An initiative to connect local farms with consumers has been coordinated by the following organizations:

• San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild (Ag Guild)
• San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC)
• WSU San Juan County Extension
• San Juan County Agricultural Resources

As part of that effort, they have created a survey to gather data on farms’ open hours, news and shopping opportunities in order to get the information to consumers. The data will be used to populate an online Local Farms Directory for San Juan County.

San Juan Islands farms are urged to sign up for a free listing here: https://forms.gle/KQD9gQAeKJ9HscVs9.

Consumers may view real-time farm hours and information here: https://bit.ly/3dbmqZl. Over the course of the next few weeks, this information will be migrated to https://islandgrownsj.com

For more information, please contact the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild at [email protected] or the San Juan County Economic Development Council at [email protected].

Do you find Medicare a mystery? Are you unsure which Medicare plan is best for you?

Join SHIBA online for a virtual Medicare 101 class where we will cover the “A, B, C, Ds” of Medicare.
Our certified SHIBA volunteers will be available to answer all of your questions.

SHIBA (Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors) is a program of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner and is sponsored locally by Island Hospital. SHIBA provides free, unbiased information on Medicare and related options to all people. 

You can read more about SHIBA at this link.

• Friday, May 8, 2020 at 1:00 pm
• Registration: Provide your name, email and phone number to [email protected] or leave your information with SHIBA at 360-299-4212. *Email is required*
• Or register directly at this link.

In the SJI Update mailbag this morning we have a letter from our San Juan County Council…

As islanders continue social distancing to help slow the spread of COVID-19, you are probably wondering how to help your community from home. One easy, impactful way to help? Fill out and return your 2020 Census.

By now, Washingtonians should have received an invitation to participate in the Census. Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution mandates a Census counting everyone who lives in the United States occur every ten years. The Founders included the Census in the Constitution because they wanted a government that represents and works for the people.

The 2010 Census counted 17,582 residents living in the San Juan Islands, and that number is only expected to grow after the 2020 Census is complete. However, due to COVID-19, many activities intended to encourage Islanders to respond to the Census have been canceled. As of this writing, San Juan County’s 2020 Census response rate was only 31.3 percent, well below the state’s overall response rate of 58.8 percent.

Fortunately, there are three ways to fill out your Census from home: Continue Reading

Red Fox Kit – Kevin Holmes photo

Kevin Holmes shares these photos of his new neighbors. In his words:

“I have a momma fox with four babies living around the corner from my house. Though you might need your daily dose of “Awww”…

Thanks for sharing Kevin!

Black Fox Kits – Kevin Holmes photo

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

For being one of the smallest counties in Washington, San Juan County has a remarkably robust community healthcare network.

Whether it be Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responders, or the clinics, hospital, and provider practices across the islands, a resilient and responsive group have been working incredibly hard to keep the islands safe and cared for.

We wanted to take a moment to check in with some of those who are doing so much and see how things are going: Continue Reading

Don’t Delay Necessary Care

As the island communities continue to focus on social distancing, hand-washing and masking to flatten the curve, PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center is beginning to plan for the future with a focus on safely returning to care and reopening services.

While the medical center and clinics are not easing current practices related to safety and security that were implemented during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians and leaders at PeaceHealth Peace Island are beginning to look ahead to recovery efforts and want to remind the public not to delay seeking important healthcare.

One outcome of the COVID-19 crisis is the shift in public perception about what constitutes necessary care. When combined with fear of contracting the virus, many people have chosen to delay or postpone routine, follow-up and emergency care with potentially harmful effects. Continue Reading

Repairs to Second Street are progressing as anticipated. Asphalt is being laid at the intersection of Second Street and Blair Avenue. The Contractor will begin roadwork from Reed Street to the Court Street intersections later in the week. Focus will then shift south to the portion of Second Street between West Street and Court Street (along Town Hall).

“Access to Second Street will be impacted during repairs at the Reed Street intersection,” said Administrator Wilson. “We ask for patience as we work through these necessary improvements.”

This disruption is necessary in order to expedite the overall project. The immediate project area will be closed to vehicles. Flaggers are stationed to direct vehicles and pedestrians for local access. No parking will be permitted and local access will be impacted.

Expect traffic disruptions as follows:

• INTERSECTION CLOSED TO TRAFFIC– No thru traffic will be permitted on Second Street from the intersection of Reed Street to the intersection of Court Street.
• LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY – Second Street from Blair Avenue to Reed Street will reopen to local traffic for Courthouse parking and professional services.
• DETOUR – Vehicles will be detoured via Blair Avenue to Spring Street.

