Contributed Photo/San Juan Historical Society and Museum. 1892 Odd Fellows Banner, Mt. Dallas Lodge.

Attend eight local historical events through May

From the San Juan Historical Society and Museum

The American experience is composed of many local histories, common or unique.

When we say “History Lives Here,” it is to bring attention to our island community’s often somewhat hidden, or at least not broadly remembered, rich local history.

It is an effort to bring our history out of archives and personal collections to share with our present-day community.

May is the month when local historians, in observance of “History Lives Here Month,” fill the calendar with free events like these. The Town of Friday Harbor has led the charge to coordinate an event calendar and provide descriptions of experiences coming up later this month, showing how you can participate virtually or on the two guided walking tours.

Saturday, May 15, 10:30 a.m.: Walk the Old Military Road
Join historian and author Mike Vouri and members of the Old Military Road Trail committee as they explore the Military Road that once ran between American and English Camps.

Discover the history of the road and how it served as a vital conduit for settlement and commerce, and eventually lead to the county roads we use today. Meet at the new visitor center at American Camp. Please wear a mask. No pre-registration required. For information, contact Mike Vouri at [email protected].

Tuesday, May 18, 10:30 a.m.: History Lives in Us: Orcas Island “Back in the Day”
Join the Orcas Island Genealogy Club for a fun morning of memorable stories of days past on Orcas Island. The focus will be on what the island was like back in the 1970s through the 1990s. How is Eastsound different now?

The event is online and pre-registration is required. To register, contact Vicki Leimback, [email protected], or Kathi Ciskowski, [email protected], for the Zoom invitation.

Tuesday, May 18, 7 p.m.: From Odd Fellows to Orcas
The former Odd Fellows Hall, now known as The Whale Museum, is home to stories both historical and supernatural. Its uses in Friday Harbor from 1892 through today include the infamous 1895 murder trial of teacher Richard Straub, the prohibitionist preaching fervor of Billy Sunday in 1910, decades as the social hub for island festivities, and later as Lee Bave’s Island Gallery and her quirky San Juan Saga theatrical production. But it all began with the Mt. Dallas Lodge of the International Order of Odd Fellows.

Join Robin Jacobson from the San Juan Historical Museum to travel in time from the building’s beginnings to today’s Salish Sea focus as The Whale Museum. This is a San Juan Island Library online event and pre-registration is required. To register, contact Genevieve Iverson, San Juan Island Library, [email protected], for the Zoom invitation.

Thursday, May 20, 5 p.m.: Architecture of the Recent Past: What Park Street Tells Us
Recent Past architecture (1940-1980) is typically under-appreciated. From modest FHA cottages and iconic Ranch Ramblers, to Mid-Century Modern split-level houses, buildings from this period reflect the history of America as it struggled with war and shortages, and later, when the prosperity of the 50s and 60s introduced backyard living, automobile culture, and eventually a modern space-age take on everything from architectural design to interior decor.

The Town of Friday Harbor’s Historic Preservation Review Board is surveying the recent past architecture of Park Street as a study in residential development and character. Learn what Park Street is teaching us. This is an online Go to Meeting event. Pre-registration is required. To register, contact Sandy Strehlou, Town of Friday Harbor, [email protected], for the event link invitation.

Wednesday, May 26, 7 p.m.: The Kanakas of San Juan Island
During the mid-19th century, Kanakas–Hawaiian Islanders–in the employ of the Hudson’s Bay Company worked and settled on San Juan Island. Come hear Boyd Pratt talk about these folks dear to his heart (and birthplace). Boyd will share why they came, how they dwelt here, and what legacies they left.

This is a San Juan Island Library online event and pre-registration is required. To register, contact Genevieve Iverson, San Juan Island Library, [email protected], for the Zoom invitation.

Thursday, May 27, 10:30 a.m.: A Kepi in the Tide: Writing Historical Fiction
Author and genealogist John Ickes is a distant relative of early San Juan Island artist Marjorie Walker (1906-1992). John’s historical research contributed to the understanding of Marjorie’s life and also uncovered the heroic and tragic story of his great uncle Hobart M. Walker (1842-1865), who fought and died for the Union Army during the Civil War. Continue Reading

From the Town of Friday Harbor

The Friday Harbor Arts Commission will present a proposed mural concept for the long wall on Blair Avenue at the Thursday, May 6 meeting of the town council.

The commission convened an artist selection panel of artists, neighbors and commissioners to review 11 proposals submitted by artists from San Juan County, the Puget Sound and Colorado.

