San Juan Island Fire and Rescue’s (SJIF&R) Commission Chairman Jarman and commissioners are disappointed by the actions taken last night by Public Hospital District’s (PHD) to cease the creation of a single all hazard emergency services agency.

The timing and actions of the PHD Board’s unilateral decision in the middle of a global health pandemic is troubling. It was unclear exactly what the board discussed because no resolution was provided to the fire commissioners or the public.

The Hospital District Board’s decision is not in alignment with the community’s vision of a holistic approach of providing efficient, sustainable, and affordable emergency services. This vision was articulated by community members over more than two years of work by the Districts’ boards, the former citizen’s advisory group, and by our residents who have supported the need to create a single entity to provide emergency services for all hazards. It is the emergency response model proven to be the most effective and efficient for communities on our other islands, through the State, and across the nation. Continue Reading

In the SJI Update Mailbag this afternoon there’s a letter from Richard Grout…

Dear Editor:

Tuesday evening the San Juan Public Hospital District (PHD) Commissioners took an action we should all applaud. They voted unanimously to withdraw the agreement concerning integration of the San Juan Island Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and Fire District #3 and to direct EMS staff to suspend all discussions and activities related to the possible integration.

Last November three of the five previous hospital commissioners, on their way out of office, signed and sent on to FD#3 an ill conceived and grossly one-sided agreement. Essentially, it would have handed EMS over to FD#3, despite the fact that 80% of the emergency calls in the district are medical and only 20% are fire. Commissioners Anna Lisa Lindstrum (still on the commission) and Dr. Warren Appleton opposed the agreement. Continue Reading

This May 2020 edition of Tide Bites was written by Alyssa Scott…

As the tides of life have ebbed and flowed, I’ve continually found myself on the shores of FHL [Friday Harbor Labs].

My first encounter with the Labs was via a two-week research sailing expedition through the San Juan Islands with Deep Green Wilderness. This organization helps youth connect with oceanography and marine biology by providing them with live-aboard marine science experience as they conduct scientific research throughout the Salish Sea.

Our expedition naturally included Friday Harbor Labs as a docking point due to the huge role that FHL plays in innovative marine research, drawing scientists and students from around the world.

(continue reading)

Here is a Special Update from SJCT’s Executive Artistic Director…

Dear SJCT Family,

We’ve had numerous inquiries as to how COVID-19 has affected San Juan Community Theatre. While we don’t know everything that the future holds, we have an update about the State of the Theatre today.

Please take a few minutes to watch the video, then visit www.sjctheatre.org for a more in-depth update.

All the best,

Nathan Kessler-Jeffrey
Executive Artistic Director
San Juan Community Theatre
[email protected]

Here’s this month’s history column from the San Juan Historical Society and Museum…

Remember when we could happily pose this close to each other in a crowd of people, just like the Hemphill family and friends did around 1910 in the photograph above? As everyone knows, we currently live in a time defined by a novel coronavirus, where normal social behavior is a changeable thing.

Just about all of us have lived through at least one life-changing event that, on a national scale, has shaken our views of the future or changed how we go about life. It’s the kind of event in which you remember where you were when you heard the news. For many of us, it was the terrorist attacks on our country on September 11, 2001. Or the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Sudden, tragic events. Continue Reading

May 5, 2020: San Juan County Health and Community Services staff have been notified of one new positive COVID-19 test result in San Juan County, on San Juan Island. This brings the total number of cases in San Juan County to fifteen.

The County Health Department’s Surveillance Team is actively contact tracing this new case, but so far have found no reason to anticipate a high risk for local transmission associated with this case.

Despite a long string of days with no positive test results, including a very encouraging completed effort to test over 300 essential workers, residents of all islands need to remain vigilant and should still be working off the assumption that the illness is present in their community. Aggressive efforts to ensure hygiene, to limit social contact, and to remove any opportunity for disease transmission are essential. Continue Reading

The San Juan Island Retail Businesses have created another virtual experience for a night of shopping and fun! The second San Juan Island Virtual Sip ‘n Shop will take place on Thursday, May 7, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Retailers will post to Facebook, Instagram or their YouTube channel during that time, using the hashtag #SipnShopSanJuanIsland. The SJI Chamber of Commerce invites all retail businesses to virtually open their doors for a night of shopping, beauty, office products (ie Printonyx), fashion, décor, music, wine & cheese, and more! “Stay Home, Sip ‘n Shop!”

Here’s how it works: Continue Reading

The San Juan Island Park and Recreation District commissioners have made the difficult decision to cancel all in-person programs and events for summer 2020 based on Governor Jay Inslee’s ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order and his four phases of reopening, in addition to Washington State Department of Health guidelines.

The health and safety of our community has always remained paramount within our programs and events and continues to remain our steadfast compass in making difficult decisions. We genuinely recognize how important recreation is to our community and we are working diligently to explore opportunities to provide modified programs both virtually and in person when it is safe to do so.

