FREEZER BURNED: Tales of Interior Alaska is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Steve Ulvi… (Author’s note: This campfire story is mostly fiction in terms of characters and events. Historic, ecological and political themes will always be sculpted factually. The wonders of the subarctic natural world are as I understand them  Continue Reading

Merri Ann Simonson shares another episode in her video series and says, Local San Juan fishing derbies, they are the best!

Islanders, unable to afford dental care, can receive it for free thanks to the local nonprofit Fish For Teeth on Friday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Mullis Community Center on San Juan Island. Due to health precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the clinic will host half of the number of patients usually  Continue Reading

Open Country Press is proud to announce the winner of the 2020 Open Country Chapbook Contest. Khaty Xiong chose Barefoot Up the Mountain by Tara Mesalik MacMahon of Friday Harbor, Washington. Tara Mesalik MacMahon, a graduate of Pomona College and Harvard Business School, is an emerging poet. Her poems appear or are forthcoming in Rhino,  Continue Reading

Flu shots are now available at Eventide Health. It’s important to get yours early this year. We will be hosting a few flu clinics this year and carrying on the tradition of San Juan Healthcare and offering the service as public health to the community. We will also be participating in joint flu clinics with  Continue Reading

Due to fire danger and stretched resources, San Juan County is extending the current burn ban to prohibit all outdoor fires (including charcoal), effective immediately and until further notice.  This change is prompted by several factors. Hot and dry weather has made conditions ripe for ignition and fast fire spread, and forecasts predict more of  Continue Reading

San Juan County Master Gardeners welcome keynote speaker Robin Haglund to the Annual Gardening Workshop Series. Robin’s presentation, Growing a Year-Round Hummingbird Habitat Garden, guides you through crafting and maintaining a gorgeous year-round garden that provides habitat for our resident hummingbirds. You will learn the vital elements needed for food and nesting, while enjoying the  Continue Reading

Be a Superhero for Planet Earth! 2020 Fall Great Islands Clean-up September 28 – October 4 We’re asking Superheroes of all ages to unite and help us clean-up our islands during this year’s Fall Great Islands Clean-up! The event will be a week-long household/individual effort beginning September 28 and running through October 4, 2020. This  Continue Reading

Pacific herring – also known as forage fish – play a key role in marine food webs as food for out-migrating juvenile salmon, seabirds, and even marine mammals. Herring rely on sensitive eelgrass meadows found along our tidelands to spawn and incubate their eggs. Herring spawning populations in the San Juans are classified by the  Continue Reading

Stella’s Kitchen is a small, one-cook venue serving delicious, nutritious meals for lunch and dinner. From spicy Korean noodles and Bulgogi to Curry and Dumplings, meals are varied each day and made from scratch, each with an emphasis on using fresh, organic ingredients. Currently located at Friday Harbor’s Brickworks (service via the back door toward  Continue Reading

The San Juan Island School District’s Food for Thought Program is back at it! Though most of the staff was furloughed, Chef Andy, Ashley Spendiff and Kerri Starr are working hard to provide healthful FROM SCRATCH meals to all children in San Juan County ages 1-18 FOR FREE. Check out the school website for current  Continue Reading

A mass of smoke is currently sitting over Southwestern Washington.  This smoke, from wildfires in Washington, Oregon and California is expected to move north starting tomorrow and likely impact much of Western Washington through the weekend as it is pushed by southerly winds.   The Department of Ecology smoke forecast for tomorrow predicts that air  Continue Reading

Effective September 10, San Juan County Health Officer Dr. Frank James has signed Order No. 2020-9, lifting the 50% capacity restrictions on transient lodging. Operating at 100% capacity is allowed immediately. This order also immediately lifts the closure of all public playgrounds and playground equipment. Dr. James explains, “Island residents and visitors have done an  Continue Reading

Due to fire danger and stretched resources, the San Juan County is extending the current burn ban to prohibit all outdoor fires, effective immediately and until further notice. This change is prompted by several factors. Hot and dry weather has made conditions ripe for ignition and fast fire spread, and forecasts predict more of the  Continue Reading

Alchemy’s Kid Pods are perfect for children and young people who want to learn, explore, and be creative- outdoors and in person!   Alchemy is signing up groups of 4-5 kids on a rolling basis for personalized outdoor creative programming that includes ceramics, printmaking, drawing, t-shirt decoration, games, nature exploration, and more.   Classes take place once  Continue Reading

I saw this article online and thought it was worthy of sharing, so the author, Jen, wrote this short introduction for the San Juan Update. We humans really need to wake up and make some changes… The world’s oceans are being polluted by trash every minute of every day. At least 8 million metric tons  Continue Reading

San Juan Island writer, artist and translator, Ian Boyden, releases his new book, A Forest of Names, today (September, 8). Published by the prestigious Wesleyan University Press, the book is available through local bookstores and online. The genesis of the book began in 2016, when Boyden curated the exhibition Ai Weiwei: Fault Line at the  Continue Reading

Skagit Valley College’s Worker Retraining program covers tuition, books, and school-related fees to help those who are Unemployed. Skagit Valley College is pleased to announce that we are offering you new options for Fall Quarter taught by our trained, experienced online instructors. Classes start Tuesday, September 22 and registration is going on now. Are you  Continue Reading

San Juan County Waterfront Parcels  If you own a waterfront parcel in the County, or hope to purchase one, I have detailed below some items to take into consideration.  Historically, waterfront parcels were the most coveted investment in the islands but due to ever changing regulations, they are now the most confusing parcels to develop.   Continue Reading

Small businesses are relying more than ever on your support as they creatively cope with COVID.  Here’s the first of a series of stories about their survival: San Juan County businesses are being creative and adapting during these very tough times. Right now, our three Chambers of Commerce, the San Juan County Economic Development Council, and the  Continue Reading

From San Juan Island Fire and Rescue… As you have seen already, it is a poor day for air quality throughout the San Juan Islands and Western Washington State.   There is no wildland fire in San Juan County at this time. 9-1-1 Dispatch received several calls from concerned residents overnight due to the strong  Continue Reading

Waterworks Gallery invites you to a socially distanced Prosecco Night Opening featuring the work of David Ridgway on Thursday, September 10, 4 – 7 pm.   Since its inception in 1985 WaterWorks Gallery has a tradition of reinvention. The 2020 show schedule broadens the concept of the ART AiSLE. Monthly, the gallery hosts a recent  Continue Reading