Aurora Farms Farm Store – Contributed photo

Happy Autumnal Equinox! It is now officially fall, harvest time, and a time to enjoy the abundance of the harvest.

Lori Ann at Aurora Farms tells me that the Aurora Farms, Farm Store is still open daily from 9 am – 6 pm. The store is self-serve with people around if you need them. They sell their all natural pasture raised meats, Wagyu beef, Berkshire pork, Katahdin prime lamb and Boer goat as well as eggs and veggies all year! They produce veggies in field and cold house greenhouses, all organically with farm made compost. Flowers too! The Farm is located at 652 No 2 Schoolhouse Rd. “Look for the big mosaic hand sculpture in the middle of Schoolhouse Rd. and come on down the lane to the red ladder at the farm.”

Visit the farm store or find Aurora Farms at the Saturday Farmers Market at Brickworks now on 1st and 3rd Saturday’s through the fall and winter months.

Link to: Aurora Farms
Link to: San Juan Island Farmers Marke 

The League of Women Voters of the San Juans will hold candidate forums prior to the November general election. The forums
feature those running for the state legislative district 40 position, as well as candidates for San Juan County Sheriff, Prosecuting Attorney and District Court Judge.

For state legislative district 40, those running are Debra Lekanoff (Democrat from Bow) Michael Petrish (Republican from Anacortes).

For San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney, those running are incumbent Randall Gaylord (Democrat) and Nicholas Power (Democrat).

For San Juan County Sheriff, those running are Jeff Asher and incumbent Ronald Krebs.

For San Juan County District Court Judge, those running are Steve Brandli and Carolyn Jewett.

The public is encouraged to attend and submit questions to the candidates. Times and locations are:

• 5:15 – 7:15 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11, San Juan Island Grange, 152 First St., Friday Harbor.
• 5:15-7:15 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 17, Orcas Senior Center, 62 Henry Road, Eastsound.
• 5:45 – 7:45 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 18, Lopez Grace Episcopal Church, 70 Sunset Lane, Lopez Island.

For more information, contact Shireene Hale at 360-378-9797 or [email protected].
Follow the league on Facebook @LWVSanJuans.

Co-op members understand the power of the vote – it’s in our DNA. With Americans holding more than 350 million co-op memberships and rural electric cooperatives serving 75% of our country’s land mass: we have the power! OPALCO, the Orcas Food Co-op and San Juan Island Food Co-op encourage you to register to vote, cast your ballot and advocate for friends and family to show up on Election Day, too.

October is National Cooperative Month and a great time to celebrate what it means to be a co-op member: democracy, community and resiliency. Please join us for treats, refreshments and voter registration at co-op member appreciation events in October:

Thursday, October 4^th
Orcas Food Co-op: 10am – 2pm
San Juan Island Food Co-op: 10am – 7pm
Lopez Island OPALCO Crew Station: 12 – 2pm
Eastsound OPALCO headquarters: 9am – 3pm

Thursday, October 11^th
San Juan Island Food Co-op @ San Juan Bakery: 5:30pm

Thursday, October 18^th
Friday Harbor OPALCO office: 9am – 3pm

Voter registration forms will also be available in OPALCO’s offices and you can register online atwww.sanjuanco.com/1225/Voter-Informationwith MyVote. Go online today to check your name and address for any changes so that your ballot gets to you in time.

Co-ops Vote(www.vote.coop) is a non-partisan program developed by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives.

Katerina Wen – Contributed photo

Another round of cardio yoga is about to begin and what a great way to kickstart your day in a truly balanced way with Katerina Wen!

This class is a dynamic, fun and energetic package of cardio-friendly yoga poses, strong breath-work and spiraling whole body movements. An optimal self care package for modern people who seek to gain the quickest results for the least amount of workout time!

Whether your primary goal is to burn off those extra pounds, re-set your metabolism at a higher rate, give you radiant looking skin, and high sustainable energy all through the day, this class is for you!

                • tones and strengthens your skeletal muscles
                • tones and strengthens your cardiac muscles and relaxes your arteries
                • helps speed up your metabolism, gently lowering blood sugar,
                       cholesterol and blood pressure
                • balances neurotransmitters and stabilizes positive emotions
                • helps generate deep, restful sleep
                • increases hydration of the skin and collagen production
                • maintains flexibility of your joints and repair of your bone matrix
                • increases your self-confidence and overall performance
                • connects you with your spiritual core!

