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Photo of the Day

 

Friday Harbor senior Liz Cruz returns the ball in the Wolverines' 3-1 victory over Cedar Park Christian Sept. 14, 2019. Matt Pranger photo

 

Friday Harbor junior Olivia Meenan digs out a serve in the Wolverines' 3-1 victory over Cedar Park Christian Sept. 14, 2019. Matt Pranger photo

 

Latest Local News

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Sheriff's Log San Juan Islands Sept. 11-17: Ailing deer, threats, missing auto lights...

Sheriff's Log San Juan Islands Sept. 11-17: Ailing deer, threats, missing auto lights...

Deputies in the San Juan Islands responded to 192 calls from September 11-17, 2019 including: A...READ MORE

Want to be Writer in Residence on the Inter Island ferry?

Want to be Writer in Residence on the Inter Island ferry?

Writer-in-residence on San Juan Islands interisland route Love to write in a scenic environment? WSF's first...READ MORE

Funding obtained for Agate Beach Road rerouting

Funding obtained for Agate Beach Road rerouting

The San Juan County Public Works Dept has secured the funding necessary to relocate the MacKaye...READ MORE

Tsunami-emergency kits to be placed at Patos Island

Tsunami-emergency kits to be placed at Patos Island

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources recently released a short video showing the projected effects...READ MORE

Draft EMS/Fire contract put on hold

Draft EMS/Fire contract put on hold

Tuesday, the Boards of San Juan County Public Hospital District 1 and San Juan Island Fire...READ MORE

Chance to comment on NOAA's proposed rule expanding critical habitat designation for killer whales

Chance to comment on NOAA's proposed rule expanding critical habitat designation for killer whales

NOAA Fisheries is publishing a proposed rule to revise the designation of critical habitat for Southern...READ MORE

Under proposed EMS/Fire contract: It's merger first, details later

Under proposed EMS/Fire contract: It's merger first, details later

Less than six months after a citizens committee recommended an estimated two-year process to integrate San...READ MORE

Islands Oil Spill Association looking for skilled volunteers

Islands Oil Spill Association looking for skilled volunteers

As part of an ongoing revitalization effort, the Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA) is looking for...READ MORE

Sept. 22: Motorcyclists should make ferry reservations for Annual Oyster Run

The Annual Oyster Run motorcycle rally occurs this Sunday, Sept 22 in Anacortes. Travelers can expect...READ MORE

Woman charged with reckless endangerment after hitting flagger in 2018 in Friday Harbor

Woman charged with reckless endangerment after hitting flagger in 2018 in Friday Harbor

  A 24-year-old San Juan Island woman will be arraigned on one charge of Reckless Endangerment on...READ MORE

Gaydos to receive Friday Harbor Film Fest's Local Hero Award

Gaydos to receive Friday Harbor Film Fest's Local Hero Award

Joe Gaydos of Orcas Island will receive Friday Harbor Film Festival's 2019 Local Hero Award for...READ MORE

Letter to the community from San Juan Island SD Superintendent

Letter to the community from San Juan Island SD Superintendent

San Juan Island School District Superintendent Kari McVeigh sent this letter updating the community about the...READ MORE

Residential Burn Season opens September 30 - Burn permits now available online

Residential Burn Season opens September 30 - Burn permits now available online

Residential burn season in the San Juan Islands opens September 30, 2019. Residential burn permits for...READ MORE

Increase to 'no show' fee DOES NOT start Oct. 1

Increase to 'no show' fee DOES NOT start Oct. 1

There's a bit of confusion regarding the 'no show' fee for Washington State Ferries reservations. Here...READ MORE

Elizabeth Jean Bell 1968 - 2019

Elizabeth Jean Bell 1968 - 2019

Elizabeth Jean Bell, of Friday Harbor, Washington, unexpectedly passed away September 8, 2019 at the age...READ MORE

Man suffering sudden cardiac arrest successfully revived by CPR and AED on Orcas Island

Orcas Island Fire and Rescue (OIFR) crews responded to reports of CPR in progress after a...READ MORE

