Mr. Jensen celebrates the 95th with style....

• That mob at the Grange yesterday evening from 4-7pm was the incredible number of islanders & friends & well-wishers who dropped by to tell Nourdine Jensen “Happy Birthday!” on his 95th. (On the Jensen Shipyard website – maintained by Nourdine’s granddaughter Alisa Schoultz – it says he’s been coming to work every day at his dad’s shipyard since 1946, and still does.)

• Did you know Tami & Tom Doenges have been married ten years now? Today’s their anniversary!

• There is also a bank account set up now at Islanders Bank to help with Greg Sawyer’s kidney operation. Checks can be made out to Greg Sawyer Benefit Account.

• The gathering of the clan – should be a nice night for football tonight at the high school as FHHS (1-1) takes on La Conner at 7pm. Always good to see so many people in one place. Becky Phillips tells me the 6-8 year old peewee football guys are scrimmaging at halftime. See ya there!

• Part of the reason that Spring Street looks nice for visitors is shopkeepers like Teri McPadden at BeChic Boutique keeping the flowers picked & watered (or was she just looking for a reason to get out for a bit in the sunny afternoon?)

Keeping the street looking good....

Remember we talked about the Gospel Jazz show (here’s the story!) last week? The first show on Sunday last weekend was packed! Here’s the kind of comments people are sending:

Ian, I hope you get to go to the concert this Sunday. The concert last  Sunday was incredible.  Janet Wright

Thanks Ian!  We had a great time with the Jazz/Gospel concert Sunday.  We had a full house and they were enthusiastic in their support.  Rich Barker gets a lot of credit for his really fun and creative arrangements.  The band is great and Kathleen is knockin’ their socks off!  We’re all looking forward to another fun afternoon this coming Sunday.  Thanks so much for your support! Kate Schuman

Possibly the best show I’ve seen on the island this year – lots of spirit and joy! You’ll love it! Andy W

So – go see it! It’s 4pm Sunday at St. David’s!

Sally from Island Rec announces the Open Gym schedule – get out & play! Here’s the deal:

Badminton and Ping Pong kicks off Island Rec’s Open Gym season beginning Monday October 5. Badminton for teens and adults meets in Turnbull Gym on Monday and Friday evenings from 7-9pm.  The fee is $2 a night or $41 for the season that runs through January 2009.  Persons new to either game are encouraged to drop by and try it out and see how much fun and exercise it can be!  Extra racquets and paddles are available.

On October 6 Men’s Basketball Season begins running on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 8-10pm.  Drop in fee is $2 or $46 for the season pass.  This program is open for ages 15 and older.

Co-ed Volleyball for teens and adults begins Wednesday October 6, from 7-9pm in Turnbull gym.  Get a season’s pass for $23 or pay a $2 drop-in fee.

There are nights when these programs are not open due to school events that have priority use of the facility.  Up to date program schedules can be found on www.islandrec.org.

Programs beginning in November are Community Open Gym; Roller Hockey for ages 5-adults; Indoor Soccer and Family Open Skate.  Get ready for a fun and fit fall!

For more information call Island Rec at 378-4953, visit www.islandrec.org or take a peek inside your Island Rec’s Fall/Winter program guide.

Jill Urbach & her mom went to Kenya this summer, and she tells me it was an amazing experience. Here’s more about the project, and her presentation on the 26th at the Presbyterian Church:

Local Women Develop Africa Quilting Project

Jill Urbach and Kitty Sorgen recently traveled to Kenya to give some impoverished women hope in the form of a new means of income: Quilting.

Kitty Sorgen and Jill Urbach taught at the Mashaka Children’s Center, a primary school in Meru, Kenya, north of Nairobi. The Mashaka Children’s Center is run by Nairobi-based Oasis Africa and educates over 100 students. The caregivers of these children, primarily women, struggle daily to find labor that would earn them a dollar or two or, sometimes, just a sack of potatoes.

Dr. Gladys Mwiti, founder of Oasis Africa Continue Reading

Helen Venada sent me this notice (I told her I really wanted to take care of my ag plastics on Sunday, and she said I GOTTA do it on Saturday) – here’s the scoop:

This year’s recycling collections of agricultural plastics are as follows (all from noon to 5 pm):

San Juan Island – Saturday, September 19th, Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg

Lopez Island – Monday, September 21st, Solid Waste Facility

Orcas Island – Tuesday, September 22nd, Solid Waste Facility

Plastic nursery pots and flats, baling twine, soil amendment bags, drip irrigation tape, mulch film, tunnel film, silage bags and hay bale stretch wrap will be accepted at no cost.  Please keep materials dry and shake off any loose soil.  Nursery pots and flats will be made available at each event for re-use.