Drivers and pedestrians are urged to exercise patience and safety. Alternative driving routes are recommended.

Information and updates on the project will be posted as often as possible. Questions for daily operations can be directed to Town of Friday Harbor at (360) 378-2810.

Secure Dropboxes at the Courthouse

If you have business at the San Juan County Courthouse, please STOP before you go inside the building! Many county departments now have drop boxes just outside the courthouse doors.

Because of the COVID-19 public health crisis, the county courthouse is only open for essential business, and several county departments have closed their physical doors to the public. The Auditor’s Office, Treasurer’s Office, and Assessor’s Office have closed their walk-up public counters in order to reduce transmission of the virus. (Appointments are available for some transactions.)

Other departments, such as the County Clerk’s Office and District Court Office, still have walk-up service available for essential business but are requiring most business to be done online or by mail.

Walking up to a counter to hand documents to county employees puts both you and the employee at risk of exposure. To reduce the risk, the county has installed drop boxes, pictured above, so that you can drop off your paperwork or payments without coming within 6 feet of another person.

Even better, while the courthouse building is only open from 8 am to 5 pm, the drop boxes are available at any time of day or night.

“We wanted to make it easy for folks to access these drop boxes, even if some departments are working on shortened hours,” said Greg Sawyer, facilities manager for the courthouse. “So, we put them on the outside of the building. It’s also safer that way – if you come inside the building, there are lots of door handles, stair railings, and other surfaces you might be touching, and that increases your risk of exposure.” Continue Reading

This post has been updated with additional information…

Island Retail Businesses Create a Virtual Experience for a night of shopping and fun.

The first San Juan Island Virtual Sip ‘n Shop will take place on Thursday, April 30th, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Retailers will post to Facebook, Instagram or their YouTube channel during that time, using the hashtag #VirtualSipnShopSanJuanIsland.

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!”

How do customers participate?
Customers can search for, find and follow the hashtag #VirtualSipnShopSanJuanIsland in the search bar of their favorite social media platform. Like, Share, Follow and Comment to have a great time, add some fun to your quarantine, and help the businesses of San Juan Island.

How can stores participate?
It’s easy! Simply use the hashtag #VirtualSipnShopSanJuanIsland on your favorite social media platforms starting NOW to build recognition and momentum. Let your customers, your FB/Instagram friends and followers know about it and give them an idea of what you might be posting, or any specials you will offer.

Please reach out to the Chamber for more details: [email protected].

Thursday, April 30th from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., the retailers will post their items for viewing and for sale several times during the walk. They will include a link to their website, online platform or purchasing instructions in the post description (or in the bio in Instagram). Each business will make shipping or curbside drop-off/delivery arrangements.

Please join us all Thursday and help our local businesses! Sip, Shop and have fun!

SJICF Launches Community Response Hub, Distributes $70k in Grants

The SJI Community Foundation continues to work closely with nonprofits and other county services to ensure a coordinated response to the COVID-19 crisis.

To create a publicly accessible resource for both residents and nonprofit services, SJICF has launched the San Juan Island Community Response Hub website: sjisland.recovers.org.

This site is maintained by SJICF but updated by many local nonprofits working daily to meet the needs of our community. Residents can get service information, post a need, donate funds or items, and sign up to volunteer – all in one place. All needs and volunteer profiles are confidential and 100% of donations go directly to the nonprofits. Visit sjirecovers.org for more information.

In addition to coordination efforts, SJICF continues to collect and distribute donations to the SJICF Emergency Response Fund. These generous contributions are already in the community making a difference! Following is a summary of the latest grants distributed by SJICF to meet needs arising from COVID-19: Continue Reading

Opalco Board Approves Additional Covid-19 Relief Measures

Commercial members in need can apply for base fee waiver

We are all in this together. OPALCO is very concerned about how its members are getting along during this pandemic and is digging deep to put any and all available resources into helping members to pay their power bills. The Board approved additional relief measures at their regular meeting on Thursday, April 23^rd – and there’s something for everyone.

Power and broadband are essential services—especially critical during this great disruption. OPALCO is doing all it can to help, without putting the viability of the Co-op at risk. Here’s what is currently available for members in need of assistance:

Residential members in need have several ways to seek relief on their power bills: Continue Reading

EDC urges businesses and residents to “Hire Local”, presents Virtual Job Fair

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) urges businesses and residents to hire local workers and contractors as the economy starts to reopen.  In an effort to connect island workers with local businesses, the EDC has created a Virtual Job Fair on May 8^th from 10 a.m. until noon, via Zoom. 

