Public Comment Invited on DRAFT Stewardship and Management Plan for Mount Ben Preserve

Thursday, June 29, 5:30pm at Mullis Community Senior Center

The Land Bank is inviting public comment on the DRAFT Mount Ben Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan (PDF). We value public input in helping guide the long term care of our County’s conservation areas. This meeting is a great opportunity to learn more about the management plan for the property, ask questions, and share comments with Land Bank staff.

The 21-acre Preserve is located on San Juan Island, at the southern shoulder of Mount Dallas, and is accessed by way of Goat Pen Road and abuts an additional 13 acres owned by the San Juan Preservation Trust. Please note the Preserve is currently undeveloped and not open to public access.

Click here to view the draft plan online, stop by our office to view it, or contact Tanja Williamson at 360-378-4402 or [email protected] for a copy to be mailed to you. We prefer written communication to be able to accurately reflect on comments, but comments can be made by phone, email, personal letter, in person, or during the public meeting.

Public comments will be accepted Friday, June 9, through Friday, July 7.

After the comment period closes, the Land Bank staff and commission will review comments and make edits to the draft plan. Barring unforeseen circumstance, the plan will be reviewed by the Land Bank Commission at their monthly meeting on Friday, July 21. We look forward to your input!

Here’s a note from the Washington State Ferries regarding passenger loading with overhead walkways. (Note that this is a correction to a previous alert sent Friday, June 23 about procedural changes at terminals with overhead passenger loading)…

In an effort to promote consistent boarding procedures and to align the timing of passenger and vehicle/bicycle loads, WSF updated procedures at those terminals where walk-on passengers board via overhead walkways. The intent of the change is to synchronize the raising of the overhead walkway off the vessel at the same time as the vehicle-loading ramp, not to prohibit loading at 2-minutes prior to departure.

What has not changed: 2-minutes prior to the scheduled departure time, the vessel master will notify terminal and deck personnel to begin departure protocols.

New procedure: After a vessel’s 2-minute warning announcement, WSF will continue to load passengers, vehicles, and bicycles until there is verbal confirmation to the master that there are no more passengers coming through the turnstile or loading doors. In the past, vehicles and bicycles were stopped before the passenger turnstiles locked, even though walk-on passengers were still making their way through the overhead loading chute. The new policy allows vehicles and bicycles to load longer, not being stopped until all walk-ons are on board.

Northwest Immigration Rights Project (NWIRP) will provide training regarding immigration for students, teachers, parents and community members. These sessions answer questions that community members may have about the immigration system, immigration enforcement, and how immigration issues affect the communities they serve. This training includes an overview of the immigration system and immigration status as well as which resources are available in the community.

This workshop will be held Friday, June 30, 2017 from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm at Friday Harbor Middle School in the Commons

PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center in Friday Harbor was recognized with a Premier, Inc. QUEST® High-value Citation of Merit for 2017 at Premier’s annual Breakthroughs Conference and Exhibition on June 27, 2017.

QUEST is a national quality improvement collaborative of approximately 350 hospitals within Premier Inc., a leading healthcare performance improvement alliance of more than 3,750 hospitals and 130,000 additional providers. Only 63 member hospitals received a Citation of Merit for 2017.

PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center received a Citation of Merit for achieving top performance in any four of the following six areas evaluated for the award:

• Cost and Efficiency
• Evidence-based Care
• Mortality
• Safety
• Patient and Family Engagement
• Appropriate Hospital Use

“QUEST hospitals have set high standards in clinical excellence nationwide,” Madeleine Biondolillo, MD, vice president of engagement and delivery for Premier Inc. “Together, they have worked to outperform in healthcare. Premier congratulates PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center for their fantastic achievements.”

About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 900 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.

On Wednesday June 28, 2017, the San Juan Island School District Board of Directors will hold three meetings:

1. Special School Board Meeting at 2:00 pm for a Board Communication Workshop, school district office, 285 Blair Ave, open public meeting
2. Special School Board meeting at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, EXECUTIVE SESSION ONLY, RCW 42.30.110(g) to evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment or to review the performance of a public employee
3. Regular School Board Meeting at 5:00 pm in the high school library, open public meeting

Then they will meet again on Thursday June 29, 2017 to review the Center for Educational Effectiveness survey results at the school district office, 285 Blair Ave in an open public meeting.

