• M/V Tillikum is expected to be out of service all of today because of a crew shortage.
• Fresh flowers from Mama Bird Farm are now available at Market Place, Kings, and the San Juan Island Food Co-op.
• Local knitters are getting together for Knit in Public Day this Saturday, June 11 between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. under the picnic shelter at Fairweather Park at the Port of Friday Harbor.
• Madrone Cellars & Cider (40 First Street) will have live outdoor music on Friday and Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. this week. Peter Strasser performs on Friday and Tara Craig takes the stage on Saturday.
• This week’s Family Art Days event at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art involves making colorful paper-quilled tulips and creating a collage of tulip blooms. You can take part on site in the orchard at the museum on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or pick up a take-home packet between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Either way, pre-registration is required.
• Island Rec will be at the farmers market on Saturday with an arts and crafts booth where you can do tie dying. They’ll have white t-shirts available for purchase for $5.

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

San Juan County’s annual hazardous waste round-up will take place on San Juan Island on Saturday, June 11 for island residents.

The residential event takes place at the San Juan Transfer Station on Sutton Road from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Acceptable materials include pesticides, fungicides and other poisons, gasoline and other used fuels, wood preservatives, solvents and thinners, pool and photo chemicals, resins, corrosives, degreasers, cleaning products, mercury, rechargeable batteries, propane cylinders, and aerosols.

Flares, explosives, ammunition, antifreeze, motor oil, and fluorescent light bulbs and tubes will not be accepted. Organizers are also discouraging latex- and oil-based paints, which can instead be recycled through the PaintCare program at Ace Hardware.

Thanks to the San Juan County Solid Waste Program and the Washington State Department of Ecology there is no charge for households disposing 25 gallons of waste or less.

OPALCO shares news about this week’s EV Jamboree, which takes place on Wednesday afternoon at the Fairgrounds.

Everyone is invited to the OPALCO EV Jamboree at the San Juan County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, June 8 to celebrate and explore electric vehicles of all types. There will be new EVs to test drive, electric bikes and scooters to ride around the Fairgrounds, electric tools to try out, and lots of information to share.

Members with their own EVs are encouraged to bring them for show and tell – there will be VIP parking and special swag for EV drivers. OPALCO staff will have free hot dogs (and veggie dogs) on the BBQ, lots of Island Way swag, and fun activities for the whole family. The event is free and will be open from 3 to 6 p.m.

Electric vehicles are in high demand and short supply throughout the nation. The OPALCO team has reached out to dealerships throughout the region including VW, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Rivian, Mercedes, Audi and BMW. Although it’s hard to know what they’ll have on the lot on June 8, it’s likely that we will have the Volkwagen ID.4, Kia EV6, and Mustang MachE. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for the all electric Ford F150, which is now available, but in short supply.

Electric bikes are a fun and efficient way to get around fossil free – and a great way to get a new perspective on the beauty of your home island. Thanks to Suzie’s Mopeds, Gilligans Island Style E-Bike Rentals and Cycle San Juans, there will be all kinds of electric bikes and scooters on hand to try out at the Fairgrounds.

Harbor Rental and Saw Shop will be on hand to demonstrate electric tools for the home and garden, and Oak Knoll Farm will have a pen of lambs set up on the lawn for families to visit with. Adam Greene and Oak Knoll are grazing their sheep on the new Bailer Hill Microgrid project site where the next Community Solar array will be constructed later this year. Ask Adam or the OPALCO staff about all the benefits of Agro-Solar.

• The Crepe Cafe is now open for the summer at 155 Nichols Street, across from Brickworks, where San Juan Island Cheese used to be. They’ll be serving sweet and savory crepes, paninis, along with homemade sodas and coffee drinks. This week they’ll be open Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Riptide Cafe has added to their menu with avocado toast and nutella toast.
• Hermosa will be closed Wednesday through Friday this week.
• The San Juan Island Garden Club meets tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the picnic shelter at Jackson Beach.
• There’s a Friday Harbor High School cheer interest meeting for the 2022-2023 football season tonight at 5 p.m. in the Commons at the high school. Tryouts take place Wednesday through Friday this week from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
• Friday Harbor Chocolates (at 255 Spring Street) is now Cin Cin Goods. They’re still selling chocolate, wine, and port, but now have additional products and a new layout inside.

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

Tiffany Tillman sends along a request for islanders to sponsor two Ukrainian university students who have been displaced by conflict in their home country. One family on the island graciously agreed to sponsor one of their fellow students from Ukraine last week.

