Island Rec is pleased to announce the main attractions and entertainment for the 24th Annual Children’s Festival. Headlining this year’s festivities, we’ll have Karen Quest, trick roper extraordinaire, whom in 2001, was named the Women’s big loop champion at the Wild West Arts International Convention. She guarantees to bring a fun-filled western comedy act, complete with trick roping, whip cracking, music and lots of surprises.

Kids will also have the opportunity to join in with Bill Ament to learn line dancing, build and decorate a western-themed cardboard town with the Boy Scouts, practice their roping skills with Paideia School, and pet some friendly critters with 4-H.

With dozens of other community organizations providing all kinds of hands-on activities, this year’s Children’s Festival promises to be the rootin-est tootin-est time this side of the Mississippi. Come join us in the Wild Wild West!

Saturday, May 3rd, 10:00 am -2:00 pm at the Fair Building.
For more information, please call 378-4953 or visit www.islandrec.org

The County Council is searching for San Juan County citizens to fill current and upcoming vacancies on various boards and commissions. Additional information about each committee is available on the County’s website at: http://sanjuanco.com/Council/AdvisoryCommittees.aspx

Persons interested in serving on a board or advisory committee should fill out an Advisory Committee Application or Contact the Council Office at: (360) 378-2898 or email:
sueko [@] sanjuanco [.] com

The following is a list of current and upcoming vacancies: Continue Reading

Gaining control over finances is one of the most important skills to learn as a business owner or an individual. The San Juan County Economic Development Council will present a FREE two-hour workshop entitled “Finance 101” on Orcas Island, on Tuesday, May 6, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Advance registration is required.

The workshop course material will be presented by Carrie Brooks, Assistant Vice-President and Loan Officer at Islanders Bank.

Ms. Brooks will cover the basics of financial literacy, covering a variety of topics including: setting priorities, understanding credit, budgeting, understanding personal investing and the basics of banking.

Whether you’re starting from scratch, in debt, or just looking for a refresher on the basics, this course is a must-do. Participants in the workshop will leave with the knowledge they need to take control over their finances.

Details: Tuesday, May 6, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Orcas Island Fire Hall community room. Advance registration is required; please call 360-378-2906 to reserve your space, or email:
info [@] sanjuansedc [.] org.

The EDC thanks Islanders Bank, Whidbey Island Bank, San Juan County government, the Town of Friday Harbor, the Port of Friday Harbor and the Port of Lopez for supporting our Business Education Series.

The San Juan County Economic Development Council’s Business Education Series was created by the EDC in response to concerns from local business owners and overall increased demand from new businesses. This series will present a variety of business topics designed for both those opening a new business or those wanting to take their business to the next level.
The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) strives to strengthen and diversify the economy of San Juan County. We believe a strong economy builds a strong community. The EDC works to build an environment that helps business owners create jobs. We serve business: linking organizations and resources, providing valuable information, rendering assistance and advocating for an improved island business environment.

It’s the Boating Safety Fair and Marine Swap Meet! – Matt Pranger photo

Get your 2014 Boating season off to a Clean, Fun & Safe start!

• FREE Vessel Safety Checks
• Expired Flare Drop-Off Station
• Man Overboard USCG Demos
• Fire-Extinguisher Discharge Station
• In-the-water Self-Correcting Kayak Demos
• WA State Parks and U.S. Customs Agents
• Fun Activities for Kids with PFD Panda and Officer Snook

Saturday, April 26th at the Port of Friday Harbor Park
9:00 am to 4:00 pm

“Marine” Swap Meet will be held in the Lower parking lot, behind the Port office. One 10’ space per “swapper”. Bring your own tables and chairs if needed. Anything nautical welcome, including dinghies, skiffs or small boats on trailers!

Please call the Harbormaster to reserve your spot at 378-2688.

