Shop Local; Reuse Gift Wrappings; Swap Decorations with Friends By Plastic Free Salish Sea What do fish sing during the holidays? Christmas corals! Have you resolved to be more eco-conscious this holiday season? Transition San Juan Island and Plastic Free Salish Sea can help. Check out the ideas below to reduce waste and lighten your  Continue Reading

By San Juan Building Association Join the San Juan Builders Association in celebrating the holiday season by entering or just viewing the entries to its first annual gingerbread competition. Today, Sunday, Dec. 20, is the last day to drop off your gingerbread creations between 11 a.m.-1 p.m at Sundries Court at 260 Spring St. Register  Continue Reading

By Cynthia Burke Starting at 9 a.m., this Tuesday, Dec. 22, winter coats will be hung on a fence in Friday Harbor for those who need them. Anyone can take the coats; no questions asked and nothing in return. Cynthia Burke has offered the fence on her property, left of Cynthia’s Bistro, located on Nicholas  Continue Reading

“Freezer Burned: Tales of Interior Alaska” is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Steve Ulvi. The Mail Will Be Delivered: Part I On a dazzling autumn day, sometime in the mid-1930s, Eddie Hindermann tipped his hat back pausing in his labors, leaning on a shovel, catching a blow.  He squinted while  Continue Reading

By event organizers An online class to train family caregivers will be offered from 1:30-3 p.m., Wednesdays, Jan. 20-Feb. 24. The instructors for the class titled “Powerful Tools for Caregivers,” are Jami Mitchell, senior services specialist, and Gail Leschine-Seitz, aging and family case coordinator. The family caregiver training is supported by the San Juan County  Continue Reading

Students Study Kelp Consumers By Katie Dobkowski, James Calhoon, Katrina Johnson and Muriel Dittrich Katie Dobkowski is a visiting assistant professor at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and a mentor in the Friday Harbor summer REU program. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 2017 and has conducted research at the labs  Continue Reading

By San Juan County Since the last update on Friday, Dec. 11, total cases in San Juan County have increased from 71 to 75. All of the four new cases are on San Juan Island. Current positive case numbers are available online on the county case count page. As indicated on that page, these numbers  Continue Reading

By Skagit Regional Health and United General District 304 Board members of Skagit County Public Hospital District No. 1 (Skagit Regional Health) and Public Hospital District No. 304 (United General District 304) each voted on Friday, Dec. 18 to discontinue further consideration of a potential purchase agreement for Hospice of the Northwest. The two public  Continue Reading

By Island Rec Adult online fitness classes are open for registration. Sign up for the whole month of January, or a drop-in option is also available. To register, visit www.islandrec.org. Fit and Over 50 (On-Demand) Try a safe, heart-healthy exercise class to energize your active lifestyle from the comfort of your own home with Jacquelyn  Continue Reading

By Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor is well-known known for its educational awards and scholarships available to local women and girls. They also supply ferry tickets to cancer patients and their caretakers traveling to the mainland for treatment, as well as a women’s emergency fund. These and other Soroptimist programs  Continue Reading