The commission unanimously selected one of the panel’s top recommendations — “A Living Island” by Poulsbo artist team Bennett and Fisher — for the council’s consideration. The town council’s approval is required prior to the final selection of a proposal.

Town council meetings are held via GoToMeeting at noon the first and third Thursday of each month. Links to all virtual Town Council and commission meetings at www.fridayharbor.org.

Contributed Photo/San Juan Island Public Schools Foundation. Floyd Bourne, San Juan Public Schools Foundation president, Martha Alvarado, Banner Bank branch manager, and Rod Turnbull, Friday Harbor Middle School assistant principal

From San Juan Public Schools Foundation

San Juan Public Schools Foundation and Banner Bank are leading a fundraising effort to ensure learning programs are in place to manage the cascading effects of a year in isolation for students in the San Juan Island School District.

Programs are ready to deploy, but supplemental funding is needed. The San Juan Public Schools Foundation has been asked to help and is reaching out to our community.

Banner Bank has partnered with the foundation and offered to match donations up to $3,000.

“Our community has always been committed to providing quality education and encouraging the success of our island’s students. Now is an especially important time for all of us to come together and make sure our young people have what they need to overcome the challenges of the past year,” said Fred Woods, San Juan Island School District superintendent.

Friday Harbor Middle School Counselor Amara Zee said schools can help students deal with mental health concerns caused by the pandemic.

“As we look toward the coming year, students will need extra support to manage their emotions and cope with challenges when they return to the classroom,” she said. 

One program is called AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination. Friday Harbor Middle School began using AVID at the start of the 2019-20 school year.

Friday Harbor Middle School Assistant Principal and AVID District Director Rod Turnbull said the program reaches students in a “different way.”

“Through the use of our AVID curriculum, we are able to make connections to learners who have the ability but may not have all the required tools to learn at their highest level,” he said. “With AVID’s intentional focus on growing, writing, critical thinking, teamwork, organization and reading skills, the program helps those students seeking to learn at a higher level with the skills necessary to do that.”

The San Juan Public Schools Foundation raises funds to support programs and services beyond what tax revenues can pay for and acts as a catalyst to involve the community in public education.

Donations can be made at www.sjpsf.org or by sending a check to P.O. Box 1452, Friday Harbor, WA 98250.

This post was updated on May 5 to reflect the new construction dates. 

From the Town of Friday Harbor

The Spring Street and Mullis Street intersection will be closed Monday, May 10 and Tuesday, May 11 for the installation of a painted roundabout.

The construction was to take place May 5 and 6 but was canceled due to the weather. 

The contractor is authorized to work from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. to expedite construction. Signage will be posted and flaggers will be on-site to assist with emergency traffic.

Appropriate signage will be placed during this phase of the project.  Every effort will be made to limit interruption to businesses, however, vehicular traffic will need to detour to local businesses.

Questions regarding the project may be made to town hall or the on-site project manager.  As always, the town appreciates the continued patience of business owners, residents and visitors.

From the San Juan County Master Gardeners

Healthy veggie starts and locally grown perennial landscaping plants need new homes.

Like last year, the San Juan County Master Gardeners’ sale is online at SpringSale.org, with curbside pickup at the Mullis Center.

The sale begins 9 a.m., Wednesday, May 5 and closes 5 p.m., May 12.

Make your choices early as some selections are limited. No plants are available for purchase at pick up. Pickup is on Sunday, May 23.

Perennials include both natives and nonnatives adapted to many different garden environments.

Groundcovers, flowers, ornamental grasses and small shrubs all come from plants grown by Master Gardeners in their gardens. Because they’ve done well in our gardens they’ll likely do well in yours.

All of the great veggie varieties you expect from the Master Gardeners, plus two new sweet peppers. Continue Reading

From the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor

Age: Approximately 6 months
Sex: Male
Breed: Large Breed Mix
Application: www.apsfh.com/adoption-program/canine-application

Troy boy is pure joy!

This gentle giant has the heart to match his size. He has a lot of love to give and is in need of someone to share it with.

At six months old, Troy is the best of both worlds; he is respectful, talkative, cuddly, kissy, energetic, playful, smart, attentive, handsome, and so much more. A well-rounded individual describes him perfectly.

He has already started his harness training and loves to walk wherever you may take him; trails, beaches, your street.

Troy is also making progress on certain command words like “leave it.”

If you are looking for a lifetime full of love, then Troy is your boy!

