Hey, my friends….

As you can see, the Update underwent surgery this past weekend, and got the equivalent of a journalistic nose job. It’s all really about the same, with a few additions: the Calendar is easier to find, the ads are now located on every page, and it’s possible for you to comment on the stories that I post.

I also wanted to make it easy for you to check on things if you miss a day, so I busted the Update into the categories above, so you can look “backwards” to see what I’ve posted about sports, or the latest photos, and so on. Let’s give it a try & see if that works.

I would love to have you let me know what you think! Click the “comment” deal down at the bottom of this posting, and weigh in!

And…as you can see from the archives (yes, you can go back in time), the Update has undergone different format changes in the past twelve years, but we changed, too, didn’t we?

From The Boxer, by Paul Simon:

The years are rolling by me
They are rocking evenly….
I’m older than I once was, but younger than I’ll be
That’s not unusual –
It isn’t strange – after changes upon changes,
We are more or less the same
After changes, we are more or less the same.

Thanks for reading. I’m really glad you’re here.

Love ya,
Ian

The last paper....

It was a drag to hear that the Seattle Post-Intelligencer printed its last issue today. For those of us that grew up with a Sunday paper with coffee on the weekend, or scrambling for the sports scores, or mumbling after reading editorials – and clipping the news to mail to mom…it feels like the end of an era. Because it is.

One more thing that’s hard to explain to our texting, e-mailing, CNN-wired kids what they’re missing.

Baby bluebird

You already knew about the bluebird re-introduction project…here’s more from Kathleen at the Preservation Trust:

A “Welcome Back Bluebirds” nesting contest has been announced by the San Juan Islands Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project. The contest will acknowledge the first member of the island community to have a Western bluebird nest on their property (in a nest box or in a natural cavity). “We hope this contest will encourage islanders to notice and report nesting activity of the reintroduced bluebirds and their offspring,” said Kathleen Foley, Director of Education for the San Juan Preservation Trust. The winner of the contest will win a cedar bluebird nest box and a Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project hat. …full article

Ryan Browne

When I ran into FHHS grad Ryan Browne over the holidays, he told me about his business, which included building cob ovens – straw, mud, sand, clay all put together for the most heat-efficient oven you’ve ever seen. I saw him last night (as you can see, about to fire up the oven)… I asked him to tell me what he’s been doing, with this and helping with the slow food group.

Here’s more:

Hey Ian,
Thanks for writing!  Yes, I have been working recently with the slow food group at the high school, building a cob oven at Matt and Maureen Marinkovich’s house. I think Linda Cobos mentioned that she might have spoken with you? It’s wood fired, made out of clay and sand, and designed to cook everything from breads and pizzas to vegetables and yogurt. I taught workshop about how to build it. …full article

Ryan Browne

When I ran into FHHS grad Ryan Browne over the holidays, he told me about his business, which included building cob ovens – straw, mud, sand, clay all put together for the most heat-efficient oven you’ve ever seen. I saw him last night (as you can see, about to fire up the oven)… I asked him to tell me what he’s been doing, with this and helping with the slow food group.

Here’s more:

Hey Ian,
Thanks for writing!  Yes, I have been working recently with the slow food group at the high school, building a cob oven at Matt and Maureen Marinkovich’s house. I think Linda Cobos mentioned that she might have spoken with you? It’s wood fired, made out of clay and sand, and designed to cook everything from breads and pizzas to vegetables and yogurt. I taught workshop about how to build it. …full article

I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.
George Burns

Carol makes a winning bid....

Marie Dicristina reports that last Saturday’s dinner & auction went great (that’s Carol Jackson at the right; here are a gallery of photos from the night):

Soroptimists want to send out a big Irish thank you to all that attended last Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Extravaganza Dinner and Auction. There about 150 attendees who helped raised over $14,000! Corned Beef and Cabbage dinners along with Vegetarian Pasta dinners were served and complimented by dessert cakes from Daniel. The Raffle and the Silent Auction were very well received and Doug Bison helped make the Live Auction great fun. People enjoyed themselves while helping their fellow islanders.

This fundraiser will help provide funds for the scholarships, women’s emergency fund, many awards to local women and other club projects. For more information about the Friday Harbor Soroptimists please go to www.sifri.org. Again, thank you for supporting our events.

Marie DiCristina

Carol makes a winning bid....

Marie Dicristina reports that last Saturday’s dinner & auction went great (that’s Carol Jackson at the right; here are a gallery of photos from the night):

Soroptimists want to send out a big Irish thank you to all that attended last Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Extravaganza Dinner and Auction. There about 150 attendees who helped raised over $14,000! Corned Beef and Cabbage dinners along with Vegetarian Pasta dinners were served and complimented by dessert cakes from Daniel. The Raffle and the Silent Auction were very well received and Doug Bison helped make the Live Auction great fun. People enjoyed themselves while helping their fellow islanders.

