Time to put away your Fair ribbons and head to San Juan Vineyard, THIS Saturday, August 24 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, for the 13th annual Concours d’Élégance.

This year, the Concours will include the raffle of a Tesla (child’s size) electric vehicle and silent auction of car memorabilia.

Lunch will be served under the pavilion with musical entertainment by the Argyle Street Jazz Band.

Beneficiaries:  Family Resource Center, Family Umbrella Group, Hospice of San Juan, and PolioPlus of Rotary International.

For car registration and further information, please visit sanjuanconcours.org

Alchemy Art Center will host Fountainsun for a return performance almost one year later on Saturday, August 24th at 8pm. 

The show will take place in the Dome at Alchemy Art Center located at 1255 Wold Rd, Friday Harbor. A $10 donation is requested at the door.  Parking is limited, please carpool.

Fountainsun is the duo of Daniel Higgs (formerly of Lungfish) and Fumie Ishii (artist and musician) performing with a variety of instruments, singing, and reciting of verse. 

Poetic, theatric, chaotic, humorous… all of these things joyfully spill out of Fountainsun’s composed vessels of song. Their performance is a celebration of this life’s beauty, but also it’s absurdity.  

Daniel and Fumie invite you to dance to the words, interpret the beat, vanish into melody, and reappear in gladness.  All are welcome in the Fountainsound.

Learn more at www.fountainsun.com

Alchemy Art Center, founded by Maria Michaelson and Eben Shay in 2017, is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to creating a thriving arts community on San Juan Island.

For more information about Alchemy, visit our website at www.alchemyartcenter.com or email alchemyartcenter@gmail.com.

Friday Harbor Film Festival is proud and excited to announce that the Andrew V. McLaglen Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented posthumously to Paul G. Allen for his outstanding contributions to the art of documentary filmmaking, television, and media.

The award presentation, to be held during the Festival’s Opening Night Gala on October 25 at San Juan Community Theatre, will honor Allen’s legacy by screening Vulcan Productions’ tribute reel entitled A Tribute to Paul G. Allen’s Contributions in Film, TV and Media.

Allen made significant contributions to filmmaking through his company, Vulcan Productions, providing critical support to filmmakers working to make the world a better place by telling important stories. Without the support of people like Allen, documentary filmmakers struggle to find the funds to get their stories told. Vulcan’s message aligns with the mission of the Festival: Entertaining, inspiring, and enlightening audience members so they create positive changes in the world.

Allen was known world-wide as a businessman, investor, researcher, humanitarian, and philanthropist. As the co-founder of Microsoft, he helped start the microcomputer revolution. He also founded a variety of organizations to support medical research, education, wildlife and environmental conservation, the arts, healthcare, community services, artificial intelligence, and spaceflight. In addition, he owned two professional sports teams – the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers – and was co-owner of the Seattle Sounders. He authored a memoir in 2011 entitled Idea Man. Read More »

Come to the Sidewalk Sale at the Mullis Center, Saturday August 24 from 9am to 2pm for bargains on a wide array of household and kitchen goods, vintage/collectible items (including a steamer trunk), luggage, and more.

The League of Women Voters of the San Juans sponsors candidate forums, programs, and voter registration in order to promote informed and active participation for local citizens in government.  

Our upcoming general election candidate forums will be on:

• San Juan Island October 10, 5:30 – 7:00pm
• Orcas Island October 14, 5:00 – 7:15pm
• Lopez Island October 16, 5:00 – 6:30pm

Mark your calendar.

In the San Juan Update mailbag this morning we have this letter from Louise Dustrude…

I was happy to see Steve Ulvi’s excellent, detailed defense of the Land Bank in the San Juan Update.

I too have long appreciated the Land Bank for its preservation of beautiful public lands and for its careful stewardship of them.

We are fortunate to have Lime Kiln Preserve and West Side Preserve and Mount Grant (and soon Zylstra Lake) on this island, plus Mount Constitution and Lopez Hill and other treasures throughout the county.

We are all lucky to have this well-managed county agency, with its creative, thoughtful, and knowledgeable board and staff. Thank you, Lincoln, Doug, Eliza, and all the rest!

