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To comment, feel free to add to our guestbook, or view it.September 6, 2001
Here comes the sun: You've noticed how dark it is early - the equinox is just a couple of weeks away. But it sure is pleasant early in the morning, watching the sun come up during your morning walk or run. Get out there and play.
Friday Harbor on TV: We're famous, again - Dawn the ferry lady told me Monday morning that FH and the ferries had been featured the night before on a National Geographic special...she said she'd loan me the videotape sometime.
And, yes, it was sunny down at the marina this weekend (right).
Royal's last days: Movie manager Aaron King tells me this week the Royal Theater's run officially ends, with the lease the Kinnaman family held for 27 years ending this week. The new management has already re-named the theater The Palace, scheduled new movies, and retained Aaron and his staff (and his good sense about what movies islanders want to see) as well.
Music in the mist: Remember when it was so foggy last Thursday? It was incredibly cool to walk by the fairgrounds & hear Irish music coming from the mist as Daniel Finn practiced his fiddle playing....
Good idea: The notion that the town might take over the old Browne's Lumber spot in town for town offices, public bathrooms for our visitors (instead of porta-potties!), a vistors' center, and a bunch of parking spots in our parking-short town....it's simply a good idea. Let your town council member know what you think. I'll tell you what I think - it's a good idea. Get in there.
Play right: Get out this weekend & see the Playwrights' Festival at the Theatre. There are six shows (they're working in some monologues this year) - a great evening of seeing how talented your neighbors are. Be there or be square.
Start: Speaking of starting up, FHHS football, girls' soccer & boys' soccer all get rolling this weekend, while volleyball heads to Blaine today. Watch how they do....
Meanwhile, the littler guys have already gotten going....Coach Roy Taylor said his midget football guys played well in their 13-7 loss last weekend, and that they're great fun to watch. Youth soccer games get going this Saturday.
There's the rub: You know, I went out to Arbutus Lodge a couple of months ago & got a new kind of massage from Susan there - it's called a hot rocks/cold rocks treatment...and it was wonderful. If you haven't tried it, treat yourself. Susan and Dick'll be away from the 15th to the 16th of October, so get yourself booked!
Westcott, don't boycott: One of the board members of the Westcott Bay Reserve told me they hope people don't get the idea the only time the reseve is open is during the much-announced "open house" to meet the artists this Saturday from 1-4pm. The Art & Nature has been open for a couple of weeks now, and you can go anytime. Call 370-5050 for details; the Reserve is out Roche Harbor Road - go to the RH entrance arch and take the first left into the WBR parking area. Check it out!
Chipseal: Couldn't help but wonder if the chipseal work on the road in front of the fairgrounds was scheduled to slow down folks as school started last week. If so, good idea - it's good to get back in the rhythm of watching for our kids....
Doctors leave: There's a potluck at the Mullis Community Center to say goodye to the doctors who resigned at the Medical Center this summer - Dr. Gossom, Dr. Heidersheidt, and Dr. Pauley. It's Saturday at 5:30pm (the 8th) - the organizers suggest you bring a main dish, side dish or dessert; drinks and dinner ware will be provided; and...bring your favorite bedside manner stories.
Big guy in the big city: It's awesome: FHHS grad Daryl Bacon's modeling for Calvin Klein in New York, and has his photo on a six story building there. Scroll about half-way down this San Juan Islander page to see our local boy who's doing good.
Greens meet: The monthly meeting of the Green Party of San Juan County will take place at 12:30pm on September 8, 2001 at Skagit Valley College on San Juan Island. The highlight of this meeting will be a workshop on consensus decision-making by Edie de Chadenedes, "Winning Decisions." Also on the program are presentations of the results from the GPSJC county fair effort and discussions of the upcoming primary and general elections. The meeting is open to the public.
Plane crazy: Another seaplane dropped into a pod of orcas (see story below), this time up in the Johnstone Strait. What are these crazy people doing...
Mariners continue to rock: The boys and I took a birthday trip Monday to see Seattle continue their amazing run at history...watching batting practice reminded us how well they hit, watching the game ( a 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay in 11) reminded us how well we pitch & play defense, and having Lone Star sing the National Anthem (they're the guys who sing "Amazed") reminds us how amazing the team is. Great fun had by all.
August 28, 2001
Plane craziness: Bob Weimer was telling me a couple of weeks ago that his OrcaCam photographers had shot pictures of somebody in a seaplane landing smack in the middle of a pod of whales. The photos were made available to the newspapers (the Sounder put it on the front page) as well as law enforcement officials.
You can see the plane & whales on the OrcaCam site...it's to be hoped that this sort of craziness is dealt with with a strong response - orcas have great echo-location facilities & do a good job of getting out of the way of boats, but things landing on them is another matter.
Good job, Bob and Tom McMillan for catching the crook.
New one arrives: Yep, Tom and Tammy Doenges (right) are the proud parents of Levi - the Rock Island tech dude sent some photos over so we could admire the new boy....
Superpod: By the way, the whales are getting together - when the three local pods (J, K, and L) get together it's called a superpod. It's pretty amazing to see that mob of 80 or so orcas all in one place. Bob from Western Prince told me Saturday they were down near Port Angeles (It's a conference town), while the OrcaCam folks saw them off False Bay on the west side of the island yesterday.
