The ribbon was cut at 11:11 A.M. L-R: Joy Sevier, Tyler Harrison, Ike White, Tiffany Goudey, Christinea Watson, Jon Sharadin, Mayor Carrie Lacher, Yvonne Buijs-Mancuso, Steve Hushebeck, Becki Day and Gail Schnee – Tim Dustrude photo

Proud owners Tiffany Goudey and Ike White

Wednesday March 1st was the official opening and ribbon cutting for the new location of The Hemp Seed. It’s in the back of the arcade on Spring Street where the Chamber of Commerce used to be – behind the Spring Street Deli and General Store.

Originally located in the Surina Business Park this hemp products business opened its doors in June of 2016. Business partners Ike White and Tiffany Goudey want you to know that The Hemp Seed is your source of information on all your hemp and marijuana questions. And although they do sell some smoking paraphernalia, and a lot of hemp products, they do not sell marijuana.

Currently store hours are Tuesday thru Saturday, 11:11 am til 7:10 pm. As the busy season approaches they may be open 7 days a week. See more information on their Facebook page, and click below to see some photos of their wares. (all photos by Tim Dustrude, SJ Update)

Continue Reading

Allison and Ricky – Contributed photo

Allison Larson is the Animal Shelter’s Volunteer of the Month for February. Allison and her mom, Jeanine, visit the animal shelter every Monday after school and Allison helps with a wide variety of jobs.

Allison has helped weigh and medicate kittens, walked dogs, cleaned litter boxes and cat beds, socialized shy animals, done dishes, laundry and a long list of other jobs, including preparing dinner for a shelter full of hungry animals.

Allison plans to go to veterinary school when she graduates from high school. We know she is going to make an amazing veterinarian! On behalf of the staff and board of directors for the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor – “Thanks so much, Allison!”

SJI Historical Museum checks in with their History Article for March…

National Women’s History Month and Three Women to Know

March is National Women’s History Month, and March 8 is International Women’s Day, so we thought we would share a glimpse into the lives of three San Juan Island notable women in our history. Each of these women exemplifies this year’s theme: “Honoring Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business.”

When the first International Women’s Day was held in 1911, drug store owner Laura Tenney Wright was 47, midwife Laura Baker Perry was 38, and farmer Lizzie Lawson was 31.

Laura Wright handled the financial affairs of Friday Harbor Drug, which she and her husband, Dr. George S. Wright, owned. In a rare interior photograph, Laura is pictured here in her office at the drug store. When pharmacist (and future owner with Albert Nash) Leon Little was away during WWI, Mrs. Wright ran the pharmacy.

Laura Perry and her husband Park once operated the Tourists Hotel, now known as Bird Rock, and in 1922 opened their home on Spring Street as a “maternity hospital” and general recuperating clinic. It was a perfect business for midwife Laura, who became known fondly as “Mother Perry.” This lovely home where many islanders were born is now part of the Spring Street International School campus.

Lizzie Lawson, independent and charming, had always been a farmer. She first managed the large family farm for her father, Peter Lawson. Later, ownership passed on to Lizzie and she saw no need to marry. It is reported that she turned down a neighbor’s marriage proposal by saying, “Why would I want to do that?” The San Juan Historical Society & Museum is grateful for its collection of Lizzie memorabilia, preserved by her niece and our founder Etta Egeland.

With the stories of their lives, and so many other community members, it’s easy to see why historic preservation is important in a community. What island stories from the past do you have to share?

EDC offers free workshop on mindfulness for business

The San Juan County Economic Development Council will present a FREE workshop on the topic of mindfulness in business, on Wednesday, March 8th from 10:00 to 11:00 am on San Juan Island. Advance registration is required.

Mindfulness was once considered a fringe movement in the Western world, but is now being used by companies around the country – including Fortune 500 businesses like Aetna and Google. Employers have found that it lowers health costs, improves employee productivity and helps business owners and employees stay sharply focused on tasks.

The workshop will be taught by noted management consultant, Mike Sanders, author of the book Advanced Multitasking. From his website, www.advanced-multitasking.com: “Mike Sanders is a senior program manager, change manager, instructor, public speaker, technical writer, published author, and Native American. He champions a collaborative, servant-leader approach to management with a passion in organizational psychology.”

