It’s not too late for teens to nail down that summer job. The Workforce Development Council matches students between the ages of 16 and 20 with internships at various businesses and non-profits in the community and pays for the students to work these positions that are usually only available to volunteers.
Membership grows from 168 to 350 businesses and merchants during Pigman’s nine-year tenure as chamber director.
Ten businesses that have refused to pay fire inspection fees – saying they shouldn’t have to pay for inspections by the county fire marshal or that the fee is burdensome – have been sent to collections. The San Juan Island Fire Department Board of Commissioners voted May 12 to send the delinquent accounts to AllianceOne, a collection agency. Any money collected by AllianceOne would be posted to the fire department’s budget.
Westcott Bay Sea Farm, at the end of Westcott Drive, will reopen on weekends for the season beginning Friday. The sea farm, known worldwide for its oysters and other shellfish, will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beginning June 22, the sea farm will be open week-long through the summer.
Village at the Harbour assisted-living apartments is offering a furnished studio apartment for short-stay respite care. “We have had several requests for these services from folks in the community,” administrator Seanene Kennedy said. “We all know how important it is for caregivers to get a break from around-the-clock care for a loved lone. We can provide that break by caring for the loved one in a safe, comfortable environment. The minimum stay is one week and maximum, 30 days.”
San Juan Colors, a local paint store approaching its 20th year of business, has a new location. San Juan Colors has moved from Airport Center Road to the Surina Business Park, 50 Malcolm St., No. 504, Friday Harbor. Hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call for service, 378-2806, other times.
The Washington Employment Security Department has released the preliminary employment data for March and the data show that the unemployment rate for San Juan County rose during the month to 7.7 percent. The March rate was three-tenths of a percentage points above the revised February rate of 7.4 percent.
Discovery Sea Kayaks is moving from Front and Spring streets to the former Blue Dolphin space at 185 First St. Owner Richard Swanson said he expects to move into the space in two or three weeks. Jennifer Rigg of Loea Design is designing graphics for the window. Where a large blue dolphin once enticed passers-by in for breakfast, a pod of orcas will entice passers-by to go kayaking.
In the wrestling ring, Lisa Moretti was known for such moves as the facebuster, the snap suplex and the scoop slam. Today, she’s traded in the smackdown for shampoo and shears. Moretti, a former pro football cheerleader and World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler, has opened a cat and dog grooming service on San Juan Island. Her number is 378-8468.
Skagit Valley College San Juan Center has developed a three-day erosion and sediment control instruction program that will provide participants with the required 18 hours necessary to become a Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead.
“Water in San Juan County,” a for-credit course for real estate professionals, is being offered April 24 in the San Juan Island Fire Department headquarters station on Mullis Street. The full-day course is presented by Friends of the San Juans, the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee and the San Juan Island Association of Realtors.
The Victoria Clipper will not offer service between Seattle and the San Juan Islands this summer. The U.S. Navy will use the Victoria Clipper III and other vessels to ferry personnel from Everett to Bremerton for work on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. Service between Seattle and the San Juans is expected to resume in 2010, the company stated on its Web site.
The San Juan County Community Development and Planning Department is setting up an e-mail news service to inform the building community of policy statements and information related to staffing, service and other topics of interest. Its first edition is scheduled to go out this week.