Contributed Image/CDC

From San Juan County

Since the last update on Friday, April 16, total cases in San Juan County have increased from 166 to 173.

There are 25 close contacts of positive cases currently in active quarantine.

San Juan Island

There are six new cases since the last report on San Juan Island.

Three of these new cases are close household members of each other, and the initial transmission source is through mainland travel.

One of these new cases is possibly tied to the hosting of off-island visitors. Case investigations are ongoing for two of these cases.

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

It seems that the large outbreak that had been ongoing on San Juan Island has been contained.

Orcas Island Continue Reading

From San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1

No findings were reported in a final financial audit from Jan. 1, 2019 through Dec. 31, 2019 for San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1.

The district was given a clean bill of health. The audit, which concluded on April 22, 2021, is routine and normal for governmental agencies.    

This report also covered San Juan EMS, which is a part of the hospital district.

Superintendent Nathan Butler said “I’m so pleased to be able to report that there were no findings in our 2019 financial and internal controls audit. Due to COVID-19, the audit was done entirely remotely, which was a challenge of its own, but I’d like to thank the state auditor’s office for making it manageable. I’d also like to thank former Superintendent Hutchins who was instrumental in making this audit a success.”

To find a copy of the official audit report, visit sao.wa.gov, scroll down to “Quick Search Audit Reports,” enter report number 1028120, and click “search.” 

From the Town of Friday Harbor

The Town of Friday Harbor is continuing construction on Spring Street.

The contractor is nearly complete with the installation of underground utilities and will focus on installing curb, gutter and new sidewalk from Coldwell Banker to the pocket park through April 28.

Every effort will be made to limit interruption to businesses.

Spring Street businesses will be fully accessible to pedestrians.

Appropriate signage will be placed during this phase of the project. Temporary sidewalks will remain accessible.

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

Spring Street Sidewalk Schedule:

• Sunday, April 25, evening: prep for curb and gutter.
• Monday, April 26, morning and afternoon: set curb and gutter forms for concrete.
• Monday, April 26, evening: pour and finish concrete for curb and gutter.
• Tuesday, April 27, evening: pour and finish concrete for sidewalk.
• Wednesday, April 28, morning and afternoon: place plywood on sidewalk surfaces while concrete cures. Pedestrian detours will be established through the abutting parking lane and breezeway.

From the San Juan Islands Museum of Art

Contributed Photo/SJIMA. “My Heart is Open” by Winnie Brumsicle with Docent Elizabeth Thomas.

The wait is over.

The San Juan Islands Museum of Art is now offering tours during regular museum hours.

The rollout of this long-awaited program was delayed by the pandemic. 

Led by an experienced docent, private tours offer an in-depth look at the museum’s exhibitions, bringing a rich conversation about the art and artists on view.

Arrange your visit to explore a specific theme, special exhibit or to experience increased exposure to art.

Visitors can view the museum’s popular Artists’ Registry Show through May 31.

Over 60 artists from the San Juan County islands exhibit their best new studio work which includes paintings, sculpture, textiles, jewelry, glasswork, printmaking and more.

Contributed Photo/SJIMA. Christopher Umierski ceramic vessel with Docent Ditte Jensen.

Steve Jensen‘s “Voyager” transforms the Atrium Gallery, imbuing it with light and the aesthetic traditions of his Norwegian forebearers. For him, the image of the boat symbolizes a voyage or journey, possibly to the “other side” or into the unknown. His exhibit is also on view until May 31.

Tours can be customized to meet your group’s needs.

To explore this program, go to sjima.org/visit to check available dates and hours. Then fill out a request form at sjima.org/sjima-docent-request at least two weeks in advance.

We will respond to your request within three business days. Reserve your tour now for visits starting April 25. Continue Reading

Attend and Enter to Win Electric Lawnmower, 10 Community Solar Shares

From OPALCO

OPALCO will host a solar town hall May 5 in the first of a series of co-op workshops that help members prepare their homes and businesses to transition from fossil fuels.

Orcas Power & Light Cooperative, or OPALCO, is the member-owned cooperative electric utility, serving more than 11,400 members on 20 islands in San Juan County.

OPALCO launched the Island Way campaign in early 2021 to help islanders determine their own energy future in the face of major changes in the energy world.

Island Way sessions are interactive, hour-long workshops.

The solar town hall will be held on Zoom.

