Delta Variant is 225% More Infectious, Says County

From San Juan County

Contributed Image/CDC

In the past week, total cases in San Juan County have increased from 191 to 195. Each of the recent cases is a breakthrough case, meaning the infected person is fully vaccinated.

There are eight close contacts of positive cases. Five are currently in quarantine in San Juan County. There is one confirmed positive case under active surveillance in San Juan County at this time.

San Juan 
There is one new case on San Juan Island since the last update. This is a breakthrough case and appears to be due to exposure from a confirmed positive off-island contact. There are no confirmed positive cases under active monitoring on San Juan Island at this time.

Lopez 
There is one new case on Lopez Island since the last update. This is a breakthrough case and appears to be due to exposure from a confirmed positive off-island contact. There are no confirmed positive cases under active monitoring on Lopez Island at this time.

Orcas 
There are two new cases on Orcas Island since the last update. These are breakthrough cases. One case appears to be due to exposure from a confirmed positive off-island contact, and the other from an unknown source. There is one confirmed positive case under active monitoring on Orcas Island at this time.

Vaccinations Reduce COVID Risks
Being vaccinated is still the best protection against COVID-19. Vaccines have been proven to reduce serious side effects, like hospitalization and death.

Although cases are on the rise for vaccinated people, more than 97% of people hospitalized for COVID-19 are unvaccinated. If you are not yet vaccinated, please do so as soon as possible. Vaccines provide the best defense against all strains of COVID from gaining a foothold in our community. Go to www.sanjuanco.com/1737/COVID-Vaccine-Info for information on COVID vaccine providers in San Juan County.

The increase in breakthrough cases around the country, and now locally, is not unexpected. 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 residents, plus our visitors, of course. 

Farhad seems to have a keen sense about how to balance the interests of town residents, the little business district, and all other island residents. 

He is courteous and helpful to all who reach out to him and I think we will do well to keep him in office for another term.

“Stories of Us: Camp Second Chance” will be played during the October film festival. Friday Harbor Film Festival, Contributed.

Viewers Picked the List, Won Prizes

From the Friday Harbor Film Festival

Friday Harbor Film Festival congratulates San Juan Island’s Eliza Habegger, winner of the organization’s crowdsourcing film evaluation project in May.

Because she rated and commented on the most films submitted through FilmFreeway, she will receive a free pass to the Friday Harbor Film Festival Hybrid Festival in October. Four runners-up will each receive a 30% discount on festival passes or tickets of their choice.

As a result of all contest participants’ comments, the following five top-rated films will be shown during the hybrid festival Oct. 14-24.

Feature 1: “Stories of Us: Camp Second Chance.” Director Melinda Raebyne embeds herself at one of Seattle’s homeless camps, Camp Second Chance, one winter, challenging public ignorance and humanizing a population that locals would rather neglect.

Short 2: “The Hunt for the Asian Giant Hornet.” Scientists race to stop the spread of a new invasive species to bring balance to our ecosystem before it’s too late — but first, they have to find it.

Short 3: “Rafiki – Friend.” The story of Rafiki, a silverback mountain gorilla from the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda, Africa.

Short 4: “Tuned Up.” Pat, a guitarist in the band Carmanah, advocates for climate action and environmental justice, touring in a 1970s bus running on used vegetable oil, inspiring people to make their own small changes.

Short 5: “A Boy’s Journey: Crossing the Alenuihaha Channel.” Eleven-year-old Bobo Gallagher became the first person ever to cross the Alenuihaha Channel on a wing and a foil. This is his story.

It is not too early to mark your calendar to view these and many other excellent documentary films to be shown during the ninth annual film festival.

The event kicks off with an awards gala on Oct. 14 and will feature in-person screenings Oct. 15-17 followed by on-demand streaming Oct. 18-24 at www.fhff.org.

Folk-Rock Duo The Talbott Brothers and Local Band Sway Wild Perform Live For San Juan Community Theatre’s Summer Season

The San Juan Community Theatre Outdoor Summer Season continues with folk-rock duo, The Talbott Brothers, on July 25th at 7pm. The Talbott Brothers have earned a large and growing following for their songs consisting of down-to-earth messages that prove to be prevalent in today’s world.

