Village at the Harbour, in conjunction with the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary Unit 163 is pleased to announce our first annual Holiday Extravaganza/ Festival of Lights. This free event is to be held from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at The Village at the Harbour on Thursday, December 20th, 2018 and is open to all of the  Continue Reading

It is time to register for the Island Rec’s Girl’s Basketball League, open to all girls in grades 2 through 8. The focus of this league is development and improvement of individual and team skills. Previous basketball experience is not required. All games are played on Island, Sundays in Turnbull Gym. Participants practice twice per  Continue Reading

The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor will open the doors of their old building at 111 Shelter Road, Sunday, December 16 from 10:00 am until Noon for anyone wishing to take away miscellaneous items such as pet carriers, feeding bowls, office furniture, shelving units, small refrigerators and many other items.   Everything must go! Everything  Continue Reading

Capital Credit Checks Coming – Your Co-op Dividend! In December, capital credit checks will be sent out to members who were active in 1993, plus some from 1994 as OPALCO continues to smooth its 25-year cycle for capital credit distributions. Capital credit allocations represent members’ equity in the Co-op. Each year, our non-profit cooperative allocates  Continue Reading

The Center for Whale Research is excited to announce the release of a wonderful 5-minute animation that tells the incredible story of the importance of grandmothers in the Southern Resident orca community. Click the image above to view it. Thank you TED-ED, Darren Croft and Michael Weiss.

Island Rec is pleased to welcome Lili Lyne as their new Recreation Specialist. Lili will primarily be organizing Sports and Fitness programs and events. Lili is a recent graduate from Western Washington University where she studied Therapeutic Recreation. Over the years she has developed an expertise in adaptive sports, from soccer to wheelchair rugby she  Continue Reading

The San Juan Center of Skagit Valley College offers two life-long learning courses this winter. As the weather chases us indoors for January, February and March, sign up for a community class at the San Juan Center. Pass the winter days enjoying good books and engaging discussions and lectures at the San Juan Center of  Continue Reading

The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce held their Holiday party/Annual meeting and Awards Ceremony on Monday evening at Brickworks. They welcomed Scott Sluis, of Islanders Bank, as new president and said farewell and thank you to Gail Schnee for her 2 years as president. Also there was a Thank you to the Town of  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag we have a letter from Allison Lance… The more diverse an eco-system is, the greater its odds are for survival. Genetic diversity insures robust populations. This applies to Earth’s life forms, which includes humans. In order to ensure our survival we need robust biodiversity. Therein lies the problem, nature is  Continue Reading

Only four more showings of Slowgirl and people who’ve seen it are raving about it. This is your last chance to see it before it’s gone. It’s a story by Greg Pierce told with humor and sensitivity, of a friendship between a reclusive uncle and his teenage niece as they navigate the delicate regions of  Continue Reading

The time is near for this year’s December 15th benefit Christmas concert at St. David’s Episcopal Church: An American Village Christmas. The 3:00 pm concert will feature Advent and Christmas hymns and anthems by American composers found in The Sacred Harp, The Southern Harmony, The Mennonite Singing Book, and The Christian Harmony, along with Appalachian melodies  Continue Reading

State Awards Nearly $18 Million for Salmon Recovery Projects Statewide OLYMPIA – The Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board today announced the award of nearly $18 million in grants for projects to restore salmon habitat in an effort to bring the iconic fish back from the brink of extinction. An estimated 75 percent of the funded  Continue Reading

First, it’s the Board of Commissioners for San Juan County Fire District #3. They will have their regular meeting at 3:00 pm Wednesday, December 12th, at the fire station at 1011 Mullis Street. Then, at 5:00 pm, the San Juan County Public Hospital District #1 will be meeting jointly with the Town of Friday Harbor,  Continue Reading

Local photographer John Miller shares this view from 300 feet elevation of Wasp Passage, taken with a DJI Phantom adv. Great shot – Thanks John!

Island Haven Animal Sanctuary Benefit Join award winning Celtic harpist Kathie Hardy & local violinist Hannake Klein Robbenhauer for an evening that will warm your hearts this holiday season! Kathie will perform an elegant mix of ancient and traditional Scottish & Irish tunes. She has won several Pacific Northwest Scottish harp competitions, including first place  Continue Reading

Susan Wingate writes to share this article on deer population control… Dear SJ Update, I’m hoping to submit some information about the deer population that has become an issue with a certain sector of our residents and with the fish and wildlife community. [Please see] this information from the website: http://www.pzpinfo.org/pzp_faqs.html

On Wednesday Dec 12, 2018, the San Juan Island School District Board of Directors will hold a Special School Board Meeting at 5:00 pm in the high school library. This is a Budget Informational Meeting. The community is invited to attend. Please see attached notice. All public comment, with the exception of public hearings on  Continue Reading

Tom Doenges, owner of Computer San Juans wants you to know about this new service coming to an island near you… Calling all small businesses, schools, ports, town and individuals… I am joining forces with a friend who runs an electronics recycling company in Bellingham called 1pc.com. Because I feel I contribute to bringing these devices  Continue Reading

The San Juan Island Community Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $20,546 to local nonprofits in their third and final grant cycle of the year. The Foundation awarded $4,648 from its Healthy Community Fund, while generous donors and the SJICF Women’s Fund contributed a combined $15,898. The following local projects were funded: The San Juan County  Continue Reading

Sometimes an idea takes on a life of its own, and that’s what has happened with the San Juan Singers’ winter concert, “The Brightest and Best of Christmas.” This concert will be filled with joyous singing and instruments playing. John Rutter’s “Magnificat” sometimes dances, sometimes floats, and always delivers a melody that goes straight to  Continue Reading

San Juan Community Theatre (SJCT) held its annual Holiday Festival on Saturday, December 1st, raising over $114,000 in support for the 2018-2019 season. Attendees were treated to 1920’s themed décor by Susan Williams, Anita Welch, and Cyndy Gislason and a menu inspired by popular dishes of the same era from Owner Anna Maria de Freitas  Continue Reading

The Christmas Market will light up historic Brickworks again this year! The popular event features a holiday crafts market, island food vendors, local farm products, live music, libations, and activities for kids and grownups alike. The Old-Fashioned Christmas Market is produced by the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild. Watch www.fhbrickworks.com for details. The San Juan  Continue Reading