It was great to see the candles Allison Dragon is making these days - she makes them at her place & sells them at Island Studios - they look & smell great!

Hope you’re thinking up things for your sweetie for Valentine’s Day & getting ready for the weekend…let’s look around a little:

Another way to show what is in your heart....

• Here’s the coolest deal ever: The Island Chordsmen Plus (San Juan Island’s Coed Barbershop Chorus) will come to your work or wherever you tell them to sing for your loved one on Valentine’s Day – so call now! They did over 40 “shows” last year, which includes giving a rose, and are scheduling for this Valentine’s Day, now.

Call 378-2724, and treat your someone special to a singing valentine.

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• The FHHS basketball guys had a great game last night, and I can’t help but think it’ll be a good bit of inspiration for our girls, as they get their playoff schedule underway tonight at Kings, in Shoreline.

Go Wolverines!

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• Linda Degnan-Cobos says this is a good weekend to check out your pruning plans:

Our Land & Sea chapter is hosting two pruning workshops with Keith Keyser this Saturday & Sunday, both at 10 am. Everyone who’s busy Saturday can come Sunday, or vice versa. They’re free, for pruning older fruit trees, and are at the Land & Sea Garden & Greenhouse across from the high school on Blair Ave and Second St. People can write slowfoodlandandsea (at) gmail.com or call me at 317-5890 if they’d like to go, or just show up…no tools are required.

Sorry for the short notice on this, Keith just noticed that the sap looks ready to start running a little early, so we’re just going for it this week.

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Purple power...there's a new Pelindaba store opening next month in LaConner....

• Nancy at the Pelindaba store downtown tells me the island’s lavender supplier is opening a new store in LaConner in March.

It’s just up the street from Doug Bison’s place there, which he says is going really well….

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Carolyn Haugen plays with the newest islander, her new dog Rowan....

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• It’s Happy Hour at the Bluff – here’s more from Friday Harbor House’s Wendy:

It’s Happy Hour all night long at The Bluff Restaurant • Bar • Terrace. Join us on a Tuesday or Wednesday for an evening of Happy Hour bites and beverages. We’ll also be featuring one chef’s choice entrée. If you’re looking for a multi-course dining experience or wish to indulge in one of Chef Kyle’s signature dishes, visit us Thursday – Monday and enjoy a meal off our new spring menu.

Dinner
Thursday through Monday | 4pm – 9pm

Happy Hour *New Extended Hours
Tuesday and Wednesday | 4pm-8pm
Thursday through Monday | 4pm – 6pm

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Middle school art teacher Leisha Holmes presents the winners from her class in the Soroptimists' "Live Your Dream" logo competition....that's her with Hayden Meyer (using text 'inventively'), Andy Stromberg (left) and Simon Vincent (not pictured) (best original), and Jesse Payne & Corbin Williams (best theme idea). Prize certificates were donated by Creative Passions & The Mystical Mermaid.

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The hospital just keeps moving along, getting closer & closer to being finished (the nice weather lately doesn't hurt for making progress!)...that's the construction site, last night at sunset....

Beginning at approximately 4:30 a.m. PST on February 6, hydrophones operated by The Whale Museum and Beam Reach Marine Science & Sustainability School started detecting SONAR pings.

Hydrophones off the coastline of Lime Kiln State Park, another node about 4 km north (OrcaSound), and one at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center all recorded SONAR pings. Most of the pings were detected at Lime Kiln and were loudest at that node. Recordings of the SONAR continued until approximately 5:10 a.m. PST.

The sounds from these hydrophones stream live via the internet on the public-accessible site www.orcasound.net.  Samples of the recorded sounds are archived there. A 41-minute recording of the event was also made by a regular public listener to the network, who also advised other network listeners via the network email of the SONAR pings.

Preliminary examination of the detected sounds shows that 13 SONAR pings were detected at Lime Kiln, as well as one each at OrcaSound and Port Townsend. This would indicate that the source was closest to Lime Kiln, and likely to the south of Lime Kiln. Examination of the 41-minute recording shows a total of 82 pings occurring roughly every 30 seconds.