Jeannetta Noland Friday Harbor APS Volunteer of the Month

Jeannetta Noland Friday Harbor APS Volunteer of the Month

Jeannetta Noland was named the Volunteer of the Month of September for the Animal Protection Society...READ MORE

Food For Thought - Micro Views of Sustenance: Threats and Prospects at San Juan Islands Museum of Art Sept. 27 - Dec. 9

Food For Thought - Micro Views of Sustenance: Threats and Prospects at San Juan Islands Museum of Art Sept. 27 - Dec. 9

Food For Thought - Micro Views of Sustenance: Threats and Prospects, an exhibition of photomontages by...READ MORE

Submit entries now for Town of Friday Harbor Poetry Contest

Submit entries now for Town of Friday Harbor Poetry Contest

Friday Harbor will soon be the home of four poetry gardens. The Town of Friday Harbor...READ MORE

Joyce Morene Ragsdale November 28, 1938 - August 25, 2019

Family and friends mourn the loss of Joyce Morene Ragsdale, born November 28, 1938 in Covina...READ MORE

Sandra Kersten Chalk January 3, 1938 - September 6, 2019

Sandra Kersten Chalk January 3, 1938 - September 6, 2019

Sandra Kersten Chalk, “Sandy,” died at her home in Friday Harbor, WA on Friday evening, September...READ MORE

Sheriff's Log San Juan Islands Sept. 4-10, 2019: Trespassers, speeders, sick horse, unconscious camper

Sheriff's Log San Juan Islands Sept. 4-10, 2019: Trespassers, speeders, sick horse, unconscious camper

Deputies in the San Juan Islands responded to 191 calls from September 4 - 10, 2019 including: A...READ MORE

September 20: Youth Climate Strike in Friday Harbor

September 20: Youth Climate Strike in Friday Harbor

San Juan Island students will gather at 10:30 a.m. Friday, September 20, 2019 on the San...READ MORE

The Gwich’in Nation vows to protect sacred lands in the Arctic Refuge

The Gwich’in Nation vows to protect sacred lands in the Arctic Refuge

PRESS RELEASE: WASHINGTON — The Gwich’in Nation vowed to protect sacred lands today September 12, 2019 after...READ MORE

Sign up for Back to Fitness Boot Camp in Friday Harbor

Sign up for Back to Fitness Boot Camp in Friday Harbor

Join Island Rec's Casey Wade and Morgan Johnston, Tuesdays and Thursdays this Fall for a six-...READ MORE

Sept. 21 and Oct. 2: Volunteer Orientations at Island Haven Animal Sanctuary on San Juan Island

Sept. 21 and Oct. 2: Volunteer Orientations at Island Haven Animal Sanctuary on San Juan Island

Island Haven Animal Sanctuary will hold volunteer orientations from 10 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday, September...READ MORE

Recent applications for permits: 1 vacation rental, grading and clearing

Recent applications for permits: 1 vacation rental, grading and clearing

Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands and APS join forces

Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands and APS join forces

Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands, Inc. and Animal Protection Society - Friday Harbor, who is celebrating...READ MORE

Orcas Island Fire and Rescue completes 9/11 Memorial

Orcas Island Fire and Rescue completes 9/11 Memorial

A structural beam from the fallen towers of 9/11 has found its forever home at the...READ MORE

Janet Thomas: Why Does the World Exist?

Janet Thomas: Why Does the World Exist?

I go to the Thrift Store for R&R. This is a long-standing tradition for many islanders...READ MORE

Time to comment on marijuana moratorium and possible new rules in the San Juan Islands

Time to comment on marijuana moratorium and possible new rules in the San Juan Islands

San Juan County currently has a moratorium on licensed marijuana production and processing. The resolution was...READ MORE

San Juan County's online permit center open

San Juan County's online permit center open

San Juan County's Department of Community Development has opened a new online permit center. You can...READ MORE

U.S. Postal Service to relocate Olga Post Office; Olga Store is preferred new site

U.S. Postal Service to relocate Olga Post Office; Olga Store is preferred new site

OLGA – The U.S. Postal Service is planning to relocate the existing Olga Post Office, 7025...READ MORE

Deer Harbor home destroyed in blaze

Deer Harbor home destroyed in blaze

A waterfront home in Deer Harbor was fully engulfed in flames when Orcas Island Fire and Rescue...READ MORE

Lightning strikes cause wildfire on Orcas Island

Lightning strikes cause wildfire on Orcas Island

Orcas Island Fire (OIFR) crews responded to a small wildland fire after lightning struck several trees...READ MORE

Guest Column: Carol Whalen beats meningitis. Thank you, community!

