Following a delay due to Covid-19, the Washington Plastic Bag Ban (RCW 70A.530) will go into effect statewide on October 1, 2021. This means that retailers and restaurants throughout the state will be prohibited from providing single-use plastic carryout bags. As Washington prepares for the statewide plastic bag ban to take effect, San Juan County  Continue Reading

The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of the Library are sponsoring the 2nd annual Scarecrow Contest for the month of October. The scarecrows are to be registered with the Chamber and in place between October 8th and 15th. Please click here for the registration form. The scarecrows will be displayed around  Continue Reading

At their September 21, 2021 meeting the San Juan County Council officially released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to purchase 5 acres of land on Lopez Island for the development of affordable housing. San Juan County seeks an experienced developer to purchase the parcel located on Fisherman Bay Road just outside of Lopez Village. The  Continue Reading

People who want to make a living working with trees or forests are invited to a free, hands-on, outdoor course offered by the Economic Development Council of San Juan County (EDC).  The course will be taught by Carson Sprenger, proprietor of Rain Shadow Consulting at their Orcas Island facilities, Saturdays Oct. 30th – Nov. 20th,  Continue Reading

Local fisherman and fish-seller, Matt Marinkovich, is once again offering a pound-to-pound match of fish to the food bank. On Saturday, September 25, 10am to 1pm, Marinkovich will be selling fish through his business, Matt’s Fresh Fish, at the Port property next to the Bakery San Juan parking lot. “We did this last year and  Continue Reading

The Town of Friday Harbor’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) is accepting applications up until 4:30 pm Monday, September 27, 2021, for grants to fund tourism promotion of events and activities taking place within the town in 2022. Preference will be given to those operations and activities that encourage tourists to visit during the shoulder  Continue Reading

The EDC has resumed their weekly Business Resilience Call, as a means to bring legislators and business resilience experts together with local business owners, managers, and community leaders.  The first meeting this fall will be held online via Zoom, on Thursday, September 16th, 2021, from 9-10a.  Subsequent meetings will be held at the same time  Continue Reading

Ever wonder how much a piece of art you have is worth? Now is your opportunity to find out! Specialists in the Jewelry and Fine Art-Departments from Bonhams auction house will be on location at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art to answer the probing question, “How much is this family heirloom or estate  Continue Reading

In 2020, the San Juan Island Community Foundation quickly adapted to a “virtual” San Juan County Fair by taking their popular annual matching grant event online. Nearly $140k was donated by hundreds of generous community members during the 4 days of the fair. After matching grants by SJICF were added, more than $170k was granted  Continue Reading

Unvaccinated Caregivers With Qualifying Medical Exemptions Subject to Heightened Masking, Distancing, and Regular Testing Protocols August 3, 2021– VANCOUVER, Wash. – PeaceHealth announced that starting August 31, 2021, all caregivers will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit a qualifying medical exemption. Unvaccinated individuals will be subject to regular COVID-19 testing, as well  Continue Reading

The San Juan Community Home Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Amanda Eichelberger as their new Executive Director, effective August 2, 2021.  Eichelberger joins the Home Trust at a critical time as they launch their new development, HolliWalk, scheduled to break ground in early 2022.   Grant writing, advocacy and experience in the Affordable  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Economic Development Council Those seeking to enter health care careers, obtain side income while helping their neighbors or boost personal care business are invited to get free Home Care Aide training through a program offered by the Economic Development Council in partnership with Cornerstone Healthcare Training. Students will receive free training,  Continue Reading

From Made Pressure Washing, Window, Roof and Gutter Cleaning A fire started in one of our company vehicles and it spread to our home. A great number of supplies — like pressure washers, window cleaning equipment and the scheduling book — were lost in the fire. If you have called or made an appointment with  Continue Reading

Negative Lodging Tax Funds in 2020, to the Best Year in Land Bank History in 2021 By F. Milene Henley, San Juan County Auditor I have always been amazed by four-way stops. Drivers learn as teens to negotiate these tricky, cooperative intersections, and most of us never forget. It’s a marvel of social engineering. This  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Are you a San Juan County tenant who has fallen behind on rent as of March 2020? You may be eligible for assistance. Who can apply? Applications can be completed online for either the tenant or landlord: Tenant application: www.oppco.org/sanjuanrentalassistancetenant Landlord application: www.oppco.org/sanjuanrentalassistancelandlord Landlords should first encourage the tenant to apply.  Continue Reading

From San Juan Islands Community Network San Juan Islands Community Network’s second forum on vacation rentals was held June 17 to a Zoom audience of about 45. The forum, entitled “Common Ground” focused on areas of agreement and the best next steps to take. Watch it at sjicn.org/forums. Common Ground brought back the same panelists  Continue Reading