For the last two years San Juan Island Schools has maintained a commitment to following the guidelines outlined by the state Department of Health. Our primary objective has been to ensure that all schools remain open. Throughout the 2021-22 school year and particularly during the latest Omicron surge we admittedly have not been an entirely COVID-free environment. However, the dedicated health team in the San Juan Island School District has worked diligently to limit exposure and contain viral spread so that our doors could remain open to all students.

On February 17, in a press conference, Governor Inslee proclaimed that the mask mandates in Washington schools and other public places would be lifted on March 21. This is a breath of fresh air. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal has relayed that new school guidance would be provided to us before the order goes into effect. We all hope that our current COVID numbers on San Juan Island will mimic the state decline over the next five weeks. Until then, all mitigating measures, including masks, will remain in place. Continue Reading

The San Juan County Department of Emergency Management reports 45 confirmed or probable new COVID cases on San Juan Island since Feb. 11. The County also reports 11 new cases on Orcas Island and five on Lopez Island. This week’s 63 new cases bring the total case count to 1,175.

In their media release, the County offered the following perspective on the current case situation, including their position on Governor Jay Inslee’s order to lift mask mandates on March 21:

While case numbers continue to drop dramatically across Washington, case rates have remained elevated in San Juan County for the past three weeks. This is due primarily to a stubborn persistence of cases on San Juan Island, many of which are tied to school students or staff and their immediate families.

Continue Reading

It all started with leftovers.

Cynthia Burke, of Cynthia’s Bistro on Nichols Street, was tired of wasting unused food from catering events. The vacationing clients who paid for the food didn’t want it, because they had nowhere to store it, and even if they did, it would spoil during the long trip back to the mainland. Her staff would take some for themselves, but there’s only so much meatball marinara one can eat. Putting the unused food in the freezer worked only as long as there was space.

And so Cynthia found herself throwing away good food over and over again. Continue Reading

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The San Juan Island School District Board of Directors would like to thank all of the voters who supported our Educational Programs and Operations (EPO) Levy. Nearly 16% of our budget for teaching and learning is covered through this levy. This is the difference between state funding and our true operating costs.

We are so lucky to have such a supportive community.

Again, thank you for your support.

San Juan Island School District Board of Directors
Barbara Bevens
Sarah Werling-Sandwith
John Kurtz
Brian Moore
TJ Heller

Washington State Ferries is delaying the start of the spring schedule in the San Juan Islands by two weeks. According to WSF:

To ensure increased reliability as we work to increase [the San Juan Islands] route to spring service levels while continuing to face crewing challenges, we’re pushing back the start of the run’s spring season from March 27 to April 10.

Reservations for the two-week period between Sunday, March 27 and Sunday, April 10 will be released at 7 a.m. on March 10. Reservations for the spring schedule, which runs from April 10 to Saturday, June 18, will be released at the same time.

The Friday Harbor Film Festival’s Best of the Fest series presents one feature-length documentary alongside shorter documentary films each week in February. The films are streamed on demand. For the week of Feb. 19 to 25, FHFF is showing Zero Gravity and a collection of four short student films.

FHFF shared with the Update a preview of each film.

Continue Reading

Photo credit: John Miller.

The San Juan Island Community Foundation is hiring an Operations Manager, Financial Manager, and Communications Manager. Learn more in the Island Jobs section of the San Juan Update.

Thanks to some observant neighbors and a prompt response from the San Juan County Public Works department, a road collapse along Eagle Cove Road was avoided last month, and the failing culvert at the heart of the problem was replaced.

“It’s always better to get at these things before they collapse,” Public Works Director Colin Huntemer told the County Council at a Jan. 25 meeting discussing the project. “I’m really thankful that members of the community brought this to our attention. We’re not everywhere all the time, so we rely on that additional help from the community when problems arise.” Continue Reading

When I wrote my last article, February is Heart Health Month, I knew I should be following my own advice. I didn’t know how much. We tend to imagine heart disease as that crushing blow to the chest delivered by a heart attack but heart disease can also be kind of sneaky.

Last Saturday I went over to a friend’s house for lunch. When she asked, “How are you?” I answered honestly, “Not so good,” complaining of puffy feet and short breath. Within the hour I was entering Peace Island Medical Center through the Emergency Room for a two-day stay. Continue Reading

Salish Current sends along this announcement about their March 17 public forum examining local journalism and its impact on democracy.

Two nationally respected journalists and Washington state’s attorney general will speak on the importance of local journalism for healthy communities and democracy in a free online forum.

Slated for March 17, the online forum is sponsored by nonprofit newsroom Salish Current, serving Whatcom, Skagit, and San Juan counties, in partnership with Village Books.

Themed “Trust 2022: Why Independent Local News is Important to a Strong Democracy,” the event will feature Margaret Sullivan, Washington Post media columnist and author of “Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy;” Bob Ferguson, Washington state attorney general and supporter of local journalism; and Hedrick Smith, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, documentarian and author of, among other books, “Who Stole the American Dream?” Continue Reading

After two years of virtual events, the Friday Harbor Film Festival aims to return to in-person screenings when its 2022 event kicks off on Friday, Oct. 21.

The festival’s three-day opening weekend will include filmmaker question-and-answer sessions, along with an in-person awards ceremony. The awards for each category will be selected by audience votes.

FHFF will also stream all of its films on demand from Oct. 24 through Oct. 30.

The festival is now accepting entries for feature-length films, short films, and student films. Professional filmmakers, amateurs, and students are all encouraged to submit their work for consideration. Features and short films must be submitted by June 1. Students have until September 1.

Members of the community are invited to celebrate the retirement of Friday Harbor Town Administrator Duncan Wilson. A public event will take place at Brickworks on Friday, Feb. 18 from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

A second event for co-workers, friends, and family happens at San Juan Island Brewing Company on Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Wilson took over the administrator job nearly ten years ago and has since overseen many improvements for the town, leveraging grant funding to maintain and enhance critical infrastructure related to streets, sidewalks, water and sewer systems, and solid waste.