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The San Juan County Fair is excited to announce the collaborative creation of Grace Brown and Kristine Brown of San Juan Island.

Their interpretation of the 2018 theme “Rockin’ the Salish Sea” was chosen by the Fair Board as the 2018 Poster!

Prints of this poster will be available to business owners who are willing to post the poster in their business the month of August, and prints will also be available by donation to members of the public before and during the Fair event in the Fair Administration office.

Read more about the inspiration behind the design below. Continue Reading

Luncheon for Red Cross Workers, Friday Harbor, 1918 – Photo Courtesy American Legion Hackett-Larson Post 163

 It’s time for the April installment of the San Juan Historical Society’s monthly History Column…

Although most know the importance of American Red Cross efforts in disaster relief today, fewer know that our local chapter was officially formed 100 years ago on January 11, 1918. That’s quite a history of volunteer service. Since it is now the start of National Volunteer Month, we have chosen the San Juan County Chapter of the American Red Cross as our April focus.

During World War I, much was written in the Friday Harbor Journal about the war effort and the many ways in which islanders could support Red Cross aid activities. In true island fashion, people here did not need much encouragement to organize sewing projects for bandages, hospital gowns, and the like. As knitters do today, socks and mufflers flew from needles to camps and hospitals in need. And those volunteers didn’t need to wait for a local Red Cross chapter to be established.

Much of this critical activity was prior to that benchmark date in 1918 when the Friday Harbor headquarters for the county chapter was authorized. Indeed, San Juan County Red Cross volunteers are said to have created over 33,000 aid items, from surgical supplies to sweaters by war’s end. Continue Reading

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Several of the businesses at Surina Business Park are having an open house this Saturday. It’s a good opportunity to swing by and see what all is available over there.

Turn onto Malcom Street off of Argyle Avenue and take your first left. You can’t miss it.

The open house is Saturday, April 7th from 1:00 to 4:00 PM.

See below to learn more about some of the businesses and owners. Continue Reading

Odlin Park Day Use Area – Contributed photo

San Juan County Parks is looking for a part time seasonal camp host (with a tent) to be a presence in beautiful Odlin County Park on Lopez Island to assist the public and park staff.

Position Details include:

• Park hosting experience and public relation skills a plus
• Light park maintenance and some administrative tasks required, knowledge of Lopez Island/the San Juan Islands a plus
• Position starts in May. There is a minimum commitment of 30 days, and a maximum of 3 months
• Access to power, water, and flat parking space

For more details, or if you are interested in this position, please San Juan County Parks [email protected].

San Juan Community Home Trust has been awarded $200,000 by the Washington State Housing Trust Fund to partially fund the building of four affordable homes. The Washington State Department of Commerce announced the list of awardees March 22. The Home Trust is one of 13 home ownership organizations across the state to receive an award, and one of only five located in a rural area.

The Home Trust applied to the Housing Trust Fund last October, requesting a grant for Sun Rise II-C, the third, final phase of the Sun Rise II development about to begin construction at 473 Grover Street.

“San Juan Community Home Trust was excited to be notified of the Housing Trust Fund grant only a day after the barging of two houses from Vancouver Island,” said David S. Gow, Executive Director of the Home Trust. “The great part is that they granted us the amount we requested, about a quarter of the project budget. The state’s commitment will put us at 60% of our ambitious 2018 goal of $850,000 for construction.” Continue Reading

The League of Women Voters of the San Juans will hold its next public membership meeting on Monday, April 9 at the San Juan Island Library conference room from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The subjects of the meeting will be redistricting and the Electoral College.

In the past few years, there has been a good deal of criticism of the Electoral College and the unique role it plays in the country’s democracy. This program is intended to help people understand more fully why it was created and how its role has changed since its inception. Should the electoral college be tweaked or abandoned entirely? There are strong and informed voices speaking for both possibilities. Continue Reading

Request For Proposals To Receive San Juan County Council’s Historical Preservation Funds

The San Juan County Council has discretionary funds, generated by recording fees intended to promote historical preservation or historical programs, which may include preservation of historic documents. The Council is currently seeking proposals for projects to use $5,733 in funds to be awarded in 2018.

