Vote counting equipment testing on June 8th at 10:00 a.m.

The upcoming August 1, 2017 primary election will have voters in the San Juan Island School District deciding on school board directors. There are four candidates for SJI School Board Director #1, and three candidates for SJI School Board Director #2. The top two vote getters in each race will proceed to the general election on November 7, 2017.

A “Logic and Accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used in San Juan County for the August primary is scheduled for June 8, 2017. The test works by tallying the results of a prepared set of ballots to see if the results match the votes cast. The test will take place at 10:00 a.m. in the Elections Office located at 55 Second Street, Suite A, in Friday Harbor.

The test is performed before every election to ensure that tabulation hardware and software equipment are compliant with Washington State rules and will accurately count the votes.

All interested members of the public are invited to observe.

Trek Verve 3 Bicycle

Enjoy the summer weather while you get that exercise you know you need. Get a great bike for a great price.

This 2016 model is only one year old and it is all about comfort: Read more

Chance Brockway photo

Fred Ellery Hacket was the first San Juan County casualty in WWI – SJ Historical Society photo

On Memorial Day, Monday May 29th at 10:00 am, view the Traditional Memorial Day Parade & Ceremony.

The American Legion Post 163 commemorates the service men and women who have served the nation in various branches of the military with this authentic small town parade and ceremony.

Sponsored by American Legion Post 163.

WaterWorks Mouse Sculpture – Contributed photo

Ruth Offen of WaterWorks Gallery is wondering if you have any name ideas for this mouse…

This week Randy Hudson, Georgia Gerber’s husband was on the island to install this giant mouse measuring 40 x 20 x 25.

He’s quite the looker. I’m thinking she needs a name. Any ideas?
Email your suggestions to [email protected]

Peanut is this week’s Pet of the Week – Contributed photo

Hi there. My name is Peanut. I got my name because just a few months ago when I was a kitten, I looked just like a peanut. True story.

Now that I’m a teenager I look more like a sleek, handsome movie star cat, but everyone still calls me Peanut. What can I say? People are weird.

If you adopt me, I’m hoping you’ll change my name to something like, “Bentley Blair” or “Chad Masterson”. Or how about, “Darryl Darrington”? You know, something with a little more sophistication and flair. In the meantime, I’m just Peanut. Waiting here at the animal shelter for you.

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

Lili Light will be having an art show, at the Salty Fox CAFE (opposite ferry landing)

Thursday, June 1st at 2pm
Artwork will be displayed through June

Artist Statement: “I love to layer my art. I use chalk and tissue paper, glue and oil pastels. My favorite color to use is blue. This work was done in my first high school art class.”

Many many thanks to the Residents and City Council of the Town of Friday Harbor for the thoughtful and timely donation to Hospice of San Juan through the Harbor Life Ring program for the month of April.

We celebrate our on-going presence in this wonderful community each and every day. Founded in 1984 by town residents who cared for each other, today’s organization continues in those independent and loving footsteps. Volunteers power Hospice of San Juan’s programs: caregiver respite, Music & Memory, medical equipment lending, grief support, and hospice education.

Despite being all-volunteer and having a “virtual” office, expenses incurred (storage and repair of equipment, insurance, training/education costs, voice mail, website maintenance, iPods/headphones) require continued cash flow. Since we don’t charge for any of our services, we depend upon donations and so are very grateful to the people of Friday Harbor for their thoughtful gift. We are you.

Check us out online (www.hospiceofsanjuan.org) or leave a message on our phone line (472-0322) if you have any questions or needs. One of our amazing volunteers will be get back to you.

Mariluz
Marie-Luz Villa MD AGSF
Main Operations Manager
Hospice of San Juan

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This year, Spring Street International School ​takes on the American Civil War, in Side Show People in Shenandoah – A Civil War Circus.

35 performers have built a musical play out of an actual telegram sent from Winchester Virginia to the New York Times, ​o​n October 14th, 1863, at 7:00 AM:

Circus performers took last train out at 6:00 a.m. Left behind: 42 horses and mules, 33 indentured children, (and) over one hundred wild animals.

Heartbreak, hilarity, and mayhem ensue. And clowns.

This is an un-ticketed event with open seating; a $15.00 donation is suggested.

** Please note 6:00 pm curtain time for all evening performances.

• June 7, 6:00 pm
• June 8, 11:30 am
• June 8, 6:00 pm
• June 9, 6:00 pm
• June 10, 6:00 pm

Brought to you by the Spring Street Family Players​

Thomas Barnes, CBP Port Director and Stuart Hansen, Airport Manager – Contributed photo

A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Thursday, June 1st at 2:30pm to officially open the new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office space at the Friday Harbor Airport. The celebration will be at the Roy Franklin Terminal, 800 Franklin Drive.

This new office will provide the general aviation community and commercial airlines convenient services for travelers entering the United States via Friday Harbor by air. CBP agents will provide scheduled processing times for visitors an hour and a half in the morning as well as an hour and a half in the afternoon.

This was a multi-agency effort to provide the space necessary for CBP. The Port of Friday Harbor provided the man power to remodel the vacant office space with the funding provided by San Juan County and the Town of Friday Harbor.

Wind Storm Takes Power Out For 6,000+ Co-Op Members:
OPALCO Crews Resolve Outages Quickly

Big winds hit the islands on Tuesday, May 23rd leading to a number of power outages in the islands. The largest outage occurred on San Juan Island when a tree was blown into the transmission lines near the Pear Point substation where OPALCO’s power comes ashore from the submarine cable that delivers power from the mainland. About 6,000 members were affected. OPALCO line crews had the power up in less than three hours.

“The dedication and drive of these men is the pride of our Co-op,” said General Manager Foster Hildreth. “When you see OPALCO linemen at work, please give them the thumbs up!”

