Superintendent Kari McVeigh – Contributed photo

Dear Staff, Parents and Community,

I am writing today to express GRATITUDE.  During this time of the Coronavirus pandemic, I am extremely grateful that to date, our island has no known cases. 

I am grateful for a community that overwhelmingly supports our students by passing levies.  It is our Capital and Technology levy that has allowed us to be able to purchase enough Chromebooks so that every student from Kindergarten through high school can access tele-schooling instruction from their teachers.  In addition, I am grateful for Rock Island Technology Solutions for stepping up to provide internet access to those families previously without.  What a team!

I am grateful for Kevin Cooper our Director of Technology and Bre Urness-Straight, our Director of Instructional Technology, who are each on a part-time contract from Northwest Educational Service District (NWESD) but have been giving 1000% to our district. Kevin and Bre have made sure that the instructional technology our teachers need is ready and that our teachers are ready to use it. Bre is providing our Teachers, Para educators and their substitutes with the training and support they will need to provide state of the art instruction through the tele-schooling model.  Continue Reading

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) Board of Directors would like to urge commercial and residential property owners to extend extraordinary leniency to tenants during this financial downturn.

Extending repayment times, halting payments during enforced closure times, waiving penalty clauses, and offering rent forgiveness during this time are all ways to ensure that tenants will be able to weather the financial downturn and will be able to make better decisions regarding community health. 

This, in turn, will enable property owners to have continued income when an economic recovery begins, as it is typically more difficult to find tenants after an economic downturn.

“An empty building is generally a poor investment decision,” noted EDC Vice-President, John Evans.

For more information on this or any other business concern during this time, please [email protected] or phone 360-378-2906.

The EDC thanks San Juan County, the Raynier Foundation, the Town of Friday Harbor, the San Juan Island Community Foundation, Valmark, Walt Corbin, the Orcas Island Community Foundation, Islanders Bank, Heritage Bank, and the Washington State Department of Commerce for their support of EDC initiatives. 

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) strives to strengthen and diversify the economy of San Juan County.  We believe a strong economy builds a strong community.  

The long-awaited proposal to annex the Town of Friday Harbor into San Juan Island Fire & Rescue will have to wait a bit longer.  It had been slated to be on the April 28 special election ballot.  Unfortunately, on Tuesday, March 17, Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman formally asked Governor Jay Inslee to cancel the April special election.  She was joined in this request by county auditors across the state, including San Juan County Auditor Milene Henley.  The request is based on a concern that the current and potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic could jeopardize election officials’ abilities to conduct elections in a safe, accessible and secure manner.

At first glance, one would think that Washington’s vote-by-mail election system is immune from the effects of the pandemic.  Ballots are delivered to voters’ homes, and postage is prepaid for returning ballots. Even lost ballots can be replaced online (at votewa.gov) or by phone call to the local elections office. Continue Reading

The Food Bank, SJ Update file photo

The Friday Harbor Food Bank will continue to be open every Wednesday and Saturday 1130AM to 2PM to all residents of San Juan Island.

We have instituted some new procedures designed to minimize contact between volunteer staff and citizens wishing to access our food supplies.  Citizens are asked to maintain 6 feet of space between the person in line in front of you by noting the cones as the place for you to stand.   A volunteer will take your name, then direct you to a cone by the exit door to pick up your prefilled grocery bag.  Family size will be noted and accommodated. At this time citizens are still only allowed to access the Food Bank services one day a week.

Donations to the Food Bank, whether financial or food items, can be made on Wednesdays or Saturdays between 1030AM and 2PM.  We will accept food donations and ask that all food items be date-checked to ensure freshness and product safety.  We really prefer financial donations as we expect in the next two months the need will grow for food assistance with our island families.

A very special ‘Thank you’ to all our volunteers and all our supporters. We can’t do this without you.  You are the best!  

Cask and Schooner

We hear from Boo Boo at Cask and Schooner. They are currently open for take-out from 11:30am to 8pm.

Cask and Schooner 360.378.2922

Richard and Sherri at San Juan Bistro – Contributed photo

Dear Friday Harbor Friends,

Out of respect for the well-being of our community, we are adapting our business for these challenging times.

Effective immediately, our menu is “Take Out“ only. Our dining room is closed until further notice. “Love Your Lunch!” Take Out Style!

Please call 360-370-5115 or email  [email protected] to “Love Your Lunch!”  to go! 

Click here for our menu https://sanjuanbistro.com/menu (Kid’s choices too!)

We are open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 to 2. As always, we appreciate your continued support. When we’re through this, we look forward to the handshakes, hugs, love and laughs!

Thank you,
The People of San Juan Bistro

Café Demeter will be open Tuesday-Saturday: 7 AM – 3 PM for in-store take-out, for pick-up of telephone orders (360.370.5443) and for home and business deliveries (for a small fee).

Please feel free to call ahead with your order and we’ll have it ready for you.

We make soup, sandwiches, salads and sweet and savory pastries. We will still have coffee, espresso drinks, chai and turmeric tea.

Thank you! And take care of yourselves and one another.

The San Juan Island School District recognizes that the pandemic related school closure for teleschooling will impact some of our families and their access to nutrition.  To help support our families, the School District’s food service will resume Friday March 20, 2020 in the form of grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches. 

Beginning Friday, the San Juan Island School District will provide a Grab and Go breakfast and lunch for any child living on San Juan Island between the ages 0-18 years old at no cost. 

