The Town shares news about a recent change to the eligibility guidelines for its utility assistance program.

On Oct. 6, the Friday Harbor Town Council adopted an ordinance amending the Low-Income Senior & Disabled Reduced Rate Program, which offers reduced utility rates for low-income senior and disabled customers. The Town found that some customers were excluded from the program because established income eligibility thresholds were not consistent with this region’s cost of living.

“The Town determined that a program based on 150 percent of the federally established poverty guidelines was leaving out many deserving customers,” says Town Administrator Denice Kulseth. “This amendment trends better with Friday Harbor’s cost of living.”

The program’s income eligibility is now based on a percentage of the annual median household income for Friday Harbor. That threshold is currently 50 percent of the average median income of Friday Harbor, or $26,700 for 2022. The program offers a 50 percent reduction for all utility base rates on participants’ monthly utility bills.

To apply, participants must complete the program enrollment form.

“Running water and access to sanitary sewer is quite possibly the most cost-effective public health tool,” says Mayor Ray Jackson. “Yet when people can’t pay their bills, they lose access to these services at great cost to themselves, their families, and their community.”

In addition to this program or setting up payment plans, the Town encourages any customer in need to seek utility relief through the Family Resource Center or the Town’s Harbor Life Ring program.

“The Town of Friday Harbor is committed to the financial health and safety of our community,” adds Mayor Jackson. “Our hope is that these programs continue to provide some relief for our low-income, elderly, and disabled residential customers.”

The Chamber of Commerce sends along news about the winners of this year’s scarecrow contest.

The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of the Library are proud to announce the winners of the third annual Scarecrow Contest:

• First place: Lady Amaranths — Julie’s Nursery (pictured above)
• Second place: The Sal Man — Port of Friday Harbor
• Third place: Davey Jones — San Juan Physical Therapy

The contest was close and we received so many great comments about the creativity, originality and humor of this year’s entries.

The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank shares news about their upcoming public meeting.

If you have questions for your Conservation Land Bank, we want to hear from you. We will host a county-wide public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. over Zoom. Pre-registration is open now.

We’ll kick off the meeting with a brief acquisition update from Director Lincoln Bormann. The remainder of the meeting will be open for questions from the public.

Those unable to attend the meeting may send questions or topics of interest to Tanja Williamson, Outreach/Volunteer Coordinator, at [email protected]. The meeting will be recorded and will be available online the following Monday.

Click or tap the photo to view all 14 images.

Continue Reading

PeaceHealth shares news about changes to their visitation policies.

PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center has relaxed visitation policies further, effective immediately. Patients can now have two people visit at a time. This is a change from current policy allowing only one visitor at a time.

San Juan County has maintained a moderate transmission risk level for more than seven days, which meets the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for the lower risk level for healthcare facilities. Visitors are still required to wear a mask in healthcare settings per state health department and CDC guidelines. Visitors will be asked to self-screen by reviewing the posters displayed that list COVID-19 symptoms.

PeaceHealth remains cautious and is prepared to tighten up protocols should these trends again reverse.

The San Juan Island Library is looking for candidates to fill a vacancy on the five-member Library Board for a non-paid term of office that runs from Jan. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2027. Learn more in the Island Jobs section of the San Juan Update.

The San Juan County Council will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 9 a.m. Items up for discussion or action include:

• 2022 budget — third amendment
• 2023 budget mid-biennial review
• Approving the 2023 Capital Improvement Plan and the 2023-2028 Six-Year Capital Improvement Plan
• Cancelling prior years unclaimed accounts payable and payroll warrants
• Noxious Weed Program assessment increase
• Setting the property tax levy for land conservation futures for 2023
• Setting the property tax levy for county roads for 2023
• Setting the property tax levy for current expense for 2023
• Approve REET 2 Public Works allocations
• Schedule public hearing for Community Development Block Grant close-out
• Approve one-year extension of San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau destination marketing and management services agreement
• Approve contract with the Town of Friday Harbor for law enforcement services

You can view the live stream of the meeting online or attend in person at the Council Legislative Hearing Room. To make a public comment, sign up prior to 9 a.m. on Nov. 1.

He would later score the game-winning touchdown on a fourth-and-goal play in overtime. All three Tiger football teams won their games on Saturday and will continue post-season play next weekend.