Guest Column: Carol Whalen beats meningitis. Thank you, community!

Hello everyone, This is the post our family has prayed we'd be able to write since Tuesday...READ MORE

Happy Birthday

Events this Weekend: September 20-22

September 20: Youth Climate Strike in Friday Harbor

September 20: Youth Climate Strike in Friday Harbor

San Juan Island students will gather at 10:30 a.m. Friday, September 20, 2019 on the San Juan County Courthouse lawn in Friday Harbor as part of the international Youth Climate Strike that is  demanding transformative action be taken...READ MORE

Sept. 20: Film: Dirt Rich at Brickworks in Friday Harbor

Sept. 20: Film: Dirt Rich at Brickworks in Friday Harbor

In collaboration with the San Juan Island Fall Farm Tour (https://islandgrownsj.com/), Friday Harbor Film Festival will screen Dirt Rich at 6:30 pm on September 20 at Brickworks. Marcelina Cravat, the film’s director, will lead a lively...READ MORE

Sept. 21 and 22: Lopez Island Walkabout

Sept. 21 and 22: Lopez Island Walkabout

The Lopez Walkabout is an annual hike the full length of Lopez Island over a weekend in September, this year on September 21 and 22. Walkers stay off the roadways as much as possible crossing public...READ MORE

Sept. 21: 3rd Saturday Contra Dance in Friday Harbor

Sept. 21: 3rd Saturday Contra Dance in Friday Harbor

The Third Saturday Contra Dance takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday September 21 at the San Juan Island Grange in Friday Harbor. Admission is a $10 donation at the door, $5 for students.

Sept. 21: Farmers Markets on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Islands (every Saturday)

Sept. 21: Farmers Markets on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Islands (every Saturday)

There are Farmers Markets on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Islands on Saturdays throughout the summer. 

Sept. 21 and Oct. 2: Volunteer Orientations at Island Haven Animal Sanctuary on San Juan Island

Sept. 21 and Oct. 2: Volunteer Orientations at Island Haven Animal Sanctuary on San Juan Island

Island Haven Animal Sanctuary will hold volunteer orientations from 10 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday, September 21 and from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, October 2. The Orientations will be for new volunteers as well as current...READ MORE

Regional, state and national news items

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Ahead of the Curve exhibit opens next week in Olympia

Ahead of the Curve exhibit opens next week in Olympia

OLYMPIA — Legacy Washington, the Office of the Secretary of State’s oral history program, highlights trailblazing Washington women in a new exhibit, Ahead of...READ MORE

U.S. Postal Service to relocate Olga Post Office; Olga Store is preferred new site

U.S. Postal Service to relocate Olga Post Office; Olga Store is preferred new site

OLGA – The U.S. Postal Service is planning to relocate the existing Olga Post Office, 7025 Olga Rd., to the Olga Store, at Olga...READ MORE

Navy's request for re-initiation of consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service granted

Navy's request for re-initiation of consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service granted

The U.S. Navy has requested - and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has agreed - to re-initiate formal consultation on the potential effects...READ MORE

Report: WA Agency Makes Progress on Climate, Has Work to Do Elsewhere

Report: WA Agency Makes Progress on Climate, Has Work to Do Elsewhere

Washington News Service: SEATTLE - The Washington state Department of Natural Resources is making progress on high profile issues facing the state, but that...READ MORE

Heads up: 2 bicycle events on mainland Sept. 7 and 8

If you're going off island on Sunday, be aware there are two bicycle events happening September 8 in  Skagit and Whatcom counties.

