May Boyce was born in Friday Harbor in 1906.

Just heard about Mrs. Boyce passing away yesterday…a true islander. Here’s more:

May Boyce, Centenarian passes: May Boyce passed away peacefully on April 23, 2009.  She was 102.  May was born September 29, 1906 in Friday Harbor to J. O. and Mary Madden Bergman.  In 1923 she married Ben Boyce.  They were married 65 years before Ben passed away in 1988.

May worked in the fish cannery and pea cannery in Friday Harbor and picked strawberries in San Juan Valley.  She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother.  She is survived by her sisters Mickey Cahail and Edith Martel, her daughter Gloria (Dick) Louden, grandchildren Donna (Larry) Burton, Cheryl Murray, Bob (Candis) Murray, Diane (Ted) Buganski, great grandchildren Chad Burton, Sheila Carrigg, Katie Buganski and great-great grandchild Kimberly Burton.  She was preceded in death by her husband Ben and her son Bob.
Funeral services will be held May 2 at 12:00 noon at St. Francis Catholic Church in Friday Harbor.  Memorial gifts may be made to the San Juan Historical Society or San Juan EMTs.

 

Thursday afternoon there was a power outage which darkened the electric scoreboard during the game, but Friday Harbor didn’t have a power outage as they rode a complete game effort by senior pitcher Albert Strasser (in photo) to a 14-4 win over a strong Nooksack Valley team. Albert allowed a couple of runs in the first, then settled down for the win, with plenty of run support.

The guys are in action against Darrington with a doubleheader on Saturday at 11:30am, while the softball girls take on Darrington at the same time with a doubleheader of their own at the elementary field. To help with your decision-making, the soccer guys start their game at 11:30am with Lynden Christian.

Cool stuff…three good reasons to get out in the sun & see our kids in action. See ya there!

Thursday night, Stanwood came visiting, and The San Juan Dragons welcomed them by scoring the first two goals of the game. With a 3-2 lead at the half, the Dragons had control of the game until Stanwood snuck in the last two scores with less than four minutes to go for a 7-6 come-from-behind win.

The island’s lacrosse team is back in action on Saturday, playing at FHHS at 2pm – drop by & check them out!

Yep, the lights went out on the island last night at 5:45pm or so… the Department of Emergency Management said this, about an hour or two before they came back on (not sure what time it was but we already had the candles going – didn’t you?):

“The power outage was caused by a car accident on the mainland, and according to the OPALCO report as of 6:24 P.M. is affecting all of San Juan County, and portions of Snohomish, Whatcom, Skagit, and Island Counties in addition to the San Juans.”

Yep, the lights went out on the island last night at 5:45pm or so… the Department of Emergency Management said this, about an hour or two before they came back on (not sure what time it was but we already had the candles going – didn’t you?):

“The power outage was caused by a car accident on the mainland, and according to the OPALCO report as of 6:24 P.M. is affecting all of San Juan County, and portions of Snohomish, Whatcom, Skagit, and Island Counties in addition to the San Juans.”

There is no reciprocity. Men love women, women love children, children love hamsters.
Alice Thomas Ellis

“Uncle John’s Band” has been covered by Jimmy Buffet & others, but the best version is by the Grateful Dead – here they are in 1980:

Here’s the writeup from the PTA at the elementary school:

The Friday Harbor Elementary School PTA is putting the “fun” back in fundraising with a new twist on an old idea.  Six of our island’s finest fathers will compete for the title of Mr. San Juan Island.  The pageant is Saturday, April 25th in the Pavillion Room at Roche Harbor.  The event isn’t about beauty, brains or talent (although they’ll be exhibiting all three at the pageant), but how much money each candidate raises.

With federal and state funding dwindling, Friday Harbor Elementary School needs our support, now more than ever! Continue Reading

Here’s the writeup from the PTA at the elementary school:

The Friday Harbor Elementary School PTA is putting the “fun” back in fundraising with a new twist on an old idea.  Six of our island’s finest fathers will compete for the title of Mr. San Juan Island.  The pageant is Saturday, April 25th in the Pavillion Room at Roche Harbor.  The event isn’t about beauty, brains or talent (although they’ll be exhibiting all three at the pageant), but how much money each candidate raises.

With federal and state funding dwindling, Friday Harbor Elementary School needs our support, now more than ever! Continue Reading

Remember the Elegant Edibles fundraiser a few weeks ago? Marta Specht tells me it went great, with the bake sale selling out in one & a half hours, and bringing in nearly $1800 for the Community Theatre.

Way to go! -o o-

One of the reasons that Chef Tom French’s Experience Food Project has been so successful is that the food is…good. For people who don’t believe that “school lunch” and “good” should be used in the same sentence, the question pops up: Why skimp on school meals (or feed low-cost, high-crap lunches?)

In Yes! magazine, Chef Tom explains what we’re up to…click here to get the inside story of why the program is successful…and good.