Sponsored by the SJI Recreational Boating Safety Group and the Port of Friday Harbor
Official Poster (PDF)

Posting this again as it’s getting closer to the event…

Erin Bezakein of Floret Flowers will be the keynote speaker at the WSU Master Gardeners’ Spring Gardening Workshop – Michele Waite photo

The San Juan County WSU Master Gardeners present the 2014 Spring Gardening Workshop: Sustainable Gardening in Your Own Backyard with keynote speaker, Erin Bezakein, founder of Floret Flower Farm in Mount Vernon. Erin is an Organic Farmer, Floral Designer, Writer and Popular Blogger, and will talk about her adventures in the organic flower growing industry.

There will also be 15 workshops on sustainable practices for your garden, from Cottage Gardens to Bees to Preserving your Garden’s Bounty. Read all about those and more at the Brown Paper Tickets or the WSU Master Gardeners links below.

This workshop happens at the Friday Harbor Middle School, 85 Blair Ave on Saturday, April 26th from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.
Cost is $35 if pre-registered or $40 at the door.

Registration is available online through Brown Paper Tickets, starting March 15th, 2014. For more information and a registration form call WSU Extension at 360-378-4414.

San Juan County WSU Master Gardeners
Email: kbayas [@] wsu [.] edu
Phone: 360-378-4414

San Juan Island Cheese invites you to “A Taste of Washington” with Linda Burner Augustine Showcasing the Bounty of the Palouse.

Enjoy cheese-focused tapas, regional wine and beer with author Linda Burner Augustine, who will be presenting and signing the cookbook she coauthored “The Crimson Spoon”. More info on that book is available at this link (PDF).

Thursday, April 24th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm
Seating is limited, reservations highly recommended
360-370-5115

Note: Don’t confuse this with the event the following evening at Brickworks, also featuring Linda.

June Arnold of the SJI Service Scholarship would like to say thanks…

Dear Island Neighbors,

On behalf of the San Juan Island Service Scholarship Board I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who came out on March 27th to support our annual Dining for Scholars event. It was wonderful to see so many community minded friends and families dining out to support the mission of volunteerism and scholarship here on San Juan Island.

We also want to extent our gratitude to all of our partner restaurants who donated a portion of their March 27th proceeds to the SJI Service Scholarship fund. Without their generosity this event would not happen. So, I would like to offer a sincere thank you and encourage us all to continue to support the following local businesses…
Roy’s, Café Demeter, Hungry Clam, Roche Harbor’s Lime Kiln Café, Blue Water, China Pearl/Kung Fu Pizza, Spring Street Deli, Vic’s Drive In, Rumor Mill, Haley’s Bait Shop & Grill, Cask & Schooner, Mi Casita, Coho, Roche Harbor’s McMillan’s Room and Tops’l.

The mission of San Juan Island Service Scholarship is to support higher education and promote volunteerism among our community’s youth. Students who have completed a minimum of 80 hours of volunteer community service during their high school career are eligible for a scholarship from our organization.

If helping to grow volunteerism in our community appeals to you, please join us by making a donation to our scholarship fund by visiting us on the web at www.sjiservicescholarship.org or mailing your support to SJI Service Scholarship, P.O. Box 3366, Friday Harbor, WA, 98250. We are a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your donation is fully tax deductible.

Sincerely,
June Arnold

Here’s a note from Shaun Hubbard and the San Juan Islanders for Safe Shipping…

Hooray, Safe Shippers! We’ve been given a seat at the table! As it should be, we “get to” have a say in the fate of OUR waters!

Here’s the back story…
There is oil in the tar sands of Alberta, and Kinder Morgan wants to extract it and dilute it so they can pipe it. But first…they have plans to build a bigger pipeline (Trans Mountain) which will carry it to the west coast of British Columbia, where it will be put on ships for export to Asia and other parts of the world.

Those ships will pass right by us. There will be seven times more of them than there are now — up to 816 annual tanker transits through Haro Strait and Boundary Pass — increasing the risk of a major oil spill.

We need to tell Kinder Morgan and the Canadian government what we think about their plans — and now we can and we will!

