Posted June 5, 2021 at 5:00 am by Hayley Day
Contributed Photo/Studio JAMM
From Studio JAMM
We have a beginner’s tap dance class starting 3-4 p.m. Saturday, June 5-26 at Studio JAMM.
The class is for ages 12 and up.
Rachelle Radonski is our teacher and you won’t want to miss it! If tap dancing is something you want to try, now is the time.
The session will last four weeks and cost $80.
Posted June 5, 2021 at 4:30 am by Hayley Day
From San Juan Preservation Trust
The San Juan Preservation Trust is pleased to announce this year’s Climate Leadership Scholarship winners.
Congratulations to Izabela Janecek of Friday Harbor High School and Ayla Ridwan of Orcas Island High School. A committee of Preservation Trust board members selected Izzie and Ayla from an impressive group of applicants from across San Juan County.
This year’s recipients will each receive a $5,000 scholarship, awarded in two $2,500 increments for each of their first two years of college.
The scholarships are entirely funded by contributions from members of the Preservation Trust’s board of trustees.
Contributed Photo. Ayla Ridwan.
The intent of the scholarships is to recognize and encourage students in our island communities who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment, effort and imagination in addressing the issue of climate change, and who plan a course of collegiate study that equips them to advance their climate leadership goals.
“Climate change is already altering ecosystems on the lands that the Preservation Trust conserves and stewards,” said Michael Popiwny, chair of the selection committee. “This year’s scholarship recipients, Izzie and Ayla, have truly distinguished themselves as members of the generation that is leading us all toward understanding what is needed to protect and conserve our islands, and the rest of the planet, in a changing climate.”
Izabela said she appreciates the scholarship.
“Right now I’m really interested in going into environmental policy, and that’s not something I would ever consider
Contributed Photo. Izabela Janecek.
unless I was concerned about climate change. I am so grateful to receive this award,” she said.
Ayla wants to study the connection between human and environmental wellness.
“I have always wanted to help people, and for the longest time, that was through medicine,” said Ayla. “But recently I’ve been really interested in the intersection between human health and the health of the environment. I could see myself working on climate policy and environmental policy.”
Posted June 4, 2021 at 8:49 am by Tim Dustrude
Contributed photo used with permission
Sunday, May 30th the San Juan Islands DAR chapter joined the Friday Harbor American Legion Post 163 and it’s Auxiliary to plant flags at the Valley Cemetery on San Juan Island.
At noon the next day we returned to the cemetery and conducted a Memorial Day service to honor the men and women who died for our country and also for those veterans who were willing to give their lives. On that day our chapter was joined by representatives from the local scout troop #90.
Posted June 4, 2021 at 8:44 am by Tim Dustrude
The Board of Commissioners of San Juan Island Public Hospital District #1 and Superintendent Nathan Butler are very happy to announce that the District has paid off in full the Frank Wilson Memorial EMS Building.
Superintendent Butler said “We are so privileged to have this building which carries the name of former EMS Chief Frank Wilson. The building has been an excellent investment and has allowed us to carry on Frank’s vision of service to the public.”
The move will open approximately $120,000 per year to fund other programs, such as sending a student to paramedic school in 2021. Commissioner Everett Clary, the Board Financial Officer, added “Public debt is sometimes necessary, but we are grateful to be able to redirect those funds to directly expand services.” This enables the District to afford a fifth paramedic and expand coverage options.
The building was built in 2013 with an original building bond of $2,000.000. A payment of approximately $800,000 from the old medical center helped to significantly reduce the overall debt burden in combination with nearly ten years of regular payments. The remaining $580,000 of the bond was retired on May 28, 2021.
Posted June 4, 2021 at 8:21 am by Tim Dustrude
Dr. Mark Fishaut – Contributed photo
Here’s a letter to the community from Dr. Mark Fishaut…
In 2004, my wife Sharon and I arrived here from Western New York where I had practiced pediatrics for 25 years. Coming here offered us a new beginning. The 17 years providing care for children both as a physician and a coach on San Juan Island has been the most rewarding period of my entire career. The time has now come to step back and move on to the next phase of life.
It has been a joy and an honor to have been the pediatrician for almost two decades of Islanders and see them mature into adulthood. The multi-generational relationships with both families and colleagues made here over the years are a great treasure. I will continue to maintain a level of connection to kids and their families through ongoing work with the San Juan Island School District and the recently established autism SMART Team.
Rest assured that we’ll work together over the next month to ensure continuity of care for your children.
I hope I have made some small contribution to this wonderful community and know that even more has been received in return. In the words of an obscure British band:
“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”.
Mark Fishaut MD FAAP
Posted June 3, 2021 at 3:50 pm by Tim Dustrude
Story and photos by Louise Dustrude –
The popular cafe at the airport, which closed in December, will be open once again on Saturday, June 5, with an expanded menu and expanded hours. Kristine Crossley will be the host and chef. Her husband, Jim Crossley, an aviation enthusiast, is currently refurbishing the building with the help of friends and volunteers, to be both a cafe and an aviation museum.
