Tal on the 53-foot ketch, the Little Revenge, offshore in the Pacific.

Tallentyre Basil Sturdivant – born Aug 14, 1925, Klamath Falls, Oregon. Died, April 5, 2021, Anacortes, WA.

Tal grew up with his family in Laguna Beach, CA where surfing, fishing and boating became his life-long passions. He attended UC Santa Barbara, and served in the US Merchant Marines in the South Pacific and Philippine Islands. Tal was drafted into the US Army during the Korean War and stationed in Karlsruhe, Germany, where he married Lee Stegall of Los Angeles in 1952.

Tal and Lee moved to Tucson where Tal received a mining engineering degree from the University of Arizona, and their daughter Lisa was born. After graduation the family moved to Santa Rita, New Mexico where Tal worked as an engineer at the Kennecott Copper Mine. Their son Philip “Flip” was born in 1958 in Silver City, New Mexico.

Tal and Lee returned to the west coast in 1959 where Tal worked with the CA State Highways San Diego. They lived near the beach in Del Mar, where Tal shared his favorite pasttimes with his family. Lisa and Flip have great memories of Tal teaching them to surf /body surf, and late nights surf fishing at the beach. In 1976, the family bought a 53’ Wm. Garden designed ketch and Tal led his family on a sailing adventure to Baja and the South Pacific. Upon their return to San Diego, and upon advice of new friends met along the way, Lee and Tal decided to move to the PNW.

They settled in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, in 1979, where Tal worked as an engineer with Washington State Ferries for the following 13 years. Continue Reading

From San Juan Preservation Trust

From the San Juan County Economic Development Council

Those seeking to enter a new career or boost their job skills are invited to learn Computer Aided Design, or CAD, in a free, online class offered by the Economic Development Council.

Brett Paul, staff engineer at Luxel, will be teaching a five-week introduction to CAD, from 7-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 18 through June 15 over Zoom.

The EDC’s goal in offering this course is to help county residents gain job skills and obtain economic stability.

CAD is used in many industries, such as manufacturing and construction, as well as by scientific, craft and arts businesses. This course is themed on designing for 3D printing, but skills learned will transfer to other uses of CAD.

This program will be free except for a small registration fee which is refundable upon successful course completion. It is open to San Juan County residents interested in using CAD in their work. Continue Reading

Enter to Win Community Solar Shares or Electric Lawnmower

From OPALCO

If you pay your power bill to OPALCO, you’re a member of the electrical co-op. OPALCO, or Orcas Power & Light Cooperative, is a member-owned cooperative electric utility that serves 20 islands in San Juan County.

Each year OPALCO holds its annual meeting to update members on the co-op and announce election results for the OPALCO Board.

While this year’s meeting will be on Zoom, all your favorite annual meeting traditions will be included, except the bag lunch.

There are more than 25 prizes to be awarded to members in attendance and each member gets a bill credit. Prizes include electric lawn tools, battery backup for your electronics, home goods and gift cards. Prizes are sponsored by our partners and vendors.

The theme of this year’s meeting is “The Island Way.”

The OPALCO team will talk about OPALCO’s plans for our energy future, and the board will be there to answer questions and hear comments from members. At the end of the meeting, there will a be drawing to give out prizes, which will be distributed the following week.

Register for the annual meeting at www.opalco.com. The 2020 annual report will be posted on the OPALCO website the week of April 24.

Workshops

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Contributed Image/CDC

From San Juan County

Due to a significant surge in positive COVID cases in the San Juan Island community, residents are instructed to take the following actions to prevent further spread.

Immediately limit high-risk indoor contact with those outside of your household. This includes vehicles, workspaces, socializing between children, and other sources of prolonged high-risk contact. High-risk activity includes unmasked contact or masked but for an extended time in close proximity. Note that fully vaccinated individuals may socialize with other fully vaccinated individuals, or with one other unvaccinated household.

