Jan over at the Community Theatre says it’s a continuation of the Town’s 100th birthday:

San Juan Singers Present “Our Town. Our Music. Our Lives.”

San Juan Island’s community chorus sings their way through the century on Saturday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 5 at 5:00 p.m. at the San Juan Community Theatre.

Led by Angel Michaels, the San Juan Singers share music that dates back to 1900 and all the way through 2001, representing a variety of aspects of life. “Our community has done it all: fishing, fighting, farming and ferrying,” said Michaels. “There’s always a song to sing, through good times and bad.”

Expect to hear folk songs, popular songs and choral classics from such composers as Samuel Barber, Randall Thompson and Irving Berlin. There might even be some animal voices mixed in (the songs of whales, anyone?). And expect to laugh and to reflect.

Featured guests include island flautist Anna Maria de Freitas, harpist Mary WillAllen, the Friday Harbor Elementary School Chorus and That Berlin Bunch stage band.

The concerts’ Business Partner is Kennedy McCulloch Forsyth CPAs. Tickets are $17 for adults and $19 student reserved, with $5 student RUSH on available seats 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.

Adriennne at the Library has a special poetry workshop this weekend at 2pm on Saturday – I’m going to go, and hope you have a chance to, too:

I was hoping you could help me spread the word about an upcoming poetry workshop at the Library on Saturday, April 4th from 2-5 in the Meeting Room. Paul Nelson, from SPLAB (Spoken Word Lab) will be visiting our Library, and he will be hosting a Poetry Workshop titled “Organic Poetry”. I am hoping that either you, or someone you know would be interested in attending. If you would like to register for this free workshop, you can either e-mail me, or call the Library and have your name put on the list. After the workshop, participants will be invited to read their work aloud at 5:30 in the main part of the library, and listen to Paul read a bit.

Here’s a little more info in case you aren’t familiar with him:

Paul is the founder of the non-profit Global Voices Radio and co-founder of the Northwest SPokenword LAB (SPLAB!). Paul has two chap books, two CD’s – Twisting Runes and A Time Before Slaughter and a manuscript of an epic poem re-enacting Auburn history, also entitled A Time Before Slaughter. Paul worked as a professional broadcaster from 1980 to 2006, and he has interviewed hundreds of authors, poets, activists and whole-system theorists for a syndicated public affairs radio program. In his workshop, “Organic Poetry”, participants will have the opportunity to listen to interviews Paul has done with poets over the years, discuss the writing process, and participate in writing exercises. For more information on Paul, or SPLAB, visit http://splab.org/

Thank you for your support & continued interest! I appreciate all you do to support our programs!

Adrienne Bourne
Programming Coordinator

Catherine Kenney

Bob Coleman at Islanders Bank wrote in:

The Bank is pleased to announce the following Officer promotion approved by The Board of Directors of Islanders Bank at the March 26, 2009 Board Meeting: Catherine Kenney to Vice President of Network Administration.

Catherine has been with Islanders Bank since February of 2003 and we feel very fortunate to have her.

When the kids were setting up for their concert last Friday, they told me there was a guy who came & played on the piano & rehearsed with a woman who was awesome…I asked around a little, and found out it was the sister of the Spring Street International School’s music teacher – and she has a show tonight. Here’s more from Grisha:

Maya Krivchenia, a young soprano from St. Petersburg Russia, will present a recital of Russian Art Song at the First Presbyterian Church in Friday Harbor. The concert takes place on Tuesday, March 31st at 7pm.

Maya, who grew up in Ohio, studied at Ohio State University and the Eastman School of Music. She went to Russia as a Fullbright Scholar to study Russian Opera and vocal chamber music. She now makes her home in St. Petersburg, where she sings at the famed Marinsky Theatre.

The program includes songs by Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff, all performed in the original Russian. Maya will collaborate with her brother, Grisha, a composer-pianist and the music teacher at Spring Street International School. Grisha will also present Khachaturian’s Toccata and an original work for solo piano.

