This is the month! Sandy Strelou has a bunch of events ahead – here’s more:

Ian: National Historic Preservation Month is going to be bigger than ever. Check out all the great local history activities going on in May. Please share this information with your readers! Thanks much.

Sandy Strehlou, Town of Friday Harbor

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A Whole Lot of History: May is National Historic Preservation Month

The Town of Friday Harbor’s centennial celebration continues, and the San Juan Island National Historical Park is celebrating their 150th, along with many other significant anniversaries.  This year, National Historic Preservation Month is bigger than ever, with a full line-up of events no one should miss: Continue Reading

This is the month! Sandy Strelou has a bunch of events ahead – here’s more:

Ian: National Historic Preservation Month is going to be bigger than ever. Check out all the great local history activities going on in May. Please share this information with your readers! Thanks much.

Sandy Strehlou, Town of Friday Harbor

++++++++++++++++

A Whole Lot of History: May is National Historic Preservation Month

The Town of Friday Harbor’s centennial celebration continues, and the San Juan Island National Historical Park is celebrating their 150th, along with many other significant anniversaries.  This year, National Historic Preservation Month is bigger than ever, with a full line-up of events no one should miss: Continue Reading

I love Jason's work

By now you’ve gotten used to seeing islander Jason Napier’s lifelike & evocative bronzework – out at Roche Harbor, in his studio, even in Arizona. So I wasn’t terribly surprised to see “Lone Wolf,” at Elements Glass Gallery in Bellevue when I was hiking around there this week…so it was easy to greet an old friend. (The folks at the gallery – Michael & Pam & Bonnie are really nice, too!)

I love Jason's work

By now you’ve gotten used to seeing islander Jason Napier’s lifelike & evocative bronzework – out at Roche Harbor, in his studio, even in Arizona. So I wasn’t terribly surprised to see “Lone Wolf,” at Elements Glass Gallery in Bellevue when I was hiking around there this week…so it was easy to greet an old friend. (The folks at the gallery – Michael & Pam & Bonnie are really nice, too!)

Pelindaba Lavender...in Bellevue

It was cool to be walking around at Bellevue Square and see an old friend: Pelindaba Lavender has a store in the mall there.

Tania at the Bellevue store...

Walking in was a reminder of the store here on the island – it was clean & offered more lavender gifts & products than you could imagine existed, and it smelled great with lavender all around.

The manager there is Tania, who welcomes people with a friendly smile… we chatted about the Farm winning the KING5 “Best of” contest the day before (for “Best Public Garden in Western Washington”).

There’s a Pelindaba store in downtown Seattle as well…now you can support the local economy while you’re off-island, as well!

Nancy & Carol selling tickets earlier this week, at King's....

This one is near & dear to many of us…because so many of us know someone with the disease. The Soroptimists have been raising money for years to help with the transportation costs, and one of the cool parts of this is that every cent goes to help local people. I love what these guys do – I hope you’ll drop by tonight or drop them a check…here’s more from Marie (that’s Nancy DeVaux and Carol Christianson selling tickets at King’s, but you can also get ’em at the door):

Ferry Tickets for Cancer Patients Fundraiser: Support this cause by buying Raffle Tickets, a Dinner Ticket or making a donation at Marketplace today 11am-4:30pm.  Many nice raffle items available.  Soroptimist’s tropical Paradise Party dinner fundraiser tomorrow, May 9, Saturday, 6pm-8:30pm at Jimmy’s Paradise Cafe.  Tickets $25 at the door.

Proceeds fund the Cancer Mission Project for transporation of local cancer patients off island for treatments.  For more info call Marie 378-7595 or visit: www.sifri.org.

After watching Kate Schuman’s Patsy in “Always…Patsy Cline” last night (which was simply awesome), I couldn’t help but look up what the original work sounded like – here’s “Crazy” by Patsy Cline…

Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighboring country. Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where the people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free.
The Dalai Lama 

Rebecca Smith - Firefighter of the Month

One of the cool things I look forward to each month is finding out who the Firefighter of the Month is gonna be…this month, Carolyn at the Fire Department says it’s Rebecca Smith! Here’s more, from Carolyn:

Where were you born? In the state that has 4 times as many cattle as people and their official soft drink is Kool-Aid…Nebraska.

Familial status (married/family/pets): Married to Francis for 3+ decades; staff to 2 cats (Charles and Darwin) for ½ decade.

Name a favorite food and your favorite music: Chocolate anything. Grew up on Jazz (my father plays piano & trumpet); Classical (my Grandmother was a pianist and my 1st piano teacher); Folk and Rock ‘n Roll (the 60’s, of course).

What hobbies do you have? I’m an amateur photographer, ornithologist, naturalist, yachtswoman and book reader.

What is the most interesting job you’ve held? Probably my current one as a heavy rescue technician where I get to use the “jaws of life”.

