Contributed Photo/APS-FH

From Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor

It is with great relief, excitement and joy to announce that Queenie, the infamous runaway dog, is back home safe and sound.

It couldn’t have been done without community efforts; including reported sightings, awareness, volunteer work, and finally the assistance of professional trappers and one extra-large cage!

Thank you to everyone who has helped bring this sweet girl home.

If you would like to contribute in celebration of her return or to help with what has been an exhaustive effort on behalf of the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor, you can donate through www.apsfh.com/ or www.paypal.com/paypalme/apsfh

By Hayley Day, San Juan Update

The San Juan County Council approved a six-month moratorium on vacation rental permits from Jan. 13 through July 13.

The resolution states that “while this moratorium is in effect, no new applications for a vacation rental permit shall be accepted as complete by any county department, and no currently pending incomplete application shall be accepted as complete by any county department.”

Vacation rentals can “have significant impacts on the community,” according to the resolution.

The resolution states that the “San Juan County Council desires to receive input from the community, recommendations from the planning commission and a proposed work plan from the department of community development, and develop additional regulations for vacation rentals.”

A public hearing on the moratorium will be held by the county council at 9:15 a.m., Feb. 23.

View the entire resolution here.

By Matt Marinkovich, Fish For Teeth

Fish For Teeth fish tacos will be served at the San Juan Island Community Theatre, today, Friday, Jan.15, from 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., or until we run out.

An $8 suggested donation lands you a full-on burrito-sized “taco,” filled with sustainably-harvested Washington coastal rockfish, fresh organic salsa, Tillamook cheese, zesty greens, and a squeeze of lime. Absolutely delicious.

If you value the efforts of Fish For Teeth and would like to lend financial support, please donate at fishforteeth.com, or mail a check to PO Box 2084 Friday Harbor 98250.

You can also volunteer your time in the taco-making or the dental clinic departments.

The easiest way to help is by simply enjoying a delicious fish taco today. Hope to see you there!

From San Juan County Parks and Fair

San Juan County Parks and Fair staff is again offering advance camping reservations for people who reside in San Juan County year-round.

Proof of residency is required. Choose from San Juan County Park, San Juan County Fairgrounds (RVs only), Odlin County Park, and Shaw County Park for any dates in 2021.

Due to the popularity of this program, duplicate date requests may be randomly selected. Two sites maximum per household, per camping stay.

To receive a 2021 resident reservation request form with instructions, join our mailing list by sending your name and email address to [email protected].

Resident reservations are not available to reserve online.

Early resident reservations will be accepted from Jan. 27 until Feb. 10, for two weeks only. Email requests (preferred) are accepted at 6 a.m. on Jan. 27 via email or by calling 360-378-8420 after 1 p.m. Hard copy requests may be dropped off outside the office as well.

Contributed Photo/Land Bank. Land Bank Field Assistant, Kayla Seaforth, and Salish Seeds Project Nursery Assistant, Sarah Benson, begin planting seedlings on Turtleback Mountain Preserve during a January deluge.
With the help of the Washington Conservation Corps, 14,000 native seedlings grown in the Land Bank’s own Salish Seeds Project nursery will be planted at the preserve this winter.

From San Juan County Land Bank

The San Juan County Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting on Friday, Jan. 15, from 8:30-11:30 a.m., via Zoom.

The public is invited to attend. Click here to download the agenda, Zoom link and meeting materials.

The San Juan County Land Bank is a local land conservation program, created by voters in 1990, and funded by a 1% real estate excise tax paid by purchasers of property in San Juan County. Through conservation easements or outright purchases, the Land Bank protects special places in the Islands including coastlines, farmland, forests and wetlands.

To learn more about your Conservation Land Bank, visit sjclandbank.org. If you’re interested in volunteering or joining our mailing list, contact [email protected]. We look forward to engaging with you!

Contributed Photo/OPALCO

By Hayley Day, San Juan Update

As of 7:40 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 13, OPALCO reported that power was being restored to all 20 islands in phases.

“Be prepared for some potential small outages as the system comes back up,” read the islands’ energy co-op Facebook page. “Be sure to thank a lineman!” 

Early Wednesday morning, San Juan Island, Lopez, Orcas, Shaw, Decatur and Blakely Islands lost power due to weather and “a mainland issue and system-wide,” reported OPALCO.

By 5 a.m., OPALCO reported that a “mainland source” needed to be repaired before power could be restored. At noon, the OPALCO Facebook page stated crews were still waiting for Puget Sound Energy to repair OPALCO’s line, and that all lines on the islands had been repaired.

Earlier that morning, OPALCO staff reported that crews in Anacortes and on Lopez Island were working to remove fallen trees from the power lines. 

About six hours later, the energy co-op’s Facebook page stated there were reports of over half a million without power in the region.

A half-hour later, OPLACO reported that crews were repairing damage to insulators on Shaw. Crews also patrolled lines for further damage and helped remove a tree in the line on Decatur Island. 

As of 5:45 p.m., OPALCO reported that Puget Sound Energy had more than 150,000 members out of power. 

For up-to-date information, visit www.facebook.com/orcaspower.

From San Juan Community Theatre

The San Juan Community Theatre is offering an online class called “Directing: Basics and Beyond,” from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesdays, Feb. 3-March 17. The class will be taught by Nathan Kessler-Jeffrey, executive artistic director for the theater.

Gain the confidence you need to take your first steps into directing or expand the skills you’ve gained from prior experience.

This class is for beginners and advanced directors alike. You’ll learn the basics of staging, etiquette and production while delving into more advanced topics like script analysis, conceptualization, working with designers and actors, the casting process, and more.

