are always welcome. A full calendar with dates and times
Audio brunch workshops coming up at Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center’s Jake Perrine will present TEN Live Sound workshops on most Sunday mornings at Orcas Center from 11am-12pm from June 14 to August 30. The workshop is open to the public, and designed for audio hobbyists who want to improve their understanding
Council seeks to fill open positions on Parks and Recreation Commission
Open positions currently on Orcas Island and Lopez Island with additional positions opening in June on Orcas, Shaw ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Are you interested in helping to shape the policies that affect our San Juan County Parks? The San Juan County Council is actively seeking
CWR logs two encounters with Bigg’s
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 01:31 PM ObservEnd: 01:44 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss, Katie Jones Pods: Bigg's killer whales IDsEncountered: T124A, T124A6, T124A7 LocationDescr: Andrews Bay EncSummary: The team was working in the office while keeping abreast of reports
No jurors required for June 1 – 5, 2026
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JUNE 1-5, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the Jury Period beginning Monday, June 1st through Friday, June 5, 2026 are excused. Thank you.
Washington State Ferries sails into 75th anniversary
Ferry riders invited to celebrate state’s marine highway ||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| SEATTLE – Washington State Ferries will celebrate its 75th anniversary on Monday, June 1. Events are planned across Puget Sound starting Friday, May 29, and throughout the month of June. June 1 anniversary events To kick
Blood donations needed, especially on Orcas
Appointments available for next week ||| FROM HANNAH MCNUTT for BLOODWORKS NW ||| Our region is facing an emergency blood shortage across the Pacific Northwest. Nearly all blood types are dangerously low, especially Type O blood and platelets that trauma and cancer patients depend on to survive. Right now, there’s
News Brief | Eastern North Pacific malnourished gray whales in ‘serious trouble’
||| FROM INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS ||| From San Francisco Bay to the Oregon coast to Washington’s Puget Sound, the die-off has occurred all along the gray whale’s annual West Coast migration route. It’s a 10,000 to 14,000-mile round trip—the longest migration of any mammal—between the warm waters off Mexico’s Baja
News Brief | The Wilderness Act is the most ambitious land protection law in American history
||| FROM THE WILDLIFE NEWS ||| The Wilderness Law is under attack, and the people attacking it are counting on you not knowing what you stand to lose. The Wilderness Act of 1964 created the National Wilderness Preservation System. It established a category of federal land protection stronger than any other
Opening Soon | Opportunity to apply for lodging tax annual grant program
LTAC funds support a variety of projects related to tourism events, infrastructure, and services ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is pleased to announce the 2026 Lodging Tax Grant Applications will open June 1, 2026. Applications are due by September 11, 2026 at 5:00pm. Applications will
Health Care District board to meet on Wednesday
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| The Orcas Island Health Care District Board will hold a regularly scheduled board meeting on Wednesday, May 27th 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.
