OPALCO has hired three new linemen apprentices – one for each of the crews on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Island. These local linemen will keep the lights on for the next generation of islanders! “With some of our linecrew hitting the 25-, 30- and even 40-year mark in their careers with the Co-op, we  Continue Reading

“Can looking at evolution help us predict the future of humanity?” – Jeff Bridges Friday Harbor Film Festival invites you to a free screening of the award winning documentary, Living in the Future’s Past narrated by Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges on Friday, May 3rd at 7:00 pm at Brickworks. In this beautifully photographed tour  Continue Reading

Washington State Active Transportation Plan Survey Now Online The Washington State Active Transportation Plan update needs you to connect people with the process. Tell your friends and neighbors, share links in social media, forward this notice to your contacts. The public opinion survey is now available online in English, with other languages to be added as  Continue Reading

On Wednesday April 24, 2019, the San Juan Island School District Board of Directors will hold a regular School Board Meeting at 5:00 pm in the high school library.  This is an open public meeting.   All public comment, with the exception of public hearings on policy, budget or other specific items, will be heard  Continue Reading

Join the San Juan Island Naturalist Program! We’re looking for volunteers who are confident in sharing their knowledge about whales, the Salish Sea, and being Westside stewards. Help people watch, enjoy, and learn about whales from stations at the Westside Preserve, just south of Lime Kiln Point State Park. San Juan Island Naturalist Program Training  Continue Reading

The community is cordially invited to a celebration at the Library. We are celebrating “Friends of the Library” with our annual meeting AND celebrating the wonderful volunteers (board of trustees, library volunteers in their many jobs and the Friends of the Library volunteers.) This will be a “Love Your Library” Trivia Night with great questions  Continue Reading

Seasonal Park Maintenance Worker Island Rec is hiring a part-time seasonal Park Maintenance worker to assist with the maintenance of John O. Linde Community Park.  We are looking for a dynamic, hardworking, customer service oriented person interested in being part of the Island Rec team.  This is a 20 hour a week position.  Rate of  Continue Reading

San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce Featured Member of the Month – San Juan Canvas On April 8th the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce helped San Juan Canvas celebrate 40 years in business. Lauren Cohen and Derek Steere, who have been the owners for the last 10 years, invited Chamber Members to come celebrate.  Continue Reading

In our continuing April is Poetry Month series, the San Juan Update is sharing poems from local poets every Friday this month. Today is the 3rd Friday and today we have “High Wind Warning”, by Wiliam Weissinger, and “Song Sparrow” by Susie Foster Hale:

Want to make a difference? San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1 (SJCPHD#1) has four of its five commissioner seats open for election this fall. This is almost unprecedented. Prospective candidates must file between May 13-17 and community leaders are needed to provide a new generation of strong leadership. SJCPHD#1 provides oversight for San  Continue Reading

The Port of Friday Harbor and the San Juan Pilots Association are pleased to recognize our 2019 aviation honoree. This joint effort features a different pilot every year. The Honor Wall at the Port of Friday Harbor Airport commemorates the history of aviation in the San Juan Islands since the early post World War II  Continue Reading

Spring Street International School Presents: The Field Project Directed by Krista Strutz The Field Project consists of a play and a comedy sketch: The Wolves and Who’s on First? The Wolves, by Sarah Delappe: Left quad. Right quad. Lunge. A girls indoor soccer team warms up. From the safety of their suburban stretch circle, the  Continue Reading

Island Rec is very excited to announce the fourth running of the now famous Hill of Thrills Soap Box Race on Sunday, May 19.  This is a classic old-fashioned ‘gravity’ race where people run their homemade, non-motorized contraptions down Grover Street by the elementary school. The racing categories are ages 5-8, 9-12, 13-15, 16-adult. There  Continue Reading

Merri Ann Simonson checks in again with another in her San Juan Island Lifestyle video series. Here’s what she has to say about this one… This lifetsyle video is about how much humor is involved in real estate sales. Our profession can be very interesting and challenging.

Health Insurance Coverage for Emergency Care and Air-Ambulance Transfer in San Juan County Due to the critical threat arising from recent insurance company denials of medical transport coverage, the San Juan County Public Hospital District #1 is sponsoring this community forum. Learn about: Air Ambulance Insurance Denials – Status of the Problem Know your Right  Continue Reading

Salmon habitat recovery, oil spill prevention, vessel noise and disturbance, reducing toxic pollution are all now expected to reach Governor Inslee’s desk. Bills passed: Protecting habitat (HB 1579) Lead sponsor Representative Joe Fitzgibbon (D-West Seattle) Supports chinook salmon and forage fish populations by protecting habitat and reducing invasive predatory species Preventing oil spills (HB 1578)  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag this morning we have this letter from Miles Crossen… I thought I’d start looking for volunteers to help out at the San Juan County Fair Photography Department. We’re going to need help on Tuesday, Aug. 13 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. for folks to assist people in the submission  Continue Reading

The SJI Skate Park at the fairgrounds is getting a new fence. The park will be closed beginning April 19 for approximately 2 weeks. Island Rec apologizes for the inconvenience. Questions? Please Call (360)378-4953

The Friday Harbor Port Commission is meeting Thursday April 18th at 12:00 PM at the Town Council Chambers, 60 Second Street in Friday Harbor. They’ve posted the agenda on their website and you can view it here: Meeting Agenda.

Kevin Holmes was out on the west side just before sunset the other day and captured this perfectly timed photo when the sun was passing behind the lighthouse. Thanks for sharing Kevin!

The following article was written by Neil Stawski… As much as the skeptics and critics might try to deny climate change, the signs that it’s a critical issue are all around us. The evidence of global warming can be found in the death of our coral reefs due to the increased temperatures of our ocean  Continue Reading

Ladies, are you tired of one-night stands and awkward blind dates? Look no further. . . I’m Arlo, your knight in shining armor waiting for you at the APS-FH. I’m a true gentleman that doesn’t kiss and tell and promise I always put the toilet seat down. To make it a date, visit me at  Continue Reading