Field Carrier Landing Practice Schedule at the NAS Whidbey August 26 – September 1, 2019

There are carrier-based flight training operations scheduled to occur at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Ault Field and the Outlying Landing Field (OLF) in...READ MORE

People

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Gaydos to receive Friday Harbor Film Fest's Local Hero Award

Gaydos to receive Friday Harbor Film Fest's Local Hero Award

Joe Gaydos of Orcas Island will receive Friday Harbor Film Festival's 2019 Local Hero Award for...READ MORE

Jeannetta Noland Friday Harbor APS Volunteer of the Month

Jeannetta Noland Friday Harbor APS Volunteer of the Month

Jeannetta Noland was named the Volunteer of the Month of September for the Animal Protection Society...READ MORE

Food For Thought - Micro Views of Sustenance: Threats and Prospects at San Juan Islands Museum of Art Sept. 27 - Dec. 9

Food For Thought - Micro Views of Sustenance: Threats and Prospects at San Juan Islands Museum of Art Sept. 27 - Dec. 9

Food For Thought - Micro Views of Sustenance: Threats and Prospects, an exhibition of photomontages by...READ MORE

Sept. 21 and Oct. 2: Volunteer Orientations at Island Haven Animal Sanctuary on San Juan Island

Sept. 21 and Oct. 2: Volunteer Orientations at Island Haven Animal Sanctuary on San Juan Island

Island Haven Animal Sanctuary will hold volunteer orientations from 10 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday, September...READ MORE

Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands and APS join forces

Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands and APS join forces

Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands, Inc. and Animal Protection Society - Friday Harbor, who is celebrating...READ MORE

Orcas Island Fire and Rescue completes 9/11 Memorial

Orcas Island Fire and Rescue completes 9/11 Memorial

A structural beam from the fallen towers of 9/11 has found its forever home at the...READ MORE

Friday Harbor Fiber Artist wins awards

Friday Harbor Fiber Artist wins awards

Friday Harbor artist, Patti Barker has won two different awards this year with wearable art designed...READ MORE

Sept. 14: Art Reception for Rande Cook, exhibition at Arctic Raven til Oct. 19

Sept. 14: Art Reception for Rande Cook, exhibition at Arctic Raven til Oct. 19

Local native artist, Rande Cook, has a firm grip on the wheel of the Kwakwakawak’w imagination...READ MORE

Letters to the Editor

Health

Ferries

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Want to be Writer in Residence on the Inter Island ferry?

Want to be Writer in Residence on the Inter Island ferry?

Writer-in-residence on San Juan Islands interisland route Love to write in a scenic environment? WSF's first Writer-in-Residence Iris Graville is looking for someone to continue her role on the San Juan Islands interisland ferry. She took...

Sept. 22: Motorcyclists should make ferry reservations for Annual Oyster Run

The Annual Oyster Run motorcycle rally occurs this Sunday, Sept 22 in Anacortes. Travelers can expect large volumes of motorcycles and potential loading delays throughout the weekend. In Anacortes, Friday Harbor, and Orcas Island, motorcyclists are...

Sports and Recreation

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Island Rec- Fall Youth Dance Classes

Island Rec- Fall Youth Dance Classes

This fall Island Rec is offering two new dance classes on San Juan Island taught by Rachelle Radonsk. She has been teaching tap, jazz...READ MORE

July 10 Music on the Lawn concert canceled

July 10 Music on the Lawn concert canceled

The first concert in Island Rec's popular free concert series - July 10 with the Chameleons - was canceled due to the weather.

UPDATED: Friday Harbor girls relay team places fourth at state meet

UPDATED: Friday Harbor girls relay team places fourth at state meet

Friday Harbor girls relay team places fourth at state meet Friday Harbor girls 4x100-meter relay team placed fourth at the 2019 Class 2B Track...READ MORE

UPDATED: Friday Harbor finishes among top-eight fastpitch teams, wins 20 games

UPDATED: Friday Harbor finishes among top-eight fastpitch teams, wins 20 games

Friday Harbor finished among the top eight fast-pitch softball teams in Class 2B after a loss to eventual fourth-place finisher Chewelah in a state...READ MORE

Friday Harbor clobbers Colfax 13-2

Friday Harbor clobbered  Colfax 13-2 at the 2019 Class 2B State Fastpitch Softball Tournament in Yakima Saturday, May 25.

