Press Releases

July 4, 2010

Thank you for making our 4th of July Spectacular!

FOUNTAINS ($1,000 - $4,999)

Port of Friday Harbor - $1,500

Sid & Linda Kastner - $1,500

San Juan Propane - $1,500

Islander Bank - $1,000

COMETS $500 - $999

Members of the Seattle Yacht Club

San Juan Island Yacht Club

Jeff and Alicia Carnevali

Best Western Friday Harbor Suites

BOTTLE ROCKETS $100 - $499

Bed & Breakfast Association of SJI

Robert & Rebecca Pohlad

Scientists & Staff of Friday Harbor Laboratories

Jensen, Albert & Sons, Inc.

Islanders Insurance William & Cheryl Howard

Members of SJI Ag Guild

Naknek Charters & Diving

Windjammer Cable

Cathaleen T. Cavanagh CPA PS

Lakedale Resort at Three Lakes

Pier 1 Port

Goddulanglie Lawyers & Advisors

Carole Woolsey

Loretta Stokes

Harbor Insurance Agency, Inc.

John Deyoung

Crystal Seas

Janet Swanson

Carolyn Haugen

Robert & Vonnie Allen

SPARKLERS $10 - $99

San Juan Excursions

Ian Boulton

Archipelago Properties

Etta's Place San Juan Island

Post San Juan

OneStop Storage LLC

Hector & Janice Cyre

Cotton Cotton Cotton

Store-More Storage Inc

Rainshadow Photographics

Ferry Landing Suites

Trumpeter Inn Bed & Breakfast

ACE Hardware of Friday Harbor

Vinny's LLC

Anonymous

Mike Chadwick

Sotheby's International Realty

Maya's Westside Charters

Highland Inn of San Juan Island

Lonesome Cove Resort

Deborah Redbuffalo

Homes for Islanders

Palace Theatre

Kathryn Chadwick

Elan Video

Anne Pope

Sandy Rabinowitz & Raymon Glantz

Krispe Staudt

Imagine Art Studios

…and of course THANK YOU to the Parade

Committee Chairmen, Lin & Pam Pearson

Parade Awards

- Best Float: Cutthroats

- Best of Theme: San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild

- Judge’s Choice: San Juan Island Library

- Spirit Award: Highlanders Pipe Band

- Best Off Island: Canoe Island French Camp

June 18, 2010

Your Support is Needed for the 4th of July Fireworks

April 30, 2010

San Juan Island Chamber Celebrated Business at First Annual Banquet

Across the nation numerous Chambers of Commerce celebrate the success of the businesses in their community with an Annual Awards Ceremony.  On April 29 the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce had its First Annual Banquet to recognize and award businesses. 

The evening started at the Friday Harbor House, San Juan Room with hors d’ oeuvres served by Cakes by Felicitations and entertained by Sally Browne playing her Cello.  Cynthia’s of Course served dinner and the Dessert Auction was a fun twist to the evening.  Desserts were provided by Cakes by Felicitations, Cotton Cotton Cotton, Cynthia’s of Course, Hillside House Bed & Breakfast, Vinny’s and Sandy Baird from the Chamber office.  

The 2009 Nonprofit of the Year was awarded to The Whale Museum!  They opened in 1979 and celebrated their 30th anniversary last year!   They are proudly open daily from 10-5 in the winter and 9-6 in the summer.  In 2009 they hosted 25,000 visitors in the Museum gallery.  Don't forget Thursdays are free days for locals to visit!  The Whale Museum employs 10 full time employees, and there is an increase in that number for summer months.  For two years in a row The Whale Museum placed in the top 5 in Best of the Northwest King 5 contest.  2009 they were First for Best Small Museum and second in 2010!

San Juan Hot Shop & Flavor Emporium received the 2009 Small Business of the Year Award.  Ed & Genie Williams bought the shop in February 2008 and have continued to see an increase in profits.  Genie attributes all the credit to Eddie.  He has a way with people and they have created an atmosphere where it's colorful and the music sets the tone when people walk in.  They are on vacation and want to have fun and Ed leads them into the "funzone".  Each guest is welcomed and encouraged to look around and if they have questions or want to try anything, Eddie and Genie are there to help.  They continue to renew their thoughts on the store such as layout, trying new products.  Is your picture on their chilehead wall?   Eddie has even taken his knowledge of the health benefits of the peppers to the middle school and given 2 classes to the science class.  In 2009 we started the Hot Sauce of the Month Club which has exploded, and as you know they give 10% off to not only locals but their families and guests as well.  They have changed the layout in the store 5 times and have expanded their selections to include a made in Washington section, an Asian section, Cajun Section and added to the other sections. Their website is growing and accounts for about 20% of business.  Their on Facebook, send out a quarterly newsletter which has grown from 100 people to over 2,000 people! Genie creates the newsletter that gets sent out worldwide. 

