In the San Juan Update mailbag this morning we find this letter from Karin Agosta… A friend asked me yesterday about Ryan Palmateer’s strengths as a candidate for San Juan County Council District 1. This is a great question in today’s confusing, demanding world. Here’s what I wrote her: First, his work in sustainable construction  Continue Reading

The Port of Friday Harbor will hold a Port Commission Meeting (Call in Information Below) Wednesday July 22, 2020 at 12pm Special Meeting Agenda The public is prohibited from attending in person due to COVID-19 restrictions but may dial into the meeting via the link listed below. Comments can be e-mailed to the Port or  Continue Reading

Although 2020 has been an incredibly challenging school year, the San Juan Island Community Foundation carried on its tradition of awarding annual scholarships to local students. Over the last few months, SJICF has awarded just under $150k in college scholarships and awards to 39 local students for the 2020-2021 school year. 9 graduating seniors from Friday Harbor High  Continue Reading

Beginning on July 23rd – When Covid-19 made it necessary to cancel this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Extravaganza, Friday Harbor Soroptimists moved on to the next best thing for our biggest fundraiser of the year. Women and girls of San Juan County need our assistance more than ever before, so we have moved our exciting  Continue Reading

The Scent Keeper & House Lessons: Renovating a Life Many of you enjoyed Erica Bauermeister’s first visit to San Juan Island for her debut novel, The School Of Essential Ingredients, that went on to become a New York Times bestseller. July 22, at 7:00 p.m. – via Zoom – she is returning to the San  Continue Reading

In the San Juan Update mailbag this afternoon we have this letter from Tanja at the Land Bank… Hello San Juan Update! I’ve been posting our weekly “nature notes” on our facebook and Instagram accounts since April, and today’s posting features a pilot project to help the Island Marble butterfly thrive. I think it’s a  Continue Reading

High School Juniors and Seniors can earn tuition-free college credit at Skagit Valley College through the Running Start program Did you know that High School Juniors and Seniors can earn tuition-free college credit at SVC while still in high school through the Running Start program? Students and families are invited to attend a virtual info  Continue Reading

FREEZER BURNED: Tales of Interior Alaska is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Steve Ulvi… The days of subarctic summer blend together and can unsettle internal rhythms. This is both a blessing and a curse, in having so many outdoor activities and a greatly expanded opportunity to overdo it. The reality  Continue Reading

Do Not Drive on Wet Fog Seal. Second Street will be fog sealed starting the week of July 27th. The exact date depends on the weather and County’s ability to complete other sections of roadway on San Juan Island that week. Work is estimated to last one day. Second Street will then be re-striped with  Continue Reading

Skagit Valley College to talk about Marine Trades training at virtual info night July 22 Skagit Valley College will be talking about Marine Trades training and employment at a Zoom info session on Wed., July 22, 6-7pm. Learn how SVC’s Marine Maintenance Technology program can power up your new career! To register please visit https://sforce.co/3fHmwJS  Continue Reading

By Louise Dustrude Two living spaces intended as vacation rentals have become year-round residences instead because of Covid 19, and two others have become commercial spaces, according to Lynn Danaher, the owner. Ryan Bennett, Lynn’s son and co-owner, has been remodeling and upgrading the four units at the corner of Argyle Avenue and Web Street,  Continue Reading

San Juan County Fair staff are preparing to launch the San Juan County Fair virtually this year. The fair is an opportunity to showcase all the talents and resources of our islands, and we are working to host exhibits online, and offer virtual entertainment. Local businesses and non-profit organizations are encouraged to participate as “virtual  Continue Reading

The North Pacific Right Whale: Why You Should Care about the World’s Rarest Whale Join Friends of the San Juans and Kevin Campion of Deep Green Wilderness on July 23 at 6:30 pm to hear about Kevin and his team’s expeditions to film the North Pacific right whale.  You’ll learn about what right whales mean for modern  Continue Reading

Two new positive COVID-19 cases have been reported on San Juan Island. These cases were identified through testing of close contacts of a previous case. All three individuals are self-isolating at home. Total number of cases in San Juan County to date is now 24. This is a good opportunity to emphasize the following critical  Continue Reading

The Orcas Women’s Coalition (OWC) announced their endorsement of Christine Minney for San Juan County Council (District #1, San Juan Island seat). Christine went through the OWC endorsement process and attended two ZOOM teleconference interviews with members. In an email to OWC members shared with Christine, they reported, “The strong majority of votes submitted were  Continue Reading

San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1 is giving formal notice of a Special Board Meeting on July 18th, 2020, at 9:00 am, via MS Teams. Members of the public should call 509-824-1884 and enter 588 227 188# in order to attend. An Agenda is attached. This meeting on July 18th is for strategic  Continue Reading

Micro-loans available for local farmers In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FARM Fund is partnering with the San Juan Island Community Foundation (SJICF) and the Orcas Food Co-op to meet essential food needs of San Juan County residents. The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild’s FARM Fund will offer $15,000 in zero percent interest loans  Continue Reading

Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae… According to Wikipedia, cabin fever refers to “claustrophobic irritability or restlessness experienced when a person, or group, is stuck at an isolated location or in confined quarters for an extended period of time”. Anybody relate? They go on to say…  Continue Reading

Digging Deeper into Contact Tracing A more detailed look at how public health staff work to limit the spread of COVID in our community. This is by no means our most concise Hot Topic, but does contain useful info for those looking to understand a bit more about the public health response. As of July  Continue Reading

Local photographer John Miller shares this photo he shot the other morning. And here’s what he has to say about it: “I was sailing back from Stuart Island and came upon this unusual sight – looked like three houses barging away from San Juan Island, and all seem to be practicing social distancing?” Thanks for  Continue Reading

As the islands enter the 6th month of the COVID crisis, the likelihood of local families, individuals, and businesses being connected to someone with a confirmed positive test result continues to increase. We created this FAQ to highlight answers to likely questions in the event of a positive test result in either an employee, or  Continue Reading

In the mailbag this morning we have this letter from Katie Fleming… Dear Editor, I support Ryan Palmateer for the County Council District 1 position. I have worked with Ryan for 3 years on energy conservation, renewable energy promotion, and climate action programs in the San Juan Islands. Ryan is very committed to the resiliency  Continue Reading