What brought you to SJI? Our Columbia 8.7 meter sailboat. We anchored in Griffin Bay on a summer vacation and fell in love with the area.

What area do you live in? Cape San Juan – and never tire of the stupendous views.

What do you like about living on SJI? The camaraderie; neighbors helping neighbors; going to town for a 10-minute errand and getting home an hour+ later after chatting with numerous friends.

What do you find is the hardest part about living on SJI? Getting off and getting back on.

What comes to mind when you hear “Only on SJI…”? I can dial a wrong phone number and end up talking with someone I know.

What is your position within the department? Engineer/Driver/Pump Operator/Rescue Technician/Firefighter. I was also a Fire Commissioner for 6 years.

When and why did you join the fire department? While we were building our house, neighbors Shirley Holmgren and Pete Plunkett dropped by regularly to bug us about joining up – turns out they wanted to retire and needed replacements. Now we’re nearly at the same place they were!

What do you like best about the department? Driving the big red engines.

What has been your most exciting event since joining the department? Running into (and not out of) a burning house – or maybe my first time as the pump operator, pumping the “wet stuff onto the hot stuff” – or maybe cutting the roof off of a car to extricate the patient. All pretty darn exciting.

What did you find the hardest Fire Fighter skill to learn? Pump operations-lots of technical stuff.

Do you have other volunteer activities? Yes, I’m also an EMT.

Describe your ideal day off: Wandering through American Camp and along the beaches, searching for those award-winning photographic opportunities of birds, bunnies, foxes, whales, flora and fauna, then lunch on the beach, followed by hors d’oeuvres on our deck in the sunshine.

What are you most proud of? I can think of several things: Helping folks, both as a firefighter and EMT, who may be experiencing the worst day of their lives; struggling through 10 years of night school for my BA; making the climbs up Mt Whitney and Mt Rainier and my first free-fall skydive (who knows – maybe jumping out of a perfectly good airplane prepared me for running into a burning building).

What would you like on your epitaph? She lived life to the fullest, laughed lots and loved expansively…and managed to put up with Francis all those years.

Mount Baker sunrise...

Last Saturday I got to go to Anacortes on the redeye, and it was so cool to see Mount Baker in her morning glory, as we swept past Lopez….

Over 300 people showed up Tuesday night for the Experience Food Project dinner at FHHS…and, according to Laurie Paul, it was a great evening! Here’s more from Laurie, Wednesday morning:

Hey Everyone!
I just wanted to express my own personal great big Thank You to all of you wonderful people for volunteering your time and hard work towards making last night’s Community Dinner the best one ever!  It was truly an amazing night as we fed close to 300 people and raised somewhere around $3000 for the Every Child Eats Fund!

I think that the incredible turnout was testimony to the enthusiasm and commitment that our community has, and is increasingly developing, for the  incredible new food program happening in our schools.  All it takes is one bite of anything Chef Andy cooks up to turn even a skeptic into a believer!

For me, it is a dream come true to see 11 of my neighbors coming together in one place to share a meal, converse, exchanging words and ideas.  In my nearly 20 years living here on San Juan Island, I have often hoped that we could create something like this on a regular basis, and now, thanks to the Experience Food Project and the resources it had put forth, we have all made it happen together.

I genuinely believe that by sharing these experiences around food,  in an environment that welcomes ALL of our neighbors, regardless of the funds available to them, we can build a stronger, more diverse  community in which to raise our children and nurture each other.

Every time one of these dinners happens it is a whole new effort to get it out into the community, round up volunteers, make menus, cook the food, do the PR, arrange the decor, keep those trays clean and ready to refill, and of course to just be there physically to pull the whole thing off.  No one is getting paid to make any of it happen and without the efforts of volunteers like yourselves, they would not happen at all.

So when you hear people talking about how great the Cinco de Mayo Community Dinner was, smile big and give yourself some kudos, as it would never have happened without YOU!

With many thanks and all my best,
Laurie

Orion & Art - ready to sail!

Ran into Art Lohrey last weekend – he tells me that he and stepson Orion Powell have set up a new business or two – he’s got a day sail company with San Juan Classic Day Sailing, which complements his other gig, Phoenix Boat Works – restoring wooden boats.

Here’s a little bit from his website:

With a passion for sailing and boats, (particularly traditional wooden boats) and a desire to play a part in the preservation and sharing of these vanishing “works of art”, we opened Phoenix Boats Works. Our goal is to restore Classic wooden boats to their original condition and beauty. In offering these handcrafted vessels for charter, they once again can be used and appreciated for the purpose they were made for. And our part of the circle is completed.

Wooden boats, though not the nightmare or hassle and maintenance they are rumored to be, do demand and deserve regular care and attention. They don’t fit in glass boxes very well and something that is used and appreciated is something that is taken care of. That’s where you and the chartering becomes part of the circle.

We hope to help foster and maintain an awareness and appreciation of our maritime heritage, our natural and pristine environment, and the fine works of some of the great yacht designers of the past.

