Results of Survey of San Juan County Residents over 70 years old are in.

Background: In August and September of 2019, thanks in part to donations from county residents, the Foundation commissioned a survey of county residents to determine the extent and magnitude of unmet needs for community based long-term care services in San Juan County.

A total of 393 surveys were determined to be complete.  A two-page summary of the KEY FINDINGS can be found by clicking this link: IIHF Survey Summary (PDF)

Next Steps Included submitting an application for federal HRSA grant funding to formalize governance and organizational structure to proceed with an analysis of long-term care options in San Juan County.

If awarded this grant, funding would be made available in March or April of 2020. For a review of the complete HRSA Funding Opportunity; HRSA 20-026, click this link: FORHP HRSA-20-026 P10 (PDF)

Thank you for your donations and interest in this critical planning process. Please feel free to contact IIHF if you wish to learn more.

Warren Frederick Jones 82, passed peacefully on Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at Skagit Valley Hospital after a brief illness.

He was born on January 28, 1937, the son of John Gregg and Ida May (Souza) Jones, in San Luis Obispo, California.

A graveside service will be held on Sunday, December 15, 2019 at 12:15 PM at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, 454 Madden Lane, Friday Harbor.

A reception will be held following the service at the Masonic Lodge, 15 2nd St N.

Lynn Danaher shares this invitation with you…

Due to our long-standing friendships with some of the residents, we have been invited by the Pitcairn islanders themselves to spend a month on Pitcairn exploring petroglyph sites and conducting forensic archaeology. 

We will be the first to test for DNA at a historical burial site in Adamstown, of some of the original mutineers.  We anticipate 2 teams of 2 weeks each, max 6 participants per team, plus guides, researcher and forensic anthropologist.

This is a true remote expedition into a rugged difficult place with limited amenities.  It involves flying to Mangareva from Tahiti and taking a small ship to Pitcairn via a 32-hour passage embarking via a original style long boat thru surf. 

Must be fit and have a positive attitude for adventure.  This an Expedition not a Tour!

All expenses are covered from Tahiti; hotel, airfare to Mangareva, ship transport to and from Pitcairn, all food, lodging & transport on the island, plus, all necessary tools and professional guides.

If interested, please contact Lynn for further information and an application to join this unique expedition.  

Capt. Lynn Danaher, FN’05
Pacific Islands Research Institute
Cell & Text ; 808-755-8045     [email protected]

International ferry M/V Chelan and Mt. Baker – Tim Dustrude photo

Beginning on Monday, December 9, the international sailings will resume between Anacortes/Friday Harbor/Sidney B.C.  M/V Chelan rejoins the route following annual maintenance and inspections and will sail in the #1 position. Reservations are available online at TakeAFerry or by calling 206 464 6400 and speaking with an Information Agent. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this recent downsize and maintenance demands throughout the WSF system.

Please be advised the schedule will resume the fall 2019 sailing schedule which eliminates the additional sailings at 9:55 a.m. from Friday Harbor to Lopez and Anacortes, 10:40 a.m., Lopez to Anacortes (commercial only), 11:55 a.m. Anacortes to Lopez and Friday Harbor and the 12:45 p.m. Lopez to Friday Harbor.

https://www.wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/ScheduleDetailByRoute.aspx?schedrouteid=1862

Celebrity canine Mia with owner Barbara Wright and Auditor staff Christie Boman, Kira Sable, and Oren Combs.

The dog licensing season was kicked off in grand fashion at the courthouse last week, when the first dog tag of 2020 was issued to a special “celebrity” canine. Mia, an 8-year old Standard Poodle, escorted by her owner Barbara Wright, received tag #1 at the Auditor’s office. Dog licenses are now available for all local canines at a variety of San Juan County locations.

Mia is involved in the “PADs (Parkinson’s Alert Dogs) for Parkinson’s” program. Mia and her canine colleagues at the PADs center are trained to sniff out the distinct scent of a person afflicted with Parkinson’s disease. The scent can potentially be detected several years before the devastating symptoms begin to take effect with these patients. Continue Reading

Anne Blackburn 1930 – 2019

Anne Blackburn, née Olive Anne Freeman, died Wednesday 20 November 2019, age 89, at her home in El Cerrito, California, from complications associated with her long-standing heart condition. She was surrounded with love by her daughters and grandchildren and two close family friends at the time of her passing.

