• The faint smell of diesel still hung in the air at sunset yesterday evening on the west side, following the sinking of the 49-foot fishing vessel Aleutian Isle on Saturday afternoon. The vessel — now located roughly 150 feet below the surface — was carrying an estimated 2,600 gallons of diesel and oil. This Seattle Times article provides more detail.
• The United States Coast Guard provided more detail about the multi-agency response to the spill in this news release, published Sunday evening.
• The Orca Behavior Institute shared their perspective on the spill and the response to it.
• More sad Monday news — San Juan Islander David Hodges died last week when his plane crashed on the Olympic Peninsula on its way from Friday Harbor to Olympia.
• The landing area at Griffin Bay will be closed to public access Wednesday through Friday this week as San Juan County Public Works unloads several thousand tons of road maintenance materials arriving by barge. The materials support the County’s winter weather and chip seal efforts, and bulk delivery by barge greatly reduces the number of vehicle trips on roads and ferries that would otherwise be required to bring them to the island.
• If you’ve ever thought that buying a derelict boat seems like a fine idea, your time has come. The Port of Friday Harbor will be auctioning three abandoned boats at the end of the month.

Have something to share with the Island? Whether the news is big or small, let us know!

Contributed photo

The Historical Society shares details about the multi-phase rehabilitation project of the Pioneer Cabin located at the San Juan County Fairgrounds.

In the early 1920s, when the San Juan County Fairgrounds were being developed, it was proposed that a log cabin be built to commemorate the role of early Euro-American families in the settlement of the islands.

The call went out for individuals and families to contribute a peeled log to the project and response was enthusiastic. Logs were contributed for early settlers who were no longer living including Edward Warbass, Charles McKay and Stephen Boyce. A plaque was placed in the cabin listing those who were being memorialized. The 59 names on the plaque represented a broad swath of settler families: Boyce, Chevalier, Douglas, Guard, Jensen, King, Madden, Lawson, Rosler, Sandwith, and many others. The cabin was completed in time for the opening of the fair and dedicated on Oct. 9, 1924.

Over the years, the cabin has been used for exhibits and a variety of activities. Today, the cabin needs major restoration, beginning with the replacement of the roof. Our initial fundraising goal is $5,000 for roof replacement. This is part of a multi-phase rehabilitation project intended to be completed in time for its centennial in 2024. The San Juan Historical Society is dedicated to assuring that the cabin will continue as a historic venue where island residents and visitors can explore San Juan County lore and enjoy a variety of exhibits and activities for decades to come.

The San Juan Historical Society is raising money to replace the roof as part of the San Juan Island Community Foundation’s 2022 County Fair Giving Campaign. Through this program, the first $1,000 in donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Community Foundation. The Historical Society is also eligible for up to $2,500 in bonus grants awarded throughout the fair.

To be eligible for matching funds, donations to the San Juan Historical Society must be made during the 2022 County Fair, August 17-20. Donors can contribute online, in person at the Community Foundation fair booth, or by mailing a check payable to SJICF, dated between August 17-20 with San Juan Historical Society in the memo line, to P.O. Box 1352, Friday Harbor, WA 98250.

Please join us in our efforts to restore the cabin and please visit us in the cabin during the fair to learn more about the project.

Photo credit: Jim Corenman

Rotary Club of the San Juan Islands shares a reminder about tomorrow’s car show and fundraiser at San Juan Vineyard.

This year’s San Juan Island Concours car show is alive and well after a two-year hiatus, with classic cars and custom vehicles on display at San Juan Vineyard from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 14. Beverages, food, awards, car posters, a raffle, and more are planned.

Car registration at the nominal fee of $10 is available on site tomorrow. All vehicles are welcome.

If you are coming to see the show, remember that all net proceeds go to local nonprofit organizations, including the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center, the Family Umbrella Group, and the Dental Van — as well as to Rotary International’s polio eradication effort, Polio Plus. We also welcome donations at the door.

The Mullis Center sends along news about their popular nutrition program.

