By Minnie Knych, Northwest Workforce Council Career Center

Despite the increase in unemployment in San Juan County, there is some good news. There are jobs available in several sectors of the economy. 

As we all know, many San Juan County businesses are seasonal and thrive during the summer but start to lay off employees in the fall. 

With the Covid-19 shutdown, the summer season has been difficult for the tourism industry everywhere, but especially here in San Juan County. Since March, our hospitality sector businesses in the San Juan Islands have struggled to stay in business with little relief.   

Over the year, there was a net employment loss, with all sectors of our economy reporting 12-month losses. The largest one-year losses were in leisure and hospitality where San Juan County had 1,560 fewer jobs overall in December 2020 compared to December 2019. Continue Reading

By Hayley Day, San Juan Update

By Travis Ayers, Friday Harbor High School Grad Night

Volunteers are raising funds for Friday Harbor High School Grad Night by selling four delicious meals at Haley’s Bait Shop.

Order the meals online by Wednesday, Feb. 24, and pick up the meals from 4-7 p.m., Wednesday, March 3. Enter Sunshine Alley off First Street with your order confirmation and we’ll bring your hot meal right to your car.

To have the smoothest experience, all orders must be placed online in advance by going to www.FHHSGradNight.com and hitting the “Shop All” button. We apologize, but due to the meal format, no substitutions are possible.

Our Square website does not have the ability to offer a single pick-up day, so ignore the day and time the system gives you; meals will be ready at the times above. The only option for pick up is drive-through. 

Thank you for your support of the Friday Harbor High School senior class!

From San Juan County Economic Development Council

Makers – from craftspeople to engineers and from hobbyists to business owners – are invited to join the Economic Development Council of San Juan County to begin asset mapping with the San Juan Makers Guild on Friday, Feb. 26 from noon-1 p.m. on Zoom. 

Presenters are Marcy Montgomery and Stephen Shrader, co-founders of the San Juan Makers Guild, a non-profit program.

The San Juan Makers Guild is gathering input from makers across all creative, food, building, and technology sectors to provide an inclusive picture of San Juan County makers’ capacities, current needs, and future opportunities.

This asset mapping project will help businesses identify and develop sales and employment opportunities to build the maker economy in San Juan County. Continue Reading

From PeaceHealth

PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center continues to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 in our community to ensure the health and safety of our patients, visitors and staff members until COVID-19 is no longer a public health threat.

On Friday, Feb. 19, we adjusted our visitor policy to allow for limited visitor access at our medical center.

Patients who are not COVID-19 suspect or positive are allowed one designated visitor during their stay. Two visitors are allowed on a case-by-case basis for:

• Minor patients (parents or legal guardians only)
• Patients with a cognitive or physical disability
• Patients at the end-of-life

Other exceptions may be made at the discretion of the PeaceHealth Peace Island’s clinical care team. Continue Reading

Contributed Image/CDC

From San Juan County

Though the number of vaccine doses available is slowly increasing, it is still important that our community
members do all they can to follow vaccine eligibility guidance.

While the system isn’t perfect, it is a necessary tool that helps ensure those who are highest at risk receive the
vaccine first. While the rules may appear arbitrary, they help to ensure a smooth and equitable distribution.

We ask that those who are not eligible refrain from signing up for a vaccine registration slot. If you have signed
up for a slot and are not eligible, please cancel your appointment so that it may be filled appropriately.

The definitions can easily be confusing. Below are some simple explanations of current eligibility requirements (full details are available here):

Phase 1a: Tiers 1 and 2

Workers in healthcare settings and emergency responders. To be eligible as a worker in a healthcare setting,
direct care must be delivered via close proximity in-person care of a human patient, or work must support
healthcare that provides close proximity in-person care.

Phase 1b: Tier 1

• Anyone over the age of 65.
• People who are (a) over the age of 50 AND (b) are not able to live independently who either: a. are receiving long-term care from a paid or unpaid caregiver, or b. are living with someone who works outside the home.
• People who are over the age of 50 AND are living with and caring full time for a child who is not your own.

For now, those are the only groups that are eligible. If you are under the age of 65 and are receiving the
vaccine, you need to either be a healthcare provider, be over 50 and living with and caring for a child who is not your own, or be over 50 and unable to live on your own and are receiving care from a paid caregiver or someone who lives outside of your home.

Who Isn’t Eligible?

Continue Reading

From San Juan County

Since the last update on Friday, Feb. 12, total cases in San Juan County have increased from 126 to 129. Two of these new cases are on Lopez Island and the third is on San Juan Island.    

Approximately nine close contacts of positive cases are currently in active quarantine.

Orcas Island

There are no new cases on Orcas Island since the last update. There are no positive cases are under active monitoring on Orcas Island at this time.

Lopez Island

There are two new cases on Lopez Island. Both cases are household contacts of a previous positive case. There are two positive cases being actively monitored on Lopez Island at this time.

San Juan Island

There is one new case on San Juan Island. That case is a household contact of a previous positive case. There are no positive cases being actively monitored on San Juan Island at this time. Continue Reading

Contributed Photo/Krista Mattox.

By Krista Mattox, Friday Harbor

I live in the North 40 neighborhood of Friday Harbor. Over the past couple of days, there have been mysterious designs in the frost covering my pond.

I’m curious if anyone else has experienced this in their pond.

The designs have been there since Monday morning and haven’t changed at any time during the day. I have lived in my house for 18 years and this is the first time this has happened.

