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.
Friday Harbor House has appointed Michael O’Dell as general manager. In his new position, O’Dell will manage all employees, hotel operations and overall guest experience at the 23-room waterfront inn.
Bigger might not necessarily be better when it comes to the size of a home. But it won’t cost any extra when you pay for a permit to build one in San Juan County. The County Council on Tuesday reversed an earlier decision and eliminated a so-called surcharge on building permits for homes of more than 3,500 square feet. That surcharge would also have applied to an addition of an existing home that bumped its size beyond that 3,500-square-foot mark.
News that San Juan County has the lowest jobless rate in the state may come as small comfort to the 500 or so islanders who are collecting unemployment checks. San Juan County’s jobless rate was 5.4 percent in June, far better than the U.S. rate of 9.5 percent — the nation’s highest in 26 years — and the state rate of 9 percent, according to the state Employment Security Department. It was also far better than in neighboring counties: Island County, 8.7 percent; Whatcom, 8.4; Skagit, 9.9; Snohomish, 10.1, King, 8.8. The worst unemployment rate was in Lewis County, where almost 13 of every 100 working-age residents is out of a job.
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.
E-Wallet Purchase (Add Funds)
Term Subscription