Limit high-risk outdoor activities. Note that it is much easier to minimize risk outdoors through masking, sanitizing of hands and surfaces, and thoughtful social distancing.

Those who know they have had high-risk close contact with a confirmed COVID-positive individual should limit all contact with those from outside of their household and monitor carefully for symptoms. If symptomatic, contact your healthcare provider to discuss treatment and the need for testing. Public health staff will be reaching out to close contacts directly. Due to the large caseload and the number of potentially exposed individuals identified, this may take several days.

Don’t travel, don’t host. If you do choose to travel, don’t fly, or take other public transit of any kind (other than staying in your car on the ferry) and eliminate all contact with anyone outside of your household (unless all members of the traveling party are fully vaccinated). If you must travel, and are unable or unwilling to do so safely, quarantine for 2 weeks upon return to the islands. See this simple diagram for full guidance.

Assume that new COVID variants are responsible for new cases. This means the disease spreads much more easily and potentially has more serious health impacts.

Get vaccinated as soon as you are able.

High School Guidance

In addition, the following specific groups should follow the guidance below.

Friday Harbor High School AM and PM Cohorts:

• Restrict social activities until further notice, as case investigations and contact tracing efforts are completed.
• Call your healthcare provider if you develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

Friday Harbor High School Boys Baseball Team:

• Quarantine through the end of day April 16.
• Call your health care provider if you develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

Health Departments Contacts Continue Reading

Contributed Photo/Rena Priest. Rena Priest, an American Book Award-winning poet and member of Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, is the first indigenous poet to be appointed Washington State Poet Laureate. 

From the Washington State Arts Commission 

In conjunction with National Poetry Month, poet Rena Priest has been appointed Washington State Poet Laureate by Governor Jay Inslee.

A member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, Priest will be the first Indigenous poet to assume the role. Priest’s literary debut, Patriarchy Blues, was honored with the 2018 American Book Award, and her most recent work is Sublime Subliminal.

The two-year term officially begins April 15, 2021. She will succeed Claudia Castro Luna, the current poet laureate. Prior to Castro Luna the position was held by Tod Marshall (2016-2018), Elizabeth Austen (2014–2016), Kathleen Flenniken (2012–2014), and Sam Green (2007–2009).

“I am incredibly excited and honored to take on this role,” said Priest. “I’m fascinated by the way people come together around poetry. I am always delighted by how they gather in quiet rooms and let themselves be drawn in, lit up, and transformed by the words of other people. It’s a powerful way of connecting.”

View upcoming virtual events featuring Priest here.

Continue Reading

From Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor

Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor will donate $5,000 this year to the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center.

Half is designated to increase staff hours for employees helping islanders access various COVID-related assistance programs funded by the government and help manage community programs.

The remaining funds will be available for direct assistance to needy households to meet basic needs not covered by existing programs.

The Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center in Friday Harbor is the primary centralized drop-in, resource and referral organization for delivery of social services and support programs on San Juan Island.

During the pandemic, the organization has continued to play a primary role in connecting those who can use support with available resources.

In 2021, the federal government will be providing additional resources, including rental and utility assistance, that are coming to our community. The need is bigger than usual, as are the sources of funds, but it will take additional staff time to make it happen.

Twenty Years Of Creativity At The Whiteley Center

By Kathleen Ballard Cowell

Contributed Photo/Kathleen Ballard Cowell. Arthur Whiteley

The Whiteley Center, located at the west end of the campus of the Friday Harbor Laboratories, is celebrating 20 years of providing a place for uninterrupted thinking and working.

The Center was Helen and Arthur Whiteley’s gift to scholars needing to escape to a quiet and peaceful surrounding. Arthur’s vision, as relayed to scholar Ted Goslow, Jr., arose from a shared belief with his wife Helen Riaboff Whiteley: that “humanity’s best path forward encompasses all creative endeavors from the arts to conservation.”

