The Friday Harbor Port Commission is meeting Wednesday April 10th at 4:00 PM at Skagit Valley College, 221 Weber Way.

They’ve posted the agenda on their website and you can view it here: https://www.portfridayharbor.org/april-10th-2019-port-commission-meeting/

Tour de Family – Friday Harbor is the Third Annual family bike ride for all ages, coordinated by San Juan County Health and Community Services and Island Rec.

We have a trike/scooter route, a safe ‘first biker’ route, and an adventure route for those wanting a safe and easy open road ride.

It is located at John O. Linde Community Park and is on Friday, May 10, from 2:00 to 4:00pm. This is a FREE event.

All Ages welcome, 6^th Grade and lower must be accompanied by an adult, 7^thgrade and above, no adult required.  All kids under 18 must have a parent signed waiver to participate. 

Also – don’t miss our Shaw Family Bike Ride this summer, happening on July 13^th. 

L-R: Tiffany Christensen, Jerry Ball, and Ellyn Goodrich – Contributed photo

Kiwanis board member Jerry Ball presents a check for $750 from the Friday Harbor Kiwanis Club to Friday Harbor Elementary School for support of their after-school reading program.

“The money that was generously donated by the Kiwanis Club has allowed us to purchase snacks for the kids, which is so important after a long day at school! They are feeling energized and excited to come in” states Tiffany Christensen.

“It has also given us the opportunity to add another para-educator, which means we were able to increase our number of students. These kids really benefit from having a small group setting, and we have been able to really connect with them, while offering the additional support. We are very fortunate and thankful to have this support for our children.”

Congratulations to first place Marcus Lum of Mount Vernon, second place Joe Kantor of Anacortes, and third place San Juan Island local Roger Paul for being big winners in the 8th Annual Table Tennis Tournament this weekend in our Singles bracket.

In our Doubles tournament, Joe Kantor and Hiroshi Kakaki of team Paddle Pals took home the gold. Second place went to Roger Paul and Luc Durette of team They Who Must Not Be Named. Lastly, third place went to the unlikely pairings of team Cream and Shugah, Marcus Lum and Gray Hope.

Thanks to everyone who participated and made it a great day. And a huge thanks to Mi Casita, Golden Triangle, House of Jerky, Ernie’s Café, Crow’s Nest, and Friday Harbor Espresso for the fabulous prizes.

For more information, visit our website, www.islandrec.org, drop by our office; 580 Guard St, Monday-Friday 11am-5pm, or call us at (360) 378-4953.  

2019 Great Islands Clean-up on San Juan Island April 20!

Help make San Juan Island “Plastic Free by the Sea”! This year’s Great Islands Clean-up is on Saturday, April 20, 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 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is also a drop-in beach clean-up at South Beach via Pickett’s Lane from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If you would like to be assigned to a clean-up location ahead of time, contact Katie Fleming at [email protected] or 360-378-2319. 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. Continue Reading

The Town of Friday Harbor is pleased to offer its residential refuse customers a one-time-only curbside pickup of items that are too large or too heavy for their refuse cans the week of April 22-26.

“The Town saw an opportunity to encourage neighborhood cleanups and to assist our customers with their spring cleaning efforts,” said Town Administrator Duncan Wilson. This is the third year the Town has been able to offer this spring cleanup service free of charge to its non-commercial customers.

Specific rules apply regarding the volume and type of items that will be accepted, including that items must fit in a standard pickup truck bed and weigh no more than 60 pounds. This pickup is for non-hazardous, non-liquid items such as large toys and scrap metal, mattresses, carpet, and unusable furniture. It is not for items such as yard or household waste, building materials, electronics, or large appliances, or for items that can be reused or recycled. Continue Reading

Sister is this week’s Pet of the Week – Contributed photo

Swimsuit season is right around the corner and I am ready to hit the beach!

If you would like to hang out with me in the sun, maybe share a glass of lemonade, come on over to the animal shelter!

My name is Sister, I will be the one wearing a yellow tankini.

Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor
994 Cattle Point Road
(360) 378-2158

On Wednesday April 10, 2019, the San Juan Island School District Board of Directors will hold a Special School Board Meeting in the School District Office, 285 Blair Ave.  This is an open public meeting at 5:00 pm with a closed executive session from 5:15 pm – 5:30 pm.  

All public comment, with the exception of public hearings on policy, budget or other specific items, will be heard during the “Public Comment” section of the Call to Order of the special meeting. 

Anyone wishing to address the board on any topic will be scheduled to speak during the public comment period by the Administrative Assistant present at the board meeting. Check in to be scheduled to speak will occur during the 15 minutes before the start of the meeting.    

Please see the agenda at https://www.boarddocs.com/wa/sjisd/Board.nsf/Public

This is a quick look at the board agenda for your convenience.  Please be aware that agendas could change prior to the board meeting.

The following is a press release from the SJC Public Hospital District #1…

When community member Chuck Dalldorf first agreed to serve on the Citizen’s Advisory Group (CAG) looking into a potential integration of EMS and Fire services on San Juan Island, he probably didn’t realize it would take almost a year. He said: “the most challenging part of the CAG experience was the need to do much more in depth research and analysis than what I initially thought we were going to do.”