All public comment, with the exception of public hearings on policy, budget or other specific items, will be heard during the “Public Comment” section of the Call to Order. Anyone wishing to address the board on any topic will be scheduled to speak during the public comment period by the Administrative Assistant present at the board meeting. Check in to be scheduled to speak will occur during the 15 minutes before the start of the meeting.

To see the agendas, access BoardDocs from our website at www.sjisd.wednet.edu (then locate the BoardDocs School Board agenda access). Or go straight to the agenda itself at https://www.boarddocs.com/wa/sjisd/Board.nsf/Public

This is a quick look at the board agendas for your convenience. Please be aware that the agenda could change prior to the board meeting.

Friday Harbor Attorney Katie Loring Seeks Appointment as Next San Juan County Superior Court Judge.

Attorney Katie Loring has submitted her application for appointment as the next San Juan County Superior Court Judge. In April, San Juan County Superior Court Judge, Donald E. Eaton, announced his retirement effective December 31, 2017. Because Judge Eaton is retiring mid-term, the next San Juan County Superior Court Judge will be selected by Governor Jay Inslee rather than elected by San Juan County voters. All applicants will be subject to extensive vetting by the Governor. The appointed judge will take the bench January 1, 2018, and will stand for election to retain the position in the November 2018 election.

Katie has practiced law in San Juan County since moving to Friday Harbor in February 2008. Prior to that, she served as a judicial clerk to Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary E. Fairhurst and then practiced law at the Perkins Coie firm in Seattle. Katie has served as San Juan County Superior Court Commissioner on many occasions when Judge Eaton was unavailable.

Katie has been actively involved in the community since moving here, including through leadership roles in Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor, the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild, and in Leadership San Juan Islands, and she currently serves on the boards of trustees of the San Juan Island Library District and the San Juan County Law Library. She also has enjoyed engaging with island youth through the Family Resource Center’s mentoring program and as a coach for students in Friday Harbor High School’s mock trial program. Katie enjoys bicycling with her husband, Kyle, on San Juan Island and throughout the Northwest. Katie is excited by the possibility of serving this community as the next San Juan County Superior Court Judge.

More information about Katie Loring can be found on her firm’s website: http://www.sjilaw.com/ or by calling Katie at 360-378-2191.

Seattle String Band Reinvents “Americana”

Both a unique name and a unique sound characterize the Seattle-area band performing at San Juan Community Theatre on Saturday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Kuinka is a distinct breed of string band—one proudly defiant of preconceived notions of what fits under the label “Americana.” The band’s name comes from Finnish for “how”; and as the band states on its website, the group explores the question, “How does a band bristling with spirited creativity continue to evolve artistically and challenge themselves while staying true to their own roots?” Their answer is a faith in their cumulative love of songwriting and shared experience.

Brothers Zach and Nathan Hamer, along with Miranda Zickler and Jillian Walker, came together in 2014 with the debut of The Wild North, propelling the band out of the woods and onto stages across the country.   Their 2016 breakout LP, The Heartland, led to featured performances at dozens of festivals and several successful national headlining tours.

The songs on their recently released album, Stay Up Late, are alive with the vibrancy of exploration and discovery. “We’ve spent our time as a band in pursuit of a unique sound that captures our energy and essence,” says Zickler.

The Business Partner for the evening is Friday Harbor Suites. Tickets are $20 for adults, $12 for student reserved, with $5 student RUSH one hour before the show if there are still seats available. The Box Office is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or tickets may be purchased on-line at www.sjctheatre.org

There will be a celebration of life for Woody Jepsen on Sunday.

Click the poster at right to enlarge for more info.

Please attend if you can – if unable, cards can be sent to Helen Jepsen and Family at P.O. Box 606, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. An obituary is to be released soon.

Race 750 miles from Port Townsend to Alaska? That’s pretty cool.

With human-powered or wind-powered craft and no support… OK that’s wow.

OK, now do it on a Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP)… that’s really Wow.

Oh and how about, cross the finish line before some of the sailboats and other kayakers??? That is just crazy-WOW!

Check out this story about Orcas Islander Karl Kruger who just did exactly that. He crossed the finish line in Ketchikan yesterday, seriously raising the bar for what humans are capable of. Very impressive.