Like many islanders — and especially property owners — I experienced some pretty intense sticker shock at the $20 million estimated cost of the new Library on Spring Street. It was enough to stop me in my tracks, despite being someone who consistently votes progressive. Does a small rural community really need such an expensive new facility, especially when it will increase our property taxes during what is already a harsh economic time?

After some serious consideration, and with help from the Library’s very informative Building Project page, I have decided to vote yes on the library. Here’s why:

• $20 million is a lot of money — only $12 million of which would be paid through taxes — but construction costs are super high now in general and are unlikely to come back down. In fact, they might just continue to get more expensive as time goes on, so it makes sense to build now.
• This might not feel like the time to take on a big financial burden as taxpayers, but the reality is that it’s a 20-year plan to pay $12 million and most property owners would only pay $45-$85 per year in additional taxes. That’s not really that much — like 10 fancy coffee drinks? A few streaming service subscriptions? Per year?
• The old building on the site is going to have to be torn down no matter who buys the property, so if the Library doesn’t do it someone else will. And the Library has a really great plan for reusing and recycling as much of the old building material as possible, which probably won’t be the case for anyone else buying it.

Why move in the first place? One thing I’ve heard from folks on this issue is that our current library feels adequate to our needs already: “There’s hardly ever anyone in there anyway!” But what if the Library were different? Would you use it more? Think about why you might not use the library very much now, and how an improved library would change your experience. What if there were more rooms to do office work in, where you could talk to a co-worker without disturbing other people? What if your small business or nonprofit or community group could use a room for meetings or activities? What if the Library had room for more new books that you could peruse and be inspired by? What if the kids area was separated from the main area, so the whole space was quieter and more inviting, and kids could still have fun in a safe place after school? Besides, what about everyone who sits in their cars in the parking lot using the internet, whether for lack of workspace inside or for a desire for privacy? I see lots of people doing this, so there’s definitely a need.

This is our chance to build what this island has needed for a long time, and will continue to need into the future: a multi-use community center for people of all ages, where islanders can gather for free, find inspiration, access inspirational and educational resources, have fun, and get reliable access to fast internet — something a lot of people still don’t have at home. We don’t have a rec center, an arcade, or really anywhere for kids to go after school except the library. We are losing all of our cafes and restaurants where people could hang out and use the internet. We have fewer common spaces than ever. With so many beloved businesses closing, people are worried for the character and integrity of our town. I think now is actually the perfect time to invest in this project, because it’s an investment in our future as a community.

We may not be Seattle, but we deserve an awesome library that will support all islanders for many, many years to come.

Glenn Hendrick
San Juan Island

The Town shares news about its yearly initiative to provide some extra support for Friday Harbor Food Bank.

Each November, the Town of Friday Harbor asks that you help us support an important community need — the Friday Harbor Food Bank. The Food Bank spends over $10,000 each month serving nearly 750 households, and roughly 1,475 individuals per month. In the last year, they provided nearly 500,000 pounds of food to locals. They do this entirely through community donations.

According to Food Bank manager Rachelle Radonski, the need for your generous donations is even greater in these economic times. “The needs of the Food Bank patrons are ongoing and critical,” Rachelle says. “Food costs continue to rise, but the Food Bank is committed to keeping healthy produce and proteins available. With the holidays upon us, the number in need will grow even larger.”

To assist with the Food Bank’s need for funding, the Town will direct all of your donations from this month’s Harbor Life Ring to the Friday Harbor Food Bank. Each year you have answered the Town’s call to contribute, and the Town has matched your donations. This year, the Town is increasing that match up to a total of $5,000.

Support our local Food Bank by donating to Harbor Life Ring on your November utility bill. As we celebrate Thanksgiving and all that we have to be thankful for, here is a perfect way to pay it forward. Please consider an extra contribution at the bottom of your utility billing.

Thank you for your generous support, and best wishes to you and yours this holiday season.

Inter Island Propane is hiring a Customer Service Representative for a full-time position with flexible hours. Learn more in the Island Jobs section of the San Juan Update.

“Frank and Francesca are the two resident bald eagles that use the Cattle Point lighthouse as a fishing perch,” Brad says. “At this angle it’s hard to tell the size difference for determining male and female, but if you look at the beaks, Francesca has the larger beak as females do. Also, the pupil size shows that Francesca is focused on me whereas Frank is checking out a herring ball in the channel. Unlike humans, eagles can dilate and constrict their pupils at will.”