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The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister

San Juan Island fans of Northwest author Erica Bauermeister take note: She’s returning to the island on Wednesday, August 28, 7:00 pm at the Library to present her latest novel, The Scent Keeper. Griffin Bay Bookstore and the San Juan Island Library are thrilled to host Erica again and give her readers a chance to hear first-hand about this delightful novel. Don’t miss it!

Erica Bauermeister, the national bestselling author of The School of Essential Ingredients, presents a moving and evocative coming-of-age novel about childhood stories, families lost and found, and how a fragrance conjures memories capable of shaping the course of our lives.

Liz Dorman – Contributed photo

The Archipelago Collective will present an informal concert at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) on Friday, September 6 from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm.

A free concert, open to the public, features the powerhouse piano team, Liz Dorman and Michael Smith, of the Archipelago Collective of the San Juans, playing four-hand piano works. Hear the sounds of a baby grand piano, while strolling through the stunning art of the DEEP DIVE exhibit.

The talented artists have chosen music to fit with the mood and theme of the current exhibition.   “San Juan Island is the ideal place to practice and perform, and it is a joy to bring music to the audiences of Friday Harbor!”

Michael Smith – Contributed photo

Admission to the museum for the concert is free between 11:45 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Regular admission is in effect ($10 and free to museum members and those 18 and under) the remainder of the day. Some seating for the concert will be available.

Smith is a former fellow at Ensemble Connect, a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education. Michael is passionate about performing, teaching, outreach, and developing unique roles as a creator and presenter. Michael has performed throughout New York, the United States, and Europe in a variety of venues. Continue Reading

Fellow Film Buffs,

Well this year’s film series is wrapping up with our screening of “Gloria Bell” on Tuesday. I want to thank all of you for meeting us at the movies and supporting your local theatre.  As you know, for the past two years, we have not charged for admission, preferring a “pay what you can” model that encourages more of our island community to attend.  If you have been meaning to contribute but haven’t gotten around to it, now is your chance!  You can either deposit your cash or checks at the theatre before the movies or mail a check to:

San Juan Community Theatre
P.O. Box 1063
Friday Harbor WA 98250

Please indicate that your donations are in appreciation of the Summer Film Series.

Here is a brief summary of our final movie:

Gloria Bell
Tuesday August 27^th 7:30
Drama, Comedy
Rated R (for sexuality and nudity) 122 minutes

Three years ago, we showed “Marguerite” a film about a wealthy, aspiring, but completely untalented Opera singer.  Another film “Florence Foster Jenkins” (starring Meryl Streep), was made at the same time based on the same story.  This provided the rare chance to compare two treatments of the same material. Continue Reading

Island Rec is offering a new installment of swim lessons this fall for various ages and skill levels.

Our featured class is: All Swim (Ages 6+). The only prerequisite of this class is a desire to be a better swimmer. Multiple instructors take your child to the next level. There is structured time for water play and a semi-private lesson to determine existing skills and then individual challenges and goals to are set to work (and play!) toward. Participants expand water safety skills and find ways swimming can fit into a healthy, active lifestyle.

Early fee $90 expires Sept 5, $95 thereafter. Classes located at SJI Fitness on Wednesdays 3-4:30pm, Sept 11-Oct 30.

Visit www.islandrec.org or call Island Rec at 360-378-4953 for more information.

OLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office is recruiting for two new members for its Recreation and Conservation Funding Board, which awards grants to improve parks, trails, boating amenities and access to shorelines. It also awards grants to conserve working lands, such as farms and forests, and to protect pristine wildlife and natural areas.

During the course of a two-year budget cycle, the board will distribute more than $140 million in grant funding.

“This board supports a huge investment in Washington’s quality of life,” said Governor Jay Inslee, who will select the board’s new members. “If you’ve hiked a backcountry trail, thrown a ball around at your neighborhood park, or simply appreciated Washington’s breathtaking natural beauty – you’ve experienced first-hand this board’s impact for everyone who lives in or visits our state.”

Supported by the state’s Recreation and Conservation Office, the board oversees nearly a dozen state and federal grant programs, awarding grants to cities, counties, tribal governments, nonprofits, state agencies and others. The board sets the policies and criteria to ensure projects meet state, local and national priorities and approves projects for funding.

“Tasked with giving out grants to improve what makes Washington so great, this board is truly one of the best volunteer jobs in state government,” said Kaleen Cottingham, director of the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. “If you’ve been wanting to make a big impact on our state’s outdoors, this is an incredible opportunity to make a difference.” Continue Reading

Skagit Valley College Skagit/Islands Head Start (SIHS) is pleased to announce that they have received a notice of award from the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start and will receive a grant totaling $7,817,445 for Early Head Start and Head Start.

The five-year grant runs from September 1, 2019 through August 31, 2024. In addition to the base funding, SIHS has been awarded additional funding to increase the hours of services in both Head Start and Early Head Start. 

For Head Start:

• $3,554,611 for operations;
• $46,177 for training and technical assistance;
• $1,370,236 for additional hours of services.

For Early Head Start:

• $1,592,795 for operations;
• 30,785 for training and technical assistance;
• $1,222,841 for additional hours of services.

