Posted on June 23, 2018 at 10:18 pm by Tim Dustrude
The next SJIMA art pARTy will be June 25. The painting is a fun, whimsical one, titled, “Rooster Jubilee.”
Time: 5:45pm – 8:00pm. Cost: $35.
All levels are welcome. Following step-by-step instruction, participants will go home with their own work of art.
For more information and to register, go to http://www.sjima.org. Class size is limited.
Come join us!
Posted on June 22, 2018 at 10:10 am by Tim Dustrude
WSDOT is about done with Sharpes Corner construction but get ready for the next project west of there…
Sharpes Corner second lane opening Saturday!
You read that correctly. By the time you head out for Saturday errands, baseball games or weekend adventures – you’ll encounter the finished two lane roundabout.
Crews are finishing some concrete and electrical work today and tomorrow and putting down temporary striping the next couple of nights then will move the barrels = no more single lane out of Anacortes.
Still ahead:
Next week crews will do some work on what we call ‘punch list items’ – fixing or adding a few things that didn’t turn out just right. By the end of next week – the orange barrels at Sharpes Corner will be outta there until crews come back in September to plant landscaping and put down permanent striping.
Not so fast, Anacortes…
While we are opening up the roundabout, there are more lane reductions and paving coming your way next month. When Lakeside Industries continues the paving project (12th Street/Oakes Avenue is complete) and starts work to grind and pave the four-lane section of SR 20 Spur between the new Sharpes and Commercial avenue roundabouts, they will reduce that section of highway to two lanes for two straight weeks (nights and weekends included). Plan ahead for similar peak commute delays that you’ve been experiencing during the Sharpes Construction.
Posted on June 22, 2018 at 5:52 am by Tim Dustrude
Curt VanHyning shares this update with you on the ‘RoundTowner…
The ‘RoundTowner Celebrates Ten Thousand Rides
The ‘RoundTowner, the only affordable transportation on San Juan Island, is excited to announce the ten-thousandth customers – Mollie Heath and Simeon LaRiviere of Harbor Ridge, Friday Harbor, WA.
Little did Mollie and Simeon know that their reservation to go shopping at the Marketplace was the 10,000 ‘RoundTowner customer since the inception of the ‘RoundTowner in 2013. Their take on the ‘RoundTowner: “The ‘RoundTowner makes so much sense on our island. Who can pay almost double to go to the doctor, drugstore, post office, grocery and other important errands that must be taken care of? The ‘RoundTowner is an absolute necessity for many people in Friday Harbor. I don’t know what my husband and I would do without this very important service”
Small communities have the same need for affordable, customized public transport as larger urban areas, but with fewer resources, they must use the least expensive provider model. That is what our small, single focus non-profit has been able to accomplish with its donated SUV and unpaid volunteer staff. Family members tell us their elderly and disabled parents chose to stay home and wither away without health or community social access before the ‘RoundTowner. We are now firmly established as the preferred transport option for seniors, disabled and their most common destinations such as the Mullis Center, Peace Island Medical Center, Village at the Harbour, F.H. Drug Store, MarketPlace and San Juan Healthcare. Read More »
Posted on June 22, 2018 at 5:48 am by Tim Dustrude
Six cases of Varicella, or “chicken pox,” have now been confirmed in the Orcas Island community. San Juan County Health & Community Services is working closely with medical providers to identify additional cases in the community. We are also continuing work with the Orcas School District, preschools and families to investigate the varicella cases. None of the cases have been hospitalized.
Varicella is a highly contagious infection, and symptoms include fever, fatigue and a rash that typically progresses from the head to other parts of the body. Those most vulnerable to complications of varicella are: persons older than 15 years of age who have not been vaccinated or had the infection, newborns and infants younger than one year, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems. Complications may include severe symptoms, prolonged illness, hospitalization and death. During pregnancy, varicella pneumonia can be particularly severe and maternal infection can lead to congenital abnormalities. Read More »
Posted on June 21, 2018 at 10:37 am by Tim Dustrude
Pete Kuentzel at the gallery – Ruth Offen photo
Ruth at Waterworks Gallery shares this invitation with you…
Please join me in welcoming Pete Kuentzel to the gallery on Saturday, June 23rd from 11 to 1pm.
