43 years ago, when we moved here, the library was located in the Town Hall. Later they moved to the former Shrimp Boat Restaurant location. We have a highly educated population and really need a new library. The building is falling apart. My husband ran the downstairs book room for many years for the Friends of the Library — until it was flooded by runoff from the property in back. We need a new Library — and yes, I know we have to pay for it — but that library has saved me thousands of dollars in the cost of books.

As a former teacher of reading for 35 years, I say please vote yes.

Janet Wright
San Juan Island

Poetry garden at the Mullis Center – Photo credit: Peggy Sue McRae

If you have not experienced Friday Harbor’s poetry gardens, you can find them at the Mullis Center, on Reed St. beside the U.S. Post Office, at the San Juan Community Theatre, and at Spring Street Landing below Downriggers. The poetry gardens were created to bring poetry into our town’s daily experience.

The gardens are a project of the Friday Harbor Arts Commission, together with a committee of local citizens who established them in the spring of 2020. All residents of San Juan County are encouraged to submit new poems for 2023. The contest, sponsored by the Town of Friday Harbor and the Friday Harbor Arts Commission, will be held through Oct. 31. Winning poems will be announced in February.

Engravings of the 30 winning poems will be on display this coming year, replacing the earlier winning poetry. A book of the poems will also be published for limited distribution. Copies of the winning poems from 2020 are available for free by sending an email to Town Hall.

There is no entry fee, but entrants must live in San Juan County. Winning poems in both adult and student divisions will be determined by former Washington State Poet Laureate and Seattle Civic Poet, Claudia Castro Luna.

To enter, mail your poems to Poetry Garden Contest, Town of Friday Harbor, P.O. Box 219, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 — or deliver to Town Hall at 60 Second St. The deadline is Monday, Oct. 31.

Here is a sample from the 2020 winning selections — One Less Thing by Susie Foster Hale:

This morning
a small red dessert bowl
slipped from my hand and
smashed on the marble counter –
a shock of shards, splinters of glass.
Freedom sometimes startles me.

View the full list of guidelines for the 2023 poetry garden contest.

Education is one of the most important things we can impart to our youth, and this November we can affect the lives of not just the youth on the island today, but for generations to come. Our library provides a safe, inclusive and quiet place to study. They offer free wi-fi for many who cannot afford it, and they provide laptops to check out if you don’t have one. The difference our library makes in a young person’s life cannot be overstated.

With so many worrying about their next meal, or being able to pay their rent, let’s give them peace of mind in that they and their children have a safe, well-equipped modern facility for them to better their lives.

Please join me and vote yes on the Library District Proposition 1.

Ron Krebs
San Juan Island

FHFF shares news about this year’s festival, which returns to in-person showings for the first time since 2019.

Have you ever wanted to climb a mountain, learn to surf, devote your life to saving orcas and salmon, run with the wolves, or be an amazing artist? Now is your opportunity to do these vicariously through documentary films during the Friday Harbor Film Festival — in-theatre Oct. 21-23 and on-demand Oct. 24-30.

Full information and passes are now available on the FHFF website. The 60-page program is also available free at the FHFF office — 10 First St.

Captain Paul Watson, the subject of the new documentary Watson, returns to the festival to discuss the film and his new Captain Paul Watson Foundation. Its purpose is to defend life in the sea through a unique strategy of aggressive non-violence and intervention against illegal operations exploiting sea life. Watson will be shown Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 10:15 a.m. at San Juan Community Theatre. Captain Watson will be there for Q&As.

At the Opening Night Gala Honoring Filmmakers, FHFF will present the Andrew V. McLaglen Lifetime Achievement Award to Sidewinder Films, which works to inspire and empower audiences through remarkable stories that make a lasting positive impact. Director Isaac Halasima will introduce the screening of Waterman, about surfing legend and five-time Olympic medalist Native Hawaiian Duke Paoa Kahanamoku. Waterman will play again Sunday at 1:15 p.m. at San Juan Community Theatre.

The Local Hero Award will be presented Sunday evening to Robert Dash, Orcas Island educator and award-winning photographer. His work features complex textures and patterns of micro nature. He highlights small subjects that have significant stories about climate and biodiversity.