Our regional recyclers Continue Reading

• The Mystical Mermaid is moving this month to the spot next to the ferry lanes where the Sweet Spot used to be.

• Susan Murfin from San Juan Healthcare says: “San Juan Healthcare will be offering their annual walk-in Flu Clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:30-4:30 beginning 9/29 through the month of October. We are offering a special cost of $30 time of service. Flu shots are covered by Medicare and some insurance plans. (We are happy to bill your insurance, although many times you pay a higher rate and the service is subject to deductible.)”

• The Best Western Friday Harbor Suites in Friday Harbor has received the Best Western Director’s Award once again for outstanding quality standards.

Friday Harbor Suites in Friday Harbor

The Director’s Award recognizes Best Western International hotels scoring in the top 20 percent of all 2,400 North American properties in cleanliness and maintenance.  Hotels must also meet Best Western’s requirements for design and high customer service scores to qualify for the distinction.

“The Director’s Award is an important symbol of success,” said Janeen Jennings, General Manager, Best Western Friday Harbor Suites. Continue Reading

PP&M in the 1960s....

We grew up with her voice in our heads ….doesn’t matter if it was the kids last week at school singing “Puff” or those that heard Peter, Paul & Mary singing “If I Had A Hammer” on the Washington Mall with Dr. King in the 60s. Her voice has been there for all generations to sing along with…

Mary had been dealing with leukemia for years now, and now has passed on. Something tells me a lot of people will be humming those songs today, and in that, she’ll still be around.

That’s her with Peter & Noel, just a few years ago, with John Denver’s Leaving on a Jet Plane.

The can....

Remember that Gear Up for Schools deal that Islanders Bank & some others were doing? (Here’s the story, from before.) I got the chance to swing by the District office on Monday, and wow, it was cool.

There was a huge stack of backpacks, coloring pens, pencils, crayons, and all kinds of school supplies. It was pretty awesome – Michele Morton from the bank said folks who worked at the drug store kept buying stuff & sticking it in the cans…

This’ll help get kids started right. Thanks, everybody. And thanks, Islanders, from the islanders who care.

The King Farm (where the Museum is, now), back in 1905.

This sounds like fun – here’s the word from the Museum’s Kevin Loftus (click here for a bigger picture):

The San Juan Historical Museum’s first annual “Back to the Farm” barn dance and fund-raiser is this Saturday, Sept. 19, 3:30-8:30 p.m., on the museum grounds.

The museum’s heritage buildings will be open for tours. Dinner begins at 4:30 p.m.: pork barbecued by Jason Black, beans, cole slaw, rolls, watermelon, berry cobbler for dessert, and lemonade.

A highlight of the evening: A barn dance and a jig-with-a-pig contest. There will be surprise arrests and incarceration in the old county jail. The entertainment lineup includes ragtime pianist David Bayley, folk banjoist Mike Cohen, singer Rhianna Franklin, and the Island Country Band.

There will be a live and silent auctions; items include a biplane ride, historic photos, a pie a month for a year, gift certificates form Island businesses, a stay in a cabin on the Oregon coast and much more!

Tickets are $25 for adults, $5 per child 13 and younger. For tickets, call the museum at 378-3949 or purchase at the door. Come out an support the museum and help us to continue to preserve our San Juan Island history!

This is a chance to help out – Catherine, Hannah, and Genevieve are planning a fundraiser for a fellow who is simply one of the best teachers around. Friday Harbor High teacher Greg Sawyer makes kids think, he makes kids learn, and makes kids smile while it’s happening – he’s touched hundreds of lives in his time at FHHS, and this is a chance for us to give a bit to him.

Here’s more, from Hannah:

Hello, Everyone,

As you may have already heard Genevieve Iverson, Catherine Bevens, and I are organizing a benefit dinner to help defray medical costs for long-time high school teacher, Greg Sawyer, as he is preparing for a kidney transplant operation. We are hoping that our community can rally to help a friend in need.

