In the mailbag this morning we have this letter from Sasha von Dassow… To the Editor: 9/11/21 At 6 am on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 we in the San Juan Islands are at a standstill because a few folks working in the state ferry system decided to stage a sick out in protest of  Continue Reading

9/1/21 Covid-19 Policy Update: Proof of Vaccination & Masking REQUIRED A Letter from the Executive Artistic Director Dear SJCT Patrons, You may have seen our social media posts today regarding the new policy requiring proof of vaccination at San Juan Community Theatre performances and events. If not, you can find our updated policies here. We  Continue Reading

A letter of thanks to you from the Library… Dear Friends, A tremendous thank you to everyone who joined in and donated during the virtual San Juan County Fair in August to raise funds for the new library building project. We were grateful to join the San Juan Island Community Foundation’s matching grant program, which  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag today we have a Heads Up from Barnaby Zall about the RHNA Annual Picnic… After careful consideration, on Saturday, August 21, the Board of Directors of the Roche Harbor Neighborhood Association voted unanimously to cancel its 2021 Labor Day Isthmus Potluck Picnic, originally scheduled for Sept. 4.   RHNA is a  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update Mailbag this morning we have this letter from Dr. Mark Fishout… The summer of 1940 saw the Battle of Britain, the aerial conflict between the Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe, reach its apex. When in this speech Churchill stated ‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much  Continue Reading

By Lee Sturdivant, Friday Harbor As a 42 year resident of Friday Harbor, I write to encourage the town residents to vote for Farhad Ghatan, our present F.H. mayor, who deserves another term.  The town of Friday Harbor is only 1 mile square, but everything that happens here affects all island residents, even all county  Continue Reading

By David Bayley, Friday Harbor I’m writing to enthusiastically endorse the reelection of our town’s mayor, Farhad Ghatan. I have known and admired Farhad for almost 30 years, and have been continually impressed by his intelligence, energy and commitment to public service.  Experience matters, folks! Farhad’s background in local governance, chairing the Planning Commission for  Continue Reading

By Lauren Cohen, San Juan Island The return of our town’s beloved Fourth of July parade was an enormous step forward in our return to normal life. It was a chance for our community and the visitors we welcome every year to come together and celebrate our nation and the freedoms we enjoy. The San  Continue Reading

By David Mark Jenkins, Friday Harbor I have worked with Farhad Ghatan for over seven years and found him to be extremely reliable, professional, creative and honest. Moreover, Farhad is a strong advocate for the Arts in Friday Harbor, and as in many other communities, public art adds greatly to our visitor’s experience of the  Continue Reading

By Learner Limbach, Orcas Island Have you ever looked at your choices on a ballot and thought, “I’m just not excited about any of these”? I have, and I’m tired of being coerced into voting for the “lesser evil”. I think many others are, too. Ranked-choice voting is one idea that is giving me hope,  Continue Reading

By Dale Heisinger M.D., Noel Monin, John Geyman M.D., Christine Minney, Jamie Stephens, Cindy Wolf, Kyle Davies, San Juan County Board of Health   Recently the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin published the county health rankings for states.   The rankings were based on health outcomes and health factors (see countyhealthrankings.org for comprehensive view).   In Washington  Continue Reading

By Bob Jarman, chair of the board of commissioners, San Juan County Fire District 3 On behalf of the elected board members of San Juan County Fire District 3, our career staff and our volunteers, we thank the voters of San Juan Island and the Town of Friday Harbor for your overwhelming support in the  Continue Reading

From Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor would like to acknowledge the San Juan Island Community Foundation for the many opportunities it provides for San Juan Island nonprofits to receive support from the foundation and its donors. On March 9, the animal shelter received two grants from the  Continue Reading

 By Janet Wright, San Juan Island I wrote an e-mail to our state legislators April 14 about the ferry situation. Another broken-down ferry.  Hmmm, I have lived here over 40 years and it has never been this bad. I have two friends who were trying to get to the mainland for surgeries and they were  Continue Reading

By Susan and Peter Risser, San Juan Island Since Peter and I had the good fortune to serve in various roles, including the assistant chief for over 20 years with the now-defunct Friday Harbor Fire Department, we became fairly well acquainted with some of the challenges involved in providing good fire protection to our community.   Continue Reading

By Nancy Young, San Juan Island For many years we have supported, through our taxes, this important levy, as it does so much to enhance the youth on the island. My husband has been a volunteer for over 20 years in the roller hockey program. Now, more than ever, our young people need to have  Continue Reading

By Susan West, San Juan Island Island Drug, in Oak Harbor, has hundreds of vaccine appointments available each day online for eligible recipients. Signing up is easy, and receiving the vaccine is free.   Island Drug has all three brands of vaccine — the one-and-done Johnson & Johnson, the Pfizer which is approved for anyone  Continue Reading

By Tony Fyrqvist, San Juan Island I strongly support the Island Rec Levy. We have lived on the island for 30 years and I have seen the improvement has made in the community. The levy is a small price divided among many to provide a great return for all. In the early ’90s, Cindy Baker  Continue Reading

From Jeffrey Struthers and Rick Christmas, OPALCO Orcas District Representatives It is time to vote for Orcas district directors for OPALCO and Rock Island. We, your current Orcas district directors — Jeffrey Struthers and Rick Christmas — ask for your vote. Here is why we believe you should return both of us to the board  Continue Reading

From the Purple and Gold Booster Club The Purple and Gold Booster Club fully endorses the Island Rec levy renewal. We support Friday Harbor High School by running concessions at the games and collecting tickets for events. We fill in some of the gaps that are not covered by the Island Rec levy such as  Continue Reading

By Gib and Jen Black, San Juan Island Please join us in supporting Island Rec by voting in favor of renewing its levy. Our family, like many here on San Juan Island, receive a value from Island Rec that far exceeds what we contribute in taxes. We benefit from daily walks at the Gravel Pit  Continue Reading

By Missy Martin, Friday Harbor Dear Editor: I encourage Islanders to vote YES for the upcoming Island Rec levy! They are requesting funding at the same rate, without an increase from the previous six years. The fact that Island Rec funds high school sports is reason alone to voice my support and vote. But the  Continue Reading