To help respond to the increased need of accessible nutrition for our island’s seniors, the Mullis Center has launched a campaign to raise $5,000 to help with the ever-rising operating costs it takes to make its essential Senior Nutrition program work.

The increase in the cost of living, along with the effects of isolation due to the pandemic, have left many of our island seniors vulnerable to hunger, food insecurity and social isolation. Over the course of the pandemic, the need for home delivered meals through the Meals on Wheels program increased by more than 50 percent. We expect this need to further grow as our island’s population continues to age in place at home.

The Senior Nutrition program provides nutritious home-delivered meals and friendly check-ins to homebound seniors three times a week, as well as on-site lunches where community members of all ages can socialize and enjoy a meal together. Meals are by donation for those age 60-plus. The Senior Nutrition Program helps to reduce hunger and food insecurity. It also promotes socialization, health and well-being, and for many it will delay the onset of adverse health conditions. A knock at the door by a Meals on Wheels volunteer might not seem like a big deal to many of us, but to a homebound senior it could signal the arrival of the only person they might see all day or all week long. It brings hope. It brings health. It brings the nutrition and care that will completely make their day. A knock from Meals on Wheels means nourishment for the body and soul.

The Mullis Center is raising money for the Senior Nutrition program as part of the San Juan Island Community Foundation’s 2022 County Fair Giving Campaign. Through this campaign, the first $1,000 in donations will be matched dollar for dollar by the Community Foundation. The Mullis Center is also eligible for up to $2,500 in bonus grants awarded throughout Fair Week.

To be eligible for matching funds, donations to the Mullis Center Senior Nutrition program must be made during the four days of the 2022 County Fair, Aug. 17-20. Donors can contribute in person at the SJI Community Foundation fair booth, on the SJICF website, by phone to the SJICF at 360-378-1001, or by mailing a check payable to the SJICF (dated between Aug 17-20) with Mullis Center Senior Nutrition in the memo line to the Community Foundation, PO Box 1352, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. The Community Foundation will grant the raised funds to the Mullis Center following the County Fair.

The Mullis Center and its parent nonprofit organization, Senior Services Council of San Juan County, was established in 1979 to assist seniors and disabled adults by providing a spectrum of services to meet their unique needs and enhance their quality of life. 

• Here’s the lineup for today’s farmers market, which includes six farms from San Juan and Lopez islands.
• There’s a multi-family garage and estate sale taking place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at 4859 Westside Rd.
• Friends of the Library’s summer book sale happens today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot at 660 Spring St., the future home of the San Juan Island Library
• San Juan Islands Sculpture Park’s free summer art education series continues today with the creation of an abstract art installation for the park’s pond. Drop by between 1 and 3 p.m. at 9083 Roche Harbor Rd.
• The inaugural SJI Pride Festival takes place at Jackson Beach today from 3 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 13. It’s free, open to the public, and features live music, food and drink vendors, a beer garden, lawn games, and more.
• Island Stage Left‘s production of The Comedy of Errors has two shows left — one tonight, one tomorrow night, both at 8 p.m. The shows are free, but donations are accepted.
• Kings Market is running a children’s coloring contest in celebration of the County Fair. Pick up a free coloring page at Kings, make it beautiful, then return it to Kings by Aug. 21 to have your artwork displayed in the window. Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers in each of the three age categories — preschool to grade one, grades two to three, and grades four to six.

Have something to share with the Island? Whether the news is big or small, let us know!

Long-time island nonprofit Hospice of San Juan sends along an update about their upcoming fundraiser.

Hospice of San Juan, which has served San Juan Island residents with volunteer hospice services since 1985, is embarking upon a new wave of fundraising for volunteer training. Volunteers were last trained prior to the COVID pandemic, and in the meantime, the roster of volunteers shrank due to people moving off island. Volunteers are needed in all program areas — caregiver respite, peer grief support, medical equipment lending, education, and Music & Memory delivery.

