Since the last update on Friday, June 25, total cases in San Juan County have not increased, and remain at 191.
There are no close contacts of positive cases currently in active quarantine in San Juan County, and no confirmed positive cases in San Juan County at this time.
There have been no new positive cases in San Juan County in over 30 days.
In that light, San Juan County will be switching from weekly to monthly case updates. The next update will be July 30 unless in the case of an outbreak or other pertinent case information for the county.
The League of Women Voters of the San Juan Islands will host a Zoom forum for the candidates for Mayor of the Town of Friday Harbor.
Three candidates have registered to run for this position which requires we have a primary to reduce the candidates to two.
Our Zoom forum will be held 5:30 p.m. July 8.
To register for this event, you will need to send an email to [email protected]. Once your request has been received you will be sent the ZOOM link for the event.
San Juan County Land Bank, contributed. Kaj Litch.
Kaj Litch, a Spring Street International School junior, recently approached the Land Bank to collaborate with him on an internship project — a new and innovative way to gauge public opinion by using the digital tool Pol.is.
The San Juan County Land Bank is a local land conservation program, funded by a 1% real estate excise tax paid by purchasers of property in San Juan County.
Project
Kaj is an intern with Pol.is and has spent the past semester working with Pol.is CEO and Co-founder Colin Megill.
Using real-time machine learning, Pol.is acquires and interprets input from local participants on a large scale, for the purpose of identifying consensus around controversial questions.
Such a tool fits directly into the Land Bank’s next step to improve the organization’s conservation programs for and
partnerships with our island communities.
“The commission and the staff are very excited about the possibilities that Kaj’s work can provide,”
said Land Bank Director Lincoln Bormann. “This spring we completed our Community Conversation Series where we gathered ideas from small groups of residents about the benefits and needs of the Land Bank’s programs. Kaj’s work will help us engage more of the community and expand these conversations about our part in land conservation. We are asking for and hope many residents will join the effort and inform our understanding of what they want for this area, now and for future generations.”
How It Works
The discussion will be open to any local resident through the Island Sounder website. A series of short statements will be presented where a person can select “agree,” “disagree” or “pass/unsure.” Continue Reading
The Median Islands Income Can’t Cover Costs of Median Home Price
Contributed Photo. Merri Ann Simonson.
By Merri Ann Simonson, Managing Broker, Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands Inc
The cost of construction, selling and buying real estate in the islands has continued to increase based on the requirements to meet the current regulations, overall material and service cost increases.
One could say that it costs more and takes longer to comply with the various regulations that govern the real estate and related construction industries.
Based on the median home price of $675,000 during the last 12 months, a cash buyer will spend an average of $13,500 in basic closing costs.
That includes their half of escrow, title insurance for their lender, recording fees, 1% land bank tax, ½% affordable housing tax and home inspection fee. It doesn’t include the prorated taxes, insurance, homeowner’s dues, loan closing costs or well water testing.
If the buyer needs a loan, they will have monthly payments of $3,651 based on a $135,000 or 20% down payment, 3% interest and a 30-year loan. The monthly payment includes principal, interest, taxes and insurance.
The payments would be higher if there are HOA dues or have mortgage insurance if the down payment was less than 20%. Generally, our real estate tax rate is $8.03 per $1,000 of assessment.
A buyer would need to make around $87,642 annually or $7,300 per month to qualify with a ratio of 50% in order to purchase a $675,000 home. ($3651 x 2 = $7301 monthly income needed x 12 = $87,625 annual income).
This income requirement calculation is only based on the principal, interest, taxes, and insurance and assumes this buyer has no reoccurring debit, such as charge cards, car loans, HOA dues or mortgage insurance.
This is typically not the case. Even if you pay your charge cards in full each month, the underwriters will use a minimum payment amount in the calculation.
The San Juan County Annual Median Income is $33,216 for an individual and $63,622 for a household.
The San Juan County Council approved a proclamation June 29 designating “Plastic Free July” in San Juan County.
