On July 15th at the Orca Survey Outreach & Education Center at 185 S. First Street, we will be showing a documentary film called “Fading Sound” that was produced by Friday Harbor High School students Blake Budwill and Luke Erikson.

This film focuses on the threats facing Southern Resident killer whales. Blake Budwill will be hosting and some of the researchers/experts Blake and Luke interviewed for the film will be in attendance and available for a short Q&A after the film.

Doors will open at 6:30 and we will start the film at 7:00pm. Admission is free, snacks will be provided, seating is limited, and run time for the film is approximately 50 minutes. 

Ben Jeffrey will be joining San Juan Community Theatre from the New York production of Disney’s The Lion King for two extraordinary events! 

Ben has been playing the role of Pumbaa for nine years, and singing his heart out on Broadway and in tours across the country. 

Story and Song: A Cabaret

• Friday, July 19^th, 7:30 pm at the Whittier Theatre
• Tickets: Pay What You Can

Ben will be belting out his favorite hits from his time on Broadway, intertwined with anecdotes about life with performers when you’re all doing the same show eight times a week. 

Ben is a master storyteller, an incredible vocalist, a dedicated comedian, and you might see a San Juan Islander or two joining him for a duet or trio! 

This performance is Pay What You Can and sure to be packed! Read More »

Alchemy Art Center will host living outsider music legend Susan Dietrich, known by most as The Space Lady, for an unforgettable performance on Tuesday, July 16th at 8pm.  The show will take place in the Dome at Alchemy Art Center located at 1255 Wold Rd, Friday Harbor. A $10-15 donation is requested at the door.

Dietrich’s musical journey has taken many twists and turns, ultimately resulting in a well-loved catalogue and dedicated international following. 

From her Bandcamp-

“Transcendentally beautiful, The Space Lady’s music is returning to Earth. Transmitting messages of peace and harmony, The Space Lady began her odyssey on the streets of Boston in the late 70s, then San Francisco ten years later, playing versions of contemporary pop music with an accordion and dressed flamboyantly. Following the theft and destruction of her accordion, The Space Lady invested in a then-new Casio keyboard, complete with a phase shifter and headset mic, birthing an otherworldly new dimension to popular song that has captured the imaginations of the underground and its leading exponents ever since.” 

This rare musical treat is not to be missed!

Find out more at: Read More »

July 20 & 21, 2019 Pelindaba Lavender Farm will be hosting the San Juan Island Lavender Festival. All are invited to come see, smell, hear, touch and taste The Complete Lavender Experience®. Festival activities are scheduled 10am – 5pm both days. The event is free for all and open to the community. Pets are welcome and ample parking is available.

The San Juan Island Lavender Festival, now in its 18^th year, continues to be a popular summer destination with several thousand visitors and islanders attending each year to celebrate all things lavender. The beautiful weather of late means the fields will be at their “peak of purpleness” for the festival.

The festival weekend will culminate in a Farm to Table Dinner in benefit of SAFE San Juans in the blooming fields. Coho Restaurant’s extraordinary culinary team will feature the flavors of the summer season, drawing ingredients from local San Juan Island farms with a touch of culinary lavender from the surrounding fields.

Tickets may be purchased at Coho Restaurant at 360-378-6330. Seating is limited. Sunday night, July 21st, 2019.

Throughout the weekend, workshops, demonstrations and exhibits will survey the entire process – from field to finished product, including lavender cultivation, essential oil distillation and its many uses. Local Chef Anna Maria of Coho Restaurant will be presenting a tasty cooking with lavender demonstration – with samples to taste of course! Read More »

The wheel is turning ever closer, and all you Island Writers should be cultivating your entries for the 2019 “A Wheel in Time: Cultivating Roots” San Juan County Fair!

But wait, it’s not too late!  Although the Fair is a month away—August 14-17—the deadline for the Written Word entries is July 19^th—less than a weekaway! 

Quick, 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 19^th. 

Check out the premium book: Island Writers (Z—as in whiZZing by) is on pages 35-36.  Questions? 378-4310.

“A Wheel in Time: Cultivating Roots”—so cultivate, but now!

San Juan Island Fire and Rescue Responds to Residential Fire

SJIFR photo

FRIDAY HARBOR, WA — On Friday morning, July 12, 2019, San Juan Island Fire and Rescue crews responded to a 911 call reporting a residential fire in the area of Westcott Bay on San Juan Island.

Upon arrival, firefighters found the home to have smoke emanating from vents under the home. The owner of the home had evacuated with his pets and there were no injuries. The fire scene was sized up, evaluated and firefighters began extinguishing the fire.

The fire was difficult to contain due to the restricted space where the fire and smoke were. The fire scene was active for the remainder of the morning to ensure the fire had been fully extinguished. Firefighter’s rapid response helped limit the spread of the fire, although there was damage to a portion of the home’s crawl space and in one bedroom.

San Juan Island Fire Chief Norvin Collins said, “Our career and volunteer firefighters train throughout the year so we are ready to protect our community. We were able to safely and rapidly extinguish this challenging fire and to save the home.” Read More »

Merri Ann Simonson – Contributed photo

Merri Ann Simonson checks in with her 2nd Quarter, 2019 Real Estate Report…

The second quarter results which complete the first half of the year for San Juan Island were similar to the first quarter. Per the NWMLS, the dollar volume on San Juan Island was $54,508,838 with a total of 81 transactions.

The numbers reflect a 4% decrease in dollar volume and a 26% decrease in the number of transactions as compared to the same period in 2018. However, it was a slight improvement over the period of 2017 to 2018 when the volume decrease for the same period was 22% and the decrease for the number of transactions was 18%.

For San Juan County, the total dollar volume was $125,503,460 with a total of 192 transactions. The County’s decrease in volume was 13% with a 22% decrease in the number of transactions.

Continue reading… (PDF)

Left to right – Project partners on site at John O. Linde Community Park: Scott Boden and Carrie Unpingco (SJICF), Fred Woods (SJI School District), Maddie Ovenell (Island Rec),  Mitch and Mike Carlson (Carlson Enterprises), Adam Eltinge and Scott Zehner (Island Rec) – Contributed photo

Thanks to a generous gift from an anonymous donor, the baseball field at the John O. Linde Community Park will be completed in 2019. With the San Juan Island Community Foundation serving as the fund steward, Mike Carlson Enterprises broke ground in late June and will complete the baseball field, walking path and general use areas. Expected to be finished by late October, the grass in the newly-developed field will need time to establish roots and could be ready for play as soon as 2020.

The John O. Linde Community Park was first dedicated in September 2017. The site is owned by the San Juan Island School District and maintained by Island Rec. Open to the public year-round, existing amenities include a playground, soccer field, multipurpose field and a partial walking path. The park is used by visitors and San Juan Islanders of all ages, including Friday Harbor High School teams. Read More »