Members have more power at their fingertips now, too, with an outage map online (www.opalco.com/outages) that is updated every 10 minutes with the latest information. With this information, OPALCO staff update Twitter (@OrcasPower) and Facebook (Orcas Power & Light) feeds at least every hour as new information is available – essentially pushing it out to members who are following the outage. OPALCO has contracted with Cooperative Response Center to answer member calls and keep our online outage map updated 24/7.  CRC provides round-the-clock customer care services to more than 400 electric co-ops in the nation.

For the latest information about OPALCO, go to: www.opalco.com; sign up for our email newsletter (http://www.opalco.com/about/email-signup/); and follow us on Facebook (Orcas Power & Light Cooperative) and Twitter (@orcaspower). OPALCO is our member-owned cooperative, powering more than 11,200 members on 20 islands in San Juan County since 1937.

The San Juan Island Library is a family friendly and patron focused organization. We constantly strive to deliver the best services in the most comfortable environment to our patrons, from children to adults alike. The Library values community input and does its best to listen to, and act upon, feedback and patron suggestions. These suggestions have led to a procedural change beginning in June.
 
This upcoming change, initiated by patron feedback, concerns a long standing issue at the San Juan Island Library: computer access, noise and overcrowding. To address some of these issues and reduce conflict between public computer users, our computer management system will now designate some computer areas for youth and others for adults.
 
This means that you will need to use a computer designated for your age group. Your library card number is programmed to work on computers designated for your use. If no public computers are currently available in your age group area, you may reserve one at the print/reservation station using your library card number.

So, beginning June 1, 2017, you will need to use your San Juan Island Library card number to reserve and/or log on to library computers.  If you don’t have your library card, and don’t know your library card number, you may request one free replacement card, or request a free staff lookup through September 3, 2017. Continue Reading

Photo by Brendan Cowan

Three local agencies have sent response staff to support operations on the Spromberg Fire north of Leavenworth, WA. The blaze began in a massive pile of old logs and timber just off the Chumstick Highway mid-day on May 23rd. Given the intensity and the strong winds, the fire spread quickly.

As part of the State of Washington’s extensive support to the response, two island fire districts have sent personnel. Orcas Island Fire and Rescue’s Lieutenant George Schemerhorn and Lieutenant Michael Henderson from San Juan Island Fire are working as a two person team as part of a larger strike force to put out the persistent fire in the log yard. This joint deployment between the two departments is a great opportunity for valuable coordination and learning that should benefit both organizations enormously.

In addition, Brendan Cowan from the San Juan County Emergency Management Department is serving as the Public Information Officer on the fire, working as part of the Northwest Incident Management Team which was brought in to help manage the event.

As of Thursday the size of the fire is 42 acres, and the fire is 78% contained. It’s not anticipated that the fire will grow any further, and hopefully will be fully contained in a day or two.

Just Transition is the path as yet untaken at the intersection of labor and environment. It’s a way to help people working in industries that are environmentally unsustainable make the transition to new, good jobs in industries that are both environmentally and economically sustainable.

Imagine how many jobs would be created if we started training and hiring people to do energy efficiency retrofitting of every home, business, school, factory and house of worship across the country. This is just one possibility that could unify those divided over what’s more important: the environment or jobs.

Some organizations are working to make Just Transition a reality, using models like the G.I. Bill to imagine a well-organized, well-funded Just Transition program.

Join experts in the field Sharon Abreu (Orcas Island) and Sameer Ranade (Seattle) at the San Juan Island Grange in Friday Harbor Wednesday, May 31st, for an in-depth discussion on this important topic.  
The program will begin at 7:00 pm and, in typical Grange fashion, will be preceded by an optional potluck and meet ‘n’ greet at 6:00! Continue Reading

Ruth Wilson and Rafe Spall in Hedda Gabler – Photo by Jan Versweyveld

First, on Friday, May 26 at 7:00 p.m., a modern production of Ibsen’s classic drama, Hedda Gabler, will be screened in the Whittier. Directed by Tony Award-winner Ivo van Hove (A View from the Bridge at the Young Vic Theatre) the play features Ruth Wilson (Luther, The Affair, Jane Eyre) in the title role in this new version by Patrick Marber (Notes on a Scandal, Closer). See ticket information below.

Then, it’s Teddy Bear time on Saturday… Continue Reading

San Juan Island Family Nature Club Monthly Event

The nature club celebrates National Trails Day weekend at the Roche Harbor Highlands! Join youth trail leader, Ava Martin, along with Theresa Simendinger, from the San Juan Island Trails Committee, for a family & trail-stroller friendly walk to Briggs Lake.

Sunday, June 4th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. Meet at the Briggs Lake trailhead, located at the corner of Roche Harbor Road and West Valley Road.

Be sure to dress for the weather, and bring water, lunch, and something to sit on – we will have a picnic!

Please carpool as parking is limited.

For more information contact Tanja Williamson at 360-378-4402 or email [email protected].

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Spring Street International School is pleased to explain the many activities recently visible on its grounds. These are all outward expressions of the success of the high-quality programs available to local and off-island families. The school has grown to 100 students, a cap set by its strategic plan to maintain its small, rural community atmosphere.

First, a big landscaping project is being completed following a design by Island Gardens that beautifies and unifies the campus with native plants. Most of the work has been by volunteers, and plants were bought with the aid of the Nash family, who own the property on which the school sits. Second, on the lower corner of the property is an elegant rock sculpture by alumna parent Tom Small (who generously donated his labor, and also made the lovely stone bench for the town’s new pocket park) with the school’s name and logo carved into it.

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And finally, less visible from Spring Street, there is new construction going up —a Studio Building. Continue Reading