Posted January 20, 2021 at 5:30 am by Hayley Day
From WaterWorks Gallery
WaterWorks Gallery presents “WITH LOVE: A Valentine’s Show,” from Feb. 5-March 15.
The show will feature new work by Georgia Gerber, Dominik Modlinski, Cathy Schoenberg, Elizabeth Bruno, and Nichole DeMint
This inspirational show brings together specially selected pieces to warm your heart during these cold winter months.
With all that is happening in our world, it’s more important than ever to remember to love each other and love ourselves.
Posted January 20, 2021 at 5:00 am by Hayley Day
From Skagit Valley College College
Skagit Valley College’s Continuing and Community Education program allows you to engage, connect, learn and grow from the comfort of your home by offering short-term, noncredit courses.
A variety of Personal Enrichment courses are still available during the month of January:
• Castles and Ancient Stones, Jan. 31-Feb. 28, Sundays, 1-3 p.m.
• Daoist Qigong, Jan. 26-March 16, Tuesdays, 9-10 a.m.
• Forrest Yoga, Jan. 26-Mach 16, Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
• Geometry of the Gods, Jan. 27-Feb. 24, Wednesdays, 3-5 p.m.
• Online! Acrylic Painting, Jan. 28-March 18, Thursdays, time arranged
• Seasonal Nutrition, March 28-March 18, Thursdays, 9-10:30 a.m.
• Sustainable Gardening (Fruit), Jan. 26-March 16, Tuesdays, 10-11:30 a.m.
• Tactile Exercises for Stress, Jan. 31-March 27, 9-10 a.m.
• Travel Photography, Jan. 25, Monday, 6-9 p.m.
• Watercolor Painting, Jan. 27-March 3, Wednesdays, 6-9 p.m.
For course information, visit www.campusce.net/skagit/course/course.aspx?catId=25.
Posted January 20, 2021 at 4:30 am by Hayley Day
From OPALCO
Beginning with the Jan. 21 regular meeting of the OPALCO Board of Directors, co-op members will be able to sit in on virtual board meetings using a Zoom connection.
A link for members to access the meetings will be published with board materials each Monday before a board meeting online at www.opalco.com. Go to the “Document Library,” then “Board Meetings & Materials.”
When OPALCO shifted to virtual meetings in March of 2020 due to COVID-19, staff hosted a Facebook Live session at the beginning of each meeting to continue the tradition of a member comment and question period.
OPALCO has upgraded its technical capacity to include co-op members for the entire regular meeting and will continue to invite member comments and questions during the first part of the meeting and again at the end of each meeting. Continue Reading
Posted January 19, 2021 at 5:30 am by Hayley Day
Contributed Photo/www.facebook.com/shawgeneralstore
From the Save the Shaw Store Board of Directors
Imagine the Shaw General Store open seven days a week, year-round, managed by the Orcas Food Co-op.
Imagine the store property owned by a community nonprofit organization, self-supporting through the store, the marina and other revenue sources on the property.
This could soon be the reality if a community effort to buy the store property is successful.
For over 100 years, the Shaw Store has been a hub: folks congregate, catch up, chat, check the mail, do the laundry, buy chicken feed, or buy excellent island produce and fine local brews.
Now, a freshly formed nonprofit — Save the Shaw Store — is raising money to purchase the property and ensure it continues on as a community benefit in perpetuity.
Posted January 19, 2021 at 5:00 am by Hayley Day
By Dr. Tiff Stephens
In the summer of 2017, I traveled to Friday Harbor Labs for one of my usual short visits of reconnecting with resident scientists and diving into the waters to see how the seaweed communities have changed at favored sites (Reuben Tarte, Cattle Point, Deadman Bay).
I also traveled there to catch a ride north: I jumped onto a 42’ Nordic Tug and steamed directly from FHL’s breakwater to Prince of Wales Island (POW, Southeast Alaska) via the Inside Passage, with the ultimate goal of relocating for a postdoctoral fellowship that was to investigate the role of sea otters in eelgrass habitat (UAF, Eckert Lab).
It must be said: sea otters are unforgiving.
Their tenacity, in fact, is not quite appreciated until one has the opportunity to observe their daily foraging habits. As we rounded the northern point of POW Island into a calm, fog-enshrouded Shakan Bay, we noticed dozens of sea otters simmering to the surface around us, each returning with a prize to dismember and consume: clam, clam, clam, sea cucumber, clam, clam, basket star…BASKET STAR? Continue Reading
Posted January 19, 2021 at 4:30 am by Hayley Day
Farhana Loonat, Ph.D.
From Skagit Valley College
On Thursday, Jan. 21, Farhana Loonat, Ph.D., Skagit Valley College Department chair for political science, philosophy, international studies, anthropology, and social science, will present her paper, The “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion” Illusion in White Supremacist Institutions of Higher Education: Delivering Equity and Inclusion for Women Faculty of Color.
Dr. Loonat’s presentation will take place virtually from 2:30-4 p.m. via Zoom, https://zoom.us/s/4571870466. The community is invited to attend.