I’m writing to the San Juan Island community to see if we can locate a potential sponsor or sponsors for two Ukrainian college students, Lana and Kate, who have been displaced due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. They will have completed their degrees in Translation Studies at the end of this month (yes, they continued studying through bombing, evacuation and relocation), and are currently located in a temporary living situation in a ‘safer’ area but are in urgent need of relocating to a truly safe place.

I’m trying to connect them to a sponsor or group/organization interested in hosting one or both of them through the U.S. program, Uniting for Ukraine.

I’m an English Language Fellow for the U.S. Department of State, and I’ve been working with my host institution, Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, since September 2021. This university is located in Sievierodonetsk, a city that has been a hotspot/conflict zone since 2014. I’m still in the process of working with my host institution, but I’m reaching out to you and your team as a private U.S. citizen, looking to help these students in any way we can. I’m on island until I’m sent out on my next project in late August.

Last week, I sent out a similar request through Spring Street International School for one of my former Ukrainian students, Anastasia (Ana). The response from the community was overwhelming, and I’m beyond amazed and grateful to say that Ana has found a kind, generous, and warm Spring Street family who are in the process of hosting her through this program. I mention this because Lana and Kate are friends of Ana’s and in the same cohort at university. It would be wonderful if we could locate a host or hosts for Lana and Kate on island so that they could have the comfort of familiarity in what is otherwise a completely unfamiliar situation.

I’ve asked Lana and Kate to write a bit about themselves and I’ve included their responses below, copied and pasted from our texts. Continue Reading

The San Juan County Council will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, June 7 at 9 a.m. The meeting will include two public hearings to consider:

• An ordinance revising table 18.30.040 (allowable and prohibited uses in rural, resource and special land use designations for government offices)
• Adopting an ordinance to repeal SJCC 18.30.640 (payment in lieu – Eastsound Village parking fund)

Items up for discussion or action include:

• Seismic assessment report for the San Juan County Courthouse
• 2022 development docket briefing
• Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) – affordable housing grants, ASH and recording fee funds
• Resolution re-adopting Code of Conduct
• Security camera project update and request
• Marie Boe Building bathroom remodel project update

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 June 7.

San Juan Island National Historical Park sends along news about an upcoming closure at American Camp.

The long awaited American Camp Visitor Center is almost complete. Park staff and partners have been hard at work fabricating exhibits and preparing for their installation.

The new visitor center, created in collaboration with the park-associated Tribes of San Juan Island, will transform visitor services and experiences for generations to come. We have worked closely with artists, artisans, scholars, and scientists to create a community facility that pays tribute to the multiple histories of San Juan Island, highlights the diversity of our park’s story, and inspires stewardship for our island’s unique and fragile environment. The visitor center’s opening on Thursday, June 23 will be one major component of a summer of events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Boundary Dispute Resolution which made San Juan Island a part of the United States.

To facilitate the installation process, the park will be closing access to the parking lot at the American Camp Visitor Center from 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 5 through 9 a.m. on Friday, June 10. During this closure visitors are encouraged to park at the redoubt or the South Beach trailheads to access the American Camp trail network. Interpretive rangers and volunteers will be available to answer questions and provide orientation information and historical interpretation at South Beach.

We look forward to sharing our new Visitor Center with you in the future.

• The San Juan Island Artists’ Studio Tour takes place today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nearly 50 island artists are participating in the event this year.
• Island Air Ambulance will have a space at today’s farmers market to share CPR awareness in recognition of this year’s CPR Awareness Week. Island Air’s flight crew — consisting of board-certified paramedics and nurses — will be available to demonstrate and answer any questions for free.
• Roche Harbor Farm is back at the farmers market today with radishes, arugula, baby kale, and lettuce.
• 2022 Senior Farmers Market Voucher applications are now available. Income-eligible seniors will be mailed $80 in vouchers redeemable for produce at island and mainland farmers markets. Contact Debbie Haagensen at 360-370-7526 or [email protected] for more information.
• Harbor Rental is for sale for $2.95 million. That includes the business, the main building, three industrial-zoned condominium storage buildings, and four unimproved lots farther up Guard Street.
• Friday Harbor Trading Post now has donuts on Saturdays and Sundays, starting at 10 a.m.
• There’s a spring plant sale taking place at the Fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.

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

The Town of Friday Harbor shares some unfortunate news about the elm trees in Memorial Park.

