Join Casey Wade and Morgan Johnston, Tuesdays and Thursdays this Fall for a 6 week, back to fitness boot camp at John O. Linde Community Park.

This class runs from September 24 – October 31^st, 8:20-9:10am. We will focus on body-weight workouts, and meeting you wherever you’re at in your fitness journey. All Abilities and fitness levels welcome.

Register by September 19^th for $68.00. For more information or registration visit our website www.islandrec.org, drop by the office 580 Guard St, Monday -Friday 11am-5pm or give us a call 360-378-4953.

The Department of Community Development is excited to announce that the you can now search for permits, check permit status, request code enforcement, pay fees, and request inspections through the **NEW** San Juan County Online Permit Center. Links to the new online permit center are found on the Community Development Webpage or at the following link: San Juan County Online Permit Center. The system is new to county staff, so your patience during this transition is appreciated!

Search Permits

Searching for permits and checking permit status is available to the public without an account.  Click the San Juan County Online Permit Center link to get started. You will need an application number, applicant last name, or parcel number to search.  A helpful search guide is found here: San Juan County Permit Search Instructions

Building, land use, and fire permits are searchable online as far back as 2010. All environmental health sewage disposal permits are searchable online. Right-of-way permits are searchable as far back as 2015.

Read more…

This weekend only, The San Juan Community Theatre will feature a unique musical and poetic experience, focused on intergenerational collaboration. Up Close opens Thursday, September 12 at 7:30 pm and continues through Sunday.

Up Close features stories, poems, and songs written in collaboration with elders from San Juan Island.  Professional composers and writers collaborate with local elders to create original works. Then the new songs and poems are lovingly performed in an intimate setting by some of the region’s best musicians. An in-depth discussion of the Up Close process is available in this TEDx talk:

San Juan Island composer Grisha Krivchenia began the Up Close concert series in collaboration with Bobby Ryan, former director of San Juan Community Theatre. Grisha and Bobby designed Up Close in 2016, building on their work with arts organizations in Portland and Santa Fe: Well Arts and Lifesongs, respectively. Continue Reading

This invitation was sent to you by Friday Harbor Youth…

At 10:30am on Friday, September 20th, at the Friday Harbor courthouse lawn, students from San Juan Island, in conjunction with students from around the world, will be striking to demand transformative action be taken to address the climate crisis.

The strike is taking place three days before the UN Climate Summit in NYC. The students ask people of all ages to be a part of the strike, as it is no longer the job of youth alone to fight in the battle for a healthy planet.

Community members will meet on the lawn of the Courthouse and will march to the roundabout at the ferry landing. We are taking to the streets to demand a right to a future.

We ask you to strike with us.

Fish for Teeth sponsors a mobile dental van for dental clinics on San Juan Island, three times a year – Contributed photo

Fish For Teeth brings free mobile dental clinic to Friday Harbor

Islanders unable to afford dental care, can receive it for free thanks to the local nonprofit Fish For Teeth on Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Mullis Community Center on San Juan Island.

“Many volunteers and local businesses work as a team to bring this service to those who cannot otherwise afford dental care,” said Fish For Teeth Founder Matt Marinkovich, a San Juan Island commercial fisherman.

Fish For Teeth sponsors a mobile dental van for two-day dental clinics on San Juan Island, three times a year. The Medical Teams International’s van can handle a variety of services, including teeth cleanings and root canals. Continue Reading

Help make San Juan Island “Plastic Free by the Sea”! This year’s Fall Great Islands Clean-up is on Saturday, September 28, 2019. Join the county-wide greening event and collect litter from public beaches and roadways.

Pick-up your trash collection equipment at the central meet location next to Bonnie’s Creative Passions at 635 Spring Street in Friday Harbor from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is also a drop-in beach clean-up at South Beach via Pickett’s Lane from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

If you would like to be assigned to a beach clean-up location ahead of time, contact Katie Fleming at [email protected] or 360-378-2319. If you would like to be assigned to a road clean-up location ahead of time, contact Aaron Rock at [email protected] or 630-947-3194.

Bags, grabbers, safety vests and latex gloves will also be available at the San Juan County Public Works office on Spring Street during the week before the event. 

There will be litter clean-up events happening on Orcas, San Juan, Lopez and Shaw Islands. Visit www.plasticfreesalishsea.org/events for more information about the events on all this islands.

Hello Oakies! Summer flew by and fall is on the horizon. This Sunday, Land Bank stewards, Carlton and Kayla, will join Oakie Extraordinaire, Thom Pence, in leading the Oak Team work party.