Farmers' Market: Drop by the market for fresh food from the people around here who produce it - direct from them to your stomach. You'll be glad you did.Crowded: You know it's getting to be the end of summer as the air begins to cool - hasn't this last week felt like the beginning of autumn?
Looking at the great numbers of people streaming off the ferries this last weekend, it think it's nice to remember that people come here to relax...get into it. Start now....and don't come here & watch TV. Take a walk on the beach. Go see the sunset. See if the whales are hanging out on the westside. Get a beer at the pub (or a diet root beer, or whatever) and talk long and deep with a friend. Hold hands with the friend you came with, and don't let go.
Relax.
Quote: Zen poet Thich Nhat Hanh was asked, "What do we need to do to save our world?" His questioners expected him to identify the best strategies to pursue in social and environmental action, but Thich Nhat Hanh's answer was
this:"What we most need to do is to hear within us the sounds of the Earth crying."
August 20, 2001
The Fair & all that: You saw them all hustling to catch the next ferry - all the vendors & amusement ride folks packing up yesterday. The Fair closed with Portland's Lloyd Jones Struggle dancing and playing into the night...and a good time was had by all.
Overall the Fair was great fun, especially if you watched your wallet and didn't eat WAY too much. Matt & Sharon have a bunch of photos to show you if you didn't make it, and that make for some nice memories if you did.
The Journal Run was won by a guy in 29:15, while the woman winner posted a just-over-33 minute pace. See the final results (and YOUR time) on the Journal's site.
I visited with Christine Miller on Saturday morning about that loud Loop ride, that you could hear all the way across town (Sally Kerr said she could hear it at her house) - she indicated she had made a deal with the ride guys to cease & desist for the last day, due to the request & complaints of neighbors & others in the community (I sang at the Fair on Thursday; it was nice not to compete with the machine for Saturday's gig). She said it was adding a non-community air to the proceedings, which otherwise is one of community & friends visiting. Most of the vendors I asked seemed relieved it was away on the last day.
It was good to run into Andraya Carroll, who's still recovering from the crash back in June in which she hurt her back. She was wearing both a brace & a smile as she continues to bounce back...for the second year, bad luck caught up to Marina Bull at the Fair: last year a horse rolled over her, short-circuiting her soccer season - this year she fell off a horse earlier in the week, suffered a cracked collarbone and some leg damage, and appears to be out for the season, which begins this morning.
Then there was Maggie Shaw's appearance at the Fair - the plucky FHHS freshman's leg was removed a little more than two weeks ago due to cancer. Efforts to help support her getting a new leg with which she can ride horses continue....
Good to see the support all these tough young women are getting.
Gravellin' man: Ann Harris wrote about three weeks ago:
If you hadn't heard yet, Rick King's last day at the gravel pit is tomorrow.
He has been a great neighbor to those of us who live on the rim of the pit
and he will be sorely missed.Ann Harris
Music on the road: Robin Jacobson reports:
Nine islanders returned (about three weeks ago) from a great week at Centrum's Bud Shank Jazz Workshop in Port Townsend. Vocalist Sue Miller attended along with Friday Harbor High School musicians Alex Altman, Sam Barnhart, Libby Concord, Nick Gislason, Liza Jacobson and college bound Gregory McLaskey. FHHS/MS Band Director Janet Olsen, along with Liza, studied with trumpet master Bobby Shew ---and still had the energy to share girls dorm counselor duties with Robin Jacobson. Over 200 musicians of all ages from around the US, Canada and Japan enrolled in the workshop which teams up participants in performance with world renowned recording artists. Many islanders attended the final festival weekend, including Dave Pretz of Wolf Hollow who has been going for the last 19 years. Friday Harbor High School students attended with the scholarship support of islanders, just another example of our community's commitment to education and the arts.
August 17, 2001
Foggy bottom: Whoa - if you were on the ferries on Monday & Tuesday earlier this week, you already know - it was so foggy you couldn't see more than a few yards ahead (Canadian riders couldn't see more than a few meters ahead...) On Tuesday this made the interisland ferry as much as an hour and a half off-schedule.
Running: The Green Party's on the ballot this fall, running a couple of folks (Mike Kaill and Tom Munsey) for a couple of spots on the local Island Rec board, which is non-partisan, by the way.
Replacement: Looks like Humanities teacher Joanne Dorsey has tendered her resignation at FHMS last week. Her replacement will be announced shortly...
August 10-11, 2001
Smokey: The smoke was still hanging in the air Friday morning around the south side of town...the fire on the beach at Jackson's Beach from Thursday afternoon was smoldering.
Apparently started by folks who were picnicking at the beach, the fire was contained by firefighters but blackened a fairly huge chunk of the beach. Sharon and Matt have photos...
Saturday market: It's going to be a beautiful day today, with beautiful produce to prove it. Get by the Farmer's Market at the Theatre parking lot this morning...
Hitched: Paul & Andy ( you may know her as Andrea) from Wayfarer's Rest got married last weekend, as did Tammy (formerly TJ) Small and Dean Kinnaman (he runs Stepping Stones daycare.)
Store: It's been a year since Judy & Brad opened the storage units over on Mullis Street...they live with their kids right there on the property.