The music continues the following weekend with local band, Sway Wild featuring Mandy Fer & Dave McGraw, who will perform for two nights—July 31st and August 1st at 7pm.

All events will be pay-what-you-can admission upon entry at the San Juan County Fairgrounds.

Bring your own seating—picnic blankets or lawn chairs are recommended. Beer and wine will be available for purchase, and folks are welcome to bring their own food. For the full season line up or more information visit www.sjctheatre.org or call (360) 378-3210.

From San Juan Island EMS 

Margaret Longley. San Juan EMS, Contributed.

Longtime San Juan EMT Margaret Longley will attend paramedic school at the Seattle area Medic One Foundation program. This is one of the best-respected paramedic programs in the nation.

The Medic One Foundation will pay for the training, and the San Juan Island EMS will pay a stipend to help support her.

Margaret, born and raised on San Juan Island, has a strong background in health care and will begin her training in late August.

Funding for this comes from funds previously dedicated to the payments on the EMS Building. Built nearly a decade ago, the Hospital District, which is responsible for San Juan Island EMS, was able to pay the building off in May.

While San Juan Island EMS has both staff and volunteer EMTs, it currently has only four paramedics and is the only Advanced Life Support provider on San Juan Island.

A paramedic is an advanced certification beyond that of an EMT that allows the paramedic to provide an array of crucial medications, intubate patients, and perform other Advanced Life Support functions.

We are very fortunate to be adding a fifth paramedic and wish Margaret success and a quick return!

Nearby RV Dump Station Temporarily Closed as a Result

From the town of Friday Harbor

The town of Friday Harbor urgently requests that all users of its sewer system refrain from adding toxic fluids and nondegradable items into the waste stream.

“A properly functioning sewer system is absolutely critical for the health of coastal communities,” said Town Administrator Duncan Wilson.

He said the town continues to upgrade its system to meet all regulations and to protect the town and the coastline, but no system is designed to handle trash and dangerous chemicals.

Chemicals

A toxic chemical recently flushed or dumped into the system caused the pH level of the plant to drop dangerously low and forced the town to temporarily close its RV dump station. The station is located near the treatment plant, and wastewater deposited there goes directly into the plant without any opportunity for dilution.

“If there are toxins in that wastewater, it puts the system at risk,” said Wilson. “This is a good time to remind us all to properly dispose of toxic chemicals, prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications outside of the town wastewater system to eliminate the potential of contaminating our fragile treatment system.”

Trash

Citizens and visitors are also being reminded to place nondegradable items in the trash. 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 six years, two terms on the Town Council, and four years as mayor,  makes him the only qualified candidate!

Additionally, Farhad has tirelessly supported various local nonprofits with his time and resources, often serving as an auctioneer for fundraising events. He regularly donates unique small group dinners as live auction items.

Please, town residents, vote to re-elect Farhad!

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash.

From San Juan County

After more than a month of no new cases locally, San Juan County has three new breakthrough cases of COVID-19.

This means that each person is fully vaccinated and it has been more than two weeks since the vaccine series was completed.

There is one case each on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan islands. All exposures came from outside the community and none of the recent exposures are related to another.

Health Officer Dr. Frank James said the cases could have been caused by the Delta COVID-19 variant. 

“While it will be three to five weeks before genetic tests can show whether the current cases are the Delta variant strain, the fact that all three are breakthrough cases in fully vaccinated people, as well as the severity of the symptoms, is consistent in what we would expect to see with the Delta variant,” he said.

He also reminded the community that such cases are inevitable. 

“The vaccines for COVID-19 are incredibly effective. However, no vaccine is 100% effective at preventing illness in vaccinated people,” he said. “This is true of all vaccines for all diseases. There will be a small percentage of fully vaccinated people who will get sick, be hospitalized, or even die from COVID-19.”