• When?
  September 15
  10:00am to 2:00pm
• RSVP required (e-mail [email protected]).
• Where?
  We will meet at the base of Cady Mountain Preserve . Turn on to Cady Mountain Road off of West Valley Road. We’ll meet at the triangle junction about 100 yards from West Valley. Carlton will be driving the Land Bank truck and will have room for Oakies to hop in back and catch a ride up the hill.
• What?
  Girdling
• Bring/Wear?
  Hand saw or Hori Hori
  Gloves
  Weather appropriate clothing
  Water/Lunch

Next Scheduled Oak Team Work Parties:
Oct 27

Local native artist, Rande Cook, has a firm grip on the wheel of the Kwakwakawak’w imagination. His new artful odyssey will come rumbling through Friday Harbor on Saturday, September 14^th. His reception at Arctic Raven Gallery will be at 5pm that afternoon. Works will be on display until October 19^th.

Kwagūl Stylin’ began when Rande first put a carving knife in his hands. An incredible exhibition has evolved through this seemingly simple expression. Old cedar comes to life once again in works inspired by creative gifts cedar trees have offered in the past. Rande’s masks bring to life stories from the past and connect them to viewers in the present.

Some ancient masks from the past are rarely seen today. One of them is “The Long Life Giver.” It is a tall mask. The design points up to the heavens all the time. Rande accidentally cut his version of the mask down the middle. The mask then felt to him like a split between the past and the new.

Rande finds himself in middle of that split right now. “We sometimes miss the moment when there is a split in time.” Don’t miss this opportunity to experience an unexpected moment and find your own truths.

You can visit Arctic Raven Gallery at 130 First Street in Friday Harbor. Follow us on Facebook or visit our website www.arcticravengallery.com . Give us a call at 360 378 3433 for more information.

Eba the Conservation Canine – Heather Spaulding photo

Maybe out on the water you saw a dog, in sunglasses no less, on the prow of a small boat and wondered what they were doing. Well, now you can get an answer!

Come meet Dr. Debora Giles and Eba at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) lobby and learn about Eba’s job and the science behind the scenes.

 All are welcome on Saturday, September 14, from 1:00 to 3:00. Meeting Eba and Giles is free.

After your visit with Dr. Giles, do see the DEEP DIVE exhibition where Pacific Northwest artists explore the awe-inspiring underwater life of the Salish Sea and threats to our iconic species  The show closes Monday, September 16 at 5pm.  For the exhibition, the $10 general admission applies (SJIMA members and 18 and under are admitted free).

Mondays are Pay As You Can Days.

Join the art of discovery at SJIMA, where there is always something new.

SJIMA is located in Friday Harbor at 540 Spring Street. Hours are Thursday-Monday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Kenmore Air, the official airline of the Friday Harbor Film Festival, is offering a 10% discount on flights between Seattle and Friday Harbor from October 24 – 28. Flights eligible for this offer include seaplane trips between Lake Union and Friday Harbor Marina, as well as land plane flights between Boeing Field and Friday Harbor Airport. Full details and reservations are available on their website at KenmoreAir.com. To obtain the discount, enter the promo code FHFF2019 when booking online or by phone when calling 866-435-9524.

Kenmore Air has been a Festival sponsor since its inception in 2013, providing transportation to filmmakers and film enthusiasts.

The exciting seventh annual Friday Harbor Film Festival, to be held October 25-27, 2019 on San Juan Island, will screen 31 new documentary films, 23 short films, and a selection of films produced by student filmmakers. Films will be shown in 6 venues, all within an easy walk from the ferry landing, airport and port.

The 2019 Friday Harbor Film Festival program is available at the FHFF office (10 First St., Friday Harbor) and on the Washington State ferries.  Full information about the Festival can be found at FHFF.org.

Come be a part of this extraordinary Festival. Plan now to visit scenic San Juan Island during the Festival this October.

“That’s a wrap folks!”

We hear some good news from Bristol & Desi Whalen…

Hello everyone,

This is the post our family has prayed we’d be able to write since Tuesday, July 9, 2019 — an unbelievable 62 days ago. Our beautiful Rockstar Mom BEAT MENINGITIS AND IS COMING HOME!!! We are bringing her unparalleled smile and gorgeous spirit back to Friday Harbor later this week. She has missed our island home and all of you so much.

In the month since our last post, Carol has graduated from her rigorous physical and occupational therapies with flying colors. She has faced every potential long term effect of this voracious illness and said “not me!” — and has suffered no long term hearing, vision, neurological or physical impairments. The road to full recovery will still be taxing, but she’s medically ready to return home and begin the journey of getting back to her rich and wonderful life.

