Friday…what’s up!

Let’s take a look around the island:

• Lisa found her cat Blocky! Dwight Ware read the description earlier this week & gave her a call – wahoo!

• It’s a Star Party! Here’s more from Josh:

Star Party At American Camp

The National Park Service will be hosting a Star Party from 8:30 to 11p.m. on Saturday September 11th at the redoubt at American Camp.  The Star Party is being held in celebration of dark night skies and the awe they inspire.

A limited number of telescopes and binoculars will be provided.  Visitors who own their own scopes are encouraged to bring them.  The program is free of charge and open to anyone. Wear sturdy footwear and bring multiple layers of clothing to keep warm.

For more information contact Joshua Boles via email at [email protected] or call the American Camp Visitor Center at (360) 378-2240 extension 2228.

Thanks again,
Josh Boles, Interpretive Park Ranger & VIP Coordinator
San Juan Island National Historical Park

• Jan at the Community Theatre asked me to pass this along:

FREE Workshop – ADVANCED ACTING with Jack Phillips

When: Saturdays:  September 11, 18 and 25 – 10:00 am to 12 noon
Where: PARC, 70 Saltspring Drive (off Beaverton Valley Road)
Who: Open to islanders who have a basic acting knowledge and some onstage experience.
What: Jack Phillips, guest director for SJCT’s fall play, I’ll be Back Before Midnight, leads these three sessions on acting technique exercises and scene study.

(Participants will be encouraged to attend the 2011 Islands Playwrights Festival’s developmental workshops and future auditions).

How: Please register by calling the SJCT box office at 378-3210; Mr. Phillips would prefer a maximum of 15 actors who can commit to all three dates.

• I asked Cyndi what kinda bug that was in the picture she took – she gave a complete answer:

This kinda bug is called a Backswimmer…in the family of Notonectidae.  Here is some neat info on them……”Backswimmers are predaeceous, feeding on other insects and occasionally on tadpoles and small fish.  They frequently attack animals larger than themselves and feed by sucking the body juices from their prey….These insects will bite people when handled (look out!) , and the effect is much like a bee sting. ” Borrer Triplehorn Johnson, An Introduction to the Study of Insects, 6th Edition.

• The Animal Shelter is putting together a cookbook…want to be published? The key is that you have to get it in by the 15th – here’s more from Tawny:

Greetings all my Fabulous Chefs out there in the Internet!  We are putting together a cookbook for the animal shelter and are looking for your favorites for inclusion.  If you have a few, please send them via email to my address along with to whom the credit should flow.

Thank you all for your time and if you have questions please give me a call.

Tawny
tawnymg (at) hotmail.com

• The pictures on the side of Ace have a party to go with ’em – here’s the word from Annie:

Hey Ian, I hope you can make it to our celebration this Sunday at 2 o’clock, we are closing off the street, the grill will be going and music by the Tritone, aka the Duotones with special guests……

Here’s more about the project:

San Juan Island Mural of Commercial Fishing
Ace Hardware building, at 195 Nichols Street
Fine arts painter and former commercial fisherwoman, Annie Howell-Adams, unveils a monumental mural portraying one hundred years of commercial salmon fishing in the San Juan Islands. The mural, located on the north side of the Ace Hardware building, at 195 Nichols Street, will be introduced to the public on September 12th at 2 PM. A dedication and celebration will follow.

The idea of a public arts project gained momentum as the island community became involved. Historic glass plate negatives, hand colored photos, and scrapbooks were gathered from fishing families.

The artist has given visual expression to important local history, showing the pride Friday Harbor has with it’s long connection to salmon fishing. The project was realized by Danmoor LLC, who made their building available and privately funded the mural. Twelve feet by sixty, the mural is painted on a series of aluminum panels. Each panel tells its own story, collectively portraying the island’s fishing heritage. Howell-Adams sees this process as the best in a community arts project, a way for Friday Harbor to tell and share its fishing story.

• Have you been to South Beach lately? Glad it’s not like that here (above).

• In October, the Chamber of Commerce is putting on this show, but you need to sign up sooner than that – here’s the deal, from Vernadel:

How many times have you wondered where you can find items available on San Juan Island?  The Style is being created as an opportunity for businesses to showcase the variety of merchandise available here.

The event will start with a Business Showcase where samples and demonstrations will be provided by restaurants, caterers, vintners, spas, etc.  Script tickets for local wine can be purchased at the beginning of the pier, and two will be included with a “Runway Ticket.”  There will also be a Silent Auction to tempt you with all kinds of products available on San Juan Island.

