The barge on Griffin Bay preparing to lay the new cable – SJ Update photo

OPALCO is making good progress on laying the new submarine cable “George” across Griffin Bay from Lopez to SJ Island.

It’s been a project long in the making and the end is now nearly in sight. It all began in 2011 during routine maintenance when divers discovered significant damage to the 1977 cable. Over the next several years a lot of planning, design and permitting took place including bathometric scans to create 3D mapping of the sea floor to identify the best crossing location for the new cable, to protect it from rocks, tidal action, etc.

This is the San Juan Island end of the crossing near Pear Point Road – SJ Update photo

In 2015, OPALCO signed a contract with the Japanese company Sumitomo USA for the manufacture of the new cable. It is a one-piece, continuous length of cable, 13,596 feet in length (2.6 miles) and includes 3 phases of electrical conductor and 144 strands of fiber optic cable. It should meet our needs for the next 50+ years. It weighs 33 pounds per foot of length. Add that up and it’s a total of 400 metric tons for the entire thing.

Fiber is now an integral part of OPALCO’s automated electrical distribution system, and equipment on either end of the cable uses the fiber to monitor and protect the cable itself. “We depend on fiber throughout our 20-island system to monitor power quality, identify faults and open and close circuits to reroute power during outages,” said Joel Mietzner, System Engineer. He credits the foresight of OPALCO’s leadership and engineering teams for their decision to go with fiber optics back in 1999 and notes that this crossing is one of the last places in the entire system where fiber isn’t installed. Continue Reading

Saturday, October 7th from 1:30 to 3:30, upstairs at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art, Michael Peterson presents “Revealing the Surface”, an overview of surface development and his chainsaw sculpting techniques. Admission is FREE.

Michael uses a chainsaw as his primary carving tool, cutting and hollowing multiple forms from Pacific Madrone burl, then carving, gouging, sandblasting​​​​​, ​hand sanding, waxing, staining, pigmenting​​ and bleaching​, after​ ​natural drying cause​s​ the wood to bend, curl, split, and contract.

The larger forces in Nature​ -​ energy, growth, movement, decay – play an active role in each final work. The works exhibit a profound reverence for nature, and trust. Nature is a partner in Michael’s work and the sculpture defines itself under his hands:​ ​parallels between forces shaping unseasoned wood, and geologic forces operating on a grander scale are both expressions of nature’s unstoppable energy ​which fill him with wonder.​ His profoundly worked surfaces expose the clear kinship between artist, natural source, and time.​ Continue Reading

The final San Juan County Fairgrounds Flea Market of the year’s date is official! Grab your calendar and pencil us in Saturday December 2nd, 9:00am to 1:00pm–plan to sell, shop, OR have a booth buddy and shop AND sell! It’s always the biggest Flea of the season!

Considering getting a vendor booth space? Are you a local artisan or have a garage full of gems you’ve been meaning to part with? Sign up today! CLICK HERE (PDF) to sign up for a vendor booth space! The first 12 vendors to sign up will get a pegboard wall for use in their display!

Don’t have any items to vend? Come and shop instead! From handmade crafts & vintage items, to unique housewares you never knew you needed, there is something for everyone at the Winter Flea Market!

See you there!
The San Juan County Fairgrounds Staff

Marimba Studio – Contributed photo

Island Marimba Studio is once again gearing up to start our Fall Session of marimba lessons. The beginning class will be on Wednesday evenings from 5:00-6:30. The time can be changed to suit the group. The Fall session will begin on October 10 and last 10 weeks for a cost of $120.

My studio is located here at my home in the SW corner of the island. Learning to play marimbas is FUN and EASY. No previous musical experience is necessary.

This is a group experience, so sign up with a friend or come and make some new friends.

Please call for more information. Margie 378-5437

Westside Conservation Corridor Public Meeting
Tuesday, October 3
5:30pm @ Brickworks

The Land Bank is inviting public comment on the DRAFT Westside Conservation Corridor Stewardship and Management Plan, an updated and combined plan for the Limekiln, Deadman Bay, and Westside Preserves. The existing management plans, while still relevant, were in need of update to ensure compatibility with current stewardship practices, take into consideration our experience and knowledge of the preserves, changes in public use, and the addition of new parcels on the Westside Preserve in recent years.

We value public input in helping guide the long term care of our County’s conservation areas. This meeting is a great opportunity to learn more about the management plan for the property, ask questions, and share comments with Land Bank staff.

