Checkin’ in….

The Sidney town crier welcomes us crazy Americans on a blustery, coldish trip to Canada on Sunday, for the first trip of the Washington State Ferries to British Columbia of the year....it's great to have the ferry running & to feel connected to our Canadian friends again.

Let’s see what’s going on ’round here….

San Juan County Council member Howie Rosenfeld helped represent San Juan Island at Sunday's festivities in Sidney.

• It was fun to go to the welcoming ceremony Sunday in Sidney, as the ferry route from Anacortes/Friday Harbor to British Columbia opened up for the season. It’s always a feel-good session, as folks from both sides of the water celebrate the connection we all share as the present residents & denizens of the Salish Sea.

The ferry is our highway to Vancouver Island, and things are currently under review to determine the level of service that will remain after the present round budget cuts in Washington State are sorted out.

Gonna be kinda hard for us to provide for visitors in our little tourist-driven economy if the infrastructure is cut back…hope everything stays in place. The Canadians like visiting here, and it’s a good way for us to stay in touch with them.

Carrie Unpingo, on food

• Have you seen Carrie‘s new blog about, as she says, “Food, with a little life thrown in.” It’s great fun – see what you think! Check it here.

• I hear that Sarah Joy Staude (FHHS ’96) has plans to make her & Julio‘s boy Gabriel a big brother – wahoo! They live in Costa Rica….

• The PTSA & grad night folks were glad you went to the fundraiser basketball game – here’s more from Ginny:

The Friday Harbor High School PTSA and the Class of 2011 Senior’s vs. Faculty Basketball Fundraiser was a great success!  Thank you to all who attended, donated, assisted, played, cheered and most of all supported the class.

The monies raised will be used for Project Graduation Night which keeps our graduates off the road and in a safe, alcohol- and drug-free environment on graduation night. Funds raised help defray the cost of transportation, food and entertainment at this event.  Thank you to the community for their continued support of our students!
Friday Harbor High School PSTA and the students and parents of the Class of 2011

Andrew McLaglen

• He’s an American icon, an island icon, and a great guy.

I just ran into this interview (Aaron D’Errico pointed it out) from two years ago with Andrew McLaglen, and I believe it should be required reading for anyone who lives here – he’s an amazing talent & an amazing spirit. Read it & you’ll be proud.

• Power’s gonna be out: According to the front page of the OPALCO website, they have to turn things off for a bit for part of the island tomorrow (Wednesday). Here’s the deal:

Planned power outage on San Juan Island 3/30 from 9a-2p: Mitchell Bay, Westside Rd, High Haro, Carefree, Gretchen and Mt. Dallas areas.

Teri at Be Chic Boutique has Toms Shoes! Here are a couple of styles, modeled by Becky Taylor. Side notes: The boots in the background are NOT a TOMS design, and if you hire Becky for other fashion shoots, I get a finder's fee.

• It’s time to start growing that garden! And…you can help folks on the island, too…here’s a great idea from Joyce:

Hey, Ian! People are planting their gardens now.  Fresh produce at the Food Bank on Market Street is GREATLY appreciated.

Beth & Chris Spaulding had a good reason to get away to Victoria this past weekend - it's their 30th wedding anniversary! Congrats, you two!

As people plant their gardens, I would like to remind them to plant an extra row or two to donate to the Food Bank.  Durable, long-lasting vegetables like carrots, winter squash, onions and potatoes are much appreciated…as are fresh greens, fresh fruit from the many island fruit trees that produce great apples, pears, and plums that often go unused.

The Food Bank is open from 12 noon – 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  The best time for drop-off of fresh produce and other items is between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. on those days.  If special arrangements need to be made for drop-off, contact the Family Resource Center next door to the Food Bank at 378-5246.

Thank you to all of our community members and organizations who continue to support our local Food Bank in so many ways!

Joyce Sobel

Kevin told me Elsa got pretty excited about Charles Nash's sixth inning homer at the baseball game on Saturday...

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