"As You Like It" - on stage at Roche Harbor Thursday through Saturday this week.

After a season that started the second week of last month, Island Stage Left’s As You Like It hits the stage for its last three shows – tonight, Friday & Saturday at 8:15pm (no Sunday show!)

This is a delightful show in the first place, with Shakespeare’s Rosalind one of his more fully developed characters & with poetry sprinkled all through the story – and it’s even more delightful in the capable & talented cast that director Helen Machin-Smith has assembled this summer.

This is cool this kind of show happens here – carve out a bit of the weekend & catch it if you haven’t; see it twice if you have. This si how Shakespeare comes alive….see ya there!

"As You Like It" - on stage at Roche Harbor Thursday through Saturday this week.

After a season that started the second week of last month, Island Stage Left’s As You Like It hits the stage for its last three shows – tonight, Friday & Saturday at 8:15pm (no Sunday show!)

This is a delightful show in the first place, with Shakespeare’s Rosalind one of his more fully developed characters & with poetry sprinkled all through the story – and it’s even more delightful in the capable & talented cast that director Helen Machin-Smith has assembled this summer.

This is cool this kind of show happens here – carve out a bit of the weekend & catch it if you haven’t; see it twice if you have. This si how Shakespeare comes alive….see ya there!

Dan Ward driving the Fair....

It’s always cool to see San Juan Transit’s Dan Ward behind the wheel, and you saw a lot of him as he shuttled folks back & forth to the County Fair last week, especially the people visiting from the other islands who needed a ride to the Fair from the ferry.

The League has been around for a while, and it’s an important reminder that women haven’t always had the opportunity to vote. Here’s more from Susan Dehlendorf:

Celebrating 89 Years of a Stronger Democracy: LWV of the San Juans Recognizes Anniversary of the 19th Amendment

This August 26 marks the 89th anniversary of the constitutional amendment that granted women the right to vote. The nonpartisan League of Women Voters, founded the same year women achieved this right, celebrates Women’s Equality Day by remembering this historic achievement, and looking forward to greater civic participation and healthy debate on the issues
that matter most to our communities. Continue Reading

The League has been around for a while, and it’s an important reminder that women haven’t always had the opportunity to vote. Here’s more from Susan Dehlendorf:

Celebrating 89 Years of a Stronger Democracy: LWV of the San Juans Recognizes Anniversary of the 19th Amendment

This August 26 marks the 89th anniversary of the constitutional amendment that granted women the right to vote. The nonpartisan League of Women Voters, founded the same year women achieved this right, celebrates Women’s Equality Day by remembering this historic achievement, and looking forward to greater civic participation and healthy debate on the issues
that matter most to our communities. Continue Reading

I have a simple philosophy: Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. Scratch where it itches.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth

Midge Paterson shows off the quilt with a beaming Dick Coffey...

Dick Coffey writes in:

Thanks to the island community for your support of our recent quilt raffle to benefit Clean Water for Kunya. The winner of the quilt is Midge Paterson, of Friday Harbor.

The greater islands community, including many visitors, bought nearly 1,500 tickets, for a total of $1,327.

Special thanks to Krispi Staude and her helpers in the Textiles Department at the County Fair, who invited us to display the quilt and sell tickets there; John Stimson and his crew at Marketplace; Wes Corey and his crew at King’s; and Sandra Tribotti, from Seattle, who made the quilt and donated it to us.

We wish that we had had prizes enough that everyone who bought a ticket could have won, but as one of our ticket buyers said, “The real winners are the ones who will get clean water.”

(Those who want more information about Friends of Kunya: visit our website http://www.friendsofkunya.org/)

Thanks again. This community has supported Clean Water for Kunya eagerly and generously; we appreciate you all.

Sincerely,
Joanruth Baumann and Dick Coffey

Cynthia checks in...

Just got this note from Cynthia Burke, whose food booth was a fave for hundreds of Fair-goers & Fair eaters:

Hey Ian – just wanted to thank everyone who stopped by my booth and tasted my idea of “Fair Food” – it was another great year – I think this is the 6 or 7th year running (it is all a blur at this point).  Claire and Hanna love being there (well, most of the time!) and we really appreciate all the great comments about the “Ahi Burger”, Sushi and just seeing everyone’s smiling face.

Good Food, Good Music, Friends and Neighbors – a great time was had by all – see you next year!!

Cynthia Burke – Cynthia’s, Of Course

Every so often, I’d like to share good writing from around the island…here’s a series of essays from San Juan Preservation Trust’s photography intern Jane Fox, who has lived in the islands this summer. Here’s round one:

A Tourist in Disguise I, by Jane Fox

I hate being a tourist. I’m terrible at it. I hate being so conspicuously foreign. I hate standing out in my leisure clothes amongst those dressed for a day’s work. I hate getting cheerfully lost and asking directions in a way that says ‘ I have the time to get lost’. I know that the local who then gives me directions is thinking dark thoughts about ‘another stupid tourist’. Now I admit, this is a grumpy way to be, but I’m from Scotland. We’re all grumpy.

