Here’s a thought…
“Neither the evil nor the good in our history determines who we are. It is what we do now. If we do not say something ourselves about this horror, we allow ourselves to be changed.”
TIMOTHY SNYDER
Letter to Editor | Support for San Juan County levy lid lift
||| FROM CLINTON and KATHRYN GAUTHIER ||| As a lifelong Friday Harbor resident and third-generation islander, I have seen many levy asks. I feel compelled to speak on the current proposal because my wife, Kathryn, and I share a combined 45 years of experience with 4-H. We are not just
Our Blue Marble | Film fest, arts, nature & climate events
||| FROM SAN JUAN MAKERS GUILD ||| Earth Day Orcas Film Fest, Art, Poetry, Science Workshops this Week include contemplation, inspiration, and stewardship. Film Fest Registration is Open! Stewardship themes for land and sea touch key topics of our time. Register for password access. Streaming begins Apr 17th and runs
Letter to Editor | In support of San Juan County levy lift
||| FROM ORCAS COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER ||| On behalf of the Orcas Community Resource Center, we are writing to share our perspective on the proposed Levy Lid Lift. As a social service agency on Orcas Island, we work every day with individuals and families who are doing everything they can
Youth Fishing Derby welcomes families back to Cascade Lake on April 25
||| FROM FIONA J. STONE for ORCAS ADVENTURES ||| A favorite island tradition returns this spring as the Bill Yarlott Annual Youth Fishing Derby takes place on Saturday, April 25, 2026, inviting young anglers and their families to spend the day outdoors at Cascade Lake. Timed with the opening of
2026 candidate filing week is May 4 – 8
During filing week, candidates may submit their filings online, by email, by fax, or in person at the San Juan County Elections Office at 55 Second Street, Suite A, Friday Harbor ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| If you have ever wanted to be an elected official, now is
OIFR responds to three simultaneous calls including fatal accident, structure fire
||| FROM BEN LUNA for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE ||| On the afternoon of April 13, 2026, Orcas Island Fire & Rescue (OIFR) was dispatched to three separate incidents simultaneously, requiring the department to divide personnel and resources across multiple scenes. Medical Aid At 3:29 pm OIFR units responded
Earth Day Orcas hands-on learning for all ages
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Your local public health team wants to remind you of a few tips to help make your spring season as fun and healthy as possible. Before you start cleaning your shed, garage, or cabin this season, there are some safety precautions you
Orcas Christian students bring spring garden to life through hands-on learning
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| Red radishes, crunchy with early spring promise. Spinach leaves curl and stretch, green in the gentle breeze. Carrot tops push through newly softened soil. After winter’s stillness, life is returning — and at Orcas Christian School, students are sparking that renewal through collaboration and
Conservation Land Bank Commission to travel to Orcas for upcoming meeting
The meeting will be held at the Orcas Island Fire Station ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its regularly scheduled April 17 meeting on Orcas Island. The meeting is scheduled from 8:30am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will also
The president is having an actual mental breakdown. Will the vice president take action?
||| FROM MILES TAYLOR for DEFIANCE.ORG ||| Sunday night into Monday morning, the president of the United States conducted an all-night social media binge that would alarm any reasonable observer, whether or not he was the president, and which cemented a growing sense of dread about Trump’s mental stability. It
April 28, 2026, Special Election | Vote Early! Sign! Send!
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| All registered voters in San Juan County will receive a ballot for the Special Election on April 28, 2026. This election will include measures for San Juan County and the Lopez Island Park and Recreation District. San Juan County is proposing a regular
Kenmore Air returns with seasonal Friday Harbor–Victoria seaplane flights
Daily 30-minute flights now through October 31, with fares starting at $124 one-way ||| FROM SCOTT MEIS for KENMORE AIR ||| Kenmore Air has resumed its seasonal seaplane service between Friday Harbor Marina on San Juan Island and Victoria, B.C.’s Inner Harbour, offering a quick and seamless way for islanders
Letter to Editor | The cost of a ‘No’ vote on county levy
||| FROM NATHAN KESSLER-JEFFREY ||| As we all consider the County’s proposed levy lid lift, I hope we take a moment to consider the true impact of a “no” vote. I’m a property owner, and yeah, voting ‘yes’ will increase taxes about $22 per month to maintain services. But a
News Brief | Did you feel one of the 18 earthquakes this morning?
||| FROM KOMO NEWS ||| An active swarm of earthquakes has been detected far offshore of Washington state, but experts say it is not a threat to people on land in the Pacific Northwest. The network reported that 18 quakes were detected as of noon on April 12, with a
Letter to Editor | Proposed blubber detoxification technique for female killer whales
||| FROM RIKKI SWIN ||| One of the biggest threats to endangered Southern Resident killer whale calves (and others worldwide) is exposure to man-made toxins such as PCBs, PFAS ("forever chemicals"), and other persistent pollutants. These toxins accumulate in the mother's thick layer of blubber over her lifetime and are
Letter to Editor | In support of San Juan County Levy Lift
||| FROM KATIE FLEMING ||| Please understand that I am writing this letter as a private citizen, not in my capacity as a county employee or in any way affiliated with my employer. I’ve lived on San Juan Island for 15 years, and I feel lucky every day that this
