The new postcard....

We have history on the brain here on the island, since Friday Harbor was founded 100 years ago…here’s more from Sandy at the Town’s Historical Preservation office:

May 2009 was National Historic Preservation Month, and this year it was better than ever!

Throughout the month, there were 19 local history events that took place island-wide, most free to the public. Some of them, like the historic church open houses, and the guided tour of Roche Harbor, are rarely offered. Feedback from event participants for all of the events has been enthusiastic, and many who missed them have asked for a second chance next year.

Each of the organizations who helped make Preservation Month a success deserve thanks: the San Juan Historical Society, St. Francis Catholic Church, the San Juan Island National Historical Park, San Juan County District Court, Lime Kiln State Park, Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church, The 100 Friends of Old island Barns, the San Juan Community Theatre, the Christian Science Society, the American Legion Hackett Larson Post 163, Lakedale Resort, and Roche Harbor.

National Historic Preservation Month will be celebrated again in May next year, and I hope even more organizations will come up with creative ways to celebrate local history. The Cultural Tourism committee of the San Juan Islands Visitor’s Bureau will help promote it far and wide, and the TFH will take the lead in coordinating on-island.  With so much going on, it’s no wonder that the National Trust for Historic Preservation designated Friday Harbor a Distinctive Destination.

Until then, the centennial celebrations are far from over. Upcoming centennial events sponsored by Town of Friday Harbor, the Friday Harbor Fire Department, the San Juan Island National Historical Park, the Masonic Lodge, and Jensen’s Shipyard will take place in the coming months.

For a small island, we have a rich history and a wealth of historic resources worth seeing, preserving and experiencing again and again.

For more information about upcoming local history events go to www.historicfridayharbor.org.

Sandy Strehlou
Historic Preservation Coordinator
Town of Friday Harbor

Shelley loves the park...

I asked Parks Interpretive Specialist Erin Corra to tell me more about her volunteers, and she did! Here’s the first in a series about the folks who volunteer this summer at Lime Kiln State Park… Shelley answered a few questions posed by Erin:

Tell us about yourself!

Name: Shelley Alan

Number of years visiting &/or living in the San Juan archipelago: 6 visiting, 2 living

Occupation in your real, or unreal, life: retired teacher and marine enthusiast

Furthest place in world from LKPSP that you have visited: Switzerland

Major passions, besides the whales: bird watching, gardening, art, sewing, music, doing my small part to save the world

What inspired you to volunteer at Lime Kiln Point State Park?
I love showing visitors the wonders and dramas of the tide pools.

What is it that you most enjoy about volunteering here?
Being outdoors, discovering new things and working with Erin.

Any memorable park experience that sticks out since volunteering?
Walking to the tide pools while an eagle soars overhead…magic!

If you were limited to only one sentence, how would you describe these islands to a visitor right off the ferry?
The islands are a magical, soul-refreshing, fragile ecosystem that I am honored to call home.

What is something that you have learned since volunteering at the park?
Many visitors think the orcas have a “swim by Lime Kiln” time schedule.

If you were a kabillionaire and cost was no object, what one thing would you buy & donate to the park?  No lump sums of cash accepted…
I would give Soundwatch many boats and unlimited funds to protect the orcas.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
Volunteering at Lime Kiln Park is an excellent way to educate visitors and help protect our amazing island home.

Time is nature’s way of keeping everything from happening at once.
Woody Allen

Debbie before the race - she has kept the Chamber running for a decade.

I just heard that after nearly ten years on the job, The Chamber’s Debbie Pigman is moving on this fall.

In the mid-1990s, there was no paid staff at the Chamber, so the Board members did everything. In 2000, the Chamber of Commerce hired the first person (it was a part time job) to stay for more than a year, and she’s made a huge difference in helping the Chamber grow in both effectiveness & influence. If you ask me, it’s sad to see her go – she’s gonna be nearly impossible to replace. She’s always so involved (that’s her before the half marathon back in ’05 – she did the walk in a very respectable time) – it’s hard to see her leave. I’m gonna miss her.

Here’s the press release from the Chamber:

Debbie Pigman, Executive Director of the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce, has announced that she will be leaving her position with the chamber effective mid-September.

Pigman was hired as the Chamber’s first Executive Director in 2000. She began the job as a part time employee working 20 hours per week, with 168 chamber members and a budget of approximately $28,000.  She leaves a full time position with 350 members and a $150,000 budget.

When asked what she was most proud of, Pigman replied, “Communication… Continue Reading

Here’s a report from Jan & the Girls Scouts about a wild weekend in Seattle a week ago:

The girls met up with the firefighters afterwards....

Friday Harbor’s Jr. Girl Scouts Troop 183 had quite an end-of-year adventure in Seattle this past weekend–more of an adventure than they would have liked.

Saturday started out great when the Troop stopped at Vertical World in Everett for a special rock climbing session.  None of the nine, ten and eleven year old girls and four parent volunteers had tried climbing like that before, and all of the girls proudly scaled the 30 foot walls–a great confidence builder.

After dinner, it was back to the Lynnwood hotel for pool fun. The indoor pool was quite impressive with its cascading waterfall and steam room. But being full of other children and the loud waterfall it made for lots of screaming. Just as it was getting close to closing time at 10 p.m., one of the Girl Scout parents came in to join the group and notified them that the hotel was being evacuated and the fire alarm was going off.  (At least there was no sign of smoke and there were doors to the outside right next to the pool.)

After some detective work by parent Jill Urbach, the girls learned that one of the elevators was stuck–according to the talk at the time, a boy had been playing on the elevator and blew the motor, which caused some sparks and oil loss.  Shortly after that, folks were allowed to walk through a very smelly stairway to get to their rooms.  After some lobby photos with firemen, the troop headed back and was able to watch as the crews rescued the nine or so people Continue Reading

J pod heads for the superpod...

