People are visiting Friday Harbor but spending less. That’s what the statistics seem to say: The town has received $518,304.58 as its share of sales tax this year, almost $102,000 less than the same period last year. But the town has received about $9,400 less in lodging tax than it received last year. Month-by-month lodging tax revenues have been about $1,000 less than in the same months of the previous year.
Some $95,000 in promotional funds was awarded to seven organizations Sept. 17 by the Friday Harbor Town Council. That amount is $30,000 less than last year, a reflection of the economic times.
Vernadel Peterson, formerly the executive director of the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce, is the new executive director of the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce. Today is her first day on the job. She succeeds Debbie Pigman, who retired Sept. 15.
The Journal of the San Juan Islands won seven awards in the 2009 Better Newspapers Contest hosted by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. The awards included a Best Special Section first place for the newspaper’s Friday Harbor Centennial special section published in February.
More than 70 islanders have earned a pilot certificate or rating at Westwind Aviation in Friday Harbor. The company honored new pilots at its annual Open House Aug. 14.
The Best Western Friday Harbor Suites has received the Best Western Director’s Award once again for outstanding quality standards. The Director’s Award recognizes Best Western International hotels scoring in the top 20 percent of all 2,400 North American properties in cleanliness and maintenance. Hotels must also meet Best Western’s requirements for design and high customer service scores to qualify for the distinction.
Kennedy McCulloch Forsyth CPAs in Friday Harbor is now Lake Kennedy McCulloch CPAs, the result of a merger with R. Peter Lake CPA of Vashon Island. The merger, which took effect Sept. 1, was announced Monday after the firms notified their clients of the merger.
Filmmaker Mike Hurwicz of Orcas Island has filmed a 10-minute video, “Where Is Tomorrow’s Farmer?”, on San Juan Island. The film includes footage of the Community Garden at Ackley’s Corner, Heritage Farm, the Farmers Market, and Thirsty Goose Farm. It explores the issue of bringing younger people into sustainable farming, and features commentary from island farmers and other community members who talk of how important it is that we look at the value of this kind of work, and how important it is that the age-old knowledge of how to feed ourselves is retained and passed on.
Jacoba Porter has joined San Juan Property Management as the newest member of this vacation rental team. Porter, who is an island native, joins the company from Island Group Sotheby’s International Realty. San Juan Property Management owner Travis Mager said Porter brings a strong, proven background in customer service, office administration and marketing implementation.
Gary Franklin, broker of Windermere San Juan Island, is joining forces with the Scott family of Anacortes and Mount Vernon to buy Windermere San Juan Island in Friday Harbor. John Dunning, who owns the Windermere office on Orcas Island, is the seller. He will retain ownership of Windermere San Juan Island’s vacation rental business. He also owns commercial real estate in La Conner.
Today is National Women’s Equality Day, the anniversary of the date that the 19th Amendment was formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution.
The Journal won one or more awards in the News, Advertising and Special Sections divisions of the 2009 Better Newspaper Contest, sponsored by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. Staff members responsible for the winning entries are, in alphabetical order, Ron Bates, Rebecca Cook, Michael D’Abrosca, Scott Rasmussen, Howard Schonberger and Richard Walker. The Journal also won one or more staff awards.
Bainbridge Police Detective Trevor Ziemba said Friday that people should never give financial information over e-mail or on an incoming call.
