Togo RV on Unsplash, Contributed.

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 treatment plant.

Recreational vehicles and pre-approved commercial businesses shall be able to use the station. Other users shall be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Visitors or residents requesting the use of the RV dump station should contact the town of Friday Harbor’s finance department at 360-378-2810. The cost per use is $20, payable by cash or check. A refundable deposit applies for access to the station.

For more information, contact the town at 360-378-2810 or visit www.fridayharbor.org.

From Alchemy Art Center

Amy Simons’ work, Contributed.

July Artist in Residence Amy Simons has been hard at work creating an incredibly beautiful series of monotype prints during her time at Alchemy.

Come see what she’s created 6-9 p.m. Thursday at a pop-up art show in the dome at 1255 Wold Rd. on San Juan Island. Limited parking is available in the upper and lower lots, so please carpool.

This is the perfect (and last) chance to meet this talented, hardworking, exploratory artist before she departs again for the Southwest!

Kids are welcome. We will have snacks and beverages.

From the town of Friday Harbor

The Town of Friday Harbor Planning Commission is seeking public comment through Aug. 12 regarding proposed regulations for attached accessory dwelling units.

Visit www.fridayharbor.org or town hall for agendas, meeting information and contact information to forward comments.

On June 3, the town council adopted interim regulations allowing attached accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, in the single-family residential zone.

Attached ADUs are located within preexisting single-family residences, often involving the conversion of a garage or basement into an independent living space. These proposed regulations will allow owner-occupants in the town to carve out space within their primary residences to create smaller, independent living units.

Ordinance No. 1721 created a narrow pathway to legally turn existing structures into additional livable space while the planning commission was tasked with developing permanent regulations for this type of ADU.

While the interim ordinance adopted dealt only with the conversion of existing structures within the same footprint, upcoming meetings will also cover the creation of ADUs as part of new construction and the expansion of existing structures to add living areas.

The town planning commission is currently tasked with making recommendations to the town council on issues such as density, footprint size, lot size, yard setbacks, utilities, parking, and owner-occupancy. A series of public meetings are anticipated in the upcoming months as the Town proposes new regulations.

By Pegi Groundwater, San Juan County SHIBA Volunteer Coordinator

Are you joining Medicare this year? If so, there’s a lot to learn.  

Medicare has its own vocabulary and rules. There are deadlines to meet and penalties (some lasting a lifetime) for not doing things at the right time. 

SHIBA volunteers are here to make the transition easier. Join us for an online presentation 2 p.m. Thursday, July 29. Learn how Medicare works, what your coverage options are and when you must act to avoid penalties. 

To register for the presentation, email [email protected] or call 360-376-5892. We will need first and last names, email addresses and phone numbers.

This is a free presentation made by trained volunteers from the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors, or SHIBA, program overseen by the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner to provide free, unbiased and confidential counseling assistance in San Juan County.

There are many new terms for you to understand and several options from which to choose. Medicare has four different parts: A, B, C,and D.  You can stay with Original Medicare (Parts A & B) or buy a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) or a Medicare Supplement (also called Medigap), which is private insurance that works with Parts A and B.  Most people also buy Drug Insurance (Part D). 

Resources are available to help people with very low income and limited assets pay their Medicare premiums, copays and deductibles.

Call the local SHIBA office at 360-376-5892 to schedule your free personal, confidential, unbiased counseling session. In San Juan County, SHIBA is sponsored by the Inter Island Healthcare Foundation.

Tres Leche, Contributed.

From San Juan County Fairgrounds

San Juan County Fairgrounds is hosting a variety of in-person activities this August leading up to and during the county’s virtual fair.

Saturday, Aug. 14:

• 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Fair market and plant sale.
• 6-9 p.m., the Fair Summer Music Series in partnership with Going Left Music presents The Black Tones and Tres Leches, featuring a beer garden hosted by the San Juan Island Lions Club.

Friday, Aug. 20:

• 6-9 p.m., the Fair Summer Music Series in partnership with Going Left Music presents the Low Hums, featuring a beer garden hosted by the San Juan Island Lions Club.

Saturday, Aug. 21

• 6-10 p.m. Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor presents Summer Sounds featuring local musicians.

We would like to thank this year’s fair sponsors: Kings Market, San Juan Brewery, Joe Friday’s t-shirt shop, Kings Marine and Market Place.

