San Juan County Parks & Fair is calling on all businesses, restaurants, nonprofits, organizations, service groups, cottage industries, and artists to sign up for vendor space at the 2022 County Fair. The Fair takes place this year from Wednesday, August 17 through Saturday, August 20.

To reserve a space, fill out an application and make a deposit on the San Juan County Fairgrounds website. If you have questions about being a vendor, send an email to [email protected].

• The transfer station reminds customers to tell the scale house attendant if you have any propane tanks for disposal. There have been a few recent instances in which tanks were dumped into the garbage trailers, where they could have been crushed by an equipment operator and potentially caused a safety issue.
• Swap fruit tree cuttings and learn how to graft your own trees at the grafting workshop and scion exchange at the Grange on Sunday at 3 p.m.
• You’ll have to wait for the next OldTown Bagel Co. pop-up shop — it’s not happening until June.
• Desolation Sound has a new music video for their song “Record Store.” Cecil’s plays a starring role.
• Friday Harbor Family Clinic doesn’t officially open until April 11, but they’re now offering sports physical appointments for students who need them in order to take part in spring sports. Call 360-370-5971 to get scheduled.
• San Juan Island National Historical Park is hosting a public meeting today at 1 p.m. at the American Camp Visitors Center to discuss Islanders’ concerns related to the impact wildlife photography is having on the American Camp prairie.

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Island Rec’s 30th annual Children’s Festival takes place on Saturday, May 7, and they’re looking for local organizations interested in hosting activities that reflects this year’s festival theme of making waves.

There aren’t any firm requirements for activities; Island Rec welcomes anything that fosters the imagination or inspires children to explore what our island and the Salish Sea has to offer.

Interested providers should contact Jen Henry for a registration packet. All activities must be submitted by next Friday, April 8.

The Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fairgrounds.

OPALCO shares an update about the $46 million in funding available to Islanders considering certain types of energy efficiency improvements to their home or business.

OPALCO members can now finance up $100,000 (per membership) in efficiency upgrades for their home or business. Projects that qualify include home heating units (ducted and ductless), smart thermostats, weatherization measures like windows, doors and insulation, solar and battery projects, energy star appliances, fiber internet, electric vehicle chargers, and commercial projects.

OPALCO’s Switch It Up program is an on-bill financing program that’s easy to qualify for, requires no money down, and financing terms of up to 10 years at 2% interest. To qualify you must be a co-op member in good standing, meaning you have paid your power bill on time for 12 months. The first steps are to get a bid from a contractor and fill out the online application.

Join us on April 6 via Zoom at 5 p.m. to find out how to Fast Start your Switch It Up Project. Email [email protected] to find out how to register.

This program is funded by the USDA Rural Energy Savings Program. Since 2018, 228 members in San Juan County have taken advantage of the program – mostly to install ductless heat pumps in their homes. With this third round of funding, OPALCO is able to make a much bigger list of projects available to members.

“This is one of the best things you can do for your energy future,” says OPALCO General Manager Foster Hildreth. “Making your homes all electric and highly efficient will keep your power bills down and is a huge step towards a healthy and green power supply. This is huge capital investment in our community that will have benefits for generations to come. ”

Find the full list of projects, how to apply, and program details on the OPALCO website.

• Tops’l Seafood & Sushi is closing their doors for good next Saturday, April 9. The owners haven’t been able to find enough sushi chefs to keep the business going at the same level of quality for which they are known.
• The Friday Harbor High School fastpitch and baseball teams had a successful road trip to Darrington on Monday. Fastpitch took both games of a doubleheader by scores of 11-2 and 10-0 and baseball smashed their way to a 14-0 win.
• San Juan Community Theatre is offering a weekly Acting for the Camera class for kids ages six to twelve from May 19 through June 9. Tuition is $50, space is limited to just six students, and registration is open now.
• The Rotary Club of San Juan Islands is hosting its 17th annual spelling bee for kids from fourth grade to eighth grade. It takes place on Tuesday, April 5 at 3:30 p.m. at Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church. Elementary school teachers can help interested students register.
• The Town of Friday Harbor will return to in-person Town Council meetings starting next Thursday, April 7.
• Learn the basics of screen printing at an Alchemy Art Center class being held April 9 and 10. If you sign up by April 1 and use promo code ScreenprintSpring you can save 25 percent.
• Island Wools is back to being open five days a week — Tuesday through Saturday — from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• San Juan Islands Audubon reports that a Burrowing Owl has been seen at American Camp over the last few days. They remind Islanders to stay on roads and trails and not approach the bird to get a better look, to avoid interrupting its migration.

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Freezer Burned is an ongoing series for the San Juan Update, written by Steve Ulvi. Read the previous story in this series.

Déjà vu All Over Again

My old friend, Archie Ferguson, last sojourned from his Yukon River village a few years back to attend a Sasquatch Discovery Camp near Darrington, WA. You might remember that his main reason for leaving his village-a tiny outpost of peoplehood in a vast wild landscape-to endure the hassles of negotiating a herd-like society, was not Sasquatch sleuthing but a quest as old as the Anthropocene itself; meeting up with an eligible gal. Dreams of pitching woo. It didn’t go well.