Click here to view the draft plan online, stop by our office to view it, or contact Tanja Williamson at 360-378-4402 or [email protected] for a copy to be mailed to you. We prefer written communication to be able to accurately reflect on comments, but comments can be made by phone, email, personal letter, in person, or during the public meeting.

Public comments will be accepted through Friday, October 13.

After the comment period closes, the Land Bank staff and commission will review comments and make edits to the draft plan. We look forward to your input!

Kids of all ages LOVE to get in the dirt, for gardens are magical, fun, and full of surprises. It’s often where children first experience the wonders of science and the natural world.

And beyond science and math, gardens teach patience, cooperation, the joy of learning, responsibility, respect for where we live, and that vegetables taste great!

Join our noted panelists – experts in school garden programs, garden-keepers and educators – as they discuss getting kids enjoyably in the dirt and excited about growing and eating vegetables. They’ve got activities, lessons, tricks, and recipes to share.

Our panelists are Ashley Randall, Colleen Stewart, Mandy Randolph, and Jennifer Pietsch, from the Orcas School Garden, and Caitie Blethen, San Juan County Master Gardener Coordinator. All are experienced educators and advocates for dirty hands! Continue Reading

Appreciation Dinner Friday, September 29th 6:30pm – 9:00pm at the Co-op!
Pizza, salads, drinks, and other goodies provided!

Past, present, and future volunteers, please join us in celebration as we salute our co-operative roots!

See what volunteering looks like and learn about different volunteering opportunities of which you can take advantage. You can help weekly, quarterly, or on an on-going project. A big THANK YOU! to our past, current, and future volunteers. See you there!

Join SAFE San Juans at the Brickworks on Sunday, October 1, at 2:00pm for our 5th annual Beautiful You Fashion Show, celebrating the beauty and diversity of all our island residents.

Enjoy refreshments and a Stand Up Men dessert auction while viewing featured fashions from our wonderful local shops including: Be Chic, Girlfriends, King’s Sportsware, Deer Hazel, The Studio, and 2nd Act! Model hair and makeup will be done by the talented artists from Spa D’Bune. 

Tickets are $25.00 and are available online at bit.ly/fh-fashionshow. 

They may also be purchased at several participating locations. 

Proceeds benefit SAFE San Juans in their mission to empower our islands to live free from abuse. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to call SAFE San Juans at (360) 378-8680 or email .

Lisa Holt writes a letter of thanks to you…

Thank you, San Juan Islands Community, for supporting PADs for Parkinson’s Exhibit and Raffle Table during the San Juan County Fair. Thank you, businesses and individuals, for your generous donations of gifts and services to the raffle table. Thank you, Fair Administration Staff, for helping PADs to have a presence during the Fair. Thank you, volunteers, for stepping up and making the exhibit and raffle a welcoming event. Thank you all for your generous donations to our cause. You are helping us to win the war against Parkinson’s Disease, one nose at a time.

Respectfully submitted,
The PADs Program Support Team, PADs for Parkinson’s, The Program for the Training of Parkinson’s Alert Dogs

Farmers and ranchers! It’s time to sharpen your pencil and write that business plan to market your harvest! Washington State University San Juan County Extension and Northwest Agriculture Business Center (NABC) will host two free day long workshops covering key components of market and business feasibility analyses, as well as how to develop an award winning business plan and gain access to capital.

The classes are October 5 and October 18 from 8:30AM to 5:00PM. Bring your own lunch and join us at the WSU San Juan County Extension office at 221 Weber Way, Friday Harbor or contact Angie Freeman Shephard at [email protected] , 907-903-7816 for call in details.

Instructor Jeff Voltz has more than 20 years experience in the retail grocery industry, and community, rural, cooperative, and farm business development. With NABC since 2009, he has helped dozens of clients in the dairy, livestock, poultry, and specialty crop sectors advance their businesses.

J52 showing the characteristic “peanut head” depression behind the outline shape of the skull covered by a thin blubber layer. Note eye in front of eyepatch – Ken Balcomb photo

Sad news from the Center for Whale Research…

As of 19 September, another Southern Resident Killer Whale, J52 – a two and a half year old male born during the so-called Baby Boom of 2015/2016 is deceased, presumably from malnutrition. His obligatory nursing ended more than a year ago, and his life was dependent upon salmon that have become in short supply this summer.