In addition to the SVC presentation, Dr. Loonat also recently presented her paper at the Northwest Political Science Association, the Political Theorists of Washington and the prestigious Association for Political Theory.
In addition, she presented her work at the Southern Political Science Association and the Western Political Science Critical Whiteness Studies group.
Posted January 18, 2021 at 8:18 pm by Hayley Day
Contributed Image/CDC
From San Juan County
On Monday, Jan. 18, Governor Inslee and the Washington State Department of Health have opened vaccine eligibility to Phase 1b Tier 1.
San Juan County will begin delivering Phase 1b Tier 1 immunization on Wednesday, Jan. 20.
Q: Who is Eligible for 1b – Tier 1?
No one under age 50 is eligible in Phase 1b Tier 1, and no one over age 50 caring for a partner, friend or child is eligible; only those with grandchildren.
The full details on Phase 1b, including definitions for Tiers 2 through 4 are best reviewed here.
Q: Is there a tool to help me know what phase and tier I’m in?
Yes, the Washington State Department of Health has an online tool that enables individuals to evaluate their phase eligibility and print out or screenshot an approval verification that documents their eligibility. That online tool is at www.findyourphasewa.org.
Q: Is there enough vaccine to immunize everyone in Phase 1b – Tier 2?
Continue reading at www.sanjuanco.com.
Posted January 18, 2021 at 5:30 am by Hayley Day
Contributed Photo. Merri Ann Simonson.
By Merri Ann Simonson, Managing Broker, Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands Inc
Holy cow, what a year!
In reviewing the year-end results for 2020, the sales dollar volume for the real estate market in San Juan County per the Northwest Multiple Listing Service was $466,709,745 which reflects a substantial increase in volume of 55% as compared to 2019 when the volume was $299,854,773.
The county closed an average of 55 transactions per month which is a 48% increase over last year.
Total volume on San Juan Island in 2020 was $217,576,869 as compared to $139,593,052 in 2019. The increase 56% in volume with an increase of 53% in transaction number. The average number of transactions per month was 25.
Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands Inc. had an extraordinary increase of 70%.
Once lodging was allowed in April, buyers that lived within driving distance flocked to the islands to purchase a second home or safe haven property. COVID, low-interest rates, and the ability to work from home all fueled the migration.
We had fewer transactions but increases in volume which equates to more high-end sales occurring. The charts below do not include commercial or multifamily closed sales.
Continue reading at sanjuanislandslifestyle.com/blog.
Posted January 18, 2021 at 5:00 am by Hayley Day
Contributed Photo.
From Transition San Juan Island Waste Guild
The Transition San Juan Island Waste Guild wants to give a big kudos to the San Juan Island School District Food for Thought program’s grab-and-go free school breakfast and lunch program.
The food service team packages their tasty breakfasts and lunches in a sustainable manner. When schools went virtual, the cafeteria line went into the parking lot.
This meant packaging breakfasts and lunches individually for 200 to 250 kids and handing these bundles out to families through the car window. The program has kept to sustainable principles during this pandemic while keeping an eye on the budget.
Here’s how they have kept the waste minimal. Continue Reading
Posted January 18, 2021 at 4:30 am by Hayley Day
From Fourfront Contributor
On Jan. 14, four of the largest community behavioral health providers in Washington State, including Compass Health, announced a new partnership called Fourfront Contributor, an advocacy and leadership coalition that utilizes their collective size and expertise to improve the health of individuals, communities and the systems that serve them.
“This is an exciting step forward to amplify the voice of Compass Health, our clients and the communities we serve throughout Northwest Washington,” said Tom Sebastian, president and CEO of Compass Health.
Member organizations include Compass Health, Comprehensive Healthcare, Frontier Behavioral Health and Sound. Serving more than 76,000 individuals, the Fourfront Contributor footprint spans from the Pacific Ocean to the Inland Northwest.
“Many of our industry peers might have known us as Behavioral Health Northwest in the past, but we’re excited to re-introduce ourselves as Fourfront Contributor with a clear platform of advocacy,” said Patrick Evans, President & CEO of Sound, which serves King County. “It’s humbling to work with such dedicated partners who are so committed to the same vision and goals, and I can’t wait to see the results of our efforts for those we serve.”
In 2021, Fourfront Contributor will focus on advocating for legislative support of telehealth in behavioral healthcare delivery.
Posted January 17, 2021 at 5:30 am by Hayley Day
“Freezer Burned: Tales of Interior Alaska” is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Steve Ulvi.
The old man emerged slowly from a cocoon of feathered warmth. The radiant heating of the cabin had waned after midnight as the stove fire laid low.
In the blackness, he searched light-fingered, found and struck a wooden match to light the bunk-side kerosene lamp.
The sound of his exhalations, slightly fogging in the soft yellow light, came from his movements in pulling on worn pants and shirt, sliding into thick moccasins. With monkish practice, he leaned to kindle a new fire. The licking flames quickly grew to a blaze and the metal box to chuff life-like. His simple morning ablutions, long a routine, followed without thought.