The proclamation recognizes the pressing issues around plastic waste, including the fact that plastics are the most prevalent type of marine debris found in our oceans, as well as being found daily on San Juan County’s shores, with devastating effects on marine life and human health.
Plastic Free July is a global movement helping millions of people be part of the solution by providing resources and ideas to help you reduce single-use plastic waste in your daily life.
San Juan County encourages staff, residents and visitors to reduce plastic consumption by choosing reusable alternatives to single-use plastics, making purchases meaningful by seeking products packaged with biodegradable materials, sourcing food and products locally where possible and learning about what resources exist in San Juan County for recycling and individual waste reduction.
The council extended recognition and support to the environmental resource division’s ongoing work as well as the mission of Plastic Free Salish Sea, a community campaign spearheaded by the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee.
The council also elevated environmental resources to a county department. The team will be sharing information and ways to get involved in Plastic Free July all month and invite you to join the conversation on the county’s new Facebook page, Facebook.com/SanJuanCountyWA.
Customers should be prepared if their travels this holiday weekend include riding aboard a ferry.
Some routes will be sailing on their holiday sailing schedules. Customers can note specific holiday sailings as they are marked on the timetables for each route.
However, all customers should be prepared for longer waits at the terminal no matter the route due to increased traffic for the Fourth of July holiday.
Passengers should consider giving themselves extra travel time to get to the terminal and through the tollbooth.
Please also remember that all illegal fireworks are not allowed on any ferry. This includes missile-type rockets, bottle rockets, M-80s, firecrackers, tennis ball bombs and any homemade or altered fireworks.
David Geist Cooks Egg Sunny Side Up – photo David Geist
“Island Senior” is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae.
There is no denying summer is here and it has arrived with a vengeance!
A heat dome has been hovering over the Pacific Northwest giving us delicate Northwesterners temperatures up in the 100s. We are not used to this and need to take care.
Don’t go barefoot. You could burn your feet!
By the time you are reading this, it should have cooled off some. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning on Tuesday cautioning that temperatures are likely to remain unseasonably hot into next week… and that brings us into July and the Fourth of July weekend.
A heat dome, a heavy influx of tourists, celebratory explosives… oh please, be careful out there.
With a little help from my friends, I am enjoying air conditioning for the first time in my life. This has me happy to stay indoors postponing any further emergence from my pandemic quarantine. If you find you need a place to cool down here on San Juan Island the Fire Station at 1011 Mullis Street is our designated cooling center.
Safety Tips
We also have plenty of cold water surrounding our island. But wait, I have a cautionary tale regarding this cold water. Don’t jump. Ease into it.
When I was a kid there was an incident down off the docks in Friday Harbor. A woman had gone overboard.
Heroically, a man on the dock jumped in to save her. She survived. He didn’t. As soon as he hit that cold water the shock gave him a heart attack and he died. Our waters are very cold. Get your ankles wet first before you take the plunge.
We may be past the worst of our heatwave but it is still uncommonly hot out there. Wear your sun hat and don’t forget your water bottle.
Check in on your neighbors and elderly friends. If you or anyone you know is in a heat crisis, please call 911. Stay safe. Be cool. Happy summer!
A Broadway Revue Concert runs July 1-3 as part of the San Juan Community Theatre’s live, in-person season at the San Juan County Fairgrounds featuring music and theater performances through Aug. 28.
Bring your picnic blankets and lawn chairs and pay what you can.
The Broadway Revue Concert features choreographed musical numbers from “GREASE,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Les Miserables” and “A Chorus Line.”
Cathi Nett, director of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” leads this team of powerhouse artists in a performance that will have you tapping your toes and humming along!
Thursday’s show will not have alcohol. Alcohol will resume being served for the remaining performances.
The rest of the summer lineup includes live music from local and traveling bands, kids theater camp performances, and the San Juan Community Theater’s Playwrights Festival.
For the full season lineup, visit www.sjctheatre.org or call 360-378-3210.