Details: San Juan Island, on Wednesday, March 8th from 10-11 a.m. at the San Juan Island Library in Friday Harbor. Free workshop; advance registration is required: https://edcmindfulness.eventbrite.com. For more information, please call 360-378-2906 or email: info [@] sanjuansedc.org. This event is not sponsored by the San Juan Island Library

The EDC thanks San Juan County government, our ports, the Town of Friday Harbor, Heritage Bank, Islanders Bank and the Department of Commerce for their support of this workshop.

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) strives to strengthen and diversify the economy of San Juan County. We believe a strong economy builds a strong community. The EDC works to build an environment that helps business owners create jobs. We serve business: linking organizations and resources, providing valuable information, rendering assistance and advocating for an improved island business environment.

Island Rec – Gentle Yoga for Adults

New from Island Rec! for Ages 55+, A perfect class to help you maintain a supple body and a peaceful mind. The health benefits of yoga have been widely accepted and promoted by the mainstream medical field. This class will help you to improve joint mobility, balance and reflexes, and mental clarity. It will also increase your stamina and youthful posture and muscle tone. 

These classes move at a slower pace with opportunities for questions and individual attention. Come learn about the best self-care and stress release techniques that you will treasure for a life time.

Katerina Wen, M.Ed. has been a professional yoga teacher and yoga therapist for over 20 years. Her teaching style is gentle and compassionate. Known for her masterful ability to work with all ages and body types, Katerina’s work inspires and touches people in a way few ever forget.

Register with Island Rec. Classes held Tuesdays, April 4 – May 30 at the Mullis Center 10:30-11:30am. $42. Please register by March 23, must have a minimum of 10 participants registered by early deadline. www.islandrec.org, 580 Guard St, Mon-Fri 11am-5pm. 378-4953.

Woodworkers, artists, carvers, fishermen, book lovers, hikers, naturalists, scientists, conservationist-Something to intrigue everyone.

The three new exhibitions opening March 4 at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art truly are for everyone who loves working with wood, painters, bookworms, collectors of odd objects in the forest, and those who care about forest destruction and erosion.

Morse Clary, a gifted, accomplished sculptor, sees each of his elegant “books” as a study of sculptural metaphor and the visual and tactile qualities of wood in Celebrations.

In Charred Totems by Suze Woolf, the artist’s anxiety about climate change emerges in this series on burned-over forests. A strange and stunning beauty is accompanied by destruction and heartbreak in these cast paper sculptures and pine beetle books.

A Reflection of Vessel is a site-specific installation for the SJIMA glass atrium; Aaron Haba invites the viewer to look toward the heavens to see the beauty inside our own human vessels. He encourages the visitor to consider and explore, among other things, the suffering, longing and deep connection that runs through all living things.

These three exhibitions also kick off the 2017 schedule of Dialogues From the Forest. The season touches the special culture of the Pacific Northwest and explores and honors the resources of the abundant, Northwest landscape, which artists transform into statements of celebration and genuine concern. Continue Reading

Job Opening – Salish Seeds Nursery Assistant

The Salish Seeds Project Nursery Assistant performs a range of activities in the field of conservation nursery operation. The Salish Seeds Project produces seeds and plants of local wildflowers and grasses for restoration projects on Land Bank preserves, as well as providing plant materials at cost to other local land managers. The Nursery Assistant reports to the Land Steward and may work with other Land Bank staff, contractors, partner organizations, and volunteers. Total expected time commitment is approximately 15 hours/week for 6 months, with time spent primarily outdoors at the Red Mill Farm nursery facility, and occasionally on Land Bank preserves or in the Land Bank office.

For more information, or to apply, click here.

EDC receives Washington State Department of Commerce grant for trades education

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) is pleased to announce the award of a Washington State Department of Commerce Work Start grant for a county-wide Marine Trades Education program, which will be run in partnership with Commerce, San Juan County, the Town of Friday Harbor, Skagit Valley College, the Port of Friday Harbor, Islanders Bank, the Northwest Workforce Council, Heritage Bank, and area marine businesses.