In order to provide good service in all these areas, HSJ trains all interested volunteers. Some areas of training, such as patient care and grief support, require more intensive training than others. As you might imagine, training costs money, which is why HSJ has been selected by the San Juan Island Community Foundation to help raise $5,000 to go toward volunteer training in all of its programming areas.

Hospice of San Juan will raise money for training as part of the SJICF’s 2022 County Fair Giving Campaign. Through this program, the first $1,000 in donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Community Foundation. HSJ also qualifies for up to $2,500 in bonus grants awarded throughout the fair.

Matching fund eligibility applies only to donations made to HSJ via the Community Foundation during the four days of the SJ County Fair — Aug. 17-20. Donations may be made in person at the SJICF fair booth, on the SJICF website, by phone at 360-378-1001, or by mailing a check payable to SJICF (dated between August 17-20, 2022) with Hospice of San Juan in the memo line. Mail checks to SJICF, PO Box 1352, Friday Harbor WA 98250.

If you’d like more info about this fundraising campaign, contact HSJ at [email protected] or call 360-472-0322 and leave a clear message with your name and call-back number.

If you’d like to become a hospice volunteer, there are many areas in which you could donate your time and talent. Check out HSJ’s website, email us, or call us, and someone will contact you to discuss in more detail. Be a part of Neighbors Helping Neighbors!

The Food Bank shares an update about upcoming improvements to their facility.

The Friday Harbor Food Bank starts their expansion and exterior restoration project this week by breaking ground for the expanded storefront. This project will create more storage space, better customer service opportunities, as well as providing more privacy for customers and more coverage during inclement weather.

The project was designed and contributed by David Waldron, Architect, and is being constructed by Ivan Plaza of Bee’s Construction.

“We want our storefront to be a welcoming place for any islander experiencing food insecurity,” says Food Bank Manager Rachelle Radonski. “By expanding our store, we can provide a greater variety of nutritious and culturally appropriate food.”

The public can see store construction plans during the County Fair at the San Juan Island Community Foundation booth on Friday, Aug. 19. Staff and board members from the Food Bank will be staffing the booth from 1 to 2:30 p.m. The Food Bank has been selected as one the many nonprofits taking part in the Foundation’s County Fair Giving Campaign, during which the Food Bank is asking for donations to help purchase two commercial-grade freezers.

Donations can be made online through the SJICF website between Aug. 17 and 20, or by check made payable to the San Juan Island Community Foundation directly on behalf of the Food Bank during the four days of the Fair.

One of the healthy messages from the 2019 County Fair — Contributed photo

SJIPC shares a look at the many initiatives taking place at their County Fair booth this year.

The San Juan Island Prevention Coalition is excited to offer its signature event at the San Juan County Fair — making a free healthy message t-shirt. This year’s theme — “Grow the Good!” — highlights the positive already happening here and focuses our attention on growing hope, health, and wellness in our community.

Each year, the demand for the t-shirt activity has grown for locals and tourists alike. Offering this free activity to express positive, healthy messages makes the SJIPC fair booth a popular place to be. This year, 700 blank t-shirts are ready and waiting for the celebration of community to begin. What’s the good you want to grow in our community? Add your voice for healthy choices!

In addition to Rock Solid Youth leaders and SJIPC member-volunteers, the SJIPC collaborates with the Coalition for Orcas Youth and the San Juan County Health and Community Services at their fair booth. Daily volunteers will be there to chat and get you started on your work of art. The SJIPC Voices for Healthy Choices fair booth continues to collaborate and grow the good in our community.

The SJIPC fair booth will also have a drop box for the County’s Luci B Wellness Van Design Concept contest.

Additionally, the SJIPC’s Annual Community Survey is open, so swing by the fair booth to help support health and wellness by completing the five-minute survey. The State of Washington requires this anonymous survey as part of SJIPC’s funding. That funding help support the Family Resource Center’s Community-Based Mentoring and Strengthening Families programs, life skills training in grade six, and the Student Assistance Professional in our middle and high schools. It also helps us grow SJIPC’s youth leadership initiatives and training, which give young people the skills and the opportunity they need in order to be the change they want to see in our community.