A loving, generous, witty and insightful person, Anne spent most of her years in proximity to the ocean, which she loved. Born 30 October 1930 she was raised at Newport Beach, California with her beloved brother Dickinson (Dick) Reed Freeman. Continue Reading

Please help out the SJI Prevention Coalition by participating in this community survey. Cynthia explains that they need more public input…

The deadline to gather community input is Saturday, December 14 (and) we have not yet reached the minimum requirement for participation in this annual mandatory CPWI Coalition survey.

Please complete the survey ASAP, if you have not done so;  thank you to those that have completed the survey. Please also circulate via email, newsletters, social media:  facebook page, twitter and organizational website page.  Add a brief personal message.  See below for links and background info.  (P.S.  This is not the Coalition Assessment Tool taken at the coalition meeting on October 18=-)

This survey takes 3-5 minutes, and we need to gather parent responses. Click here for the survey: Continue Reading

The holiday season is upon us! Are you looking for special gifts, ways to remember loved ones, or opportunities to celebrate your hobbies or specific areas of interest? Why not join the Library’s extended family by sponsoring a Library magazine for yourself, or a loved one?

For the month of December, our holiday tree, celebrating the Magic of Magazines, will be displayed in our main salon. Decorated with ornaments featuring the title of each of the library’s magazines, this little tree offers you the chance to peruse titles, read about the different publications, and sponsor a magazine for the year.

Just take the ornament of choice, write your name and phone number on the back, and pop it in the red jar. We will then contact you to organize a convenient time to come in and pay your sponsorship.

It is a great way to memorialize loved ones, support your favorite interests, and at the same time, help your Library!

For more information stop by the Library or call us at 360-378-2798.

Happy Holidays to All!

What’s in the Mailbag today? Here’s a letter from Steve Ulvi…

As a blue-collar kid in suburban California following WWII, we enjoyed many simple freedoms. Young families rapidly infilled modest developments in old walnut and almond orchards, grassy oak hills to roam. We didn’t feel the urban apprehension of economic displacement, social injustice or class-constrained dreams.

Futuristic sci-fi films like On the Beach and War of the Worlds pushed aside the stodgy horror of Count Dracula to stimulate our amygdalae in new ways. There was always a bright line between the worrisome screen images and our secure lives.

The Cold War heated up some. We were reminded by eerie siren tests and absurd duck and cover drills. Students walked home pretending an ordered public response to incoming ICBMs that would incinerate, or in time, invisibly poison us all. Billowing mushroom cloud footage dwarfed human things and vaporized atolls and desert sands. Continue Reading

International ferry M/V Chelan and Mt. Baker – Tim Dustrude photo

Here’s an important reminder for residents of San Juan County from Jim Corenman, Chair of the county Ferry Advisory Committee…

San Juan County FAC here, with a request for assistance:

WSF is holding two online public meetings, this Saturday at 9am and Tuesday evening at 6pm. This is a new format for WSF, and is planned to alternate with in-person annual meetings for each route. There was a press release three weeks ago, a headline in WSF’s weekly update, and a bulletin on Tuesday. An informal sampling indicates that few folks are aware of these online meetings. We don’t think WSF’s outreach has been adequate.

Particularly in light of the passage of I-976 and potential cuts to ferries of 20% or more, public input is needed. We think it is important that folks have the chance to comment on the importance of ferry service to our communities, to ask questions about service issues and especially service or capacity reductions, and point out that reservations only work if there is is adequate capacity available for those who want to travel. And of course we need to ask about the potential effects of a 20% budget cut.

Our communities are the only ones in the system served by a single ferry route with no drive-around option, and have the highest fares in the system. We also have the largest number of terminals and the most boats in service of any route, and are the farthest from Olympia. Please help get the word out about these meetings.

Here is the most recent WSF bulletin on this topic:
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Join Us For Upcoming Online Meetings
Register now for our upcoming online public meetings!
Join us on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 9 a.m. or Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m to hear the latest info on the ferry system and ask questions.
For more information on how to participate go to https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Ferries/commuterupdates/pub_meetings.htm

= = = = =

Please contact me with any questions or for more info.