Projects may include: acquisition or preservation of locally historic buildings and artifacts: developing and presenting locally historical programs or events; performing research into local history. Continue Reading

ARTRAGEOUS takes theater and art to a new level in a unique interactive stage experience that pops with color, art, music, and dance. The touring group lands at San Juan Community Theatre on Sunday, April 8 at 5:00 p.m. in the Whittier Theatre.

This one of a kind crossover event pays tribute to a variety of art forms, pop icons, and musical genres, culminating in a gallery of unique finished paintings.  Throughout the process, audience members are encouraged to join in the creativity, whether that is tapping their toes to the music, singing along, dancing, or even joining the fun on stage.  “We think the arts are a bridge to human connection,” said ARTRAGEOUS’s John DeWolf.  “What we find is that there is a need for people to experience things together and share a sense of community.”

Formed in 1980 by a group of friends in Vancouver, B.C., the troupe is now based in the high desert mountains of New Mexico, where they have a campus complete with a recording studio, offices, and rehearsal spaces.  There have been more than 2500 unique ARTRAGEOUS performances around the world.

The Business Partner for the evening is Managed Reliability. Tickets are $21 for adults and $13 for student reserved, with free admission for students at the door. Tickets are available online at www.sjctheatre.org or at the SJCT Box Office (360) 378-3210 (open Tuesdays through Fridays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.).  

Sperm Whale in Haro Strait with Turn Point Lighthouse in background – Photo courtesy of Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching and the Pacific Whale Watch Association

Just got this notice about a recent sighting near Turn Point on Stuart Island…

Over the weekend, members of the Pacific Whale Watch Association captured photos and hydrophone audio of the first-ever sperm whale spotted in inland waters in Washington state and the first ever seen by whale watching tours in Washington’s Salish Sea.

The whale was named Yukusam (from Kwak’wala, First Nations) when it first showed up in Johnstone Strait in British Columbia in February 2018.

The whale was photographed in Haro Straight just off Turn Point on Stuart Island in the San Juan Islands.

Photos and video with the hydrophone ecolocation audio are available here: http://bit.ly/2uGMxps

More info coming soon.

The San Juan Island Farmers Market is every Saturday, April through October, from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm at Brickworks, on 150 Nichols Street.

The Farmers Market is a community market that provides access to local & fresh food and strives to support small-scale agriculture and local businesses in San Juan County.

Each week the SJI Farmers Market offers a diverse selection of fresh, local food from San Juan, Waldron, Lopez, and Orcas Island. The Farmers Market also offers a mix of local, hand-crafted products such as jewelry, pottery, and artwork.

Throughout the year, there are over 20 farms that vend at the year-round SJI Farmers Market. The market is a great place to buy local groceries, eat freshly prepared food, listen to live music, shop for handmade crafts, and chat with local nonprofit organizations!

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San Juan Island’s community chorus wants islanders to leave those “Rainy Days and Mondays” behind and “Let the Sunshine In” by “Feelin’ Groovy” at their spring concert at San Juan Community Theatre on Friday and Saturday, April 6-7 at 7:30 p.m.

The San Juan Singers team up with the celebrated San Juan Island rock group, The Chameleons, for a night of memorable pop hits from the ‘60s and ‘70s, with music from such legends as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Carole King, ABBA, Queen, and more.

“The palpable energy of this well-known and well-loved music has inspired the Singers and we’re very excited to share that feeling with our island community,” said Singers director Angel Michaels. She adds that The Chameleons—featuring Darvis Taylor on lead guitar; Steve Lembcke on bass; Michael Linehan on drums; and the vocal stylings of Kira Sable—will add even more energy and excitement to the performance.

And to add to the groovy spirit of the evening, the audience members are strongly encouraged to dig out those tie dye shirts and bell bottoms and other favorite looks of the ‘60s or ‘70s.

The Business Partner for the concerts is Lake Kennedy McCulloch, CPA. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for student reserved and are available online at www.sjctheatre.org or at the SJCT Box Office (360) 378-3210 (open Tuesdays through Fridays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.).  

Deb Langhans shares this information on her upcoming workshop…

Have you ever pondered how challenging (& sometimes counterproductive) it can be to try formulating new year resolutions during the darkest, most depressing time of year?  It seems to me such a worthy goal would be better timed with Mother Nature’s own modeling of regeneration–when Spring has sprung with new growth & possibilities!

