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The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor shares news about their recent experiences in Eastern Washington, including the ways in which APS-FH can work to support animal welfare in the region.

On Sept. 6, Animal Protection Society-Friday Harbor Executive Director Cristin Felso and Shelter Manager Beth Anderson were invited to join a team of animal welfare champions on a private airplane trip across the north-central region of Washington state, including the cities of Omak, Okanogan, Cashmere, and Wenatchee. The goal of the trip was to visit with local animal welfare leaders and tour facilities, as well as pick up two litters of puppies to be transferred to APS-FH and Orcas APS. The trip was organized by San Juan Island resident Cindy Koch in a continued effort to address gaps in animal welfare services and identify potential solutions to decrease overpopulation and the number of unwanted pets in the region.

Members of the touring team included Cindy Koch, Jill Servais, island resident Mia Shepard, APS founding board member Yolanda Morris, and Pawsitive Alliance Executive Director Jenny Fraley.

There are many factors at play in the region that create a challenging animal welfare environment, including large, rural land areas that are geographically isolated and a high rate of poverty that presents barriers to accessibility and affordability of pet-care services. There are also few available resources to address the prevalence of animal overpopulation, such as consistent and low-cost spay and neuter services, accessible animal shelters, and availability of other shelter and rescue partners to accept animals from the region through transport and transfer.

During the tour, the group visited several organizations struggling to do all they can do for an overwhelming number of homeless and abandoned animals in a severely under-served and under-resourced region. Okanogan Regional Humane, The Cat House, Okanogan County Animal Foster Care Cat Shelter, City of Omak, and Okandogs are all organizations doing their best to cover the needs of the animals within their community, but are either struggling or unable to keep up with the demand. The commonality between all of them was a lack of funding, housing space, and access to resources for the homeless or stray animals in need.

Through this visit, it is clear that the entire region needs access to sustained, low-cost spay and neuter and veterinary services via clinic and mobile units, and efforts should be made to increase public awareness regarding the importance of spaying and neutering owned animals. Finally, transport and relocation programs with shelters throughout the state are critical to shelters in this area.

APS-FH is in the early learning stage of identifying ways we can support this region. We are working with shelters and rescues in the area to set transfer parameters that will allow us to accept animals more readily from the region. And our own shelter veterinarian, Dr. Merriss Waters, will lead a team of vets and other animal medical personnel during a high volume spay and neuter, vaccination, and ID event taking place at Okanogan Regional Humane in Omak Oct. 21-23. At least 200 animals will receive services through this collaboration put together by Okanogan Regional Humane, Animal Balance, and Pawsitive Alliance of Bellevue.

In addition to the insight APS-FH reps received on this journey, they were also able to tie in a transfer of eight small, mixed-breed puppies from ARFS of Grant County and Okandogs. All pups will soon be available for adoption through APS-FH and Orcas APS. By adopting a rescue pet, you can make all the difference in the life of an unwanted animal, while helping support the many organizations working together to resolve animal welfare related issues.

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This past week, the world lost not only the longest serving British monarch, but at 96 years old a woman who embodied longevity itself. Queen Elizabeth II had plenty of healthy habits. She started her days with a pot of Earl Grey tea, a bowl of Special K cereal, and a bagpipe serenade. She rode horses, walked her dogs, and eschewed bread and pasta, avoiding starch. She also enjoyed venison burgers, chocolate, and gin martinis.

Blue Zone longevity studies focus on communities throughout the world with particularly long-lived populations. Centenarians living in “blue zones” areas — places where people were living longer lives with more vitality — have a strong sense of purpose throughout their lives. The Okinawans call it ikigai and the Nicoyans call it plan de vida. For both, it translates to why I wake up in the morning.

Queen Elizabeth’s purpose was clear. Due to her uncle’s abdication followed by her father’s poor health, Elizabeth’s destiny was thrust upon her at a young age. On her 21st birthday she made her commitment clear stating, “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.” At the age of 25 she became Queen of the United Kingdom. She kept her promise to steadfastly serve her people for the next 70 years.

