Around the island….

Jim Maya reports from out on the water: “There are lots of Dall’s Porpoise, the fastest small cetacean in our waters. Today the light was perfect!”

Big day on the national scene, so keep your eye on all that (you know you have till 8pm to vote, right? Or get your ballot in the mail….) and let’s see what’s going on around here:

A friend on the dock…great blue heron, by Kevin Holmes

• Hey, drop by and hear the Steve Keys Trio at The Rumor Mill on Wednesday night!

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• The Cask & Schooner has an Election Night going on tonight…..drop by!

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• It’s coming this weekend – The Clash of the Chili Titans! (Here’s the Facebook page.) It’s at the Mullis Center on Friday at 6pm:

This is a benefit for San Juan Soccer! Chef Andy and Coach Tommy are going head to head in a chili cook-off. Andy will be defending his 2012 Brickworks title.

It’s Detroit vs. Cincinnati. $10 for adults and $5 for kids (12 and under) And don’t worry–we’ve got you vegetarians covered as well! Come one come all!
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I voted…did you?

• Time to make plans to sit in on the discussion – here’s more from Sarah Crosby at the League of Women Voters:

The League of Women Voters of the San Juans will show “The Healthcare Movie” at their membership meeting on Monday, November 12.  The meeting will take place at the San Juan Island Library from 12:00n until 2:00pm.  A discussion will follow the movie.

Beginning with essentially the same goals, the healthcare systems in the U.S. and Canada have evolved into two completely different entities.  This movie tells the story of how that happened over time.  For those interested in Healthcare reform in this country, this documentary is an essential component of your research!  Open to the public.

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• The Soroptimist Club has this great opportunity – here’s more from Kristine Odle:

Natalia Lawrence and Patricia Tullock – two single moms who had dreams of improving their own lives and the lives of their children by going back to school — are currently seeing their dreams become reality, thanks to the local Soroptimists.

Each year, the service club chooses an islander (or as was the case last year, chooses several islanders) to receive its Women’s Opportunity Award, a $5000 grant that can be used to offset any costs associated with the recipient’s efforts to enhance her knowledge and skills – including books, child care, tuition, and transportation.

A year later, both Natalia and Patricia commented that without the award money, they aren’t sure they would have been able to stay in school. But just as important, they said, was the honor of receiving the award.  Having the successful women of the Soroptimists acknowledge their personal worth, after they had each spent years struggling to overcome significant challenges in their lives, was deemed “very powerful” and “absolutely life-changing.”

The Soroptimists are anxious to get applications for this very special award into the hands of eligible women.  Applicants for the awards must be enrolled in, or have been accepted to, a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program, and must demonstrate financial need.

If you are interested in applying, or if you know someone you would like to encourage to apply, contact Kristine Odle at 378-2414 or [email protected]; or pick up an application form at The Toy Box in Friday Harbor. This year’s application deadline is December 15.

Each year, the international organization of Soroptimist awards more than $1.5 million to more than 1000 women, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles in their lives – including poverty, domestic violence, and/or drug and alcohol abuse.  Since the Women’s Opportunity Awards program began in 1972, about $30 million has been disbursed to assist tens of thousands of women achieve their dreams of a better life for themselves and their families.

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• From Sheila at the Red Cross:

The DSHR team of Islands Chapter is proud to announce that we are deploying Phil and Nancy Schober, residents of San Juan Island, to work in the response to Sandy in North Jersey.  Nancy will serve as a nurse in Health Services and Phil will serve on a shelter staff.

We wish them well and thank this couple for their three week commitment.

Linda Barnhart, Earlene Rothauge, Alan Roochvarg and Arlin Rothauge
Chapter DSHR Adm.Team

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Order by the ninth!

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