As beach days approach, have confidence in your little ones in water this summer by signing up for Island Rec swim lessons! Our instructors promote swim skills and water safety in a fun, positive environment.

Lessons located at SJI Fitness. Call the Island Rec office at (360) 378-4953 or visit our website for more information.

Stephanie Buffum Challenges Sen. Lovelett – Contributed photo

Come jump in the water to celebrate the Southern Resident orcas at the “Salish Splash” at Jackson Beach on June 13 at 4 p.m. with Friends of the San Juans, the Port of Friday Harbor, State Senator Liz Lovelett, and other community members.

This year, the Washington State Legislature passed a critical package of orca recovery bills that address the many threats faced by the Southern Residents. Event organizers are taking a moment to celebrate these victories and prepare for future action with a “splash” in the Salish Sea.

“With only 76 animals remaining, we need everyone talking about protecting our Southern Resident orcas. I can’t think of a better partner to elevate the need to protect orca than the Port of Friday Harbor who was one of the first voices to request an allocation of Chinook salmon for the Southern Residents,” said Stephanie Buffum, Executive Director of Friends of the San Juans.

Anyone can challenge friends, family, and colleagues to jump into the sea — what better way to show your support and enthusiasm for orca recovery than by jumping for joy into the water?

Bring something to splash in, plus aqua socks or other protective footwear. An ice cream social will follow the “splash” for participants and on-lookers.

Learn more about the regional “Salish Splash” events here: https://salishsplash.com/

Learn more about the orca legislation that passed this legislative session here: https://sanjuans.org/2019/04/19/orca-bills-passed/

In the SJ Update Mailbag we have this letter from Richard Swenson…

First, I would like to apologize to Madam chair that she felt my first letter was an attack. I was trying to point out without being at the lunches and personally seeing the harmony, how can you judge? I know she is relying on paid staff and Operations Committee members, but they are the ones causing the havoc.

I’ve been coming to the island for thirty-five years, landowner for twenty-seven years and permanent resident for four years. As a member of the Mullis Center for three years, I have NEVER seen anything happen until this decision to ban the Pledge.

The Operation Committee’s position that other centers do not say the Pledge carries no weight. This is our tradition for over 40 years – even before the Mullis Center was built. Who cares what other’s do? This is OUR tradition. Seniors come here for the social aspect as much as lunch.

What is the Senior Community Center for?

1. To feed Senior citizens who may need assistance.
2. To provide a warm, safe place to meet with friends and keep active.
3. To give Senior citizens a sense of worth by volunteering and taking off-island trips etc.

These things the center has been very successful at doing. Continue Reading

San Juan County Health and Community Services is partnering with Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor and Orcas Island Community Foundation to offer Market Bucks at Farmers Markets on Orcas and San Juan Islands.  The Market Bucks Program provides additional dollars for women and children participating in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutritional Program, and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, to spend at the Farmers Market this summer. This benefit doubles the amount of local foods that may be purchased, expands the number of families who are able to participate in the programs, and supports local farmers.

Don’t miss out on this great benefit! To find out if you qualify and to enroll in these programs contact San Juan County Health and Community Services at 360-378-4474.

San Juan Island Farmers Market

WIC Farmers Market Checks and Market Bucks for WIC and Senior women, sponsored by Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor will be given out on Saturday, June 22 from 10AM-1:00PM at the Farmers Market.                                 

Orcas Island Farmers Market

WIC Farmers Market Checks and Senior Market Bucks, sponsored by Orcas Island Community Foundation, will be distributed at the Orcas Farmers Market on Saturday, June 29^th from 10AM-3:00PM.

WIC: Nutritious Foods, Nutrition Support, Breastfeeding Support, Health Referrals      

http://www.sanjuanco.com/455/WIC-Program  360-378-4474

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. 

Washington State WIC Nutrition Program doesn’t discriminate.

Additional Info…

San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1 (SJCPHD#1) is proud to announce that board member Rebecca Smith was appointed on May 7, 2019, to the 5-county North Region EMS and Trauma Care Council. She fills the only elected official slot for San Juan County and will simultaneously serve on the county EMS council as well.  

Smith served as a San Juan Island volunteer EMT and firefighter for about two decades before retiring in 2017 and was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the hospital district board in 2018. She previously served a 6-year term as a Fire District commissioner. 

“As a commissioner, I come from the elected official side and can offer ideas from the standpoint of what a hospital district can offer the system of prehospital and hospital care,” said Smith. “For instance, last month the district donated money for the long-term care feasibility study – that’s a part of the whole prehospital care system.”

Still, it will always be her experiences as an EMT that drive her approach to care and how it’s delivered: “When I took care of a patient, I would make sure the family had a way to follow the patient. Just taking the time to gather up the patient’s cell phone, wallet, glasses and other personal belongings was an important part of the call. Giving them peace of mind that their pets and home would be looked after is all part of the whole family approach.” Continue Reading

San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce Featured Member of the Month – Friday Harbor Cruises

Friday Harbor Cruises is your boat in the San Juans! For six years I have been offering half day and full day trips by the ticket or private charters for up to 12 passengers. Sunsets are one of my specialties. I stay out past sundown so that you can enjoy the beautiful colors as the light fades and the water reflects the sky.