Louise Dustrude
Friday Harbor

Blood Drive Thursday at the Mullis Center Undeterred by Roadwork 

“I want to make sure folks know that it’s still happening even though we expect the parking lot and Nash Street to be closed to traffic. Donors will need to park on Market Street or elsewhere and walk-in to the Center.” Anna Coffelt, Mullis Center  

Mullis Community Senior Center is proud to be hosting the next San Juan Community Blood Drive on August 22^nd from 10 am to 4 pm.

Sponsored by the San Juan Island Lions Club, our community drive has collected more than 3,980 donations in just the last 10 years. That’s enough to have helped nearly 12,000 people from just our drive alone.

Blood donations are critical to people at all stages and from all walks of life: from newborn babies needing surgery to children fighting leukemia and to parents and adults fighting chronic life threatening illness or sudden traumas. Each donation contains critical components that save and sustain lives. Read More »

Laurie Paul and Tim Barrette – Contributed photo

This story was contributed by Laurie’s aunt Carol Meyer…

There are very few people in this world that have a “heart and soul” such as Laurie Paul. On August 20th, that heart and soul will be recognized by many living in Friday Harbor as they gather to celebrate her 50th birthday.

Fortunately for Friday Harbor, Laurie relocated from Florida after falling in love with the island and never looked back. She began working in restaurants as a sous-chef on the island learning the trade from the ground up. After several years of “paying her dues” with hard work and sweat, Laurie met Tim Barrette and alas, “The Market Chef” restaurant and catering service was born. It is now one of the most popular food service businesses in Friday Harbor.

Additionally, Laurie and Tim have been recognized in several food magazines making both the Paul and Barrette families very proud.

Laurie and Tim have been very involved in their community for many years and have made an abundance of friends that love them and their two children. Several holidays throughout the year are celebrated together as one big family and luckily for all, include the outstanding and unique recipes from “The Market Chef”.

August 20th will again include several friends and family that have planned various celebrations.

All Friday Harbor should raise a glass and toast to Laurie as well, in hopes that the good work and contribution she has made to her community will continue for many years going forward.

Fellow Film Buffs, 

Well this year’s film series is approaching its end.  I want to thank all of you for meeting us at the movies and supporting your local theatre.  As you know, for the past two years, we have not charged for admission, preferring a “pay what you can” model that encourages more of our island community to attend.  If you have been meaning to contribute but haven’t gotten around to it, now is your chance!  You can either deposit your cash or checks at the theatre before the movies or mail a check to:

San Juan Community Theatre
P.O. Box 1063
Friday Harbor WA 98250

Please indicate that your donations are in appreciation of the Summer Film Series.

Thank you
Larry Soll
Film Coordinator
San Juan Community Theatre

Here is our next film for Tuesday, August 20^th at 7:30 pm.

Amazing Grace
Documentary Rated PG 89 minutes

Music annals tell us about legendary lost projects that got released long after the fact. The Beach Boys’ “Smile.” Bob Dylan’s “Basement Tapes.” Prince’s “Black Album.” Now comes the holy grail: “Amazing Grace,” the movie of Aretha Franklin’s storied gospel concerts in 1972.

Having scored 11 consecutive No. 1 songs, the queen of soul was 29 and at the height of her powers. For two nights in a Baptist church in Los Angeles, she revisited her gospel roots. Six months later, a two-disc LP of the concerts was released, and it remains the biggest-selling live gospel album of all time.

What many didn’t realize is that those concerts were also filmed by legendary director Sydney Pollack. That footage was, as the song goes, lost but now is found. You don’t need to be a churchgoer to find “Amazing Grace” a soul-stirring, foot-stomping, hand-raising experience. When you hear Franklin, with that most gloooo-ree-us voice, magnificently turn one syllable into five, you’ll be moved to hand-clapping ecstasy just as Mick Jagger was when he joined the congregation on one of those nights.

This movie is recommended for music fans, particularly lovers of gospel music.  Also for history buffs.  Suitable for all ages.