Incumbent San Juan County District Court Judge Carolyn Jewett has announced her intention to run for re-election.

“During my first term, I gained a lot of experience figuring out what ‘access to justice’ really means,” said Jewett in her candidacy announcement. “The COVID-19 pandemic turned our judicial system on its head and forced us all to adapt. I have been honored to work side by side with our other county departments, as well as collaborating with judges across the state at all court levels, to ensure our community has meaningful access to the courts despite emergency conditions.”

Jewett is a first-term judge of the District Court, which is the lower court in San Juan County. It has jurisdiction over misdemeanor crimes, small claims, infractions, name change petitions, protection order petitions, and civil lawsuits under $100,000.

“Despite the challenges we still face, the pandemic has given courts opportunities for change and innovation statewide, and we want to keep that momentum going,” Jewett said. “It is critical that we keep working together to provide fair, impartial administration of the law. I look forward to continuing this work as your District Court Judge.”  

District Court Judge is one of eight positions up for a vote in the Nov. 8 general election. The County Council seat for District 3 (Lopez and Shaw), Assessor, Auditor, Clerk, Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff, and Treasurer are also open in 2022. The primary election for any position with three or more candidates takes place Aug. 2.

Friday Harbor suffered a great loss recently when fire took some of our most cherished historic buildings, shockingly gone overnight. While we reach out to help those whose lives and livelihoods were irrevocably impacted by the loss, once again, whether we want to or not, we face the persistent life lesson of the inevitability of change.

As an old-timer, I’d like to share a glimpse into my own memories of the other side of lower Spring Street, a streetscape already relegated to memory. Whether by fire or by the relentless crush of development we have lost a great deal over the years. In my lifetime this whole side of lower Spring Street has changed entirely.

Join me then to revisit the location of my first real job at the Friday Harbor Cafe that in the late 1960s sat right smack-dab in the middle of that block. Scribner’s Market (later Whitey’s) was on the upper corner and below was the Lower Tavern and Moose Lodge. Continue Reading

PeaceHealth shares news about revised visitor protocols now in place at Peace Island Medical Center.

With COVID-19 transmission rates in San Juan County significantly increasing, PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center and the adjacent PeaceHealth Medical Group clinic will be scaling back the number of visitors permitted inside our facilities.

Effective this Tuesday, May 3, only one visitor or support person per 24 hours will be allowed in our facilities. The no-visitor policy remains in place for COVID-19 patients, with some exceptions.

Visitors are still required to wear a Level 3 (blue) surgical mask in the medical center and clinics; those are available at all entrances for free. Visitors may also choose to wear their own KN95 or N95 masks if they prefer.

In addition, volunteers will not be allowed in the Emergency Department, and will be allowed only limited encounters with patients.

PeaceHealth facilities in Whatcom County are implementing the same protocols, also effective May 3.

In alignment with other Washington state healthcare organizations, PeaceHealth is using the CDC’s transmission map to guide us on next steps in COVID-19 response in our communities. We know how important visitation is for our patients and their loved ones, and we hope to be able to lift these restrictions as soon as possible. We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding.

• Federal charges were filed on Monday against the person suspected of setting fire to four Friday Harbor buildings on April 7. Dwight Henline of Whidbey Island faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years for the crime.
• High school baseball and fastpich return to the diamond with doubleheaders against LaConner this afternoon at Linde. The first game starts at 4:45 p.m., the second at 6:15 p.m.
• Summer ferry reservations open this morning.
• Mark Madsen retained his position on the OPALCO Board of Directors in the recent election, receiving 47 percent of the vote. Jessa Madosky won 28 percent of the vote and Steven Carleton 25 percent. Total turnout for the Board election was 19.24 percent of OPALCO’s membership.
• Take a look at the latest promotional video for the San Juan Community Theatre’s presentation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. It opens in just over a week on Friday, May 13.
• WSU San Juan County Extension is hosting a field walk on Monday, May 16 where they will discuss their ongoing research into the impact of organic fertilizer and no-till seeding on forage productivity, quality, and species composition. The walk takes place at the Beaverton Valley Preserve. Pre-registration is required.

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

The San Juan County Council will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, May 3 at 9 a.m. Items up for discussion or action include:

• Increase school-based mental health budget contract for San Juan Island School District for the 2021-22 school year
• Consider adopting an ordinance to adopt technical corrections to the San Juan County Charter regarding Council residency districts
• Road funding
• Code of conduct
• Approve Resolution 4.20.2022 supporting Snohomish, Whatcom, Island, San Juan and Skagit (SWISS) regional partnership with the Washington State Association of Counties

The Council will also hold three executive sessions — one to discuss litigation or potential litigation with legal counsel, one to discuss real property acquisition or lease, and one to evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment or to review the performance of a public employee.