My friend, Susan Matthews lives on Cattle Point across the island from me and she had similar designs in her pond as well. 

Do you know how the designs were made?

Continue Reading

Contributed Photo/Dave Ellifrit, Center For Whale Research. L86 and L125. (Photos taken under Federal Permits NMFS PERMIT: 21238/ DFO SARA 388.)

From the Center For Whale Research

On Feb. 17, the Center For Whale Research had its eighth encounter with orcas in 2021. Members saw the J, K, L pods in Haro Strait.

They report: “We were seeing young calves but it was hard to tell who the mothers were as saddles disappeared behind swells. We were convinced that both J57 and J58 were present but who was that other calf? We finally got a decent look at it and its mother and it was definitely a new calf coming up next to L86.”

Read more at www.whaleresearch.com.

From San Juan County Public Hospital District 1

San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1 has a job opening for an executive assistant and hospital district affairs specialist. Click here for the full job description.

The job is open until filled, but we begin interviews March 4. A successful applicant will need to pass a background check. 

Please email your resume and cover letter to [email protected]. Email is the preferred method, but if you would like to mail it, send it to SJCPHD#1, PO Box 370, Friday Harbor, WA 98250.

If you have questions, call 360-378-2857 extension 202 and speak to Nathan Butler.

From San Juan County Parks and Fair

After a flurry of flakes, it now feels as if spring is just around the corner. Crocus are sending up shoots, gardens are being planned, the sun is shining (sometimes) and birds are chirping!

This year’s Fair theme “Lettuce Entertain Ewe” reminds us of the playful nature of the seasons and agriculture in the islands.

With the theme for the 2021 fair determined, it is time to put the call out for a poster artist.

The San Juan County Fair is lucky to work with local artists who volunteer their time and work to make each year’s fair poster special.

Are you or someone you know a professional or an aspiring artist? If you would like to participate by donating our talent to the fair, please call or email for poster guidelines and submission deadlines.

Please call or email the San Juan County Parks & Fair Office for 2021 poster art guidelines and deadlines at 360-378-4310 or email [email protected].

The San Juan County Fair Board looks forward to reviewing submissions on Thursday, March 11.

Contributed Photo/San Juan Preservation Trust.
Sylvan Loop Trail.

From San Juan Preservation Trust

March 1 is the official opening day for the newest addition to the Preservation Trust’s trail network on Shaw Island.

The two-mile Sylvan Loop Trail meanders through a scenic sampling of the Marilyn and Fred Ellis Preserve’s varied forest landscapes.

Donated to the Preservation Trust by Fred and Marilyn Ellises’ heirs at the end of 2017, this 344-acre preserve harbors a cornucopia of treasured island landscapes, including open hay meadows, a large tract of mixed forest with a few old-growth tree specimens, a pond and wetlands, rocky balds, and more than a mile of undeveloped shoreline along Parks and Hix Bays on southwestern Shaw Island.

The public Sylvan Loop Trail can be accessed from the west side of Hoffman Cove Road, approximately 1/8 mile north of the Hix Bay Road intersection. Look for the “Ellis Preserve” sign and small parking area.

The two-mile loop trail is a pedestrian-only path through a peaceful natural area.

Read more at sjpt.org.

Contributed Image/CDC

From San Juan County

Due to east coast weather delaying vaccine shipments, San Juan Island vaccine clinics on Thursday, Feb. 18 and Friday, Feb. 19 are postponed. These are in addition to the postponed Orcas Island clinic from Wednesday, Feb. 17.

Those who have registered for these clinics will be notified by email as soon as the date of the new clinics is known.

Those with appointments for any vaccine clinics other than these three are not impacted.

There is no ETA for the vaccine at this time.

From San Juan Islands Community Network

At 7 p.m., Feb. 23, San Juan Islands Community Network will host its second virtual forum exploring how our islands’ schools are responding to the health and educational challenges posed by COVID-19.

Islanders can register for free at SJICN’s website: www.sjicn.org.

Featured forum panelists will include:

• Amber Paulson, Director of Kaleidoscope Preschool & Child Care Center
• Carl Bruner, Interim Superintendent of Lopez Island School District
• John Bogert, Board Chair of Shaw Island School District
• Eric Webb, Superintendent of Orcas Island School District
• Fred Woods, Superintendent of San Juan Island School District

Michael Soltman, former San Juan Island School District Superintendent, will once again serve as moderator.

At the forum on Feb. 23, islanders will be able to:

• Hear directly from our school leaders about current information and reasoning for decisions regarding school reopening

• Learn about the influence of federal, state and local gov. on school opening decisions

• Check in on the perspectives and concerns of students, parents, faculty and staff, and community as school opening decisions are made

• Learn about school program opportunities and limitations for students as the pandemic progresses

• Discuss opportunities for schools to provide additional services to make up for any learning losses attributed to the pandemic

Continue Reading

From the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor

Name: Meeka
Age: About 8/9 years old
Sex: Female
Breed: Siberian Husky
Application: www.apsfh.com/adoption-program/canine-application

Meet Meeka, a sweet husky with an easy going personality! Meeka is tried and true to her breed, she loves adventures including long walks, hikes, and having fun! She is a known “explorer” so her next home will need to understand how to keep her safe and secure as well as provide her with enough stimulation and exercise to feel satisfied. Meeka is great with people and other dogs! She would love to find a loving home that understands her breed and would give her the fulfilling life she deserves!

Continue Reading