State Invests $126 Million in Grants to Expand Outdoor Recreation Opportunities and Preserve Habitat and Working Farms and Forests Editor’s note: San Juan County receives $3,987,448.00 – see below… OLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board today announced the award of more than $126 million in grants to a suite of 333 projects that  Continue Reading

There’s a lot going on at the Land Bank’s Zylstra Lake Preserve this summer and beyond. This 285-acre preserve was acquired in 2017 with goals of providing public access to the land and water, supporting wildlife conservation, and enabling compatible farming activities. Although not yet open to the public, the months ahead hold a number  Continue Reading

The Washington State Transportation Commission is looking for feedback on proposed ferry fare increases for the next two years that will take effect in October. You can learn more about the fare changes and provide comments via the Transportation Commission’s online open house You can also submit feedback by emailing the transportation commission at transc@wstc.wa.gov.  Continue Reading

The Land Bank would like to share some of the things we’ve been doing for the community recently. At Mount Grant Preserve on San Juan there are now three trails open with more on the way! Instead of hiking up the road, two new trails (one multi-use, one pedestrian) now make their way through the  Continue Reading

Dr. Mark Fishaut came to the County Board of Health meeting, Wednesday June 19, with a plea for immediate action in finding a doctor to replace Dr. Burk Gossom who is retiring in November after 48 years on San Juan Island. He said, “It is important that everyone in the community understands the impact of  Continue Reading

Vote counting equipment testing July 17 at 11:00 a.m. A “Logic and Accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used in San Juan County for the August 6, 2019 Primary is scheduled for July 17 at 11:00 a.m. The test works by tallying the results of a prepared set of ballots to see if the results  Continue Reading

At the invitation of David Gow, Executive Director of the San Juan Community Home Trust, Senator Liz Lovelett, 40th LD, and her Legislative Aide, Jordan Kronen visited Home Trust properties on June 14, 2019. They discussed various hurdles in our state which impede rapid development of affordable housing and possible remedies to those hurdles. The  Continue Reading

The SJC Department of Community Development office will be closed on Wednesday June 19th and 26th. Staff will be training on the new permit software and expediting permit application review. We apologize for any inconvenience. You may submit questions online to the land use planners and building permit plans examiners using the forms found at  Continue Reading

San Juan County Health and Community Services is partnering with Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor and Orcas Island Community Foundation to offer Market Bucks at Farmers Markets on Orcas and San Juan Islands.  The Market Bucks Program provides additional dollars for women and children participating in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutritional Program, and the Senior  Continue Reading

Here in the SJ Update Mailbag we have this letter from David Turnoy, Chair of the SJC Democrats… Two Amazing Candidates to Appear in Friday Harbor June 15 On Sunday, June 2, at the endorsement meeting of the 40th Legislative District Democrats, both Liz Lovelett and Carrie Blackwood were endorsed overwhelmingly for the state senate  Continue Reading

In the mailbag this morning, we have this letter from Steve Ulvi… I have been unusually fortunate to have spent a lifetime finding deep fulfillment and direction for my troubled mind in expansive forests, on mountain slopes and coursing wild rivers. My youthful day dreaming, fueled by adventure stories before sleep, culminated in finding a  Continue Reading

The Town of Friday Harbor is pleased to announce that it is nearing completion of a project to replace an existing pressure tank system with a new pump station in the Town’s 327 water zone. The residents in the Hillcrest neighborhood and at the Peace Island Hospital should experience improved water pressure and less air  Continue Reading

On Tuesday, May 28th, leadership from OPALCO and T-Mobile met with Governor Inslee to share the Rock Island Communications broadband success story in support of the Governor’s new statewide broadband office and initiatives. With its robust fiber and LTE foundation in place, OPALCO is excited to help move some of Governor Inslee’s key initiatives forward  Continue Reading

Vote counting equipment testing June 19 at 11:00 a.m. A “Logic and Accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used in San Juan County for the August 6, 2019, Primary is scheduled for June 19 at 11:00 a.m. The test works by tallying the results of a prepared set of ballots to see if the results  Continue Reading

Lodging Tax grant funds available to promote 2020 tourism in Friday Harbor. The Town of Friday Harbor’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) is now accepting applications for grants to fund tourism promotion of events and activities taking place within the town in 2020. Preference will be given to those operations and activities that encourage tourists  Continue Reading

On Tuesday May 21st, 2019 a San Juan County visiting judge dismissed all causes of action against the Town of Friday Harbor and Duncan Wilson, the Town’s Administrator, brought by local attorney Carla Higginson on her own behalf and as attorney for A. John Wuebker. The Judge left the case open for thirty days allowing  Continue Reading

How Are We Doing? – A Storm is Coming – Maybe First Quarter 2019 As a child, I loved storms. I loved the calm before the storm, when the air grew heavy and ripe with the smell of rain. I loved the thunder and lightning, and the sound of rain beating on the roof. Afterwards,  Continue Reading

Here’s a Civic Alert from the San Juan County News System… Washington State is experiencing a second measles outbreak within five months, with six new cases confirmed in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties since May 9. This is separate from the previous outbreak that happened earlier this year, which was largely contained to the Clark  Continue Reading

Tourism in the San Juans – A Survey of Residents and Businesses Tourism helps support the San Juan Islands’ economy, but it may also create some challenges. County, state, and federal agencies have been working together to manage visitors and their impacts. Recent studies reported visitors’ opinions toward tourism issues and possible solutions. Many people  Continue Reading

Town streets are being restriped with fresh paint on the week of May 20, 2019. Work will include centerlines, lane/edge lines and curb markings. The goal is to complete restriping of most major streets, as well as some of the secondary streets. The work schedule is weather dependent. Motorists should use caution when they encounter  Continue Reading

Dear Editor, Friends of the San Juans has been committed to protecting our environment since 1979. Throughout those forty years, Friends’ dedication to that mission has never wavered. This is why I support the Friends and serve on the board. A major issue still facing the San Juans is the seven-fold increase in tanker traffic  Continue Reading

The San Juan County Canvassing Board will hold a special meeting to review and adopt the Canvassing Board manual for San Juan County on Tuesday, June 4. The County Canvassing Board provides oversight of elections in the county. Its duties include canvassing ballots, ruling on the validity of questioned or challenged ballots, verifying all unofficial  Continue Reading