Ellie Parnes passed peacefully at The Village early Thursday morning September 30, 2021 on San Juan Island at age 90. She was surrounded by her friends and family.

She loved living in Friday Harbor and getting to know so many Islanders. She had worked at Spa D Bune as a receptionist bringing her grace and elegance. She was also a needle point designer and artist for over 25 years with national acclaim.

Ellie was a great support for many people with an ability to truly listen and offer her wisdom. A shining light to all who know her.  Known to have said “If you look your best, you feel your best.” She kept this positive attitude throughout her life. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

The family wants to thank the friends and caregivers, the Hospice teams and a special thanks to Doctor Rachel Bishop who all became an important part of Ellie’s family and showed her such loving kindness in recent years.

She is survived by daughters Janie Ogle (Terry), Nancy Gaynor (Richard), grandchildren Amelia (Chad), Emily (Jason) and Adam, great-granddaughter Skye, niece Julia, cousins Jack, Joel and Lannie. Also dear to her were longtime friends Doris, JoEllen, Beth, Krista, Susan, Dana, Marie and Alison.

No service is scheduled at this time. 

The Animal Protection Society – Friday Harbor is pleased to present Marko O’Connor as APS-FH Volunteer of the Month for October 2021. 

Marko connected with APS-FH through our home furnishings resale store, “Treasure Hounds”. After purchasing a table and chair set, Marko noticed a couple struggling to get their own purchase into their car. He went over to help and then left his phone number with the volunteer store clerk saying, “if anyone ever needs help again, call me, I feel I was born to move furniture”.

Well, that is an offer we couldn’t pass up! It didn’t take long before we were calling Marko for help. Since that day Marko has helped to build storage shelves in the back of the store, move furniture around (for hours!) during a store revamp, load numerous people’s purchased items into their vehicles, and coordinate the pick up of furniture donations from donor’s homes. He even introduced his wife Yoshi to APS-FH who is now a weekly volunteer at Treasure Hounds.

Marko is generous with his time and willing to do the hard work – it is not everyday we meet someone who was “born to move furniture”. Thank you Marko for being there for the staff and animals of APS-FH. You are making a difference!

All four of the Harbor Seal pups we cared for throughout summer were released on Sept 11, 2021. These pups were all brought to Wolf Hollow by San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network in late June and July, but they came from different parts of the county.

The first orphaned/separated pup was found on Sucia, the second on Jones, the third on San Juan and the last pup was brought over from Johns Island. They were only a few days old, were thin, weak, and has a range of wounds and infections, but after weeks of care they recovered, and were soon eating lots of fish and rapidly gaining weight. By early September they were fat, healthy, and ready for life in the wild.

Just before they were released, each seal had a lightweight numbered hat tag lightly glued to the fur on the top of its head so they can be identified if people spot them. If you see a seal with a tag and can read the number, please call San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network at 1-800-562-8832.

Read more stories like this in the Hollow Happenings September 2021 newsletter.

Charcoal portraits by Taylor Bruce

The multi-talented instructor, Taylor Bruce is giving a portrait workshop as part of the complete experience of the Go Figure! exhibition at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA).  The workshop, A Portrait in Charcoal, will take place on two consecutive  Saturdays, November 6 and 13^th   from 1-4 pm at the museum at 540 Spring Street in Friday Harbor.

The portrait workshop will introduce students to the concepts important in creating realistic portraits.   The class is designed for intermediate artists who have developed solid drawing skills and are comfortable with standing or sitting at an easel. While it is helpful to have some experience in portraiture, the information covered will allow beginners in portrait work to participate.

Taylor is an experienced, knowledgeable and enthusiastic instructor who enjoys sharing her passion for painting, drawing and printmaking. She has taught at the Spring Street International School since 2005 and at her private studio for fourteen years. Currently, she pursues her career while enjoying the experience of enriching young lives through the study of art. Continue Reading

If you are a resident of San Juan District, including San Juan Island, Henry, Brown, Spieden, Stuart, Johns, Pearl, or Flat Top Islands, and if you are 60 years old or older, or if you have a disability… you are eligible to vote in the upcoming election of the Mullis Center’s Operations Committee. Although your membership is greatly appreciated, membership is not required in order to vote.

This is an especially important election. All 15 positions will be voted on. This hard working committee of volunteers keeps the Mullis Center going. Even during this period of COVID the Mullis Center has accomplished some impressive goals including a large-scale energy and environmental upgrade, a win-win co-operative and creative use of space with Spring Street International School, and of course delivering record breaking numbers of meals through the Meals on Wheels program. As we move into the future it is critical that we have a reliable, creative, and congenial committee to keep us on track.