But the CAG did finish and delivered their 117-page report to the two sponsoring boards: Fire Protection District No. 3 and Public Hospital District No. 1 (which runs local EMS services) on April 2, 2019 in a well-attended public meeting. Although a long read, the first chapter summarizes their recommendation succinctly: “the two Boards… and the Town of Friday Harbor… will integrate SJIEMS and FD #3 into one organization with a single leadership structure.”

The CAG report was advisory but was well received, and the two Boards agreed to establish a steering committee to begin work on determining how the project would unfold. The steering committee will include a Town representative, a commissioner from both boards, and both Fire Chief Collins and EMS Chief Kuetzing from the respective agencies. Continue Reading

Territorial Combat – John Miller photo

John Miller shares another great wildlife photo. This one, entitled “Territorial Combat” shows two owls duking it out in flight. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Taken over Fir Island in early January.

Thanks for sharing John!

The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor has announced that Storrie Arnold is the Volunteer of the Month for April.

Storrie became a volunteer at the animal shelter at the beginning of the year and has been a wonderful addition to the organization. She visits the shelter each week to walk and socialize with the dogs and cats. She is also very helpful with cleaning and does not mind washing windows!

Storrie is super sweet and a real joy to be around! The staff and board of directors at APS-FH sincerely appreciate your help, Storrie!

This first edition of Chamber Chat for 2019 is written by Scott Sluis, 2019 San Juan Island Chamber Board President, Vice President and Senior Loan Officer, Islanders Bank…

Scott Sluis – Contributed photo

“Banker by day and drummer by night”

Introduction: I thought my first Chamber Chat ought to be an introduction of myself since most of you do not know me, or at least not very well, since I am new to San Juan Island. So here it goes:

My family: My family and I moved here to the island December of 2017. My wife and I have 2 daughters, 16 and 11 years old that go to the amazing schools here and they have adjusted quite well and quickly. That fact is in most part to the very friendly and accepting nature of the kids in the schools – so thank you to all the parents out there that have kids in the public schools here – you’re doing a great job. We also have a 29 year old son that still lives in Utah and we miss very much but he likes visiting here so that helps a lot.

We moved here from Utah where I worked in banking for 24 years, 15 of those with the same bank. The better part of my career there was as a branch manager and commercial lender. My most recent position that I was just promoted to prior to moving here was managing roughly 100 people in the loan closing department.

How did you get to San Juan Island from Utah?? My current supervisor was my supervisor in Utah for 10 years and he moved here about 6 years ago and when an opening became available. My wife and I visited the island and fell in love immediately and the rest is history. Continue Reading

San Juan Island writer Cere Demuth will be featured at the Orcas Island Lit Fest (OILF) as a panelist on Saturday, April 6. She will join Heart Berries memoirist Terese Marie Mailhot, Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know, and Kickflip Boys author Neal Thompson on the Orcas Center Main Stage at 2:40 p.m. on Saturday.

“I am thrilled to be participating in the Orcas Lit Fest with a long list of incredibly talented and insightful writers,” Demuth commented. “The panel I’m participating in on Saturday, ‘The Ties that Bind: Memoirists Writing About Family’ will surely be an engaging, powerful and emotional conversation. I’m honored to be included.”

Cere Demuth is a Friday Harbor-based writer and practicing psychotherapist who specializes in treating trauma, addiction and attachment issues. Her memoir, The Way We Stay, tells the story of her son’s addiction, as well as her own personal journey, rooted in her upbringing in the ‘60’s, born in The Summer of Love to hippie parents who became briefly members of the infamous Weather Underground. Continue Reading

In appreciation of National Poetry Month, the San Juan Update is sharing  poems from local poets every Friday this month starting with today.

First up we have FHES 4th grade teacher Lowell Jons and artist/poet Sherry Smith Bell: Continue Reading

Lori Ann David shares this announcement…

Aurora Farms has all the Eggs for Spring and Easter you need. Visit our farm store on Schoolhouse road-Spring Special for eggs is $7.00 per dozen or $20.00 for a flat of 3 dozen.

Our organic eggs are from healthy happy poultry that follow our livestock and eat all the bugs, worms, larvae insects and grass to give you those sweet neon yolk stand up in the pan eggs that you love!

All our incredible veggies are available too; herbs and flowers! Check out our freezers for organic pastured award-winning pork, lamb, goat and beef, sausages and more.

Sign up for our big Spring Meat Sale on Saturday 4/27/19 too – [email protected] 360-378-0233

Open everyday 10-7 or by appointment.

This month’s history column from the San Juan Historical Society & Museum poses many questions…

These two striking photographs were shared by the family of one of these Friday Harbor Tigers teammates. At last month’s 3rd Annual Show and Tell evening at the Library, archives researcher Andy Zall presented on the importance of “reading” a photograph, rather than just “looking” at it. With that in mind, we have been “reading” with curiosity. Where did this team play? Who did they play against? Who are all these guys? And can we make out all the business sponsors on the backs of their uniforms?

We know the identity of the man on the far right. It is labeled as John Douglas, Jr., who was the son of Jack Douglas, proprietor of the iconic pioneer establishment known as Saloon Best. The younger Douglas was married to Florence Guard and would turn 32 the summer this photo was taken in what we think was 1921, so we know it was an adult team. San Juan Islander newspaper articles had been reporting on the Friday Harbor team for many years, so we know it was a well-established team. One 1910 article referred to their playing field as “on the King place, fronting on Guard Street.” Continue Reading