The meal components will meet state and federal nutritional guidelines. We are thankful to be able to provide basic nutrition with milk, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables for lunch, and milk, yogurt, a breakfast bar and fresh fruit for breakfast. Most items will be pre-packaged and may be altered or substituted without prior notification due to supply and demand nationwide.

Families may order breakfast and lunches for this coming week through this google form that can be found on the district website or by calling any school office. Orders must be placed by Thursday, March 19 at noon for food service on Friday and for the following week, March 23-27.   For orders placed past the deadline, please call the school office directly. Continue Reading

Eventide Health, formerly San Juan Healthcare, is pleased to announce our new Telemedicine option available immediately for all established patients. This will allow you to connect to one of our providers from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. We offer this service through VSee which is a HIPPA compliant video conferencing resource used by thousands of patients across the country. 

 

We had planned on rolling out this service in May but COVID-19 forced our hand at bit. As such, we expect some challenges along the way. For the first few weeks of roll out there will likely be an evolution with scheduling as we learn on the fly how best to manage this with our in-clinic patient schedule. Rest assured we will do our best to meet with you in our online virtual clinic in a timely manner.

 

Your Telemedicine visit will be billed in the same way that a clinic visit would, whether through insurance or Medicare or Medicaid. If you are self-pay the cost will be $50 for basic visits. We will slowly roll out other options via Telemedicine that will be available at an increased cost (mental health visits, for instance).

Continue Reading

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

WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER

We are greatly heartened, though not at all surprised, by the outpouring of islanders looking to be of service to their communities. As we all know, the islands are home to an extremely resilient group with a tremendous volunteering spirit.  It is that essence of heartfelt generosity and togetherness that will carry us through this crisis. Below are some recommendations on how you can help.

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

This should be the foundation of our island response. Take a moment to check in with neighbors, friends, family members, and people you know in the community who might need a hand. Informal networks coordinated through homeowner associations, churches, groups of co-workers, and other networks of island residents can provide an essential lifeline to islanders who are especially vulnerable or unable to meet their own needs. What does this help look like?

Call your neighbors, friends and loved ones.  Just say hello or chat for 20 minutes. The reduction of social contact is an easily overlooked impact from this situation, and something as simple as a “Hey neighbor!” can make a tremendous difference. Continue Reading

San Juan County Superior and District Courts are taking immediate steps to address public health concerns raised by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Washington. The virus poses a risk to members of the public who need to conduct court business, as well as to court staff and attorneys.

Starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020, all jury trials are postponed, and other civil and criminal court procedures are being modified to comply with health agency recommendations on social distancing.

The Superior and District Courts have each entered emergency orders outlining the new procedures, which are available on their websites. All jury trials in both courts will be continued until at least May 1, 2020. Anyone summoned for jury duty before May 1, 2020, is excused from service. Continue Reading

The safety of our island communities is our highest priority. In light of growing concerns about COVID-19, the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, the destination marketing organization (DMO) for the San Juan Islands, is encouraging visitors to postpone their travel plans to the San Juans to limit the potential spread of the virus.  We are also suspending advertising campaigns. Based on Washington State Governor Jay Inslee’s recommendations, and those of San Juan County officials, we are urging visitors and locals alike to practice social distancing and postpone non-essential travel. 

Governor Inslee issued a temporary statewide order effective March 16 through March 31 to shut down restaurants, bars, entertainment, and recreational facilities due to the coronavirus. Restaurants are allowed to operate only in take-out, grab and go, and delivery capacities. We regret the impact this will have on our local businesses and economy. Continue Reading

San Juan Island Grange #966 – Contributed photo

In light of the corona virus situation, San Juan Island Grange #966 has decided to close its Hall through the end of March and concentrate on two improvement projects – replacement of the street side foundation and community kitchen remodel.  Before the end of the month the Grange will assess the situation and decide about programs scheduled in April.  Renters who have reserved the Hall for events in April are encouraged to contact Roger Ellison, Hall Rental Agent, at [email protected] or (360) 378-6632, to review the status of their rentals.  

We are in touch with Brendan Cowan, San Juan County Department of Emergency Management, as to how the Grange may assist.
Be prepared and stay healthy, Boyd

Boyd C. Pratt, 2020 Master, San Juan Island Grange #966

Staying home?  Need Auditor services (vehicle licensing, marriage licensing, dog licensing, voter registration, lost checks)?  We can help you from home!

“Social distancing” wasn’t even a phrase until recently, and now everybody’s doing it.  If you haven’t heard the term yet, it means maintaining safe distances (at least six feet) from other people in order to reduce the spread of disease. With the risk of coronavirus driving an increase in social distancing in San Juan County, the Auditor’s Office wishes to share remote options for some of the services we provide. Continue Reading

Restocked Shelves at Pet Food Pantry – Contributed photo

We hear from the Animal Protection Society, a harrowing story with a happy ending…

If you do not know, sometime between Friday 2/28 and Wednesday 3/4 the APS-FH Pet Food Pantry Program, that serves San Juan Island families who struggle to feed their furry family members, was robbed. 

Volunteers arrived Wednesday morning and were shocked and dismayed to find shelves emptied of nearly $2500 in dry and wet cat and dog food and dog treats packaged and ready for distribution to island families.

APS-FH distributes around $500 a month worth of pet food to families in-need through the Pet Food Pantry Program. This expense is offset by donations from our community. We were saddened by this violation of so much good-will and are taking measures to better secure the pantry premises by installing a camera outside.

But this is where the story takes a positive turn. Continue Reading