In the SJ Update mail bag this morning we have this letter from Justin Paulsen… If 2020 has highlighted nothing else within our country it is that political division has seeped into every function of our society. As our current generation navigates social, health and economic waters which have never before been explored, one factor  Continue Reading

FREEZER BURNED: Tales of Interior Alaska is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Steve Ulvi… Arriving in Interior Alaska in 1974, I was 23 years old and had never been in any kind of airplane. (Well alright, full disclosure; as a kid, I was big on those horses and planes that  Continue Reading

More good news from J-Pod… The Center for Whale Research confirms that another calf has been born into the Southern Resident killer whale community, and the mother is J41. CWR will eagerly await the whales’ return to evaluate the calf’s condition and hopefully determine its sex. J41’s new calf is the second birth in J  Continue Reading

Dear Friday Harbor community, I have always loved the month of September. Many years ago, when I decided to make education a life-long career I saw an opportunity to broaden my world, allowing me to extend beyond the limits of the little town where I was raised. Choosing education as a career eventually led me  Continue Reading

Deb Langhans shares some thoughts about keeping your mental health… Are you holding your breath these days? With all the medical, economic, political and environmental upheaval upon us, is it any wonder? Breath is life. It might be our most faithful lifelong companion as well as a barometer of how we’re perceiving our world: When  Continue Reading

Skagit Valley College’s Continuing and Community Education program (CCE) is pleased to announce new online workshops for Fall Quarter. CCE allows you to engage, connect, learn, and grow from the comfort of your home in short-term, non-credit courses. Visit the CCE Fall 2020 Course Catalog for more information. Courses are designed for people who would like to  Continue Reading

PUBLIC NOTICE: San Juan Island Fire and Rescue Surplus Vehicle Auction San Juan Island Fire and Rescue is offering a surplus vehicle for sale by a sealed bid process: 2008 Chevy Trailblazer 4X4, Gasoline Engine, White SUV 164,000 +/- miles. VIN: 1GNDT13S682221234 Minimum Bid on this vehicle is $4,200 Bids will be accepted starting September 21,  Continue Reading

Here’s some happy news from the Center for Whale Research… Updating our recent announcement concerning J35’s new calf, J57: we can confirm that it is male (see top photograph). This feisty young boy was seen last evening, September 22, near Point Roberts, Washington. He was photographed rolling, spyhopping, and swimming alongside his mother, who was  Continue Reading

After months of quarantined waiting, the Friday Harbor High School Thespians’ production of Little Shop of Horrors has heard back from their adjudication with the 5th Avenue Theatre for the High School Musical Theatre Awards. The awards show got cancelled this year due to the pandemic, also cancelling the actual nominations and awards ceremony. Nevertheless,  Continue Reading

After-school sailing club launches with 20 students, 4 new boats, thanks to generous donations Twenty students from San Juan, Lopez and Orcas Islands glory in the sun, the wind, and the sea on Griffin Bay twice a week with the Sailing Club at Jackson Beach. Because distancing occurs naturally between sailors in single-handed sailboats, this  Continue Reading