There is no admission charge. Guests are welcome to make a donation to a fund that will provide for the continued maintenance of a new piano at the Presbyterian Church.

The little ferry that could is filling in while the Elwha is repaired. In yesterday’s sunny harbor, the Hiyu took over the interisland route as the spring schedule went into effect.

Friday night it was something special… in a bold move towards helping kids in Uganda, six music acts from the island (or formerly from the island) banded together onstage at the Presbyterian Church to raise funds for The Invisible Children (here’s more about the organization, the cause, and the kids it is trying to help).

FHHS senior Casey Lehman photographed the evening’s musicians – here’s his portfolio which includes Rhiana, Shelby & his group, Zack, Ian, and Rachel & her group, He Is We.

It sounded good, and the kids put together a purposeful evening. Gotta be proud of ’em.

Naturally the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.
Hermann Goering

Stan & Bridget are getting married on April 25th out at San Juan Vineyards (surprised? Stan’s the wine purchaser for King’s grocery store…)

I caught up with them in line at the store, as you can see.

It was good to see Seattle U soph Lindsay Youngquist on the boat Saturday with her bro Trevor. She’s back to island for a little visit after spending the last week helping out, doing restoration work in New Orleans. The former FHHS girls’ soccer captain was able to get a visit in with Trevor, as he made his way home after his soccer game, earlier in the day.

It was nice to see Christina shooting a picture of Yolanda & Kelly, who got married last year… as you can see, they’re still smiling as they made their way home on the Saturday ferry. Yolanda is working at the Little Store on the morning shift, while Kelly’s splitting time with Friday Harbor House & Lakedale Resort.

It was nice to see Christina shooting a picture of Yolanda & Kelly, who got married last year… as you can see, they’re still smiling as they made their way home on the Saturday ferry. Yolanda is working at the Little Store on the morning shift, while Kelly’s splitting time with Friday Harbor House & Lakedale Resort.

Quick notes: The FHHS soccer team lost 10-0 Saturday to a strong 2A squad at South Whidbey….they hit the road for Cascade Christian on Wednesday.

If the ferry seemed kinda full on Saturday morning, that’s because it was.

Besides the soccer team, there was also the baseball & softball teams (and a zillion parents), as well as the middle school guys heading for the Tulip Tourney. The baseball & softball kids made it off the boat, but were sent back home as their games with Lynden Christian were scrubbed due to the rain. So the boat back was pretty full, too.

Something cool…I saw a table & half-fill of Soroptimists coming home for a meeting in Bellingham that was presided over by the president of the Bellingham chapter – FHHS grad & former islander Maddie Sheplor. Nice.

Something cool…I saw a table & half-fill of Soroptimists coming home for a meeting in Bellingham that was presided over by the president of the Bellingham chapter – FHHS grad & former islander Maddie Sheplor. Nice.

Nikki from the Whale Museum has more:

The Whale Museum Docent Training Program: The Whale Museum is pleased to offer our
Docent Training Program for the 2009 summer season. Volunteers aged 14 and over are needed to help visitors in our Exhibit Hall. By using artifacts, text panels, and hands-on specimens, docents are trained to assist visitors in identifying the characteristics of marine mammals, which marine mammals live in the area, and inspire conservation by sharing information about the impacts of human activity on whales, marine mammals, and the oceans of the world.

Learn about our local Southern Resident Killer Whales, a federally listed Endangered Species. Learn about the interactions between humans and whales over time. Personalized training provided to fit your schedule! Office volunteers are also needed in our Orca Adoption Program. For more information call Nikki Ruggiero, Volunteer Coordinator, (360) 378-4710 ext. 28.

Founded in 1979, The Whale Museum’s mission is to promote stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research. In addition to providing exhibits, the Museum also provides programs including: the Orca Adoption Program, Soundwatch Boater Education, Marine Naturalist Training, San Juan Islands Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and the Whale Hotline.

The Whale Museum can be found online at www.whalemuseum.org.

If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves.
Carl Jung