To that end, Arthur pursued a center organized to support scholars from widely diverse disciplines. Thus the center serves many types of scholars, not just scientists.

Helen and Arthur’s vision began years before the Whiteley Center was built. It took determination and attention to detail – as well as many meetings – to persuade others that putting a scholarly retreat on the campus of a renowned marine laboratory was a good idea.

Arthur was tenacious, energetic and persistent, and he made it happen. Continue Reading

Contributed Photo. John Ross, Sr. family camp on the beach below Peter Lawson’s farm, circa 1905. Image can also be found in the “Images of America: San Juan Island” book by Mike and Julia Vouri and the San Juan Historical Society.

From the San Juan Historical Society and Museum

Before there were family vacation cabins or second homes for retirees from the mainland, there was a different kind of part-time resident on San Juan Island.

They came for the lucrative fishing seasons and set up camp on westside beaches, among other places. Some of these were purse seine families from Gig Harbor, as seen in the above image of the Ross family encampment, welcomed by Peter Lawson, Sr. who saved space for them (and many others) on the bluff and at the beach below his Eagle Point farm.

They came in the summers for the bounty of salmon found at the aptly named nearby Salmon Bank. We like this rare close-up image because it shows daily life in a fish camp. Laundry must go on!

The Ross family business was headed by John Ross, Sr. He was born in 1861 on the island of Premuda in the Adriatic Sea, now an island of Croatia, where his family name was “Jadrosic.”

John emigrated to the U.S. when he was in his 20s and soon settled in Gig Harbor in 1888. He and his wife Johanna (or Iva) raised a large family which, no doubt, helped the family business thrive and pass on to the next generation. So, the Ross family of Gig Harbor is a good example of seasonal residents for many decades.

One interesting story we found made the local news in 1907. As the San Juan Islander newspaper reported on Oct. 19 of that year, the County Assessor included seasonal fish camp residents in his enumeration for a countywide census.

This brought out the ire of Peter Lawson, Sr. who testified against this decision as one having “the sole purpose of increasing official salaries at the expense of the taxpayers.” The county commissioners supported the assessor and the seasonal residents stayed on the census return.

The history of fishing in the San Juans is a big and complicated story. This is just a brief look at a very small moment in time.

We look forward to a new book on the history of fishing, projected to be released later this year. If you have historical fishing photos to share, please contact The San Juan Historical Society and Museum. You may have a good photo we don’t have yet in our archives and we can scan it in.

From the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor

Age: Approximately 5 years
Sex: Female
Breed: Mystery mix
Application: www.apsfh.com/adoption-program/canine-application

Look into my eyes…deeper, deeper…that’s it…do you feel your heart swelling?

That’s very good. Ok! Now that Libby has successfully gotten your attention and you have most likely fallen in love with her, we can tell you a little bit more about this darling girl.

She’s as unique as they come with her adorable looks and spunky personality. Since arriving at the shelter, Libby has entertained the staff with her newfound love of toys! She tosses, twirls, and shakes her toys all around! It’s endless fun for all parties involved.

Libby would be delighted to find a loving home that will dote on her in all the ways a rescue dog deserves. She has a few things she is working through during her transition, particularly fear of new men and strange dogs. Therefore, a home with someone dedicated to work through those fears with her would be ideal. In the meantime, she will be waiting at the shelter where she will continue to entertain the staff!

ABOUT

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From San Juan County

The San Juan County Council is searching for San Juan County citizens to fill current and upcoming vacancies on various boards and commissions.

Additional information about each committee is available on the county’s website at http://sanjuanco.com/641/Board-Committee-Vacancies.

Those interested in serving on a board or advisory committee should fill out an advisory committee application or contact the council office at 360-378-2898 or [email protected].

View vacancies below: Continue Reading

Contributed Photo/Bofu Shaw on Unsplash.

From San Juan County

Residents of San Juan County who don’t have dental insurance or who are covered by Medicaid, which is called Apple Health in Washington, can get free or reduced-cost dental care at upcoming mobile clinics on each of the islands.