She tells me it's going well - we got a chance to visit (her car was behind mine) when she and I were both overloaded on Sunday's 3:10pm ferry coming home.
Neither of us had any idea so many folks came to the island (and BACK to the island) on Sunday afternoons...
Fair: Here comes the San Juan County Fair - are you ready? This is the best-attended event each year, no matter what the weather, no matter what the plan. People make their summer plans around being able to come...see you there. Starts wednesday.
August 3, 2001
I see the moon, maybe: If it doesn't rain, like last night, there'll be a full moon tomorrow night. Good way to brighten the night...
Birthday: I long ago decided not to get into the business of posting birthdays on this Update. Who can keep up? So I'm not gonna tell you who turns 31 tomorrow, doesn't look a day older, runs like a deer, and is smarter than you & me put together. I'm not gonna tell ya.
It ain't over till the opera lady sings: Yep, there's opera at the Theatre tonight & tomorrow. Check it out.
Plan ahead: Gayle Hazelton says it's not to be missed: The first annual Bountiful Herbs Farm & Nursery Tag Sale is scheduled for August 10 & 11 at 430 Three Corner Lake Road from 9am to 2pm. She says there'll be a wonderful array of collectables, country primatives, vintage linen, garden art for home, garden, or farm, and lots of other wonderful stuff.
Give her support: For more about Maggie Shaw, the FHHS freshman whose cancerous leg was amputated this week, see the San Juan Islander.
Hang tough, Maggie.
Mailbag: You know, I always hope people find this Update of use...remember Tim Moran who used to play folk music with Mike Cohen & lived in that house above the airport? He got married & moved to Ireland. He checks in:
Hello, Ian -
Tim Moran here.
Yes all the way from Ireland, where your site really helps keep me in touch with the flavor of SJ. Enduring a five year case of homesickness, I just have this to say: Thanks man. You help me.'Cheers' as we say.
More mailbag: Here's the kind of note I like to hear, about the neat people who live here - from Andrew Davidson:Dear Ian,
I was wondering if you could help me out.
I was on your island about a month back, with some friends, when I had the misfortune of getting a flat tire. A tall gentleman stopped and helped me out. He was extremely genial. He told me his name but I have forgotten it. It's on the tip of my tongue. All I can tell you is that he lived in Friday Harbor, was quite tall (I'd guess around 6'3"-6'5") and was in his late 50's. I'd like to send him a note of thanks.
I was steered to your site and thought you might have a name or two that would ring a bell.
Thank you for your time,
Andrew Davidson
July 28, 2001
Half moon on the rise: You saw the moon a couple of nights ago...if only half lights up the night so easily (it's easy to take a walk during the show), just wait'll full moon on the 4th. Try & blow out THEM candles...
Phone home: People trying to call the island on Thursday were stymied for 3+ hours that afternoon. The CenturyTel folks were laying some fiber optic cable and the cable snapped, leaving the island phoneless until the cut was repaired. I happened to be on Lopez talking to someone here when the cut happened; the screeee in my ear left it ringin' for an hour....
Glad they fixed it so quickly...
Full house: Last night's outdoor performance of Twelfth Night out on Wold Road was ready to challenge the crowd of 325+ that showed up on Thursday night - and then it rained. So Dan & Helen invited everyone in to the house, moved a few things around, and put on the show for some 30-40 of us in the living room. It was great - be sure you don't miss it, whether it rains or not. Awesome.
Books: You remembered the Book Sale's tomorrow at the elementary school, right?
Candidates: Filing closed today for the electoral races this fall. A complete listing from the San Juan Islander shows that Mayor Boothman will retain his seat as he runs unopposed, with a few other surprises. Check to see which of your neighbors is running for what.
Ferry probs: With Olympia's apparent impasse on the transportation funding bill this week, ferry support is endangered...people going to the ferry advisory meeting on Orcas yesterday seemed to have a rather pessimistic view about how this could play out, especially if the state's subsidy of our boats is taken away.
Ugh.
July 25, 2001
Sundog rises: Sounds like Deb & Tom are going to get back together after years away from the stage - this Thursday night at Roche Harbor. Wonderful musicians when performing alone, they're dynamite together. Gotta see 'em.
Show: Twelfth Night opens this Thursday...
Run: You can get your signup form for the Journal Run (which is held the Saturday of the Fair, in mid-August) at the Journal building.
Books, books, books: One of the great events on this island every year is the Library's Used Book Sale at the elementary school - thousands of books, food by the Soroptomists & Felicitations, and a chance to gossip with friends. It's Friday night & Saturday during the day.
Speaking of cool books, Noël will be signing copies of the Accidental Hermit at Island Studios this Saturday from 1-4 or so - or you can order your copy online if you can't make it. Her books, by the way, are being sold like hotcakes...her story of a woman who moves to an island to live alone resonates with a lot of people. Especially people who have moved to islands...
NMEA: Sure were a lot of island folks at the National Marine educators conference in Victoria last week - Robin from the Whale Museum was networking, Kelley Balcomb-Bartok and Howie Garrett from the Orca Conservancy gave a moving presentation, and Darlene was there with her dog attending sessions. Good to see so many familiar faces (oh, yeah, I was there, presenting for Facing The Future, too....)