2 sessions available for registration Thursdays 8:15-9:15am: Oct/Nov session, register Now, $43 & December/January session, register by Nov 22 , $38. Class is held at the Dance Workshop 2. For More information and Registration visit our website, www.islandrec.org or stop by the office 580 Guard St. Monday – Friday 11am-5pm. 360-378-4953.

Get yourself a burger at tonight’s home game – Contributed photo

Story by Mike Martin…

There’s something special cooking at Friday Harbor High School this Friday night.  As the FHHS Wolverines’ offense serves up a steady dose of ground and pound rushing attack, the Purple and Gold boosters club will be serving up a half pound of beef ala In & Out-styled Animal Burger.  

The Wolverines defense has been handing out “nothing burgers” for the past 9-plus quarters of football.   They put that streak on the line Friday night in a home, non-league game against the Sultan Turks beginning at 6:30.  

“Playing in just their second home crowd, the players are looking forward to completing for the community,” says Head Football Coach, Brock Hauck.  He says that the team is ready to play in front of the home crowd.

Purple and Gold Tailgate Party starts an hour before kickoff at 5:30  This Week’s Featured Burger is the Animal Burger, similar to In & Out Burgers – burger with American Cheese, grilled onions, secret sauce on a potato bun, with Chips and Drink for $12.  

Burger master extraordinaire, Koshi Herko-Holt, says that she hopes that fans come for the burger stay for the ball game. Koshi says that “there’s nothing better on a Friday night than a little bit of ground and pound football and a grilled half-pound of beef.” She warned fans to get there early so they don’t get shut out.

Dr. John Durban is piloting the hexacopter into the hands of co-pilot Dr. Holly Fearnbach. The biologists, both with NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center, are using the hexacopter to capture images of killer whales in order to assess their health. NOAA Fisheries, Vancouver Aquarium, photo

On September 25, Dr. John Durban from NOAA and Dr. Holly Fearnbach from SR3 SeaLife Response, Rehabilitation and Research will present on “Photogrammetry Study of the SRKWs.” The lecture will take place at 7:00 pm at The Whale Museum. 

Dr. Durban leads the Cetacean Health and Life History Program at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California. Dr. Fearnbach is the Marine Mammal Research Director for SR3, a non-profit organization in the Pacific Northwest dedicated to improving marine wildlife health and welfare. In partnership, John and Holly have pioneered methods for studying the health of free-ranging whales and dolphins, including the use of aerial photographs to monitor the growth and body condition on Southern Resident killer whales over the past decade.

In this talk John will outline several ongoing research projects and methods used by his program, particularly the use of drones to non-invasively assess whale health. Additionally, Holly will give an update on drone-based photography to infer the nutritional status of both Southern and Northern Resident killer whales, in collaboration with the Vancouver Aquarium’s Coastal Ocean Research Institute.

The Whale Museum’s Lecture Series is dedicated to providing our local community and visiting public with knowledge and wonder of the natural world.  The lectures are given by local or visiting experts in their field.  Join us as they share their recent research projects, stories, and experiences. Each lecture is free and held at The Whale Museum.  Donations are greatly appreciated. 

For more information, call (360) 378-4710 ext.30.  The Whale Museum is located in Friday Harbor at 62 First St. N.  Founded in 1976, The Whale Museum’s mission is to promote stewardship of whales through education and research.  The Whale Museum can be found on-line at www.whalemuseum.org.

Salish Seeds Native Plant Sale 
Sunday, September 23 – 1pm to 3pm at Red Mill Farm Nursery, San Juan Island…

Come on out to the Salish Seeds Project nursery at Red Mill Farm, where you’ll find camas bulbs, wildflowers, Garry oak seedlings, and seed packets of other native plants for sale. Limited quantities on hand.

Directions to The San Juan Preservation Trust’s Red Mill Farm Nursery: From Friday Harbor, take San Juan Valley Road for about two miles. Turn left (south) onto Valley Farms Road. Take the first driveway on the right at 1/4 mile. Parking will be near nursery, on left.

Please call Tanja Williamson at 360-378-4402 or visit sjclandbank.org for more information.

