Other News
Jan 19, 2025: Four districts, six unions, three PTAs, and county leadership all agree: legislators must take action to fully fund education no
Dec 19, 2024: San Juan County Parks and Fair Announces New Camping Software; Delaying Reservation Availability
Dec 10, 2024: County Council Considers Extending Agreement with Lopez Solid Waste to Allow for More Collaboration
Dec 5, 2024: San Juan County to Consider Updated Interlocal Agreement with Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District
Dec 2, 2024: San Juan County Council Sets Public Hearing for Cultural Access Sales Tax at Dec. 10 Meeting
Nov 25, 2024: San Juan County Celebrates Completion of Lopez Skate Park and Calls for Inaugural Skaters
Nov 7, 2024: How Has Extreme Weather Impacted You? Participate in the County’s Climate Resilience Planning Effort
Nov 1, 2024: UPDATE: Sea Wall Repairs Temporarily Close MacKaye Harbor Dock and Boat Ramp on Lopez Island
Oct 22, 2024: DRAFT North Shore Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Oct 21, 2024: Reminder: You’re Invited to Attend Open Houses for the 2025 Comp Plan Update This Fall
Oct 1, 2024: LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE SAN JUANS SPONSORS OCTOBER COUNTY COUNCIL VOTER FORUMS ON SJI, ORCAS, AND LOPEZ
Sep 24, 2024: County Hosts Community Meeting on Lopez Island to Discuss Public Safety during Hunting Season
Sep 24, 2024: SJC Reviews Shoreline Habitat & Infrastructure Adaptation Strategies in the face of Sea Level Rise
Sep 23, 2024: DRAFT Watmough Bay Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Aug 29, 2024: San Juan County’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Survey Sets Baseline for Ongoing Change
Aug 27, 2024: 2024 San Juan County WSU Master Gardeners Gardening Workshop Series, October 15-24, 2024
Aug 27, 2024: County Representatives Discuss Solutions to Ferry Service Disruptions with Governor Inslee
Aug 21, 2024: County Council’s Request to Governor for Relief from Ferry Service Disruptions Not Fulfilled
Aug 20, 2024: San Juan County Certifies Primary Election Results & Celebrates Highest Primary Turnout in Years
Aug 13, 2024: WSF Commits Additional Crews to Interisland Route to Ensure Service During County Fair Week
Aug 13, 2024: Ferry Data from Staff and Local Partners Shapes Council Request for ‘Executive Relief’ From WA State
Aug 5, 2024: The Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival returns to Lopez for its 27th Summer Concert Season
May 2, 2024: WA State Governor and Assistant Secretary of WSF Talk Ferry Service & Solar Power with SJC Officials
Apr 11, 2024: Community Meeting: Sea Level Rise Adaptation for Outer Bay and Agate Beach Areas on Lopez Island
Mar 11, 2024: Queers in Unexpected Places: Searching for (and Finding) Gender and Sexual Non-Conformity in the Rural and Early PNW
Mar 7, 2024: DRAFT Richardson Marsh Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Dec 5, 2023: County Council Member Jane Fuller and Senator Liz Lovelett to Host Public Meeting on Lopez
Nov 3, 2023: County and Town Send Open Letter to State Officials Regarding Impacts of Poor Ferry Service
Sep 29, 2023: Conservation Land Bank Announces Special Meeting to Discuss Watmough Bay Preserve Addition
Sep 14, 2023: The mobile dental van is coming to Lopez! // ¡La camioneta dental móvil ya llega a López!
Aug 22, 2023: San Juan County Adopts 32-Hour Work Week in the Name of Fiscal Health, Recruitment, and Islander Wellness
May 25, 2023: Recap of Lopez Neighborhood Meeting Regarding the Relocation of Public Works Facilities
May 23, 2023: District 3 Councilmember Jane Fuller Opens Office on Lopez and Hosts Community Conversation
Apr 17, 2023: Give Lopez Starts April 17th - A two week fundraiser benefiting 15 Lopez Island Non-Profits
Sep 22, 2022: Interim Watmough Preserve Addition Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Customers permanently trespassed for refusing to wear masks at business
Sep 29, 2021
By San Juan County Sheriff
On Monday, September 27th, 2021, at approximately 4:00pm, the Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to The Friday Harbor Marketplace on San Juan Island after employees called to report patrons refusing to follow the clearly posted signs for the county and state COVID-19 mask mandate.