Topics in the town hall include the 2021 OPALCO Community Solar project, residential solar and battery projects, commercial solar opportunites and an introduction to the upcoming board discussion of solar rates.

Industry experts from Puget Sound Solar and the Community Energy Challenge will join OPALCO staff to share information and answer questions. The hour-long session includes time for community discussion.

Those who attend could win two prizes: a Greenworks electric lawnmower or 10 shares of the 2021 Community Solar Project.

OPALCO members will enter to win with each Island Way session they attend, beginning with the OPALCO Annual Meeting held April 24.

The more sessions attended, the more entries in the raffle. The two winning names will be drawn on Oct. 1.

To register for the solar town hall, email [email protected].

Upcoming Island Way workshops:

• Continue Reading

Contributed Photo/Studio JAMM

From Studio JAMM

Studio JAMM is starting a new session of fitness classes in May.

Reserve your spot today as we are limiting our class size to stay within the recommended safety guidelines.

Zumba classes will be 9:30-10:30 a.m., Mondays and Wednesdays, May 3-June 23. The price is $128 for 16 classes.

We have a fabulous new teacher and can’t wait for you to meet her! Lindsey’s style is easy to follow yet full of the essence of Zumba.

“Dansing” classes will remain from 5-6 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 4-June 24. The price is $128 for 16 classes.

This is a class designed for dancers and nondancers and wanna-be-dancers who just want to smile, sweat and enjoy some dance-exercise routines. The class offers easy movement but effective in a full-body workout.

Don’t delay, sign up today!

Studio JAMM is located at 15 Second St. North, Friday Harbor. 

For more information, contact i[email protected] or 360-207-4576, or visit studiojamm.com.

Trail Times is a continuing series of articles introducing the Old Military Road Trail (OMRT), a proposed 18-21 mile cross-island non-motorized multi-use trail linking English Camp and American Camp and honoring the original Old Military Road.

Welcome to Spring and another segment of the intriguing Old Military Road Trail to explore. Today, we leave remnants of the original military (Cowichan) road as we travel along Section 2 but will rejoin the road further on.

The original “Cowichan” Road, built largely by Cowichan laborers of the Salish Tribe, was established in the 1850s-60s as a sheep run for the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Belle Vue Farms, and was located at what is now American Camp. This sheep run later became the military road linking English Camp and American Camp during the “Pig War” of 1859-1872.

The road served as a vital “hotline” between the two camps, allowing communication and encouraging social interaction that contributed to the Pig War’s peaceful resolution. The road later became an essential multi-spurred backbone route for the island’s settlement and commerce.

OMRT’s Segment 2 begins near the corner of the Frazer homestead preserve at the intersection of Rosler Road and Cattle Point Road. It travels along False Bay Road and provides striking vistas of the Olympic Mountain range, historic agricultural structures and shoreline access at the University of Washington Preserve at False Bay.

Continue reading…

By Robin Donnelly
The Old Military Road Trail Committee
www.oldmilitaryroadtrail.org

Contributed Image/CDC

More than a Thousand Appointments Available

From San Juan County

As of Tuesday, more than 1,000 vaccine appointments were available for San Juan County’s upcoming COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan islands.

Sign up at www.sanjuanco.com/1737/COVID-Vaccine-Info as soon as possible to ensure a spot. This is the best opportunity for islanders 18 and older to be vaccinated.

The Moderna vaccine will be administered and is only approved for 18 and up. The Pfizer vaccine is available for ages 16 and up at mainland locations. The county is looking to host Pfizer clinics in the islands in the next month or so.

Not sure if you want to get vaccinated? Here’s why you need to:

COVID is no fun. Sure, some individuals have mild cases or are even asymptomatic, but for many people of all ages the disease is miserable, and in some cases, its effects last for months or more.

Protect children. There won’t be vaccines for all children until early 2022. While rare, some children do experience very severe and potentially long-term or fatal health impacts from COVID. Keeping island kids safe matters. If kids are healthy, schools can get back to normal operations. Sports, sleepovers, playdates, theater, tutoring, classes, and other activities essential for happy and healthy children can resume.

Vaccines work. All available vaccines drastically reduce your chances of dying or ending up in the hospital from COVID. They also greatly reduce the likelihood of becoming infected and transmitting the disease to others. Continue Reading

From San Juan County

Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee signed a new bill into law April 16 that provides a deferral of 2021 property taxes for businesses with real property, according to San Juan County Treasurer Rhonda Pederson. 