For the first time in three years, San Juan Islanders will get together in person next week for four days of community celebration, education, and entertainment at the San Juan County Fair. To help translate that community spirit into action in the weeks and months that follow, the San Juan Island Community Foundation is preparing to launch its 2022 County Fair Giving Campaign.

In partnership with SJICF, 30 island nonprofits will raise funds for a broad array of community-focused projects during the four days of the Fair. This year’s projects address needs from all corners of life on San Juan Island, including food security, affordable housing, animal welfare, community health programs, and high-wage job training. They also seek to support visual and performing arts programming, outdoor recreation, community gathering spaces, education initiatives for youth and adults, conservation programs, and the strengthening of local food production systems.

To amplify each nonprofit’s fundraising efforts and help ensure the success of their projects, the first $1,000 in donations to every project during the campaign will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Community Foundation. Each project is also eligible for up to $2,500 in bonus grants awarded by SJICF throughout the Fair. To maximize the impact of islanders’ contributions, SJICF will cover any donation transaction fees.

To be eligible for matching funds and bonus grants, project donations must be made during the four days of the County Fair – Aug. 17–20. Donors can contribute in person at the SJICF booth in the Main Building at the Fairgrounds, on the SJICF website, by phone to SJICF at 360-378-1001, or by mailing a check payable to SJICF (dated between Aug. 17–20) with the name of the nonprofit in the memo line to P.O. Box 1352, Friday Harbor, WA 98250.

The Community Foundation will grant all donated funds, matching funds, and bonus grants directly to participating nonprofits following the County Fair.

The Friends of the Library’s annual summer book sale — a long-time island tradition — will take place this Saturday, Aug. 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot at 660 Spring St., the future home of the San Juan Island Library.

There will be children’s books, DVDs, audio books, jigsaw puzzles, and books of every topic, size and shape, with the proceeds benefiting popular and important library programming.

“We have had an annual book sale every summer for more years than I can count,” explains FOL Treasurer Judy Bentzen. “Our fundraising efforts throughout the year go towards programs and needs for our local library. We help fund many of the programs our community’s library offers to the public — child and adult programing, online streaming services, and English language learning to name a few. Currently, our fundraising efforts include the youth summer reading program, which attracts over 500 participants and includes many learning events throughout the summer months.”

Judy says that the event typically raises around $3,000, and wouldn’t be possible without the small army of volunteers who set up and operate the sale.

“Our island neighbors and visitors look forward to this event, seeking out great book buys while at the same time supporting their community library through the FOL’s efforts,” she says.

The Friday Harbor Town Council could determine the path forward for the two ailing Dutch elm trees at the foot of Spring Street as early as next week.

“There is definitely more work to be done on the trees,” says Town Administrator Denice Kulseth. Urban Tree Services/Bartlett Consulting, the arborist with whom the Town is working, has laid out a 12-year recovery plan, she says.

“Before I take this to Council, I need additional information and some clarifications from the arborist. I’m also working on gathering information on the costs to carry out the arborist’s plan. I hope to take this to Council on August 18, but that will largely depend on how timely I receive answers to my questions.”

The Council will be asked to consider the level of risk presented by keeping the trees, the costs to keep them, and the costs to replace them.

A large branch from the northernmost tree fell on the night of June 2, taking out a streetlamp, blocking the bottom of the Spring Street traffic circle, and closing access to Memorial Park. Preliminary inspections by certified arborists identified the cause as severe rot. The Town was then directed to alleviate excess weight in the tree that lost the limb, as well as to remove dead and dying limbs in other tree. That work was completed on June 13.

The two elms were planted in May 1922 by the Women’s Study Club as a memorial to those lost in WWI, with one representing Army losses and one representing Navy losses.

Coast Salish Speaker Series, 2018, Tulalip Tribes — Contributed photo

The San Juan Island Library shares the details of their County Fair fundraising project.