Pete will chat informally about what inspires his work and how he creates his ceramic sculptures. Pete is a retired professor of ceramics, and has a studio on Lopez Island. Waterworks Gallery, located at 315 Argyle Ave, Friday Harbor has represented Pete’s works for 3 years.
Pete’s approach to his ships and tankers again use the simplified form of a rectangle, a triangle or a circle to create the form of a ship. A rectangle for the ships stack and a circle for a porthole and perhaps a rectangle for the cargo hold. Pete’s color vocabulary is filled with sun drenched yellows, reds and blues.
The gallery is open, Monday, Wednesday – Sunday, other times by request.
Posted on June 21, 2018 at 10:36 am by Tim Dustrude
This summer Island Rec will be offering two youth soccer camps: Western Washington University Summer Soccer Camp and Summer Soccer Technical Training with Coach Van.
Click to see dates, times and details about each camp… Read More »
Posted on June 21, 2018 at 10:35 am by Tim Dustrude
Hear that beat? That should be the quickening heart rate of all you Island Writers preparing your entries to the drum beat of the 2018 “Rockin’ the Salish Sea” San Juan County Fair!
But, you say, the Fair is months away—August 16-19. True, but the deadline for the Written Word entries is July 20th —only weeks away!
So, polish up those writings—Prose, Poetry, Writing for Children—from the last two years, and postmark them to Island Writers, SJC Fair, POB 1094, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 or email them to info@sjcfair.org by July 20th. Check out the premium book: Island Writers (Z—as in ZZ Top?) is on pages 36-37. Questions? 378-4130.
“Rockin’ the Salish Sea”—so rock it!
Posted on June 21, 2018 at 10:31 am by Tim Dustrude
San Juan County adopted a new Shoreline Master Program (SMP) in November 2017. Friends of the San Juans appealed the SMP to the Growth Management Hearings Board (Board) alleging seven issues Friends claimed did not meet the requirements of state law. Friends asked the Board to invalidate the SMP.
The Board held a hearing in Friday Harbor on May 4, 2018. San Juan County was represented by Deputy Prosecutor Amy Vira, Department of Ecology was represented by Assistant Attorney General Emily Nelson and Friends of the San Juans was represented by its former staff attorney Kyle Loring.
The Board issued its decision on June 13, 2018 declining to declare the SMP invalid and finding in favor of the County on four of the seven issues. Read More »
Posted on June 20, 2018 at 5:48 am, by Tim Dustrude
San Juan Community Theatre’s Beauty and the Beast Breaks Records and Launches New Fund San Juan Community Theatre is excited to announce that their 2018 Spring Musical, Beauty and the Beast, was a record-breaker for the Theatre, with a total of 2,580 tickets sold, making the production SJCT’s all-time best-selling show. During the run of Continue Reading
Posted on June 20, 2018 at 5:46 am, by Tim Dustrude
News outlets nationwide have described the problems arising from the epidemic in the use of opioids. Whether it is the overuse of powerful addictive prescribed painkillers or the illegal use of a cheaper cousin, such as heroin, there is large human and governmental cost. “Families are ripped apart. There is a real cost to county Continue Reading
Posted on June 20, 2018 at 5:44 am, by Tim Dustrude
Here’s a note from Loren DeShon sharing some new developments at Westwind Aviation… Westwind Aviation will have scheduled flights from Friday Harbor to Boeing Field on Thursday and Friday afternoons departing at 4 pm (through the summer) beginning Thursday June 21. Introductory fare $109. Call (360) 378-6991 to make a reservation. New Pilot – Westwind Continue Reading
Posted on June 19, 2018 at 5:49 am, by Tim Dustrude
Islanders, thank you for “Getting Outdoors” and joining the Land Bank at our Zylstra Lake Preserve Open House last weekend. The response was incredible, with almost 200 visitors over the six-hour event, and on a busy June Saturday to boot! It was wonderful to see everyone enjoying the property and to hear the community’s positive Continue Reading