Subsequently, two individuals were permanently trespassed from all Valmark properties including Marketplace, King’s and San Juan Brewery after failing to comply.
Our local businesses are following the current mask mandates and other COVID-19 guidelines placed on the citizens of San Juan County by State and local health authorities. Businesses do not set them or have any control over what is required. Even after the mandates are lifted, they may choose to keep their own masking requirement as a condition for service in their businesses. They have the right to do this for as long as it makes their staff and patrons feel safe. Under no circumstances should business owners and their hardworking employees be harassed, made to feel unsafe or in any other way be made uncomfortable for following current COVID-19 guidelines or individual store policies. We have long abided by no shirt, no shoes, no service. Our new norm is now no shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service. It is your choice whether you follow the guidelines and their choice to deny you service if you fail to comply.
As such, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office will continue to respond to calls of harassment from our local businesses and will, at their request, trespass those individuals who choose not to follow the mandate or who threaten and intimidate patrons and employees.
We will also support the right to peaceful protests against the mandates, as we have in the past, with the #MeToo Movement, BLM, the Women’s Movement and anti-immigration marches. We will not, however, tolerate a protest that intimidates or bullies business owners, patrons or citizens.
For those wishing to further express their displeasure about COVID-19 mandates, the appropriate avenue would be to contact the county health director Frank James, MD, the San Juan County Council members, and Governor Jay Inslee. These individuals have the ability to effectuate change in the mandates, not local businesses or their employees.
Finally, as a United States Marine veteran, I served to uphold the freedoms and rights of our country, freedoms and rights that allow for more than one point of view whether it is the same as mine or not. But, a point of view does not justify breaking laws. I implore that whatever your feelings are about the COVID-19 mandates, that you respect one another, allow for individual opinion, peaceable protest, and the right to make your own decisions, without threats or intimidation on either side, as we wait for our country to return to normal.
Respectfully,
Ron Krebs
San Juan County Sheriff
Our local businesses are following the current mask mandates and other COVID-19 guidelines placed on the citizens of San Juan County by State and local health authorities. Businesses do not set them or have any control over what is required. Even after the mandates are lifted, they may choose to keep their own masking requirement as a condition for service in their businesses. They have the right to do this for as long as it makes their staff and patrons feel safe. Under no circumstances should business owners and their hardworking employees be harassed, made to feel unsafe or in any other way be made uncomfortable for following current COVID-19 guidelines or individual store policies. We have long abided by no shirt, no shoes, no service. Our new norm is now no shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service. It is your choice whether you follow the guidelines and their choice to deny you service if you fail to comply.
As such, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office will continue to respond to calls of harassment from our local businesses and will, at their request, trespass those individuals who choose not to follow the mandate or who threaten and intimidate patrons and employees.
We will also support the right to peaceful protests against the mandates, as we have in the past, with the #MeToo Movement, BLM, the Women’s Movement and anti-immigration marches. We will not, however, tolerate a protest that intimidates or bullies business owners, patrons or citizens.
For those wishing to further express their displeasure about COVID-19 mandates, the appropriate avenue would be to contact the county health director Frank James, MD, the San Juan County Council members, and Governor Jay Inslee. These individuals have the ability to effectuate change in the mandates, not local businesses or their employees.
Finally, as a United States Marine veteran, I served to uphold the freedoms and rights of our country, freedoms and rights that allow for more than one point of view whether it is the same as mine or not. But, a point of view does not justify breaking laws. I implore that whatever your feelings are about the COVID-19 mandates, that you respect one another, allow for individual opinion, peaceable protest, and the right to make your own decisions, without threats or intimidation on either side, as we wait for our country to return to normal.
Respectfully,
Ron Krebs
San Juan County Sheriff