The SJI Library is developing new ways to celebrate a variety of voices in our community, and you can help. While you’re enjoying the exciting return of the San Juan County Fair you’ll have an opportunity to support the San Juan Island Library’s grant featured in the popular San Juan Island Community Foundation County Fair Giving Campaign.

Your support of this year’s fair grant will help the Library launch programming inviting BIPOC and LGBTQNIA2S+ writers, historians, and artists to share their stories. A portion of the funds will also purchase a service to translate the online library catalog for Spanish-speaking patrons.

The total goal is $8,000, and SJICF will match the first $1,000 donated. To donate, simply stop by the SJICF booth during the four days of the fair Aug. 17 through 20. You can also donate securely online at sjicf.org. All donations must be received during the four days of the fair, made payable to SJICF, and designated for the library grant to qualify for the match.

Thank you for your support of the library’s Inclusivity Initiative. We look forward to seeing you at the fair!

Contributed photo

Archipelago Collective shares news about their return to Friday Harbor this September.

This September marks Archipelago Collective’s eighth anniversary performing exhilarating classical chamber music on San Juan Island. Our 2022 festival week will present four concerts in a celebration of chamber music both old and very new.

Our musicians are unparalleled virtuosi who come from across the country, and this year you’ll be able to hear them all around Friday Harbor. Our home venue is Brickworks, where we’ll perform three concerts. We’ll also perform at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art in an exciting program of contemporary chamber music. In addition, the young students at Friday Harbor Elementary school will get to meet our musicians and share in their joy during an educational assembly. As always, our concert venues are small and intimate, bringing the performers and audience together for a truly collaborative experience.

This year’s programming includes traditional favorites like Brahms and Mozart, in addition to works by living composers which we hope provide the audience with new and thought-provoking experiences. In collaboration with the San Juan Islands Museum of Art, we have commissioned composer Ha Yang Kim to write a piece that takes inspiration from the natural environs of the islands, and uses the ferry schedules as a structural backdrop. Our ensembles range from the beloved string quartet, to the less conventional clarinet, bassoon, and piano trio. The stage will be graced as well by harp and piano, in varying combinations.

Tickets can be purchased online for $15-$25 each, or $80 for a weekend pass to all the concerts. Archipelago Collective’s vision is to be an integral part of the rich artistic community on San Juan Island. Our annual chamber music festival provides top-tier professional musicians the time and freedom to explore small ensemble music and delve into the creative process. Throughout the week we perform in various venues at which intimacy and interaction with the audience are paramount. In avoiding the traditional concert hall paradigm, Archipelago Collective presents classical chamber music in a way that invites audience participation and inquiry.

Chamber Music 1
Friday, Sept. 9 — 7 p.m.
Brickworks
150 Nichols St., Friday Harbor
Jennifer Higdon — Dark Wood — bassoon, violin, cello, piano
Henriett Renié — Trio for Harp, Violin, and Cello
Felix Mendelssohn — String Quintet No. 1, Op. 18

New Waves
Saturday, Sept 10 — 2 p.m.
San Juan Islands Museum of Art
540 Spring St., Friday Harbor
​Alex Shapiro — Intermezzo for Bassoon and Harp
Frey Whaley-Cohen — Blu-Tack
Ha Yang Kim — World Premiere

Chamber Music 2
Saturday, Sept.10 — 7 p.m.
Brickworks
150 Nichols St., Friday Harbor
WA Mozart — Kegelstatt Trio, K. 498
Paul Schoenfield — Cafe Music — violin, cello, piano
Johannes Brahms — Clarinet Quintet, Op. 115

Chamber Music 3
Sunday, Sept. 11 — 2 p.m.
Brickworks
150 Nichols St., Friday Harbor
Mikhail Glinka — Trio pathétique — clarinet, bassoon, piano
Murray Schafer — Wild Bird — violin, harp
Antonín Dvorák — Piano Quintet, Op. 81​