Instead of turning to imported H1B, J1 and H2B visa workers, or off-island contractors and providers, businesses and property owners are urged by the EDC to ‘hire local’ during the upcoming recovery period.  This will ensure that our local workers have income as our economy picks up – in some cases enabling them to stay in the community – and will keep much-needed dollars circulating in the islands.

“The multiplier effect of keeping money in the county means that dollars spent here will continue to support the community far beyond a primary transaction,” noted Victoria Compton, EDC Director.

Business owners and workers are invited to join the EDC’s Virtual Job Fair on May 8th from 10 a.m. until noon, via Zoom.  Reservations required; please register here:  https://forms.gle/nDNCnKjtsoaYU8o99.    After registering, Zoom instructions will be emailed to you. 

For more information, please email [email protected]. Continue Reading

Library staff are working hard, albeit remotely, to serve the community in new ways to meet your changing needs.  

We’ve heard that many of you miss our Staff Picks book recommendations in the Library; these are now available online in our new and improved Reading Room.  

Staff members have answered questions about reading interests and are sharing lists of their favorite titles in different genres and categories.  You’re likely to find some helpful recommendations for great books to read there.

Online Programs:

Online Storytimes with Miss Melina, Miss Kathy and Miss Jenni

Youth Services staff are recording and posting three Storytimes a week to connect with Island youth who need to see familiar faces and know that while they can’t come to the Library, the Library can come to them. 

We’ve started adding regular “in-Library” programs to our online offerings.  Open Mic was held virtually a week ago Saturday allowing writers to reconnect with their peers. 

The Mullis Center Book Club took place via Zoom on April 13th to discuss “The Highest Tide” by Jim Lynch, a Seattle-based writer.  The title for May is “A Tale for the Time Being” by Ruth Ozeki, on Monday, May 11.

Staff are now preparing more programs to share online with you, like getting started on genealogy using Ancestry.com, local history research, and more. 

We miss you!  It’s a joy to run across your familiar, but thankfully masked, faces at Marketplace, while picking up restaurant orders, or on a walk about town.  Libraries are all about community connections, and we can’t wait to reconnect with you in person.  For now, take advantage of our online connections  through the Library’s website.

We hope you are enjoying the bounty of our Island’s spring weather.  Please stay safe.

Sincerely,

Laurie Orton, Director
San Juan Island Library

Governor Inslee Allows Some Low-Risk Construction to Resume

As of Friday April 24, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has allowed some construction activities to resume across the state, including in San Juan County. The Governor’s announcement of the decision is available HERE.

This move was expected and welcomed by the San Juan County Council, who have been communicating with the Governor and his staff over the last two weeks to ensure this vital part of the local economy can begin to safely get back to work.

San Juan County Council Chair Rick Hughes highlights the importance of this step and the decision making that went into it, “Everything that the Governor and the County Council have been doing is driven by science and puts the health of our residents first. That is why the majority of the Governor’s Stay Home Stay Healthy order remains in effect until at least May 4th. Reopening some construction is something that we felt could be done in a thoughtful and safe way, and we welcome the opportunity to help a portion of our economy resume work.” Continue Reading

Are you missing your morning fitness class routine? Island Rec is continuing to carry classes with Jacquelyn Reiff and Katerina Wen through the end of May via Zoom.

All classes will be accessed through a live Zoom video link that is sent to you each morning of class. Sign up for the whole month, or a drop-in option is also available.

To register, please visit our website, www.islandrec.org

Here are the classes we’re offering: Continue Reading

Skagit Valley College’s San Juan Center Hosts Online “Running Start” Info Nights Via Zoom

If you are an academically motivated high school junior or senior, Running Start may be of interest to you and your family! Registration for fall quarter 2020 starts very soon! 

The Running Start program at Skagit Valley College of San Juan Center (SJC) offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to take college level courses to earn dual credit toward both your high school diploma and college degree—without paying tuition! 

The San Juan Center will host **two separate Running Start information nights via ZOOM** for interested students and parents on Wednesday, May 13 and Tuesday, May 19th, 6-7:00 PM. 

All who wish to attend the Zoom meeting must RSVP by email to SJC Director Randy Martin [[email protected]]. Please specify what date you would like to attend. Once your RSVP is received, you will be issued a Zoom meeting invitation in your email. You will need the Zoom invitation information to enter the meeting on the date you choose. 

Learn how the Running Start program works; what classes are available; registration and intake process; and how the program may or may not be a fit for you and your family. San Juan Center staff will be available during the session to discuss individual questions.