The peak power was centered at 7 kHz suggesting it was mid-frequency SONAR. Analyses are ongoing to determine the amplitude of the recorded pings. The Automatic Identification System (AIS) used by marine traffic to broadcast locations of vessels indicated the Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ottawa was operating in the south end of Haro Strait during this time. It is not known whether other naval vessels were operating in the area without an AIS broadcast.

Examination of the data is ongoing, but results are being posted as they become available to http://www.orcasound.net/wp/2012/02/06/canadian-sonar-in-us-critical-habitat/.

This is the third time naval sonar has been recorded on our hydrophones in Haro Straight. The first was on May 5, 2003 when the USS Shoup, a guided missile destroyer, transited the waters of Haro Strait and activated its sonar while Southern Resident killer whales were in the vicinity.

The second SONAR occurrence took place on April 7, 2009 when the USS San Francisco, a nuclear submarine tested its refurbished sonar in the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The endangered Southern Resident killer whales were not present at that time. It appears that Southern Resident killer whales were not present during this latest incident either, but it is possible that other species of marine mammals were present in Haro Strait during this time.

The Whale Museum has not received reports of stranded or injured marine animals.  If you see an injured or stranded marine mammal, please contact the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network (800-562-8832).

Receiving recognition last Saturday: (from left) Michael Hartzell, Harry See, Ian Paterson, Jeremiah Lord, Lunnette Higdon-Hertel, Jerry Henderson, and Rebecca and Francis Smith.

Here’s the report, from the Fire Department (thanks for being there, you guys!):

Firefighters Honored for Service in 2011

Jerry Henderson and Robert Pauls received San Juan Island Fire Department’s highest awards Saturday night when the department celebrated the 2011 contributions of its members at the University of Washington dining hall.

The firefighters and support members were honored for their dedicated service in 2011 at the annual awards banquet, which was attended by about 85 people including guests.

Entertainment was provided by Jim Moe as Frank Sinatra with the theme “Honeymoon in Las Vegas.”

San Juan County officially recognized San Juan County Fire District #3 as a fire district on October 6, 1958. The fire district covers about 55 square miles, which includes all of San Juan Island, as well as Brown and Pearl islands.

The following firefighters were honored with special awards for their service in 2011:
Firefighter of the Year – Robert Pauls  
Officer of the Year – Jerry Henderson
Rookie of the Year – Ian Paterson
Support Volunteer of the Year – Karen Marler
The following firefighter station awards were given:
Station 30 (Downtown) – Jenny Benedict
Station 31(Mullis St.) - Matthew Dobbs
Station 32 (Cape San Juan) – Dan Tracy
Station 33 (Little Mountain) – Harry See
Station 34 (Sunset Point) – Michael Hartzell
Station 35 (Roche Harbor) – Robert Pauls
Station 36 (Eagle Crest) – Jeremiah Lord
Plaques were given to retiring firefighters Rick Prescott (1988-2011), Lunnette Higdon-Hertel (1989-2011), Francis Smith (1995-2011) and Rebecca Smith (1995-2011).
Chris Wisniewski was recognized for 15 years of service; Joe Cooper, Mark Tompkins and Dan Tracy were recognized for 10 years of service; and Ken Clark was recognized for five years of service.

The San Juan Island Fire Department would like to thank the Orcas Fire Department for providing a crew of five firefighters to cover an initial response in case of a call during our banquet.

FHHS coach Rod Turnbull and the Wolverines kept the intensity up in the critical fourth quarter last night, as Friday Harbor defeated Nooksack Valley 64-51 to advance in the playoffs.

It was what you wanted to see – Friday Harbor put together the whole package last night in defeating Nooksack Valley 64-51 before an overflow crowd at FHHS. The win sends the Wolverines on to this weekend’s Tri-District tourney.

The Wolverines started out hot, ending the first quarter with 21 points and carrying a 33-25 edge into halftime. The Pioneers clawed back to pull within three at 44-41 late in the third, but the Wolverines cranked it up in the last quarter to lead by as much as 15 before winning by 13.

The guys were running the ball well, putting pressure on NV throughout the game at both ends of the court, and hit the offensive boards well. We played Nooksack to a one-point decision earlier in the season – they’re a good squad – and there was a lot to like about what the Wolverines showed last night as they head into the thick of the playoffs which determines who goes to state. These guys are going places.

FHHS was led by Otis Cooper-West’s 18 and Collin Williamson’s 12 in a balanced scoring attack by seven players.