About

Continue Reading

From Sandy Strehlou, historic preservation coordinator, Town of Friday Harbor

An online event called “There’s a Story Here: Exaggeration Postcards Imagined” will be held at 5 p.m., May 4 in celebration of History Lives Here 2021.

Before Photoshop, innovative photographers used photographic manipulation to create a novel and inexpensive genre of souvenirs known as “exaggeration” postcards.

More tongue-in-cheek than purposely deceptive, these postcards were popular between the early 1900s and the 1940s. While exaggeration postcards were produced in Washington state and throughout the nation, none have been found for San Juan County — until now.

In this history talk, Town of Friday Harbor Historic Preservation Coordinator Sandy Strehlou will discuss the history of exaggeration postcards and the stories behind each postcard that has been newly created to celebrate the history of the San Juans.

This event accompanies a public art and history installation coming soon to the Breezeway next to the Palace Theatre in Friday Harbor.

Join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone here. Download the app here.

You can also dial in using your phone by calling 786-535-3211 with access code 233-692-541.

Staff Photo/Time Dustrude. Natural area at American Camp.

From San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau

Since May 2-8 is National Travel and Tourism Week, this is the perfect opportunity to restart the dialogue about the future of the San Juan Islands’ experience economy: tourism.

Nobody in the world anticipated this vast, COVID-19 health crisis and resulting economic crisis. Industry after industry ground to a screeching halt.

Nowhere has that been more evident than in the hospitality industry in San Juan County and throughout the world.

According to a Washington Tourism Alliance’s Tourism Economics Report, visitors spent over $236 million in San Juan County in 2019.

With tourism occupying such a significant percentage of the San Juan Islands economy and currently in a holding pattern, this is a golden opportunity to create a more resilient method of tourism management. There’s no time like the present to evaluate our current standards.

A tourism management plan has been on the county and losing tax advisory committee’s radar for several years. Let’s get the process started in 2021.

The San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau and the islands’ tourism industry recognize that the economic vitality of tourism is only sustainable if the features that make the archipelago special are preserved: the rural character, natural beauty, and diversity of wildlife.

A 2018 tourism impact study by our local parks and land managers reinforced the fact that visitors come here primarily to take part in low-impact outdoor activities.

Rather than returning to the currently COVID-interrupted way things were here, we can evolve instead into a new “Golden Age of Tourism:” a time of well-managed places and beneficial travel for tourists, for residents and for natural and cultural preservation. Is that too much to expect? Maybe. But now is the time to ask for too much. If not now, when?

Regenerative principles are emerging as the future of tourism worldwide. Continue Reading

From the Town of Friday Harbor

The following Town of Friday Harbor meetings will be held in May.

Agendas will be posted at town hall and on the town website at www.fridayharbor.org. Meeting times may be amended or canceled.

All meetings are currently held via the Go-To-Meeting web application. Visit www.fridayharbor.org/2202/Council-Meeting-Video for a video link.

• Noon, Thursday, May 6: Town council
• 5 p.m., Wednesday, May 12: Historic preservation review board
• 5:30 p.m., Thursday, May 13: Planning commission
• 11 a.m., Tuesday, May 18: Friday Harbor Arts Commission
• Noon, Thursday, May 20: Town council
• 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 25: Lodging tax advisory committee
• 5 p.m., Wednesday, May 26: Historic preservation review board
• 5:30 p.m., Thursday, May 27: Planning commission

From San Juan County

A walk-in Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine clinic will be held 1-2:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 4 at the San Juan County Fairgrounds. 

If you can, register in advance here, or use the QR code above.

Or just show up and we’ll get you quickly signed up at the door.

Please help spread the word, and convince those remaining that getting vaccinated is the right thing to do!

From San Juan County

Contributed Image/CDC

Since the last update on Friday, April 16, total cases in San Juan County have increased from 173 to 176.
Note that there are 12 close contacts of positive cases currently in active quarantine.

San Juan Island
There are two new cases on San Juan Island since the last update.

Both new cases are close household members of each other. The transmission source is related to off-island travel with close contact with a subsequently confirmed positive case.

There are four positive cases under active monitoring on San Juan Island at this time.

The San Juan Island outbreak is behind us.

Two clear lessons resulted: Illness can spread quickly via close indoor unmasked contact, and if safety precautions are followed, schools are a relatively risk-free environment.

Despite ample opportunity for school spread-masking, quick contact tracing and a school that prioritized safe operations resulted in zero evidence for school-based spread. This is a good lesson going forward and a reassuring real-life confirmation that schools can remain open and operate safely, even when positive cases appear in the school community.