Landlords should first encourage the tenant to apply. Tenants will be contacted and will still need to verify information, sign documents, and provide income documentation if the landlord initiates the application.
If the landlord is applying for the tenant, they will need to know the basic eligibility information listed above and additional screening information that includes:
Tenant address and contact information
Current rent arrears owed including which months and amounts
If you are unable to complete the application online and would like to speak with someone about your rental assistance needs, please call the Opportunity Council at 360-734-5121 extension 308. Messages will be responded to in the order in which they are received. Language interpretation services are available.
Additionally, the Resource Centers on each island are available to provide support for the application process and have information on other assistance and supports that may be available.
Lopez Island Family Resource Center, www.lifrc.org, 360-468-4117
Orcas Community Resource Center, orcascrc.org, 360-376-3184
Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center (San Juan Island), sjifrc.org, (360) 378-5246
By Gay Graham, Spontaneous Disorganization of Yankee Doodlers
Our island’s Fourth of July parade may be small, but it will be mighty — especially if you all can lend a helping hand!
A few of us crazy islanders will be pushing shopping carts — lent by Browne’s Home Center — to collect food for the Friday Harbor Food Bank and household essential items for the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center.
Our Food Bank needs chili, cereals, granola bars, refried beans and condiments.
Please, no glass, no perishables or items needing refrigeration. If you can, donate a case of an item, but rest assured, whatever you can donate will be very much needed and appreciated!
The Family Resource Center needs paper towels, garbage bags and boxes of plastic Ziploc bags in sandwich, quart and gallon sizes.
From the bottom of our hearts, many thanks! See you at the parade!
Island Rec is excited to announce we’re able to have Music on the Lawn this summer. Save the date for these free outdoor summer concerts on the lawn at the San Juan Historical Society and Museum.
Thank you to Islanders Insurance, IPS and Families and Neighbors Support Island Rec for helping to make these events possible.
Come listen to the Salish Sea Rock sounds of Desolation Sound, featuring Daniel DeShon, Tom Henry, Scott Sluis and Darvis Taylor.
Tunes start at 6:30 p.m. on the lawn at the San Juan Historical Museum, 405 Price St., Friday Harbor.
Bring a picnic, blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy an evening of great music. Please n0 pets or alcohol. Pack it in, pack it out.
For many islanders, it is a long-standing tradition to come to the University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs on the Fourth of July to sit on the breakwater or bluffs to watch the fireworks in the harbor.
It’s one of the best viewing sites!
So we are saddened to announce that this year again, access to the FHL grounds will be restricted as the campus continues to be closed to the public under University of Washington regulations.
On the Fourth, we will be closing University Road where it crosses onto FHL property and will have a staff member stationed there in the evening.
We look forward to a time in the near future when FHL students, scientists, and staff will again welcome the islands’ community for events such as Open House, Fourth of July and Jazz at the Labs.
Across the region, homes and businesses will soon be displaying the stars and stripes to herald the Fourth of July.
Meanwhile, on the waters of the Salish Sea, another flag can be spotted — the whale warning flag.
The Fourth of July weekend marks one of the busiest times of the year for boating in Puget Sound, and San Juan County’s Environmental Department is urging all boaters to join the effort to keep whales and boaters
safe by watching for and using a whale warning flag.
Much like the recognizable “diver down” flag, the whale warning flag’s purpose is to alert boaters when there are whales in the area. Commonly seen on whale watch boats and research vessels, private boaters may also display a whale warning flag to alert fellow boaters to whales in the area.
Using the flag is simple: simply run it up your rigging, zip tie it to a pole to deploy from railing, or use suction cups that stick to flat surfaces. When you spot whales, or other boats grouped together already flying whale warning flags, slow down and take a moment to figure out where the whales are relative to you. Then, put up your whale warning flag and spread the word.
Keep the flag up while the whales are within a half-mile of you, and maintain compliance with whale protection laws and guidelines by doing the following:
Slow down to 7 knots or less
Turn off fish finders and/or depth sounders
Maintain a minimum distance of 300 yards from their sides and 400 yards from their path
of travel in either direction
Avoid cutting in front or following behind whales if it can be avoided
The waters of Puget Sound are critical habitat for the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales, who are highly impacted by vessel disturbances.