It was on my fifth birthday that Papa put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Remember, my son, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm.’
Sam Levenson

Most people get their oil changed, their tires inflated, their brakes checked…but how many of you have your airbags checked? Here’s why….

One of the talented students at Friday Harbor High is senior Lauren Paulsen, who has been shooting Sports Illustrated-level photos at soccer games – click here to see her portfolio (compiled by Cassie Ellis) from the Nooksack Valley game last week, which was arguably the boys’ best played game at home so far this year.

That’s junior midfielder Parks Barnard contolling the ball in mid-game.

Looking over the cuts and shrinkage in our first-class school district is painful at so many levels, which includes the moving of the sixth grade from the middle school to the elementary school – here’s the view from Michael Soltman, our school district’s superintendent:

Projected State Education Funding Requires $1,000,000 Budget Reduction for 2009-10
Reduction in Force (RIF) Approved by School Board

At a School Board meeting Tuesday evening, the Board of Directors took action to reduce six teaching positions to partially address the District’s projected $1,000,000 budget shortfall due to the anticipated reductions in the State education budget. Though the actual State budget reductions will not be known until the legislative session concludes April 26th, State law and Teacher’s Association contracts require that Districts provide initial anticipated “Reduction in Force” (RIF) notices to affected employees by May 1st. Superintendent Michael Soltman reported that, “Approximately half of the six position reductions can be realized through leaves and retirements, hence the actually RIF resolution is for slightly more than three teaching positions.”

The District’s Financial Task Force has been analyzing budget and enrollment information since August 2008, and has targeted necessary budget reductions in the $750,000 – $1,100,000 range during the next two fiscal years. Various scenarios to reduce administration, non-instructional services, and instructional programs, as well as to restructure the middle/high school programs have been presented to and discussed by the school board since November.

Previously, at the March 4th school board meeting when the projected deficit was $782,000, the Board had decided to retain the grade 6-8 middle school program for the 2009-10 school year. However, the Board also directed the administration to plan for the 6th grade restructuring option in order to be prepared to respond to more severe reductions in the State education budget.

At last night’s meeting Soltman indicated that the $1,000,000 budget reduction would trigger the necessity to restructure the school programs by returning the 6th grade program to the elementary school, and by returning to a six period, two semester schedule at the high school without a winter term. Board members affirmed that the restructuring plan appeared to be necessary due to current budget projections.

School administrators are now creating the grade 7-8 and 9-12 program schedules with reduced staffing and will report to the board in subsequent meetings the program implications of such reductions. Planning for the 6th grade program at the elementary school will continue to address curriculum and program components. A fifth grade parent meeting will be scheduled for Thursday, May 7th, to discuss the 6th grade program planning as well as to hear ideas, concerns, and questions from parents.

A regular school board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 29th at 6:00 p.m. at the high school library. State budget information will be discussed, if available, and more detailed program restructuring implications will be shared with the Board. A special school board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5th at 6:00 p.m. in the high school library. The special meeting will be held to analyze the final State education budget, to make any adjustments to the final RIF plan due May 15th, and to detail additional budget planning steps through June.

When I was singing last summer at Griffin Bay (the bookstore, not the saltwater one), I mentioned that folk music was having a serious revival on the planet, partly because folk music is way cooler than any other kinda music. I remember the serious look in people’s eyes as they nodded, “Yes, this is true.”

Now you have a chance to see proof as the Community Theatre brings a couple of folk goddesses (notice I didn’t put quote marks around the words – that is only for people who don’t believe, yet) on stage – here’s more from Jan at the SJCT:

West Coast “Folk Goddesses” Tour Stops in Friday Harbor: One of “The Wailin’ Jennys” songstresses joins her “Crooked Still” friend and former classmate for a special concert at the San Juan Community Theatre on Friday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m.

The Heather Masse and Aoife (Ee-Fuh) O’Donovan Band heads to the West Coast with a full band to perform their original songs together.

Masse and O’Donovan were classmates, collaborators and friends while attending The New England Conservatory of Music from 2000-2004.  Five years later (both having made a name for themselves in the music world), they reunite.

Masse, a member of the acclaimed Juno Award-winning Canadian band “The Wailin’ Jennys,” has performed at hundreds of venues across the country including three appearances on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion.  Her soulful voice moves through numerous styles, a quality she learned from some of her early influences including Ray Charles, Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell and Chet Baker.

O’Donovan was proclaimed “Americana’s newest darling” by USA today and is a founding member of the new grass sensations “Crooked Still,” with whom she travels the world for most of the year.  She is also a member of the folk-noir trio,
“Sometymes Why.”  Check out more about each vocalist at www.heathermasse.com and www.myspace.com/aoifeodonovan.

The evening’s Business Partners are Computer San Juans and San Juan Garage Doors. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students reserved with $5 student RUSH at the door.  The SJCT box office is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 am to 4 pm, Saturdays from 11 am to 2 pm and one hour before each performance.  Call 378-3210 or buy tickets on-line at  www.sjctheatre.org.