If you can’t make it in person, you can watch most of the features, shorts, and student films, as well as recorded Q&As and the Filmmakers Forum, on-demand Oct. 24-30 — all from the comfort of your favorite chair.

The San Juan County Council will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 9 a.m. The meeting includes a public hearing accepting testimony related to the proposed 2022 Public Facilities Finance Assistance Program awards. Items up for discussion or action include:

• Noxious Weed Program assessment increase
• Financial policies
• REET 2 Public Works allocations
• Revising the Parks & Fairgrounds fee schedule
• Comprehensive Plan briefing

The Council will also hold a closed session to discuss matters pertaining to collective bargaining.

You can view the live stream of the meeting online or attend in person at the Council Legislative Hearing Room. To make a public comment, sign up prior to 9 a.m. on Oct. 18.

I am writing in support of the library bond that will appear on the November 8th ballot. I am the parent of a 2nd and a 4th grader and their young lives have been so enhanced by the services at our public library. From toddler story time, to crafting activities, to free access to technology, to summer reading programs, to cultivating a general love of books and learning, the library has given so much to my family and our community as a whole. Now it is our turn to return the favor by voting yes on the bond measure.

Our library is simply so much more than a place to check out books. The staff and programs anticipate the specific needs of local families and individuals and then customize their offerings to serve us. The library is open six days a week and serves all citizens, free of charge. It is a critical community hub for San Juan Islanders, young and old.

The population on San Juan has grown 50 percent since the library’s last expansion. They are asking for support because the current site is simply too small to accommodate the growth in demand for our library’s services. I want to help them expand on Spring Street so they can serve our community in even bigger ways, now and far into the future.

I urge you to join me and vote yes on the bond measure on November 8th.

Katie Fleming
San Juan Island

The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor shares a look at the adoptable animals of the week — two six-year-old beagle mixes

Hi there! Our names are Willy and Fynn and we’re a pair of beagle-like brothers. Being brothers and having a brother is the best. It’s like having a built-in best friend and knowing that no matter what you get yourself into, he will be your partner in crime — every step of the way. Brothers are also good for things like playing, goofing off, pulling pranks, giving good advice, and always having each other’s back.

But maybe the most special thing of all about being brothers is that no matter what life throws at us, we know we’ll always get through it together. Recently, we’ve suffered the passing of our beloved person and though our hearts are broken and trying to heal, we’re ready to find a new home that can make room for both of us because siblings like us stick together.

To learn more about Willy and Fynn, contact the Animal Protection Society.

We have the opportunity to make a positive and substantial contribution to our community by voting yes on the bond for building a new San Juan Island Library.

After thoroughly investigating all options — including remodeling the current facility now on the Spring Street property — and consulting construction specialists, the Library Board has determined that the best and least costly alternative to the Library’s overcrowded and aging facility is a new building, one that is not oversized but that can meet today’s needs and allow for later expansion for tomorrow’s new services. Mindful of spending community monies carefully, the Board has spent years studying and considering what kind and size facility is needed, assuring that the cost estimates are up-to-date and that, given the expense of public building construction, the request for funds is based on actual need.

Please help bring this vital 100-year-old community resource into a 21st century facility. Vote yes for your public library!

Alan Roochvarg
Lynn Weber/Roochvarg
San Juan Island

• Cask & Schooner closes its doors today. According to the restaurant’s website, owner Gary Gero needs to retire for health reasons. The business is for sale, and prospective new owners can call 360–739-2053 for more information.
• Friday Harbor High School beat La Conner 67-18 in a road game last night. The Wolverines have two games left this season — next Saturday at Bellingham High School and Friday, Oct. 28 at home against Coupeville for Homecoming.
• San Juan Island Fire & Rescue hosts their open house tomorrow from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. They invite the community to stop by for lunch, a tour of the building, activities for kids, and free blood pressure checks. Firefighters will run through a live fire demonstration at noon.
• Alchemy Art Center’s Artist Talk series concludes tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art.
• The second annual Friday Harbor Witches Paddle takes place on Sunday, Oct. 30. All human-powered vessels are invited to meet at Shipyard Cove for a 10 a.m. launch. Parking at Shipyard is limited, so carpooling and drop-offs are encouraged. Email [email protected] for more information.
• Thanks to our advertisers for their continued support of the San Juan Update — including the Mullis Center.

