Journal
The
NEWS | Theft on Orcas from former county councilman candidate [3] ENVIRONMENT | Be aware of cute critters [9] ARTS | Sunken Park in need of creativity [11]
WEDNESDAY, July 29, 2015 n VOL. 108, NO. 30 n 75¢
Keeping murals alive
Feast and famine: an island economy By Anna V. Smith Journal reporter
By Anna V. Smith Journal reporter
The sea creature glides over the pavement, its red and pink tentacles splayed out and reaching, one of its eight arms curling over the curb. An octopus on the run in Friday Harbor? Close, but not quite. Its a new painting of an octopus in the ocean, painted on a storm drain outside of the Whale Museum to remind passerby’s that the water running through there flows out into the ocean. The U.S. Environmental
Staff photos / Anna V. Smith
Above: Artist Lindsay Carron’s mural of an octopus. Right: Carron working on her mural.
Protection Agency cites storm water drains as non point pollution sources, meaning that they can funnel many types of pollutants from many different places into lakes, oceans and rivers. “These pollutants can harm fish and wildlife populations, kill native vegetation, foul drinking water supplies and make recreSee MURALS, Page 7
June’s unemployment rate in San Juan County was at 4.3 percent, compared with Washington state’s 5.3 percent, according to a preliminary report by Washington State Employment Security Department’s Labor Market and Performance Branch. San Juan County has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state for June, on par with Snohomish County and just a bit above King County at 4 percent. Since May, predictably, jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector have increased with the tourist season as well as jobs in trade, transportation and utilities. Comparing employment from June 2014 to June 2015, the analysis shows that the professional and business services sector and mining, logging and construction sector have not added jobs, and have instead decreased. According to regional labor economist Anneliese Vance-Sherman for the Employment Security Department, those numbers are the remnants of the recession. “In San Juan County where the recovery is lagging, these two are still declining at this point,” Vance-Sherman said. “Whereas in parts of the state where we’re in a more mature recovery, such as King County, those two industries
are really taking off.” Vance-Sherman said that since San Juan County has such a tourist-based economy, unemployment rates here are often amongst the lowest in the state, since unemployed persons are only counted if they are actively seeking work, which may not happen in the offseason if people work seasonally. “Even during the times there are fewer jobs available we don’t really have high unemployment rate,” Vance-Sherman said. “People aren’t looking for work because they know the rhythm of the economy. In San Juan County people know when to look for work and when not to look for work because the seasonality is so present.” Overall so far in 2015, San Juan County has 170 more jobs than last year at this time, a 2.9 percent increase. San Juan County’s peak unemployment level was in 2010, at 9.6 percent. Vance-Sherman says that recovery has been slower in the islands, but employment numbers are consistently better than last year. Seasonality is a major factor in looking at San Juan County’s See ECONOMY, Page 4
Rental scarcity impacts islanders | Part II By Anna V. Smith Journal reporter
The unemployment charts look like a heartbeat monitor keeping a pulse on the seasonal tourism economy in San Juan Islands year after year. In January, it skyrockets, and in August it plunges. During the course of those months, the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages reports that San Juan County has a 43 percent increase in jobs, and a 159 percent increase in leisure and hospitality alone. In 2013, that broke down to 1,958 people, leaving an indelible mark on the availability of affordable rentals in the county. Rosario Resort, Roche Harbor Resort, kayaking companies and small businesses have
struggled to find employees. The resorts are able to be somewhat self-sufficient in assisting their employees with housing, since both have built some level of seasonal housing and have plans to expand. Rosario and Roche managers say they are short of staff. For locals, the seasonal economy is one of the main drivers that Jennifer Armstrong, executive director at San Juan Island Family Resource Center, sees as being difficult for renters as those living check to check experience boom and bust periods. “Does it have an impact on tenants? Yes. We are flooded with emergency rental needs in the winter months. This is our dead month,” Armstrong said. “In January, February, March it’s like a revolving door in here because people
are out of work or have really diminished hours. That’s when we see the bulk of our rental and utilities assistance.” Right now, however, Armstrong’s office is relatively quiet as the summer influx of jobs keeps islanders – both long term and short term – busy. Rosario Resort and Roche Harbor Resort are two mainstays in the seasonal boom, and say that they take on an additional 100 employees during the summer. Currently both are short of staff, and both say that lack of housing is a major factor in keeping them from hiring more people. “We felt very strongly that if we are going to bring seasonal employees to the island we See HOUSING, Page 4
Sales deadline
2015 Fair guide publishes the week of Aug. 12 in the Journal, Sounder & Weekly. Sales Deadline: Wed., July 29, 2015. For more info, call the Journal 378-5696.