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 May 3.

With average temperatures more than ten degrees below normal, it has been an unseasonably cool April. And if you’ve been layering on wool sweaters, you’re not alone. Cady, the lamb, has been too.

It was shearing day when we visited Oak Knoll Farm and the barn was noisy and bustling with humans, sheep, a guardian llama, and a dedicated sheepdog. The newly born lambs are close to their mothers, securing their bond and learning each other’s calls. With long, wobbly legs and huge, fluffy ears, it’s hard to get much cuter than a newborn lamb. Except when you put a sweater on one of course.

Sarah Pope and her family took over the historic farm in 2017. Established in the 1970s by Joan Roberts, Oak Knoll and the flock of North Country Cheviot Sheep had dwindled when Sarah and her family were called to take it over. It was a steep learning curve becoming shepherds, but they have revived the flock and now have around 120 Cheviots, Finn Sheep, and Finn crosses.

The lambs don’t always have to wear a sweater, Sarah told me. But Cady, named after Cady Mountain here on San Juan Island, was born small and needed a little extra care to make sure she maintained a good body temperature her first few days of life. I asked Sarah how to find a knitting pattern for a lamb sweater. She told me she pretty much invented this one but you can find many patterns for dogs that will fit a lamb. Altering an old sweatshirt can also work and two babies born Thursday night donned this style. Continue Reading

Congressman Rick Larsen and his staffers visited Friday Harbor on Saturday to meet with local government and nonprofit leaders and hold the first San Juan County event for the 2022 campaign cycle.

After arriving late due to a delayed ferry sailing, Larsen first met with Friday Harbor town officials to learn about the impacts of last month’s arson on downtown. He later discussed affordable housing issues with the Opportunity Council, San Juan County’s Department of Health & Community Services, and the San Juan Community Home Trust. Larsen then met with constituents at a 2022 campaign kick-off event held at Friday Harbor House.

The San Juan Update caught up with Larsen to discuss a handful of issues of concern to island constituents, including marine infrastructure, the future of the expanded child tax credit, legislative priorities for the rest of 2022, inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the state of bipartisanship in Washington, D.C. Continue Reading

• The Spring Flea & Craft Market is looking for vendors — food vendors, crafters and artists, community organizations looking to fundraise, family and friends cleaning house. The event takes place on Saturday, May 14 at the Fairgrounds. Learn more at the Fair website.
• Pickup ultimate frisbee happens tonight at 5:30 p.m. at Linde Park.
• Tomorrow night is family bingo night at the library. It starts at 6:30 p.m., no registration required. The event is sponsored by the library, the Family Resource Center, and Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor as part of National Screen Free Week.
• This month’s bird walk at the San Juan Island Sculpture Park takes place on Wednesday from 8 to 10 a.m.
• Blue Water Bar & Grill is now open for breakfast every day from 9 a.m. to noon.
• The American Legion is hosting a spaghetti feed and dessert auction on Friday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. They’re raising funds in support of summer tournaments for the Babe Ruth baseball team they sponsor. It’s $25 per plate or $45 for two. Food and treats are provided by Stacey’s Catering. You can purchase tickets in advance or at the door, and curbside pick-up is available.

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

Photo credit: Brad Pillow

The San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau provides an update about messaging efforts being planned in response to feedback they received during public meetings earlier this year.

The San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau hosted three public Tourism Talk meetings earlier this spring as an opportunity for residents to share concerns and ideas about tourism in 2022 and beyond as we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Common themes emerged from all three meetings: traffic, water, trash, and crowding in parks. After consideration and conversations with additional stakeholders, the following are our first visitor management messaging priorities:

• Coordinate with San Juan County for the annual distribution of the Stewardship Guide to island accommodations, including Airbnb/VRBO, and explore placement on Washington State Ferries and Kenmore Air.
• Expand promotion of car-free travel options (i.e., shuttles, bike rentals, etc.) to help reduce traffic and parking issues.
• Collaborate with Parks, the Land Bank, and Preservation Trust to create an all-islands parks map with trails, bike racks, parking, accessibility, etc., and content about best visitation practices (i.e., leave no trace).
• Collaborate with the County, Plastic Free Salish Sea, and island recycling services to create effective messaging about reducing waste, plastics, ‘wishful’ recycling, etc.