Mom's eye view: Saw three kids I knew on the ferry from Anacortes last night. Asked them where they'd been, and they said, "Seattle - we went to Gameworks & did some other stuff." Saw the head mom of these children & asked her where they'd been, and she said, "We went to the Pacific Science Center, and did some other stuff."
And everyone had a good time.
On the streets: You know it's fun to people-watch in town during the summer - the people in their summer clothes & funny hats, the guys that work out & look like walking biceps, the kids that run up & down the sidewalk & make you watch where you step, the dogs who never come when they're called. The beautiful women who try on dresses in the dress shops, the ferry workers patiently (usually) guiding people to the sea...someone said we have a bustling little town. It's fun to watch it bustle.
Mailbag: My friend Liam over on Orcas writes in:
Hi Ian,
How's it goin' over on the big island? What's up?
BTW, a comment re: your Update item ...
Query: Yes, people really ask this stuff - I was downtown yesterday and a
frantic, don't-leave-me-behind tourist asked me, "What time is the one
o'clock ferry?"Y'know, if the summertime ferries reliably ran on time, such a question
would be as silly as it sounds. But once the crunch starts and boats start
breaking down and captains start hitting bottom or crashing into docks and
overloads start clogging up the system, all bets are off and the one
o'clock ferry might well not arrive until three or four or even at all.
Hell, *I've* asked that question myself, not out of benighted ignorance but
out of jaded understanding of how screwed up things often are mid-summer ...Now, if you want a truly silly tourist question, try my favorite: "Do
these islands go all the way to the bottom?"Hope all's well w/ you and yours.
Liam Moriarty
Orcas Island
Salish Sea, Cascadia, USA
Quote: "In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy." - Nature Conservancy's John Sawhill
Football opening re-opens: Looks like Andy Anderson won't be coaching this fall after all at FHHS - the high school is expected to announce the new coach shortly.
Mullis & medical: The confusion over things at the Mullis Senior/Community Center has been well documented in the other online journals, including 120 or so seniors picketing on Monday the board's decisions related to management. It's a mess that has a ways to go to get straightened out, with a lot of well-meaning folks on all sides of the issues....
Meanwhile, at the Medical Center, replacements for the two docs that are leaving have been arranged for the short term, while there are continuing discussions to try and address the events that led to the overall fuss.
On another note, Sue Hill, who resigned earlier from the medical center, is planning to open her own office & practice. Sue, a nurse practitioner, hopes to open in the next month or so.
Good restaurant report: I've been hearing that Vinny's is pretty good - located across from Friday Harbor House, which is also well-known for doing a super culinary job. Heather (one of the bakers/cooks at Felicitations) was the latest to tell me to check out Vinny's...
Music: Mary Keith wrote in about tonight's Music on the Lawn series at the Historical Society's Museum:
Ian,
Your quote for the day is great! So meaningful.
On another note - I'd encourage everyone to take in the Music on the Lawn behind the Historical Museum this summer. Last week was great! Besides the very good trio of musicians from the Seattle area it was fun to visit with friends, 'people-watch' - especially the little kids dancing to the music, nibble on whatever you may have brought for snacks or dinner, and enjoy the summer evening.
MaryTrumpeting away: After nearly seven years, Bobbie and Don at Trumpeter Inn are moving on...they've sold the place to the capable Margo MacIntosh, who takes over next month. Active in the Island's B&B Association, B&D are gonna be missed for the positive energy & enthusiasm they've brought to the island & the trade.
Less: Dan Ward from San Juan Transit told me a couple of weeks ago that ferry ridership - a good way for us count visitors - is down 6% as of July 1st for this year; and last year was less than the year before. We'll see how the rest of the summer goes...many businesses I've checked with tell me things seem to be slower, business-wise, this summer.
Viral computerama: There's been a virus migrating around 'puters on the island that can munch your hard drive - I know I've gotten notes generated by it by the hour for the past 2-3 days. Harmless to Macs (like mine), here's a place you can get more info on it (besides on The San Juan Islander):
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]Men's group: Joe Tein's started a group three weeks ago, and wrote in to tell about it (he wrote back then - I just found the e-mail note):
Hi, Ian
Thanks for returning my call the other day. Here's the information about my
new group for men:The group I'm starting (as of July 9th) will be focusing on creating healthy
intimate relationships with ourselves and others, with special attention to
the specific problems that men face in this area. The goal is to learn
self-awareness and communication skills that people will practice in the
group, and then be able to use this with their families and personal
relationships outside the group. The group will meet every week for two
hours; the cost is $15 per meeting.I've also scheduled a couple of lectures at the library in August and
September (dates aren't firm yet). One is on "Love and Survival" where I'll
be showing a video and discussing the positive effects of healthy
relationships on people's hearts and general health, and the other is on a
self-awareness technique called "Focusing" which helps people solve problems
and relieve stress by learning to understand the messages we get from our
bodies.I wrote an article some years back called "Creating Intimacy" that I pass out
at my lectures. I also have it up on the WWW -- at:
http://members.tripod.com/~Musicmaker34/index.html You might find it
interesting; it's another description of my work (and what I'm trying to
practice in my own life).So, I would appreciate your putting the information on my men's relationship
skills group on your site. People can e-mail me, or call me at 5906. Let me
know if you've got any questions.Thanks. Joe Tein
July 16, 2001
Good morning: Yes, it was a little drizzly this morning if you took a run at 5am - the kind of drizzle that makes you wish you'd worn a little extra before you started. Just like yesterday - kind of gray and good for watering the flowers and the garden and making things grow.