Friday Harbor comes back late; remains alive in fastpitch state tourney

Friday Harbor comes back late; remains alive in fastpitch state tourney

Friday Harbor’s offense scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning against Dayton/Waitsburg and the Wolverine defense held in the top of...READ MORE

Wolverine girls relay team advances to state finals

Friday Harbor’s girls 4x100-meter relay team will be competing in the 2019 Class 2B State Finals after running the fifth-best time in the preliminaries...READ MORE

Friday Harbor Rally falls short in state fastpitch opener

Friday Harbor’s rally against Liberty fell short in a 11-7 loss to Liberty in the first round of the Class 2B State Fastpitch Tournament...READ MORE

Vogel finishes 11th in 1600 run at state meet

Friday Harbor‘s Emily Vogel finished 11th in 3200-meter run at the 2019 Class 2B State Track and Field Championships in Cheney Thursday, May 23...READ MORE

Island golfers return from state tourney

Island golfers return from state tourney

Wolverine Coach Jack Rice sent in this eport and results from the state golf tourney: Friday Harbor sent four golfers to the 1B2B High School...READ MORE

Friday Harbor dominates district tourney; clinches 5th straight trip to state fastpitch…

Friday Harbor clinched its fifth consecutive trip to the Class 2B State Fastpitch Tournament with dominant victories over traditional foes at the District 1...READ MORE

Friday Harbor baseball team completes season tied for fifth in state -…

Friday Harbor baseball team completes season tied for fifth in state - SLIDESHOW

Friday Harbor’s baseball team finished the 2019 season tied for fifth in Class 2B after a win and a loss in a state regional...READ MORE

At least seven Wolverines advance to state track and field meet

At least seven Wolverines advance to state track and field meet

At least seven Friday Harbor athletes will be attending the 2019 Class 2B State Track and Field Championships after winning their events at the...READ MORE

Friday Harbor wallops Orcas for district fastpitch title and state berth (Corrected…

Friday Harbor walloped Orcas Island 11-1  In the  Class 2B District 1 Softball Championship  in Sedro-Woolley Saturday, May 18, and earned District 1's sole...READ MORE

Friday Harbor baseball wraps up season tied for fifth in state

Rainier High School baseball team eliminated Friday Harbor in the quarterfinals of the Class 2B State Tournament in Yelm on Saturday, May 18. The Rams...READ MORE

Friday Harbor baseball wins 5-3

Friday Harbor baseball wins 5-3

Friday Harbor High School baseball team beat Wahkiakum  5-3 in the first round of the state tourney. The other team had the bases loaded...READ MORE

Obituaries

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Elizabeth Jean Bell 1968 - 2019

Elizabeth Jean Bell 1968 - 2019

Elizabeth Jean Bell, of Friday Harbor, Washington, unexpectedly passed away September 8, 2019 at the age of 51. She was preceded in death by her grandparents Ralph and Elizabeth Smith of Los Altos, California, and John...READ MORE

Joyce Morene Ragsdale November 28, 1938 - August 25, 2019

Family and friends mourn the loss of Joyce Morene Ragsdale, born November 28, 1938 in Covina CA, to Doyle Theodore Lackey and Margret Ruth Lackey. She passed away peacefully on August 25, 2019 in Friday Harbor...READ MORE

Sandra Kersten Chalk January 3, 1938 - September 6, 2019

Sandra Kersten Chalk January 3, 1938 - September 6, 2019

Sandra Kersten Chalk, “Sandy,” died at her home in Friday Harbor, WA on Friday evening, September 6 after a sudden and brief struggle with cancer. The night of her death was calm, warm and dry and...READ MORE