A highly competitive grant program, Work Start is designed to provide training to workers in order to address business expansion or loss of business to other states or countries. The funding granted to the EDC will facilitate the delivery of marine maintenance training to San Juan County workers through Skagit Valley College’s Anacortes campus, the Northwest Center of Excellence in Marine Manufacturing and Technology. Participants will receive training in Marine Maintenance Technology, including engine repair and marine electrical system repair. The training program will begin in April of this year.

For more information about the program or other EDC trades training opportunities, please visit the EDC’s website at www.sanjuansedc.org.

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) strives to strengthen and diversify the economy of San Juan County.  We believe a strong economy builds a strong community.   The EDC works to build an environment that helps business owners create jobs.  We serve business:  linking organizations and resources, providing valuable information, rendering assistance and advocating for an improved island business environment.   

This year our annual event lands on Fat Tuesday, and in celebration we will host the Spay-Ghetti & Mardi Paw Dinner on February 28th.

Wear your best Mardi Gras beads and we will see All Two Legged family and friends of the APS to enjoy a night of italian cuisine, music and fun in support and to celebrate our TNR and Spay and Neuter Program Programs. 

Tickets are available at the door, $15 adults and $5 children under 10.

See you there … and Yeah for the Spay!

Tuesday from 4:30  – 6:30 pm at the Mullis Community Senior Center.

Jeanne Peihl of Salish Sea Ballet shares this good news for one of her students…

San Juan Island Ballet Student Accepted to Oregon Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive

Anabelle Mountford, an 11 year old Friday Harbor resident, has been accepted to the Oregon Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive. Entrance to the program is competitive and by audition only. Oregon Ballet Theatre holds auditions each winter in major cities around the country for dancers age 12 and older. Anabelle traveled to Seattle in January to audition for the program among dancers age 12-14, and was chosen among hundreds of applicants from across the US.

A summer intensive is a full day dance program where aspiring professional dancers study ballet technique, pointe, pas de deux, variations, repertory, character, modern/contemporary, flamenco and improvisation. The program also includes instruction in pilates, dance nutrition, and dance history. Anabelle will attend the four week session in Portland, Oregon in July. She will study with Oregon Ballet Theatre faculty, artistic staff, principal dancers, and guest teachers.

Anabelle says that she is “most excited to be taught by amazing teachers”. She is looking forward to improving her technique during the four weeks of intensive study. Anabelle trains locally at Salish Sea Ballet in Friday Harbor, taking six classes weekly in classical ballet, pointe, and contemporary dance.

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

Bon Jour mesdames et messieurs. It is I, Henry (pronounced “Awn-Ray” in French, if you don’t mind.)

While I have never been to France, I AM an international man of mystery, and have had many of zee exciting and daring experiences in my previous life across zee ocean on Whidbey Island. As you can see, I am sleek like zee panther, non? I am also zee most handsome cat ever, non? When you meet me you weel see I am also zee most snuggly and friendly cat ever! Do not wait too long, mes amis. One zees spectacular will not be available for long. Au re·voir, mes amis.

Do not forget, mes amis – Ze annual Spaygetti Dinner to benefit the Animal Protection Society is Tuesday, February 28 at The Mullis Center from 4:30 to 6:30. You weel love zee international cuisine!

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

Cathedral – A painting by Teresa Smith

Teresa Smith is pleased to invite you to the opening of “Cedar & Tide”, an Art Show at the San Juan Community Theater running from March 1st through April 30th

Reception on Friday March 3rd from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

[email protected]

www.teresasmith.com

This just in, from the SJ Update mailbag…

Lake Kennedy McCulloch, CPAs PS sent emails to our individual tax return clients on Wednesday this week, notifying them that their personal information may have been compromised in a data breach.

We learned from the IRS that some of the 2016 tax returns we electronically filed were rejected because someone, other than the taxpayer or us, had fraudulently filed the return. After a preliminary investigation, we discovered that perpetrators had illegally hacked into our system, and accessed 2015 tax return information for a number of our individual tax clients. Using this information, we believe they fraudulently filed some 2016 returns for the purpose of obtaining tax refunds.

