The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor is happy to announce that Rachel Carney is January’s Volunteer of the Month. Rachel has been a loyal volunteer and spends much of her time pampering the shelter cats and helping with the cleaning. Thanks so much, Rachel, for making a difference in the lives of shelter animals.  Continue Reading

Mission Statement: Creating conditions for community resilience and regeneration in a rapidly changing world We have set the next meeting of Transition San Juan Island for Sunday, March 1, 2020 from 3-6 PM at the Mullis Center. The purpose is for each action group to complete their Vision Statement. So when you arrive at 3,  Continue Reading

The World Health Organization declared a global emergency on Thursday and Friday the White House declared a U.S. public health emergency as the coronavirus outbreak has spread worldwide. Human-to-human transmission of the virus was also confirmed in the U.S. this week. The outbreak originated in December 2019, in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Since then,  Continue Reading

Fire District #3 will hold an open house this Sunday, February 2, at noon to give voters the opportunity to learn more about Prop 1, the proposed sales tax to help fund an upgrade of San Juan County’s  Emergency Communication System.  This will be at the Fire Station at 1011 Mullis Street. Citizens will have  Continue Reading

Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae… A Scotsman was eating his oats when an Englishman scoffed, “In England we feed oats to our horses.” “Aye,” said the Scot, “That is why England raises the best horses… and Scotland the best men.” So said my dad, Jim  Continue Reading

In partnership with Dr. Sonja Webster-Hills and in accordance with the state veterinarian’s requirements, Dr. Alicia McLaughlin, a veterinarian from the Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine (CBEAM) in Bothell, WA, will be offering a vaccine clinic for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) for the San Juan Islands: Date:               February 11th Location:          Islands  Continue Reading

Island Rec has some good news to share… We are excited to announce that a new, paved one-mile loop trail surrounding John O. Linde Community Park has been completed and is now open for you to enjoy! Bring your friends and go for a stroll! Please remember that if your friends are of the canine  Continue Reading

Planning is underway for the San Juan County Fair August 12-15, 2020 and we are hoping you want to be part of the show.  Are you a local musician, magician, or meandering minstrel?  A performing artist, aspiring pop singer or puppeteer? We know first-hand that San Juan County has lots of talent, so if you  Continue Reading

Fire District Commissioners and honored guests recently attended an annual awards dinner and ceremony recognizing San Juan Island Fire & Rescue (SJF&R) members for their service during 2019. Kathleen Salinas was presented with 2019 Firefighter of the Year award for her outstanding contributions on a number of initiatives and her commitment to her community and  Continue Reading

Merri Ann Simonson checks in again with another entry in her San Juan Island Lifestyle Video series. This one shares with you Real Estate in 2020 with Purple Power…

In the mailbag this morning we have this letter from Martha Alvarado… Dear editor, On February 11th our community will be voting on a replacement capitol & technology levy for our schools. Vote YES for our schools! This is NOT a new tax, but a renewal of the one that has existed for many years.  Continue Reading

Cynthia’s Bistro is offering free take-away meals to anyone who needs a meal or wishes to have a home cooked meal. No questions asked, just free food. Stop by Cynthia’s this Thursday, January 30th, from 4:30 to 6:00 to pick up your meal. You may pick up 2 meals per person. When we run out  Continue Reading

Dear Editor, We live in a community of openhearted people who in quiet ways assure that many of our non-profit services are alive and robust. They don’t ask for big rounds of applause; they are happy to see our community thrive in all possible ways. One, the San Juan Island Community Foundation recently provided a  Continue Reading

Join the San Juan Island Garden Club on February 4th at the Mullis Center Craft Room, for a party and open house from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The only cost is for optional raffle tickets. Start your morning with a beverage and “goody” 10:30 “Whats Hot for 2020” Julie’s Nursery 11:30 “House Plants” Ziah  Continue Reading

Island Rec is currently seeking a Seasonal Park Maintenance worker. We are looking for an efficient and energetic person with good interpersonal skills who will enjoy being part of a small hardworking team committed to the essential work of public parks and recreation. This position is a team member in the maintenance of parks, athletic  Continue Reading

The Met: Live in HD’s The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess Saturday, February 8, 1:00 pm at San Juan Community Theatre One of America’s favorite operas returns to the Met for the first time in nearly 30 years. James Robinson’s stylish production transports audiences to Catfish Row on the Charleston waterfront, vibrant with the music, dancing,  Continue Reading

People were all but spilling out into the street from the party for Dr. Burk Gossom and Dr. Will House Saturday afternoon. Burk, who broke his ankle running outside his home in December, stood on one leg with his knee resting on a mobile device — “I don’t know what it’s called! I just know  Continue Reading

Friday Harbor Film Festival’s annual Best of the Fest series continues during February. Award-winning, impactful feature films and shorts from the 2019 Festival are being shown every first and third Tuesday from January through May at the Grange beginning at 7 pm. These screenings are free, although donations are encouraged. The February line-up includes: February  Continue Reading

Neil Stawski checks in again with another guest article… According to the American Time Use Survey, the average citizen in the United States spends about 70 hours a year on yard work. Considering that number takes into account all the renters, city dwellers, and non-yard owning people as well as homeowners, it is actually quite  Continue Reading

Spring Street International School is hosting an Open House this Wednesday, January 29th from 5:30 – 7:00pm. As the priority application deadline approaches, we want to give families and prospective students the opportunity to tour our campus and learn more about our income-based tuition. Current students will offer tours and there will be different information  Continue Reading

Patti Wickham and Dave Robison write to share this info with you about why Proposition 1 is so important for islanders… As peaceful and serene as our island living is, there is a disaster looming right under our noses. The EMS radio communication system is limited, archaic and highly vulnerable to failure. This is the  Continue Reading

Coming soon to San Juan Community Theatre, Time Stands Still is a Tony and Pulitzer nominated play, written by Donald Margulies and directed by Brandon Cadwell. The play focuses on Sarah and James, who are navigating recovery of their physical and mental health after spending time documenting the atrocities of war. Their partnership is based  Continue Reading