• It’s primary election day. If you haven’t already returned your ballot, place it in the drop box at the Elections Office (55 Second St.) or across the street in front of the Courthouse by 8 p.m.
• Alchemy Art Center still has a few spaces left for its beginner wheel throwing class, which starts this Thursday at 6 p.m. and runs for four weeks.
• The monthly bird walk at the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park takes place tomorrow from 8 to 10 a.m. All are welcome and donations are appreciated but not required.
• Tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Brickworks, Friday Harbor Labs presents a lecture from Harvard University’s Dr. Mansi Srivastava titled Body Builders: How Animals Regenerate New Parts.
• The Friday Harbor Elementary School PTO’s biggest fundraiser — the pie booth — is returning to the County Fair this year. They’re still looking for a few more volunteers to staff the booth and could use more donations of fruit pies.
• The all-islands Summer Makers Fair is coming to Pelindaba Lavender Farm on Saturday, Aug. 27. They’re still accepting registrations from prospective vendors through this Friday.

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

The organizers of the Summer Film Series at San Juan Community Theatre send along a preview of this week’s film. The showing starts at 7 p.m. Admission is pay-what-you-can. For this season only, fresh popcorn is available for free.

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain

Documentary, biography — rated R
Run time: 2 hours

Morgan Neville is the most well known and admired film biographer working today. His movies include 20 Feet From Stardom (winner of Academy award for best documentary), Won’t You Be My Neighbor (the Fred Rogers Story), and Best of Enemies (chronicling the debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley). In addition, he has directed multiple films honoring popular musicians, including Brian Wilson, Muddy Waters, and Johnny Cash.

In Roadrunner he turns to Anthony Bourdain, a food critic and explorer, who shared his love of travel and food with all of us while at the same giving us intimate glimpses into the lives of people all over the world. Neville shows us how Bourdain became this person, his own complicated life story, and its tragic end. It is a touching tribute to a man whom we invited into our homes. We still and will always miss him.

The San Juan County Council will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 2 at 9 a.m. The meeting includes a public hearing accepting testimony about the County’s Annual Docket process and requests. Items up for discussion or action include:

• Approve a resolution providing for the submission to the voters of San Juan County a proposition authorizing the County to increase the Road Levy above the regular tax limitations of RCW 84.55.010
• Second 2022 budget amendments, scheduling a public hearing for Sept. 13
• First and second quarter financial reviews
• Marine program update
• Sustainable Tourism Management Plan update
• Overview of current use and designated forest land special tax programs
• Council fieldtrip to Prune Alley construction project
• Approve a resolution relating to the Glenwood Inn property

The meeting also includes three executive or closed sessions to:

• Discuss with legal counsel litigation or potential litigation
• Evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment or to review the performance of a public employee
• Discuss matters pertaining to collective bargaining

You can view the live stream of the meeting online or attend in person at the Council Legislative Hearing Room. To make a public comment, sign up prior to 9 a.m. on Aug. 2.

Fire & Rescue shares news about another rural fire that occurred over the weekend.

San Juan Island Fire & Rescue responded on an interface fire on Mt. Dallas late Saturday morning. Crews arrived to find a resident attempting to extinguish a fire in grasses and scrub on the hillside. The early notification and quick response by career and volunteer firefighters allowed quick containment of the fire to approximately one acre. No structures were threatened. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it may have been caused by a spark from operating equipment.

Having responded to two interfaces fire in just a few days, SJIF&R wants to remind residents and visitors that the dry weather and higher than normal temperatures create an environment for faster ignition and the potential for larger fires. The fire danger is currently listed as medium. However, if high temperatures continue, it is likely to be raised to high.

San Juan Island Public Hospital District No. 1 is accepting Statements of Qualifications and Proposals for professional services, including architectural and engineering, associated with capital improvements and construction involving the Village at the Harbor, the Frank Wilson Memorial EMS Building, and a potential housing project for healthcare workers.

