In order to help San Juan County businesses and other organizations protect their employees and customers, the County COVID response team has produced printable posters to support their effort.

Two versions are available, one that is 8.5” x 11” (available HERE), and the other is 11” x 17” (available HERE).

As the world moves into the next phase of the COVID-19 response, we need to be more vigilant than ever about ensuring we prevent spread of the disease and avoid starting this crisis all over again. This is especially true in San Juan County, where many of our residents are highly mobile, and where a large segment of our economy depends on off-island visitors.

One of the most critical tools for preventing transmission is the wearing of face coverings in public. This is an essential adjustment we all need to make in order to protect ourselves, our employees, and our local economy. If we don’t take this seriously, we risk going backward, not forward. Continue Reading

Merri Ann Simonson checks in again, this time with information on internet availability on the island…

Update to Our Internet Connection

Merri Ann Simonson – Contributed photo

Rock Island has been busy for the last 5 years installing the base structure for our fiber and other internet connection options throughout the County.

As a REALTOR, I can state that internet reliability is discussed as part of every real estate transaction. Now more than ever, Islanders, as well as newcomers need to be connected and they desire their families to visit and, of course, the children and grandkids must have their devices.

As I understand, there are several avenues for consumers to obtain Internet service in our County and they include the following:

(Continued at www.SanJuanIslandLifestyle.com/blog…)

The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce, a business community non-profit, has proudly produced the Town’s 4^th of July celebration for over 35 years in cooperation with the Town of Friday Harbor, the Port of Friday Harbor and the whole island.

The 2020 4^th of July Parade has been cancelled. Becki Day, Executive Director stated “We are sorry to say we will not be able to have the 4^th of July parade this year due to the current COVID-19 situation. It pains us to announce our signature event of the year as it has always served as a point in time where we connect, come together as a small community and show pride in our home and country. HOWEVER, we will, with the help of the Town and Port of Friday Harbor and King’s Market, be able to watch the fireworks over the Port of Friday Harbor.”

The fireworks show will start shortly after 10pm on July 4 and details of viewing options will be provided at a later date with social distancing in mind.

Dr. House – Contributed photo

Pediatric care is still vitally important during this pandemic. We have continued to accept visits for immunizations and other recommended care based on the American Academy of Pediatrics.

We’re happy to announce that Dr. Mark Fishaut will begin telemedicine this week utilizing the same Zoom method we’ve been using for the past month. As he is unable to return to the clinic yet, these telemedicine visits will connect you to Dr. Fishaut from his home. Any parts of the visit that require a hands-on approach or immunization can still be done by our in-house staff at Eventide Health. His visits will follow his existing schedule closely.

Give us a call today to inquire or schedule. (360) 378-1338. We’re happy to offer this service and look forward to having Dr. Fishaut back in the office soon. 

https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/guidance-on-providing-pediatric-well-care-during-covid-19/

With a generous grant from the San Juan Island Community Foundation, Island Haven Animal Sanctuary has created the San Juan Equine and Farm Animal Emergency Fund. We are also accepting designated donations to increase and expand this fund to help more people and animals in need.

Purpose: Provide feed, hay, farrier, veterinary care for equines and farm animals to prevent neglect, abandonment or suffering for animals whose owners are affected by economic troubles from the Covid-19 crisis.

Eligibility: In alignment with Island Haven’s mission, applications will be accepted for equines and farm animals on San Juan Island.  If we receive additional donations, we can expand the fund for equines and farm animals for the rest of San Juan County. 

At the moment funds are limited and will be distributed on a case-by-case analysis of need for those that meet the following criteria. Continue Reading

Photo by Patrick Thun

This is the first in a series of stories by Steve Ulvi…

We can all use a bit more entertainment these days. Begin by conjuring up the Far North. Way up, where invisible longitudinal lines get closer, just short of an invisible Arctic Circle. Nearly all of these campfire tales take place in a particular chunk of circumpolar subarctic taiga; east-central Alaska.  

The mosaic of boreal forest, alpine uplands, muskeg and dendritic water courses stretch to the horizon. These stories are true enough except for some notable characters and place names. In the human realm are the strong ebbs and flows of newcomers, boomers and fascinating traditional cultures in place for ten millennia. Life in the woods, myths and big project ideas all stir together over the last 50 years in one of the most iconic regions of “Seward’s Folly”.