New inn: Lisa Brown has opened the Pear Point Inn (out on, well, Pear Point Road) this summer overlooking Griffin Bay sitting on 7.5 acres. She's a welcomed addition to the neat places to stay there are here on the island...
Date: Put it on your calendar: Twelfth Night opens next weekend (the 26th) for two weekends, including a Sunday/Monday run on Lopez. If you saw Stage Left's production of Midsummer Night's Dream last midsummer, or the Tempest the year before, you know this is the real deal. Get it on your calendar now.
Can't keep still: Retired FHHS principal Ralph Hahn has been chosen to fill Roy Cope's vacancy on the Island Rec board - having him do Parks & Rec is a good way for Ralph to stay involved in the community.
Quote: "Why is it that we judge development on what we have built rather than what we have preserved? We strive to protect what was built by man, but give little thought to protecting what was made by God."
Juanito G. Cambangay - Provincial Planning Officer Bohol Province, PhilippinesThe girls: Remember that terrible car wreck with the five girls in it last month? I visited the card shop down at Cannery Landing next to the ferry where Elizabeth was working - the woman there says she's on-island, home from the hospital, doing physical therapy on her crushed shoulder while her broken leg heals. The woman said (as we all feel) that she's grateful the girls survived an horrific experience...
Kayak, now: There's a new kayak biz on the island: Alan's Discovery Sea Kayaks started up this summer, and is off to nice start so far. Outdoor Odysseys has been busy this summer, sometimes even turning business away, and so has Crystal Seas Kayaking. If you haven't been out on the water, get out there!
New site. but they've been around: Friday Harbor Yachts was one of the first businesses on the island to have a new website back in '95, but you should see their newly re-designed site now. Easy to read, easy to navigate...it's been getting rave reviews. Check it out.
Run on: Remember that woman who won the Journal Run last summer? She came in third in the Newman Lake 25K (that's about 15 miles) yesterday, running at a 7:15 per mile clip. Look for Lori Clark's name in the race results.
Crying over spelt milk: Know how the Community Theatre spells its name "re" at the end? On their website its spelled that way (not "theater") so now I know - check it out - you need to see what's playing anyway...they have an incredible run of shows & music this summer.
Query: Yes, people really ask this stuff - I was downtown yesterday and a frantic, don't-leave-me-behind tourist asked me, "What time is the one o'clock ferry?"
Art: Speaking of the theatre, they have Annie Howell-Adams' art hanging in the lobby this month, with Wendy Harford's slated for next month. Great stuff.
Plan ahead: Gayle Hazelton says it's not to be missed: The first annual Bountiful Herbs Farm & Nursery Tag Sale is scheduled for August 3 & 4 at 430 Three Corner Lake Road from 9am to 2pm. She says there'll be a wonderful array of collectables, country primatives, vintage linen, garden art for home, garden, or farm, and lots of other wonderful stuff.
Mailbag: On the Directory, we post everyone on the island who has a website, but we also mention (here) people who don't. Thought you might be interested in this note we got from Chuck Eckhardt :
I noticed that your listing of authors is missing my great, great uncle Oscar
Garrett Wall who wrote two books and founded the Friday Harbour Journal. His
books are:
Sunny Nooks or Halting Place Stories
Recollections of the Sioux Massacre
While he was originally a Minnesotan, he spent the last few years of his life
in Friday Harbour. He died about 1909 and left a wife who died in the
1940's. Any chance you could add him to your listing?
Thanks,
Chuck Eckhardt
July 6, 2001
Fire: That fire yesterday morning at the apartments over behind the library at the Mosswood Apartments displaced five apartments full of people. The fire was in full blaze by 7, and people were talking about it around town the rest of the morning.
Collections are being taken up around town to help out...
Music: Saturday night's the night there's folk music and other island music at the Theatre this week as part of their summer series...scope it out.
The Fourth: Wasn't the Fourth of July great? You couldn't have asked for better weather - not too hot, not cold at all (till the latter part of the fireworks.) The parade was well-attended, the event over at the Historical Museum featured the usual water-melon-eatin', egg-tossin'. hotdog eatin' activities as each year. yes, that's Dan Gillespie on the drums for the Lion's band-on-a-truck - I'm pretty sure Dan plays more gigs each year than any other musician on the island.
The Orca Conservancy's bike-riding whales captured the overall prize in the parade - check here for the other winners and a bunch of pictures of the day.
Seemed like people were ready to take a day off in the middle of the week...the island felt even friendlier than usual.
How many people were at the parade? Everybody...Teri at Felecitations said they didn't have one customer during the parade's run - and you know how hard it is to keep people out of the bakery.
The wind blew up in the evening (you could see the whitecaps on the west side, right), which cooled off a warm day & gave a washed-clean feeling to the early evening. Made the usually-gentle waves knock up against the shore with more vigor...