Here’s the part about you…
Remember the letters you sent in February? They worked! You thanked the Washington Department of Ecology for applying for intervenor status and you asked our County Council members to apply to comment. The good news: Canada’s National Energy Board (NEB) has selected 1650 individuals and entities (including DoE and our Council) to be a part of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain project review process. The not-so good news: Out of 2118 applications received, they DENIED 468 concerned citizens a voice in the process!

Several other applicants from Washington State and San Juan County are being allowed to participate, including (drum roll, please)…
San Juan Islanders for Safe Shipping! That’s us!
Our cohorts at Lopez NoCoalition, Orcas NoCoalition, and FRIENDS of the San Juans have been accepted to comment, too!
This is exactly what should happen — we use our voices to protect what belongs to all of us — safe and clean waters.

Let’s tell them what we think about their plans for all this shipping along our shores. And let’s do this for those 468 who were denied the opportunity, and the billions of wild creatures who aren’t able to participate either.

The deadline for SJIFSS to submit our comment letter is September 9, 2014, so in the next few months, we will be hosting a series of comment-drafting parties. Stay tuned – we will let you know when and where. In the meantime, we have included a list (see below) of links to websites, articles, videos and a list of local events that we hope you will find informative.

Way to go, Safe Shippers! Thank you!!!!

San Juan Islanders for Safe Shipping Continue Reading

Click for larger poster

Panel members are wanted to observe and evaluate Senior Class presentations on May 21st.

If you’re interested, please R.S.V.P. to Tammy no later than May 1st. Click on the poster for more info.

Tamara Andersen
FHHS Counseling Center Assistant
(360)370-7129
tamaraandersen [@] sjisd [.] wednet [.] edu

Here are a few photos from today’s Easter Egg Hunt at Jackson’s Beach. All photos by Tim Dustrude. Click to enlarge.  And click the “Read More” link below to see more…

Continue Reading

Webb Lagoon – Contributed photo

Trails enthusiasts are invited to discuss draft alternatives the National Park Service has developed for the Mitchell Hill/Westcott Bay additions to English Camp at a workshop scheduled 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 22 at the Grange Hall in Friday Harbor.

The park is in the process of drafting a Development Concept Plan and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the 382 acres of uplands, forests and shoreline that became part of English Camp in 2010 and 2013. The proposed plan will provide a blueprint for future facilities and recreational activities for each new area, according to Lee Taylor, park superintendent.

National Park Service planners and park staff developed a set of preliminary alternatives after taking comments at public workshop held January 22. During the process, attendees at several tables used colored markers on large maps to indicate which trails in the area were appropriate for mixed or single use, as well as those that should be closed or developed. They also expressed ideas about infrastructure such as picnic areas, hitching posts, kayak launch sites and trailhead signage.

“It was a very productive session and was invaluable in drafting the set of alternatives,” Taylor said. “We’re hoping all of our January attendees will return and that we’ll see some new faces as well, to provide feedback on our work.”

For information, please contact Jerald Weaver, park chief of Integrated Resources at 360-378-2240 ext 2224, or e-mail him at
Jerald_weaver [@] nps [.] gov

Grange members (right) welcoming community musicians (left) to the Hall, (L – R): Mike Cohen, Lee McEnery, Ken Arzarian, Valerie White, Roger Ellison and Alice Deane – Click for larger version – Contributed photo

April is Grange Month, and San Juan Island Grange #966 is opening its doors to show off our Hall and welcome new membership and rentals! View the entries for the Grange Arts and Crafts Contest, check out the beginnings of the Makers Guild Tool Library, and scope out the plans for a new waterview deck! Come celebrate with us and enjoy refreshments, music, and friendship. Here’s your chance to find out more about our activities and how easy it is to have an event here!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014
San Juan Island Grange Hall
Arts and Crafts Contest Entries, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm; Open House starting at 5:00 pm

Following submission of entries at the Arts and Crafts Contest from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm, the Hall will re-open at 5:00 pm—all are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Don’t forget, this is coming up next Tuesday evening…

Sunshine Alley – Click for larger image

A public open house will be conducted as a drop-in event from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Tuesday April 22nd in Brickworks located at 150 Nichols Street for all interested parties to review and comment on the results of the Sunshine Alley Design Workshops.

