By Louise Dustrude The road through the gravel pit connecting Turn Point Road and Pear Point Road is under construction, more than 10 years after it was formally agreed to. The county is fulfilling a commitment it made to the town in 2009. It will be called Missing Mountain Road, alluding to the actual removal  Continue Reading

Join Island Rec for a series of off island teen trips. First up is the YMCA Climbing Wall in Bellingham on February 17th. First timers and seasoned climbers are welcome to join us as we head up to the Whatcom Family YMCA in Bellingham to take on the tallest indoor climbing wall in the Pacific  Continue Reading

Join San Juan Community Theatre for the Ridgeline Trilogy Ridgeline premiered under Merritt Olsen 11 years ago. This is the continuation of the story, which has since become a trilogy: A Proper Slater: The story visits Matt Slater, from ages 5-50. It tells the tale of his family history and how he came to be  Continue Reading

Is it my eternal optimism or am I sensing spring in the air?  Oh, those fabulous days ahead! I can see it now… Walking on the beach, running at the dog park, sniffing other dogs… Oops, that was my joke of the late-night audience.   So, moving quickly on, let me tell you a little  Continue Reading

Higher-wage employment can be open to many who learn the skills of business management and leadership.  The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) invites workers in the San Juan Islands to join in a Business Management & Leadership Skills course; business owners and managers are also encouraged to enroll employees.  This for-credit course will  Continue Reading

Don’t forget – this is happening today – The first Know Your Island Walk of the new year will be on Saturday, January 25, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, starting at American Camp’s Redoubt. Mike Vouri, retired National Park historian, will lead this walk — as he did the very first walk in the series  Continue Reading

FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash., Jan. 21, 2020– PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center recently recognized the first group of caregivers earning health coach certification as a result of its Integrated Nutrition Pathways Scholarship program. The program, which awards scholarships to PeaceHealth caregivers to become a certified health coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), is the  Continue Reading

“What fun – to study each piece of art, then circle around and pick the ones I like best,” a common refrain in the galleries during recent visits to SJIMA. View the art that the community voted as their favorites before the Artists’ Registry Show closes on February 21. The public was invited to mark  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag this morning we find a letter to you from Summer Clark… 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  Continue Reading

First, we extend our sincere appreciation for the attentive and engaged turnout at the Mullis Center on January 12!  A quiet Sunday afternoon among busy families, threats of snowy roads and of course the Seahawks playoff game notwithstanding, about 65 of you responded to our invitations.  We were enthused by our smiling friends from Lopez  Continue Reading

Fish for Teeth – Fish Taco Fundraiser Friday, January 24th from  11:00 am to 1:30 pm at the San Juan Community Theatre. $8 suggested donation Fish for Teeth is continuing its tooth-fixing mission with another Fish Taco Fundraiser on Friday, January 24, 11-1:30 at the San Juan Island Community Theater. An $8.00 suggested donation lands  Continue Reading

Dr. Burk Gossom is retiring after 40+ years of service and dedication to healthcare on San Juan Island. Please join your friends and neighbors in saying Thank You! January 25 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the SJI Grange Let’s show our appreciation to Dr. Gossom and say hello to Dr. William House. Bring your  Continue Reading

Announcing – Kitchen Sink Dinners – Feed the Island We are back after our beautiful week of snow!  Kitchen Sink Dinners. This Thursday, January 23rd from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at Cynthia’s Bistro – 65 Nichols Street, Friday Harbor Cynthia’s Bistro is offering free take-away meals to anyone who needs a meal or wishes to  Continue Reading

Chamber Chat: January 2020 Scott Sluis, Islanders Bank Sr. Loan Officer & Board President of San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce checks in with the January 2020 edition of Chamber Chat: It has come to my attention and that of the Chamber that some people wonder “why be a member of the Chamber?” Well allow  Continue Reading

Kings Market will be celebrating its 40th anniversary of the Howard Family owning the store. We will have a special event day happening on the 25th of January. From 11 to 3 we will have giveaways, raffles, face painting, hot dogs and much more. Be sure to check out these old newspaper articles about the  Continue Reading

The Whale Museum is holding a “Winter Birding Workshop in the San Juans” in partnership with San Juan Islands Audubon. Taking place the weekend of February 7-9, 2020, the intent is to increase birding skills through field trips and presentations. This workshop is ideal for those wishing to continue their education as a naturalist or  Continue Reading

Great Decisions is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program highlights eight critical foreign policy challenges facing Americans each year. Held on the last Monday of the month, the annual series features a DVD on each topic, followed by a moderated discussion among the participants. Participants are asked to review the relevant chapter  Continue Reading

The first Know Your Island Walk of the new year will be on Saturday, January 25, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, starting at American Camp’s Redoubt. Mike Vouri, retired National Park historian, will lead this walk — as he did the very first walk in the series in January 2011. The Redoubt, a military defensive  Continue Reading

San Juan Island EMS is offering Wilderness First Responder Training (WFR), February 10 – 19 at Camp Orkila on Orcas Island. This training is the perfect course for anyone working in a position of leadership in an outdoor setting or for individuals who want a high level of wilderness medical training for extended personal backcountry  Continue Reading

San Juan County’s 2020 Point in Time Homeless Count will be conducted on Thursday, January 23. Count organizers and volunteers work with local family resource centers, food banks, emergency cold weather shelters, churches, healthcare providers, senior centers, libraries, the sheriff’s office, and many other community support service providers to conduct the count. The count, initiated  Continue Reading

Jedi Engineering with LEGO The Force Awakens in this introductory engineering course for young Jedi. Explore engineering principles as we construct the Ewok Village on Endor, fly through space on our X-Wings, and defend the Echo Base on Hoth. Create motorized and architectural projects with imagination and engineering to defeat the Empire. An instructor from  Continue Reading

To make up for the January 15th snow day, the SJISD school calendar will be adjusted as follows: Wednesday January 22nd will be a full school day. Thursday January 23rd will be a half day. Friday January 24th will be a half day.