A historic schooner that many locals have seen navigating island waters for years ran aground in Wasp Passage today. No injuries were reported.
James Leon Desermeaux, former San Juan County assessor and 42-year resident of Friday Harbor, has died. Mr. Desermeaux died at home on June 18. He was 75.
Lovel Pratt, candidate for County Council, San Juan South, has scheduled campaign meetings for June 26, noon; and July 24, 5:15 p.m., in the San Juan Island Library’s meeting room.
The Waldron Community Meeting will host a forum July 12, 2-4 p.m., for candidates for County Council, Orcas West; and Superior Court judge.
A new report points to the progress the residents of the San Juan Islands have made in ecosystem protection efforts – and how those efforts can be a model for the restoration of the entire Puget Sound ecosystem. But it also shows that shoreline alterations are occurring in some of the most ecological sensitive areas of the islands, putting critical habitat at risk.
The Friday Harbor High School Concert Band won the 2008 Cruise Festival Overall Grand Championship Award for Concert Band Class AA, based on its performance during the cruise festival season onboard Royal Caribbean Cruise lines.
It was short notice, but it was done Jim Lehde’s way.
Before Jim Fred Lehde died at home at the end of last month, he had ordered that his obituary be written by a good writer, former Journal staffer Chris Craven. He told her to keep it to 200 words — concise and straightforward, like any good news story.
Maintenance on one of the Washington State Ferries’ largest vessels is not scheduled to be finished until July 7, causing a ripple effect that began when a smaller vessel was sent here Sunday, when the summer schedule began.
Kim Norton: “(Griffin Bay) is becoming better at what it does. It’s an opportunity for students in the San Juan School District.”
A Friday Harbor man has been given one year to get an attorney, build his case and get a green card so he can stay in the United States.
Israel Aguayo, 19, was born in Mexico but moved with his family to the U.S. when he was 6. He attended Friday Harbor High School and Griffin Bay High School and received his GED. He is married to the former Tara Melbourne of Friday Harbor and is now attending a community college in Tacoma.
On May 21, 2007, Aguayo was one of 11 islanders taken into custody by the U.S. Coast Guard for possible immigration violations while returning from a construction job site on Stuart Island.
On June 10, the County Council allocated $315,000, which the 2 percent tax is expected to generate in 2008, between eight local non-profits and two government agencies. Those allocations are based in large part on the recommendations of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, which divvied up the projected total following a review of 25 funding requests.
The following public agencies meet this week. The meetings are open to the public.