Late April. This is now the season of wintry retreat in the subarctic. Mountain ranges and huge basins are melting out and countless wild rivers are breaking up. Kind of a speed-shift of seasons toward the ease and twilight magic of summer. Water undergoes an amazing physical transformation; from hard ice to vapor to running liquid, in a few intense weeks. Rivers are the highways in the bush and they can’t be safely used for weeks. The sun blazes, climbing higher overhead as each day gets longer by several minutes. The tilt of earth relentlessly breaks the grip of months of penetrating cold. Continue Reading

60-Second Videos from the Preservation Trust

The San Juan Preservation Trust has developed a series of quick, easy-to-watch videos featuring the wonder-filled nature in our own backyards as spring unfolds around us.

If you could use some vicarious doses of nature’s medicine, click to watch the video above and then look for more of the Preservation Trust’s “Just a Minute” videos here: https://sjpt.org/just-a-minute

Check back every so often as the series continues to expand. Hope you enjoy them!

The county uses a roller to get moisture and air bubbles out of the road base before finishing the chip-sealing – Louise Dustrude photo

> By Louise Dustrude

The road adjoining the gravel pit and connecting Turn Point Road near the shipyard with Pear Point Road at the gravel pit will get its final chip-sealing this coming week, perhaps as soon as Tuesday according to county engineer Colin Huntemer.

After that, and after any loose rocks are swept off, the road could open to traffic at the discretion of the County Council.

In July or August the road will be striped and fences constructed on both sides. The road will have 10’-foot vehicle lanes and 4-foot shoulders for pedestrians or bicyclists.

Pear Point Road from there to Argyle will have at least a walking path along the south side, and perhaps in the future a sidewalk, curb, and gutter along the north side.

Sam Garson

A $19,000 grant was awarded to Friday Harbor High School (FHHS) Science Teacher Sam Garson to support a minimum 2-year partnership between the high school science department and Friday Harbor Labs in effort to get more students involved with high-level scientific research.

This grant was awarded through a competitive process in the Partners in Science program through the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust.

FHHS Science Teacher Sam Garson will be working with the Friday Harbor Labs Underwater Wired Observatory to study the effects of ocean acidification and deoxygenation on plankton in the Salish Sea. This partnership will allow Mr. Garson and his students to interact directly with lead researchers at the labs, potentially leading to additional opportunities for research and experiential education, preparing students for success in STEM at the post-secondary level. 

Following each summer of research, Mr. Garson will share this research at the national Partners in Science conference, also funded by this award. Continue Reading

The Town of Friday Harbor sees the health of our trees as vital to our sense of well-being and as a defining characteristic of our community. Healthy trees provide us the daily benefit of cleaner air, shade and source of aesthetic beauty. The Tree City USA signs at the Town’s entrances tell visitors that this is a community that cares about its environment and symbolize increased quality of life.

Friday Harbor normally celebrates Arbor Day in the first week of April. While in years past this was a time for volunteer opportunities and community events for all ages, current CDC recommendations for COVID-19 make this year very different. All recreational programs in March and April were cancelled to help protect the Islands’ health. But that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate! Continue Reading

The Town of Friday Harbor helped its customers jump start their spring cleaning with free pickup of oversized refuse the week of April 27-May 1. This is the fifth year the Town has offered the Spring Cleanup service to its residential refuse customers.

Refuse employees Dave Smith and Jon Munn picked up a total of 22.8 tons (45,600 pounds) of oversized junk too large to fit in standard garbage cans. This is a 35% increase over last year’s event.

“Once again, our customers did a fantastic job of selecting acceptable items and neatly stacking them for pickup,” said Town Administrator Duncan Wilson. He also recognized the excellent job the Public Works employees did handling the significant increase in refuse picked up this year.

“Town staff is grateful to the Mayor and Town Council for approving this additional free service,” said Wilson. The Town hopes to see this town beautification service continue in future years.

This week “COVID-19 Community Conversations” continues with another three videos that highlight specific efforts from organizations and people in our community that provide key services and provide 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. We now have fifteen videos! Here are the new ones this week:

Richard Uri: Richard is the Behavioral Health Coordinator for the San Juan County Department of Health and Community Services. He gives specific guidance and ideas for coping with quarantine and crisis. This video is intended for everyone, and his advice is deeply practical for all of us, not just those dealing with a serious mental health issue. Even if you feel fine you may be surprised how much this situation is affecting you. Richard also offers a useful guided tour through how to access information on the mental health resources available to county residents.

