Island talk…

Mackenzie Serratt (left), Kamala Chambers (painting a pickle for the fair), Victoria Newell, and Samuel Stewart (right) appear in "The Fair" in the Playwrights' Festival, which opened last night.

This is what folks are talking about this morning….

• I checked with the school district Thursday morning & discovered the school board offered Rick Thompson the superintendent job here on Wednesday night. Cool… I like curriculum guys, and I thought Rick presented himself as articulate & thoughtful with a heart on Tuesday night when he met islanders at the middle school.

Anne makes a wish....

• One of the great parts about going to Mi Casita is finding out whose birthday it is, ’cause the whole place sings along when the candles come out. Looks like Anne Gutierrez had her special day Tuesday night (I just developed the film.)

• Food drive at Stepping Stones: Bridgette Altena, director of Stepping Stones Early Learning Center in Friday Harbor announced today, “Several of the children at Stepping Stones thought it would be a great idea to give something back to the community.“

“To that end, we decided to hold a food drive beginning Monday, Feb. 1,” added Stepping Stones owner, Virginia Kane. “We’ll be collecting non-perishable food items, such as canned goods, packaged beans, rice, and cereals from now through the month of February. On Monday, March 1,  we’ll box up all the food and deliver it to the Friday Harbor Food Bank.

“I know it’s not an original idea, but times are tough,” said Altena, “There are a lot of hard working people here in Friday Harbor who are having a difficult time making ends meet.” Kane added, “Dropping off a few cans of fruit cocktail or a box of corn flakes may not seem like much, but if we all donate a little each week, it can make a tremendous difference.”

Anyone interested in donating to the Stepping Stones food drive can stop by the preschool located at 54 Marguerite Place during regular business hours (Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.). For more information call 378-4455.

Joan White throws her hat back in the ring....

• Looks like Joan White is going to run for re-election for County Clerk again – she asked me to share this with you:

It has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of San Juan County as Clerk since 2007.  I am devoted to my work, and if re-elected, am committed to ensuring that the clerk’s office continues to meet the needs of our citizens and the challenges of the future with competence, efficiency and enthusiasm.

• Ya know, the Playwight’s Festival started last night at the Community Theatre, and the way they’re doing it this year is running for three weeks, with different plays each weekend. (This will make sense to you if you look at the way it’s written up here.)

Here’s more about this week’s offerings, from Jan Bollwinkel-Smith:

The Fair, written by Greg Sutherland and directed by Doug Schirmer is a short play that celebrates the Island’s annual tribal gathering (the County Fair) and the fabric of family.  CAST: Kamala Chambers, Carolyn Haugen, Hannah Hopkins, Madrona Jameson, Victoria Newell, McKenzie Serratt, Samuel Stewart.

Delivered by Debbie Emery and directed by Anita Welch tells birth stories from three eras of the island’s history.  CAST: Grace Guenther, Brittany Kane, Trudy Loucks, Pat Rishel, Doug Schirmer, Matthew Stepita, Rylie Adams.

Salt, Pepper, Sugar by Emily Reed and Carolyn Haugen and directed by Tony Vivenzio are three monologues about familiar island women: Martha Gubelman, Dixy Lee Ray and Ruth Sundstrom. CAST: Jacki Altier, Lynda Guernsey, Joy Van Camp.

My friend Betsy went last night, and she reported this, because I told her I was going Saturday: “Hi Ian:  The Playwright’s Festival had a wonderful opening night.  The Gubelman Theatre had a full audience.  The plays brought out heart-warming attributes of the spirit of San Juan Island, as they referenced specific history and personalities.  Look forward to Saturday–I’m sure you’ll enjoy this creatively-staged production.”

Joy Van Camp in "Salt, Pepper, Sugar."

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