Have something to share with the Island? Whether the news is big or small, let us know!

We, the undersigned San Juan Island writers and authors, support the Library bond in the upcoming November 8th election.

The Library is of great importance to us in many ways. It supports our writing by providing a well-stocked collection for research and inspiration as well as offering workshops on writing, editing, and publishing. It features and supports our publications through its collections as well as local author programs such as poetry and prose readings.

The bond, if approved, is an essential source of funding for a new Library building at 660 Spring Street. By offering 50 percent more space than the current facility, the new building will enhance those qualities that we already value: quiet, comfortable places to read and work and ample and adequate spaces for author readings and workshops for writers. The new Library will provide more opportunities for sharing our work with the community.

Please join us in voting yes for the Library bond in the November 8th election.

Alice Acheson
William C. Agosta
Robin Atkins
Judith Anne Azrael
Sherry Bell
Jennifer Boyden
Paul Chadwick
Michael J. Cohen
RA (Rebecca) Cook
Cere Demuth
Terry Domico
Ingrid Fabianson
Emily Reed Geyman
John Geyman, M.D.
Libbie Grant
Susie Foster Hale
Thor Hanson
Amy Harold
Amy Herdy
David Mark Jenkins
K. Thor Jensen
Lowell Jons
David M. Kennedy
Jim Lawrence
Tara Mesalik McMahon
Stan Matthews
Julie McIntire-Corey
Lynn Mercer
Rebecca E. Moore
Roger Morris
Jim Nollman
Thomas S. Odegard
Boyd C. Pratt
Nancy M. Spaulding
Lee Sturdivant
Janet Thomas
Gary Thompson
Jim Vedder
Karen Vedder
Susan Vernon
Julia Vouri
Mike Vouri
Richard Walker
Paul Walsh
Susan Wingate

Island Rec shares news about its upcoming event for kids.

School’s out early on Friday, Oct. 21, so grab your pals and come explore rigs of all shapes and sizes at Island Rec’s annual Touch-a-Truck event. We will be at the Friday Harbor Elementary School playground again this year, from 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Kiwanis Club of Friday Harbor will be there providing free hot dogs — and don’t miss out on the raffle to win a ride to school in a patrol car!

This all-ages event is free.

In these stressful, contentious times, our library, more than any other place, provides a center for everyone in our community. It offers so many services beyond books and the future of these many services are jeopardized if the library remains in its present location.

The opponents of the library bond argue that now is not the time. But, if not now, when? The library has purchased a perfect centrally located site for a new building. The site selection was the result of months of work to find a suitable place to build. Consulting architects and engineers have determined that adding a second story to the current location is not feasible. If the bond is not passed, the site will have to be sold and the library will lose forever the perfect location to construct, for the first time in island history, a building designed to be a library and provide the services we need.

The time to build a new library is now. Vote yes for the library bond.

Karen & Jim Vedder
San Juan Island

APS-FH shares some kind words about their volunteer of the month.

The Animal Protection Society—Friday Harbor is pleased to announce Luci Francis as the APS-FH Volunteer of the Month for October.

Luci has been volunteering with APS-FH since April.

Luci is a joy to the dogs and shelter staff alike. She always has a positive attitude, a smile on her face, and shows up for her shift rain or shine. She dedicates time to each dog and focuses on their individual needs. Whether it’s playing with a favorite toy in the yard, a long walk through the woods, or a cuddle on the couch in the enrichment room, she’s your go-to dog gal. Luci’s extensive experience with shelter and rescue dogs is of great help to the shelter. The staff feel confident in her and her abilities, often having her do enrichment care with some of the more fearful or high-level rescues. Luci is great at “reading” them and can recognize what will make each dog happy and comfortable. Shelter dogs look forward to visits from volunteers with whom they often form special relationships with, and Luci is definitely one of them.

Luci volunteers at APS-FH because of her love for working with dogs. She feels like she can contribute with her years of experience and we here at the shelter all agree.

Thank you so much, Luci, for making a difference in the lives of shelter animals. You are a wonderful friend to all the dogs here at the shelter!

APS-FH has numerous volunteering opportunities. If you are interested in helping, visit our website to learn more about our volunteer program.