And the fireworks were great. In Friday Harbor, at Roche Harbor, over the water on Lopez - the island was ablaze in glory.
Doctors out: As the medical center's story continues, the second of the three doctors has apparently quit...the contract dispute continues, with no apparent resolution except the docs retiring & new board elections later this year. A difficult situation for everyone...
Whale news: Have you found the Whale Museum's news page yet? Good way to keep up with what's happening with our orca friends.
Long way: Running into Robin Jacobson Wednesday and her husband Gary reminded me of marketing director Deborah Hopkins at Roche Harbor - Gary drives each Sunday down to Portland to work for the week, then back; Deborah drives at the first of each weekend to Portland, returning to the island Sunday night. Whew...these are folks who are committed to living here, and making the long distances part of the spice of the effort, not an impediment. Part of the lore of the island...
July 3, 2001
The sun also rises: If you haven't ridden the early ferry from Anacortes lately, good for you (sleeping in is an OK thing to be doing). This morning the sunrise looked something like the photo to the right (taken by my sleepy boy Cam), and the 4:30am ferry was its usual on-time, truck loaded self.
This is the ferry a number of folks ride on who serve as purveyors for the island - it lets them unload here, then catch a boat to do more deliveries on other islands or to head back to Anacortes.
Speaking of loaded, you can expect the ferries to be crowded these next few days for the holiday, so leave yourself some time to wait in line, unless you're walking on.
Fourth: Tomorrow's Fourth of July events include the parade, which makes people wonder how anyone can be watching the parade since there're so many folks IN the parade. The show runs down Spring Street, so get there early enough for a good seat or place to stand.
Then there is a bunch of music, food, and activities over at the Historical Museum, and fireworks at dusk/dark, whichever comes first (all sponsored by island businesses, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Museum). Barbecues and potlucks happen all over the island, and nice weather is expected.
Speaking of nice weather - it's been dry on the island lately, so be careful with those fireworks. Don't want to burn the place down...or up. Or at all.
Soccer: The high school varsity club played the alums a couple of weeks ago and plays a local women's aggregation this Thursday over at the high school at 7. Check out next fall's stars this week...
Softball: You know you can keep up with the local softball league scores on Matt & Sharon's site, right?
Post turtle: Know what a post turtle is? I was down South when I heard about post turtles: "When you're driving down a country road, and you come across a fence post with turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle. You know he didn't get there by himself, he doesn't belong there, he can't get anything done while he's up there, and you just want to help the poor dumb thing get down."
Even there, they get it.
June 20, 2001
Solstice: It's here: the longest day of the year, with the sun going down really late and getting up really early (get up at 5am and check it out....!) Nothing but shorter days from here on.... Meantime, get outside and play.
Wedding time: Folks come from all over the world to get married here, and one of the main marriers is Jean Hendrickson. Jean does customized ceremonies for dozens of couples each summer, including vow renewal ceremonies. I've seen a bunch of her weddings (I sing at 'em, sometimes) and shedoes a super job. And she sings well, too - remember her as the Mother Superior a few years back with the Sound of Music.
Keep it that way: There are several groups who work to preserve this area as close to its pristine condition as possible - one is the Natural Areas Project headed by Terry Domico. It is sponsored by the non-profit organization, Washington Biodiversity Trust. Terry also makes some incredible picture books, which have made him a bit famous around the world as both photographer and naturalist.
Keep dancin': Dance workshops Selena Forster was one of 579 applicants who applied for the Artist Trust GAP Awards, and she was one of 79 who received funding, and only one of 19 who got money for work in the performing arts.
Selena will use the grant award money to fund a Three-Week Choreography Workshop featuring four new dance pieces choreographed by her. The workshop will be held August 6th through 24th at Dance Workshop II (located next door to Vic's restaurant). The dance pieces from the workshop will be performed at an open house at Dance Workshop II and also at the annual Song & Dance show October 13th and 14th at the San Juan Community Theatre.
Freed Willy: Remember the whale who played Willy in the movie? His name is Keiko (that's KAY ko - "Lucky One" in Japanese) and he's been actually freed. He was taken from his Mexico City tank to Newport, Oregon to where he is now in the open ocean in Iceland. After an extensive period of readying him for a return to the wild, he is now swimming with wild orcas. This suggests it's possible to return trained & imprisoned whales to the wild where they belong.
This is of interest to people on the island, since one of our whales remains in captivity in Miami's Seaquarium. Lolita was captured in the '70s, and is offered by her captors as proof whales have a better chance in captivity - they say as part of the show there that whales commonly live only to their thirties. Tell that to Granny, a 90-year-old orca here who was born the same year as Ronald Reagan.
Let 'em go.
New farm on the island: Susan Robins tells me her lavender farm will be open to the public at the end of the month. Pelindaba (Pel-in-DAH-bah) Farms is the first commercial lavender farm in the San Juan Islands, and among the largest in the Pacific Northwest, with over 9,000 plants set in a 20 acre field. Founded in 1999 by a South African physician and his former journalist wife (that would be Susan), it is set on 20 acres in the middle of the island with views of the Olympics and Percich Pond. The farm will open to the public for the first time on June 30th.