We are deeply sorry that this data breach occurred, and for the worry and inconvenience this may cause those affected. We come to work every day looking forward to helping our clients who trust us. We are extraordinarily concerned and doing the best we can to protect our clients from any harm this data breach may cause.

We have alerted the IRS and are working with the agency’s Criminal Enforcement Division, and are reaching out to other law enforcement as appropriate, including the FBI. We are working with these agencies to assist in their investigation and interruption of the cyber criminals. Continue Reading

Town of Friday Harbor considering a Mini Painted Roundabout at the Argyle Avenue & Spring Street Intersection

Click to enlarge

The public is invited to learn about and comment on the proposal to install a mini painted roundabout at the intersection of Argyle Avenue and Spring Street. The Town Council meeting will be held on Thursday, March 2, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers located at 60 Second Street.

The intersection provides unique challenges in terms of congestion, traffic control, and pedestrian safety. It is a high-volume intersection for the Town during certain hours of the day and peak seasons. Motorists have challenges making turns and often block the crosswalks to turn effectively.

The Town has explored traffic and pedestrian improvements at the location for years. Potential solutions have included expanding the intersection, installing all-way stop signs, and the feasibility of traffic lights. A major concern is that these methods may increase congestion in other locations on Spring Street.

In 2015, the Town authorized a study for the feasibility and preliminary design of a roundabout at the intersection. Town staff has suggested installing a “painted” mini roundabout to fully gauge the impacts to the downtown core.

“It’s an awkward intersection with potential hazards,” said Town Administrator Duncan Wilson. “Studies indicate that roundabouts can be safer and more efficient than traditional stop signs or traffic lights. A roundabout should decrease distractions for drivers, create a safer environment and give an alternative to circling the block to regain access to lower Spring Street.”

Other goals for installing a “painted” mini roundabout include: Continue Reading

M/V Salish sailing into a rainbow – Aaron Shepard photo

Aaron Shepard shares this photo of the M/V Salish sailing into a rainbow. This was shot yesterday morning. Thanks for sharing Aaron!

The trails and open spaces on the island are popular with both residents and visitors, but they don’t just appear out of nowhere. Where does the money come from to keep them open? What can members of the public do to help? This is the first in a series of reports by Louise Dustrude trying to answer those questions.

A view on Young Hill, part of English Camp National Historical Park – Louise Dustrude photo

The National Park

Elexis Fredy has been superintendent of San Juan Island National Historical Park for just over a year now, and the park has fewer people working today than when she came.

The problem is two-fold. Employees who transferred out or retired last year cannot be replaced because of a three-month hiring freeze imposed by the new president, and she says that’s compounded by the long-term difficulty in hiring people “because of the lack of affordable housing on the island.”

Until recently the park had 21 employees, and now there are eight and a half year-round, plus two more full-time in the summer.

Some help is provided by volunteers. There are four retired couples who come in the summer to camp in their RVs and act as park hosts. There are several youth groups with up to 50 young people who help with trail building and maintenance — but they need adults to guide and supervise their work.

Lex would like to draw on the expertise of islanders for:

• Help with fundraising for the park
• Help in securing educational and interpretive funding
• Creating exhibits
• Arranging special events in the park, “such as a concert and barbecue on the parade ground”
• Activities for families
• Not just fundraising for the park, but also fundraising for other organizations using park facilities

“We don’t have baseline data for how people use the public spaces in the county,” she said. She and other “terrestrial managers” here from the state park, the county park, the land bank, and the national monument are planning to gather detailed data in May through October, using volunteers who are willing to be consistent, reliable, and unobtrusive.

Forest health data also needs to be collected by knowledgeable volunteers. The park hopes to hire scientists to design the questions, and have volunteers to collect answers.

Another possibility Lex sees would be if people are willing to rent houses to the park so that in turn they can be offered to new employees. She suggested some people who have been renting to tourists through airbnb might be tired of the incessant work required and might prefer a five-year lease with the park.

If you have any ideas you would like to share, please leave a comment below.