A report from the county…

There has been one new confirmed positive test result in San Juan County since the last case summary on August 13. This is the 32nd case in San Juan County and the 13 th on Orcas Island.

The case occurred in a visitor to Orcas Island. Due to timing of symptom onset and recent travel history, it is certain that transmission occurred off-island. The case investigation has been completed and this case has resulted in no close contacts or quarantining of San Juan County residents. The patient is quarantining off-island.

San Juan County will continue to provide weekly updates on any new cases on Thursdays, unless the situation requires an immediate update to ensure public health or is an especially notable situation.

FREEZER BURNED: Tales of Interior Alaska is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Steve Ulvi…

Ulvi in 84 banding on Charley R Cliff – Contributed photo

 The plane lifted off the state runway in Eagle on dense morning air on another bluebird July day. The drowsy sprawl of town and sweep of the Yukon River receded under the right wing as we climbed with the steady snarl of the 300-horse engine.  The faint odor of avgas dissipated once the engine was throttled back and the plane trimmed for cruise.  We bantered and caught up a bit through headsets as the very familiar landscape scrolled under us. 

Mark was an astute and reasonable local, the owner of a general store and flying service.  He made good money chartering for the locally disliked Park Service, but disagreed with staffing levels and some management activities.  That conflicted him.  We enjoyed friendly needling and talking over wildlife management issues. 

Thrumming over rumpled forested drainages, waters mercurial in the early sun, he casually flew his workhorse brown on yellow Cessna 185; the ‘bumblebee’.   For me it was a familiar seat, yet always stirred me, as I would soon be standing in the wild.  Once again, we were fully loaded with an inflatable raft and gear for a week long, eighty-mile river descent of the wild Charley River to its confluence with the broad silty Yukon River.  There would be climbing into nest ledges that had been located with determination on a float a month earlier, to band endangered Peregrine Falcon chicks.   They would begin fledging in a few weeks, learning unparalleled feathered mastery of the air.

Continue Reading

Members who are struggling to pay their power bills during COVID-19 can apply for assistance to keep their OPALCO accounts up to date. The Board voted to continue COVID-19 Relief Measures for as long as the approved funding lasts. Members can apply for assistance online at www.opalco.com or through their Family/Community Resource Center. The measures available include:

• No fees or disconnects for late bills and payment plans to meet any budget. No application necessary, but a payment plan must be in place if the account is in arrears.
• Energy Assist (EAP) bill credit program – just check the COVID-19 box on the online form to receive a monthlybill credit of $31.41-61.41 for two months – based on household size.
• Commercial members can apply for the EAP-C program, which will waive the service access charge (fixed charge) of $67.57/mo for two billing cycles.
• Anyone in the Energy Assist programs can also get a $25 monthly bill credit from Rock Island for their internet service – just show them your OPALCO bill with the credit line item.
• Full details available online: opalco.com/covid-19-relief-measures/.

Continue Reading

Bugs of the San Juans – Contributed photo

Bug Count hosted by Bugs of the San Juans…

Continue Reading

Southern Residents – Contributed photo

State receives more than $11 million in federal grants to benefit Southern Resident killer whale and Chinook recovery…

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) today announced the award of more than $11 million in grants to 11 Chinook salmon habitat and hatchery projects from a new grant program under the Pacific Salmon Treaty. NOAA Fisheries is distributing the funding across Puget Sound and the West Coast to support Southern Resident killer whale and Chinook salmon recovery.

“These whales are at the heart of who we are in the Pacific Northwest, from our maritime history to our cultural heritage,” said Kaleen Cottingham, RCO director and member of the Governor’s Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force. “We’re proud to be part of this collaborative effort working to recover these beloved creatures and look forward to seeing these projects unfold throughout Puget Sound and coastal Washington.”

The goals of the funding include increasing Chinook salmon prey for Southern Resident killer whales by 4-5 percent. Continue Reading

Rosie the Riveter Art Mask – Contributed photo

We need to wear masks in public, so let’s make them unique and playful!  In March enterprising volunteers started making masks to raise funds to support the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA).  The masks come in all colors and delightful fabrics including ones of familiar art by famous artists. Who better to make these than an art museum?

More Colorful Masks – Contributed photo

The We Can Do It! limited edition masks are inspired by the Westinghouse Rosie the Riveter poster in WWII. The are designed in honor of the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage this August. Adult-sized masks have ear-looped ties and cost $18. 

Famous art masks feature Renoir’s Bouquet of Roses and Poppy Field, Van Gogh’s Field With Iris, Klimt’s Venetian Glass and Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.  There are other colorful designs-paintbrushes, Frida’s Roses and more.These come in adult and XL sizes and are available for  $15.