This fundraiser will help provide funds for the scholarships, women’s emergency fund, many awards to local women and other club projects. For more information about the Friday Harbor Soroptimists please go to www.sifri.org. Again, thank you for supporting our events.

Marie DiCristina

If you see a mob at the Mullis Center at 5:30pm on Thursday, that’s because the Town Council has scheduled a public hearing to review the annexation of the Buck Property. I asked Roxanna from the Town to send me a writeup of the proposed annexation, zoning, and developer agreement – here it is…check it out.

Be there…

The SJISD Superintendent Search meetings are Thursday of this week! These meetings are for gathering input and information from the school community and other interested parties.

Timelines, schedules and desired qualifications in leadership will be discussed.  A survey is available to anyone who cannot make the meetings.  People can contact Maude at the district office to get one.  Either of these meetings (or both) would be appropriate for the general public.

Thursday, March 19

Public meeting, parents, students, community members, 5:00 pm, high school commons

Special School Board meeting, 6:00 pm, high school commons

See ya there!

Hi Ian,

Love the new website! Great job. I recently saw a piece on Good Morning America on a “time bank” and thought it would be perfect for our small community. Please check out this page.

It’s a way to pay it forward for services you can offer to someone in exchange for their services.

For example, I need a roof repair and Ed can offer car repair. You sign up for 2 hours of free labor for someone who offers 2 hours of their free labor in roof repair in exchange for Ed’s mechanical expertise (He is ASE Certified not to mention the hot sauce expert on SJI). You enter a credit (say for 2 hours or whatever) and are able to debit (again for 2 hours or whatever) in exchange for those repairs.

Of course if you’re the letigious kind, this won’t work but I think it would be great for our small community. It goes back to the old days of the barter system of trading your skills for someone else’s skills. Just a thought but I thought this would be a great idea in these economic times.

Of course someone would need to manage the credits and debits and I would be happy to donate my time for that. I immediately thought of your website as it does so much good for the community. Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Genie Williams

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.

Confucius

Joanna on Sunday morning at the Rocky Bay Cafe.

That’s my pal Joanna at the Rocky Bay on Sunday morning…she and her mom Shannon Evans (who teaches at FHES) were checking things out after church.

Joanna on Sunday morning at the Rocky Bay Cafe.

That’s my pal Joanna at the Rocky Bay on Sunday morning…she and her mom Shannon Evans (who teaches at FHES) were checking things out after church.

Debbi wrote and says she’s looking to make a complete guide for kids about what they can do this summer – and she needs your help. Here’s more:

Hey, Ian!

I have a favor to ask.

I’m working on the SJI Summer Activity Calendar for our Youth 2009. This will be our third year to offer this to parents, families and to our community. The calendar is FREE with the help of the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition. I’m in the midst of collecting information from various people and organizations, but thought, maybe I’m missing someone! Would you be able to inquire if someone is offering a new or unadvertised youth program this summer on SJI, they could contact me to add it to the calendar?

Last year’s calendar came out of necessity for me. I found some programs weren’t advertised well, so they were cancelled because of low participation, or others would fill up before I heard about them. So, having all the information in one place, made it a better summer for my kids! The calendars will be available at the Children’s Festival (May 2) at the SJIPC booth and will be mailed out from the SJISD parent/guardian mailing list and various email groups.

I feel the more programs we can add, the more useful this tool becomes for families! I put mine on the refrigerator and we kept on top of what was available throughout the summer!

Thanks again, Ian, for your support of the programs we’ve been involved in. It takes a Village…

Debbi ([email protected])

Debbi wrote and says she’s looking to make a complete guide for kids about what they can do this summer – and she needs your help. Here’s more:

Hey, Ian!

I have a favor to ask.

I’m working on the SJI Summer Activity Calendar for our Youth 2009. This will be our third year to offer this to parents, families and to our community. The calendar is FREE with the help of the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition. I’m in the midst of collecting information from various people and organizations, but thought, maybe I’m missing someone! Would you be able to inquire if someone is offering a new or unadvertised youth program this summer on SJI, they could contact me to add it to the calendar?

Last year’s calendar came out of necessity for me. I found some programs weren’t advertised well, so they were cancelled because of low participation, or others would fill up before I heard about them. So, having all the information in one place, made it a better summer for my kids! The calendars will be available at the Children’s Festival (May 2) at the SJIPC booth and will be mailed out from the SJISD parent/guardian mailing list and various email groups.

I feel the more programs we can add, the more useful this tool becomes for families! I put mine on the refrigerator and we kept on top of what was available throughout the summer!

Thanks again, Ian, for your support of the programs we’ve been involved in. It takes a Village…

Debbi ([email protected])