Asymptomatic infections among vaccinated people will also occur. Studies are still ongoing to understand the full scope of these possibilities.

Cases Rise Nationally

The emergence of immunity-resistant variants of COVID-19, the relaxing of social distancing and masking and increased travel are all contributing to the national resurgence of the disease.

In the last two weeks, national cases have increased 126%, hospitalizations have increased 30%, and deaths have increased 23%. Unvaccinated individuals in the U.S. are the primary driver for ongoing spread. 

“Vaccines remain the best way to protect against COVID, and even with breakthrough cases, vaccines
reduce the severity of symptoms and hospitalizations,” said James. “It is more important than ever for those who are
not fully vaccinated to become so as soon as possible.”

Vaccines are still being administered in the county. Learn about providers who are currently administering vaccines on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan here.

Protection

We anticipate ongoing sporadic cases will continue as islanders increase their activities. Even if you are fully vaccinated, further protect yourself from infection by: Continue Reading

From San Juan County Fair

The countdown to 2021 “Lettuce Entertain Ewe,” the virtual fair, is underway. While staff has worked hard to host some recent, smaller in-person activities, the Aug. 18-21 event will remain online. 

There are two more weeks for exhibitors to register online. The goal for this year is to beat the 600 entries from 2020. It is time for the community to show its support for a 115-year tradition of showcasing the county’s bounty!

Vendors have an opportunity to share, sell and inform through the virtual vendor program. With 7,500 website visits last year and over 30,000 page views, this is a great form of advertisement and engagement for commerce, nonprofits, fundraisers and more.   

The best way to stay up to date on the fair is to follow @sjcfair and the #sjcfair2021 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and check out the website at www.sjcfair.org. Treehouse Creative has been doing an incredible job of posting special deadlines and other information online as the fair comes together.

There is also the traditional word of mouth, which fair staff has found is the most used form of information sharing. So help spread the word about the fair!

From San Juan County

The San Juan County Department of Community Development is now open to the public.

Staff is available for walk-in questions from 8:30-10:30 a.m., weekdays.

Staff will be available from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. for appointments, excluding noon-1 p.m. for lunch. 

Use this new scheduling app to book an appointment.

From the San Juan County Prosecutor’s Office

Two lawsuits over the Orcas Road improvements brought by Jeff and Angie Johnson settled with a net payment of $140,000 to Jeff and Angie Johnson.

The Johnsons, who own 38 acres at the corner of Nordstrom Lane and Orcas Road, first filed suit over alleged damages caused by water runoff. A second lawsuit soon followed claiming violations of the Public Records Act in connection with a records request made by their attorney.

The settlements were reached after some but not all of the records act claims were dismissed and a $10,000 penalty was assessed against the Johnson’s attorney for holding back records in the property case.

The Property Case

The property case alleged damages to the Johnson’s property and sheep caused by the relocation of a culvert and alterations to Orcas Road undertaken in 2019. The road alteration added safety bike lanes, altered the road curve, and added filter strips to catch surface water.

Before the settlement, the Johnsons paid a $10,000 court-imposed penalty assessed for violation of court rules regarding disclosing documents.

The county’s insurer agreed to pay $20,000 to the Johnsons to settle the case, an amount Prosecutor Randall Gaylord called a “nuisance” value. “The county’s insurer held firm on this one, and we are grateful for the good work by the attorneys involved,” said Gaylord.

The Public Records Case

The public records case began with a broad request for documents involving the Orcas Road project by the Johnson’s attorney. A first installment of about 11,000 pages was provided one month later. After a conversation with the Johnson’s attorney, it became clear that the requestor sought a much larger range of records than was originally understood. This resulted in the production of over 20,000 additional pages of records. Continue Reading

Shellfish. Contributed.

From the Washington State Department of Health

An outbreak of vibriosis in Washington has already surpassed the highest number of cases ever recorded by the state for the month of July.

Recent high temperatures and low tides in Washington state are likely to blame for the increased rate of illness, which is associated with eating raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters that are contaminated with Vibrio.