The District Committee represents the needs and interests of San Juan seniors and disabled persons. They also act in an oversight capacity to Mullis Center management and in an advisory capacity to County Senior Services management. The Committee provides fiscal and fiduciary oversight of the District and its senior center. Members attend monthly meetings and special meetings when needed. Continue Reading

Following a delay due to Covid-19, the Washington Plastic Bag Ban (RCW 70A.530) will go into effect statewide on October 1, 2021. This means that retailers and restaurants throughout the state will be prohibited from providing single-use plastic carryout bags. As Washington prepares for the statewide plastic bag ban to take effect, San Juan County continues to be a regional leader in promoting sustainable alternatives.

In 2016, San Juan County passed its own plastic bag ordinance, one of over 37 Washington cities, towns, and counties to have passed their own plastic bag bans since 2009. Despite these measures, every year Washingtonians use over 2 billion single-use plastic bags and the average American uses about 500 bags per year.

When the state plastic bag ban goes into effect on Oct. 1, 2021, it will effectively replace the county’s existing plastic bag ban. The most significant difference for San Juan County residents is that they will see an 8-cent bag charge on their receipt if they do not use a reusable bag and instead use a paper or thick plastic bag provided by the retailer. These bags must meet specific post-consumer recycled content and thickness requirements to be allowed for sale under the new ban.

Read more here.

Compass Health Celebrates Building Communities of Hope Gala Featuring Keynote Speaker Dr. Delaney Ruston

Dr. Delaney Ruston – Contributed photo

Non-profit behavioral health provider invites community members to join the virtual Gala on October 16, 2021, to support child, youth and family services

EVERETT, Wash., – Compass Health is proud to present keynote speaker, Delaney Ruston, MD, at its fifth-annual Building Communities of Hope Gala fundraiser on October 16, 2021, at 6 p.m. Ruston will speak about the importance of families finding their voices in sharing challenges and experiences with mental health needs.

The event will be streamed live on YouTube and Facebook, and proceeds from the evening’s Gala will support Compass Health’s child, youth and family services. Registration is free, and community members are invited to RSVP at compasshealth.org/bcoh/.

“With ongoing challenges across our communities, demand for our youth and child behavioral health services is as strong as ever – and support for our Gala is as critical as ever. This past year, our programs served more than 5,400 children and youth across Northwest Washington, ranging from in-person, socially distanced opportunities to sessions via telehealth platforms,” said Tom Sebastian, president and CEO of Compass Health. “Dr. Ruston’s perspective on giving voice to mental health needs and resources will resonate with those who share our mission of reducing stigma so that we can fully support whole person health. We are proud to feature a speaker of her caliber.” Continue Reading

This letter has just come in from Fish For Teeth founders Matt and Maureen Marinkovich…

Friday’s Fish for Teeth fish taco fundraiser

—CANCELLED—

We started Fish for Teeth as an impulsive action in 2007 after a nine-year old girl showed me her mouth full of cavities. Now, after well over a decade of Fish Tacos and Dental Vans, it looks like another impulsive action will bring our involvement with Fish for Teeth to an end.

I’d venture to say we process ideas and challenges a little differently than most people. That is why Fish for Teeth came about in the first place. Well, it’s that same difference that affords Maureen and I the perspective to not be afraid when the whole Covid narrative is fear, fear, fear. Ultimately, we see the Emperor is standing buck naked before us all, and we are tired of the scenery.

The make-up of our personal fibers left us no choice but to speak out and take action to try to help others see with similar clarity, and to speak for those who agree but are afraid or unable to stand up. We’ve been protesting on the corner over the past few weeks, but it was the simple action of going shopping without a mask that whipped up a torrent which rippled outward with more force than we could have imagined. Continue Reading

San Juan County will be hosting another round of COVID-19 vaccine clinics October 5^th through 7^th.

Both first and second doses of Pfizer will be available as well as the one-shot Johnson & Johnson series. 

Registration is required.  More information can be found on the county’s website at this link.

“Local Access on Harrison Street from Geneste Street to Turn Point Road will be impacted while Contractors replace sewer mains and repave,” said Administrator Wilson. “We ask the neighborhood for patience as we work through this necessary disruption.”