The 2009 Large Business of the Year Award was received by Valmark Inc. Since 1929, Kings has been the San Juan Islands' source for quality products, foods, and produce. They are proud to offer the finest service and selection to our customers.  Their locations include Kings Market, Market Place, Kings Marine, Kings Video Rental, and Joe Friday's Shirt Company in Friday Harbor.  They are a strong contributor to the community and in 2009 Kings Market issued a Challenge Gift of $50,000 in order to partially restore programs cut due to the $1,000,000 reduction made in the San Juan Island School District’s budget for the coming 2009-10 school year. 

The event committee including; Peggy Long, Jim Carroll, Lia O’Biran, Randy and Gail Schnee planned the event including a surprise song created by Devorah. 

Thank you to the sponsors that helped make the event; Ace Hardware of Friday Harbor, Eagle Home Mortgage, Friday Harbor Marine/Friday Harbor Yachts, Naknek Charter & Diving, Waterworks Gallery and Windermere San Juan Island.

April 8, 2010

Celebrate and Recognize You, The businesses that make our community!

Across the nation numerous Chambers of Commerce celebrate the success of the businesses in their community with an Annual Awards Ceremony.  This year the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce will start this Annual Recognition and Celebration.  It will also serve as a kick off for the coming year.  The First Annual Banquet will be on April 29 at Friday Harbor House in the San Juan Room. The evening will start at 6 pm with a no-host bar.  Dinner will be served at 7 pm, with the program and awards to follow.  Reservations must be made by April 22, but are limited by space, so make your reservations early!   Tickets are $50 for Chamber members and $65 for non-Chamber Members.  Fill out your “Reservation Form” today!

Your assistance is needed to nominate businesses for the awards that will presented that evening.  There will be two “Business of the Year” awards.  One will be presented to a small business with 4 or less employees and the other to a large business with 5 or more employees.  The criteria for these awards is based on the involvement with the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce and the community and how the business’ presence adds to the economic vitality and quality of life on our island.

There will also be an award presented to a “Nonprofit of the Year.”  This award will also be based on involvement with the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce, the community and other organizations and how the nonprofits’ presence adds to the economic vitality and quality of life on our island.  It will also be important to for this nonprofit to demonstrate a level of excellence in service and growth.

Did you have a successful Promotional Campaign in 2009?  Enter your business for the “Promotional Campaign Award!”  The campaigns may include all forms of media and target visitors, locals, or both. Samples of the campaign will be helpful with details of the success of the campaign.  The deadline for this award and all nominations is April 16.

Cakes by Felicitations will serve hors d’ oeuvres during the social hour, while a no-host bar is provided by Friday Harbor House.  The dinner will be catered by Cynthia’s of Course.  But the twist of the evening will be the Dessert Auction where you can either purchase a dessert to share with your table, or take it home and enjoy later!  A few businesses have already committed to donating some great desserts!  But some of you have that secret recipe that everyone would love to eat!  Maybe you treat your guests to a special cookie when they arrive or the dessert that everyone orders from your menu or maybe you enjoy baking.  If you would be interested in promoting your business, thru the Dessert Auction, contact Vernadel at the Chamber office 360-378-5240.

You can also be a “Banquet Sponsor” and receive some special benefits at the event.  The name of your business will be displayed on your table with the opportunity to add your special decorations.  You will have a listing in the program and be announced at the event as well as be included in the media presentation playing during the evening.

All forms can be found by following the links provided or visit the Chamber website at www.sanjuanisland.org  Plan to attend the First Annual Banquet to recognize and celebrate YOU, the businesses in our community.   The evening will be full of fun and surprises, so don’t miss out! 

April 8, 2010

4th of July Parade Theme Announced

The 4th of July Parade Committee has selected the theme for the 2010 parade.  This year we will celebrate the farming community with a "Tribute to San Juan Farms."  Lin and Pam Pearson and their dedicated committee members are taking the lead to bring us a parade that will be fun and memorable for all ages.   Plan your floats now and entry forms will be available after May 1 at the Chamber office and online at www.sanjuanisland.org.

The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce has also begun its campaign to raise funds for the spectacular 4th of July Fireworks Show.  This special island holiday show benefits the entire community and is made possible through generous contributions from individuals and businesses alike. Please send your donation to:  SJI Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 98, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, or drop it by the office at 135 Spring Street. 