Visit www.sjcfair.org for more information on these events and more.

The new playground at Eastsound Village Green on Orcas. San Juan County Parks and Fair, Contributed.

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, by Greenworks of Portland, Oregon, mimics what kids might find in the woods or on the beach — rocks to climb, logs to scramble, sand to mold —  and features a  sculptural slide, designed and constructed by Zackarya Leck.  The nature-based design encourages kids to build confidence in assessing risk and supports their coordination, orientation, and social skills. 

The playground committee — Dan Burke, Chuck Greening, Ken Katz, Zackarya Leck, David Kau, Mark Mayer, Pete Moe, and Margaret Payne — thanks the following:

• San Juan County for a lodging tax grant to get the project going.
• San Juan County Parks for supporting the committee through three years of planning and construction.
• Moran State Park and the Port of Orcas for donating logs.
• Camp Orkila for rocks.
• West Sound Lumber for milling, treating and storing logs.
• Joe Cohen and Martha Farish for funding the slide.
• The Orcas Island Community Foundation for support through “Give Orcas” and for donating landscape trees to celebrate its 25th Anniversary.
• Island Market for donating benches.
• A Ginny-Lu Wood Legacy Grant for the water fountain (and Eastsound Water for its installation).
• An anonymous donor for the large, flat rock that anchors the play area. The anonymous donor wishes to celebrate Orcas Island volunteerism — the many awesome citizens and businesses who donated time, talent and funding for this exceptional playground.

Vera Davidova on Unsplash, Contributed.

Businesses Encouraged, not Mandated to ask Customers to Mask Up

From San Juan County

As a part of a regional effort to curb the rising infection rates in Washington, San Juan County Health Officer Dr. Frank James recommends that islanders mask up when entering an indoor public space, including businesses, whether vaccinated or not.

Local health officers in counties adjacent to the Salish Sea are coming together to put forward this masking recommendation. The participating health officers to date are from Pierce, King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor and San Juan counties. COVID-19 cases are rising across the
region and there is increased circulation of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

This is not a new or separate mandate for businesses. It is already a requirement for unvaccinated people to wear a mask. This recommendation does encourage businesses to ask all people to mask up when entering the space to help protect workers and the community.

“Remember that the primary behavioral problem we are addressing is unvaccinated people not wearing masks,” says Dr. James. “To ensure easy verification that all unvaccinated people are masked in indoor
settings, we need to have all people mask in indoor public settings. Recommending that proprietors of public indoor venues require masking for all is a key part of what we need to do at this time.”

Virus variants are expected to occur. There are four notable variants in the United States that are being monitored by the CDC. Most notable for San Juan County and our region is the Delta variant. The county’s recent breakthrough cases (infection in vaccinated individuals) are showing similar viral
behavior to the Delta variant. This is a troubling development because the Delta variant is 225% more infectious than the original virus.

San Juan County is leading the state in vaccination rates; however, there are portions of our community that are unprotected or under-protected, especially against emerging variant strains. Unvaccinated people, children under 12 and those who share a household with them should be especially diligent
in wearing a mask in order to keep their loved ones safe.

As cases are on the rise nationally, regionally, and locally, San Juan County is joining the effort to keep Washingtonians safe. Until these variants are understood more, the road ahead will require a shift back to what we know works best to protect against the virus: get fully vaccinated if you haven’t done so already, mask up indoors, maintain social distancing, and minimize travel.

Large rocks that bury much of the public beach at Agate County Park in 2019 were planned to be removed once the road is relocated away from the eroding bluff, restoring the site for people and nature. Friends of the San Juans, Contributed in 2019.

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 and provide vital services in Northwest Washington,” said Larsen. “I will continue to champion these critical projects to ensure communities can build and strengthen vital infrastructure, improve residents’ health outcomes, provide basic services to the homeless and mitigate the harmful effects of climate change.”

The bills include the following appropriations to support Northwest Washington communities:

• $694,480 for the MacKaye Harbor Water District’s Agate Beach Lane infrastructure improvements on Lopez Island. The Water District will relocate water infrastructure away from a road that is currently failing due to coastal erosion.
•  
• $2,000,000 for Phase II construction of Compass Health’s advanced facility for Intensive Behavioral Health Services in Everett. The five-story, 82,000 square foot building will accommodate a range of integrated emergency and preventive outpatient behavioral health care services.