Traffic on Harrison Street will be disrupted in October while the Contractor replaces the sewer main and repaves from Geneste Street to Turn Point Road. The contractor, Konnerup Construction, has been asked to expedite the project with as little disruption as possible; however, some delays and detours will be unavoidable. The public is asked to exercise patience and to make every effort to be respectful of surroundings in the project area. Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag today we have this letter from Susan Grout…

Editor:

A number of us are very concerned about a serious problem on our island. There is a critical shortage of trained home health caregivers. In order to remedy this situation, which could affect all of us at some point, we urge you to Vote Yes on the SJ Public Hospital District levy that’s on the ballot you’ll receive in the second week of October.

Why is this so important? If you, or a family member, have a desire to age in place you’ll most certainly need some assistance from a caregiver. Or you might need help with recovery from surgery, or respite care for recovery from a fall, or assistance taking care of a loved one. But will caregiver help be available? Right now the answer is probably not. There is a serious shortage of caregivers on the island. Continue Reading

Friday Harbor announces pilot program for residential curbside plastic film recycling

FRIDAY HARBOR – The Town of Friday Harbor, in partnership with SC Johnson, a manufacturer of household consumer brands, is kicking off a pilot program to offer curbside collection and recycling of plastic film to its residents, the second program to launch in Washington.

Through this curbside pilot program, residents can recycle clean and dry plastic bags, plastic storage bags such as Ziploc® brand bags, plastic grocery and produce bags, dry cleaning bags, and other flexible plastic film by placing it in a ‘Plastic Film Only’ recycling bin. “We are very excited to partner with SC Johnson on this new program,” said Friday Harbor Mayor Farhad Ghatan. “So much of our existing waste stream consists of these plastic films, and we are eager to help reduce land fill waste and promote recycling of these products.” Continue Reading

Attention San Juan County Women! Are you eligible for this Soroptimist $4,000 educational/training award?

Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor is now accepting applications for the Live Your Dream Award. You may be eligible to apply if:

• You are a woman with primary financial responsibility for yourself and your dependents
• You are attending an undergraduate degree program or vocational skills training program
• You have financial need

For details and information on how to apply, visit the Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor website at www.sifri.org and click on the “Scholarships and Awards” tab. Application deadline is November 15, 2021.

Soroptimists, their immediate family members, and previous recipients of Soroptimist awards are not eligible to apply.

Questions may be directed to email address: [email protected]

Soroptimists ~ providing women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment.

The League of Women Voters is hosting a Voter Forum to highlight the six proposed amendments to the Home Rule Charter.

The county charter is like our constitution and specifies how our county conducts its business. Every 10 years our county reviews our charter and suggests amendments. These amendments are put to a public vote. San Juan County will vote on these amendments at the election in November.

Join this lively discussion with two representatives from each side presenting the pros and cons of these important changes.  All six propositions will be on the ballot that will be mailed to all registered voters during the week of October 11th. 

For a more detailed description of the role of the Charter Review committee and the specific propositions please follow the link below at www.sanjuanco.com/1292/Current-Election

Our Voter Forum will use ZOOM and will begin on Tuesday, October 12th at 5:30 pm.  In order to attend the forum you will need to register by sending an email to [email protected]and you will receive the ZOOM link by return email.

Hello everyone…

My grandson Sean recently suffered 2 gran mal seizures, urgently needs brain neurosurgery, and their insurance is not contracted with the hospital, nor the surgeon with the most experience to perform it. An account has been set up to assist with what will no doubt be a very expensive and delicate operation.

Details are in the link.

Thank you so much for your prayers, good vibes, and/or any amount of donation possible!

Here is the link for the GoFundMe account for Sean:
https://gofund.me/4651cbe9

~Angie Morrison & family

Dateline: Friday Harbor, WA Friday Harbor Film Festival’s online FILM GUIDE, detailing the 30+ feature films and 30+ short films to be shown at the Livestream/Online Festival on October 14-24, is now available at FHFF.org.  Students have submitted 10+ films that will also be screened.

In the FILM GUIDE, click on a poster to access full details and filmmaker information. Trailers provide a glimpse of what’s to come in the full show. While browsing you can star those films you most want to watch during the festival. All-Access and 5-ticket passes are available now at FHFF.org/passes. Single tickets will be available beginning October 15.

Feature and short films are categorized by theme – Explorers and Adventures, Things to Consider, and Tales from the Heart. Winning films, both feature and short, will be honored in these categories at the Audience Choice Awards at the Awards Webinar on October 24. Continue Reading