Bet you can't watch the whole thing without smiling.....

Over the past few weeks, I got the chance to ask dozens of San Juan Islanders if they would be part of my little movie, and here are most of the folks who said, “Sure!”

As you can see, the clips were shot in the store, on the street, at the coffeehouse, at school, at the Community Theatre, at Roche Harbor – all over the island. The islanders are people whom I know you know, and some are folks I’d like you to meet.

I asked folks just to say “I love you” for this Valentine’s Day video & it was cool to see how the whole thing feels….the visuals are backed up by “Field Song” by ace acoustic guitar virtuoso Cameron Byington.

So…here it is, just for you.

Go down the hall at Jeri's Mall (just behind the Hot Shop on Spring Street) and check out the photos of the FHHS classes before the 1940s...here's the Class of 1924 as an example...they were graduating around the time the dining hall was being finished at the Marine Labs, cars were getting more & more plentiful on the island, and Friday Harbor was a town numbering in the low hundreds. The high school was located where the Community Theatre now is situated.....

Hasn’t it felt like spring the last few days? Add in a full moon tonight (should be beautiful, rising over Lopez after sunset this afternoon….) and we have us a great place to live, don’t you think? Here’s more:

This weekend!

• I got a chance to go to the Playwrights Festival over the weekend, and I hope you carve out the time, too. The six little locally written playlets (approximately 12 minutes each) are each distinct from each other, and range all over – in creativity (one works three songs into its 12 minutes), humor (they’re all funny), and easy-to-follow script writing.

When you’re done, you’ll see first love & the kids leaving home & inheritances & getting into heaven & psychotherapy with video games & birthday parties just a little differently.

It was fun – after the show, I asked four different people which of the six shows was their favorite, and got four different answers. Then, fifteen minutes after THAT, someone wandered by, singing the last song kinda under their breath.

That’s the way it was – something different will stick with different people. Catch this great example of local talent – both writing & acting – this weekend & next at the Community Theatre.

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FHHS' Ryan Allen puts the pressure on the Vikings'6'7" Mikail VanMaren under the hoop in Friday Harbor's 89-39 regular-season-ending victory over Orcas. The boys host Nooksack Valley Wednesday in their first playoff game.

• The Wolverines roll into the basketball playoffs – the girls (14-6) won the league title with their wins over LaConner & Orcas on Friday & Saturday, so they head to Kings for their first playoff game on Thursday.

Meanwhile, our boys (15-5) nailed down second place in league, and they host Nooksack Valley here tomorrow (Wednesday) at 5pm. The Wolverines blew past Orcas 89-39 on Saturday to put up the most points we’ve seen by FHHS in decades, but will have their hands full with the Pioneers, whom we beat by only one earlier this season.

Go Wolverines!

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Every month, The Community Theatre has a different show of art in the lobby - February is always the month for quilts, and it sure was cool to see so much artistry with textiles on display, including Krispi's work, Saturday night. Wahoo!

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• Lots of people collected with the Agricultural Guild at Lakedale last night for a celebration of all the hard work & progress with the Brickworks Project…here’s a little slideshow of the evening:

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Steve Jobs, kinda. Well, close. Well, maybe. (Hard to look serious, anyway.)

• It was great to run into my friend Devon Schwinge (SSIS ’06) on the ferry the other day – he’s always got something interesting going on, and it was cool to see that he was wrapping up the Steve Jobs biography.

I couldn’t help but notice he looks a little like the your Steve, while I bear an amazing non-resemblance to the older Jobs.

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• Tomorrow night at 6:15pm in the middle school commons, it’s Rachel’s Challenge (with dinner an hour before in the FHHS commons).

See you there!

Here are the details about this presentation, which will be also offered to the kids during the day at school.

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• Giving a friend a helping hand:

Andrea

We thought you would want to know that our dear friend and island resident, Andrea Berlatsky, is going through breast cancer treatment.

A benefit account has been set up at Whidbey Island Bank to help offset some of the medical costs.

To learn more, please contact Whidbey Island Bank, and ask about making a donation to the “Andrea Berlatsky Benefit Fund”.

