From the town of Friday Harbor The RV dump station located in Friday Harbor on Harbor Street (across from the wastewater treatment plant) has been reopened with limited, secured access.   The station has been closed due to a deposit of unknown chemicals in the sewage that proved harmful to treatment processes at the wastewater  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Parks and Fair A new playground will be dedicated to residents and visiting children noon Saturday, Aug. 14 at the Village Green on Orcas Island. The Playground-on-the-Green is a product of Orcas Island’s imagination, energy and funding, and was constructed by Orcas artists Chuck Greening and Zackarya Leck. The playground design,  Continue Reading

From Rep. Rick Larsen’s Office July 21, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced he has secured $10,662,665 for ten Second District projects in the Fiscal Year 2022 House appropriations bills, including nearly $700,000 to repair an eroding Lopez Island road.  “My priority in shaping spending bills is to invest in local communities to create well-paying jobs  Continue Reading

From the San Juan Island Friends of the Library The San Juan Island Friends of the Library will host its annual in-person book sale Saturday, Aug. 14 at the library’s new location, the former Life Care Center at 660 Spring St. in Friday Harbor.  Friends of the Library members can shop from 9-10 a.m. and  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Fair The countdown to 2021 “Lettuce Entertain Ewe,” the virtual fair, is underway. While staff has worked hard to host some recent, smaller in-person activities, the Aug. 18-21 event will remain online.  There are two more weeks for exhibitors to register online. The goal for this year is to beat the  Continue Reading

“Island Senior” is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae.  Like cranky kids in the back seat looking forward to our arrival in a post-pandemic world, we may well ask, “Are we there yet?” The answer being, “Hang on, we’re getting there”. Things are starting to open up. According to July’s  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Adult Drug Court The San Juan County Adult Drug Court awarded its first certificate of graduation to Jordan Lynn-Jefferson of Orcas Island July 7. After 697 days or almost 24 months in the county’s therapeutic program, Jordan emerges a more self-confident and mature young man with goals for his life and  Continue Reading

By Hayley Day, San Juan Island Update After nearly a decade at the helm, town of Friday Harbor Administrator Duncan Wilson is hanging up his hat. Wilson retires Jan. 4, 2022. Current San Juan County Manager Mike Thomas takes over Dec. 13, so Wilson can train his successor and “smooth the transition,” he said.   “Mike  Continue Reading

From the town of Friday Harbor The Town of Friday Harbor will replace three sidewalk trees on Spring Street at First and Second Streets due to significant sidewalk upheaval caused by overgrown root systems. Installation of new shade trees appropriate for downtown sidewalk areas will eliminate the potential for root intrusion and the resulting trip  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

By Gay Graham, Spontaneous Disorganization of Yankee Doodlers Our island’s Fourth of July parade may be small, but it will be mighty — especially if you all can lend a helping hand! A few of us crazy islanders will be pushing shopping carts — lent by Browne’s Home Center — to collect food for the  Continue Reading

From San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce is excited to bring back our beloved Fourth of July celebration! Our chamber and community are working behind the scenes, getting ready for the big day. The parade entries are trickling in, more bunting is going up every day, the fireworks  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

From the San Juan Island Library Read and Discuss “The Perfume Collector” by Kathleen Tessaro 1:15 p.m. July 12 over Zoom with the San Juan Island Library as part of the Mullis Center’s book club. Contact Beth Helstien at bhelstien@sjlib.org for the Zoom meeting link. Newlywed Grace Monroe doesn’t fit anyone’s expectations of a successful  Continue Reading

From San Juan Island Library The winners of the San Juan Island Library annual bookmark contest are in. Children from Kindergarten through 5th grade were invited to celebrate books, reading and art by participating in the contest. In conjunction with the 2021 Summer Reading Program theme, our young artists created illustrations representing “Tails and Tales,”  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Land Bank The San Juan County Land Bank is entering into another phase in planning the future of Coffelt Farm Preserve’s agricultural use. According to the San Juan Island Preservation Trust, the Preservation Trust and San Juan County Land Bank  acquired a 189-acre conservation easement on this historic working farm in  Continue Reading

From the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce 4th of July parade and fireworks show will take place this year. We are going along with Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee’s proclamation that the state will have a complete re-opening June 30 and we are working feverishly to hold  Continue Reading

From San Juan Island Library San Juan Island Library’s Tails and Tales Summer Reading Program kicks off June 18 with in-person and online programs for children, tweens and teens. Starting June 18,  free Summer Reading Program Starter Kits will be ready for pick up during the library’s open service hours from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays,  Continue Reading

By Deb Langhans, holistic life coach, Journeys to Healing Journeys to Healings presents “Processing the Pandemic” Inner Journey Collage© Workshop from 10 a.m.-noon and 3-5 p.m. Sunday, June 27 online for $50.  The scourge of COVID-19 has upended our lives as the most horrific pandemic since 1918. While vaccines provide hope for eventually defeating the  Continue Reading

From the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor Lori Haugen is the Animal Protection Society – Friday Harbor volunteer of the month for June 2021. Lori started volunteering for the shelter in February 2021 as a Treasure Hounds retail associate. Lori also volunteers her time helping at the shelter, in the APS-FH Low-Cost Spay and Neuter  Continue Reading

Community Foundation Funds Computers   By Beth Helstien, volunteer/outreach coordinator, San Juan Island Library People without computer access will want to give a huge shout-out to the San Juan Island Community Foundation for supporting the Tech-to-Go pilot program. The San Juan Island Library now loans kits that include a Windows laptop computer with current Microsoft  Continue Reading

Attached Guest Houses Temporarily Allowed in Residential Zone   From the Town of Friday Harbor On June 3, the Town Council adopted interim regulations allowing attached accessory dwelling units in the single-family residential zone. The ordinance intends to create a pathway to turn existing structures into livable spaces. “This is a historic moment for the  Continue Reading