‘Round here….

Let’s see what we got going on:

• Starting July first, folks who visit Washington State from British Columbia and buy things will be exempt from paying sales tax. What will this mean – will more Canadians come because their dollar will buy more? Will local tax-fed coffers suffer? There’s probably no one affected more than Bellingham, right next to the border – and they’re not sure either. Here’s the story, from the Bellingham Herald.

• They’re going to be parents – Pete and Erin Ancich (they own San Juan Excursions) are expecting their first child come the first part of August, as they adopt a baby whose due due date is the third of August. I can’t think of a couple more ready to be great parents – congrats, you guys!

• Hey, movie nuts – The Twilight Saga: Eclipse opens on Wednesday, June 30th at the Palace Theatre. Get ready!

• A quick note from Sally at Island Rec:

Great photo of Debbie Pigman and the beautiful concrete cast leaf that she made! Did you know she was teaching a class for Island Rec for adults to learn how to make their own pieces?   The class is scheduled from noon to 4pm on Saturday July 10.  Advance registration with Island Rec is necessary.  You save $10 by registering by July 1st.  People can register online at www.islandrec.org or call Island Rec at 378-4953 for more information.

• They’re taking off today – here’s more from Vic Woodward:

Hi Ian!

Thanks for posting our BBQ fund raiser. Our trip to the Dominican Republic, the island of Hispanola, starts this Friday and we will be gone for six weeks. Our main role will be to serve the various mission teams coming from all over the U.S., that will be staying at Casa Betesada with us and helping them experience life in the Haitian bateys in their specific mission. Each team has a specific vision for their role in serving the Haitian refugees.  We will be communicating with the Children of the Nations national team and helping them prepare for the international short term missionaries who will come all summer long. For more info. on Children of the Nations folks can go to: www.cotni.org

This summer at the Casa we will host the following teams:
– a medical team who will be working in the bateys doing surgeries and some family ministry at COTN’s medical clinic.
– a team of teachers who will be doing seminars for COTN’s school teachers.
– a teaching team who will be doing a series on Environmental Stewardship.
– a Vision team is doing vision work and an Environmental Stewardship project in the batey of Don Bosco
– a Reach/Build team is doing work painting a school and some children’s ministry work.
– a Build team is constructing floors.

San Juan Islanders can stay in touch with us through our blog or on Facebook. “Like” us by becoming a fan of Dominican Republic Mission 2010. We would love to hear from anyone while were on the big island of Hispanola.

Thanks again!

• Celebrating the killer whales – this year’s Orca Sing (A Concert for Whales) is this Saturday from 6pm to dusk (with the concert at 7 pm) at Lime Kiln State Park.

Fred West and the City Cantabile Choir will be joined by a brass ensemble.   Bring your picnic and carpool! San Juan Transit is offering half price round trip fares ($5) to and from Lime Kiln Park. Reservations and information at: http://www.sanjuantransit.com.  This year’s concert is dedicated to the people and wildlife along the Gulf Coast suffering from the oil disaster.

• Still figuring out to use that camera of yours?

John Sinclair is offering photography workshops for beginners, intermediate folks, and advanced shooters. Here’s the workshops & here’s the calendar – check ’em out!

• Do you know what’s in the water you drink? Find out more in this lecture about toxins in the water – here’s more from Stephanie:

Monday, June 21 from 7-8pm at the San Juan Library: Emerging Problems of Hormone Mimics in Natural Waters.

Presented by Rebecca Jarrell, Ph.D. Candidate, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry.  Co-sponsored by Friends of the San Juans and Friends of the San Juan Public Library.

• This is the weekend of Dance Happy at the Community Theatre – check it out!

•It’s this weekend – the celebration of the trail completion – here’s more from Louise, with a mystery:

Ian — Thanks for printing the news of our trail completion celebration, Barracks to Boats, for this coming Saturday morning at 11 o’clock at English Camp parade ground.

Now we have a mystery that one of your readers may be able to solve.

We’re honoring everyone we can think of who has contributed to creating this long-distance trail, including Roche Harbor Resort, and the National Park Service, and Saltchuk Resources, a private group that owns the Roche Harbor Highlands area around Briggs Lake and generously makes it available to the public — and Island Rec which founded and continues to support the Trails Committee.

But there’s a portion of this route known as the Boy Scout Trail which we believe was built in the early 2000s but we haven’t been able to track down who was the Scout leader for this project — and certainly not any of the boys, now young men, who worked on it.

Perhaps someone reading the Update will know the answers and can tell us.

Or just show up to receive our thanks Saturday morning at 11 o’clock at English Camp.

Louise Dustrude, for the Trails Committee

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Categories: Around Here