From San Juan County As most are aware until now vaccine eligibility has primarily been limited to medical providers, K-12 and child care providers, and those over the age of 65. As of March 17, eligibility has been expanded to the following groups (Phase 1b, Tier 2): Those who are pregnant and over the age  Continue Reading

From Friends of the San Juan Island Library Shop and support the San Juan Island Library. The Friends of the San Juan Island Library store, Treasure Cove, is holding a fixed price sale online through April 5. Visit the online shop at charityauction.bid/springfling. The Friends of the Library is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, comprised of  Continue Reading

From Friday Harbor Elementary School Will your child be 5 on or before Aug. 31, 2021? Stop by Friday Harbor Elementary School kindergarten registration, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday, March 24. Assistance will be available. You are welcomed to sit in the cafeteria to fill out your packet or pick up and complete at home. Please  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Economic Development Council Join the conversation on “What’s Next: The Islands Economy” at the 11th Annual EDC Economics Luncheon, held online 11-12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, featuring economist Yoram Bauman and San Juan County Auditor Milene Henley. This year, participants are invited to “B.Y.O.L.” (bring your own lunch) to share a  Continue Reading

From Artist’s Studio Tour The Artists’ Studio Tour on San Juan Island will return June 5-6. We are excited to be including both returning and new island artists with this year’s tour. We want to celebrate with our island residents, and thank them for their support during the last year with this opportunity to safely  Continue Reading

“Island Senior” is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae. In my last Island Senior article, The Year of Covid-19, I took stock of the past year, a challenging time for most of us, and took note of some of the good things that helped me through a whole  Continue Reading

From San Juan Land Bank Over the last two weeks, the local civilian conservation corps has helped stewardship staff plant close to 5,000 bare-root plants and forbs on Orcas and San Juan Island Preserves. The picture above was taken at False Bay Creek Preserve on a bluebird day. The San Juan County Land Bank Commission  Continue Reading

By Minnie Knych, San Juan Island Hillsdale College is offering free courses in American History, literature, philosophy and economics. You can take advantage of this at online.hillsdale.edu/#home The courses are absolutely free. Most are a series of 10, 30-minute lectures with optional tests after each lecture and suggested further reading. This is a great opportunity  Continue Reading

From Friday Harbor Animal Protection Society Age: Approximately 1-year-old Sex: Male Breed: Chihuahua Mix Application: www.apsfh.com/adoption-program/canine-application Ozzy is a fun-loving, playful Chihuahua mix looking to find his equally fun, forever family. His favorite game is tug-of-war, but he doesn’t stop there, he also enjoys a good game of fetch, zoomie challenge, squeak offs, the toy  Continue Reading

From Washington State Parks Washington State Parks invites visitors to help celebrate the agency’s 108th birthday on Friday, March 19, by enjoying a state park for free that day. The state parks in the San Juans include Lime Kiln Point on San Juan Island, Moran on Orcas Island and Spencer Spit on Lopez Island. March  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag today we have this letter from Louise Dustrude… Are the miniature villages on rocks along West Side Road proliferating, or have there always been half a dozen or more? I’ve been enjoying one of them for several months, and perhaps it’s been there for years. It’s not on my daily  Continue Reading

From San Juan County A “logic and accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used in San Juan County for the April 27, Special election is scheduled for 11 a.m., March 23 at the elections office located at 55 Second Street, Suite A, in Friday Harbor. The test works by tallying the results of a prepared  Continue Reading

From San Juan County The recent CDC guidance for fully vaccinated individuals provides clear and concise information for those lucky enough to be vaccinated. This information is only for fully vaccinated individuals, which is two weeks after your final dose. If you are fully vaccinated, you may: Visit indoors and unmasked with other vaccinated individuals.  Continue Reading

By Missy Martin, Friday Harbor Dear Editor: I encourage Islanders to vote YES for the upcoming Island Rec levy! They are requesting funding at the same rate, without an increase from the previous six years. The fact that Island Rec funds high school sports is reason alone to voice my support and vote. But the  Continue Reading

From PeaceHealth Charles Prosper, chief executive for PeaceHealth in the Northwest, announced the appointment of Jack Estrada as the chief administrative officer for PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center. Estrada had been acting as interim CAO since Mary Anne Keane departed PeaceHealth last summer. Estrada has been in leadership positions at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Land Bank The San Juan County Land Bank is requesting proposals from anyone interested in a short-term agricultural hay rental agreement of the Zylstra Lake Preserve Property on San Juan Island. The property has approximately 70 acres of hay pasture. Individuals or organizations interested in this lease should go to the  Continue Reading

By Martha Alvarado, Floyd Bourne, Stephanie Buffum, Katie Fleming, Darla Jungmeyer, Kari McVeigh, Brian Moore, Katy Taylor-Jacobson Through this levy, Island Rec funds our high school sports program which allows our school district to focus on academia. Places to play and sports are important for child development.  Athletic participation improves self-esteem, teaches time management, builds  Continue Reading

From Friday Harbor Film Festival Friday Harbor Film Festival’s Director Series presents four online films: “The Return of the River”and “The Memory of Fish” from March 16 to 31, and “Dolores,” in collaborations with the WSU San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit, from March 20 to 27 at fhff.org. Screen each film for only $2.95.  A  Continue Reading

From Town of Friday Harbor The Town of Friday Harbor will add a roundabout to part of Mullis Street from March 22 through May 28. “Local access on Mullis Street from 818 Mullis Street to the Spring Street Intersection will be impacted while contractors reconstruct the road and install a roundabout,” said Town of Friday  Continue Reading

From Kanaka Bay Trading Company This online auction will be highlighting one-of-a-kind items that will be offered by artists, collectors, artisans and individuals who support animal welfare organizations on San Juan Island and other communities. The auction is open through St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. View the auction here. The entire proceeds from these items  Continue Reading

This weekend – Sunday, March 14th at 2:00 AM – Daylight Saving Time begins. Spring is almost here and the days are getting longer! Don’t forget to set your clock forward one hour – (Probably when you go to bed Saturday) so at 2:00 AM it will really be 3:00 AM. This may also be  Continue Reading

From San Juan County San Juan County Health and Community Services will be opening registration for first dose vaccine appointments at 9 a.m., Monday, March 15. Those who are eligible and wish to register for an appointment should go to this website at 9 a.m., Monday, March 15. There will be links clearly marked for  Continue Reading