He was last seen alive near the west entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca on 15 September 2017, and photographs taken at the time reveal severe “peanut-head” syndrome associated with impending death. Young J52 was accompanied by his mother (seventeen and a half year old, J36) and an adult male (twenty-six year old L85, potentially his father) at least five miles away from the other members of J and L pods that were foraging within a mile or two of the coastline from Camper Creek to Bonilla Point west of Port Renfrew, British Columbia.

The observation of this sad event was at sunset, and the young whale appeared very lethargic while barely surfacing as the two adults were swimming around in circles and not feeding while attentive to the young whale. We estimated J52 was within hours, if not minutes, of death at the time, and he was not present during the J pod foray into Puget Sound on 19 September, though his mother and L85 were. The mother did not appear overly emaciated on either occasion, but she is lean and seems distressed. Yes, these animals do exhibit emotion, and death of an offspring brings it on. It is worthy of note that all of the SRKW observed this summer appear skinny and small compared to Bigg’s Transient killer whales in the Salish Sea that have abundant prey resources (seals and other marine mammals). Timing of food availability is everything, especially in critical phases of growth or gestation. Continue Reading

Island Neighbors is a volunteer-based community outreach program designed to offer support and companionship to isolated seniors and persons with disabilities who are living independently but need extra help to sustain a healthier quality of life.

Some of the duties we provide include: local medical and dental transportation, errand running, in-home supports, social visits or recreational activities, light yard work, phone pals, and pet care or dog walking.

Involvement with Island Neighbors can initiate meaningful relationships, help prevent loss of independence, and create new connections to the community for both care recipients and volunteers. If you are looking to volunteer or know someone who needs help please contact us at the San Juan Island Family Resource Center.

Phone: 360-378-5246

Email: [email protected]

You Are Invited!

There will be a special meeting with author Candace Wellman and members of the Writing Our History Project (WOHP) at 11:30 am, Wednesday, September 27th in the community meeting room at the San Juan Island Library. Candace will be talking about her new book (Peace Weavers: Uniting the Salish Coast through Cross-Cultural Marriages) as well as discussing the art of researching the stories of Native women.

This is a fabulous opportunity for anyone who wants to document the story of Native women or one particular matriarch of the island.

WOHP meetings are always available to the public. RSVP asap if you are coming. Space is limited. Thank you!

If you want more information about Candace’s book, be sure not to miss her book talk in the evening, beginning at 7 am at the SJI Library.

About Candace and Peace Weavers: Continue Reading

Know Your Islanders Talks: Theresa Simendinger

Theresa will guide us through her three-part journey in Peru: life on the Amazon River with native peoples and pink dolphins; riding up the Andes to Inca Ruins and a 15th century town; and a flight over the Nasca Lines.

Refreshments are provided courtesy of the Friends of the Library and the San Juan Island Trails Committee.

Monday, October 2 at 7 pm, San Juan Island Library, free.

Katerina Wen

A comprehensive insight into true holistic health of mind, body and spirit.

Living life to the fullest:
Come and learn about the intricate relationship between breath, movement, nutrition and a sound immune system.

Consider your health as your most priceless asset:
A gem for health conscious people who wish to take charge of their health in a wise and economical way.

Crystallization of the best:
These simple, systematic guidelines have been devised from modern scientific research, the wisdom of ancient self-healing methods, and over two decades of professional expertise.

Clarity and simplicity:
You will learn invaluable, life saving information presented in a clear, digestible format. And how to apply this knowledge in your daily life.

Sundays, October 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th, 2017
9:00am – 11:00am
Cost: Full Series: $135, Single sessions $30
Location: Island Soul Studio, 689 Airport Road, Friday Harbor, WA
Contact / Registration: [email protected] or (360) 370-7059 / (206) 272-0609
www.FridayHarborHolisticHealth.com
All levels & Drop-ins welcome

*Each individual session will consist of a combination of yoga, movement + breathing practice and lecture. Continue Reading

Karen and Max are getting married—if their jobs allow them to be in the same place at the same time.
San Juan Community Theatre’s next edition of the On Book! Readers Theatre series features a romantic comedy for the digital age THIS Wednesday and Thursday, September 27-28 at 7:30 pm in the Whittier.

Eric Coble’s For Better is a farce poking fun at our overdependence on electronic devices. (Eric is the writer of our summer hit, The Velocity of Autumn).

Directed by Carol Hooper, our island readers are: Josh Boland, Roberto Carrieri, Libbey Howard, Jenni Merritt, Jennifer Oettinger, John Pachuta, and Jean Staben.

Admission is FREE! (donations gratefully accepted). Doors open at 7:00 pm.