It’s no mistake that we have featured mental health professionals both this week and last. COVID-19 has pulled out the best and worst from all of us. We want to highlight this video as one of the most beneficial that we have shared. We strongly encourage everyone to watch it, to share it with loved ones, and take seriously his advice.

The Team at RockIsland: It seems like even three years ago our options for remote communication and collaboration would have been severely curtailed. Throughout this crisis, internet use has skyrocketed, so we thought we would turn to local provider Rock Island for an update on how they are dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. Along the way they answer questions such as “How has internet use changed,” “How have they worked with local schools to help people with limited access,” and more.

Participants in this video were Alan Smith – Executive Vice President, Ali Boe – Director of Customer Support, Nick Groseclose – co-Senior Vice-President of Technology, and Fredrick Vaught – co-Senior Vice-President of Technology.

Jami Mitchell: Jami Mitchell is a Senior Services Specialist working for San Juan County. She is also assigned to the Emergency Operations Center as the vulnerable populations branch director. Much of her work is involved in helping a coalition of local non-profits and agencies to get food and other essential supplies to vulnerable people. They have served more than 250 households, and performed more than 1715 home deliveries. They’re also sending out almost 500 meals a week to seniors in our county, providing a vital lifeline for vulnerable populations. Mitchell says, “We work together to make sure nobody falls through the cracks.”

The San Juan Island School District Board of Directors will hold a Special School Board Meeting on Monday May 11, at 5:00 pm as a Zoom meeting.  This meeting is open to the public.

To access the Zoom meeting, please click on “Video” within the Board Agenda, or call the number listed on the agenda for audio only. Viewers will be muted.

During this time of state and national emergency. public comment will only be accepted in written form ahead of the meeting.  Please submit comments to [email protected] before 4:00 pm on Monday May 11th. Comments will be read into the minutes during the Public Comment agenda item. The Board will not respond to comments. At the end of the Public Comment section, members of the board may ask the superintendent to review a matter, or ask that a matter be put on a future agenda.  

Joining by phone:

Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):US:

• Tacoma – (253) 215 8782
• San Jose – (669) 900 6833
• Houston – (346) 248 7799
• New York – (646) 558 8656
• Maryland – (301) 715 8592
• Chicago – (312) 626 6799

Webinar ID: 951 7074 4207   

Please see the agenda at BoardDocs on our website at https://www.boarddocs.com/wa/sjisd/Board.nsf, then click on “Enter Public Site”

A view toward Friday Harbor from Mount Grant – Tim Dustrude photo

Your Conservation Land Bank will resume opening the gate at Mount Grant Preserve beginning this Sunday, May 10^th.  

We have switched to our spring/summer calendar and driving access to the summit will be available twice a week, Sundays and Wednesdays from 10am to 7pm.

Please continue following social distancing guidelines whenever visiting your preserves:

• If you’re sick, stay home
• Keep a minimum distance of six feet on from others (pets too!) while on trails or in parking lots
• Sanitize frequently used surfaces.

EDC Survey to Determine San Juan County Impacts of Paycheck Protection Program

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) is collecting data to learn how well the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is working for islands businesses.

Business owners are urged to participate in the EDC’s PPP survey here: https://forms.gle/DPxi4gUSpCtnKmDW6

For more information, please contact the EDC, [email protected].

This week in a Special Board Meeting the hospital district, in a unanimous vote, suspended the integration of San Juan Island EMS and San Juan Island Fire and Rescue. This project was initiated in 2018 with a Citizen’s Advisory Group, making this action a significant change for the district. 

All interagency discussion, planning, or steering committee work of integration between SJIEMS and San Juan Island Fire and Rescue are suspended immediately, until “such time as the governing bodies of both organizations agree to resume discussions.” 

The Board’s resolution cited many reasons. At the top of the list was the postponement of the annexation of the Town of Friday Harbor into the Fire District, previously scheduled for the April 2020 election. A successful vote for annexation would have helped align the boundaries of the two districts and ensured continued coverage of the Town for both Fire and EMS services. Additionally, it would have given town residents direct representation on the Fire District Board. Continue Reading