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
Be ‘Plastic Free in the Salish Sea’ this boating season
A FREE boat shrink wrap recycling program kicks off this summer in the San Juans ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Department of Environmental Stewardship and Plastic Free Salish Sea
Come meet the new pastor of OICC
||| FROM ALICIA WIGFIELD for ORCAS COMMUNITY CHURCH ||| We are truly delighted to welcome Pastor Scott Harris and his wife, Sandi, to our church family. Scott and Sandi come to us with full hearts
Letter to Editor | OPALCO the elephant in the room
||| FROM RIKKI SWAN ||| OPALCO (YOU) purchased 2 million dollars worth of solar panels for the Bailer Hill microgrid. Those panels? Still sitting outside the Friday Harbor office under tarps, gathering moss and questions.
Wildfire smoke still impacting local air quality, national report says
Skagit, Whatcom counties, Bellingham among cleanest areas for ozone ||| FROM NORTHWEST CLEAN AIR AGENCY ||| Harmful fine particles in wildfire smoke continue to show impacts on air quality in northwest Washington, according to the
Council approves funding to 2026 senior & disabled rental subsidy program
The program provides funding to help extremely low-income seniors and people with disabilities keep their housing affordable ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| During today’s April 21 Council meeting, the San Juan County Council voted to
Decatur solar expansion project continues with modification to site plan
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| The OPALCO Board held a special board meeting on Tuesday, April 21 to discuss the Decatur Community Solar project and determine next steps. In
No jurors needed April 27 – May 1
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: APRIL 27 - MAY 1, 2026 All jurors summonsed for the Jury Period beginning Monday April 27th through Friday May 1st, 2026, are excused. Thank you.
Orcas Christian School presents May Day play celebrating spring and faith
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| Orcas Christian School (OCS) is inviting the community to a special May Day celebration on May 1st at 5:30 PM. The event will feature a heartfelt student performance centered on
News Brief | WSF making changes to handle thousands of FIFA World Cup riders
||| FROM KOMO NEWS ||| Hundreds of thousands of soccer fans from around the world are headed to Seattle for the FIFA World Cup in June and July - and many of those visitors will
GoFundMe account for family of West Beach fatal crash victim
|||FROM JEFF PLATT ||| Antonia Valenzuela's family is identifying her as the woman who died the other day in the fatal crash in West Beach on Orcas Island. Her family is now asking for help transporting
Odlin County Park to celebrate 100 years as a public park
You’re invited to a series of free events at the park to celebrate the centennial! ||| FROM SAN JUAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Parks and Fair Department is planning a handful
In Memoriam | Catherine Ann Ledingham Pederson, 1932 – 2026
||| FROM JENNY PEDERSON ||| Catherine Ann Ledingham Pederson, age 93, of Eastsound, Washington, passed away peacefully on April 12, 2026. Catherine cared deeply about family and community, and got great pleasure in sharing her
Earth Day celebrations all week in the islands
||| FROM EARTH DAY ORCAS ||| Nature, Peace, Arts, & Song The week is full of ways to honor the Earth and strengthen our values for stewardship, peace, and compassion for all life. Come celebrate
Enter | Town is sponsoring Poetry Gardens contest
||| FROM JULIE GREENE for TOWN OF FRIDAY HARBOR ||| San Juan County residents of all ages are encouraged to submit your best original poems to the 2026 POETRY GARDENS CONTEST. Winning entries will be
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, April 22nd from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room at the Orcas
News Brief | Lyrid meteor shower to peak Tuesday night, with better views than usual
||| FROM SCIENCE ALERT ||| This year's Lyrid meteor shower is getting a boost thanks to a dim crescent moon. Skywatchers could see 10 to 20 shooting stars per hour soar across the spring sky,
