Someone very wise once said, “Women and cats will do as they please. Men and Dogs should just get used to the idea.” My name is Smudge, and I wholeheartedly agree. If you are looking for a friend to join you in doing as you please, we should meet. I’ll be at the animal shelter  Continue Reading

Two Grandparents and a 13-Year-Old: Self-Driving the Back Roads of Namibia Join Val and Leslie Veirs as they recount their 2-week trip to Namibia with their 13-year-old grandson, Liam Reese. Driving over a thousand kilometers, they encountered the oldest and highest sand dunes in the world, mobs of southern fur seals, ancient petroglyphs of giraffes,  Continue Reading

Lana Hickman, SJIMA Family Art Days instructor, shares this story with you… San Juan Islands Museum of Art in Friday Harbor is a truly cultural community center. A continuous and vibrant program of world class art that will some day include new artists’ names. These may be the names of children who attend the museum’s  Continue Reading

The Washington State Transportation Commission is seeking customer feedback on Washington State Ferries, and invites you to join the Ferry Riders Opinion Group (FROG) at http://ferryridersopiniongroup.com/. Share your thoughts about WSF’s customer service, reservations, fares, food, and more. Sign up today so you don’t miss the next survey in early spring; you’ll get a notification  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag this morning we find this letter from Gay Graham… Dear Editor: Something extraordinary and exciting happened on our island last Wednesday, March 21st.  The San Juan Community Home Trust barged in two more “classic” homes from the Victoria/Oak Bay areas of Vancouver Island. The Nickel Bros. barge arrived at 5  Continue Reading

Mini-poll Extended Until April 19, 2018 for the Draft Lopez Village Subarea Plan The Lopez Village Planning and Review Committee seeks your input on the draft Lopez Village Subarea Plan. Please review the draft plan and weigh in on the proposed Lopez Village vision, goals and policies, land use, parking, and connectivity plans, development regulations  Continue Reading

By Louise Dustrude A cheerful crowd of a few hundred teenagers and adults, many wearing bright orange, joined the nationwide March for Our Lives at noon on Saturday, beginning and ending on the courthouse lawn. Friday Harbor Mayor Farhad Ghatan welcomed the crowd and then turned the mic over to the young organizers of the  Continue Reading

SVC Named among the Top 100 community colleges for Adult Learners Skagit Valley College (SVC) is pleased to announce that it has received national recognition as one of the best community colleges in the nation. Washington Monthly magazine published its ranking of the Top 100 Best Two-Year Colleges for Adult Learners and SVC was named  Continue Reading

On Wednesday March 28, 2018, the San Juan Island School District Board of Directors will hold a Special School Board Meeting at 3:00 pm in the School District Office.  This is an open public meeting. On Wednesday March 28, 2018, the San Juan Island School District Board of Directors will hold a Regular School Board  Continue Reading

Doug McCutchen from the Land Bank shares this request with you… Hello, If you have interest in Mount Grant, please take a look at the draft management plan (PDF) and provide constructive feedback.  If you see something positive, please let us know. (Often we only hear about the negative responses.) Positive responses help us get  Continue Reading