Sincerely, friends of Andrea

The girls are coached by Deanna Banry…this year’s squad: Alyssa Marie Hallock, Kayla Drummond, Sam Pluff, Erin McCauley, Wilsey Brumsickle, Amy Dunaway, Faith Buck, Jessica Erickson, and Lita Gislason

Jack Gibson says hey to new Lutheran pastor Ann Hall last week - she was officially installed a couple of weekends ago...the Lutherans hold their service at St. David's Episcopal Church each Sunday, in-between the early service & the late-morning services. By the way, did you know Jack has a knife-sharpening business? Garden tools, scissors, knives - call him at 378-3378...you'll be looking sharp!

Let’s take a look around – easier to see stuff when it’s so sunny out!

Tourists from Chicago Hunter & Barbara enjoyed a sunny (if a bit chilly) walk at Roche Harbor a weekend ago....

• The Roche Harbor Salmon Classic wrapped up this weekend, with the winner (Bellingham’s Jason King) catching both a 16.6 pound salmon and the $10K prize. Locals David Hodges ($4K) and Jennifer Page ($2K) figured in the prize money, too…here’s a nice writeup in the Seattle Times.

Congrats to Debbie Sandwith & her crew at Roche Harbor – this was her ninth derby, and she continues to put on an awesome show.

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• Last night, nearly 100 folks collected at the Library to see a screening of Miss Representation, put on by our friends Stephanie & Julie. Great movie, great discussion after, and the kind of film that goes a long way in helping people treat each other better. Catch it next time it’s around – you’ll see the world in a whole different light.

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• Did you know that the governor made February Private School Month? Chris Gregoire issued the proclamation last month – congrats to Spring Street International School, Paideia School, and Stillpoint School here on the island!

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Colleen Bennett (left) congratulates Kari Koski last Tuesday as a few hundred islanders gathered at the Whale Museum to thank Kari for her work in developing Soundwatch into the effective educational deal that it is....she announced her resignation from the program last year. Way to go, Kari - good luck with the next adventure ahead!

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• Want to be a taste tester? Here’s more from Mike Martin:

Hi everybody! I’m the Sales and Marketing Director for San Juan Pasta Company here in Friday Harbor. We’re very close to having a full-blown line of gluten-free pastas, but we need your help. We’ve successfully taste-tested extremely small batches of the gluten-free pasta and are in the process of scaling up the batches for larger-scaled production.

For our next batches we need taste testers. Regardless if you’re gluten intolerant or just love pasta, we need your opinion on this next step so that we can make a product line of San Juan Islands-indigenous pastas. If you’re interested in helping us with this project you can send contact me at 360-317-4498, or email me at sjpasta (at) gmail.com.

Thanks!!
Mike

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She's such an amazing photographer - Josie (left) and I ran into naturalist & nature photographer Katie Jones at Boundary Bay, just over the line in Canada where she & we had gathered with others to see the snowy owls that are hanging out there. Check out her work at http://spyhoppertravels.blogspot.com/ ...amazing stuff.

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Get your ballot in the mail for the school levy by next Tuesday, the 14th....you can tell how Cow & Pig on Roche Harbor Road are leaning. Find out more at http://sjlevy.org/ .

Puget Sound Concert Opera: Opera Up Close And Affordable!

Puget Sound Concert Opera’s mission is to foster the appreciation of Opera and Classical Music through performance, education, and community outreach.

Puget Sound Concert Opera dedicates itself to performing operas concert style with piano and chamber orchestra. The concert opera format allows audience members to see, hear and feel the music up close and personal. The size of PSCO’s venues is comparable to a traditional European opera house, where the intimacy makes the musical experience unique and thrilling: singers receive immediate feedback from the audience, and the audience can see, hear and literally feel the entire performance. It almost becomes a dialog between performer and audience.

Our passion is to share with as wide a range of audience as possible, the beauty, passion and magnificence of opera. As such, we perform operas that are a little “off the beaten path” as well as those that are extremely popular. As much as possible, these operas are performed uncut and in the original languages.

By keeping the size of our group and our venues small and intimate, Puget Sound Concert Opera charges less than half of the standard rate for most opera and classical music performances. It is a great introduction to opera for children and adults 12 and over.

