The following local business people have been elected officers of the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce for 2009 ...
Dr. Edwin Dolan, resident of Lopez Island and author of books and articles on banking, monetary policy and environmental issues, leads a free seminar titled, "Understanding the Financial Crisis — Past, Present and Future Realities," three days on three islands this month.
Washington State has launched a multi-agency streaming video that gives new and small businesses easy-to-understand basics on how to plan for, prepare and pay state business taxes and insurance premiums.
The next Chamber Downtown Forum will meet on Thursday, 8:30 a.m., at Whidbey Island Bank. Joy Sevier and Peggy Long, members of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, will facilitate the meeting, continuing the topic "What can we do NOW to improve our local economy?"
Boardwalk Bookstore will close its doors Dec. 31 after more than 35 years in business. Owner Bettye Hendrickson said the closure is not related to the economy, although the store has been for sale with no expressed interest. The closure will leave the town with three book stores: Griffin Bay Bookstore on Spring Street, Harbor Bookstore at Cannery Landing, and Serendipity on A Street.
Spirit Tree Gifts on Argyle Avenue is closing, its owner saying the store has "run out of resources" to keep operating. Spirit Tree's owners described the store as "a multi-dimensional resource center for personal growth and spiritual enlightenment." It sold local clay art, drums, handmade pillows, jewelry, mandalas, music and musical instruments, photography, sculpture, video art and wood art. It also sold books and self-awareness tools, and was a venue for meditation and yoga.
A new fitness center is opening on San Juan Island in January. The new gym, Xtreme Fitness San Juan Island, is located in the Beaverton Business Park, 70 Saltspring Road (3/4 of a mile past the library). It will feature a variety of fitness equipment in a 4,000-square-foot open floor plan.
'My wife and I have just returned home from a wonderful day of Christmas shopping in Friday Harbor. Frankly, we do a lot of shopping online, as well as on the mainland, so we were in for a very pleasant surprise.'
After 18 years of providing medical care for the children of San Juan County, pediatrician Jeanne Olmsted has announced that she will no longer maintain a practice based on Orcas Island after Dec. 31.
Following is a message from Lynn Danaher that the Chamber of Commerce wanted to share in light of recent discussions about "What can we do NOW to help our local economy."
What do you do when you are a creative retailer, wife and mother with two children? You work around the clock, you hire clerks for the times when the children need you and pay babysitters when you are at the store. That might work when sales are brisk during tourist season, but might be marginal at other times. Michelle Waldron and Megan Van Hamerssfeld have solved that dilemma by combining their two shops — Daisy Bloom and Creme Brulee — into one at 165 Spring St.
All state-run liquor stores will be closed on Thursday in observation of the Thanksgiving holiday. State-run stores will be open on Friday.
The Garuda & I, a favorite venue for beaders as well as lovers of exotic jewelry and objets d' art, is for sale. "My husband and I also own and run Naknek Charters and Dive and we have decided that we want to focus more of our efforts on building the diving industry in the San Juan Islands," owner Peggy Long said in an e-mail.
On Black Friday 2008, local businesses throughout the Town of Friday Harbor and, indeed, the entire San Juan Island, will be adorned in holiday decorations, shelves and racks will be overflowing, awaiting your visit as you start your gift and holiday shopping.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt once assured Americans that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. And at least one local financial adviser is saying we need that assurance now: We’re in a recession, not a depression. And we still have a lot for which to be thankful.
San Juan Wireless has announced the addition of AT&T Mobility and Budget Prepay Bill Station to its mix of services. Through a business partnership with Car Toys, San Juan Wireless can now offer mainland competitive prices on AT&T Mobility GSM phones. AT&T Mobility is a wireless carrier whose service will work both domestically and internationally.
The auction of the Friday Harbor Ace Hardware property has been postponed until Dec. 5, 10 a.m., on the courthouse steps. The auction had been scheduled for Oct. 3 but was postponed because the property owner, J. Philip Miller of Camano Island, has filed for bankruptcy protection.