Businesses with a documented 25% reduction of their revenue attributable to real property for calendar year 2020 compared to calendar year 2019 may apply for an extension of payment on 2021 real property taxes.

“Businesses that apply for the program and establish a payment plan with the San Juan County treasurer will not have any interest or penalties applied to their taxes due, as long as the business remains compliant with the payment plan,” Pederson said.

To be eligible, businesses must complete and submit a form developed by the Department of Revenue called 2021 Request for Real Property Tax Due Date Extension & Payment Agreement Due to Revenue Loss by April 30 to the San Juan County treasurer.

Verification of the revenue loss could be subject to audit by the Department of Revenue.

The deferral does not apply to residential or nonbusiness-related property.

For more information, contact the treasurer’s office at [email protected] or 360-378-2161.

By Hayley Day, San Juan Update

The San Juan County Council will hold a special meeting 9 a.m., Monday, April 26 to vote on whether to sell the county’s public works building on Guard Street to the Town of Friday Harbor. 

Watch the meeting online here.

If you would like to comment, join the call by dialing +1 360-726-3293, then the ID 807 724 024#.

Call the council clerk at 360-317-7472 for information on video conference accessibility.

From San Juan County

As of Tuesday, more than half of the 3,100 COVID vaccine registration slots for upcoming clinics were available. 

San Juan County will be hosting three large clinics next week on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Islands.

Registration is open until filled, and links to sign up are at www.sanjuanco.com/1737/COVID-Vaccine-Info.

For months, islanders have been awaiting the day that San Juan County is fully vaccinated.

We’re getting close, and the best remaining opportunity for anyone over the age of 18 to get their shot is open for registration now.

Thanks, islanders for doing your part for yourselves, your families and community!

What Happened with the Group’s Recommendations?

From The Whale Museum

The Whale Museum will host a lecture on orca policy updates and the new commercial whale-watching licensing program at 6 p.m., April 28 online. 

Julie Watson from the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife will discuss progress since the governor’s Orca Task Force delivered their 2019 report containing 49 recommendations for Southern Resident killer whale recovery.

What happened with the recommendations? Has COVID-19 changed how we approach killer whale recovery? What has changed? Where are we going next?

Julie will give a birds’ eye view of the killer whale policy landscape heading into 2021.

She will also discuss the specifics of the new commercial whale-watching licensing program, the rules adopted in December 2020 for commercial viewing of Southern Residents, and how things might look different on the water this season.

Join the Zoom meeting here. Contact The Whale Museum at 360-378-4710 or [email protected] for the meeting’s passcode. 

Contributed Photo/Fish For Teeth

From Fish For Teeth

Islanders can receive affordable dental care, thanks to the local nonprofit Fish for Teeth.

The mobile dental van will be at the Millis Community Center on San Juan Island in Friday Harbor from Wednesday, May 5 through Saturday, May 8.

“Many volunteers and local businesses work as a team to bring this service to those who cannot otherwise afford dental care,” said Fish for Teeth Founder Matt Marinkovich, a San Juan Island commercial fisherman.

Patients are seen by appointment only. Pick up applications at the San Juan Island Family Resource Center or the county health department, or download them at www.fishforteeth.com.

Submit applications to the San Juan County Health Department on Rhone Street. Volunteers, not the county health department employees, determine scheduling a week before the clinic, based on prognosis and space.

Fish for Teeth sponsors the Medical Teams International mobile dental van four times each year. The van can handle a variety of services, from teeth cleanings to root canals. Continue Reading

From Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor

The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor would like to acknowledge the San Juan Island Community Foundation for the many opportunities it provides for San Juan Island nonprofits to receive support from the foundation and its donors.

On March 9, the animal shelter received two grants from the community foundation’s Healthy Community Grant Fund, the Robert and Rebecca Pohlad Family Donor Advised Fund; the Peg Gerlock and Phil Johnson Donor Advised Fund; and the 1st Saturday in June Fund, a fund of Charles Anderson and Pamela Gross.

The donor-advised funds are all funds of the San Juan Island Community Foundation.

The first grant provided the purchase of heavy steel drain covers to replace plastic ones in the shelter’s dog kennels. The plastic covers were a safety risk to dogs as they slipped and slid out of place when dogs walked on them causing minor injuries to their feet and legs. Continue Reading