Lunch will be served daily from 11 to 2, and the cafe will re-open from 4 to 7 serving beer and wine and light food. The menu will expand from American and Korean items to add other Asian specialties: Filipino, Malaysian, and Japanese. Kristine holds a college degree in restaurant management, and she was the manager of a Chinese restaurant in the Philippines, which was her home.
Jim ran Ernie’s years ago with his then wife, Chisom, who was Korean and who added traditional Korean food to the menu. She ran the cafe for about five years. Continue Reading
Posted June 3, 2021 at 5:30 am by Peggy Sue McRae
Peggy Sue McRae – contributed photo
“Island Senior” is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae.
When I refer to myself as a hippy, I am not bragging. It is aspirational. To this day I aspire to live up to the promise of my love beads and peace signs.
That is why it caught my attention that among May’s History Month activities there was a panel hosted by Orcas Island’s Genealogy Club called “Back in the Day” celebrating Orcas past with a focus on the 1970s – 1990s including the “back to the land” movement and hippies.
My parents were of the “Greatest Generation” and like so many people their age after WWII they left the small towns and farms of America, in their case San Juan Island, seeking opportunities in the cities.
Thanks to my family, I claim pioneer status on the island but I grew up in the suburbs of Seattle. Technically, I’m a baby boomer, but I also belong to a sub-set of the “boomer” generation, I belong to what I call the “Woodstock Generation“. Described in song by Joni Mitchell, “We are stardust. We are golden. And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.”
While my family has old island roots, I myself came in on that wave of young people arriving in the islands in the 1970s. Those were the days when a pod of hippies could rent an old farmhouse for not very much money and between potlucks and beach parties, many of us made sincere attempts to get back to the land.
There must have been some friction between older more conservative islanders and my hippy cohort but I don’t remember it. Continue Reading
Posted June 2, 2021 at 11:32 am by Tim Dustrude
Vida Wight – Contributed photo
Sheriff Ron Krebs shares this sad news…
On 05/31/2021 at approximately 5:15pm a grey Subaru was travelling into town from the west end of San Juan Island when the car veered into the oncoming lane at Beaverton Valley and Lowe Lane and struck a jeep travelling the opposite direction in the west bound lane.
The driver, identified as Friday Harbor resident Vida Wight, was pronounced deceased on the scene while the driver of the Jeep was transported to the Peace Island Medical Center with minor injuries.
After our preliminary investigation, it is believed that speed and distracted driving played a major part in the cause of the accident.
Posted June 2, 2021 at 5:30 am by Hayley Day
Contributed Photo/San Juan Historical Museum. A Guard family portrait from late 1913, possibly taken at Thanksgiving or Christmas. In terms of generations, the baby William Paul Guard (known as Paul) represents the family’s fourth generation on San Juan Island. To his left is his father Leroy Paul Guard (known as Roy, third generation), in center position is Roy’s father Frank Guard (second generation), and on the right is Paul Guard (first generation), the family’s San Juan Island patriarch.
From the San Juan Historical Society and Museum
Father’s Day this year will be on June 20.
When thinking about a historical photograph to go with a June history column, this four-generation portrait, seen above and shared by the Guard family, came to mind as a great example of the passage of time in a family and its lineage from one father to the next.
Paul Guard was born in England in 1839, married Elizabeth Melhuish there, and brought his young family to the United States from Somerset, England in 1870.
They first settled in Kansas before coming westward to San Juan Island in 1889. That same year, he and Elizabeth bought the 160-acre homestead of William and Matilda Higgins in fertile Beaverton Valley.
The Guards then sold half of the acreage to their firstborn, Frank. This was the beginning of the Guard family farming legacy here. These two adjacent large-scale farms were known for their crops of oats, wheat, hay, and their orchards.
Frank’s son Roy was also an island farmer, like his father and grandfather. This brings us (portrait-wise) to Roy’s son William Paul Guard, the baby in the photo, who became a veterinarian on the mainland.
With this June column, the history columns will go on hiatus for a while. In the meantime, get out there and make some island history with your family and friends! Please stay in touch with the Historical Museum by sharing some of the history you are making.
Posted June 2, 2021 at 5:29 am by Tim Dustrude
San Juan Islands Sculpture Park, an independent 501 (c)(3) non-profit, will be accepting sculpture submissions this summer.
All sculptors are welcome to submit works using the guidelines below between June 6th and Aug 4th, 2021.
We do not require any biographical material with your submission. Sculptures will be selected on the merits of the art and how they will complement our park.
All submissions must be deemed safe by us and should be suitable for exhibition in an outdoor setting and be capable of withstanding occasional high winds, rain, and possible snow.
Chosen artworks can be installed between Sept 15th-Oct 10th, 2021. Installation appointments will be made based on our schedule and availability plus weather conditions. Overnight accommodations may be provided depending on Roche Harbor Resort’s room availability. Installation assistance is available.
Heavier and larger exhibits may require rental equipment which would be the responsibility of the exhibitor.
