The following is an open letter to the San Juan County Council from dozens of San Juan Island businesses, including Mike’s Café and Wine Bar, San Juan Hostel, Crystal Seas Kayaking, Island Pets, On Point Barber Shop and more. Dear San Juan County Council, We are strongly opposed to the moratorium that you have recently  Continue Reading

“Freezer-Burned: Tales of Interior Alaska” is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Steve Ulvi. The Confines of Heaven   The Alapah carves sinuous bends in a spacious valley side to side, flowing into the upper Kuuk River, a large tributary of the Yukon River whose milky waters bend west across the  Continue Reading

Ration your gas this weekend and fill up your tank Friday, March 12. Island Petroleum Services (IPS), located at 315 Carter Avenue, is generously donating 50 cents per gallon of your purchase to the San Juan Island Service Scholarship program. Formerly known as Dollars for Scholars, this program provides needed scholarship funds to graduating seniors  Continue Reading

From San Juan County As vaccine distribution efforts continue, it is worth looking at what vaccine has been received to date in San Juan County. These numbers are just a snapshot. Please recognize that this is a constantly evolving situation. To date, seven vaccine providers in San Juan County have been approved to distribute vaccine  Continue Reading

By Travis and Jennifer Ayers, Friday Harbor We encourage all eligible voters to join us and vote YES for the renewal of Island Rec’s levy on April 27. This is not a new levy; it remains at $0.385 per $1,000 of assessed property value. It is worth noting that this rate is only 64% of  Continue Reading

From “Bugs” to Shrimp: the Saga of an Evolving Nervous System By Jim Truman, Friday Harbor Labs Things can change a lot in 60 years. I grew up with a fascination both with invertebrates and water, but living in northeastern Ohio, the invertebrates I knew were insects and the water was the fresh stuff in  Continue Reading

From San Juan County San Juan County Health and Community Services will be opening registration for a very limited number of first dose vaccine appointments at 9 a.m., Monday, March 8. San Juan Island Clinic: Tuesday, March 9, 50 slots. Orcas Island Clinic: Friday, March 12, 40 slots. Those who are eligible and wish to  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Since the last update on Friday, Feb. 26, total cases in San Juan County have remained steady at 129. Note that there are 0 close contacts of a positive case currently in active quarantine. Orcas Island There are no new cases on Orcas Island since the last update. There are no  Continue Reading

EDC Offers Free Application Help From the San Juan County Economic Development Council The Economic Development Council reminds business owners and managers that the deadline for the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program is approaching. Small businesses with fewer than 20 employees can apply during an exclusive application period for microbusinesses, until March 9, 2021. All businesses  Continue Reading

From Griffin Bay Bookstore Griffin Bay Bookstore’s doors are open! We welcome you back to the bookstore after a two-week break with lighter hearts, our spirits buoyed by the many letters, notes, e-mails, and postings demonstrating your appreciation and thanks for what we do. Your kind words, your well-wishes were enlivening and encouraging as we  Continue Reading