In early June we will update the community about a variety of new virtual programs that we can safely offer so please watch for that information. We appreciate your patience and we truly look forward to the day when we can all come together again to enjoy the many programs and events we offer that make San Juan Island such a wonderful and connected community.  

SAN JUAN ISLAND, FRIDAY HARBOR – April 30, 2020 – The Animal Protection Society – Friday Harbor (APS-FH) is pleased to announce a grant awarded by the San Juan Island Community Foundation (SJICF) Board of Directors to be used for the purchase and installation of PetPoint Data Management System – a new, updated software package specifically designed for animal shelters and rescue groups.

This exciting purchase marks the APS-FH shelter’s transition from paper files to a digital data tracking system that will vastly improve our record-keeping and reporting capabilities; providing analytics to monitor and improve the quality of our services and care for the animals, as well as to better align the organization with additional funding opportunities. PetPoint software will also allow us to begin offering pet microchipping services and a month of free pet insurance for those adopting a shelter cat or dog. Continue Reading

In person meeting or call in?? Read on…

San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1 is giving public notice of a Special Meeting to be held on Tuesday May 5, 2020, 6:00 p.m. at the Hospital District Offices ( 849 Spring Street Unit B-5).

Call-in information for the public follows:

• Call-In Number: 509-824-1884
• Conference ID: 817 959 336 #

Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 20-28, issued March 24 and extended through May 4 by Proclamation 20-28.1, restricts public meetings to remote-only access. It expired at midnight [last night]. If extended on May 5th, members of the public will be required to call in and there will be no physical location available. As we do not know whether this will occur or not, we are proceeding on the basis of an in-person meeting.

Members of the public are strongly encouraged to call-in regardless.

Need something else to be worried about this year? Covid-19 not quite enough to raise your hackles?

How about Asian Giant Hornets? (a.k.a. Asian Murder Hornets)

No, it’s not a B rated horror movie. They’re real and they’re here.

Check out this article on CNN and for goodness sake be careful if you see any and be sure to report them!

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/03/us/washington-giant-murder-hornets/

COVID-19 updates from San Juan County around subjects on the minds of islanders

Antibody Testing: There Are No Shortcuts to Success

There is nothing anyone of us wants more right now than to put the COVID-19 crisis behind us and get down to the work of reopening and restoring our communities.

There is an inclination to think we can fix problems with quick and easy solutions. But as always, the devil is in the details.

You may be reading articles, posts, or hearing conversations about the possible benefits of antibody testing. There has been some hopeful discussion that we can use antibody testing as a way to identify those who have had COVID-19, and perhaps that would lead to a faster reopening of our economy. Continue Reading

Need an excuse to get outside? (safely and and while maintaining self-distancing, of course…)

Scotch Broom photo from kingcounty.gov

OLYMPIA–The Washington Invasive Species Council, state agencies and researchers are calling for a census in May to help determine the location of Scotch broom throughout the state.
“We need everyone’s help to size up the problem,” said Justin Bush, executive coordinator of the Washington Invasive Species Council. “Without baseline information about the location and population size, we don’t have enough details to determine solutions. The information from the census will help us set short- and long-term action plans.”

Yellow flowered, Scotch broom is hard to miss when blooming. It can be found in 30 of Washington’s 39 counties. While known to be spread across the state, specific locations and patch sizes are not well documented, leading to the council’s call for a month-long census.

How to Participate in the Scotch Broom Census: Continue Reading

Local photographer Kevin Holmes shares this photo of a Bald Eagle he photographed a few days ago.

Great shot Kevin – Thanks for sharing!

No standing in lines and no rushed shopping at the Mullis Senior Community Center this year. We are online only in compliance with all safety guidelines for COVID-19.

Our Spring Plant Sale starts at 9am, Tuesday, May 5.

Healthy veggie starts need new homes!

Eight new varieties this year, including two delicious cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages and broccoli. All were selected for their outstanding flavor and performance in our cooler island climate. We have Ark of Taste heirloom peppers and tomatoes, favorite summer garden standards, and “Victory Garden” Collections!

Shop at springsale.org.

Please read new guidelines, found in the store, about how to pick up your plants on Saturday, May 16, in the Mullis Senior Community Center parking lot. No plants are available for purchase at pick up.

Please make your choices early as some selections are limited.

The sale ends May 12 at 5:00 pm.

Happy Gardening!

Humans of Christchurch

Don’t forget – tonight’s  “Know Your Islanders Talk” is happening over Zoom…

In 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand experienced a devastating earthquake that leveled the city.  In 2019 an attack on two mosques further shook the humans of Christchurch. 

Gail Richard, who has strong ties to this community and is a team member of Humans of Christchurch/Otautahi, will talk about this project which shares the stories of the people who built connections out of disaster.

Co-sponsored by the San Juan Island Trails Committee.  

May 4, 2020 at 7:00 PM

Click here to join this talk via Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 875 1710 1762
Password: 007300
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        (253) 215-8782

Please email Boyd Pratt at [email protected] if you have any questions.