The evening will conclude with a Runway Show including fashions that will be the envy of any eye!  You will even see “Vanna” walking the runway with wonderful pieces of art or spectacular products available in our local stores.

Tickets for the event will be $10 for General Admission or $20 for a limited number of Runway Tickets, which include VIP seating on the runway and 2 wine tickets.

Check the Chamber’s website for more info!

• Vic & Mo Woodward took their family to the DR this summer, and now they want to tell you about it:

Hi Everyone!

We are excited to share the stories that were written on our hearts this summer in the Dominican Republic. We really hope to see you all Sunday night. Here is the information. Please tell your friends.

Dominican Republic Mission Night – The Woodward Family, Sunday Sept. 12th, 6:30 – 8 p.m. @ Paideia School, 265 Price St. – Cake, ice cream, photos, music, dancing maybe?

Love,

The Woodwards

• Carolyn from the fire station reports:

“The joint meeting between Town Council and San Juan County Fire District #3 will be at noon on Thursday, September 16, at the Mullis Street Fire Station. Originally the meeting was going to be held in the Town Council Chambers.”

• The Visitors’ Information Center run by the Chamber of Commerce needs a bit of help – here’s what Vernadel’s looking for:

Are you willing to share your cheerful, helpful attitude with visitors and your community?  Do you enjoy helping people and want to learn more about your community?  The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Information Center would like to discuss how you can assist visitors with directions, phone numbers, Island information and much more!  Come be part of our Volunteer team,  working a few hours a week or on a on-call basis.

Please call Vernadel at 360-378-5240 or visit us at 135 Spring Street, to discuss the opportunities we have available for you!

• School got underway for almost everyone the past couple of weeks – now there’s a chance for you to sign up for your classes at Skagit Valley College (including those computer classes I teach!) Randy Martin reports what the coming term looks like:

Study Locally with Skagit Valley College San Juan Center

It’s not too late to register for Fall Quarter classes and workshops at Skagit Valley College San Juan Center.  Fall Quarter begins Monday, September 20 at SVC San Juan Center in Friday Harbor.

Academic transfer degrees, GED prep courses, English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, career training, computer workshops and community education courses are offered at the center. In addition, students can study anytime, anywhere with online courses from a variety of disciplines through the eLearning program.

“You can study locally and learn about the world from top-notch faculty who teach here in the islands and online,” stated Randy Martin, SVC San Juan Center Director. Prospective students can call for an appointment with San Juan Center Advisor/Counselor Sandy Harold. Sandy is available to assist any potential student with guidance through the admissions and registration processes, as well chart and plan an educational journey.

Interested students can apply and register in person or phone Program Coordinator Jennifer Krajack at the San Juan Center in Friday Harbor (360-378-3220).

• You gotta pay more at the transfer station – here’s the report from the County:

Effective October 1, 2010, people bringing only recyclable materials to solid waste facilities in San Juan County will pay a flat $5 fee. Recyclable materials include co‑mingled recycling, batteries, oil and antifreeze.

The fee will not be charged to people who also bring garbage or other types of waste for which there is already a fee. For instance, customers disposing of small amounts of trash will continue to pay only the existing $12 minimum garbage fee whether or not they also bring recycling.

Utilities Manager Ed Hale said that residents and visitors make approximately 80,000 recycling-only trips annually to County waste facilities on Orcas, San Juan and Lopez Island, so the fee could raise as much as $400,000 per year.

Hale and Public Works Director Jon Shannon have both warned the Council that the fees now being charged on garbage have reached the point where further increases would likely encourage customers to take their garbage elsewhere and thus actually reduce total revenue.

The Town of Friday Harbor is currently sending its garbage “packer” trucks to dump in Skagit County because, despite the additional time and ferry fees, its overall disposal costs are lower than sending the trucks to the San Juan County facility on Orcas and paying the County’s tipping fee. Shannon and Hale described the recycling “trip” fee as a means to stop the utility’s operating losses, but noted that there is currently no money available to cover existing debt or the cost of making several hundred thousand dollars worth of improvements to the County’s sites required by regulatory authorities.

On August 24th, the Council authorized approximately $259,000 worth of compliance-related work to be done at County solid waste facilities on San Juan, Orcas and Lopez Islands. The utility fund is already $630,000 in the hole and the Council is still debating how to raise additional funds to finance repairs and improvements to the facilities or to further reduce costs.

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Categories: Around Here