Orcas Island
There is one new case on Orcas Island since the last update. The transmission source for this new case is related to off-island travel with close contact with a subsequently confirmed positive case.

There is one confirmed positive case under active monitoring on Orcas Island at this time.

Lopez Island
There are no new cases on Lopez Island since the last update, and no confirmed positive cases under active monitoring on Lopez Island at this time.

Shaw Island
There are no new cases on Shaw Island since the last update, and no confirmed positive cases under active monitoring on Shaw Island at this time.

Overall

If you’re not vaccinated, do it now.

Continue Reading

From the Town of Friday Harbor

The Town of Friday Harbor helped its customers jump-start their spring cleaning with free pickup of oversized refuse the week of April 26-30.

This is the fifth year the town has offered the Spring Cleanup service to its residential refuse customers.

Refuse employees Dave Smith and Mark Wagner picked up a total of 18.53 tons, or 37,060 pounds, of oversized junk too large to fit in standard garbage cans. Last year, the town picked up just over 20 tons.

“Once again, our customers did a fantastic job of selecting acceptable items and neatly stacking them for pickup,” said Town of Friday Harbor Administrator Duncan Wilson.

He also recognized the excellent job the public works employees did handling the significant increase in refuse picked up this year.

“Town staff is grateful to the mayor and town council for approving this additional free service,” said Wilson.

The town hopes to see this town beautification service continue in future years.

WSF M/V Chelan – SJ Update file photo

From Washington State Ferries

The summer surcharge fares are effective as of the start of business Saturday, May 1.

A standard vehicle pass from Anacortes to Friday Harbor costs $70.90 and $14.50 for each adult passenger. Minor and senior passengers cost $7.25 for each.

View the fare chart here. 

The safety of our customers and crew is WSF’s top priority. Please remember that all traveling customers are required to wear face coverings inside the terminal, at the tollbooth and aboard the ferry.

Please also consider limiting your travel to only the most essential trips while service continues to be constrained by the pandemic. 

You can view all travel alerts on the WSF Travel Bulletins page. 

Contributed Photo/Florian Klauer on Unsplash.

From San Juan Community Theatre

San Juan Island playwrights — are you ready to put words on the page and pages on the stage?

The 2021 San Juan Community Theatre Playwrights Festival kicks off in May. 

The theater is thrilled to present this year’s live festival as part of our outdoor summer season at the San Juan County Fairgrounds.

This year’s festival brings a new challenge to writers: original solo pieces, or monologues.

We are excited beyond belief to return to live performances and also continue to keep our community’s health and safety in mind during the pandemic.

The playwrights festival Zoom orientation is 2 p.m., Saturday, May 22.

A free, in-person solo performance writing workshop is 2 p.m., Saturday, May 29 at the Gubelman Theatre and Steele Garden. Masks are required for indoor gatherings. Continue Reading

Rate films to enter to win 2021 Friday Harbor Film Festival pass

From Friday Harbor Film Festival

For the month of May, the Friday Harbor Film Festival Director Series presents a “mini fest” of four new feature documentaries and five short films submitted through FilmFreeway.

These films will be available 24/7 at fhff.org from May 1–31. Watch all the films at no charge. Filmmaker Q&As will be scheduled for some of the selections.

Viewers are asked to participate in a crowdsourcing project to evaluate the films, assigning a rating and providing comments. Audience choice films will be included in the October Friday Harbor Film Festival.

In appreciation for audience assistance, the festival will hold a drawing from all individual ratings. Each film that a viewer rates will count as one entry. The winning viewer will receive a free pass to the 2021 film festival.

The top 10 audience curators, based on the number of films watched and rated, as well as the extensiveness of comments, will receive discounted tickets to the 2021 film festival.

Votes will be collected with the rating scale used for Audience Choice Awards used in past years:

• 1: Not my cup of tea
• 2: So-so
• 3: OK
• 4: Very good
• 5: Extraordinary

Audience choice films will be announced during a livestream discussion with film festival directors on May 30. Top audience curators may be invited to discuss their favorite films. Details will be posted on the fhff.org website.

Feature documentaries included are:

“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.

“Forest Hymn for Little Girls”: This film follows the exploits, struggles and daring feats of young girls under the age of six as they take to the woodland.

“Campeche Island World”: Agents on the island known for its crystal-clear waters and rock engravings work to preserve the island’s environmental and cultural value.

“The Six”: What became of six Chinese survivors of the sinking of the Titanic? This film tells their extraordinary story of survival and dignity in the face of racism and anti-immigrant policy that still reverberates today.

Short films included are: Continue Reading