June 18, 2001
School's out: That collective sigh you heard all the way over to Anacortes was school letting out for the summer. Friday was the last day for the three public schools, with everyone done by mid-day. It was pretty cool to see all the excited faces in the street in the afternoon. Now it's time to play.
Friday morning I dropped in on the fifth grade promotion ceremony at the elementary school (I know one of the fifth graders - he's my son - and 57 of his friends.) It was great to see those little folks - some of whom are as tall as you - gearing up for middle school.
You know, we have a pretty good deal, school-wise, here on the island.
Newbie: Chris and Leslie Combs from Harbor Press had their baby, and Chris sent me a picture (right). Everybody's healthy & well.....
Red book: The Facing The Future folks have a new book called Facing The Future: Population, Poverty, Consumption, and the Environment for sale on their website. This 32-pager sells for only $10, but gives a clear call for action: It's time to clean up our over-consuming act before we use up the Earth. Check it out; get your copy today.
Speaking of books, Noël tells me her Accidental Hermit has already sold 15 copies or so on Amazon, and dozens - hundreds actually - locally. If you haven't read it yet, you're missing a good, funny read.
Argyle redux: Most folks around here know where Argyle Road is, but did you know that road used to run to the old town of Argyle? You can find out more about this at the San Juan Historical Museum with their new exhibit called The Argyle Wagon Road: Friday Harbor's Oldest Neighborhood. Developed in the late 1880s, the history, architecture, and evolution of the old town is explored in this show.
Orca Sing: Saturday evening at Lime Kiln State Park on the west side, Fred West will direct the City Cantabile Choir in singing to the orcas. Gathering begins at 7:30pm - program's at 8.
Art!: Have you been by Waterworks Gallery lately? They have a show that's up till July 3 featuring well-known Pacific Northwest artist Xiaogang Zhu. His stuff's great...drop by and see it!
Plan ahead: The library's annual used book sale is scheduled this year for the weekend of July 27-28. People plan their summer vacations, weddings, dentist appointments, chiropractor visits, birthday parties, and anniversary celebrations around this, so I figured you'd want to know, too. Mark it.
Biz whiz: Cathy Cavanagh's putting on a small business update seminar tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Mullis Center at 7...she'll talk advantages of incorporating and tax updates and more...call for more information.
Harbor bites the dust, Kenmore picks up: Kenmore Air says they'll honor those travel segments between the island and Seattle's seaplane terminals at Lake Washington & Lake Union. So, if you or your travel agent made a deal with the now-defunct Harbor Air, see what Kenmore can do for you at 800-543-9595.
Tri, tri again: The Fifth Annual Jon Pettingill Memorial Triathlon's set for the 23rd at Lakedale with swimming, biking, and running. This is what we do to show what great shape we're in after working out all winter...sign up now! There's a kid's triathlon as well.
Quote: "Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit next to a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein, 1948.
June 11, 2001
Lopez crowd: On last night's ferry to Anacortes, the cars going to Lopez out-numbered the cars going to Anacortes 11-8. Lopez's Jeremy Snapp said that's probably the only time that'll happen this year - bunch of Lopezians were over for Spring Street School's graduation. Lopez resident John Goekler tells me there were some 33 Lopez kids at SSS this last year....
Quote: "I've often thought there ought to be a manual to hand to little kids, telling them what kind of planet they're on, why they don't fall off it, how much time they've probably got here, how to avoid poison ivy, and so on. I tried to write one once. It was called Welcome to Earth. But I got stuck on explaining why we don't fall off of the planet.
"Gravity is just a word. It doesn't explain anything. If I could get past gravity, I'd tell them how we reproduce, how long we've been here, apparently, and a little bit about evolution. And one thing I would really like to tell them about is cultural relativity. I didn't learn until I was in college about all the other cultures, and I should have learned that in the first grade. A first grader should understand that his or her culture isn't a rational invention; that there are thousands of other cultures and they all work pretty well; that all cultures function on faith rather than truth; that there are lots of alternatives to our own society. Cultural relativity is defensible and attractive.
"It's also a source of hope. It means we don't have to continue this way if we don't like it." -Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
June 10, 2001
Shake: Did you feel the earthquake this morning at 6:20am or so? Pretty shakey stuff - rattle my dishes & shook the wall. The report frrom the University of Washing ton is that it was a 5.0 down on the peninsula...
Here's the data on it:
http://spike.geophys.washington.edu/recenteqs/Quakes/uw06101319.html
Blazin': Took the boys to see Blazing Saddles this afternoon - the memorial Ray Kinnaman's kids ran over at the Royal Theater which he founded back in '74 as a movie theater. The dedication before the film was touching; the movie was funny; and Ray is well-remembered & loved.
June 8, 2001
More Daves: You know there's David Anderson (Mary Ann's husband) who works at Coldwell Banker selling real estate, and then there's Dave Anderson (Denise's husband) who coaches basketball at FHHS and teaches PE; there's David M. Anderson who lives out Roche Harbor way, as well, and just for good measure, a David Anderson on Lopez too.
So, just to keep things regular, the school district just hired its new football coach to replace Gene Wilson - David Anderson, who coached here back in the '80's sometime. But THIS one goes by Andy Anderson, so that should help keep everybody straight, at least over at school.