Eleanor Bartig May 15, 1928 - June 22, 2019

Eleanor Bartig May 15, 1928 - June 22, 2019

A memorial gathering was held on Shaw Island last week for longtime Shaw resident and Friday Harbor business owner Eleanor Bartig. Eleanor died June 22 in Anacortes at age 91. Friends describe Eleanor with many of the...READ MORE

Sept. 7: Celebration of Life for Jacki Altier in Friday Harbor

Sept. 7: Celebration of Life for Jacki Altier in Friday Harbor

A celebration of life for Jacqueline "Jacki" Altier Roth will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, September 7, 2019 at San Juan Community Theatre. Everyone is welcome to attend. 

Robert Augustus Warren August 5, 1932 - July 28, 2019

Robert Augustus Warren August 5, 1932 - July 28, 2019

Robert Augustus Warren slipped away peacefully in the company of his closest family on July 28th, 2019, just a week shy of his 87th birthday. Best known for his lively, nostalgic watercolor paintings with bright colors...READ MORE

Cynthia Elliott June 12,1951 - August 2, 2019

Cynthia Elliott June 12,1951 - August 2, 2019

Cynthia Elliott peacefully passed from complications from Parkinson’s on August 2, 2019. Cynthia was born on June 12th, 1951 in Vancouver, Washington to Gladys Garner and Bill Grogan. She was the youngest of five.

Bruce Hansen

Bruce Hansen

Bruce Hansen passed away on July 5, 2019. He would want everyone to:

Judy Elizabeth Cox December 19, 1935 - July 25, 2019

Judy Elizabeth Cox December 19, 1935 - July 25, 2019

Judith Elizabeth Cox passed away on July 25th, 2019 surrounded by her family at 83 years young. She was born December 19, 1935 in Los Angeles to the late Robert and Margaret (Faris) Carmichael.

Brooklynn Bree Boles

Brooklynn Bree Boles

Brooklynn Bree Boles, stillborn on July 21, 2019, infant daughter of Savannah and Josh Boles, silently tip-toed into our lives and into the arms of angels. In the moments after she was delivered, family members continuously...READ MORE

Virginia Palmer July 20, 1944 - June 29, 2019

Virginia Palmer July 20, 1944 - June 29, 2019

Virginia (known by many as Ginger) passed away peacefully after a battle with cancer. She was 74. Born in Asheville, NC, her early years were mostly spent in Philadelphia with family excursions up and down the east...READ MORE

John V Moore September 6, 1919 - July 27, 2019

John V Moore September 6, 1919 - July 27, 2019

John V Moore died peacefully on July 27 in Friday Harbor, Washington, six weeks shy of his 100th birthday. The retired United Methodist minister had lived in Friday Harbor for four years, enjoying the company and...READ MORE

Andy Nigretto June 5, 1927 - July 17, 2019

Andy Nigretto June 5, 1927 - July 17, 2019

Andy Nigretto passed away quietly surrounded by those he loved and those that loved him. Andy was a first generation American and grew up in Sedro Woolley, Washington. He proudly served our country in the U.S...READ MORE

August 4: Celebration of Life in Friday Harbor for Sue and Dick Rich

August 4: Celebration of Life in Friday Harbor for Sue and Dick Rich

Please join Sue & Dick Rich's family to celebrate two lives well-lived and much-loved. An Open House will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, August 4, 2019 at the The Backdoor Kitchen 400 A...READ MORE

Janet Williamson February 22, 1952 - July 5, 2019

Janet Williamson February 22, 1952 - July 5, 2019

Janet Gail Williamson, 67, passed away on July 5, 2019 at her home on San Juan Island surrounded by friends, family and her loving animals. She struggled bravely in her fight with breast cancer for five...READ MORE

Kay Erickson, October 13, 1937 – July 7, 2019

Kay Erickson, October 13, 1937 – July 7, 2019

Claire (Kay) Faye Erickson of Friday Harbor passed away on July 7, 2019, at the age of 81 with her family by her side. Kay was born on October 13,1937, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and she...READ MORE