The Sustainable Tourism Management Plan community meetings process will address these and other issues raised like housing, vacation rentals, and labor. This process, now underway, will outline the shared community vision, goals, and implementation measures to drive sustainable tourism in the San Juan Islands.

Community participation is essential for a robust dialogue regarding ways to thoughtfully guide tourism as we balance our dynamic tourism economy with the quality of our environment, quality of resident life, and quality visitor education and experiences. Visitors Bureau board and staff have advocated for this plan for ten years and applied for the lodging tax grant that is funding the consultants and planning process. Find out more and RSVP for public Zoom meetings during the weeks of May 9 and 16 at www.sjctourism.com

Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center shares some advice about how to help fawns on the island this spring.

There may be fewer deer in the San Juans than last year, but quite a few fawns will still be born in the next few weeks. You may come across a tiny fawn curled up in the grass in your yard or hidden under a bush when you walk in the woods. It will probably be all on its own with no mom in sight, but that’s perfectly normal.

If you find a fawn, the best thing to do is quietly move away and leave it in peace so its mom can return later. Please don’t get close or touch the fawn.

For the first couple of weeks, a fawn’s legs are too weak to follow mom through the woods, so its job is to lie still and quiet, camouflaged by its spotted coat. Mom may leave for six to eight hours before returning to feed her fawn and perhaps move it to a different spot nearby. By the time they are about three weeks old, their legs are stronger, and they can travel longer distances, but fawns are still not as fast as mom. This means they are vulnerable, not only to natural predators but also to our dogs, so this is an especially good time to keep your dog under control and not let it run loose.

You may occasionally find a tiny fawn lying curled up in the middle of the road. This usually happens when a new fawn is slowly following mom across the hard surface and a car suddenly appears. Mom leaps off into the bushes and the fawn instinctively drops to the ground and freezes. If the fawn is unhurt, slide your hand under its belly, gently carry it a few feet off the side of the road and leave it in a safe, sheltered spot. Mom is probably nearby, waiting for you to leave so she can return for her baby.

If you are concerned that a fawn may be injured or separated from mom, please call Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at 360-378-5000. We’d be happy to help you work out what’s going on or bring the youngster in for care if it truly needs help.

• Some time today M/V Yakima will be towed to the Dakota Creek shipyard in Anacortes, where crews will work to repair damage sustained when the Yakima’s anchor unexpectedly deployed earlier this week. The vessel is expected to be replaced some time this afternoon by M/V Kaleetan, which must first be repositioned from the Edmonds-Kingston route.
• The peak season surcharge for single vehicle fares starts on Sunday and runs through Sept. 30. Passenger fares and multi-ride tickets are not subject to peak season charges.
• High school baseball cruised to an easy win at Concrete on Friday, knocking off the Lions 16-1. The Wolverines close out their regular season with three games next week, including a doubleheader at home against LaConner on Tuesday and a road game at Orcas Island on Thursday.
• Here’s the lineup for today’s farmers market, which runs from 9:30 a.m to 1 p.m.
• Camas Designs is holding a Flowers for Fire Relief floral sale to benefit Crows Nest Coffee’s fire relief fund. It takes place today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mike’s Cafe and Wine Bar.
• Core Fitness is hosting an open house today from noon to 2 p.m. at 777 Mullis Street, across the parking lot from Bakery San Juan and the Food Co-op. You can enter to win a 30-day unlimited group class membership.
• St. David’s Episcopal Church is hosting a free concert tomorrow featuring works from C.P.E. Bach, Giovanni Pergolisi and Richard Lind. Any proceeds from donations at the door will be given to the Friday Harbor Food Bank and the Family Resource Center.
• The San Juan Island Garden Club meets on Tuesday at the Mullis Center at 1 p.m. This month’s featured speaker is Kari Koski of Kari’s Island Elixirs.

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

On Sunday, May 8, the San Juan Island Yacht Club will ring in the new boating season by hosting an opening day boat parade and Mother’s Day brunch. Both events are open to the community.

“Our theme is Back to the Future and we see the event as an opportunity to come together as a community as in days past,” says SJIYC Fleet Captain Glen Margolis.

The event kicks off with brunch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the San Juan Island Yacht Club, located just above the marina. Vessels will gather for the parade around 2 p.m. at Shipyard Cove. The parade itself will kick off some time around 2:30 p.m., following the ferry departure.

Brunch tickets are $20 and can be purchased online or at the club. There’s no cost to take part in the parade, but advance registration is required.