Requests for Qualifications packets are available online, or in person on weekdays between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Hospital District’s Administrative Offices at 849 Spring Street Unit B5. Statements of Qualifications and Proposals shall be returned to the Hospital District’s headquarters no later than 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 11.

Minority- and women-owned firms are encouraged to apply and will be given equal consideration with all other firms submitting a Statement of Qualifications and Proposal.

Here’s the adoptable animal of the week from the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor — Petunia, a three-year-old domestic medium hair.

Petunia is like the cool aunt you want to spend half the summer with. She will order pizza and all the junk food, let you have a sip of her wine cooler by the pool, and tell you all sorts of wild stories that start with “You should have met me before I had kittens!” Petunia is the mom of the rough and tumble Looney Tunes litter and now that they have all found homes, this carefree cat is ready for another adventure. She is a fun-loving girl who is always down for a good time. Petunia is very playful and outgoing, loves people and could live with another cat but would purr-fer to have your undivided attention all to herself. If you are ready to add a little spontaneity to your life, Petunia is the cat for you.

Learn more about Petunia here.

• Here’s the lineup for today’s farmers market.
• The Jesus Chords are playing at the Port of Friday Harbor this afternoon from 2 to 4 p.m.
• In honor of five years in business, San Juan Island Brewing Co. has released their new Five Year Anniversary Historical IPA.
• Desolation Sound released a new record this week, titled Salish Rock. You can find it on Spotify and Apple Music.
• Orca Behavior Institute shares a wonderful video of J pod and their activities in the islands over the last week or so.
• The Animal Protection Society has three new dogs available for adoption — Huxley (a Great Pyrenees & Anatolian Shepherd mix), Miyuki (a Great Pyrenees mix), and Pepita (a Greyhound mix).

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

SJIMA shares a look at their Looking Inside Afghanistan discussion series.

The San Juan Islands Museum of Art announces a discussion series beginning on August 3. The talks will provide opportunities to learn about the culture of Afghanistan, Islam, advocacy for women and children, and James Longley’s personal stories of everyday life — all leading to a better understanding of this ancient and troubled region.

Join us this coming week on Wednesday, Aug. 3, for Call of the Minaret: Islam in Afghanistan, featuring a discussion with Rebecca Moore, Ph.D., of how Islamic faith has shaped and influenced the culture of Afghanistan. Moore is an Emerita Professor of Religious Studies at San Diego State University. She has lectured and published on Jewish and Christian relations in a variety of venues. Her book Jews and Christians in the Life and Thought of Hugh of St. Victor focused on the medieval Christian debt to Jewish biblical commentaries. Her body of work consists of a myriad of professional presentations, books, articles and a multitude of community lectures and talks.

Moore’s talk will take place at SJIMA, 540 Spring Street, at 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served and admission is pay-what-you-can. This event is graciously sponsored by RaVae Luckhart and Jack Rice, Rob Ray, and the Town of Friday Harbor.

All of the events supplement and expand our understanding of Afghanistan life viewed in the James Longley exhibition Looking Into Kabul, at SJIMA until Sept. 12. Other discussions in the series include: Continue Reading

The State Department of Health sends along news about biotoxin levels found in oysters and clams on Orcas Island.

The Washington State Department of Health is urging people to avoid eating oysters and clams harvested from Buck Bay on Orcas Island in San Juan County on July 26-27, following the detection of high levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poison in the shellfish. The shellfish were sold directly to consumers from Buck Bay Shellfish Farm retail market and restaurant on the island.

DOH detected the PSP through biotoxin monitoring – the shellfish tested had PSP levels nearly four times the allowable level for harvest. As of July 27, there have been no reports of illness associated with the recalled shellfish. Buck Bay Growing Area is closed until further notice.

PSP is a naturally occurring marine biotoxin that is produced by some species of microscopic algae. Shellfish eat these algae and can retain the toxin. The toxin is not destroyed by cooking or freezing.

PSP symptoms can occur within minutes to a few hours of consuming contaminated shellfish. Death from PSP has occurred in less than 30 minutes. Symptoms can include:

• Tingling and numbness of the lips, tongue, fingers, and toes.
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• Loss of coordination, difficulty speaking and swallowing, and total muscular paralysis with respiratory arrest (in severe cases).