Thus when traveling, I set myself a small challenge. To become part of the scenery, to blend in. To look, in fact, like a local.

So far I’ve had moderate success at the ‘walk like a local’ challenge. However this is largely due to the fact that my travels tend towards northern Europe. I fitted in Paris because I wore a trench coat and scowled. I fitted in Germany because I drank beer at the bar and scowled. I fitted in Finland because I didn’t wear one hundred layers of clothing in May, and yes, I scowled. Generally scowling is a good disguise. It has a touch of the old-world fatigue. A discontent with one’s own country that comes from the heart of a true local.

Even when I moved to Boston and spent time on the eastern seaboard, a scowl helped. Continue Reading

The new site is looking good!

Have you seen RideShare’s new website? Here’s more:

Islanders and friends,

You are invited to visit sjRIDESHARE’s updated website at www.sjRIDESHARE.org – now with maps, resources and more in-depth information!  We also invite links to our site and can expand our link page to include other good community resources reciprocally.  To complete your site visit consider taking a moment to fill out our online survey.

Our all-volunteer design team included Anne, Jenny Lee and Pam Herber.  We welcome feedback and ideas for continued site improvement.

We encourage everyone to share resources in these challenging times – doing more with what we already have!

Some of sjRIDESHARE’s continuing projects;
1. Working with WSF to get a trial sjRIDESHARE “meet-up place” on the interisland ferry, for riders trying to get around the islands.
2. Developing a design and finding funding for an effective interactive online islands rideboard (linked to our site).

Cheers and thanks for all you are doing!

Anne Sheridan & Liza Michaelson

360 378-7286 Anne
36- 378-3875 Liza

It's this weekend...

Island Rec’s Rebecca Clarke says the Jam is on – held for years during the Fair, the past two years it’s been right after, so this year it’s this weekend. Drop by to see that kids really can fly… Here’s more:

Skateboard and BMX Freestyle Jam

Island Rec’s Skateboard and BMX Competition will be taking place on Sunday, August 23rd at 12:30 pm. The competition will be held at the Skateboard Park, which is located on the San Juan County Fairgrounds. There will be music, an emcee and tons of prizes, so come out and skate, bike or cheer on our participants. There are three divisions; Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Registration forms are available at Island Rec’s office, online at www.islandrec.org, or on the day of the competition at the skateboard park between 11:00 and 12:00 pm. Cost is $10.00 per participant. Parent/Guardian signatures and helmets are required in order to participate. We are looking for a few more volunteer judges for the bike portion of the event, if you are interested please contact Rebecca Clarke at 378-4953

He was a part time resident here, who made a difference…here’s more about Jerry Inskeep.

We're talking jazz....

Jan fron the Community Theatre just dropped me a note:

Fans of the annual San Juan Island Jazz Festival of the late 1900s (sounds so long ago, doesn’t it?) and just good-ol’ jazz fans and dancers should be ready to do some rompin’ and stompin’ THIS Friday, August 21.

Seattle’s popular Uptown Lowdown Jazz Band, one of the most highly praised participants of the Festival — brings their unique style of Dixieland to the Whittier stage at 8:00 pm.

Friday Harbor resident Ary Hobbel, who was the final Festival president in 2000, is excited to see Uptown and their Dixieland/ragtime style of jazz returning to our area and hopes if they have a successful appearance, it might lead to more jazz coming to the island. “Uptown Lowdown is a band that provides excellent musical quality…you can’t go wrong,” said Ary.

The band, which was founded by Bert Barr in 1971, is celebrating 38 years of performing throughout the United States and abroad.   Using a modified version of the San Francisco Traditional style, the group takes its own Seattle Style twist by including two bass sax players and remaining “Drummerless in Seattle.”

PLUS! Bring your dancing feet…we’ll have a dance floor right on the Whittier stage.

Tickets are $22 for adults, $11 for student reserved.  You may purchase on-line at www.sjctheatre.org or call the box office at 360-378-3210.

Nancy dropped me this note:

Thank you Callie McKay, Alex Gavora and Minnie Kynch for organizing and getting the booth ready. I appreciate your time and energy spent before the fair. Callie, thank you again, for ordering the supplies and prepping the food every day. Thank you to Alex, Lynn, Mike, Kathy and Callie for being day managers. There are too many to list individually, but thank you to those who volunteered and worked a shift or two at the booth during the fair.

I also want to thank everyone who bought a burger or hot dog at the American Legion Auxiliary booth at the fair. We had quite the crowd Friday night, thanks for waiting! The money we earned goes back to our community through scholarships, Girls State, and Veterans. Without you we would not have been a success!

Nancy L. Vejvoda
American Legion Auxiliary President

Contests & races & lying in the sun - check out this photo gallery by Paul Nestor....

I just ran across this photo gallery of photos taken by Paul Nestor on the Fourth of July this year at Roche Harbor, showing all the activities & people in them starting with the run in the morning & going all day long. There are thousands of pictures – it’s fun to see all the people who were there!

Click here to check it out!

He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.
Thomas Fuller