The Sunshine Alley Design Workshops were conducted over 2 evenings in late February and involved 57 people who had signed up on the Town’s website to participate. The participants were divided into 7 small groups that brainstormed ideas for improving Alley appearances and activities.

The workshop participants identified 91 specific actions dealing with a courtyard commons, site and building developments, activities, children’s activities, walkways, traffic, parking, signage, amenities, artworks, landscape, infrastructure, security, and trash. The proposed actions have been illustrated with site plans and sketches including proposals that have alternative choices. Open house attendees will have an opportunity to review and comment on the illustrated proposals. The consultant team will use the open house comments to refine a final design and program concept and to estimate costs and develop financing particulars.

Please contact Duncan Wilson, Town Administrator at 378-2810 or
duncanw [@] fridayharbor [.] org if you have any questions about the Sunshine Alley Design Project or the open house.

And for a preview, before you go to the open house, you can review participants’ suggestions in this PDF Document.

Yes, that’s right…

Skagit Valley College approved for first-ever Bachelor of Applied Science degree

Students will be able to earn a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Conservation degree in Mount Vernon when Skagit Valley College (SVC) offers its first-ever four-year program in September. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges approved the degree in Olympia on March 27th.

“Skagit, Island, and San Juan counties provide an incredible natural learning environment,” said SVC President Dr. Thomas Keegan. “By offering a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Conservation, Skagit Valley College will prepare highly skilled ecology professionals who will have a solid understanding of the unique environmental issues facing our region.”

The BAS in Environmental Conservation degree will serve graduates of SVC’s two-year Environmental Conservation program and incumbent workers who are place-bound. The program is designed as a hybrid program, incorporating on-campus learning, lab, and fieldwork, as well as online components. It offers a blend that works well with students who have their two-year degree and who want to complete their four-year degree locally.

Click here for the whole story (PDF).

Here’s Merri Ann Simonson with the quarterly Real Estate Market Summary…

The first quarter results for San Juan Island were very exciting, as the real estate dollar volume was up 133% from the same three month period in 2013. The number of transactions was up 125%. Overall, the County had a 46% increase. This year San Juan Island was the top performer in volume and last year it was Orcas Island’s turn to close the most volume in the first quarter. This year Orcas is up only 13.5%; there is no logic to explain the variations other than “it’s a real estate market”.

On San Juan, the average price for all property types for the first quarter was $401,690, as compared to the same period last year when the average price was $387,356. This is a slight increase of 4%. The increase for just single family homes on less than 5 acres is 3.1% over last year. An increase in average sales price doesn’t equate to appreciation but evidences a trend that is heading the right direction. Click here for the full report (PDF).

Merri Ann Simonson is a Managing Broker and Sales Manager at Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands, Inc.

Beginning work on sewer line replacement – Update staff photo

More utility work going on. But it’s only for a short time. I popped in to ask Town Administrator Duncan Wilson what’s happening and he said they are doing a small preliminary project before the big Blair Avenue Improvement Project which will take place this summer.

Right now, they’re going to replace a sewer line on Blair Avenue and it shouldn’t take more than a week. The idea being they want to get this done before the Summer project so they don’t have to go back after that’s done, and tear up the brand new pavement to replace the sewer line then.

This summer’s project, for those of you who don’t know, will add a sidewalk the entire length of Blair Avenue on the east side (the right-hand side in the photo), all the way from Guard Street to Spring Street. It will also narrow the sidewalk a bit on the corner at Spring Street (on the corner where the Compass Health building is), to make it easier for drivers turning right. And they’ll re-pave the entire thing as well (if I understood that correctly).