One of the most important duties of the British monarch is asking a new Prime Minister to form a government. On Sept. 6 the Queen accepted the resignation of Boris Johnson, her 14th Prime Minister, and asked her 15th Prime Minister, Liz Truss, to form a new government. Two days later the Queen passed away. She died with her boots on, you could say, fulfilling the promise that she made in her youth.

Few of us live lives of such notable consequence. Yet, our purpose can be as simple as showing kindness to others. What is it that gets you up in the morning?

The San Juan County Economic Development Council shares news about an upcoming event.

Community leaders and members are invited to join the conversation on Future Focus: San Juan Islands Resilience at the 13th Annual EDC Economics Luncheon, held at Brickworks in Friday Harbor on Wednesday, Sept. 28 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Featuring noted speaker Louis Harris from the Washington State Department of Commerce, the event will include a deep dive into community resilience initiatives and policies, as well as a panel discussion with experts from Congressman Rick Larsen’s office and local elected officials. The conversation will examine efforts at the local, state, and federal level to create a resilient future for our islands and region.

Luncheon tickets are $39. Visit the EDC website to order tickets or for more information.

The Library sends along news about its upcoming in-person English classes.

The San Juan Island Library is excited to announce the return to in-person English language classes for adults beginning Thursday, Sept. 22. Classes are free of charge and will take place in the Library from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays until Dec. 15.

Students of all English language levels are welcome and will receive individual workbooks and learning materials, funded in part by the San Juan Island Community Foundation. Thanks to a partnership with the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center, a family enrichment program will be offered to students’ children four years of age and older. In addition to a paid instructor, volunteer English tutors will support students’ success in class. Volunteers receive free online training prior to classes through the San Juan Island Library.

To learn more about the English Language Learning Program, register for classes, or apply as a volunteer tutor, contact Wendy Waxman Kern at the San Juan Island Library at [email protected] or 360-378-2798.

Linda Gilkeson, Ph.D.

The Master Gardeners of San Juan County share news about their upcoming speaker series.

Join the Master Gardeners of San Juan County in welcoming the very popular Dr. Linda Gilkeson — also known as the Garden Doctor — as the keynote speaker at our annual Gardening Workshop Series this October. Dr. Gilkeson’s talk, Resilient Gardens in a Changing Climate, will discuss how greater resiliency in our gardening methods can help minimize the effects of local climate change. Pacific Northwest gardeners need to be prepared to handle cooler, wetter springs; longer, drier summers; unexpected winter cold snaps; and water shortages.

In addition to her keynote address, Dr. Gilkeson will also speak in an afternoon session, Preparing Our Gardens for Winter, which will talk about protecting soil and preserving beneficial insect habitat. It will also cover what to plant in the fall to increase next year’s food supply for pollinators.

Dr. Gilkeson earned a Ph.D. in Entomology from McGill University and worked for the Canadian government on various programs designed to reduce pesticide use. She is the author of Backyard Bounty: The Complete Guide to Year-Round Organic Gardening in the Pacific Northwest. She lives in British Columbia and writes a monthly newsletter with gardening tips on her website.

The workshops consist of two Zoom webinars at noon and 1:45 each Tuesday and Thursday from Oct. 18-27. Each session is an hour long with a question and answer period at the end. Continue Reading

The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold a regular meeting on Friday, Sept. 16 at 8:30 a.m. Items up for discussion or action at Friday’s meeting include:

• General public comments
• Chair and Commissioners report
• Partner update – Angela Anderson, San Juan Preservation Trust
• County Council update – Christine Minney
• Director’s report – acquisitions update; County budget committee meeting; Recreation, Open Space and Stewardship Plan
• Stewardship report – Coffelt lease draft; public comments and draft responses for Turtleback Mountain Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan
• Outreach and volunteer report
• Future agenda items

You can view the live stream of the meeting online or take part in person at 846 Argyle Ave.

San Juan County’s Department of Community Development shares details about the Comprehensive Plan review process taking place in the months ahead.

Monday marked the first of many County Council meetings devoted to reviewing the 2036 Comprehensive Plan update. The Council will review different elements of the Plan every Monday through Oct. 17 with additional, semi-regular meetings to follow, leading up to the public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 29.