Are you looking for a unique wedding venue? I am a state licensed Officiant and have conducted services on board for many couples. Bachelorette parties, anniversaries, birthdays, visiting friends can all be accommodated. Memorial cruises for family who have passed are offered also.

There is no set route or typical cruise. Every trip is a bit of a custom trip. I have lived in the San Juans for 45 years and have extensive experience on the water as a sailor, commercial fisherman, and yachtsman. I have deep knowledge of the history and the wildlife in this special place and I love to share my experience to make your time on the water enjoyable so come and join me.

Kick back, relax, and live some Island Time.

Captain Greg

Coming soon to WaterWorks Gallery, it’s the opening reception for Jennifer Williams and Newman & Ciancibelli on June 14th, from 4-7 pm

Jennifer Williams and the Husband and wife team of Jeremy Newman & Allison Ciancibelli invite us to step into their world, as they present their interpretation of nature in motion.

Jennifer’s paintings are composed of mixed media layers of recycled maps, paper bags and text showing nature’s strength and resilience through layers of paint and paper with a message of hope and healing.

Jeremy and Allison’s glass pieces combine traditional glass blowing skills together with woodworking and metalworking. Their simple, earthly forms serve as blank slates for their abstract, narrative imagery.

The exhibit runs from June 14 to July 6th at WaterWorks Gallery, 315 Argyle Ave, Friday Harbor.

San Juan County Needs More Foster Parents – Learn More About Becoming One!

Foster care is the temporary placement of children – often due to child abuse or neglect – outside of their own homes and into approved relative care or licensed foster care homes. The goal of foster care is to provide for the physical, emotional, and social needs of children in a “substitute” family setting until children can be reunited with their own families. In cases where a reunion is not possible, those foster children may be placed with relatives, an adoptive family or with a legal guardian.

In cases where there are not appropriate relatives nearby to lend support, licensed foster care homes are essential. Ideally, children placed in foster care should stay in their communities and continue attending the same schools, which can be incredibly important to maintaining stability.

Unfortunately, in San Juan County, there simply are not sufficient licensed foster care options. In dependency cases where placement with relatives is not possible, it is almost always necessary to place children in licensed foster care outside of San Juan County. Sadly, this means more change and transition for kids in the midst of existing turmoil. In addition, out of county foster care placement also can make it more difficult for parents to enjoy frequent visits with their children, which is essential to maintaining parent-child relationships and supporting family reunification. Continue Reading

Calling all artists, crafters, growers, makers and keepers! Bring your creations to the Grange Hall to display in our Annual Arts & Crafts Show. Friday, June 7th from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.

Professionals and people of all ages are welcome; think a smaller version of the County Fair. We also welcome the written word, and will have an opportunity for those who wish to read their work.

The Arts & Crafts Show with a Grange Open House is the following afternoon, Saturday June 8th from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Enjoy amazing creations, good company, snacks, music, readings, and our new deck with a fabulous view of the harbor!

Grange Hall, 52 First Street North, Friday Harbor, WA

This is a FREE annual event of the San Juan Island Grange #966

For more information, contact Laura Jo Severson, [email protected] 360.370.5915

Here in the SJ Update Mailbag we have this letter from David Turnoy, Chair of the SJC Democrats…

Two Amazing Candidates to Appear in Friday Harbor June 15

On Sunday, June 2, at the endorsement meeting of the 40th Legislative District Democrats, both Liz Lovelett and Carrie Blackwood were endorsed overwhelmingly for the state senate seat by those in attendance.

We have an incredible opportunity to have one of these outstanding candidates serve us as our next state senator. We are hoping that we are able to get Liz and Carrie through the August primary over the other two challengers to be our two finalists in November, bringing us the opportunity to have two amazing Democrats vie for the seat in the general election. I really cannot convey in this short article how impressive these two candidates are.

If you would like to meet Liz and Carrie, both will be appearing at our June 15 San Juan County Democrats meeting in Friday Harbor at the community college. As usual, people from other islands can walk on the ferry and receive a ride to the meeting upon arriving in Friday Harbor. Please let me know if you plan to come (if you are coming from another island) so I can line up enough drivers to pick us up. The meeting will run from 11:30 until 2:00.

Thanks,

David Turnoy
Chair, SJC Democrats
(360) 376-4165
[email protected]

Lime Kiln Lighthouse, circa 1919 – Click to enlarge – SJ Historical Society photo

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

We will be hearing a lot about our iconic lighthouse this month, with special events to celebrate its Centennial. It stands today, as in the past, a seaside witness to much island history. From shipwrecks and storms to film shoots, weddings and whales, this lighthouse has been in the center of it all.