March 29, 2010

King 5 News and Evening Magazine have been running a "Best of Washington" contest now for several years. Currently San Juan Island is in first place for the Best Island Category, but it is a “Hot Contest” and could change without your support! As you know, both King 5 and Evening Magazine are very popular and winning this race could bring additional tourist to our island.  There are also numerous SJI businesses in competition in some of the other categories.  Please support the island and our businesses by casting your vote!  

Instructions to vote:

- Sign up with King 5 (http://best.king5.com/contests/best-of-northwest-escapes/4764). They will ask for a username, your email, and a password. Don't worry King 5 does not spam, and you can opt out of any e-blasts

- Go to your email and click on the conformation link to verify that you are who you are

- Follow the link back to King5 and log in

- Look for Best of W. Washington and you'll be directed to the 2009 contest page

- Click on “Voting” for this year’s contest

- Go down slightly to see the categories on the right and find “Best Island” under “Local Excursions”

- Cast your vote for the “Best Island – San Juan Island” and then look at other categories to support our local businesses!

Cast your vote soon, contest ends April 11

March 18, 2010

Congratulations to Lakedale Resort for landing the cover of the March/April issue of 425 Magazine http://www.425magazine.com/article_read.php?articleid=196.  Great article, photos and quotes about the resort.  Also a mention about a lot of you on the San Juan Island!!!  Thank you to every one of you that works long hours to welcome the guests to our community.  Together we make a wonderful attraction that invites visitors to come again and again!

February 17, 2010

San Juan County reported healthiest in state

A survey of every county in the nation ranks them on how healthy residents are and how long they live.

In Washington, the County Health Rankings lists San Juan, Douglas, Whitman, Kittitas, Island, King, Whatcom, Clark, Chelan and Snohomish counties as the 10 healthiest.

The 10 counties with the poorest health are Ferry, Okanogan, Mason, Stevens, Asotin, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Yakima, Pend Oreille and Pacific.

The report was released Wednesday by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It considered health behavior, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 

San Juan County Healthiest in State

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=189&sid=285425

1-19-10

Are you involved in lots of meetings that seem to have no direction, get off topic or just don't run smoothly?  Well the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with Nonprofits Unlimited, is pleased to announce that Ann G. Macfarlane, a Professional Registered Parliamentarian, will present her unique course “Jurassic Parliament: Running Great Meetings Using Robert’s Rules” on Friday, February 12 from 8:30 am to noon at the Earthbox Motel & Spa at 410 Spring Street, Friday Harbor.

County residents and visitors who are members of boards or councils for corporations, non-profits, or governments will have a unique opportunity on Friday, February 12, 2010, to develop their skills for running fair and efficient meetings using Parliamentary Procedure. 

Registration is available for $70 per person. To register, telephone the San Juan Island Chamber at 360-378-5240.   If you are a current SJI Chamber member, ask about the member discount. You can also register online using paypal.

Local historians will know that San Juan Island was an important location for Rules of Order author Henry M. Robert.  Robert was stationed on the island during the Pig War and used the time to work on Rules of Order, which was first published in 1876.   Michael Vouri will deliver a short presentation to course participants and guests at American camp in the afternoon. 

Robert’s Rules of Order is the customary method for running meetings in the U.S., but many people are intimidated by it. Misunderstandings about Robert’s Rules are also widespread. Ms. Macfarlane has distilled the essence of this method into an enjoyable and lively workshop. She uses creative visual cues to present the key points. Attendees will learn how to be an excellent presider, how to use the three “golden rules” for good discussion, how to deal with difficult people during meetings, and how to make, amend, and vote on motions.

Attendees rave about this training. Comments from a recent presentation to the Association of Governmental Risk Pools included the following:

•           Truly a ONE OF A KIND presentation. After more than 35 years dealing with Robert’s Rules, this was incredibly enlightening and refreshing!

•           We needed more time with her! She did an excellent job with an extremely dry subject.

•           Informative, useful, entertaining, great presenter.

•           She was great! The people around me were really eating this prehistoric presentation up 

Ms. Macfarlane first developed this approach in 2000. Over the past ten years she has trained nonprofit boards, city councils, boards, commissions and committees, student government leaders, public entity pools, professional societies, city clerks, and administrative assistants. Her background as a professional diplomat, serving in Pakistan and on the Soviet desk of the U.S. State Department, and a professional translator from Russian to English, gives her a unique perspective on group interactions. Ms. Macfarlane served as the president of the American Translators Association and the executive director of the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators. She is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian and a Certified Association Executive. Her company, Jurassic Parliament, offers free downloads, online training and other resources at www.jurassicparliament.com.