Island Lights!

Earthbox Motel, December 2009 – Photo by Tim Dustrude

Annual Island Lights Celebration and Holiday Decorating Contest
Sponsored by the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce
Cookies, Caroling, Crafts and LIGHTS!
Once again this holiday season, Friday Harbor will be transformed into a winter wonderland, as huge lighted snowflakes adorn the lamp posts and shops sparkle with holiday spirit. The annual Island Lights Celebration at the foot of Spring Street will kick off the season Friday, December 7. “Last year the old lights finally bit the dust,” says Rebecca Parks, events coordinator for the Chamber. “This year we have all new lights, thanks to the Town of Friday Harbor and the Chamber of Commerce.”
The festivities begin at 5 p.m. Dec. 7, with the lighting of the trees at Memorial Park. New lights this year promise a spectacular Flipping of the Switch! Island Rec will lead an ornament-making workshop, there will be singing by the Friday Harbor Elementary School Choir, and Island Chordsmen will be barbershopping their way down Spring Street (beginning at 4:30.) Cookies, the Kiwanis Kaboose, and the announcement of the winner of the annual Holiday Decorating Contest will round out a light-filled evening of fun and sparkle.
The Island Lights Festival was started in 1995 by the Chamber of Commerce under the direction of Debbie Pigman.

Island Lights Holiday Decorating Contest
Friday Harbor businesses will decorate their doors, windows and storefronts this Christmas season in the annual Holiday Decorating Contest. Winners will be announced at the tree lighting ceremony December 7.  Applications – available at the Chamber office at 135 Spring Street – must be in by Wednesday, December 5.  Entry fee is $20. Please contact  the Chamber of Commerce for more information: 378 5240.
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Islands a Cappella Sings of Good Cheer and Reverence

The Islands a Cappella singing group, with members from Orcas, Lopez and San Juan Islands and directed by Angel Michaels, will sing of Christmas cheer and reverence at three concerts:

1. November 30 on Orcas Island at the Rosario Resort Music Room at 6 p.m. The Orcas Boys Choir will join Islands a Cappella in performance. Tickets are $10 at Darvill’s Bookstore. Seating is limited.
2. December 1 on Lopez Island at the Lopez Center at 6 p.m.
3. December 2 on San Juan Island at St. David’s Episcopal Church at 6 p.m.

The program at each venue represents the breadth of millenia with songs by Michael Praetorius (“Let All the World Rejoice”) and Heinrich Isaac (“A Virgin Shall Conceive”) from the 16th century; through Maurice DuRufle’s “Where There is Love” from the20th century; to contemporary composers Javier Busto (“Light Shines on Us Today”), Damien Mocnik — who with his family came to Orcas in 2007 —  (“Verbum Supernum”); and Morten Lauridsen, a Pacific Northwest native who once worked at as Forest Service lookout and now lives in Los Angeles and on San Juan Island. Lauridsen says his work, “O Magnum Mysterium,”  affirms “God’s grace to the meek.”
Interspersed with these pieces of the mysterious reverence of Christmas are bright, uptempo songs: the bright greeting “What Cheer;”  “Deck the Halls” with a “fascinating rhythm” of 7/8 time; “Where Riches is Everlastingly,” a joyful rumba; and a modern spiritual “Jesus is Born in Bethlehem,” featuring tenor solo Gary Alexander.
There are audience participation songs too —  “Lo How a Rose e’er Blooming,” “Away in a Manger” and “In the Bleak Mid-winter.”
Islands a Cappella started in 2002 as Orcas a Cappella with the mission of “Building Bridges and International Goodwill through Shared Musical Experience.” The group has performed at Europa Cantat choral festivals in 2003, 2006 and most recently in Turin, Italy in 2012. The choir has also sponsored local performances of composers, choral directors and choirs from Sweden, Slovenia, England and Romania.
Rehearsals are Sunday afternoons at whichever island is best served by the ferry schedule. For more information about Islands a Cappella, go to Islands-a-Cappella (Facebook)

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And here’s a note from Stan Matthews over at the County:

Charter Amendment Transitions Not Simple
11/8/2012
The approval of three amendments to San Juan County’s Charter on November 6th has launched the County government into a six month period during which it will have three different County Councils and the executive authority now held by an appointed administrator will be transferred to the elected Council.

The three members of the current Council whose terms end in January, will serve out their terms. The Council members, who were elected in the November 6th election, will be sworn in on January 14 and serve with the three members whose terms have not expired, until the new three-member Council takes over in May.

The newly elected members whose terms will be truncated by the charter amendments  are: Rick Hughes of Orcas, Marc Forlenza of Friday Harbor and Bob Jarman, representing San Juan Island South. They replace departing Council Members Richard Fralick, Howie Rosenfeld and Lovel Pratt. Members Rich Peterson, Jamie Stephens and Patty Miller will continue to serve until the six member council goes out of existence in May.

The timeline for selecting the new three-member Council is as follows:

December 14, 2012 – filing deadline for County Council Candidates.

Beginning December 12, candidates can file in person at the County Elections Division or via fax or email. Filing fees must be received by the Elections Division no later than close of business on December 14. Candidates may file via U.S. Mail with postmarks as early as November 28. Online filing will not be available.

All Council members will be selected by voters countywide, but the candidates must file for the position that corresponds to their residence – Basically Orcas-Blakely, Lopez-Shaw, and San Juan Island. (Updated district maps will be posted on the County website shortly).

February 12, 2013 – Council Primary Election (If needed)

If 3 or more candidates have filed in any district, voters will select the two that will appear on the general election council ballot.

April 23, 2013 – Council Election
May 13, 2013 – New  3-Member Council sworn in

The Council will define the duties and extent of the authority held by the County Manager that they appoint, and the Council’s relationship with departments not headed by an elected official.

The transition process offers some interesting possibilities, including the chance that two Council members could already be campaigning against each other for the same seat on the three-person Council when they are sworn in for a truncated term on the six-person Council in January.

The timeline also complicates the recruitment of a County Manager, as it is possible that the final job description may not be written until the new Council takes office in May.

When appointed to serve after the resignation of Administrator Pete Rose last June, County Administrator Pro Tem Bob Jean informed the Council he would be available to serve until March 31. That was expected to be enough time to find a permanent replacement Administrator. After the passage of the charter amendments, Mr. Jean indicated that he will be discussing his availability to assist in transition process after the end of March.

More information about the Charter Review Process and the Amendments is available at http://sanjuanco.com/crc
Complete election results are available at http://vote.wa.gov/results/current/sanjuan/

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