A day sail, by its very nature, is a perfect and simple venue to experience the joy of sailing, the beauty of the craft, and the magnificence of our marine environment. No need to make huge plans, provision, pack, etc., etc.. Just step on the boat, raise the sails, and go where the wind takes you, if just for the moment. Our boats are offered as skippered charters and you are welcome to participate hands on as much as you like in sailing the boat. Or, just sit back with a cup of coffee or tea, relax and take in the sights, sounds and feelings of being on the water. Either way, a memorable and exciting way to be a part.

Sailing, of any sort, is a native activity to respect our “loved to death”, and “survival challenged” marine mammal cohabiters of our islands.

Some of our boats are available for new stewardship [sale]. We can arrange to provide ongoing care for the vessels, and the option of keeping them active in the “fleet”, on a schedule of your choosing, is available. We have other boats “awaiting in the wings” for restoration. Maybe one of them strikes your fancy. That completes the circle. And you can be a part of it.

Orion & Art - ready to sail!

Ran into Art Lohrey last weekend – he tells me that he and stepson Orion Powell have set up a new business or two – he’s got a day sail company with San Juan Classic Day Sailing, which complements his other gig, Phoenix Boat Works – restoring wooden boats.

Here’s a little bit from his website:

With a passion for sailing and boats, (particularly traditional wooden boats) and a desire to play a part in the preservation and sharing of these vanishing “works of art”, we opened Phoenix Boats Works. Our goal is to restore Classic wooden boats to their original condition and beauty. In offering these handcrafted vessels for charter, they once again can be used and appreciated for the purpose they were made for. And our part of the circle is completed.

Wooden boats, though not the nightmare or hassle and maintenance they are rumored to be, do demand and deserve regular care and attention. They don’t fit in glass boxes very well and something that is used and appreciated is something that is taken care of. That’s where you and the chartering becomes part of the circle.

We hope to help foster and maintain an awareness and appreciation of our maritime heritage, our natural and pristine environment, and the fine works of some of the great yacht designers of the past.

A day sail, by its very nature, is a perfect and simple venue to experience the joy of sailing, the beauty of the craft, and the magnificence of our marine environment. No need to make huge plans, provision, pack, etc., etc.. Just step on the boat, raise the sails, and go where the wind takes you, if just for the moment. Our boats are offered as skippered charters and you are welcome to participate hands on as much as you like in sailing the boat. Or, just sit back with a cup of coffee or tea, relax and take in the sights, sounds and feelings of being on the water. Either way, a memorable and exciting way to be a part.

Sailing, of any sort, is a native activity to respect our “loved to death”, and “survival challenged” marine mammal cohabiters of our islands.

Some of our boats are available for new stewardship [sale]. We can arrange to provide ongoing care for the vessels, and the option of keeping them active in the “fleet”, on a schedule of your choosing, is available. We have other boats “awaiting in the wings” for restoration. Maybe one of them strikes your fancy. That completes the circle. And you can be a part of it.

Abby's getting married in Spokane later this month....

Tomorrow is Abby Spann’s last day as Recreation Specialist at Island Rec… Abby first came in 2005 to the island to work with Island Rec as an intern from Eastern Washington University, and was hired in the fall of 2006.

During her time here, she helped manage all those programs you saw in the program guide this past week, as well as starting the Start Smart pre-school Sports program, got Touch-A-Truck going, and worked with the Mullis Center to expand programs for seniors, as well as expanding the popular K-9 Carnival.

Abby’s getting married to her longtime beau Cody later this month – congrats to them, as they settle into married bliss in Spokane.

Rebecca Clarke is taking Abby’s spot, and she already knows the lay of the land, since she was the director of Camp Eagle Rock last June.

Concepia's John Sinclair's work graced the cover....

You saw the cover of the latest Island Rec program guide in your mail last week…. that was shot by John Sinclair. He has a ton more skateboard & bmx pictures at http://www.sanjuanskate.org/ – check them out! He does good work!

Jana from the Friends of the San Juans wanted to let you know:

The Toxins in Our Water Lecture Series continues and looks at our ability to control pollution. Please attend lecture 4 of the series, Successes and Challenges in Pollution Control, given by San Juan County Pollution Control Specialist, Brian Rader.

Brian provides on-site technical assistance to small business owners regarding how small businesses handle, store and dispose of hazardous waste. He is sensitive about being a win-win consultant and approaches businesses with pro-active, supportive suggestions on how to clean up our messes.

Brian holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Health (Human Health Toxicology) and a Master’s Degree in Ecology (Ecological Toxicology), both from Colorado State University.  Brian has a diverse employment background, including several years of environmental consulting, as well as seven years of professional business to business sales experience, 4 of which were spent working for the distribution business of International Paper.

This free lecture will be on Thursday, May 7th at 7:00 pm at the Friday Harbor UW Labs Commons. This lecture series is sponsored by Friends of the San Juans.