From the Stewardship Network of the San Juans “Here we all are, with nothing but our wit and our will to save the world.” – Samuel L. Jackson. We might not have a vibranium shield, a fancy metal suit designed by Tony Stark, or a hammer only we can lift, but we can still be  Continue Reading

From San Juan County The San Juan County Superior Court and District Court are once again resuming jury trials, after postponing trials in November of 2020 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Thanks to transmission rates falling regionally and statewide, and technological and physical updates to the courtrooms to improve safety measures, both courts  Continue Reading

From the Purple and Gold Booster Club The Purple and Gold Booster Club fully endorses the Island Rec levy renewal. We support Friday Harbor High School by running concessions at the games and collecting tickets for events. We fill in some of the gaps that are not covered by the Island Rec levy such as  Continue Reading

From Island Rec Hiking Club Third-fifth graders can join this club and explore some trails from 1-3 p.m., Wednesdays. Parents must drop-off and pick up at each trailhead. Sign up for one or all. Dates and Locations: March 24: Mount Finlayson March 31: Lime Kiln State Park April 7: English Camp and Young Hill April  Continue Reading

From PeaceHealth On March 17, the Washington State Department of Health expanded vaccination to people in the Phase 1B Tier 2 eligibility category. This category includes high-risk critical workers who work in certain congregate settings: agriculture; fishing vessel crews; food processing; grocery stores; corrections; prisons, jails or detention centers; public transit; remaining first responders, and  Continue Reading

By Gib and Jen Black, San Juan Island Please join us in supporting Island Rec by voting in favor of renewing its levy. Our family, like many here on San Juan Island, receive a value from Island Rec that far exceeds what we contribute in taxes. We benefit from daily walks at the Gravel Pit  Continue Reading

From San Juan County San Juan County Health and Community Services will be opening registration for first dose vaccine appointments on at 9 a.m., Monday, March 22. These clinics will be on Orcas and San Juan Island. Those who are eligible and wish to register for an appointment should go to www.sanjuanco.com/1737/COVID-Vaccine-Info at 9 a.m.,  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Since the last update on Friday, March 12, total cases in San Juan County have remained steady at 129. There are zero close contacts of a positive case currently in active quarantine. Orcas Island There are no new cases on Orcas Island since the last update and no confirmed positive cases under  Continue Reading

From the San Juan County Economic Development Council The Working Washington 4 Portal opens March 29. Working Washington Round 4 offers grant relief funds to small for-profit businesses, especially those that were required to close due to public health and safety measures. To learn eligibility requirements, visit https://commercegrants.com. To register, visit  https://wsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/99271442 Unemployment benefits have  Continue Reading

From San Juan County As most are aware until now vaccine eligibility has primarily been limited to medical providers, K-12 and child care providers, and those over the age of 65. As of March 17, eligibility has been expanded to the following groups (Phase 1b, Tier 2): Those who are pregnant and over the age  Continue Reading

From Friends of the San Juan Island Library Shop and support the San Juan Island Library. The Friends of the San Juan Island Library store, Treasure Cove, is holding a fixed price sale online through April 5. Visit the online shop at charityauction.bid/springfling. The Friends of the Library is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, comprised of  Continue Reading

From Friday Harbor Elementary School Will your child be 5 on or before Aug. 31, 2021? Stop by Friday Harbor Elementary School kindergarten registration, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday, March 24. Assistance will be available. You are welcomed to sit in the cafeteria to fill out your packet or pick up and complete at home. Please  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Economic Development Council Join the conversation on “What’s Next: The Islands Economy” at the 11th Annual EDC Economics Luncheon, held online 11-12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, featuring economist Yoram Bauman and San Juan County Auditor Milene Henley. This year, participants are invited to “B.Y.O.L.” (bring your own lunch) to share a  Continue Reading

From Artist’s Studio Tour The Artists’ Studio Tour on San Juan Island will return June 5-6. We are excited to be including both returning and new island artists with this year’s tour. We want to celebrate with our island residents, and thank them for their support during the last year with this opportunity to safely  Continue Reading

“Island Senior” is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae. In my last Island Senior article, The Year of Covid-19, I took stock of the past year, a challenging time for most of us, and took note of some of the good things that helped me through a whole  Continue Reading

From San Juan Land Bank Over the last two weeks, the local civilian conservation corps has helped stewardship staff plant close to 5,000 bare-root plants and forbs on Orcas and San Juan Island Preserves. The picture above was taken at False Bay Creek Preserve on a bluebird day. The San Juan County Land Bank Commission  Continue Reading

By Minnie Knych, San Juan Island Hillsdale College is offering free courses in American History, literature, philosophy and economics. You can take advantage of this at online.hillsdale.edu/#home The courses are absolutely free. Most are a series of 10, 30-minute lectures with optional tests after each lecture and suggested further reading. This is a great opportunity  Continue Reading

From Friday Harbor Animal Protection Society Age: Approximately 1-year-old Sex: Male Breed: Chihuahua Mix Application: www.apsfh.com/adoption-program/canine-application Ozzy is a fun-loving, playful Chihuahua mix looking to find his equally fun, forever family. His favorite game is tug-of-war, but he doesn’t stop there, he also enjoys a good game of fetch, zoomie challenge, squeak offs, the toy  Continue Reading

From Washington State Parks Washington State Parks invites visitors to help celebrate the agency’s 108th birthday on Friday, March 19, by enjoying a state park for free that day. The state parks in the San Juans include Lime Kiln Point on San Juan Island, Moran on Orcas Island and Spencer Spit on Lopez Island. March  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag today we have this letter from Louise Dustrude… Are the miniature villages on rocks along West Side Road proliferating, or have there always been half a dozen or more? I’ve been enjoying one of them for several months, and perhaps it’s been there for years. It’s not on my daily  Continue Reading

From San Juan County A “logic and accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used in San Juan County for the April 27, Special election is scheduled for 11 a.m., March 23 at the elections office located at 55 Second Street, Suite A, in Friday Harbor. The test works by tallying the results of a prepared  Continue Reading

From San Juan County The recent CDC guidance for fully vaccinated individuals provides clear and concise information for those lucky enough to be vaccinated. This information is only for fully vaccinated individuals, which is two weeks after your final dose. If you are fully vaccinated, you may: Visit indoors and unmasked with other vaccinated individuals.  Continue Reading