Here’s a thought…
“Don’t ask me who’s influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he’s digested, and I’ve been reading all my life.”
GIORGOS SEFERIS
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
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,
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
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,
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Celebrate Student Artists | Exhibit at Orcas Center
||| FROM D.N. KINSEY for ART FOR ORCAS KIDS ||| During the month of May, Art for Orcas Kids celebrates Arts Education Month with the Annual Student Art Exhibit at the Orcas Center. Thank you to all who
Rep. Larsen | Child care costs now rival rent or mortgage payments
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| Coming off of Mother's Day weekend, I am thinking about how we can better support working families during this affordability crisis. Right now, working families