If you have mild symptoms, call your health care provider right away. If symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the emergency room immediately.

Current biotoxin closures are listed on DOH’s Shellfish Safety Map. For a recorded list of areas closed for biotoxins, call the biotoxin/red tide hotline at 1-800-562-5632.

• This article from the Pew Charitable Trusts looks at how a coalition of scientists, Tribal representatives, conservationists, natural resource managers, and concerned citizens joined have joined forces to protect and restore thousands of acres of eelgrass in the San Juan Islands.
• The Young Adult Association of San Juan Island shares a story about their recent adventure to Orcas Island.
• The library is showing Spider-Man: No Way Home for students in grades six through 12 from 6:30 to 9:15 p.m. tonight. It’s a free event with snacks and craft materials provided.
• Guitarist and singer Alpha Yaya Diallo performs at 7:30 p.m. tonight at San Juan Community Theatre. Tickets are still available.
• The San Juan Island Pride Foundation — which recently received its 501(c)(3) status — announced that the inaugural San Juan Island Pride Festival will take place on Saturday, Aug. 13 from 3 to 8 p.m. at Jackson Beach. Learn more about the event or sign up to volunteer.

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

Contributed photo

The San Juan Islands Museum of Art shares a look at one of their current installations.

Artists have a history of making us think about the world around us. Lattice II challenges our perceptions and beliefs about the nature of sculpture. Henry Jackson-Spieker encourages visitors to use their hands to explore his installation at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art.

Jackson-Spieker incorporates glass, wood, wire, and disparate materials to form a blend of transparent light and shadow. He asks the viewer to “reflect on preconceived notions” of space and the “connotations these spaces can have” in our lives.

Lattice II is a soaring installation in the museum’s light-filled atrium. It merges distinctly contrasting materials into a work that explores tension, balance, and reflection. With repeating forms and patterns and the use of positive and negative space, Jackson-Spieker’s ephemeral installations seek to heighten the viewer’s awareness of the surrounding environment.

Jackson-Spieker recently completed his MFA at New York’s Alfred University and received his BFA from Western Washington University in 2013. In addition to the current sculpture at SJIMA, his work is on display at Midtown Commons in Seattle and the Bellevue Art Museum. He has had exhibitions at The Seattle Center, Method Gallery, and Wa Na Wari Gallery. He teaches glass blowing and bronze casting at Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, where he first started working with glass.

In 2021, Jackson-Spieker served as a selection panelist for public art at the International Arrivals Facility at SeaTac and a juror for the 2022 City Artist program.

Henry Jackson-Spieker’s Lattice II, on display until Sept. 12, is sponsored by the Honeywell Charitable Fund, the Town of Friday Harbor, the Washington State Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, San Juan County, KCTS Channel 9, anonymous, Harbor Rental, Printonyx, and Browne’s Home Center.

The Friday Harbor Film Festival shares news about their ongoing Director Series.

The Babushkas of Chernobyl is the Friday Harbor Film Festival’s next offering in The Director Series.

This film is a portrait of a defiant community of women who scratch out an existence on some of the most toxic land on earth, the radioactive “exclusion zone” surrounding Chernobyl’s Reactor No. 4. While most of their neighbors have long since fled, and their husbands have gradually died off, this stubborn sisterhood is clinging to their ancestral homeland despite its toxicity. They share this hauntingly beautiful but lethal landscape with an assortment of interlopers — scientists, soldiers, and even ‘stalkers’, young thrill-seekers who sneak in to pursue post-apocalyptic video game-inspired fantasies.

Why the film’s central characters — Hanna Zavorotyna, Maria Shovkuta, and Valentyna Ivanivna — chose to return after the disaster, defying the authorities and endangering their health, is a remarkable tale about the pull of home, the healing power of shaping one’s destiny and the subjective nature of risk.

Following a free online showing tonight from 6:30 to 9 p.m., stream the film on demand from July 29 through Aug. 10 for $1.95.