Students listening to Dan DeShon discuss how and why an airplane flies. Aerodynamics was the main topic the first evening, a new topic for most of those attending – Contributed photo

Monday night eight local students were given the opportunity to take a pilot ground school class compliments of Kathleen Bartholomew, who raised funds from local business people to provide scholarships for the class thru COVE. With the growing shortage of pilots in the country, she feels students should have the opportunity to explore aviation.

Students sent essays to Isaac Berg of COVE for awarding of scholarships. Westwind Aviation is providing the class thru instructors Dan DeShon, Dan Schwartz and Mari Peterson. Ernie’s Cafe (Patrick and Christine) donated their space to the cause and all were in attendance for the first class.

Over 8 nights the students will learn about the different disciplines required of flying. Aerodynamics, meteorology, federal flight rules, airport operations, weight & balance and others.

The first night included an introduction of the instructors Dan DeShon, Dan Schwartz and Mari Peterson (present via Skype from Alaska), an overview of the course and introduction to aerodynamics (why and how an airplane flies) as well as some background on aviation history.

Thanks to the donors who provided the funds for the evening classes: Aeronautical Services, Mark and Dawn Alger, Robert Brunkow, Monica Van Appel-Percich & Jacoba Porter, Kathleen Bartholomew and John Nance, Robert Tauscher and Westwind Aviation

Self-Portrait with Korona View, 1933 – ©Copyright The Imogen Cunningham Trust 2018

The San Juan Islands Museum of Art, SJIMA, will open an exhibition by world renowned Pacific Northwest photographer Imogen Cunningham, courtesy of the Imogen Cunningham Trust and its director, San Juan County resident Meg Partridge, Cunningham’s granddaughter, and an award winning documentary filmmaker.

Imogen Cunningham: Through My Lens will be on view from February 17th to May 7th, 2018 in the San Juan Islands Museum of Art’s North Gallery. The San Juan Islands Museum of Art is located at 540 Spring Street.

“I have a formula for how to make a good photograph; I think that in order to make a good photograph, you have to be enthusiastic. That is, you have to think about it, like a poet would. And there are many choices, at that.” -Imogen Cunningham

In addition Meg Partridge will give an Art As A Voice presentation of her film Portrait of Cunningham on April 7th, location and time TBA. Continue Reading

Desserts, wine, music, soft lights and words of love that will make you smile, touch your heart and encourage you to leave the outside world behind for a while. We hope to share this wonderful evening with you.

Reservations required.

To cover our costs we are charging $25 per person- all included. Seating is very limited, so save a spot soon – and please let us know if you would like a table for more than two.

7:30 – 9:00 on February 14th at Brickworks!

RSVP by Feb 5th to: [email protected]

Become a Love and Logic parent. Avoid power struggles with your kids. Make parenting fun and rewarding.

This is a FREE six-week workshop being facilitated by Terra Holmgren, Friday Harbor Elementary School Counselor.

Workshops will be held each Tuesday from February 27th through April 3rd, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at the Elementary School.

Registration forms are available at the FHES office, Community Treasures, or by emailing [email protected]. Deadline for registration is February 23rd.

Sponsored by FHES, CT REcycling and Friday Harbor Grange #225. (Food and babysitting will be provided)

Ada Mullis – Photo Courtesy Mullis/McRae Family

Island Senior is a regular column written by Peggy Sue McRae…

Earlier this month I took the Mullis Center’s bus to Mt Vernon on the regular monthly shopping and medical appointments trip. I went to meet my sister Sally and deliver late Christmas presents. What I brought home was a large box of “old Friday Harbor stuff”. My sister had been going through our late mother’s papers and I volunteered to become the custodian of anything from our grandparent’s era. Among records of births, marriages, graduations, and deaths, I found a some treasures. Here are a few gems that I would like to share.

In an earlier San Juan Update article I wrote about my great aunt Ada and the Millinery Shop she and her sister Ella kept in Friday Harbor. I was delighted to find a “new to me” photograph of Ada Mullis. The Mullis sisters were indeed the arbiters of fashion in early Friday Harbor as I think this photo illustrates. I tried zooming in on the magazine in her hand to see what she was reading. All I could make out was the price, 13 cents!

Frank Mullis – Photo Courtesy Mullis/McRae Family

I still have much to go though. Meanwhile, here are descriptions by my grandfather of a few of his artifacts. As a young man, Frank Mullis worked on the Olympic Peninsula where he became friends with and took a life long interest in the Makah and native culture. Here from his notes… “This Indian Paddle was just freshly made when I bought it – probably 64 years ago – or 1898. Paddles had in a way some personality – this is a “Squaw’s Paddle” Bucks Paddles were a little longer and the point was longer – the extra length adding to the paddle’s usefulness when pushing out from shore – it was just a little larger all around. I distinctly remember this paddle cost me 75 cents. It had no paint – the painting was what I did.” And then, “All canoes carried “Canoe-Scoops”. The scoop was used sideways in a circular revolving motion – and if the sea slopped – even quite a gallonage of water into the canoe – it was scooped overboard in very short order.”

To read more about the Mullis family here are some links:
Island Senior: Who were the Mullises?
From the Journal of Frank Mullis: San Juan Island, September 1905
Island Senior: The Misses Ada and Ella Mullis, Friday Harbor Milliners
Island Senior: a Granddaughter’s Memories of Frank Mullis

Friday Harbor Film Festival’s “Best of the Fest” presents:

“Mission Blue” – a film about legendary oceanographer, Sylvia Earle. She is on a personal mission to save our oceans. Mission Blue is part oceanic road trip, part biography, part action adventure story, and part expose of an eco-disaster.

The film deftly weaves her unique personal history with the passion that consumes her today: creating a global parks system for the ocean that she calls “Hope Spots.”