Flu season is here and it is time to get your flu shot! San Juan County Health and Community Services will be offering the following flu vaccine clinics: 

San Juan Health & Community Services Clinic 
145 Rhone St, Friday Harbor
By appointment: Call 360-378-4474
to schedule for the following dates:

September 24, 2018 2:00pm – 6:30pm

October 8, 2018 2:00pm – 6:30pm

October 12, 2018 10:00am – 12:30pm

October 15, 2018 1:00pm – 4:30pm

The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor announces it will hold a Grand Opening Celebration for its new shelter facility, Saturday September 29 from 2:00-4:00 in the afternoon.

Members of the community of all ages are invited to attend and tour the new animal shelter and enjoy light refreshments.  Parking will be limited, so carpooling is suggested.  For more information, please call (360) 378-2158.

The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor is located at 938 Cattle Point Road

Fish for Teeth sponsors a mobile dental van for dental clinics on San Juan Island, three times a year. Contributed photo

Islanders unable to afford dental care can receive it for free thanks to the local nonprofit Fish for Teeth from Thursday, Oct. 4 – Saturday, Oct. 6. On Thursday, the van will be located at the Lopez Center for Community and Arts and on Friday and Saturday, it will be parked at the Mullis Community Senior Center on San Juan.

“Many volunteers and local businesses work as a team to bring this service to those who cannot otherwise afford dental care,” said Fish for Teeth Founder Matt Marinkovich, a San Juan Island commercial fisherman.

Fish for Teeth sponsors a mobile dental van for dental clinics in the San Juan Islands, three times a year. The Medical Teams International’s van can handle dental hygiene appointments to root canals.

Patients are seen by appointment only. Pick up applications at the San Juan Island Family Resource Center, the Lopez Family Resource Center or the county health department. They can also be download at www.fishforteeth.com. Those on San Juan can submit applications to the San Juan County Health Department on Rhone Street, while Lopez patients can turn them into the island’s resource center at 160 Village Road. Volunteers, not the county health department employees, determine scheduling before the clinic, based on severity and space.

To raise funds for the van, Fish for Teeth volunteers will sell fish tacos at 11 a.m., Friday, Oct. 5 outside the San Juan Island Community Theatre Box Office until they sell out. Tacos, which are as large as burritos, are made with Alaskan rockfish harvest and topped with Pablitos Salsa, Tillamook cheese, fresh greens, and a squeeze of lime. Volunteers ask for a donation of $8 per taco.

Marinkovich formed Fish for Teeth in 2007, after noticing a community need for affordable dental care. The Fish for Teeth board, comprised of local fishermen and dental professionals, sponsors the mobile dental clinic every January, May and October on San Juan Island. Fish for Teeth receives no federal funding and relies solely on donations, which are tax-deductible.

For more information, visit www.fishforteeth.com or email [email protected].

Local Artists and Writers Encouraged to Apply…

The Orcas Island Lit Fest today issued a reminder to all San Juan County artists, writers and poets that the submissions window for proposals to be considered for the 2019 Lit Fest will close after September 30.  

“Supporting and promoting local and regional writers is a key aspect of our mission,” said Lit Fest co-founder and president Jule Treneer.  “We’re counting on San Juan County folks to help spread the word, and encourage local writers to submit a proposal.”

The second annual Orcas Island Lit Fest will take place April 5-7, 2019.  Applicants are encouraged to apply online at oilf.org/call-for-proposals. All applications will receive a reply by mid-November.  The Orcas Island Lit Fest gives special consideration to San Juan County residents.

About Orcas Island Lit Fest

The mission of the Orcas Island Lit Fest is to bring together people who love to read books with the authors who love to write them.  This April, the Lit Fest will bring a select group of nationally acclaimed authors to beautiful Orcas Island to join local and regional writers in sharing their art, wisdom and knowhow.   Festivalgoers will have the chance to attend readings, panel discussions, a Friday-night lit walk, and a Saturday-evening marquee event on the Center Stage at the Orcas Center. For more information, visit www.oilf.org or find us on Facebook. 

Sky is this week’s Pet of the Week – Contributed photo

There are so many things in this world I haven’t figured out yet.  The long green snake that spits water is just one of them.  And what about the big metal box with wheels that brought me here all the way from Texas?  What’s that all about?  And furthermore, why don’t people have tails?  My name is “Sky”and I’ve just arrived here at your animal shelter.  I’m looking for answers to life’s complex questions and a forever home.  Come meet me soon!

Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor
111 Shelter Road
(360) 378-2158

Sharon Towson on Cobe and Theresa Simendinger on Zanzibar enjoy the Mitchell Hill trails – Louise Dustrude photo

For September’s Know Your Island walk, follow San Juan Islander Theresa Simendinger and her horse Zanzibar on a walk along her favorite trail; the Horse Trails on Mitchell Hill. She will make stops along the way and tell us about building trails for horses, how to share the trail, what it is like to take care of a horse and her love for the outdoors.

Saturday, September 22, from 1-4pm
Meet at Horse Trail Rd. entrance, off of West Valley Rd.
Distance: about 3 miles
Terrain: Easy, wooded trails
Please leave the dogs a home for this hike.

Susan Wingate – Contributed photo

Celebrating the publication of The Death of Vultures by Susan Wingate…

San Juan Islander Susan Wingate is launching her latest novel, The Death of Vultures, on Saturday, September 22, 2:00-4:00 pm at Griffin Bay Bookstore. If you’re an avid follower of Susan’s books, be sure to stop in the bookstore to chat with her and get your right-off-the press copy signed.

Stephanie Prima – Peggy Sue McRae photo

Stephanie Prima has a message for you… 

Open Letter to Gen-X’ers, Baby Boomers & The Silent Generationals

There is something subtle, almost unnoticeable, that happens to many people as we start to age. Even if we are walking daily and stay fairly active, we can still display this mark of aging.

Like a sneaky invader, age creeps in and gradually slows our reflexes, diminishes our limits of stability, alters our balance and gait. Our ankles aren’t as flexible, our steps are shorter, our arms don’t swing as wide as when we were younger.

Do you know someone who has tripped and fallen while walking a pet? Stumbled on an uneven trail or over a rug? Got knocked accidently from the side and went down? Perhaps these and other falls seem like no big deal, but in reality they should be a wake-up call.

I remember how my mother was so looking forward to moving out of her big home when she was finally free of her family obligations. But she fell in the bathroom one night, cracked her hip, and was never able to return home again.

Falls can cause serious injury, even death, can rack up medical expenses, and dash our dreams for a long, happy life. I’m sure you want you to have the strength and reflexes to catch yourself like when you were younger. That’s why I’m offering two classes in Tai Ji Quan: Moving For Better Balanceâ (TJQMBB), to retrain your body so you can continue to do what you love to do. I believe if my mom had this training, she would still be with me today. Continue Reading

Susan Wingate with Robert – Contributed photo

Wingate fans have been eagerly anticipating her new psychological thriller, The Death of Vultures, a book that has been rocketing up the bestseller list at Amazon since its release on Saturday.

Wingate’s books, are sometimes referred to as “psychological suspense women’s fiction.” I wondered if that was because both the protagonist and the author are female. Here is what Susan says… “Women’s fiction, specifically stories bending toward family drama and mystery, have always resonated in me. Since a kid, I enjoyed watching movies like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, reading Tennessee Williams, books like A Doll’s House, anything Hitchcock. Those stories got into my bones. I love stories about the human condition where family and character are central to the story’s theme.”

The Death of Vultures stands ready to deliver on those early inspirations. Here is an excerpt from the back cover…  “When daughter, Lily, dies from an apparent heroin overdose, Meg becomes embroiled in a world as exotic as it is criminal after getting swept up in the drug world.  When her husband ends up dead too, Meg has nothing left to lose and she goes on the hunt. But will she be the hunter or the hunted? Nothing is as it seems.”

Susan leaves a message for her readers on her Amazon page, a message that may make her work all the more intriguing to her island readers… “That you have added this story to your library means the world to me. Possibly, because this story goes deep into a fictional crime world that I’ve set on the island where we live. Like any community, our small island has a dark underbelly. In VULTURES, I’ve chosen to bring that darkness into the light. Of course, as a fictionalized tale one I hope rings true for the reader.” And from her webpage… “Question: Can a sense of place living on an island in the Pacific Northwest, where wildlife is as abundant as rain, not influence my writing? Simply put, place desperately influences my writing”.

As our island’s seasons turn toward the dark and rainy the time seems right to cozy up with a good thriller. Be fore-warned. I leave you with the words of James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of The Demon Crown… “ I’m still reeling after finishing Susan Wingate’s latest, The Death of Vultures. Brilliantly written, here is a tale that grips you by the throat from the opening prologue to the gut-punch of an ending. Both tender and brutal, intelligent and visceral, each page carries a reader further down a harrowing path… this novel will leave an indelible mark on your soul.”

Link to: Susan Wingate