With COVID finally relenting for a spell and a growing sense of a good lifetime diminishing (pithily describing his future as “like looking through the wrong end of my binoculars”), Archie called to announce a nostalgic road trip down the Al-Can Highway and beyond. I knew he was mentally already on his way after a tough winter (but the gravel highway to the village wouldn’t be plowed open for weeks yet) by the exuberant tone of his voice when he left the message.

He was emphatic fifteen years ago that I would sorely regret leaving the “Great Land” for this banana belt island on the watery edge of Pugetopolis. “A place wholeheartedly groveling to tourism after a concerted regional free-for-all that has all but destroyed a big chunk of Pacific Salmon World. Striving to become a place of abundant grey hair, pearl Escalades, ostentatious wealth and a widespread belief that stunted red fox, eruptive European hares and herds of sick blacktail deer are somehow natural.” Continue Reading

The San Juan Island Park and Recreation District is looking for a Customer and Communication Specialist to be the first point of contact for its customers. Learn more in the Island Jobs section of the San Juan Update.

San Juan Island Patrol Sergeant Eric Peter has announced his intention to run for San Juan County Sheriff.

Relationships matter. I am Eric Peter, and I am announcing my candidacy for San Juan County Sheriff. It is time for law enforcement to evolve past the current model of policing to relational policing, using the power of connection to build trust.

Relationships matter. I believe in fostering a law enforcement culture following my four-point plan: to ensure safety, communicate effectively, instill trust, and embrace transparency. We have a solemn duty to foster this by building relationships, treating all people with dignity and respect, and dedication to equity and diversity.

I have been blessed to be part of this community and working for the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office on Orcas and San Juan Islands for the past five years. In addition to my role as a Patrol Sergeant on San Juan Island I serve as a trainer in progressive policing focusing on de-escalation, communication skills, and emotional intelligence. Training around the state has given me a clear vision for the future. Continue Reading

From beyond the downward-facing branches of the iconic Camperdown Elm tree on Spring Street, and behind windows covered in butcher paper, a new Friday Harbor business is taking shape.

Salty at Heart is, in the words of owner Sarah Bernstein, a wellness lifestyle apothecary. As that description might suggest, when it opens sometime next month – hopefully by Easter – it will be unlike anything else you’ll find on the Island.

Like most modern apothecaries, Salty at Heart will feature an extensive collection of herbs and natural medicines. But it will also have an eclectic mix of health and wellness products, along with artwork and handmade goods from artists both local and international. Sarah is focused on providing all of those items with as little waste as possible. Continue Reading

A project to rebuild the two-block stretch of First Street between Spring Street and Court Street is scheduled to start in mid-April and is expected to last through the end of May.

Project work includes the grinding and removal of asphalt; the removal and replacement of curbs, gutters and sidewalks; storm system improvements; and the installation of ADA-compliant ramps.

“Local access on First Street from Spring Street to Court Street will be impacted while contractors install storm drain and reconstruct the road,” said Town Administrator Denice Kulseth. “We ask the local businesses and their patrons for patience as we work through this necessary disruption.”

Spring Street International School’s virtual spring speaker series continues this Thursday, March 31 from 6 to 7 p.m.

In the second of five sessions, Guisepi “Joe” Spadafora of the Spring Street class of 2001 will offer his insights and experiences on the gift economy. Joe describes his presentation this way:

What do dumpster diving, giving away free tea, and traveling in an old school bus all have in common? They’re all ways to get basic needs met through building relationships. Join us as we discuss how building relationships, both with people as well as the resources we use and consume, add concrete value to our lives.

Guisepi Spadafora traveled the country for more than a decade with Edna Lu, the Free Tea Bus offering free tea and conversation as a way to cultivate community through non-monetary interactions. As a Spring Street graduate (and valedictorian of the class of 2001), he was inspired by Ted and Peg and the ethos of the school to travel and be of service.

Advance registration is required to receive the Zoom link for the March 31 presentation.

• Ezra Gamez is the winner of the poster content for Island Rec’s 30th annual Children’s Festival. The festival takes place Saturday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fairgrounds.
• The Town of Friday Harbor’s Spring Cleanup week continues through Thursday. On the day of their regular pickup, residential garbage customers get curbside pickup of items that are too large or too heavy for their garbage cans. Items must fit in a standard pickup truck bed, weigh no more than 60 pounds and be non-hazardous, non-liquid, and non-recyclable.
• The Toy Box just received a large shipment of LEGO. They’re open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
• Mike’s Cafe and Wine Bar is closed until April 7 for the installation of a new kitchen floor.
• It’s Middle School Drama Club Night this Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Performing Arts Resource Center on Saltspring Drive. There will be theatre games, karaoke, and dancing.
• No-cut tryouts for the Friday Harbor Baseball & Softball Association take place on Tuesday. Baseball is for grades three to seven; for softball it’s grades three to eight. Minors tryouts are at 3 p.m. with majors tryouts at 4 p.m.
• The Land Bank is looking for public input on the final draft of its agriculture objectives and policy.

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