Dear SJCT Family,

On May 5th, we wrote to inform you of the launch of the From ‘Going Dark’ to ‘Lights Up’ campaign to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on SJCT operations. Following the cancellation of events in March, April, and through the end of the summer, the campaign seeks to raise $193,000 of community support by September 30th.

One week later, thanks to the generosity of the San Juan Island community, we are thrilled to let you know that the campaign is 66% complete with $126,000 of pledges! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We are so grateful for the support of our friends and neighbors and of course our Board of Trustees, all of whom have generously contributed to the From ‘Going Dark’ to ‘Lights Up’ campaign. We’re not out of the woods yet, but the heartfelt and generous response this week has been absolutely overwhelming. We are starting to look at possibilities for outdoor performances in late summer, a socially distant Playwright’s Festival, and what we can program for next season as we work to continue pursuing our mission of Enriching Community Through Performing Arts. Continue Reading

We have all had to adapt to the COVID-19 virus. It has changed how we interact with each other. Here in San Juan County the American Red Cross maintains an active local unit. We want to let our fellow residents know that if any of you face displacement from your home because of a personal disaster, such as a home fire, we are here to help.

Once the Red Cross has received notice of your needs from local police, fire or EMS services, the Red Cross can quickly assign a DAT (disaster action team) responder to contact you remotely by cell phone or computer, using virtual conversation tools, such as Face Time. In this way no in-person contact is necessary to offer assistance and referrals in your recovery, immediately and moving forward.

Don’t hesitate to ask your emergency responder to contact the American Red Cross with your contact information. We are here to help and to support the fine work our police, fire and emergency services providers deliver to us every day. We are truly blessed by their skill and dedication.

And if any of you have considered volunteering with the American Red Cross, check out the website at www.redcross.org, and click on “volunteer.” There are many ways to serve.

Your Local American Red Cross Volunteers

Delta Dental of Washington announced today it will be offering four months of financial relief in the form of a 25-percent premium reduction* to its policyholders, totaling $30 million. With dental offices having been closed for all non-emergency procedures, Delta Dental is focused on providing value back to its customers during this unprecedented pandemic.

“With many dental offices closed and people having limited access to their benefits, providing these funds back to our customers is the right thing to do,” said Delta Dental of Washington CEO Mark Mitchke. “We are a mission-driven company guided by core values and principles. Doing what we can to support our customers through this very trying time is what matters the most right now.” Continue Reading

By Louise Dustrude

Five candidates have filed for county council from District 1 (San Juan) and three from District 2 (Orcas).

Filing from San Juan this week were:

Sharon Kivisto, Daniel Miller, Christine Minney, Ryan Palmateer, and Steve Wehrly. Incumbent Bill Watson did not file for reelection.

On Orcas incumbent Rick Hughes filed for reelection, and will be opposed by Michael Durland and Cindy Wolf. In both races, because more than two have filed, there will be a primary in August.

Superior Court Judge Kathryn C. Loring has filed for reelection to her second term, and she is unopposed.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen filed for his tenth term in the House of Representatives, and is opposed by one Democrat, Jason Call; and six Republicans, Timothy S Hazelo, Kari Ilonummi, James Dean Golder, Carrie R. Kennedy, Cody Hart, and Tim Uy, who signed up as a “Trump Republican.” Continue Reading

EDC invites all residents of San Juan County to a weekly Community Forum

The EDC invites interested residents of San Juan County to join in a weekly San Juan Islands Community Forum starting Wednesday, May 20^th, from 6-7pm via Zoom video conference. The event will be presented in partnership with San Juan County government and the Town of Friday Harbor.

Each week, the San Juan Islands Community Forum will cover different topics of interest to residents of the islands, and allow for conversation with elected officials, local health and social experts and community leaders.