Once that most conducive time is chosen, how do you determine which goals or commitments to target for 2018? Do you pick the same old topics that never quite stuck in previous years? Do you dare uncover those stumbling blocks & figure out different approaches so outcomes can change?

Then there’s the issue of relevancy. Do the priorities & commitments you might choose for 2018 reflect your current values? Maybe you’re not even sure who’s values you’ve been following all these years. Perhaps it’s time for an updated inventory of what brings meaning to your life.

Ladies, I’m offering another Inner Journey Collage© (IJC) workshop soon that addresses these very issues. It’s called, “Turning Over New Leaves” and it’s taking place on Sunday, April 29th, 12-5 p.m. at Bonnie’s Creative Passions. Continue Reading

Harry and Hermione are this week’s Pets of the Week – Contributed photo

Hello Friday Harbor! Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Hermione and Harry. We just got those names and we like them a great deal.

We were just hours away from losing our lives at the big animal shelter in California where we were taken as strays. At that shelter they don’t bother naming stray dogs because there are just too many of us. We feel so lucky to have been rescued and brought to Friday Harbor!

We feel safest when we’re together so we’d really love to be adopted as a pair.   Just so you know we’re “Chugs”, Chihuahua-Pug mixes. Come and meet us soon! Please note: Adorable teenage girl not included.

Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor
111 Shelter Road
(360) 378-2158

Calling all artists – Claire from the SJC Arts Council shares this information on the arts festival coming up in August. Vendor applications are now available…

The 2018 San Juan Summer Arts Festival will take place the FIVE Fridays in August 2018 at Brickworks Plaza in Downtown Friday Harbor, San Juan Island.  Come join us August 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st for an incredible inter-generational event showcasing the variety of local creative talents. 

You can expect to find over 25 art vendors, multiple local food vendors, fabulous beer from San Juan Island Brewing Co, wine from the Doe Bay Wine Co, spirits from San Juan Island Distillery, live music from local and visiting acts, a hands-on creation station, henna tattoos, tarot card readings, and many more fun surprises. 

This event is FREE and ALL AGES are welcome.  Come enjoy the true spirit of the San Juan Island Community from 4-10 PM all summer long.  

Art Vendor Applications are now LIVE via our website sanjuancountyarts.org.

Sponsorship packets are available to any interested parties.

This is THE summer event in Friday Harbor, and no matter how you participate, just make sure to be there.

Our current growing list of sponsors includes San Juan Property Management, Waterworks Gallery, Islanders bank, and several anonymous donors. 

Our Mission:
“The San Juan Summer Arts Festival, under the umbrella of the 501(c)3 non-profit organization the San Juan County Arts Council, fosters the creativity of artists and facilitates deeper community intimacy through a multi-generational San Juan County volunteer-based celebration.”

The Town of Friday Harbor is pleased to offer its residential refuse customers a one-time-only curbside pickup of items that are too large or too heavy for their refuse cans the week of April 23-27. “The Town saw an opportunity to encourage neighborhood cleanups and to assist our customers with their spring cleaning efforts,” said Town Administrator Duncan Wilson. He says this one-time service is being offered free of charge to its non-commercial customers.

Specific rules apply regarding the volume and type of items that will be accepted, including that items must fit in a standard pickup truck bed and weigh no more than 60 pounds. This pickup is for non-hazardous, non-liquid items such as large toys and scrap metal, mattresses, carpet, and furniture. It is not for items such as yard or household waste, building materials, electronics, or large appliances.

Additional rules apply and there will be no exceptions. Therefore, customers should review the information included with their monthly billing statement or call Town Hall at 378-2810. A complete list of acceptable and unacceptable items is posted on the Town website at www.fridayharbor.org.

The Town reserves the right to decline pickup of any items. These unaccepted items must be removed by the customer within two days of their refuse pickup day. Unremoved items and anything left in front of empty homes will be investigated by Code Enforcement as illegal dumping. This service is solely to assist existing Town refuse customers and no items may be brought to or left in Town.

Regular refuse pickups will occur separately that week as usual. Customers are to set these cans apart from their large refuse pickup pile.