All of you that have followed her story have helped bring this miracle to us. Our GoFundMe campaign has had 640 unique shares, and 165 of you have followed each step of her journey. That’s not to count the tens of direct supporters who have followed us through email, phone calls, texts — an outpouring of love and assistance that kept us going. In total Carol has received over $15,500 in financial support – money that is allowing us to face the financial fallout and continue to support her while she faces prolonged downtime from work (doctor’s orders!). The power of human kindness is astonishing, and from the very reaches of our hearts we thank you for loving us, knowing us, and standing with us. Over the coming months, we hope to be able to uphold our promise of donating to Friday Harbor EMS – without whose support our joy today wouldn’t be possible. Continue Reading

Upon successful completion of this class you will walk away with life-saving skills and a First Aid certification from the American Heart Association that is valid for two years! This is an ideal class for parents, babysitters, volunteer coaches and recreation leaders ages 15 and up.

First Aid will take place on Wednesday, September 25 from 5:00 pm – 9:30 pm. CPR will take place on Thursday, September 26 from 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm. Both classes are located at the Frank Wilson EMS building. Early registration, which lasts until September 12, is $47; the registration fee is $52 thereafter.

For more information and registration please visit our website,  www.islandrec.org, call the office at 360-378-4953, or come in to our office M-F between 11am-5pm.

Bruce Gregory on volunteer assignment to Tajikistan…

Farmer to Farmer in Tajikistan – Contributed photo

As I have been to Central Asia four times before on ACDI-VOCA Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) assignments in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. I was contacted again and asked to return and work with the farmers in the Khatlon Province.  I have agreed to travel to Tajikistan from Nov. 15-Dec. 8, 2019 for three weeks of Orchard Management field workshops.

The host farm, Iskandar Dehkan Farm in Tojikiston village, is run by Rustam Kurbonov and his family of seven.  They collectively manage a 1.5-hectare orchard of apples, pears, plums, cherry, apricots, peaches and almonds.  I will also work with other farmers in 12 other local districts of the Khatlon Province throughout my stay.  Using the organizational resources of the local USAID group we will be able to meet with and have field workshops with over 300 individuals both male and female along with numerous youth. 

The budget for the F2F program does not include funds for simple pruning tools, sharpeners, educational materials or books, etc.  Knowing that these items would be scarce or even missing from the repertoire of the average Tajik farmers I am once again setting up a fund-raising effort for contributions for tools in the local island community.  With community help, I hope to be able to take 50 lb. of orchard hand tools and supplies to give out to the many farmers who so willingly will host our many workshops in their orchards and the thirst for knowledge and gratitude that they and their neighbors express.

If you would like to donate funds to the Tajik Tool Fund you can send a check to our SJI mailing address: Mitchell Bay Farm, 1071 Mitchell Bay Rd., F.H. WA 98250 or if you have access to PayPal you can simply P.P. any amount to [email protected]  Attach a note that it is for the Tajik Tool Fund!

Thanks for your support!

Farmer to Farmer in Tajikistan – Contributed photo

Notice of a San Juan County Council Regular Meeting and Public Hearing on Tuesday, September 24, 2019, at the County Council Hearing Room, Legislative Building,  55 Second Street, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Beginning at 9:15 A.M. to Obtain Testimony on a Resolution Extending the Moratorium on Siting Licensed Marijuana Production and Processing Adopted in Resolution No. 15-2019

The San Juan County Council will take public testimony on a proposed resolution to extend the existing six month moratorium on new or pending applications for a building or occupancy permit, variance, conditional use or other development permit or approval with respect to licensed marijuana production and processing. This moratorium adopted in Resolution No. 15-2019 expires October 2, 2019, unless renewed or otherwise extended as provided in RCW 36.70.795 and RCW 36.70A.390.

Under the existing moratorium, permit applications for marijuana production and processing shall not be accepted as either consistent or complete by any County department. After reviewing public testimony, County Council will consider adopting a new resolution to extend the moratorium and propose a work plan to adopt regulations needed to address the siting of marijuana production and processing. Continue Reading

The League of Women Voters of the San Juans invites the public to attend voter forums for candidates on the ballot for the November 5 general election.

The Orcas forum will be Monday, October 14 from 5 to 7:15 pm at the Orcas Fire Hall, and the Friday Harbor forum will be Wednesday, October 16 from 5:30 to 7 pm at the San Juan Grange. 

The two candidates for State Senate District 40, Liz Lovelett (D) and Daniel Miller (R), will appear in both forums.  In addition, candidates for Port Commissioner, Sewer and Water District and School Board have also been asked to appear at the Orcas forum.  Candidates will make opening and closing statements and answer questions from the audience.

Ballots for the November 5 general election are to be mailed October 15, and voting begins on the 18.