For more information, please visit https://www.sanjuansedc.org/CommunityConversation

Still Staying Home – Marsha McAllister photo

Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Island Update written by Peggy Sue McRae…

Its been a few months now of staying home and staying healthy, of wearing masks and gloves to the grocery store, of staying six feet apart from friends we’d really like to hug, of meetings on Zoom. How are you doing? Given that we are dealing with isolation, fear of deadly contamination, and economic uncertainty in the midst of a global scale disaster it is not surprising that many of us are experiencing anxiety.  

In a recent interview Jon Lovett of Pod Save America, asked psychologist Dr. Ali Mattu what advice he had for coping with coronavirus. Dr. Mattu observed that a lot of people are feeling helpless or stuck but he explained, what we are doing by staying home, “is an incredibly optimistic act.”

He said, “We’re not helpless. We’re taking an action that says,‘You virus, you don’t move if we don’t move. So we’re just going to stay put here. We’re going to stop you by staying put.’ This is an act of immense altruism, of global co-operation the kind of which I’ve never seen.” By staying home “You are taking an action to stop this virus and save other lives.” Continue Reading

In support of the Governor’s Stay Home Stay Healthy directive to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, Skagit Valley College announces that it will continue to operate online for Summer Quarter.

In addition to the decision to remain online through the summer, the College has made the difficult decision to cancel its 2020 Commencement activities originally scheduled for June in Mount Vernon, Oak Harbor, and Friday Harbor.

“Commencement is my favorite annual activity, and I share our students’ disappointment in our inability to recognize them on stage this year,” said SVC President Dr. Tom Keegan. “We take very seriously our responsibility to care for students, employees, and members of the communities we serve, and any large gathering may put them at risk. Despite the challenges we face today and our inability to celebrate at large gatherings such as Commencement, the accomplishments of our students remain a great source of pride among the faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees.” Continue Reading

This week “COVID-19 Community Conversations” continues with another set of videos highlighting specific efforts from organizations and people in our community that provide key services and crucial leadership around the county.

You can find our entire collection of videos on our YouTube channel “San Juan County COVID-19 Response” at www.sjccovid.com/conversations. This week we have two new videos:

Evan Perrollaz, Village at the Harbour: Perrollaz is the administrator for a senior living community in the Town of Friday Harbor that opened in late 2008, The Village at the Harbour. Long-term care in the county has been a challenge since the closure of the Life Care Center several years ago, which has placed a significant strain on the Village already – and then COVID-19 hit.

“I’ve never been through something as frightening as the COVID-19 Crisis. Fortunately, we were a little bit better prepared than most, we anticipated the lock-down, and pretty much closed our community down to visitors even before it was required by the state.”

He adds, “The staff at the Village has been fantastic in the care they have provided, and they have done it with smiles on their faces… All the doctors on this island, Dr. House and PeaceHealth, have done an amazing job at making sure our residents get needed care.” Listen in to learn more about how the Village is adapting to the crisis.

Paul Kamin, Eastsound Water: General Manager of Eastsound Water Paul Kamin gives an update to the public about how the utility has adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Kamin points out, “the COVID-19 virus is not dispersed through water systems,” but it has had other impacts. Staff training, in-person collaboration, office hours for the public, etc., have all been curtailed. Kamin outlines changes to water use, “commercial water use in Eastsound is down 60%,” but “residential water use is up 10%.”

Eastsound water is working to take care of impacted customers, among other things, by not shutting off water, and is partnering with the Orcas Community Resource Center to provide utility payment assistance. Email [email protected] for more information. Eastsound water reports that it is fiscally stable following a decision by the Board in years past to establish a rate structure that emphasizes revenue stability. This is an interesting video that gives an analysis of the COVID-19 crisis from a different angle.

There was a 3.0 earthquake last night, about 1:15 in the morning, just south east of Roche Harbor. See more info on the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network website.

Eruption of Mount St. Helens, May 18, 1980 – WSDOT photo

It is one of those events that – if you were alive – you likely remember.

Where were you at 8:32 a.m. on Sunday, May 18, 1980?

Monday marks 40 years since Mount St. Helens erupted. Fifty-seven people died, and the way we look at the power of nature was altered forever. This week WSDOT dug into the archives and shared some powerful images from the eruption, and the response, on their @WSDOT Instagram account.