• $2,000,000 for the City of Mountlake Terrace’s transit connection project. The City will construct a pedestrian plaza adjacent to the new light rail station and lighted, paved pedestrian trails through Veterans Memorial Park.

• $2,000,000 for construction of Unity Care NW’s The Way Station in Bellingham. The Way Station will provide medical respite, a hygiene center, health care, long-term housing supports and case management for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

• $1,740,000 for the Samish Indian Nation’s State Route 20 – Campbell Lake Road Roundabout project. The Samish will construct a three-legged roundabout at the intersection of State Route 20 and Campbell Lake Road.

• $1,000,000 for the City of Lynnwood’s Scriber Creek Trail redevelopment project. The City will redevelop the existing trail corridor into a 16’ wide, ADA-accessible trail with durable, slip-resistant hard surfaces. Where crossing Scriber Creek and associated wetlands, the trail will be constructed on elevated bridge/boardwalk structures.

Continue Reading

Island Stage Left, Contributed.

From Island Stage Left

Island Stage Left’s July 31 performance of “Much Ado About Nothing” has been canceled. A neighbor has a rock concert that evening and you wouldn’t be able to hear us!

Sunshine, humor and love reign eternal in Shakespeare’s romantic comedy “Much Ado About Nothing.”

We are setting the story in the English countryside during the summer of 1919, as the world is emerging from war and, of course, a global pandemic. It is an era of suffragettes and whisky-drinking aristocrats, offset by the hilariously confused, yet accidentally effective, local constabulary.

The following performances will start at 8 p.m.:

• Sunday, July 25
• Thursday, July 29
• Friday, July 30
• Sunday, Aug. 1
• Thursday, Aug. 5
• Friday, Aug. 6
• Saturday, Aug. 7
• Closing Sunday, Aug. 8 

Don’t leave buying tickets until the last minute. We have been very full! For more information, visit www.islandstageleft.org.

WestWind planes.

Travelers Must Register Online and May be Randomly Tested for COVID-19

From the Public Health Agency of Canada

The Government of Canada is prioritizing the health and safety of everyone in Canada by taking a risk-based and measured approach to re-opening our borders.

Thanks to the hard work of Canadians, rising vaccination rates and declining COVID-19 cases, the government of Canada is able to move forward with adjusted border measures.

On Sept. 7, provided that the domestic epidemiologic situation remains favorable, the government intends to open Canada’s borders to any fully vaccinated travelers who have completed the full course of vaccination with a Government of Canada-accepted vaccine at least 14 days prior to entering Canada and who meet specific entry requirements.

As a first step, starting Aug. 9, Canada plans to begin allowing entry to American citizens and permanent residents, who are currently residing in the United States, and have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to entering Canada for nonessential travel. This preliminary step allows for the government of Canada to fully operationalize the adjusted border measures ahead of Sept. 7 and recognizes the many close ties between Canadians and Americans.

Subject to limited exceptions, all travelers must use ArriveCAN (app or web portal) to submit their travel information. If they are eligible to enter Canada and meet specific criteria, fully vaccinated travelers will not have to quarantine upon arrival in Canada.

To further support these new measures, Transport Canada is expanding the scope of the existing Notice to Airmen that currently directs scheduled international commercial passenger flights into four Canadian Airports: Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Calgary International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport.

Effective Aug. 9, international flights carrying passengers will be permitted to land at the following five additional Canadian airports: 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 the public is invited from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

There will also be ice cream. The event is a fundraiser for the library. 

San Juan Islands Museum of Art, Contributed.

From the San Juan Island Museum of Art

Don’t miss this gem! The San Juan Island Museum of Art has extended its hours from 7-9 p.m., Thursday-Sunday through Sept. 11.

This is in addition to the regular hours 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday-Monday.

The museum is located at 540 Spring St. in Friday Harbor. Visit the dazzling Beckwith and Fisher’s “African Twilight” and Billy Marks’ “PINK PEW,” which are on display through Sept. 13. 

Visit after dinner or before, or during a stroll downtown.

For more information, visit www.sjima.org.

Forage fish survey. San Juan Update file photo.

From San Juan County Environmental Stewardship Department

San Juan County’s Environmental Stewardship Department wants to hear and share your fishing stories.