The class is free, and participants must attend a minimum of six sessions.

RSVP for the course by emailing [email protected] to receive the Zoom link, reading list and course agenda.

From San Juan Island Library

San Juan Island Library presents “Judy Newland: Exploring Textiles Through Time and Place” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 27, via Zoom.

Through textiles, we can explore art, society, politics, religion and more, making connections between cultures and through time.

Join Judy on an adventure using natural dyes, material culture, landscape, and travel to explore textiles through time and place.

To register for a Zoom meeting invitation, email [email protected].  

From Spring Street International School

The priority deadline for Spring Street International School’s fall classes is Feb. 1.  Apply here.

“Nancy’s Onions” by Patricia Canton, Watercolor.

From San Juan Islands Museum of Art

If you can’t come to the museum to see the art, the art will come to you.

Our team has been hard at work interviewing and photographing the artists and their creations so you can visit them online.

“Travel,” Sherry Bell, etching.

As of Jan. 12, go to sjima-online.org to tour the annual Artists’ Registry show at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art.

Start by browsing the Artists’ Registry Index to get an overview of all the works in the exhibition, then dive into each artist’s page for more information.

During the week following the initial site launch on Jan. 12 several artist interviews — taped live or via Zoom – will be added to their artist pages. A panoramic video tour will also be added to the site so the art can be seen in its setting with other works.

The 71 featured artists will display work that spans sculpture, photography, oil painting, glass, jewelry, acrylic painting, mixed media, drawing, encaustic, pottery, prints-etchings, monoprints, block prints, watercolor, wood, textiles, pastels, and egg tempura.

This outstanding array of work from our county-wide artists-emerging, established and professional, is installed beautifully in the SJIMA galleries.

You can also enjoy previous exhibitions and events under the online heading “Second Helpings,” with additional past exhibitions being added throughout the year.

Continue Reading

From San Juan County Economic Development Council

On Thursday, Jan. 14, the San Juan County Economic Development Council will host a Zoom webinar on the upcoming Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, loan application process.

The event will be presented by Janie Sacco and Steve Burke from the Washington Small Business Development Center from 2-3:30 p.m. They will cover the latest updates to the PPP loan program and take questions from our county business owners.

According to the U.S. Small Business Association, the Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll.

SBA will forgive loans if all employee retention criteria are met, and the funds are used for eligible expenses.

Register for the event in advance at www.sanjuansedc.org/ppp_webinar_011421/. The webinar will be recorded and available for viewing afterward at the same link for those who cannot attend.

The San Juan County Economic Development Council strives to strengthen and diversify the economy of San Juan County. We believe a strong economy builds a strong community.

From FANS

Families And Neighbors Support (FANS) Island Rec donated $4,000 to Island Rec this December, thanks to the very generous and dedicated individuals and businesses that donated to FANS this past year.

Thank you to all who have donated, and we wish you a wonderful 2021.

By Hayley Day, San Juan Update

At the Tuesday, Jan. 12 San Juan County Council meeting, councilmembers will discuss a moratorium on vacation rental permit applications. The agenda for the meeting also states that the council may take action.

Councilmembers will also review the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine; approve a resolution for their state legislative priorities; and appoint Becki Day to the San Juan Island Library Board of Trustees.

To view the agenda and watch the recording, visit www.sanjuanco.com/904/Upcoming-Council-Agenda.

Contributed Photo. “Curling,” Medium: Encaustic Wax Sculpture, dimensions: 47” X 48” x 20”

By Yvonne Buijs-Mancuso

Pacific Northwest artist, Yvonne Buijs-Mancuso, Friday Harbor, Washington, has been chosen for inclusion in the 2021 CVG Show in Bremerton’s Collective Visions Gallery.

The annual CVG show is one of the largest and most prestigious art competitions in the Northwest.

Two hundred and ninety-five artists from cities and towns throughout Washington State submitted 550 images for consideration. The competition’s juror, Michael D’Alessandro chose about 130 pieces from these submissions for inclusion in the show.

The juror will award over $6,700 in cash prizes to 10 artists in multiple categories, including the “Best of Show Mayor’s Award” of $1,500. Continue Reading

From The Whale Museum

Back by popular demand, registration is now open for a spring virtual session of The Whale Museum’s Marine Naturalist Program.

This dynamic and high-quality program will still be seven-sessions and run April 11-17.

The objective of this program is to provide a learning experience that assists adult graduates in becoming qualified regionally as a professional or volunteer naturalists.

The main focus of the training is the ecology, current status and conservation of Southern resident killer whales and other local marine species as well as discussions about the environments they live in.

The course includes presentations on cetaceans, pinnipeds, otters, intertidal invertebrates, seabirds, and a variety of other topics such as geology and marine conservation. Continue Reading

Deadline for Nominations is January 27

From OPALCO

Now is your chance for a seat at the table as the OPALCO Board plans the future power supply for San Juan County.

OPALCO is seeking nominations for board candidates for two open positions in District 2 (Orcas, Armitage, Big Double, Blakely, Fawn, Little Double and Obstruction islands) and one open position in District 3 (Lopez, Decatur, Center and Charles islands).

Applications are due to the member elections and governance committee by Jan. 27.

Why run for an OPALCO Board position? To participate in the governance of the company that you own.

OPALCO is a nonprofit cooperative owned and operated by its members. Directors set the policies, budgets and rates for the Co-op. As an added benefit, OPALCO directors are paid a stipend for their time and board training and are eligible for health insurance benefits. Continue Reading