Artist agrees to placement for a two-year period if the work is not sold sooner. A 30% commission will be taken on all sculptures sold during the exhibition period and for 90 days after. Continue Reading
Posted June 2, 2021 at 5:00 am by Hayley Day
Contributed Photo. “Bumblebee on flowering currant” by Brad Pillow.
From Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Our thanks to everyone who took part in Wolf Hollow’s Earth Month Wildlife Photo Competition during April.
Contributed Photo. “Red-breasted Nuthatch” by Kevin Culmback
There were so many beautiful photos that we had a really hard time selecting a winner in each category. But, after lots of discussions, we finally selected the following winners:
Visit wolfhollowwildlife.org/events to view all the winning photographs.
Our congratulations to all of the winners, and a huge thank you to everyone who shared their wonderful photos to celebrate the beauty of local wildlife.
Posted June 2, 2021 at 4:30 am by Hayley Day
From the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor
Age: 7 months
Sex: Female
Breed: Lab mix
Application: www.apsfh.com/adoption-program/canine-application
Beware of Kaleesa the kissy monster!
If you dare to venture near her den for a meet-and-greet, prepare yourself to be attacked with love, smothered in kisses, and then have your heart stolen.
Once she has succeeded in captivating you with her charm, you will be hers and you must explore the world together.
This little lovebud is beauty and the beast, all rolled into one. From her masked eyes and crescent blue moon iris to her chocolate ears and lightly dappled coat, Kaleesa is quite striking.
However brave this lass may be, she still has some “stranger danger” towards particular people. She would do well in a home that would work with her fear and let her decide when she is ready for things, and with an adopter who wants to continue with her training, further building trust and creating a lasting bond fur-ever.
About
Posted June 1, 2021 at 7:26 am by Hayley Day
From San Juan Island Fire & Rescue and San Juan County Sheriff
Around 5:20 p.m., Monday, May 31, San Juan County 911 emergency center was notified of a two-vehicle high-speed crash on Beaverton Valley Road.
Two people were involved and treated by emergency services.
The road remained closed while law enforcement investigated the crash scene.
We appreciate the help of the citizens who were nearby and helped provide assistance by calling 911, as well as helping control traffic until emergency vehicles arrived and all units cleared the scene.
Posted June 1, 2021 at 5:30 am by Hayley Day
Contributed Photo/Griffin Bay. Student Tate Geiser.
From San Juan School Island District
Last September, San Juan Island School District’s Griffin Bay School grew from a handful of students to almost 100 students, K-12th grade.
Griffin Bay School may now offer online access to anyone and everyone across Washington state.
In May, Griffin Bay School was designated by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction as a Multi-District Online Program for Washington State.
Previously, GBS served only those students who resided within our district boundary (plus 10%). This new designation takes away that barrier.
As our school district’s elementary, middle and high schools begin to open more fully, many current GBS students may choose to return to in-person learning. For some families, however, the Griffin Bay School model is exactly what they need.
Griffin Bay School provides students and families an education that allows for flexibility, individualized attention, and a “work-at-your-own-pace” approach. Certified teachers are in contact with students once a week, guiding each child on his or her journey.
Student Tate Geiser is attending classes remotely, creating the time needed to also become certified in the career of his choice.
“A big way Griffin Bay School has helped me pursue my dream to become a barber is by making it possible to do school on my own schedule and time frame,” Geiser said. “This flexibility allows me to develop skills that will help my future career and business. Continue Reading
Posted June 1, 2021 at 5:00 am by Hayley Day
Contributed Photo/OPALCO
From OPALCO
OPALCO has a strong commitment to keeping its power lines clear of trees and brush in order to keep field crews and co-op members safe, reduce power outages and prevent damage to the islands’ electrical system.
This reduces costs – saving member dollars – and helps to keep the lights on.
Orcas Power & Light Cooperative, or OPALCO, is our member-owned cooperative electric utility, serving more than 11,000 members on 20 islands in San Juan County.
Forest Health
OPALCO completed several line clearing projects over the winter and, in doing so, collaborated with the San Juan County Civilian Conservation Corps to improve forest health in the areas that are being cleared. Continue Reading
Posted May 31, 2021 at 5:30 am by Hayley Day
Contributed Photo/San Juan Island Library.
From San Juan Island Library
Starting Tuesday, June 8, the San Juan Island Library will reopen its doors for limited services and hours.
The library will provide simultaneous indoor browsing and curbside services on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., with a 65+/high-risk population hour on Tuesdays from 10-11 a.m.
Patrons are welcome back inside with a limit of 20 people at a time for 20 minutes to find materials, pick up holds and use express computers.
In accordance with current county requirements, patrons must be masked and physically distanced at all times in the Library. Seating is provided only for express computer use at this time.
The library will be closed Friday, June 4 and Saturday, June 5, including no curbside pick-up, in preparation for reopening with expanded services.
Quarantining of materials is no longer required, so item check-ins will be expedited.
The library looks forward to expanding hours and services as they move ahead.
“The library exists to serve, and we are excited to open our doors and restore some of the library traditions our patrons know and love,” Director Laurie Orton said. “Our staff looks forward to sharing in-person conversation and laughter with many of you very soon.”
For more information, visit www.sjlib.org.