Found naturally in the environment, Vibrio bacteria thrive in warm temperatures. When midday low tides coincide with warm weather, Vibrio bacteria can grow quickly, increasing risk of illness among people who eat raw or undercooked oysters.

Vibriosis symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever, and chills.

The illness usually occurs four hours to four days after eating contaminated shellfish, with mild or moderate symptoms that typically run their course in two to three days. Most people get sick within one day of consuming raw or undercooked shellfish.

People with weakened immune systems or liver disease are at higher risk for Vibrio infections. These people, and anyone who wants to avoid illness, should eat only thoroughly cooked shellfish.

“Another effect of the recent heat wave is the perfect storm of conditions for Vibrio infections. It’s important that when enjoying shellfish, we follow simple steps to stay healthy,” said Todd Phillips, Director of the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.

The “Three Cs” can prevent illness from Vibrio.

Continue Reading

From SeaDoc Society

Bottoms Up will be a virtual one-hour event at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 9.

Join us for an evening of science, education, storytelling and, most of all, fun.

We’ll look back on a unique but incredibly productive year for SeaDoc Society from the seafloor to the surface. Don’t miss the journey!

Registration is $5 and includes access to the event, which will be hosted on Zoom.

Registration and a wine package are $100 and include access to the event, plus two specially chosen wines from Coeur de Terre Vineyard and Compass Wines and two custom engraved SeaDoc Society rocks glasses. Limited supply available. You must be 21 or older to purchase the wine package. U.S. shipping only excluding Alabama, Utah, Kentucky, Mississippi, Delaware and Rhode Island.

From the San Juan County Elections Office

San Juan County has three issues in this year’s primary election.

Friday Harbor voters will vote in a runoff between three candidates for Mayor, with the top two vote-getters moving on to the general election in November.

Lopez voters will vote on two measures: an EMS levy and a Lopez schools capital levy.

The Good News: For the first time, voters will receive a printed local voters’ pamphlet for the primary election. Historically, the county has mailed voters’ pamphlets, shared with the state, for only the general November election.

Effective with the 2021 primary, voters will receive local voters’ pamphlets for all elections.

The Bad News: The county’s elections printing and mailing house inserted the wrong pamphlets in with the ballots. Lopez voters received the Friday Harbor voters’ pamphlet, and Friday Harbor voters received the Lopez voters’ pamphlet.

Well, darn. The printer will be mailing the correct voters’ pamphlets to voters on Saturday, July 17.

But if you’re in a hurry, you can also find the voters’ pamphlets online at sanjuanco.com/elections under Current Election, or stop by our office at 55 2nd St., Friday Harbor to pick one up.

This error affected only the voter pamphlet, not the ballots. All ballots were sent to the correct precincts and addresses.

Please contact the elections office with any questions, at 360-378-3357 or [email protected].

Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 24th – It’s live music with Tommy Dale & the Dangerfields, and friends.

One of the founding band members, Steve Cutting has this to say about the show:

“So when we were in the throes of COVID we were looking for a way to have music. We decided to rent the Brickworks and play some outdoor shows . We had one over the 4th of July and it was a huge success…

So we are continuing with another show this coming weekend featuring our band, as well as two opening acts: Local boy Ian Boulton, a solo artist who plays guitar and sings and Nickie & Nomi – a duo also from Friday Harbor… sweet voices and a delight to listen to!”

The event will take place at Brickworks on the outside patio, starting at 6:00 PM and ending at 9:00 PM.

From the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor

Age: About 1 year old
Sex: Female
Breed: Chihuahua Mix
Application: www.apsfh.com/adoption-program/feline-application

Robin is a true party girl at heart.

She knows how to have fun, is an excellent tiny dancer, and her high spirits are contagious – assuring to keep the party going long into the night.

Robin is actively seeking some fellow party animals that are also looking for a good time. She is not picky about who her squad is, she just wants to keep the vibes positive, energy high, and the partying responsible.

If you’re interested in painting the town red with Rockin’ Robin, her agents at the shelter will be happy to make the arrangements. Please call well in advance, her schedule tends to fill up quickly.

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