Eagle and Crows – Kevin Holmes photo

Kevin Holmes shares this photo of an eagle apparently not bothered by all the crows trying to antagonize him. Great photo – Thanks Kevin!

Last call for Island Writers & Learn How to Prepare Your Fair Entries!

Still hear that beat?  That should have been 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 wait, it’s not too late!  Although the Fair is a month away—August 15-18—the deadline for the Written Word entries is July 20^th—less than a week away!  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 20^th. 

Check out the premium book: Island Writers (Z—as in ZZ Top?) is on pages 36-37.  Questions? 378-4130.

If writing isn’t your thing, and you would like to enter something else in the Fair, the San Juan Island Library will host a free evening program “Going for the Blue(s): How to Prepare a Winning Entry at the San Juan County Fair” on Wednesday, July 25^th at 7pm.  Learn from Fair Board Members and Superintendents what all the fuss is about and how to submit a winning entry. Refreshments are courtesy of the Friends of the Library.

“Rockin’ the Salish Sea”— rock it, now!

Here’s and invitation from the Land Bank to help with their work party this weekend…

Join us THIS Saturday for a rousing round of weeding. We’ve made great headway in weed control on Mount Grant the last few years – thanks to many volunteers, the San Juan Island Youth Conservation Corps, Northwest Youth Corps, and other partners. We would love your help Saturday to continue the good work. We will primarily be working with tansy ragwort, Bull thistle, and Scot’s broom.

• When?
  Saturday, July 21
  9:00 am to Noon*
• Where?
  Mount Grant Preserve
  Meet at parking lot
• What?
  Noxious weed pull
• Bring/Wear:
  Gloves, sturdy footwear, and drinking water. Long pants and tall boots recommended to reduce grass seed riddled socks.

The Land Bank will provide some hand pruners, hand tools, buckets, and plastic bags as well as snacks.

*Note: We’ll be working along the main road/trail loop in a counter clockwise orientation if you want to join along the way!

Thank You to the San Juan Island Community Foundation Women’s Fund

On behalf of the entire San Juan Island Library Youth Services staff, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the San Juan Island Community Foundation Women’s Fund for their generous support of our Middle Grade Book Club. For the 2018-2019 school year, the Women’s Fund will provide funding to purchase books for our club members. These books will go directly into the hands of our island’s emerging teen population and help expose them to a variety of authors and literary genres.

The Middle Grade Book Club is one of the library’s most popular programs for this age group, with a steady participation rate of more than 20 members who enjoy socializing at the library and sharing their love of reading. Read More »

Merri Ann Simonson shares this report with you…

Merri Ann Simonson – Contributed photo

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 $56,399,689 with a total of 108 transactions. The numbers reflects a 18% decrease in transaction number and a 22% decrease in dollar volume as compared to the same period in 2017. For San Juan County, the total dollar volume was $143,972,044 with a total of 245 transactions. The County’s gain was 5% in transaction number and 11.5% in dollar volume.

Continue reading… (PDF)

I saw some SJ Islands Stewardship guide books at the library, created by Public Works, that are intended to be a gentle orientation to island living for visitors.

If you run an island business that has guests coming from off island, you may be interested in sharing this guidebook with them in an effort to encourage them to “tread lightly” on our islands.

I asked Kendra Smith about it, (Ecologist and Environmental Resources Manager at San Juan County Public Works) and she had this to say:

“Thank you for contacting us regarding the stewardship guide.  We are actively distributing the guide to as many of the hotels and resorts as we can and the 1000 AirBnB and VRBO rentals permitted in the County.  We have the displays up at the libraries on the three main Islands as well as at Community Development and at the Public Works office.” 

“We can get any group copies if they would like to distribute them to housing or accommodations.  We view it as a mini coffee-table orientation book, meant to stay at accommodation sites vs being carried home by visitors like a brochure.  We printed enough to replace a copy at all the accommodations in the county for next year as well, so it will be around for at least two to three years.  We also assumed some residents might be interested if they have a lot of guests.”

“We don’t have it up on the [county] website, but will be working on that in the next week or so, along with getting a version we can post on the ferries.  We also have some social prompt elements under the banner “all natural San Juans”, that will be rolled out in August and carried forward next year, to help reinforce good behavior (like be water wise, recycle right etc.).”

If this is of interest to you, swing by the library to pick one up or get in touch with Public Works for more information.

Keeping Cool – Beth Spadafora photo

Island Senior is a regular column on the SJ Update written by Peggy Sue McRae…

Now that hot summer weather has finally come to our neck of the woods we may rejoice but we also need to take care. High temperatures can be dangerous. The July issue of San Juan Island Senior Signal*, the Mullis Senior Center’s newsletter, features a list of Summer Safety Tips for Seniors.  

I won’t repeat these wise recommendations only to say, stay hydrated, remember your sun hat, sunscreen, and your sunglasses. Take hot weather safety seriously.

That said here are some tips for staying cool that put the emphasis on fun: Read More »

Jeromy Sullivan – Contributed photo

OLYMPIA – Governor Jay Inslee has appointed Jeromy Sullivan, chair of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, a state board that awards grants for projects to help return salmon from the brink of extinction.

Sullivan has extensive experience in conservation and salmon recovery issues. He has served on the Hood Canal Coordinating Council, Point No Point Treaty Council and Kitsap Forest and Bay Coalition.

Sullivan has served on the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal Council since 2005 and as chair for nearly a decade. Before being elected to the council, he worked as information technology manager for the tribe and was a commercial geoduck harvester for 19 years. Sullivan was the recipient of the Billy Frank, Jr. Natural Resource Protection Leadership Award in 2015.

“Mr. Sullivan will be a great addition to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board,” said Kaleen Cottingham, director of the Recreation and Conservation Office, which administers the funding board’s grants. “Tribes have a deep cultural connection to salmon. As a tribal leader, he will bring a valuable perspective to our work.”

The Washington State Legislature created the Salmon Recovery Funding Board in 1999. Composed of five citizens appointed by the governor, and five state agency directors, the board brings together the experiences and viewpoints of citizens and the major state agencies with a connection to salmon. The board provides grants to protect or restore salmon habitat and assist related activities. Since its start, the board has awarded more than $650 million for more than 2,400 projects statewide.