Mission Blue, shot during a three-year period in numerous locations around the world, tackles the daunting challenge of how to protect the global ocean that is now under attack as never before. Ambitious in its visual language, goals, and passions for change, the film is a wake-up call for everyone who has ever cared about or experienced the ocean, as well as for those far inland who are dependent on rainwater, clean air, and weather cycles regulated by the ocean. As Sylvia says, “No blue, no green. No ocean, no us.”

Tuesday February 6th at 7:00 pm at The Grange.

Then, A very special Guest, for MISSION BLUE: Continue Reading

Request for Friday Harbor High School Community Service Projects

The second semester FHHS Community Service-Learning Class begins January 29th.   This class utilizes committed adult mentors who will guide students through the completion of a service project related to community improvement – both locally and globally. 

This is a great opportunity for a “win-win” partnership between students and local organizations.

If you have a community improvement project in mind, a fifteen minute in-class presentation time can be arranged on January 31st, February 1st, or February 2nd  from 8:15-9:00 AM.   Please contact Jenny Wilson at [email protected]  for more information.

Just in time for the Big Game. It’s auction time! No, not *that* auction. It’s time for our NOT Just Desserts auction!

• Where: Brickworks
  
• When: Saturday, February 3rd from 3:00 to 5:30 pm

Please join us for your chance to walk home with appetizers, dinners and deserts that you can enjoy anytime or just in time for the Superbowl. Proceeds will support Spring Street International School’s Science and Music programs. Cook less and root more at our Not Just Desserts silent and live auction. No purchase necessary. Must enjoy good food to win…

So please invite your friends – this is open to anyone who knows about it so help us spread the word!

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

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce myself. I am Jem. If you’ve visited the animal shelter at any time over the last six years you may have already met me. I spent three years at the shelter waiting for my forever person.

When she showed up, I fell head over heels in love with her and we spent a wonderful year together, before she passed away. I’ve been back at the shelter for over two years since then. I have a nice job here as the office manager, but sometimes I get lonely for my own person. I sure would love to find another forever home.

You can come meet me at the animal shelter if you think you have room in your life for me. I hope you do…

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

Know Your Islanders Talk: Boyd Pratt, Where East Meets West

Hawaii, “Crossroads of the Pacific,” is known as a place where “East Meets West.”  Join Boyd as he explores Honolulu’s Chinatown, Plate Lunches, and the Honolulu Museum of Art. Refreshments are courtesy of the Friends of the Library and the San Juan Island Trails Committee.

Monday, February 5 at 7 pm at the San Juan Island Library. Free.

San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1 is soliciting applications for Position 3 and Position 5 Board of Commissioners through February 7, 2018. 

Please submit your Letter of Interest and your CV to the District Superintendent, Pamela Hutchins, at [email protected]. 

You can call (360) 378-2857 (District Office) for additional information if necessary.  A Special Board Meeting will be held February 8, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. at the Frank Wilson Memorial EMS Building to select the two new Board Commissioners.

Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, along with Commander Navy Region Northwest and other Navy bases in the Puget Sound and Seattle area will participate in an annual security readiness exercise, Solid Curtain – Citadel Shield (SC-CS18), from January 29 through February. 9, 2018. 

During the SC-CS18 exercise, installation personnel and the surrounding local area community may see increased travel times traveling to and from installations. Installation personnel, contractors, visitors and retirees should be flexible with their scheduling of meetings and appointments during the exercise.  Local area residents may also see increased military activity and possible traffic and pedestrian congestion, associated with the exercise, near military facilities.  Continue Reading

Joyce Sobel

Joyce Sobel finally retired on Tuesday afternoon January 24th. Her family is deeply saddened and misses her already. She still had much to give and will be greatly missed by all that knew her. She never liked going off island and kept her wish until the end.

Joyce was born on May 19th 1943 in Quincy, Massachusetts to Robert and Dorothea Leavens. She attended N. Quincy High School and went on to graduate from Jackson College of Tufts University in 1964.

After graduation, Joyce served in the Peace Corp in Kenya in 1965 and 1966 where she was a secondary school teacher. She married Lance Sobel and gave birth to their son Duncan, while stationed in Kenya.

She received a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Erikson Institute of Loyola University of Chicago in 1970. She then served as the Director of the Evanston (IL) Day Nursery. Continue Reading

In support of student success, Skagit Valley College is pleased to announce that the following students were placed on the Academic Honor Roll for Fall Quarter, 2017. To qualify, students must maintain a 3.75 or higher grade point average while carrying 12 or more credits.

“We are very proud of the achievements of our Skagit Valley College students,” said Dr. David Paul, SVC’s Vice President for Student Services. “The large number of students on SVC’s academic Honor Roll is a reflection of their hard work, as well as the support they receive from our faculty and staff.”

Mackenzie Brown, Friday Harbor
Ana Sanabria, Friday Harbor
April Esposito, Friday Harbor

Many more names below: Continue Reading

In addition to the photos she shared after last week’s Women’s March, Liza Michaelson has now also shared this video. Click on it and see who all you recognize.

San Juan Island Service Scholarship is raffling off a staycation gift basket at the last four high school basketball games. This basket of goodies could be yours! It includes an overnight stay at Roche Harbor Resort‘s Quarryman Hall and a $100 gift certificate to Duck Soup Restaurant! $5/ticket and sales start TODAY at the Friday Harbor High School basketball games.

Thanks for supporting local scholars!

Seniors – Here’s your chance to get your required SJISS hours! Volunteers needed for the following dates/times:

• Today: Jan. 26 Boys game at 4pm/ Girls game at 5:30pm
  
• Friday, Feb. 2: Boys game at 4pm / Girls game at 5:30pm