TOWN OF FRIDAY HARBOR FIRE

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List of stories about May 9 Friday Harbor fire

List of Historic Preservation stories

News about the Town of Friday Harbor

Brochures must move

posted 06/06/02
Rules bent following the May 9 Friday Harbor fire were unbent yesterday. Bill Wright of San Juan Safaris was told to remove a brochure display set up on the temporary wall in front of the former entrance to Friday Harbor Grocery. He had moved the brochures there after being told his original location - a kiosk on East Street - was needed during reconstruction.

Land Use Administrator Mike Bertrand said he gave permission to Wright to use the space for the brochure display. After complaints were received, Wright was informed he would have to move the brochures. Technically the wall is on the town right-of-way and businesses are not allowed to operate there. The temporary wall is on the right-of-way until the basement and sidewalk are reconstructed.

In an email to business operators Wright said is looking for another location. The brochure rack advertises his business and displays brochures from more than 30 other businesses. San Juan Safaris has operated the kiosk since 1999 when the Chamber of Commerce no longer wanted the space.

Business loss information needed

posted 05/28/02
San Juan County Undersheriff Jon Zerby is compiling a list of businesses affected by the May 9, 2002 fire in Friday Harbor. Even if business owners do not want to apply for Small Business Loans themselves, adding information to the list will help others. A certain threshold of loss is needed to "get the ball rolling" according to Zerby. He can be reached at the sheriff's office at 360.378.4151.

Coverage causes cancellations

posted 05/13/02
While both the county and town are developing plans to publicize tourism in the islands, last week's media onslaught was not what business operators had in mind. Four Seattle TV stations broadcast from the site and the story made the front pages of both the Seattle Times and the PI. San Juan Island Chamber President Farhad Ghatan said, "The news media was irresponsible. We have people calling from Ohio asking if enough of the town is still standing to make their trip worthwhile."

He cited reports saying the only grocery store in town burned up as examples of erroneous coverage. Some inns received calls from visitors with August reservations who wondered if they should plan to bring groceries.

Friday Harbor Grocery store owner Gordy Petersen was interviewed Friday, May 10, 2002.

News crews from four Seattle TV stations covered the fire. The TV trucks were not subject to the town's two-hour parking limits.

Michelle Melborne was interviewed by Channel 13's TV crew Sunday, May 12, 2002.

Innkeepers and tourist-related businesses reported cancellations related to the coverage of the fire. Steven Fetters of the Inns at Friday Harbor said, "We lost 200 room nights in the four days after the fire." He said some of the reports made it sound like the whole town was burning down. Several people cancelled moped reservations according to Susie at Susie's Mopeds.

Charlyn Warner, owner of The Tucker House, took a proactive approach. In San Francisco during the 1989 earthquake she saw the difference between the media portrayal of the incident and the reality. "We actually called everybody. They were very thankful for the call," she said. The tourists were informed that only one building was lost and the ferries were operating normally. Though her business did not lose any reservations, walkin traffic was down. She said usually the business has three to four walkins and had only one.

The fallout did not spread to the north end of the island. Becky Day, Hotel de Haro manager, said the hotel was at 94 percent capacity Saturday night. There was one cancellation but it was unrelated to the fire stories she said.

Ghatan said the fire impact will be discussed at the next chamber meeting which is set for 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 13, 2002 at the Roche Harbor courtyard between the Hotel and the Pavilion.

This press release was written by the State of Washington Tourism:

OLYMPIA – Although Thursday evening’s fire has left its mark on the small community of Friday Harbor, the impacts were restricted to a very small percentage of the downtown business core, which includes numerous shops, restaurants and grocery stores. Visitors planning a trip to San Juan Island should experience no access problems or delays in their travels.

"Friday Harbor is open for business," said Bill LaPorte, past president of the San Juan County Business Association. "Orca whale watching cruises have started, the sun is shining, and the many shops, restaurants, and accommodations are ready to welcome visitors." "The Washington State Ferries’ service schedule was not impacted by the recent fire in Friday Harbor," said Susan Harris-Huether of the ferry system. "During the fire, we simply off-loaded vehicles in a different direction. Now, of course, service and off-loading is normal at Friday Harbor."

Travel and tourism is a $105 million dollar industry in San Juan County, experiencing a 12 percent increase over 1999. The travel and tourism industry provides full time employment for more than 1,500 county residents according to the Travel Impacts and Visitor Volume study conducted by Dean Ruynan and Associates for the Office of Trade and Economic Development, December 2001.

For information on things to see and do in and around Friday Harbor, visit the Washington state tourism WEB SITE