The San Juan County Land Bank is requesting proposals from anyone interested in a long-term agricultural lease of its King Sisters Property. Acquired from the King family in 2005, the land includes about 40 acres of farmland in addition to woodlands and wetlands. A well and perimeter fencing will be included in the lease. The Land Bank worked closely with members of the Agricultural Resources Committee, a county advisory group, in developing this opportunity.
The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild is one of 85 nationwide recipients of a Farmers Market Promotion Program grant from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. The $10,000 grant is for the planning and design of the Ag Guild’s Permanent Farmers’ Market project, a multi-use agricultural facility on San Juan Island.
Elements Hotel & Spa on Spring Street is changing its name. It is now Earthbox Motel & Spa. New signage is to come. The Web site is already being changed.
Julie Corey has opened Friday Harbor Mortgage. She was previously with Countrywide and has 15 years experience. Her new business, Friday Harbor Mortgage, is a branch of Axia Financial, LLC. The office is located at 20 West St. next to The Whale Museum. She is looking forward to offering her clients a wider selection of mortgage solutions.
Despite the name, Compost It is not a compost store. “Compost It” is the store philosophy of providing products that reduce waste and toxic effects to the consumer and the environment. According to proprietor Maureen Marinkovich, “My store helps support people who want to transition to a greener lifestyle.”
The Journal of the San Juan Islands received 13 awards at the 121st annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association convention, Thursday through Saturday at the Red Lion Hotel-Yakima Center. The Journal won second place for community service — its eighth community service award since 2001 — for its reporting on, and advocacy for, efforts to reduce the use of Styrofoam on San Juan Island.
The Journal of the San Juan Islands was honored today for community service at the 121st annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association convention, in Yakima.
Lauren Cohen and Derek Steere have brought their home remodeling skills from…
Dr. Sonja C. Webster-Hills, DVM, is the new owner and veterinarian at…
The San Juan County Economic Development Council was awarded a $30,000 Rural…
The launch of SeaPort Airlines has given San Juan Island residents easy access to travel to Portland. SeaPort Airlines, in combination with its Boeing Field terminal neighbor Kenmore Airlines, can get patrons from the San Juan Islands to downtown Portland in about two hours.
The entire historic archive of the Journal of the San Juan Islands will be made freely available online.
The Journal of the San Juan Islands will sport a new look and a new page size beginning Sept. 3.
A year has passed since the San Juan Island Grange was suspended.
In August 2007, the State Grange suspended the local Grange’s charter, citing “past actions” of local Grange officers and members.
The Journal of the San Juan Islands will be honored for community service, news reporting, photography and advertising at the 121st annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association convention, in Yakima.
Friendly Isle Charters, owned by Jay and Deanna Brant, is offering charter and excursion bus services based on Lopez Island.
The San Juan County Council expressed concern Monday about the imminent auction of Rosario Resort on Orcas Island. The resort, centered around the 100-year-old Rosario mansion built by shipbuilder Robert Moran, is an island landmark and one of the island’s largest employers.
More updates and improvements are planned for SanJuanJournal.com. The Web site, which debuted Oct. 2, 1998, is the oldest online news site on the islands. A redesign was launched April 30 that gave the site an updated look as well as enhanced services.
Rock Island Technology Solutions is now a T-Mobile dealership.
The launching of a new Web-based project enabling real-time communication between consumers, farmers and other participants in the Puget Sound regional food system — and facilitating online food-related transactions — is scheduled to launch the first week of August.
Businesses have until 4:30 p.m. Thursday to pay their 2009 business license in the Town of Friday Harbor without incurring a 50 percent penalty. Licenses were originally due by June 30.
The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce is in the final days of raising funds to pay for the spectacular Fourth of July fireworks show held every year in Friday Harbor.
Tim Clark, Agricultural Resources Committee (ARC) Farm preservation coordinator spoke to the County Council on June 24. Clark’s program is funded through a state grant to the County; his job involves public outreach, coordinating with County Assessor Charles Zalmanek, to label Open Spaces areas, drawing an agricultural map and researching funding opportunities.
Agricultural Open Space is the classification for preserving farmland; the program is administered by the County Assessor.