“Boaters in the Pacific Northwest can play a huge role in the recovery of the Southern Residents by doing their part and helping to protect not just these whales but all of our marine wildlife and resources,” says Alanna Frayne, Soundwatch & Be Whale Wise Program Coordinator at The Whale Museum.
“One of the best ways for boaters to help is to be proactive and familiarize themselves with the regulations and guidelines before getting underway. One of the biggest concerns with recreational boaters is excessive speed (over 7 knots) when in the vicinity of Southern Residents. The Whale Warning flag is a tool used to alert boaters to the presence of whales, so when you see the flag you’ll know to slow down and keep a sharp lookout!”
Join the community effort to protect both whales and boaters by always keeping an eye out for the whale warning flag flying, and by obtaining one of your own at www.WhaleFlag.org.
The San Juan County Environmental Department works to preserve freshwater resources, protect the marine environment, and coordinate recycling and solid waste throughout the County by implementing integrated projects and programs in partnership with others.
Be Whale Wise is a partnership of governmental agencies, non-profits and other stakeholders in British Columbia and Washington state to research, implement and educate regarding laws and best vessel practices to protect the unique and fragile marine resources found in the area.
Skagit Valley College is enrolling now for a unique Sea Kayak Exploration class in the Salish Sea and the San Juan Islands.
If you love the salt air and exploring the beautiful Salish Sea and the San Juan Islands, you’ll want to enroll now in this unique Skagit Valley College summer class: Sea Kayaking Exploration – San Juan Islands. The class dates are July 6-20. Learn more at www.skagit.edu/seakayak.
Sea kayaking is viewed by many as one of the most personal means of exploring the marine and nearshore terrestrial environments. The slow pace and the direct contact with the surroundings offered by sea kayaking provide the paddler with views and perspectives unique to this method of travel.
This seven-credit learning community class (Natural Science 160 and Physical Education 100 and 167) is open to the general public and will be led by SVC instructors Cliff Palmer, biology and environmental conservation, and Ben Fackler-Adams, interdisciplinary science.
Skagit Valley College, Contributed.
Investigate the natural history of the San Juan Islands (terrestrial and marine ecology, geology, cultural history) by kayaking to different islands. No prior sea-kayaking experience or exceptional athleticism required.
Course fee of $1,000 includes tuition and outfitter cost of $700 includes all camping and site costs, meals and snacks, kayak, and safety equipment. Students must supply their own tents and sleeping bags/pads. All camping responsibilities cooking, clean up, etc. are shared. Per National Park requirements, all participants must provide evidence of full COVID vaccination.
Iris with Water Droplets – Click to enlarge – Tim Dustrude photo
From the Town of Friday Harbor
The Town of Friday Harbor is requesting its residents and businesses to curtail their water usage over the next several weeks as the weather reports predict continued hot weather ahead.
The town’s water comes from Trout Lake on the western portion of the island and high usage has been noted during this most recent stretch of heat.
“We are not yet in a critical situation, but with continued demand, we do not want to get to a position where rationing would become necessary,” said Friday Harbor Mayor Farhad Ghatan. “If everyone conserves, we will not face an emergency in the future. It is also important for us to maintain full reservoirs in case a firefighting need arises.”
The town is requesting you take shorter showers, not wash your car, turn off your automatic timed sprinkler systems, and restrict hand watering yards and gardens, especially during the hottest part of the day.
The Water Treatment Plant on Wold Road is working overtime to maintain water levels in the two main tanks in town and we are seeking voluntary cooperation to lessen the incredible demands being seen at this time.
Restaurants are one of the higher use customers for the utility and their assistance would be greatly appreciated.
For additional information, contact Town Administrator Duncan Wilson at [email protected].
Agendas for the following town meetings will be posted at town hall and on 
