From San Juan County Economic Development Council Join the conversation on “What’s Next: The Islands Economy” at the 11th Annual EDC Economics Luncheon, held online 11-12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, featuring economist Yoram Bauman and San Juan County Auditor Milene Henley. This year, participants are invited to “B.Y.O.L.” (bring your own lunch) to share a  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Economic Development Council The San Juan County Economic Development Council urges businesses and residents to hire local workers and contractors as the economy starts to reopen. In an effort to connect island workers with local businesses, the EDC will host a virtual job fair from 10-11:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 31, via  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 San Juan County Economic Development Council The San Juan County Economic Development Council, in partnership with WSU Extension’s San Juan County 4-H program, is creating activities for children to introduce them to different trades in a fun and hands-on program that is offered remotely. The first installment on fire preplanning will launch on March  Continue Reading

By Hayley Day, San Juan Update At 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 23, the San Juan County Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on its vacation rental permit application moratorium. The council approved a six-month moratorium on vacation rental permit applications from Jan. 13 through July 13. The resolution states that “while this moratorium  Continue Reading

By Travis Ayers, Friday Harbor High School Grad Night Volunteers are raising funds for Friday Harbor High School Grad Night by selling four delicious meals at Haley’s Bait Shop. Order the meals online by Wednesday, Feb. 24, and pick up the meals from 4-7 p.m., Wednesday, March 3. Enter Sunshine Alley off First Street with  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Economic Development Council Makers – from craftspeople to engineers and from hobbyists to business owners – are invited to join the Economic Development Council of San Juan County to begin asset mapping with the San Juan Makers Guild on Friday, Feb. 26 from noon-1 p.m. on Zoom.  Presenters are Marcy Montgomery  Continue Reading

From Cynthia’s Bistro Grab a free dinner from 4:30-6 p.m., Today, Thursday, Feb. 18, at Cynthia’s Bistro, 65 Nichols Street in Friday Harbor.  The bistro is offering free takeout meals on the restaurant’s front porch to anyone who needs a meal or wishes to have a home-cooked meal; no questions asked, just free food. The  Continue Reading

From the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce It’s a three-day weekend and Valentine’s Day on Sunday. Usually, it is the winter big weekend for restaurants, inns and stores.   This year, that is not the case, but you can still help make the holiday the best possible under the circumstances.   Support businesses if  Continue Reading

Restaurants, Gyms Open at 25% Capacity On Feb. 14 From Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee’s Office Gov. Jay Inslee announced Feb. 11 five new regions have met the metric requirements to progress to Phase 2 of the Healthy Washington reopening plan, starting this weekend. The West and Puget Sound regions have maintained their metric requirements  Continue Reading

From OPALCO Three OPALCO employees have tested positive for COVID-19 on Lopez and others are under quarantine, following the San Juan County protocol. At this time, the employees who tested positive appear to have mild to no symptoms and are resting at home. As their quarantine periods are up over the next week or so,  Continue Reading

Friday Harbor Mayor Farhad Ghatan signed the following proclamation on Feb. 4. WHEREAS, the mission of the SJI Chamber of Commerce is to promote the economic vitality of our community and support its membership through educational programs, networking opportunities, visitor information services and community events which reflect our unique island culture; and WHEREAS, our island  Continue Reading

Store To Close Feb. 14-March 2 For Vacation By Nancy Larsen, Griffin Bay Bookstore We at Griffin Bay Bookstore have you in our hearts as we turn our uplifted spirits to thoughts of deep appreciation for our customers, to the gratitude we hold for your encouragement and support, and to the joy we feel knowing  Continue Reading

From Friday Harbor Labs The University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories has an opening as a visitor coordinator. This is a fulltime, salaried position, that earns $4,116 per month plus benefits. Staff is seeking an energetic multitasker, detail-oriented and good with numbers, to coordinate the use of facilities at Friday Harbor Labs. The employee will  Continue Reading

By Louis Dustrude, San Juan Update After 40 years of operating San Juan Kayak Expeditions and 33 years of guiding multi-day trips, Tim Thomsen has sold the business to Todd Starnes, owner of Washington-based adventure companies Bicycle Adventures, Evergreen Escapes and Sacred Rides.  Cole Wilson, a long-time guide with the company, has been hired as  Continue Reading

From Cynthia’s Bistro Grab a free dinner from 4:30-6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 4, at Cynthia’s Bistro, 65 Nichols Street in Friday Harbor.  The bistro is offering free takeout meals on the restaurant’s front porch to anyone who needs a meal or wishes to have a home-cooked meal; no questions asked, just free food. The meals  Continue Reading

From San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau This Valentine’s Day, give some love to our island communities and support your favorite shops, restaurants and lodgings. This last year has been tough on business owners keeping up with changing restrictions. A candlelit dinner is a Valentine’s must, and there are so many takeout options to choose from  Continue Reading

By Jennifer Swanson, jenswanson@hotmail.com; Anne Wysocki, annefranceswysocki@gmail.com; Learner Limbach, learner@orcasfood.coop, Save the Shaw Store Board of Directors Save the Shaw Store has gotten off to a terrific start. Within just a few days of the first public announcement, enthusiastic responses have come from across the islands, as well as from the rest of Washington state,  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Economic Development Center The San Juan County Economic Development Council has created a survey to assess existing and potential negative economic impacts from recent events. Responses to the survey are confidential and will be anonymized, aggregated and used to determine programs and resources intended to mitigate economic impacts. Business owners and  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Economic Development Council The U.S. Small Business Administration and Small Business Development Centers have scheduled upcoming webinars on the new Paycheck Protection Program and Emergency Injury Disaster Loan programs. The PPP provides loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the Coronavirus crisis. The EIDL program is designed to provide  Continue Reading

By Katherine Bryant Ingman, program director, Leadership San Juan Islands The Leadership San Juan Islands 2021 community seminars will begin on Jan. 29. Three informational community seminars will be held virtually for our island community throughout the first half of 2021. The public is welcome to these free community seminars. Visit www.lsji.org for more information  Continue Reading

Store Could Be Opened Year-Round From the Save the Shaw Store Board of Directors Imagine the Shaw General Store open seven days a week, year-round, managed by the Orcas Food Co-op. Imagine the store property owned by a community nonprofit organization, self-supporting through the store, the marina and other revenue sources on the property. This  Continue Reading