The EDC invites island business owners, workers and residents to participate in a survey regarding Washington State Ferries service disruptions this past summer.  Islanders are invited to participate in the survey here:  https://forms.gle/uzXU6vy3tujUyuSR9

Anecdotal information and data derived from the survey will be used to better understand economic and other impacts from ferry service disruptions, and will allow us to advocate for our most important transportation link.

For more information, please visit https://sanjuansedc.org/ferry-survey-2021, or contact the EDC atinfo@sanjuansedc.org or 360-378-2906.

Our mission:  The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) strives to support small rural enterprises, and conduct projects to stimulate new job creation, strengthen the economic base for working families, and support overall quality of life for islanders.   

Coverage without cost-sharing available for eligible people with Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Most Commercial Health Insurance Coverage

Following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent action that authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for certain high-risk populations and a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will continue to provide coverage for this critical protection from the virus, including booster doses, without cost sharing.

Beneficiaries with Medicare pay nothing for COVID-19 vaccines or their administration, and there is no applicable copayment, coinsurance or deductible. In addition, thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), nearly all Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries must receive coverage of COVID-19 vaccines and their administration, without cost-sharing.

COVID-19 vaccines and their administration, including boosters, will also be covered without cost-sharing for eligible consumers of most issuers of health insurance in the commercial market. People can visit vaccines.gov (English) or vacunas.gov (Spanish) to search for vaccines nearby.

Since the last update on Friday September 17th, there have been eight new confirmed or probable cases in San Juan County. Current total case count is now 300.

Of these eight new cases, initial investigations indicate that three appear to have occurred in fully vaccinated individuals.

There are approximately nine unvaccinated close contacts of positive cases who are currently in two-week quarantine.

• Lopez Island: There are four new cases on Lopez Island since the last update. There are four positive cases under active monitoring on Lopez Island.
• Orcas Island: There is one new case on Orcas Island since the last update. There are three positive cases under active monitoring on Orcas Island.
• San Juan Island: There are three new cases on San Juan Island since the last update. There are six positive cases under active monitoring on San Juan Island.
• Shaw Island: There are no new cases on Shaw Island since the last update. There are no positive cases under active monitoring on Shaw Island.
• Outer Islands: There are no new cases in the outer islands since the last update. There are no positive cases under active monitoring in the outer islands.

IF YOU NEED TO GET VACCINATED: Those wanting a first or second shot of Pfizer or a first (and only) dose of Johnson and Johnson should sign up for clinics happening on San Juan (OCT 5^th), Orcas (OCT 6^th), and Lopez (OCT 7^th) by going HERE to register. Pfizer for ages 12 and up, Johnson and Johnson for ages 18 and older.

THIRD DOSE BOOSTERS: Final CDC approval of third dose Pfizer boosters for some higher risk members of the community is expected shortly. Once approved, the County and other local healthcare providers will be making boosters available. Stay tuned for more detailed info. Please do NOT sign up for the clinics linked above to get a booster shot.

Follow OPALCO’s EV Road Trip in October:

Starting October 6^th, an exclusive team from OPALCO (Communication Specialist Krista Bouchey and the “Switch it up pup” Pepper) will be driving the Co-op’s Kia Niro 100% electric vehicle (EV) to Eastern Washington and back, making stops to visit wind and hydro projects, innovative public power projects and – of course – EV charging stations along the way.

The purpose of the EV Road Trip is to demonstrate the power and range of electric vehicles and talk with people along the way about EVs and public power. Follow the journey in videos, photos and (COVID safe) parking-lot interviews on FaceBook at @orcaspower, and also on OPALCO’s This Electric Life Blog at www.opalco.com.

Pepper the Switch It Up! Pup

“This is a big learning curve for me,” said Krista, who still drives a gas-powered car at home. “We’ve got it all mapped out, but Pepper and I have to be ready for anything – I’ve never even charged at a public charging station before! Hopefully, we’ll meet some good people along the way to help us out. It’s going to be a fun adventure!”

To prepare for this carbon-free journey, Krista used the ABRP (a better road trip planner) and Plug Share apps on her phone to find EV chargers and chart a course that works with the range of the Kia, which is about 230 miles per charge. This was challenging when trying to get to hydro projects in remote areas!

The trip begins – as all island adventures do – with a ferry ride to Anacortes and the itinerary includes: Read More »

One physician described the “beautiful formation” of the human body as inspiration for art.  Go Figure!  celebrating the human form, has just opened at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) in Friday Harbor. Visitors and residents are invited to experience art of the human body as it tells stories, expresses emotion and celebrates what it means to be human.

Rebecca Albiani, art history expert – Contributed photo

As part of the expanded exhibition program, SJIMA presents A Brief History of Figurative Art by the exceedingly popular Rebecca Albiani. The presentation takes place on Sunday, October 3, at the San Juan Grange Hall in Friday Harbor at 4-5:30 pm.

Albiani, a frequent art history lecturer at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle summarizes, “The Human figure has been essential to Western art for millennia.”  Her talk will follow the development of figurative art from ancient Egypt to classical Greece and Rome.  She will examine the importance of the figure to the Renaissance, a rebirth of classical antiquity. Read More »

A big THANK YOU to the San Juan Island Community Foundation for the support they have shown to local non profits including the San Juan Community Home Trust, at the 2021 County Fair. 

We build San Juan Island’s only permanently affordable housing. By offering all local non profit organizations the opportunity to participate in their matching grant program at the Fair this year, they helped all of us reach our monetary goals. This helps to keep our doors open or the programs we offer moving forward.

Without the generosity of islanders, many of these non profits could not survive.  Thank you San Juan Island Community Foundation, and thank you to all our wonderful donors, who help us do the work that we do.

From the Board and Staff of the San Juan Community Home Trust.

Salmon swimming upstream to spawn – Richard Lawrence photo

OLYMPIA–The Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board today announced the award of $21 million in grants across the state to aid in salmon recovery.

The grants, given annually, went to 105 projects in 29 of the state’s 39 counties. The grants will pay for work to restore salmon habitat, including repairing degraded habitat in rivers, removing barriers blocking salmon from reaching the ocean, and conserving pristine habitat.

“Salmon are important to every Washingtonian, whether they spend time fishing, eat salmon, rely on salmon for their business or use salmon in their cultural celebrations,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “It’s imperative that we improve the areas salmon need, and these grants help do that.”

Descriptions of Grants
Grants were awarded in the following counties. Click below for details on each project: Read More »

The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of the Library are sponsoring the 2^nd annual Scarecrow Contest for the month of October.

The scarecrows are to be registered with the Chamber and in place between October 8th and 15th. Please click here for the registration form.

The scarecrows will be displayed around Friday Harbor, with community judging, which will take place October 20th through 28th.

Be sure and stop by and see the Scarecrows and pick your favorite. The location list/voting ballots will be available at the Chamber Office, 165 First Street S. Or email the Scarecrow Hotline at becki@sanjuanisland.org.

We hope you will celebrate fall and participate in our second Scarecrow Contest.

Click here for Scarecrow FAQ’s!