Kid’s-sized mask designs include turtles, fairies, basketballs, teddy bears, Superman and many more. These sell for $12. The kid’s and art masks are all cotton, washable and the ties are made of soft t-shirt style fabric. Models of the styles are shown at the outdoor table. Each comes in their own cellophane package. Continue Reading

Archipelago Collective – Contributed photo

Archipelago Collective Artistic Director, Sophie Baird-Daniel and Executive Director Dana Jackson announce the 2020 Virtual Chamber Music Festival…

Our groundbreaking virtual festival presents 18 exceptional musicians from across the country. Our players hail from some of the nation’s top orchestras and chamber music institutions including the Seattle Symphony, Boston Symphony, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

The Artists: Our groundbreaking virtual festival presents 18 exceptional musicians from across the country. Our players hail from some of the nation’s top orchestras and chamber music institutions including the Seattle Symphony, Boston Symphony, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Continue Reading

We hear from our friend Kate Schuman on Shaw…

Rally For The U.S. Postal Service on Shaw – Contributed photo

You don’t hear much about Shaw Island in the daily buzz of the San Juans, but the recent barrage of changes being implemented nationwide at the U.S. Postal Service has many Shaw residents alarmed and wanting to do something about it.

Shaw Islander John Peinert organized a rally, and Monday morning approximately twenty residents gathered in the parking lot of the Shaw Post Office to show support for the U.S. Postal Service.  (That’s about 10% of Shaw’s population!)  Many carried signs, all wore masks, and ideas were shared on how best to get their voices of protest heard.  The greatest shared concern is the potential damage to the voting process for the general election in November. 

The ideas brought up:  Write or call our state and national representatives, write to the U.S.P.S. Board of Governors, put together a press release for local papers, buy a sheet of stamps, and take the Postcard Challenge to send 10 postcards in 30 days.  Contact information for the USPS BoG and state and national representatives can be found online.

Rally For The U.S. Postal Service on Shaw – Contributed photo

Have you answered the 2020 Census yet?
Census workers will be available to help you answer the census:
Dates: Wednesday August 19 & August 26
Time: 11AM – 2PM
Location: Friday Harbor Food Bank, 500 Market St.

Can’t stop by? You can also self-respond

1. Online at www.2020census.gov
2. Call toll-free 844-330-2020 (English) or 844-468-2020 (Spanish)
3. Return paper form if you received one at your home.

Jenn’s Horse Skywire Nabs a T-Shirt – Contributed photo

Islanders collect them every year. Most years from artist Jennifer Rigg’s booth at the San Juan County Fair. This year with our Fair going virtual you may not have got yours yet.

Not to worry. Jenn’s great designs for San Juan County’s Virtual Fair 2020, Moon Jumper, Major Tom, and Starman are still available from her website LOEA. LOEA is Hawaiian for skill, cleverness, and technical knowledge and that is reflected in the clever designs and quality craftsmanship of these popular T-Shirts.

Also still available is the Separate-Together shirt celebrating islanders sticking together to survive this pandemic. Jennifer always gives something back and a portion of the sales from this shirt go to support our local seniors.

Link to: Jenn’s webpage LOEA

Zucchini 500 – Contributed photo

Are you still feeling an empty place where the Zucchini 500 race used to be? Do you have an itch that only watching Zucchini racers SQUASH their competition can relieve? Relive the past glory of the Zucchini 500 race in a series of short films produced and directed by the Zucchini Queen herself Lynnette Cabrera.

Link to: Zucchini 500 Crossing the Line 

Island Rec & the San Juan County Fairgrounds are partnering to bring you a Drive In at the Fairgrounds on August 21st!, movie will start at dusk.

Please note, tickets must be reserved in advance. To reserve your tickets email [email protected] with “Drive-In” in the subject line or call 360-378-4310. If paying at the time of reserving your space, price is $20 per car; if paying at the event cost is $25 per car.

San Juan Island Fire and Rescue – Contributed photo

From San Juan Island Fire & Rescue…

On Thursday afternoon, August 13, 2020, emergency responders from San Juan Island Fire and Rescue, San Juan Island EMS, and Airlift NW responded to a 911 emergency call reporting an unconscious person who was not breathing at the Roche Harbor Marina.

Several bystanders at the scene immediately went to the individual needing help and began Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). At the same time, a citizen immediately called 911 and maintained communication between the 911 center and the citizen responders.

Dr Joshua Corsa, San Juan County Medical Program Director, commented, “Medical care is a team effort that starts when a person falls ill. Willing and able good Samaritans are a critical part of that team. These Samaritans are often the first, and most critical, link in a patient’s chain of survival. Their actions demonstrate that anybody, with as little as two hours of training, can save a life.” Continue Reading

Link to: San Juan County Virtual Fair

Friday Harbor Film Festival’s Summer 2020 Virtual Cinema will present a FREE virtual on-demand screening of Public Trust, produced by Patagonia Films, on August 19 through 23, followed by a hosted audience discussion on August 23 at 6 pm PDT.   To view the film anytime on the specified dates and participate in the webinar, RSVP at www.fhff.org. 

Once you RSVP, you will receive an email with a link to stream the film on a computer or mobile device beginning Wednesday, August 19 until Sunday, August 23 at 6 pm, when the webinar begins. You will also receive a separate link to join the Zoom event.

In a time of growing polarization, Americans still share something in common: 640 million acres of public land.

Held in trust by the federal government for all citizens of the United States, these places are a stronghold against climate change, sacred to native people, home to wildlife, and intrinsic to our national identity. But today, despite support from voters across the political spectrum, they face unprecedented threats from extractive industries and the politicians in their pockets. Continue Reading