Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
A musical trip through the decades | Golden Oldies at Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Get ready for an upbeat, memory-filled afternoon at the Orcas Senior Center! Join us on Thursday, July 17 at 1 p.m. for Golden Oldies with DJ 00 Solo—also known as guitarist, vocalist, and Phoenix-based performer Chris Olson. Blending live performance with
Juror duty cancelled for July 7-11
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| JURY DUTY: JULY 7-11, 2025 All jurors summonsed for jury duty beginning Monday July 7th through Friday July 11th, are excused. Thank you.
On July 3, Earth will reach its farthest point from the Sun – 152M kilometers away
||| FROM IFL SCIENCE||| On July 3, 2025, at 3:54 pm ET, the Earth will officially reach its furthest point from the Sun for this year. This is called aphelion. Our planet’s orbit is very close to a circle, but it is not a circle. It’s an ellipse, so the
Friday Harbor Film Fest special event | Resident Orca at SJ Community Theatre
||| FROM ELLEN ROBERTS & KAREN PALMER for FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL Join us at 7pm on July 16 for an unforgettable evening centered on the extraordinary story of Tokitae—also known as Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut—whose life in captivity sparked a global movement for orca freedom. The acclaimed feature documentary Resident Orca follows the
Leadership San Juan Islands welcomes new program director
||| FROM GRETCHEN KRAMPF for LEADERSHIP SAN JUAN ISLANDS ||| The board of Leadership San Juan Islands is pleased to announce the selection of Lee C. Taylor as Program Director for LSJI’s Cohort XVII. Lee retired from a 35-year career with the National Park Service in 2021 and returned to
Susan Slapin works are at Banner Bank for July art exhibit
||| FROM SUSAN SLAPIN ||| A colorful impressionistic collection of mixed media acrylic and soft pastel paintings. Small and large works. Artist Limited Edition books of images, poetry, and writing. Bring your friends and relations. Message if you see something you love. (Commissions of vistas, special places.) Enjoy!
Celebrate summer and support the library at the Annual Library Fair Book Sale
||| FROM MADELINE SHEPLOR for FRIENDS OF THE ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Friends of the Orcas Island Library (FOIL) warmly invite community members of all ages to the beloved Annual Library Fair Summer Book Sale on Saturday, August 9th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Orcas Island
Governor Ferguson selects Eastern Shipbuilding Group to construct new ferries
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOV. BOB FERGUSON ||| SEATTLE – Governor Bob Ferguson today announced he has selected the $714.5 million bid from Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group to build three new 160-vehicle hybrid-electric ferries. Washington State Ferries (WSF) will move forward with the contracting process, following the first competitive
These Washington laws take effect July 1
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD ||| Fee hikes for hunting and fishing licenses, workplace protections for immigrants and increased requirements for gun dealers are among the Washington state laws going into effect July 1. Drivers can also expect increased prices at the pump as a 6-cent hike in Washington’s gas
Calling all pickleballers | Register NOW for summer tournament
August 2-3 at Buck Park on Orcas Island ||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for ORCAS ISLAND PICKLEBALL CLUB Orcas Island Pickleball Club is pleased to announce the 8 th Annual Orca Island Pickleball Tournament will take place Saturday, August 2nd and Sunday August 3rd, 2025. Saturday will feature mixed doubles play;
Youth Green Boating summer internship
||| FROM AYN GAILEY for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| Help protect the Salish Sea this summer! Lead friendly, face-to-face dockside outreach promoting clean boating. $20/hr for just 4 hours/week with a flexible schedule. Must be 16+, have reliable transportation, and have an interest in marine conservation and public
Funhouse seeking future rockstars
||| FROM NICOLE SPINOGATTI for FUNHOUSE COMMONS ||| Attention musical Orcas teens! The Funhouse is pleased to announce the advent of a brand new music program: Academy of Sound. In this two week summer camp, teens will form bands, develop talent, build and perform a live set, and have fun!
Fairgrounds ready to welcome summer picnickers, fairgoers, campers, and more
These upgrades – including new roads, restrooms, roofs, and paint – will benefit the community for years to come. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| If you haven’t been to the County Fairgrounds lately, you might be surprised by the improved accessibility, refreshed look, and wide range of facility
SJC Monthly News Digest | June 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| County’s Pilot Project for Marine Transport Services Concludes June marked the final month of the County’s transportation project, providing emergency barge and foot-passenger transportation during disruptions to Washington State Ferry (WSF) service as well as travel to and from the mainland (Anacortes) on
San Juan Islands Sculpture Park bird walk
||| FROM MARITA HOLDAWAY for SJI SCULPTURE PARK ||| Join us at the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park on Wednesday, July 2 from 8-10am for our monthly bird walk with avid birder, Tyler Davis, leading the walk. Tyler tells us, “A lot of nestlings have fledged in the last month,
Litch Brothers and more to play at Village Green on July 6
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Join us on the Village Green on Sunday, July 6 starting at 5pm for another great FREE Summer Concert Series event presented by Orcas Center, Doe Bay Resort, GiveOrcas/OICF, and San Juan County The Litch Brothers With Tashi Litch on mandolin, Kaj