Bumble Bee – photo by Kevin Holmes

It’s springtime and Kevin Holmes has been out getting some nice shots of wildlife on the island.

Thanks for sharing Kevin!

A pair of fawns – photo by Kevin Holmes

Fawn and Doe – photo by Kevin Holmes

Understanding both the short- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 in our community is critical for making a sustainable plan. For more than 2 months, SJICF has continued to stay vigilant.

San Juan County is experiencing a 27% unemployment rate and is expected to reach 30% very soon. This is twice the national and WA state levels. It’s clear that critical support will need to be provided to vulnerable residents for months to come.

SJICF is committed to granting emergency funds quickly where it’s needed most as well as making a concerted effort to ensure funds will continue to be available for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. To date, more than $57k has been granted from the SJICF Emergency Response Fund to nonprofits for COVID-19 needs, including: Continue Reading

Teacher/Coach Sue Kareken; Nancy Wehner, 1st grade; Jodie Wehner, 2nd grade; Coach Dena Royal, and Ava Youngsman, 2nd grade meet via Zoom

Last week, the national winners of the Exploravision Competition were announced and the first place-winning project was Get Away! Bacteriophage, submitted by Friday Harbor Elementary School (FHES) students Jodie Wehner, 2nd grade, Ava Youngsman 2nd grade, and Nancy Wehner, 1st grade.

Earlier this spring, three FHES STEM teams had received regional and honorable mention recognition for work submitted to this competition sponsored by the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and the Toshiba Company.

As first place winners, Jodie, Ava and Nancy each won a $10,000 savings bond for education, an iPad, and an Echodot along with an expense-paid trip to Washington, DC for an ExploraVision awards weekend. The trip was cancelled due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, there will be a virtual ceremony on June 5^th that will include surprise guests from around the world. Continue Reading

The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office is seeing a rise in both online and mail fraud in recent months. With millions of Americans filing for unemployment, tax season extended and upon us, and stimulus checks coming in the mail those who prey upon unsuspecting citizens are taking advantage. We are currently seeing a rise in fraudulent unemployment claims.

If you have a question about anything that has to do with what you may suspect as being fraudulent or just not on the up and up, feel free to call the Sheriff’s Office to help determine if you are dealing with a legitimate source.

If you feel you are a victim of fraud, please call the business line at 360-378-4151

Thank you,

Ron Krebs
Sheriff

Call the Bookstore Anytime, 24/7 to Place Your Order: (360) 378-5511

New Hours for the Bookstore
The bookstore is open Monday thru Friday, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm but you don’t have to wait until then to call and place your order. Call anytime, day or night, and leave a message.

A real person will call you back—a staff member who will confirm your order, answer your questions, give you pick up details, and process your payment. You can count on someone returning your call on the above days, during our new hours. If you call during open hours, you may encounter a busy signal, but don’t give up—just try calling the bookstore when it is convenient for you and leave your message and order on our recorder. If the line is busy during our new hours, you may have to keep trying. E-mail, though, is always a good choice, too: [email protected].

Thank you for your patience as we are trying to streamline ordering, pick-ups, and deliveries.

Consider Griffin Bay Staff as Your Personal Shopper: Continue Reading

To the Editor:

In this time of Stay-at-Home regulations, coinciding with some lovely spring weather, we at the Friday Harbor Labs (FHL) have noticed increased use of University of Washington properties. We absolutely understand the desire to get out of the house and find new places to explore, and we want to be good neighbors, but please note the following restrictions on public access to UW lands.

The deeds for all UW-owned properties in the County make it clear that these lands are for “biological station and general university research purposes,” and give the University the right to limit public access. Under the current conditions, the University has closed the FHL campus to the public for the safety of critical staff and researchers living and/or working here. No visitors are permitted at this time – including for walks or picnics. And as a reminder for when we are no longer in the midst of a pandemic: the campus is part of a biological preserve on which dogs and other pets are never allowed (even on leash). Continue Reading