This is a public-private partnership making dental care available.

Data from 2019 show that in San Juan County, only 11% of adult Medicaid patients 21 years and older were able to use their benefits to receive dental care. That was the lowest percentage of any county in the state.

Dental health significantly affects overall health. The goal of this partnership is to help those on Medicaid or without insurance get much-needed oral health care and improve their overall health and well-being.

The dental services provided include oral health exams, X-rays, fillings, and tooth extractions. An MTI Dental Van offered the first clinics in January and March on San Juan and Lopez Island.

Additional full-day clinics will rotate among the islands on the following dates:

Orcas Island: April 14-17, May 10-13, Sept.  22-25, Nov. 3-6

Lopez Island: Sept. 20-21

San Juan Island: May 5-8, Oct. 6-9 Continue Reading

From Minnie Knych, American Legion Post 163 Auxiliary 

The American Legion offers scholarships, and students should apply even if they think they aren’t eligible. 

American Legion Scholarships

Over $203,500 in scholarships is awarded each year to the top winners in the American Legion National Oratorical Contest. The state winners of the contest receive $5,000 for the first prize. Local San Juan County winners can win also. To prepare for the 2022 contest, weekly after-school will be offered starting in September 2021. For more information or to sign up for the classes, contact [email protected].

 If you are a high school junior you can apply to attend Girls or Boys State sponsored by American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary. Boys State is now enrolling for the 2021 session  June 20-26 at the Warm Beach Conference Center in Stanwood, Washington. More information is available at [email protected].

Or, contact the Friday Harbor American Legion member Shannon Plummer at [email protected] or 360-375-5508, or American Legion Auxiliary Girls State contact Minnie Knych at [email protected].

Contact Friday Harbor high school counselors about the following scholarships.

• Marguerite Mc”Alpin Memorial Scholarship: Nurses’ scholarship or $1,000 awarded for a direct descendent of a veteran.   
• Florence Lemcke Memorial Scholarship in Fine Arts: A scholarship of $1,000 will be awarded in the field of Fine Arts including painting, drawing, photography, literature, architecture, sculpture poetry, music, dance and drama.
• Samsung American Legion Scholarship: If you are a graduating high school senior who has previously attended Girls or Boys State and is a direct descendant of a U.S. military veteran, you are eligible to apply for the Samsung Scholarship.
• Susan Burdett Scholarship: This scholarship is available to a former citizen of Girls State and is awarded by the Washington State American Legion Auxiliary.

Why Students Do Not Apply For Scholarships, And Why They Should Continue Reading

From the Washington State Department of Agriculture

The Washington State Department of Agriculture’s COVID-19 Sector Recovery grants are available thanks to a partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce, and will provide grant funds to small businesses in four sectors:

• Small-scale shellfish growers
• Farmers market organizations
• Agritourism farms
• Small breweries, cideries, wineries, and distilleries (dependent upon tap or tasting room sales).

These four sectors have been selected for assistance as a way to bolster the health and diversity of the Washington state economy by providing support to disproportionately impacted and previously under-served agricultural sectors.

Grant details are in development now. Check back here for updates at https://agr.wa.gov/services/grant-opportunities/covid-grants

Contributed Photo/Mitaukano from Pixabay

From Island Rec

Island Rec is offering a Dungeons and Dragons beginner Zoom class.

Join Joshua Mellinger and Luke Otis for their junior project program.

Dungeons and Dragons builds teamwork, problem-solving skills and creative thinking. And most of all it is fun!

This class will be held over Zoom. Joshua and Luke will provide all of the necessary supplies and a link to a dice app to use during play.

The free class will be held from 1-2:15 p.m., Wednesday, April 7, Thursday, April 15 and Wednesday, April 21 for ages 12-16.

You can sign up for just one session or all three. If you are interested in joining, e-mail [email protected]