A significant portion of one of the two 100-year-old Dutch elm trees in Memorial Park broke last night, taking out a streetlamp and blocking access to the bottom of the Spring Street traffic circle. No injuries or additional property damage has been reported. Preliminary inspections by certified arborists from two local companies identified the cause as severe rot. A detailed report will be completed next week.

Due to the sudden, unexpected breakage and the resulting imbalance of the remaining tree, the public is advised to exercise extreme caution and avoid the area until the stability of both trees can be assured. On the advice of the arborists, the Town is removing upper branches of the tree in an effort to avoid further breakage. The future of the trees will be determined after a thorough, professional evaluation.

“The Town’s priority is to extend the life of these iconic trees but not at the expense of public safety,” said Town Administrator Denice Kulseth, adding, “We are thankful that this happened when no pedestrians or vehicles were in the area.” Kulseth further stated, “We all love these trees. They are the welcome mat to our town and a beacon that we have come home. However, we realize that it was incredibly fortunate that no one was injured, and we understand we may need to make a very difficult decision about the future of these grand trees. We trust the public will support whatever measures must be taken to eliminate future risk of harm.”

The two elms were planted in May 1922 by the Women’s Study Club as a memorial to those lost in WWI, one representing Army losses, one representing Navy losses.

Questions regarding the elms may be directed to the Town Administrator at [email protected].

The folks at Island Rec have some details to share about their upcoming summer programming.

Island Rec has a variety of free programming this summer. Check out our website for additional information and registration. Every program is open to all ages.

Farmers Market Tie Dyeing

Saturday June 11
9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Brickworks

Join us for some weekend fun and creativity. Island Rec will once again be setting up a free Arts & Crafts booth at the Farmers Market. The always popular tie dyeing will be on June 11. White t-shirts will be available at $5 each.

Pig War Picnic

Monday, July 4
After the Fourth of July parade
The lawn at the Catholic Church

Join us for some for some old-fashioned games at the annual Kiwanis Pig War Picnic.

Art in the Park with Alchemy Art Center

Sundays between July 3 and Aug. 7
John O. Linde Community Park

Join Alchemy Art Center and guest artists for fun and free community art days. Professional artists will lead an exciting roster of activities. Space is limited; register in advance to save your spot. Kids under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. Each Sunday will have two timeslots offered to choose from: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Continue Reading

The Town of Friday Harbor sends along the proclamation signed by the mayor yesterday.

Whereas, June is designated as pride month across the nation to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a time generally recognized as beginning of the modern LGBTQIA Rights Movement; and

Whereas, all people regardless of age, gender identity, race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical challenges have the right to be treated on the basis of their intrinsic value as human beings; and

Whereas, despite their extraordinary progress for basic civil and human rights, LGBTQ+ Americans still face discrimination simply for being who they are; and

Whereas, the Town is committed to protecting the most vulnerable among us and supporting visibility, dignity, and equality for all people in our community, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression; and

Whereas, the Town welcomes and celebrates the history and diversity of Friday Harbor’s LGBTQ+ community;

Now, Therefore, I, Raymont C. Jackson, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Mayor of Friday Harbor, do hereby proclaim June 2022 in the Town as LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

Furthermore, I encourage all citizens to reflect on this important time in our Nation’s history, eliminate prejudice anywhere it exists, respect the rights of all people, and celebrate the great diversity of our Town.

• Two outdoor story walks organized by the library are available now — there’s one at Linde Park and another at the family park at the Fairgrounds.
• The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank is hosting a volunteer event for National Get Outdoors Day next Saturday, June 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Westside Preserve. You can learn about the Preserve’s prairie ecosystem while clearing invasive Himalayan blackberry along the trails. Long pants are recommended and you should bring pruners or loppers, gloves, and water. A light snack will be provided.
• The Food Co-op will be closed Saturday and Sunday while the staff does inventory.
• The Co-op has fresh ranunculus bouquets from Mama Bird Farm and mixed flower bouquets from Susie Wampler.
• San Juan Community Theatre is holding auditions for Mauritius, its fall play, on Saturday, June 25 at 2 p.m.
• Today is the first anniversary for Aloha Friday Hawaiian BBQ. They’ve extended their hours (Friday through Monday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and now have breakfast items on the menu.
• John Bellows & Younger Shoulder are performing at Everelse tonight starting at 6 p.m. Glad Acres will be there from 4 to 8 p.m. serving handmade tortillas, carnitas, veggie tamales, and horchata panna cotta.

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