The second purpose of the event is to share information and educate people about the importance of being an organ donor on your driver’s license. There will be information available about how to donate blood and become an organ and tissue donor, as well as, an opportunity to hear about real-life experiences from people in our community who have either donated or received a kidney.

This will be geared to all ages and we encourage you to bring your family and invite your friends. Currently there are over 65,000 people in the United States alone who are waiting for a kidney transplant, including about 1,500 of our Northwest neighbors. Kidneys are just one of the many donatable organs that are in need.

Eight years ago my grandmother donated a kidney to my dad, Gordy Waite. Although I was only ten at the time I can still remember vividly how life changing that experience was for everyone involved. The amazing support our family received from our family, friends, and this community helped us get through this experience smoothly. In the last few years I have learned much more about organ donation and how many people rely on you donating blood or simply checking “yes” on your driver’s license. It is a rewarding feeling to know that one blood donation can save up to three lives.

This chance to help Greg Sawyer is my way of giving back a little of what was given to my family in 2001. Here are some ways that you too can help. We are looking for items for a drawing or that can be auctioned at the event. If you have an item or service that you can donate to this cause please call Hannah Waite 298-0579, Genevieve Iverson 378-4653, or Catherine Bevens 378-5023.

Other ways to help out:

o Come to our fundraiser dinner. October 2nd at 5:00 in the High School Dining Hall
o Donate an item for a drawing or to be auctioned
o Buy tickets for a drawing at the dinner
o Donate a ferry ticket or two
o Donate your time to help organize before or during the dinner

Thank you for considering this and supporting a favorite teacher at Friday Harbor High School. See you on October 2nd!!

Sincerely,

Hannah Waite

298-0579, 378-1947 or email hannah.waite (at) hotmail.com (replace the “at” with @!)

Bring your dog!

Here’s more from Rebecca at Island Rec:

On Sunday, September 20, Island Rec will host its Third Annual K-9 Carnival from 1-4 pm at the Fairgrounds.

You and your best friend can join in on the many activities that will be going on throughout the day such as the Eddie & Friends Birthday Celebration, Phideaux Photo Booth, Dog/Owner games, agility course, Nails and Tails Boutique, and so much more.  Enter your dog into the “Strut Your Mutt” Parade and compete in a variety of contests such as “Pie Eating”, Best Costume, Dancing, Basic Obedience and more.

There's lots to do!

There will be many dog-related vendors on hand to share information and services to keep you and your dog well educated and entertained. Every Buddy’s Agility team will be at the carnival to demonstrate the amazing athleticism of their agility dog team.

Special guest Carol Frischmann, author of A Practical Guide to Sustainable Pet Care, will be giving a talk on how to live green through your pets.  It’s an event you and your dog won’t want to miss.  For more information or to volunteer at this year’s carnival please contact Rebecca at 378-4953 or www.islandrec.org.

Soundwatch crew hands off literature about the good reasons - and the law - to folks who get too close to the killer whales.

That showing of “Saving Luna” at the Community Theatre last week was a fundraiser for Soundwatch, which is sponsored by the Whale Museum.

Kari at the showing on Thursday....

They need extra dough to continue their mission after blowing a motor this summer, and this helps (you can go to their page & donate now, by the way – you don’t HAVE to watch an awesome award-coppin’ movie to support the cause.)

It was great to see our old friend Kari Koski (she’s the Soundwatch coordinator) in the movie, which was attended by over 200 folks, and also to hear from WM director Jenny Atkinson that the event raised $6K.

Get going!

I like this sign that I saw at Friday Harbor Espresso yesterday, mostly because I believe Babe Ruth’s epithet: “No great thing was ever done without enthusiasm.”

Even caffeine fueled.

Riding up Second Street, into the sunset...

Monday nights are the times our volunteer firefighters do their training, so it was good to see Gus waving when he went by on Monday evening.

Marsha & Roy dropping by Bakery San Juan....

Good to see Marsha McAllister & her son Roy yesterday – her classes at Skagit Valley College/San Juan Center start in just a couple of weeks or so, and she’s been busy at her studio, too (here’s more). My friend Roy says he’s looking for a little extra work, too, if you got some.

Good deal....

Pretty sure it’s supposed to say “all you can eat,” which is a pretty good deal, too…down at China Pearl this weekend.