Posted January 17, 2021 at 5:00 am by Hayley Day
Annual Riders Down 10 million From 2019 From Washington State Ferries
Annual ridership aboard Washington State Ferries plunged by nearly 10 million customers in 2020 – a drop of 41% from the previous year – to roughly 14 million.
Stay-at-home orders, remote work and decreased tourism because of COVID-19 are the main reasons for the system’s lowest yearly count since 1975.
For the first time since it began operations in 1951, WSF carried more vehicles (7.6 million) than passengers (6.4 million) last year. This shift in ridership was fueled by a dramatic decline in walk-on customers on routes that serve downtown Seattle and more people choosing to drive on board because of the pandemic.
“When COVID-19 drastically altered ridership patterns, we quickly adjusted service to match this new reality,” said WSF Assistant Secretary Amy Scarton. “Since late summer, we’ve been incrementally restoring sailings based on our COVID Response Service Plan (pdf 166 kb), which considers demand, crew availability, vessel availability and funding.”
Posted January 17, 2021 at 4:30 am by Hayley Day
From the San Juan Island Economic Development Council
The Tilth Alliance is now accepting applications for the Washington State Organic and Sustainable Farming Fund.
This opportunity is available to farmers seeking financial assistance to support projects that will improve the economic viability, social impacts, or environmental sustainability of their farm businesses or community.
The goal of these grants is to enhance the operations of farmers practicing responsible and progressive methods such as sustainable soil management, crop diversification, habitat preservation, climate change mitigation and environmentally-safe waste management practices.
Grant requests can be made up to $10,000.
The grant program is open to all Washington State farmers who:
Applications are due Feb. 19, 2021. Apply here. Contact Teri Rakusin at [email protected] for more information.
Posted January 16, 2021 at 5:30 am by Hayley Day
Contributed Image/CDC
From San Juan County
This Q&A will focus on the San Juan County response to the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. There are a number of local organizations working hard to get approval from the Washington State Department of Health so they can receive supplies and begin administering doses.
However, even the members of the vaccine team at San Juan County Health & Community Services don’t have all the information or answers. Many of the most critical pieces of information and direction come from the state or federal government.
Sometimes that information changes with no notice, sometimes your public health responders hear about it via the media the same time as the general public.
For some time to come, demand will exceed supply. Demand for the vaccine will drastically exceed supply until production matches the need. Patience and maintaining existing safety protocols will be vital.
Q: Did the county lose any vaccine supply due to the power outage?
No. The freezers used to store the county’s vaccine supply have back-up power, and are equipped with data loggers that track the temperature within – allowing for an easy check on whether the vaccine has been maintained within the required temperature range.
It is unrelated to the outage, but the County has had to return 60 doses of vaccine to Moderna due to the vials not thawing properly before injection. The County has yet to be notified of the cause of the problem.
Q: When will the county finish with Phase 1a and move to Phase 1b? Continue Reading
Posted January 16, 2021 at 5:00 am by Hayley Day
From OPALCO
In the early morning hours of Wednesday, Jan. 13, a big storm hit the Northwest region of Washington state with wind gusts of 50-65 mph in the San Juan Island area.
By 1 a.m., all of San Juan County was without power after large trees fell onto the Puget Sound Energy lines feeding the Bonneville Power Administration substation in Anacortes – the last stop before power flows in submarine cables to power the San Juan Islands.
As the winds died down around daylight, hundreds of thousands in the region were without power.
While mainland crews went to work on their territory, our OPALCO crews cleared trees that had fallen in the transmission lines on Lopez, Shaw and Decatur islands and repaired the damage done. They surveyed the power lines throughout the system, troubleshooting along the way, to prepare for bringing the power back up once the mainland was ready.
By early afternoon, OPALCO’s system was ready to be energized but San Juan County had to continue to wait for the mainland power source to be restored. OPALCO’s engineering team was in constant communication with BPA and PSE to coordinate the outage work.
Around 7:30 pm, the mainland power to the islands was re-energized and OPALCO began to bring the power up in phases, to protect the system. As expected, there were a smattering of small outages that went later into the night due to equipment issues common with switching after a big outage.
By 11 p.m., all power was restored, and the crew was finally able to head home to their families and warm beds.
Posted January 16, 2021 at 4:00 am by Hayley Day
From the Washington State Department Of Health
On Jan. 15, the Washington State Department of Health announced that based on Governor Jay Inslee’s Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery plan, all eight regions in Washington will remain in Phase 1 until at least Monday, Jan. 25.
As outlined in the governor’s COVID-19 plan, regions must meet four metrics in order to move into Phase 2. These metrics provide an overview of current COVID-19 trends and healthcare system readiness in each region. The four metrics are:
DOH will reassess all the metrics each week and announce any changes to current phase status every Friday. For more detailed information on where each of the eight regions falls with regards to the four metrics visit the DOH website.