You know it’s what keeps things going – when the three resident pods of killer whales come together to mate & jump around & play with one another, it’s called a superpod… both Sandy Buckley & Jim Maya wrote today to confirm that yesterday’s gathering on the westside was, indeed, a superpod. Jim doublechecked with Ken Balcomb, too…

Since the gestation period for killer whales is something like 17 months, we’ll check in November 2010 whether yesterday was Father’s Day, too. (The photo above is some of J pod, from Jeanne Hyde, sent along by Jim Maya yesterday.)

Sunday was the Solstice, Father's Day, and Tim & Shannon's wedding day. Pretty good day.

If there are any two people made for each other on this island & this planet, it’s my good friends Shannon Dean & Tim Dustrude. They’ve been longtime sweethearts & best friends, and as I’ve watched them in action over the past 10-11 years, they make a great team.

Tim announced they got married Sunday to the world on his photo-a-day website (click here for his awesome pictures!), and his bro Eric shot the pic above (here’s his photo blog – cool stuff!).

Congratulations to you two! Wahoo!

Sunday was the Solstice, Father's Day, and Tim & Shannon's wedding day. Pretty good day.

If there are any two people made for each other on this island & this planet, it’s my good friends Shannon Dean & Tim Dustrude. They’ve been longtime sweethearts & best friends, and as I’ve watched them in action over the past 10-11 years, they make a great team.

Tim announced they got married Sunday to the world on his photo-a-day website (click here for his awesome pictures!), and his bro Eric shot the pic above (here’s his photo blog – cool stuff!).

Congratulations to you two! Wahoo!

Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount.
Omar Bradley, WWII general

Flowers in the sun...

If you haven’t been out to Roche Harbor lately, it’s worth the trip just to see the awesome job gardener Alana Dunn does there…it was especially pretty in the solstice sun this weekend. -oo-

Joan & Griffin, who will be one next month.

Sure was nice to see Joan Mainville-Davis  & Griffin on the Hiyu on Saturday (I was on my way to a wedding there).

Joan & Griffin, newly arrived...last year.

They last appeared in the Update when he was maybe 36 hours old, because I ran into her & him at Music on the Lawn, right after she & husband Chris Davis had brought him into the world. -00-

That's the international ferry Sunday, seen from Roche Harbor, looking past Henry Island. The Anacortes-Sidney run stops in Friday Harbor with two runs a day for the summer, starting yesterday.

If you’re going off-island, be sure & check two things: The new summer schedule kicked in this weekend, so make sure you’re looking at the right one (or better yet, check the link at the top of this page).

And…the Hiyu (35-car sized boat) is handling the interisland route this week. May have to squeeze in on that one, when a lot of folks want to go…

It took three years, but it looks like it’s a done deal. Here’s more from the Home Trust’s Nancy DeVaux:

Annexation Finalized: Home Trust Plans for “Sun Rise” Being Completed

Annexation of the 46-acre Buck property was finalized by adoption of an ordinance by the Town Council on June 18. The Town Council also amended the Comprehensive Plan map, adding the land to the official Town map and identifying zoning on the property. Land to be developed for permanently affordable homes was zoned Multi-Family while most of the land to be developed by Vincent Buck, Carolyn Buck Norman and Jai Boreen was zoned for Single Family residential development.

The annexation fulfills a three-year effort by the San Juan Community Home Trust (Home Trust) to acquire one third of the property for development of permanently affordable homes. Continue Reading

It took three years, but it looks like it’s a done deal. Here’s more from the Home Trust’s Nancy DeVaux:

Annexation Finalized: Home Trust Plans for “Sun Rise” Being Completed

Annexation of the 46-acre Buck property was finalized by adoption of an ordinance by the Town Council on June 18. The Town Council also amended the Comprehensive Plan map, adding the land to the official Town map and identifying zoning on the property. Land to be developed for permanently affordable homes was zoned Multi-Family while most of the land to be developed by Vincent Buck, Carolyn Buck Norman and Jai Boreen was zoned for Single Family residential development.

The annexation fulfills a three-year effort by the San Juan Community Home Trust (Home Trust) to acquire one third of the property for development of permanently affordable homes. Continue Reading

Jim & Kate are the new owners of IPS

Kate just dropped me a note to let you know:

New Owners for Island Petroleum Services (IPS)

On April 1st Jim and Kate Schuman purchased Island Petroleum Services, more commonly known as IPS, from Charlie and Lynn Meyer. IPS operates the gas station located at 315 Carter Avenue as well as the fuel dock at the Port of Friday Harbor. They also offer home delivery of heating oil and kerosene.

IPS is known for its courteous and knowledgeable staff, including Meghan Hoyt and Michelle Coleman in the office, truck drivers Graham Wallis, Ken Claborn, and Craig Starr, fuel dock manager Laurie Mason, and her crew Dani Rand, Pearl Schuman, Abby Kitchen, and Hank Schuman.

Jim and Kate invite you to come by the gas station for a celebration this Monday, June 22nd, between 11am and 2pm to meet some of the crew. Enjoy a free hamburger or hot dog fresh off the barbecue grill, operated by San Juan Propane. Sign up for your very own IPS gas card for a personal or commercial account and you will qualify to win a $50 Shell gift card.

Drawings will be at 2pm but you need not be present to win. Two $50 gift cards will be awarded to new applicants, and two more $50 gift cards will be awarded to current cardholders who fill out an entry ticket during the event.

The celebration will be held rain or shine, thanks to the generous donation of a large tent from Al Jones, owner of the Henry Island barge. Hope to see y’all there!

It’s always good to have friends drop by, especially if it’s your birthday. -oo-