By EDC The San Juan County Economic Development Council is resuming regular programming with the return of our Business Recovery Zoom Meetings, now called Business Recovery Workshops. This bi-weekly workshop, in a Zoom environment, will give business owners the opportunity to speak with professionals on a wide variety of topics related to the continuing economic  Continue Reading

By San Juan Island Library Receive “tech help” thanks to the San Juan Island Library, at 3 p.m., Mondays, Dec. 7, 14, 21, and 28. Get help with computers, tablets and smartphones via Zoom. After determining your needs, you will work one-on-one with a volunteer. This class is designed to help you learn to use  Continue Reading

By SJPT Looking for a new solo activity that can enhance your environmental literacy? Join one (or all) of San Juan Preservation Trust’s iNaturalist projects and help to contribute to what we know about our preserves. iNaturalist is a network of users who share biological observations to learn more about the natural world. If you’re  Continue Reading

By SJIL The San Juan Island Library will host a virtual Know Your Islanders event titled “Russel Barsh: The Land We Stand On,” at 7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 7. Thousands of Indigenous peoples already lived in the San Juan Islands millennia before the Pig War, building wood villages and sail canoes, clearing fields for camas  Continue Reading

By Travis Ayers, Friday Harbor High School Grad Night Committee Chair Wreaths and pies purchased from the Friday Harbor High School Grad Night Committee will be available for pickup from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 25 at the Mullis Center.   If delivery was requested, students will begin deliveries on Wednesday.  Same-day sales are also an  Continue Reading

By Alchemy Art Center This summer and fall, Alchemy Art Center had the pleasure of participating in the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center’s mentorship program. Thanks to this partnership, as well as support from the San Juan Island Community Foundation’s fair fundraiser and our 2019 fall fundraiser, Alchemy was able to provide free arts  Continue Reading

By Fred Woods, Superintendent, San Juan Island School District It is with sadness and frustration that I must announce the return to teleschool for all grades in the San Juan Island School District. As a community, San Juan Island is beginning to experience increased levels of the COVID-19 virus, and though we have maintained a  Continue Reading

By Skagit Valley College What’s next in your life? Considering attending Skagit Valley College in the winter quarter, but need financial assistance? Great news: Guaranteed college funding for all eligible residents in Washington is available through the Washington College Grant, www.skagit.edu/wa-college-grant . Classes at SVC begin on Jan. 4. Our team is ready to help  Continue Reading

By EDC This year, more than ever, business owners and community leaders and legislators need data and information to make knowledgeable decisions. Join the Economic Development Council for our fifth annual “Datapalooza!” event from 11-12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, via Zoom. Participants can learn more about how the pandemic affected area industries and employment  Continue Reading

By San Juan Island Prevention Coalition The 2020 Washington State Prevention Summit’s Award of Excellence for Lifetime Achievement goes to San Juan Island Prevention Coalition’s own dedicated and caring Executive Coordinator Cynthia Stark-Wickman. Cynthia has cultivated an uplifting and inclusive environment so our community can grow in hope, science, and positive outcomes.

By Carrie Unpingco, Executive Director, San Juan Island Community Foundation As many families in our community have been adversely impacted by COVID-19, these impacts are magnified when children don’t have a safe and supportive place to go to while their parents are at work. Please consider a gift to the Head Start building expansion project,  Continue Reading

By SJIL Join Dr. Fred Rhoades at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov.18 for an online discussion about lichens. San Juan Island Library will host this meeting. The San Juan Islands are home to a great many cryptogams, spore-producing plants and plant-like organisms.  Rhoades will introduce you to some of the lichens and bryophytes, mosses & liverworts,  Continue Reading

Enhancing Resilience: a Constant Challenge in a Changing Climate By Kirk Sato  Kirk Sato is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the newly formed Ocean Nexus Center at UW’s EarthLab. Kirk’s background in oceanography and ecology is contributing to Ocean Nexus Center efforts to transform ocean governances into new systems that benefit everyone equally. This summer, he  Continue Reading

By Spring Street International School We are hosting an open house on Nov. 12 from 6-7:30 pm. This is an opportunity to hear from our teachers, director of admissions and head of school to better understand Spring Street’s program, admissions process and financial aid.  Register here.  The schedule will be as follows:

By San Juan Island Community Fund As we enter the eighth month of helping to measure and offset the impact of COVID-19 in our community, the San Juan Island Community Foundation remains focused on bringing ideas and funding together to meet the needs of San Juan islanders. Looking ahead to the fall, SJICF is anticipating  Continue Reading

By San Juan Island School District At a special school board meeting on Monday, Oct. 19, the San Juan Island School District Board of Directors approved a hybrid return to in-person learning for kindergarten through 2nd grade. At the beginning of the school year, the district stated that after the first nine weeks of teleschool  Continue Reading

By Skagit Valley College Skagit Valley College will be open for the winter quarter. SVC is a leader in providing great online courses, and we are also offering limited hybrid and face-to-face options. Classes start Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. Registration for continuing students begins Wednesday, Oct. 21. Registration for new students begins Wednesday, Nov. 4

The San Juan Island School District Board of Directors will hold a special school board meeting at 5 p.m., Monday, Oct. 19, as a Zoom meeting. This meeting is open to the public. To access the Zoom meeting, click on “Video” within the electronic board agenda, or call the number listed on the agenda for  Continue Reading

Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor is now accepting applications for their women’s educational and training awards, to be given out in the Spring of 2021. Three awards are available, each with differing eligibility requirements.

The Funhouse, in collaboration with the Coalition for Orcas Youth, will be hosting an online parenting workshop called “Guiando Buenas Decisiones,” or “Guiding Good Choices,” for Spanish-speaking parents, beginning Nov 5. Contact trillium@thefunhouse.org for details and sign up.

The San Juan Island Prevention Coalition annual survey will provide the organization with local information about community perceptions. The survey is available online in English and Spanish. Thank you for completing this short 5-minute survey.

Spring Street International School has safely reopened for in-person instruction. Support from San Juan County Health and Community Services as well as the cooperation of the entire Spring Street community created a safe opening experience. The student’s enthusiasm and relief during their first day back truly made the herculean efforts to get the campus pandemic  Continue Reading