KUOW Radio has the story…

The Town of Friday Harbor is pleased to announce the execution of a lease agreement with JAC 330 Spring Street LLC that will allow the Town to operate a parking area in the Downtown core in an effort to alleviate an historic parking shortage. The parking area will be on the property that formerly housed Browne Lumber located at 330 Spring Street at the intersection with Argyle Avenue.

Click to enlarge

JAC 330 Spring and the Town have agreed to a five-year lease which may later be terminated during the lease term should the owner wish to develop the property. In the interim, the Town will pay rent and take possession of the front portion of the property with a configuration that will create approximately 37 parking spaces. (See image at right)

The Town plan calls for free parking for up to 10 hours, a move that will allow businesses, residents and visitors the opportunity to park their cars for the day in the heart of Friday Harbor without the concerns created with time limitations for on-street parking. It is hoped that this parking will be utilized by business owners and their employees who will be in Town for extended periods freeing up valuable space for those wishing to make shorter stops.

“We have worked on a solution to our parking crunch for a long time” said Town Administrator Duncan Wilson. “While this is not a permanent fix, we hope it may lead to some opportunities in the future.” Town Mayor Carrie Lacher was also optimistic about the relief this arrangement should provide. “Over the years, this property has often been identified as an ideal location that could provide both adequate space and close-in access,” she noted. “We are very much looking forward to the significant benefits of this development. Our sincerest thanks to the Carnevali family for working with the Town to address this long-standing issue in our community.”

The Town will not be making many structural changes to the site other than to move fencing and grade the land. Parking curb stops will be installed and there will be a one-way internal circulation through the parking area. Two spaces will be reserved for disabled parking. Additional beautification and improvements will be added as time allows. “Another exciting element is that this lease will enable pedestrian traffic to use the western portion of the property to gain access to Ellsworth Avenue and Blair Avenue, providing relief to another long-standing transportation issue” said Wilson.

The Town crew is currently working on site preparation and hopes to open the site for public use shortly after the parade on July 4th. Wilson asks for everyone’s patience while the final touches and signage are added over the next several months.

National Theatre Live in London takes on Shakespeare’s classic comedy of mistaken identity, screened at San Juan Community Theatre on Friday, June 30 at 7:00 p.m.

Simon Godwin (NT Live: Man and Superman, NT Live: The Beaux’ Stratagem) directs this joyous new production of Twelfth Night, with Tamsin Greig (Friday Night Dinner, Black Books, Episodes) as a transformed Malvolia

 A ship is wrecked on the rocks. Viola is washed ashore but her twin brother Sebastian is lost. Determined to survive on her own, she steps out to explore a new land. So begins a whirlwind of mistaken identity and unrequited love.

The nearby households of Olivia and Orsino are overrun with passion. Even Olivia’s upright housekeeper Malvolia is swept up in the madness. Where music is the food of love, and nobody is quite what they seem, anything proves possible.

Tickets for the screening are $20 for adults, $18 for SJCT members and $10 for student reserved.   Due to a financial agreement with the Met, no SJCT coupons are accepted for these productions. Tickets are available on-line at www.sjctheatre.org or at the SJCT Box Office: 378-3210.

This year is the 5th Anniversary of the Friday Harbor Film Festival! We are delighted to have become an important regional documentary film festival and a continuing favorite of the filmmakers themselves!

For 2017 we have 4 returning filmmakers with new films. We also will be featuring 2 films we have supported throughout their production: Crazy Wise, about mental illness and Headhunt Revisited, a remarkable story about an extraordinary woman explorer. We are thrilled this year as well to finally feature Loving Vincent, a story of Van Gogh, illustrated completed by his own painting style. We will screen up to 40 films, throughout the 3 days of the film festival in 5 venues.

This year’s coveted Andrew V. McLaglen Lifetime Achievement Award is being presented posthumously to Elouise Cobell, a Blackfeet Tribal community leader and an advocate for Native American self-determination and financial independence. The choice of Cobell as the award recipient reflects the broader mission of the Friday Harbor Film Festival — an event intended to shine light on stories and people who make a difference in our world. Cobell’s compelling story is told in the film 100 Years: One Woman’s Fight for Justice, which is being screened at the opening night Gala during this year’s Festival. Melinda Jenko, the filmmaker will be accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of Cobell.

Our Local hero this year is: Thirteen-year-old Dylan D’Haeze, a resident of Orcas Island. He reminds us that being a local hero does not have an age restriction. If you care about the planet and everything that lives within it, and have the courage to share this message with the world, powerful things can happen.