We are collaborating with an organization called Salmon Nation that recognizes the fight for wild salmon is about much more than fish — it’s about culture, livelihoods and the viability of our natural and human systems.

San Juan County will collect stories for our “Fish Tales of the San Juans – Then and Now” project from native and nonnative elder fishers of their experiences from decades past when Chinook were plentiful in our waters.

We also will interview those fishing our waters today to spotlight current patterns and conditions in the San Juan Islands. Video clips of these interviews will be compiled to tell a broader story that helps to instill a conservation ethic in both residents of and visitors to the San Juan Islands.

We will conduct casual 20-minute interviews with fishers in August. If you would like to share your story of fishing in the old days, or of the extraordinary challenges facing our tribal, recreational and commercial fishers today, please contact us by Aug. 7 at [email protected].

Those interviewed may choose to also contribute their fish tale to our collaborator Salmon Nation for their salmon story project. Hundreds of stories are being collected about why wild salmon are important to people from all walks of life. Anyone from the North Slope of Alaska to Northern California may participate.

For more information, contact Byron Rot, project manager, San Juan County Environmental Stewardship at 360-370-7593 or [email protected].

144 Car, Olympic Class ferry M.V. Tokitae. WSF, Contributed.

From Washington State Ferries

Vehicle reservations for travel between late September and New Year’s Day on the Anacortes and San Juan Islands and Port Townsend and Coupeville routes will be released next week.

Starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday, July 27, customers can secure their spot on sailings between Sept. 26 and Jan. 1, 2022. Customers can view the sailing schedules for these dates online.

Reservations can be booked online or by calling 206-464-6400 and speaking with an Information Agent. Customers can also call that number should they have questions or need additional information.

International service to and from Sidney, B.C. remains suspended. However, if we restart service to Sidney, we will announce in advance when those reservations will be made available.

The safety of our customers and crew is WSF’s top priority. All traveling customers are required to wear face coverings inside terminals and vessels in compliance with the latest CDC guidelines. However, passengers can remove their masks while outdoors on the sun deck, car deck areas of the vessel, outside waiting areas at terminals and other outdoor locations. Please remember to mask up upon reentering interior areas of boats and terminals.

The Heart of Darkness on the River

“Freezer-Burned: Tales of Interior Alaska” is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Steve Ulvi.

Sammy Jenks gently shut the backdoor of his rustic home. He turned to pick up a stone then slung it at an alley cat in the garbage can. Striking the ugly cat in the ribcage, he felt a twinge of regret. Pulling back his shoulder-length hair to tie it with a piece of cord, he opened the back gate and strode the few blocks toward downtown Dawson City. As he pulled on a sweatshirt to ward off the dawn chill, his freshened hatred of his mom’s boyfriend rose in his throat like bile.  Most nights lately, she sobbed while the younger man drank and belittled her into the wee hours.

Not yet forced to be back in high school, Jenks started each day walking to the bank of the Yukon River for distraction, bumming smokes from early-rising tourists while he hid his disdain for them. The puffy old ‘Yanks’ were the worst.  Wheeling gulls and ravens joined him scavenging the downtown and waterfront after another busy night of fleecing tourists who happily joined in with the old-timey Klondike Gold Rush fakery. He scoffed at the can-can girls, faro games and infamous “Sour Toe Cocktail” at the aptly named Eldorado. 

Jenks smelled reefer in an alley but couldn’t find the source. Likely a pasty dishwasher stepping out to lighten the drudgery of endless cleaning. A large slice of pizza in one overflowing garbage can had been spatter-fouled by a gull so Jenks passed it by after considering cutting out that section. A Budweiser bottle stood half full next to a wall, but he knew better than to fall for that nasty trick ever again.

Once at the top of the armored river bank, he lingered taking in the damp odor of the moving water and the huge stretch of river. The George Black, a diesel-powered vehicle ferry that plied the river from the terminus of the Top of the World Highway across to historic downtown Dawson City, was just returning pushing white water.  Back and forth again, every ninety minutes or so, all summer long.  He hoped to work on her steel deck one day.  August clouds hung low obscuring much of the famous Big Slide above town, but the sun was breaking through as the ferry approached jammed with RVs and over-dressed tourists at the rails. Continue Reading