Posted on June 19, 2018 at 5:47 am, by Tim Dustrude
Island Rec is very excited to announce the 2018 Music on the Lawn Summer Concert Series. This long-standing concert series is on Wednesday nights from 6:30-8:15, located at the San Juan Historical Museum, which is at 405 Price Street. It is a perfect time to grab a blanket or bring a chair and have a Continue Reading
Posted on June 19, 2018 at 5:46 am, by Tim Dustrude
From lively jigs and reels, to songs with rousing choruses and heart-wrenching airs and ballads, the Canadian Celtic band Blackthorn brings their music to life with luscious harmonies and complex instrumentations. Their repertoire is rooted in the musical traditions of Scotland and Ireland as well as the folk music of English and French Canada. Blackthorn features Continue Reading
Posted on June 19, 2018 at 5:43 am, by Tim Dustrude
In the SJ Update Mailbag today we find this letter to you from Steve Ulvi… Friends, Now that the County Council has adopted in principle the draft Housing Plan, approved by resolution that plan’s all-important Financial and Administrative appendices and placed the housing initiative real estate excise tax on the ballot for the November elections Continue Reading
Posted on June 19, 2018 at 5:42 am, by Tim Dustrude
San Juan County Health & Community Services Issues Varicella Health Alert Three cases of Varicella, or “chicken pox,” have been confirmed in the Orcas Island community. Two of the cases were in children attending schools on Orcas Island. San Juan County Health & Community Services has alerted medical providers, and is working closely with the Continue Reading
Posted on June 19, 2018 at 5:41 am, by Tim Dustrude
The League of Women Voters of the San Juans is holding candidate forums prior to the August primary election. The forums feature those running for the Washington state legislative district 40 and congressional district 2 positions. Each race has six candidates. For state legislative district 40 those running are: Daniel Miller (Republican from Friday Harbor); Continue Reading
Posted on June 18, 2018 at 5:49 am, by Tim Dustrude
San Juan Island Community Foundation Awards $176,700 in College Scholarships for 2018-2019 Ten graduating seniors from Friday Harbor High School and two graduating seniors from Spring Street International School were awarded new scholarships for the 2018-2019 academic year from two different funds held at the San Juan Island Community Foundation. Previous recipients of the following Continue Reading
Posted on June 18, 2018 at 5:46 am, by Peggy Sue McRae
Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update, written by Peggy Sue McRae… On the second Monday of each month Senior Services of San Juan County presents the video series, Awakening From Alzheimer’s. The next two showings on July 9 and August 13 will be in the Mullis Center’s Craft Room at Continue Reading
Posted on June 18, 2018 at 5:45 am, by Tim Dustrude
Climbing Mt. Finlayson , Bill Severson will take us on one of his favorite hikes. There is a steep section, however Bill will take a slow pace and speculate along the way on who the mountain was named after and how high they thought it was at the time. Saturday June 23, 1-4 pm Terrain Continue Reading
Posted on June 18, 2018 at 5:44 am, by Tim Dustrude
Skagit Valley College Receives Grant from Lumina Foundation’s Fund for Racial Justice and Equity >> Selected from more than 300 grant proposals INDIANAPOLIS — From a pool of 312 nationwide applicants, Skagit Valley College (SVC) was one of 19 college and universities selected to receive funding from Lumina Foundation’s Fund for Racial Justice and Continue Reading
Posted on June 18, 2018 at 5:43 am, by Tim Dustrude
Dirt? What dirt? I may have recently taken part in some soil testing, but I don’t know anything about dirt. My name is “Cookie” and I’ve just arrived here, hoping to find my forever sofa…. er, that is, “HOME”. I’m just two years old and folks tell me I have lovely manners. Why don’t you Continue Reading