Coming soon to San Juan Community Theatre, Time Stands Still is a Tony and Pulitzer nominated play, written by Donald Margulies and directed by Brandon Cadwell.

The play focuses on Sarah and James, who are navigating recovery of their physical and mental health after spending time documenting the atrocities of war. Their partnership is based on telling tough stories and making a difference.

In the words of our director, Brandon Cadwell, when asked what drew him to the play, “As I turned the pages, I became enthralled by them-it felt so very real. Every single word felt like something I hear in conversation on a daily basis. I felt that I had been dropped into the living room of these characters and watched their lives unfold. It is a show that doesn’t have a nemesis, but the challenges that each of them is looking to conquer within themselves provides the tension.” Read More »

Construction has begun – Nancy DeVaux photo

By Louise Dustrude

The road through the gravel pit connecting Turn Point Road and Pear Point Road is under construction, more than 10 years after it was formally agreed to. The county is fulfilling a commitment it made to the town in 2009.

It will be called Missing Mountain Road, alluding to the actual removal of a hill by gravel pit operations over many years.

It is expected to be completed by the middle of March. The contractor is Williamson Construction out of Deming.

The road will be 30 feet wide overall, with 11-foot lanes and four-foot shoulders, wider than either of the roads it connects.

It is taking the eastern portion of the gravel pit, and the perimeter walking trail there has been moved to the west to accommodate it. Read More »

Photo by Jordan Vanderzalm

Join Island Rec for a series of off island teen trips. First up is the YMCA Climbing Wall in Bellingham on February 17th. First timers and seasoned climbers are welcome to join us as we head up to the Whatcom Family YMCA in Bellingham to take on the tallest indoor climbing wall in the Pacific Northwest! The early registration deadline is February 6th for $63.00, $10 more thereafter.

The adventure continues at the Summit Trampoline Park in Bellingham on March 13th. Trampolines are only the beginning. Basketball hoops, battle beam, wipeout, foam pits, dodgeball, and more make for an unforgettable day of fun. Early registration deadline is February 27th for $63.00, $10 more thereafter.

We keep the fun rolling with a trip to IFly indoor skydiving in Tukwila on April 4th. Learn to fly in an indoor wind tunnel! IFly indoor skydiving is safe and fun for all ages. You don’t need any special skills to fly. Register by March 26th for $150.00, $10 more thereafter.

All trips are for Grades 6-8

For more information and registration call 360-378-4953, visit www.islandrec.org, or stop by our office at 580 Guard Street, 11am-5pm, Monday through Friday.

Join San Juan Community Theatre for the Ridgeline Trilogy

Ridgeline premiered under Merritt Olsen 11 years ago. This is the continuation of the story, which has since become a trilogy:

1. A Proper Slater: The story visits Matt Slater, from ages 5-50. It tells the tale of his family history and how he came to be the person he was. 
2. Send Me A Dream: Lead character, Matt Slater, now pushing 70 years old, goes back in his dreams to try to change things that happened in Vietnam.
3. Ridgeline: The story of two old Vietnam vets, life long buddies since the Vietnam War, now residing in an old soldiers’ home.

Performance dates: Read More »

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

Is it my eternal optimism or am I sensing spring in the air?  Oh, those fabulous days ahead! I can see it now… Walking on the beach, running at the dog park, sniffing other dogs… Oops, that was my joke of the late-night audience.  

So, moving quickly on, let me tell you a little bit about my fine self.  My name is Monkey. I was brought up in rural Washington state by a guy who liked to sit in his Lazy Boy all day watching comedy central and eating hot wings.  He kept leaving me out at night, I think he was trying to tell me it was time to make it on my own, so I made my way to the big city hoping to try my paw at some standup but I was too short to reach the mike… Just two inches short of stardom, man what a dream killer!  

Hop it forward 3 weeks and I’ve landed on my feet with this cushy new gig here at the animal shelter; giving out free kisses and trying out one-liners for 2 square meals a day, a place to sleep, and a captive audience.  Drop in and say hi, I live to entertain, and you never know… your couch might be my forever venue.

Higher-wage employment can be open to many who learn the skills of business management and leadership.  The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) invites workers in the San Juan Islands to join in a Business Management & Leadership Skills course; business owners and managers are also encouraged to enroll employees. 

This for-credit course will be offered at greatly reduced cost thanks to generous grants from our funders including the Town of Friday Harbor, and is offered in partnership with Skagit Valley College.

Classes will run from February 19^th through March 18^th.  Employees working in hospitality and the trades are particularly encouraged to attend and a special focus toward these industries will be included in the course.

The benefits of studying business management are plentiful – employees may be eligible for satisfying, higher-wage employment and business owners and managers find that management-trained staff can be more understanding of the demands and processes of running a business. Read More »

Mike Vouri – Contributed photo

Don’t forget – this is happening today –

The first Know Your Island Walk of the new year will be on Saturday, January 25, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, starting at American Camp’s Redoubt.

Mike Vouri, retired National Park historian, will lead this walk — as he did the very first walk in the series in January 2011.

The Redoubt, a military defensive earthwork dating from the Pig War, is considered to be the most significant human construction in the park and it is the most intact redoubt in the nation. The walk will include the South Beach Trail which goes across the prairie to Packers Rock at the west end of South Beach, the Parade Ground, and Grandma’s Cove, but not the area near the former Visitor Center, which must be avoided as a construction area at this time.

From town, drive out Cattle Point Road into the park, turn right on Picketts Lane (toward South Beach), then immediately turn right again and drive to the Redoubt parking at the end.

Dogs on leash (with pickup bags) welcome. Rain or shine. Sponsored by the San Juan Island Trails Committee.

L-R: Rachel Lucy, PeaceHealth director community health NW; Jackie Pitman, caregiver and current health coach program participant; Meghan McCarthy, PeaceHealth system director community health; Jennifer Armstrong, member Peace Island Community Health Board and SJI Family Resource Center; and, Delphina Liles, community scholarship recipient, SJI Family Resource Center – Contributed photo

FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash., Jan. 21, 2020– PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center recently recognized the first group of caregivers earning health coach certification as a result of its Integrated Nutrition Pathways Scholarship program.

The program, which awards scholarships to PeaceHealth caregivers to become a certified health coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), is the first of its kind to be offered by a health system in the United States.

Through IIN’s advanced online learning platform, caregivers spent six months to a year completing a comprehensive program focused on nutrition and holistic health.

Included in the celebration at PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center were current Health Coach program participant and caregiver Jackie Pitman. At the event, PeaceHealth also gifted one health coach scholarship to local community partner The San Juan Island Family Resource Center. This organization offered a full scholarship to employee Delphina Liles, coordinator for Youth Mentoring and Enrichment programs. Read More »