Thursday – let’s check in….

Saw these Canada geese a couple of weeks ago, breaking toward the moon...

Let’s take a look at what’s going on:

• Looks like fun at the Rumor Mill this weekend – tonight it’s Trivia, tomorrow The One More Time Band, and the Acoustic Showcase (Debbie Strasser, Tom Danrich, Ian Boulton and Steve Dyer) is on for Saturday night. See you there!

• Good to see that state Sen. Kevin Ranker has sponsored a bill to shore up the oil spill prevention possibilities as tankers move through our waters (and past our rocky shores….!) It’s gonna be a heck of a lot cheaper & easier to prevent it than clean it up – here’s a blog about it…way to go, Kevin!

Reading's more fun with Jim & Carol's dogs...

• The Island Tails Tutors program gets back into gear at the Library next month, as folks bring their dogs to reading time with kids to help make a peaceful setting for reading…here’s more from Stephanie.

• FHHS sports update: If you missed last night’s rare home meet for wrestling (we beat LaConner 30-21), you have a second chance – the Wolverines are at home this Saturday, starting at 12:15pm. See you there!

Meanwhile, FHHS basketball heads for Darrington on Saturday as the girls (7-1) look to see how they have improved against the unbeaten Loggers (9-0 in league), the only team to beat them in league this year. The boys (8-1) face the Loggers (2-8) in the other game. Both teams are coming off twin wins over Orcas in Monday’s game.

• You may notice town seems a bit empty next week, as the school district takes midwinter break next week, with teachers & kids returning to school on February 7th.

Alice, at the edge of a sacred volcano at Volcano National Park....

• Did you hear about Alice’s hula class this weekend? It’s free & it’s fun – here’s the scoop:

Free Intro to Hula for Girls and Women

Hula is a way of life in Hawaii, a celebration, a moving medication, an expression of gratitude. Come join Alice Hibberd this Sunday, January 30, for a short trip to “Hawaii” at the new XYZ Movement Arts Studio. All participants will experience Hula as a dance of gratitude for nature, learning how basic hand and body movements express a tale of the Earth, Sea and Spirit.

Children (keike) will listen to the lessons of a Hawaiian legend, create their own hand movements to express appreciation for nature and find the “Earth’s heartbeat” using a Hawaiian ipu gourd.

Older teens and women (wahine) will find how hula enhances the well-being of body, mind and spirit. Wahine will develop body strength, coordination and grace, practice a Hawaiian chant, discover the sacred Huna principals and begin learning an Auana (modern) hula to a beautiful Hawaiian melody. Experience the true essence of the hula as a prayer for Mother Earth. Give yourself the gift of Hawaii right here on San Juan Island.

Free Hula Schedule, Sunday January 30
12:15-1:00 Young Keike Hula (grades K-2)
1:15-2:00 Keike Hula (grades 3-6)
2:15-3:15 Wahine & Older Keika (women & grades 8+)

XYZ Movement Arts Studio is located at 680 Airport Center. Go west up Spring Street and take your first left after the Best Western. The Studio is upstairs above Raven Hill Construction. Look for the Zumba sign!

Alice Rose Hibberd has studied with master teachers Kumu Hula Kawaikapuokalani Hewett and Kumu Hula Keala Ching in Hawaii since 2001.

Sanderlings at Granny's Cove - here's more from Cyndi Brast: "Here are some more cool birds we saw near American Camp at Granny's Cove. There were only three of them, running up and down along the water's edge. They are Sanderlings, in the family of Sandpipers. I read in Dennis Paulson's Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest that the north coast of Oregon and the south coast of Washington support the largest winter concentrations of Sanderlings anywhere in North America."

• How does your garden grow? Pretty good, I’ll bet; but it’ll grow even better after you visit Courtney’s farm – here’s more:

Hey Ian,
I was wondering if you might mention on the Update that if any islanders are in need of good compost for their garden we have a never ending supply of horse manure mixed with hay and wood pellets that makes great compost. Our manure pile is currently overflowing and we’d love to have people come get however much they can use. We have a tractor here at the ranch that they can use to load their trucks. They can send me a quick email at blazingtreeranch (at) gmail.com or just stop by and load up!
Thanks so much!
Courtney

• The local EMS awards were a couple of weeks ago – here’s more from Cady:

San Juan Island EMS held their annual Awards Banquet on January 15 where Humberto Orozco was honored by his peers as EMT of the Year. Humberto also received the Frank Wilson Service Award chosen and presented by the Inter Island Medical Center.

Deanna Banry was selected to receive the Chief’s award for all that she does over and above the normal work load of a volunteer EMT. The Officer of the Year Award was split between Robert and Patricia Benton for their exemplary work on the fixed wing flight and water rescue programs. Bill Cumming was presented with the EMS Community Service Award for all of his years of dedicated service at all hours, day and night.

EMS presents pins at five year increments for years of service. Debbie Grimes and Tom Eades received 20-year pins and Richard Low received a one year pin. EMS has 348 years of combined service years.

“We are lucky to have such dedicated community members willing to commit themselves by attending ongoing extensive training and responding whenever their community needs them,” said Training Officer Paramedic Weyshawn Koons.

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