This final series of meetings, reviews, and recommendations is the culmination of years of work. The 2036 Comprehensive Plan update process began in 2016 and has been a major focus of the County’s Department of Community Development and the Planning Commission. Monthly commission meetings, regular presentations to Council, and extensive public involvement have contributed to this final phase of recommended updates that the Council is expected to adopt by the end of the year.

The changes are aimed at meeting the needs of the 2036 population and implementing the County Vision that was updated in 2018. Changes also improve the usability of the Plan and provide new analyses, assessments, and inventories. They also address key challenges like housing, economic diversification, tourism management, preserving rural character, and climate change.

Those interested in reading the current draft and learning more about the Comprehensive Plan updates can visit the Comprehensive Plan website. The preliminary schedule of the Plan elements to be reviewed at upcoming meetings includes:

• Sept. 12: Governance, land use, rural elements
• Sept. 19: Housing, transportation, historic/archeological preservation elements
• Sept. 26: Capital facilities, utilities, and economic development elements
• Oct. 3: Review draft of Official Map changes for Orcas, Lopez, and Shaw Islands
• Oct. 10: Review Section B, Element 4, Water Resources; review draft Official Map changes for San Juan Island
• Oct. 17: Review Plan formatting and tie up loose ends
• Oct. 31: Review draft ordinance
• Nov. 7: Follow up on questions or changes made to the draft ordinance at the previous meetings
• Nov. 29: County Council public hearing, Plan update adoption

Public comments will be accepted throughout the review process.

For more information, contact County Planner Sophia Cassam at [email protected] or 360-370-7589.

OPALCO shares a reminder about a maintenance power outage taking place overnight.

All of San Juan County will be affected by a planned power outage necessary for Bonneville Power Association to make scheduled repairs to the transmission lines that deliver power to the islands. This maintenance outage will happen during the night minimize impact to OPALCO consumers.

The outage will begin at approximately 11:30 p.m. tonight and power is expected to be restored by 5 a.m. tomorrow. During this time, BPA crews will upgrade transmission equipment and perform maintenance on the system. While the power is off, the OPALCO crew will utilize the opportunity to do maintenance work on our local system.

Turn sensitive equipment off at the power strip or unplug it tonight. In the morning, turn equipment on gradually to aid in power load pick up. OPALCO members are responsible for their own equipment and encouraged to install surge protection to safeguard electronic, computer and other sensitive equipment and appliances.

Now is a great time to make sure you’re prepared for winter outages. OPALCO’s system is strong and its line crews skillful and ready, however outages happen and islanders must be prepared. Take time to get ready for storm season outages now, including your plan to access outage information (SmartHub, phone message, website, social media, outage buddy off island with internet service), assemble a kit of the things you need to keep you comfortable during power outages, and do maintenance on your battery or generator backup for any critical systems.

Check our website for outage checklists and other key information for making sure you are ready this winter.

• After 12 years in business, the end of the current iteration of The Bean is almost here. According to a Facebook post by owner Eric Bienenstock, The Bean’s last day in business is tomorrow. In the post Eric says that “the cafe is for sale, and I am in discussions with an interested party. My hope is that a new owner will bring the energy, enthusiasm and passion that I arrived with so many years ago and return the cafe to its former greatness.” He also says that “it has been my great honor to serve our community these last twelve years, and I will be forever grateful for the tremendous support we have been shown.”
• The San Juan County Department of Emergency Management has shared detailed information about the status of the sunken Aleutian Isle fishing vessel.
• Farm tours on San Juan Island are happening in just a couple of weeks — Sept. 23-25. Eight island farms are taking part this year.
• Organizers of the 2023 San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit seek community responses to a survey related to this year’s event, which takes place on San Juan Island.
• SaviBank is now open as a full-service branch. It’s located at 232 A St., Unit 2, across the street from Tina’s Place and the ferry waiting lanes. Business hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Here are the week’s specials at Market Place and Kings.
• Thanks to our advertisers for their continued support of the San Juan Update — including Tamara Weaver of Windermere Real Estate.