Although the image seen here is undated, it does provide some good clues as to when it was taken. We can guess by the attire of the people pictured on the far right, the pile of wood on the far left, and the surrounding vegetation that the photograph was probably taken close to the first day of operation for the lighthouse on June 30, 1919. And no, the people are not identified. But Clifford B. Hermann had been appointed first head lighthouse keeper, assisted by Frank DeRoy, so they could be two of them.

Perhaps you have a copy of this photograph in your family collection and can help add some names to these early islanders. Continue Reading

Larry Soll writes to let you know about this year’s Summer Film Series…

Fellow Film Buffs,

Summer has arrived and it is time to unveil the schedule for this year’s film series, an eclectic mix of documentaries, dramas, and comedies. As they say you can’t please everyone all the time but, hopefully, most of you will like most of our choices.

For our foreign language buffs, there will exposure to Polish, French, German, Russian, Italian, Croatian, Pusto, Japanese, Hebrew and Arabic. For the rest of us, all non-English films are subtitled.

I also want to point out that several of this year’s films are longer than usual but these films are definitely worth your time. To help you plan, I am including a short description of each movie as well as an attached file so that the compulsive among us can plan ahead (click the link below for the descriptions). I will also send a reminder every weekend during the season with the next two films.

The Schedule: Continue Reading

The San Juan Community Theatre is accepting online submissions for its 2019 Playwrights Festival now through July 15, 2019.  The Festival invites San Juan Island residents to submit short, original plays to be considered for performance at Community Theatre September 19-21 and September 26-29.

The scripts will be reviewed and rated by theatrical professionals. Plays selected for fully staged or reader’s theatre performances will be announced on July 29.  Auditions for parts in the plays will be held August 3 and 5.

Last year’s Festival featured the work of 14 island writers and drew an excellent audience response, with all but one performance completely sold out. 

“This year, many of our playwrights have attended additional workshops, readings and critique sessions to hone their scripts,” said Festival Coordinator Stan Matthews. “I’ve been excited by the quality of the work I’ve seen thus far. The Festival is shaping up to be a great showcase for island writers, directors and actors again this year.”

Further information, including details on script guidelines and information on how to submit scripts, is available on line at: https://sjctplaywrightsfestival.submittable.com/submit 

Questions my be addressed to Stan Matthews, 2019 SJCT Playwrights Festival Coordinator, at [email protected]

In the mailbag this morning, we have this letter from Steve Ulvi…

I have been unusually fortunate to have spent a lifetime finding deep fulfillment and direction for my troubled mind in expansive forests, on mountain slopes and coursing wild rivers. My youthful day dreaming, fueled by adventure stories before sleep, culminated in finding a home for several decades in northern Alaska where primordial nature astounds, deep time resonates and native people are still inseparable from their cultural homelands.

Eventually the great paradox of living in the north, escaping “the madding crowd” in 1974, was that the steady increase of annual warming was about twice as rapid as anywhere else and even worse in the arctic. In spite of that chosen experience , or more likely because of it, I find myself at a complete loss to understand our unabated destructive rampage as a species.

What is so troubling, looking in the rear view mirror of a life passing all too quickly, is the notion that when I awoke to environmental activism as a necessary outgrowth of disdain for the lifeways in sprawling suburbs, there was great social consciousness and energy toward fixing what was broken. One could wrap a small mind around what was often an understandable causation that could be stopped or slowed or regulated effectively, if enough people cared. Just roll up your sleeves, engage other citizens and take direct action in the street if need be. Could even stop a new dam or a terrible war. Anything seemed possible. Perhaps you recall that promising time. Continue Reading

The Town of Friday Harbor is pleased to announce that it is nearing completion of a project to replace an existing pressure tank system with a new pump station in the Town’s 327 water zone. The residents in the Hillcrest neighborhood and at the Peace Island Hospital should experience improved water pressure and less air in their water once the system is put in full operation.

Current plans call for the pump system to go on line by the second week of June. Between now and then there will be notification of a short service interruption to make final connections to the water mains. The Hillcrest neighborhood has had problems with inadequate domestic water pressure and air in the lines. “This project is very important to both businesses and residential units in the area and fulfills the promise we gave these people when we identified the problem” said Wayne Haefele, Friday Harbor Public Works Director and Town Engineer.

Residents can expect notice to be delivered to the door when the brief water shutdown occurs during the construction process. Any questions from the public can be addressed to Duncan Wilson, Town Administrator, at [email protected].

On Monday, June 10 from 5-6:00pm the Friday Harbor High School Aerospace Design Team will hold a community presentation where they will explain the program and proposal work that earned them a spot at the world finals for the International Space Settlement Design Competition.

The students will share their future aspirations for themselves and the Aerospace Club, as well as hold a Q&A for the public. All are welcome.

Community members with an interest or background in aerospace or who would like to support the long term goals of the Aerospace Club are especially encouraged to attend and connect with these students.

Contact the aerospace teacher, Daniel Garner, at [email protected] for further information.