What began as a seemingly simple quest — to know more about plastic and its impact on the environment — has thrust this young and thoughtful first-time filmmaker into a leadership role. Dylan continues to ask poignant and important questions, but he is now going far beyond satisfying his own curiosity to actively encouraging others to take action.

Dylan’s documentary, Plastic is Forever, will be featured at this year’s Friday Harbor Film Festival. It contains a powerful message about the necessity of reducing our dependence on plastic. Since the film was released, Dylan has been sharing his message across the country at various film festivals, schools and environmentally-based community events. The film has already received multiple awards.

Merri Ann Simonson shares some information on septic systems…

Merri Ann Simonson – Contributed photo

As Real Estate Agents, we are constantly learning and then sharing our knowledge with our clients. We must even expand our knowledge into some related industries that are not comfortable to discuss with a client, such as septic systems and their functions. The real estate industry isn’t just cars and contracts; it includes other really interesting stuff as well.

Septic Design And Installation. The process starts off with unimproved land. A property owner or buyer must find out where on their site they should install the system and what type of system will be required by State regulations. There are various types of system options to select from. The latest technology includes systems that are considered mini sewage processing plants. Those manufactures claim that the effluent is nearly potable by the time it is pumped to the drain field. I am not convinced to that level but my opinion is based on the “ick factor” not science.

Continue reading… (PDF)

Kate Schuman writes to share this good news of hers…

Dear San Juan Update,

I have some fun news to share. I entered my song “That’s Me in the Middle” in the West Valley Country Music Association’s Songwriter Contest and came in first! The WVCMA is in the Phoenix area, so I’m down here enjoying some (really) warm weather!

The song is on my CD “you only go ’round once” which debuted in Friday Harbor in 2002. The song now gets sent to Nashville for review by several music industry executives.

Many thanks to all who’ve supported and encouraged my songwriting!

Kate Schuman

Click to enlarge

The San Juan Community Theater announces its first “Off Site” production, “The Velocity of Autumn” by Eric Coble, co-produced with the San Juan County Fair and presented over two long weekends at the fairgrounds’ Marie Boe Building, starting July 6.

This deeply engaging 90-minute play looks at aging and family dynamics from the perspectives of both generations. As the scene opens, Alexandra, an elderly artist, booby-traps her Brooklyn apartment with homemade Molotov cocktails to keep out two of her adult children, who insist on moving her to a nursing home due to her increasingly serious mental lapses. Her third child, Chris, climbs a tree and shimmies in through a window to try to defuse the situation, literally and figuratively. Their hour-long conversation flits and lurches, with wit, humor and pain, as he tries to convince her to see “reason,” and she tries to make him understand why she’s dressed to the nines and surrounded by Mason jars full of flammable liquid.

“From my first reading of The Velocity of Autumn, I knew it was important,” says Director Carol Hooper. “So often the difficulties of life pull us inward instead of allowing us to give or receive help. Whatever the relationship – parent, child, sibling – the first step toward understanding is listening to each other. And truly hearing.”

Island actors Deb Langhans and Brad Fincher play the mother and son. Deb is well-known for her portrayals both at the Community Theater and at Island Stage Left. Brad is taking on his first leading role, having worked his way into increasingly prominent roles at the Community Theatre over the past several years. Continue Reading

In this year’s Fourth of July parade in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, sponsored by the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce, 16 organizations — each dedicated to the protection of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale — will be marching together showing their shared support of the orcas.

Our region’s resident orcas — J, K and L pods — are at a critical juncture. NOAA has declared Southern Resident Killer Whales one of only eight “Spotlight” species (out of 1,652 on the Endangered Species list). Spotlight species are considered most at risk of extinction unless immediate action is taken to stabilize and recover their populations.

People’s Climate March ~ Friday Harbor Washington ~ April 29, 2017

As an alliance of Orca Protectors, over 120 people will be marching with 86 life-size dorsal fins — representing the 78 living free members of the J, K and L pods, plus the 1 living in captivity (L-25, Tokitae aka “Lolita”) plus 7 white “ghost fins” for the whales that died in 2016. Marchers will also be carrying schools of salmon (the orcas’ favorite food is the endangered Chinook salmon) as well as larger-than-life-size puppets representing other creatures from the Salish Sea; and a giant Earth Ball will be carrioed by children with the banner “Protect What You Love”. Continue Reading