Have something to share with the Island? Whether the news is big or small, let us know!

According to Brad, “Sadly, they only cross the road here for one reason: to get food that two of the neighbors put out for them.”

Learn more about Brad’s perspective on the foxes of San Juan Island.

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The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank and San Juan Preservation Trust share details about the upcoming public event at the North Shore/Glenwood Inn property on the west side of Orcas Island.

Join the San Juan County Council, and staff and commissioners/directors from the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank and San Juan Preservation Trust, at the North Shore/Glenwood Inn property on Orcas Island from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24.

Meander from the upland to the shoreline and learn about the property’s mature forests, wetlands, shoreline, and the tidelands that support eelgrass and forage fish.

Due to limited on-site parking, the Land Bank has organized a roundtrip shuttle bus from Orcas Island High School to the Preserve. Park your car in the student and guest parking area only; the shuttle will pick up and drop off on the half hour, starting at 9:45 am.

For more information, contact Tanja Williamson at 360-378-4402 or [email protected].

The County sends along news about the islands’ twice-annual beach and road clean-up event.

Join your fellow islanders for the 2022 Fall Great Islands Clean-up on Saturday, Sept. 24 between 10 a.m and 2 p.m. During this event, participants of all ages can sign-up to collect trash on a designated beach or road, and then bring their collected trash to the central meeting spot to be counted.

On San Juan Island, meet at 10 a.m. at the San Juan Island Brewing Co. parking lot (410 A St. in Friday Harbor) to pick up trash collection equipment and receive beach and roadway assignments. Coffee and goodies will be provided by Lautenbach Recycling to fuel your efforts — bring your own coffee cup, please. Drop off your collected trash at the same location by 2 p.m. There will be an after-party at San Juan Island Brewing Co. with music by T-Flo, $1 beers for clean-up participants, and a Stewardship Network of the San Juans raffle.

If you’d like to be assigned a location ahead of time, contact Katherine at [email protected] for beaches and Tina at [email protected] for roads.

“The Great Islands Clean-up is a fantastic opportunity for our community to join together and address the global issue of plastic pollution,” says Katie Fleming, San Juan County’s Solid Waste Coordinator. “Every little bit helps — last spring, 173 miles of island roads and beaches were cleaned by 350 awesome volunteers.”

The Great Islands Clean Up is a bi-annual event held every spring and fall, coordinated by the County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship Solid Waste Program in cooperation with Orcas Recycling Services, Lautenbach Recycling, Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District, San Juan Sanitation, Friends of the San Juans, the Stewardship Network of the San Juans, and many other individual, business, and service group volunteers. It is funded in part by the Washington State Department of Ecology.

APS-FH shares some kind words about their volunteer of the month.

The Animal Protection Society is pleased to announce Amara Johnsen as our volunteer of the month for September. Amara has been volunteering at the APS-FH Treasure Hounds store since March of this year. She works as a retail sales clerk for the store as well as being our resident jewelry expert.

We were introduced to Amara in 2021 when she adopted Charlie Girl from the shelter — a long-time lobby cat with FIV — and gave her a wonderful, forever home.

For Treasure Hounds, Amara brings her knowledge and understanding about jewelry. She is a jewelry maker who sells her beautiful items at the local markets and fairs. Amara can repair jewelry and brings in her own tools and supplies to help renew items that have been donated to Treasure Hounds so they can be sold to raise funds for APS-FH. Treasure Hounds supports 25 percent of the organization’s operations.

Amara is able to recognize special properties in the donated jewelry pieces so they can be priced accordingly. She creates beautiful displays that show off the store’s jewelry. Customers delight in the merchandise and the way it is displayed. All of these skills have helped massively increase jewelry sales at Treasure Hounds.

Amara is always there for anyone that needs her — she is a kind soul and a delight to be around. Although Amara is very busy with her jewelry making and running her business, she still makes time to volunteer at Treasure Hounds, because she cares about shelter animals. Just ask her cat Charlie Girl!

APS-FH has numerous volunteering opportunities. If you are interested in helping, visit our website to learn more about our volunteer program.