Many thanks,
Jim Corenman
Chair, San Juan County Ferry Advisory Committee
cell: 360-317-6442  email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Island Farming: History And Landscape Of Agriculture In The San Juan Islands
by Boyd C. Pratt

A free-ranging pig that caused an international war; a year’s crop of ginseng that paid off the mortgage; and a breachy cow that led to bloody murder.

Farming in the San Juan Islands has always presented challenges and opportunities. From Coast Salish camas cultivation through homesteading to commercial farming, explore the islands’ rich agricultural history in the landscape and farms of today. Tour guides included.

Attend the book launch on Friday, December 13^th at 5pm at the San Juan Island Grange Hall.

Hi, I’m Rock Sorensen and I’m on the board of directors of APS-FH.

My wife Judi says I’m housebroken, don’t shed much, I’m cute, I smell nice, and I’m helpful around the house! My fellow board members describe me as smart, passionate about animals, and a fantastic person to work with.

So all kidding aside, why are they writing about me? Because somehow my name was left off of the newsletter, and they want everyone to know that not only am I on the board, but I’m greatly appreciated for all my hard work AND my wonderful sense of humor!

I’m not up for adoption…yet!!!

In the SJ Update mailbag today we find this letter from Town Administrator Duncan Wilson…

On behalf of the Mayor, Council and Citizens of the Town of Friday Harbor I would like to sincerely thank those that donated in their November utility payment to our Harbor Life Ring program. Each year at this time the Town requests that its utility customers contribute to this program which benefits the Friday Harbor Food Bank by providing them with the additional funding necessary to feed our neighbors during the holidays.

This year you responded in an amazing way! Your contributions totaled $4,254.96 and, when added to the Town’s match of $1,000, allowed us to write a check to the Food Bank in the amount of $5,254.96. Thank you so much for your generosity!

The Harbor Life Ring program continues to operate year-round, providing assistance with housing and utility expenses for those in need. We work with the Joyce Sobel Family Resource Center who meets with those seeking assistance and helps them through difficult times. Your contributions are appreciated throughout the year. Thank you again for your efforts in making this a great community.

Sincerely,
Duncan Wilson
Friday Harbor Town Administrator

Formal planning will soon be underway on a long-distance San Juan Island trail thanks to a recently awarded grant from the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA).

The island-based Old Military Road Trail committee is one of 40 recipients nationwide of the grant, which provides technical assistance for community-led recreation projects. The committee was formed last May to explore the creation of a multi-use, non-motorized trail commemorating the historic Old Military Road that once connected English and American Camps during joint during the joint military occupation of the island.

“This is an exciting opportunity to meld the trail planning expertise of the National Park Service and local trail building skills to recreate a historic trail that will provide a tremendous recreational opportunity for San Juan Islanders,” said Mike Vouri, committee member, author, historian, and retired NPS ranger. “The trail can be a community builder now, much as it was when it was created first as an island-spanning sheep run, and then as a military trail that established communication between the two camps. It will bring people together and stand as a lasting symbol of peaceful resolution of conflict.” Continue Reading

Cynthia’s Bistro is offering free take-away meals to anyone who needs a meal or wishes to have a home cooked meal. No questions asked, just free food. Stop by Cynthia’s this Thursday -December 5th from 4:30 to 6:00 to pick up your meal.

You may pick up 2 meals per person. When we run out of food, we will close the doors until next time. We will be stationed on the front porch and handing out the meals at Cynthia’s Bistro – 65 Nichols Street in Friday Harbor.

Basic Home Cooking made with everything but the Kitchen Sink.

Come by and say hello. If you care to join us and donate time or money to the cause, feel free to contact Cynthia at Cynthia’s Bistro or email at [email protected].

Nana’s Holiday House has opened it’s doors for the 7th year at 175 First Street (formerly the Rumor Mill) with hundreds’s of new and island crafted items, ranging from $1.00 to $10.00.

Nana’s house was started to provide our island kids (1-18 years of age) a place to buy affordable gifts for their families, teachers and friends. A “parent’s lounge” is available for the grown ups to munch on donated baked goods while the kids shop for secret gifts and have their gifts wrapped.

All the proceeds from Nana’s House go back to the community. Scholarships, school supplies, swimming lesson, tutoring, art classes, food and gas cards and help for families going through tough times are just a few of the recipients of Nana’s house profits. Continue Reading