Our season in Friday Harbor

Admission to all shows: Suggested Donation: $15 general, $10 students/seniors

Idomeneo by W. A. Mozart

Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 5pm at Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church

A father, after having been rescued from an angry sea by Neptune, vows that he will sacrifice the next human he sees. Alas, it is his own son! A tale of love and honor featuring Stephen Rumpf in the title role, Tessia Altiveros, Kimberly Giordano and Regina Thomas. Performed with string quartet, clarinet and piano. Conducted by Jonathan Pasternack. Be uplifted!

Opera Moms

Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 5pm — Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church

With a wonderful selection of scenes and arias, we will explore operatic moms and their relationships from the silly (Cendrillon) to the tenderly devoted (Giulio Cesare) to the obsessive and destructive (II Trovatore). A special gift for every mom in attendance! With commentary by Artistic Director, Regina Thomas and Piano accompaniment by John Burkhardt.

www.pugetsoundconcertopera.org 206-370-1531 info@pugetsoundconcertopera.org

This Friday and Saturday, February 3 and 4 at 7:30 pm, we kick off the 2012 Islands Playwrights Festival!

This year’s theme, Celebrations, brings to the intimate Gubelman Theatre six lighthearted 12-minute plays written and performed by the islands’ own.

The Festival is always a great chance to confirm just how this island is brimming with extraordinary talent!  It continues February 9-12 and 17-18.

Six and Counting by Carol Hooper   
Directed by Ed Strum

A birthday celebration becomes a sweet battle of wits and humor set in a happy family environment.

CAST
Ella: Lucy Marinkovich
Jennifer: Jordyn McCutcheon
Kevin: John Pachuta
Ed: Greg Hertel
Mother, Nancy: Lisa Hill
Aunt Judy: Kristi Jacoby

Pennies from Heaven by Patricia Hansen
Directed by Julie Laidlaw

Is it a dream or reality? A woman receives a message from her deceased mother that could change the daughter’s life.

CAST
Daughter: Lynda Guernsey
Mother: Pam Gillette
Nettie: Marcy Hahn

For Heaven’s Sake by Jim Zurcher
Directed by Ed Wilson

Jake arrives for his entrance into heaven and discovers something much different than what he imagined.

CAST
Jake: George Iliff
Sarah: Juliet Flint

the edge of the map by Greg Sutherland
Directed by Doug Schirmer

The video game, Kinect, is a catalyst for life-changing decisions in a relationship.

CAST
Jason: Noah Anderson
Scooter: Kevin Wilcox
Miranda: Lisa Hill

The Empty Nest Party by Mike Buettell
Directed by Joy Van Camp

Three friends contemplate and plan an empty nest party to follow the departure of their children for college.

CAST
Cathy: Kristie Jacoby
Lewis: Greg Swinford
Jan: Lynda Guernsey
Krista: Emily Schultz

Love (At First Sight) Takes Time by Jan Zurcher (a musical)
Directed by Jim Zurcher

Two actors are in a stage play about love at first sight, which takes place in the 1920s. It is the last day of the show’s run.

CAST
Toby: Kevin Wilcox
Tara: Duvie Dow

Stage Manager: Greg Swinford

Moonrise...photo by Jennifer Edington

Let’s see what’s up, ’round here:

Larry & RD

• This week it’s the 49th anniversary for RD & Larry Larson – congrats, you guys!

• Last night at the Knowledge Bowl, the winners were the 9th/10th grade team of Emily Guard, Ellery Van Dassow, Dalton Ayers, and Courtney Bell – way to go, you guys! The final question (like Jeopardy, you can bet it all) was “What city is known for hosting the largest Groundhog Day celebration ever?” If you said Punxsutawney (and can spell it!), you got it!

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• Speaking of FHHS & competition, the basketball teams head to tough games at LaConner tonight, then finish the season at home tomorrow with the snow-week makeup games with Orcas at 12:30 & 2pm.

The boys know they’re heading for their playoff game here at 5 on Wednesday the 8th; the next two games will tell the girls the direction they’re headed.

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Leah - have you seen her?

• Looks like Jennifer Yerkes is missing her pup – can you help? Here’s more:

My puppy Leah has been missing since Sunday p.m. If you see her please call me 360-317-6882 – thanks so much I miss her terribly!

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• This time of year, the Farmers’ Market is monthly, so you don’t want to miss it – this month’s is tomorrow at 10am-1pm at the high school…see you there!

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