Daves everywhere.
Quiet, it was: Pretty quiet last weekend after all the hurly-burly of the Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy it while it lasts...here comes the summer.
Back: Burgandy Waite's back working at Emerald Seas after three months in Thailand ...
June 7, 2001
Ferry runs aground: It's bad enough the Sealth ran into something underwater last week (a friend on the boat told me it was shaking pretty well), but the ferry system says the big boat will be away for repairs till mid- to end-of-July, with a $750,000 bill to pay for it. Meantime, the Kaleetan's been taking over, with its ability to hold fewer cars...
Grads: Yep, Saturday at 6pm is graduation at FHHS (Skagit Valley College held their ceremonies today, and Spring Street School's this weekend).
The FHHS graduation is one of the great community events of the year, besides perhaps the Fourth of July and the Fair - the time when many of us come together & visit & celebrate & play. Drop by & support your local grad & cheer for 'em as they take off into the world.
Remembering Ray: The Royal Theater will celebrate Ray Kinnaman's passing with a special showing of Blazing Saddles - one of Ray's favorite shows - on Sunday. The theatrer owner (and Donna Tegnell's - she's the postal carrier - and Dave and Dean's dad) suffered a stroke Saturday two weeks ago...
Quote: "Laugh with your whole body, get your hands dirty, trade in being cool for being kind." - actor Wendie Malik, commencement remarks at Ohio Wesleyan University a couple of weeks ago.
Flower power: Have you seen all the pretty flowers around the island lately? We're not talking about the scotch broom that seems to be everywhere. There's the nice flowers out front of the post office, those cool poppies around the horse riding ring at the Fairgrounds, and the wonderful job Alanna does with the gardens at Roche Harbor. I was at a wedding there Sunday and the wedding started late 'cause everyone was ooohing & ahhhing the beautiful flowers. Looking good.
Speaking of Roche - the Bayliner get together is this week out there....
Fly-in: It's fun to go by that new restaurant next to Post San Juan called the Flying Burrito...after their warmup since opening a couple of weekends ago, they're now open for lunch & dinner. you remember Boo Boo from the Ale House? She's working at the Burrito, now.
In a rush? They call their drive-up window the fly-in window.
Check it out...there are a lot of places to eat around here...more per square inch than any place I've been.
Science Fair: You know, there's some awful cool stuff happening at the elementary school. This week the fifth grade's science fair spread out over the gym, and it was great. Highlight's included Jobe Jull's hovercraft, Bryce's mold, Brock's making energy from organic material, and more.
It was fun to see the parents get into it - each kid presenting was interrogated at great length about their project by the people who came to check 'em out.
Book 'em, Danno: There are a couple of new books on the island (you can get 'em at local bookstores, and read about these and others):
Fresh from Sasquatch Press is Mark Gardner's Images of the San Juan Islands. Available at Kings, bookstores, Rainshadow Arts Gallery in Friday Harbor, as well as lots of other places, these pictures do a good job of showing the islands at their best.
Charlie Lindenberg's The Academy, meanwhile, revisits his post-war turn at a military academy. Read all about it at his website.
Way to go, you guys!
Church returns: You heard her give the graduation address a couple of years ago: longtime favorite teacher Mary Ann Church returns to the classroom this fall from her retirement to teach science at the middle school. Great move by the school district.
Get your mail: People keep askin' so I'm gonna tell ya - a good place to get your e-mail when you're visiting here is at our little Internet café called the Menu Bar.
Population: Couple of weeks ago, John, Gilda, and Devin from Facing The Future came to present their internationally acclaimed presentation on population, poverty, consumption, and the environment at Spring Street School for the high schoolers. They've done presentations at Skagit Valley College, FHHS, and FHMS earlier this year, as well as on Shaw and all over the US and Canada.
Based on Lopez Island, FTF examines global issues with teachers and kids, and looks for the solutions that will make for a brighter and fulfilling future. Read more about on their website...
History is doomed to repeat itself: Review the Update from March 17, 2001 - June 6, 2001
Review the Update from December 18, 2000 - March 16, 2001
Review the Update from July 25, 2000 - December 17, 2000
Review the Update from April 21, 2000 - July 25, 2000
Review the Update from January 1, 2000 - April 21, 2000
Review the Update from October 21, 1999 - December 31, 1999
Review the Update from August 12, 1999 - October 21, 1999
Review the Update from May 17, 1999 - August 12, 1999
Review the Update from April 8, 1999 - May 17, 1999
Review the Update from February 26, 1999 - April 8, 1999
Review the Update from January 3, 1998 - February 26, 1999
Review the Update from November 1, 1998 - January 3, 1998
Review the Update from August 31, 1998 - October 31, 1998
Review the Update from July 2, 1998 - August 30, 1998
Review the Update from May 25, 1998 - July 2, 1998
Review the Update from April 3 - May 25, 1998
Review the Update from January 22, 1998 to April 3, 1998.
Review the Update from November 24, 1997 to January 22, 1998.
The information here is simply stuff we here at By Design think is important around Friday Harbor or on the Island. Some of it's news, some of it's old news, and all are just things we wanted to mention, with most of it about the things that make living here great.
There will be more next week, if anything happens.
Ian Byington
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