Continue Reading

The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister

 San Juan Island fans of Northwest author Erica Bauermeister take note: She’s returning to the island on Wednesday, August 28, 7:00 pm at the Library to present her latest novel, The Scent Keeper. Griffin Bay Bookstore and the San Juan Island Library are thrilled to host Erica again and give her readers a chance to hear first-hand about this delightful novel. Don’t miss it!

Erica Bauermeister, the national bestselling author of The School of Essential Ingredients, presents a moving and evocative coming-of-age novel about childhood stories, families lost and found, and how a fragrance conjures memories capable of shaping the course of our lives.

Emmeline lives an enchanted childhood on a remote island with her father, who teaches her about the natural world through her senses. What he won’t explain are the mysterious scents stored in the drawers that line the walls of their cabin, or the origin of the machine that creates them. As Emmeline grows, however, so too does her curiosity, until one day the unforeseen happens, and Emmeline is vaulted out into the real world–a place of love, betrayal, ambition, and revenge. To understand her past, Emmeline must unlock the clues to her identity, a quest that challenges the limits of her heart and imagination. Continue Reading

Credence Ross, Mike Murphy, Peter Kilpatrick and Orion Powell – Contributed photo

Peter Kilpatrick has sold Ravenhill Construction, Inc. to longtime employees Credence Ross, Mike Murphy and Orion Powell. Peter will continue in a management role as a consultant for two years. This will allow the new partners to focus on supervision and completion of their individual construction projects and ensure a smooth transition.

Ravenhill has been building custom homes in San Juan County since 1980 and is recognized as one of the leading builders of unique homes in the Pacific Northwest. We will continue our tradition of quality, creativity and comprehensive management which has resulted in a body of work that has been frequently awarded and showcased in both regional and national publications as well as architectural competitions. Continue Reading

The Fall edition of America’s Boating Course will be starting September 11th and running for four Wednesday evenings at Skagit Valley College from 6:30-9:30 pm.

This is a good way to get the Washington State Boaters Education Card and we include On-the-Water-Training as part of the course.

A comprehensive boating information manual is also included that couples can share. Cost for materials is $45.00. Instruction is free by America’s Boating Club of the San Juan Islands.

Learn about boat handling, navigation aids, anchoring, emergencies, required equipment, how to read a chart, and much more.

Also, be eligible for marine insurance discounts.

To register, call 378-3288 or email [email protected]

More information at www.fridayharborpowersquadron.com and www.nwboatertraining.com

Local Music, Locally Sourced Food, Local Garden Setting

Join us Friday and Saturday evenings from 4:00 to 7:00 for an evening of local music and local food thoughtfully prepared. Our Garden Patio is open and it is a wonderful setting for listening to local music and enjoying your evening.

Reservations Recommended – 360-317-7178 or [email protected]

Upcoming Music –

• August 30th –
  Kate Schuman-guitar & vocals
  Scott Spadafora-pedal steel
  Doug Demeerter -bass
  Jonathon Piff -guitar
• August 31st –
  Steve Anderson, Ian Boulton & Friends

Sounds like a great night of Music…”Live Music is Best!”

This September marks Archipelago Collective’s fifth anniversary performing exhilarating and world-class classical music on San Juan Island. Our 2019 festival week will present five concerts in a celebration of chamber music both old and very new.

Our musicians are unparalleled virtuosi who come from across the country, and this year you’ll be able to hear them all over Friday Harbor. From the museum, to the library, to the local schools, and to our home base at the Brickworks, they will perform programs that are exciting, challenging, and, deeply moving. As always, our concert venues are small and intimate, bringing the performers and audience together for a truly collaborative experience.

To mark our fifth anniversary, we have curated programs displaying the diverse voices in classical music. Alongside perennial favorites like Schubert, Debussy, and Dvorak you will hear fresh sounds from Schafer, and Magrill, and Andrès, including world premiers from Megan Bledsoe Ward and Miguel del Aguila.

In addition to three concerts at the centrally located Brickworks, we will present two free concerts, open to all. On September 6, our powerhouse piano couple presents a concert in partnership with SJIMA’s exhibit “Deep Dive”. The marine life of the Salish Sea will be woven into the program of four-hands piano works in an exploration of local art and environment. On the 7th, Directors Sophie Baird-Daniel and Dana Jackson will perform as BARP! The region’s premier (and only) bassoon and harp duo. This will be a fun and family friendly program at the Friday Harbor Library. Continue Reading

Merri Ann Simonson – Contributed photo

Merri Ann Simonson checks in with another article covering real estate news…

Excise Tax Increase, Decrease and Shift

There will be a major change in real estate excise tax taking effect January 1, 2020 for the State of Washington.  I have provided a link below to the Senate Bill which created this change to a graduated tax rate.  

The Excise Tax adjustment will affect what the seller pays.  In January 2019 the tax went up for the buyers in our County with the addition of the Affordable Housing Tax (Buyer pays 99% of the .5% tax).  

Continue Reading… (PDF)

Open Doors Program to start at Griffin Bay School this fall

San Juan Island School District announces the opening of the “Open Doors Program”. This student re-engagement program will begin on Tuesday September 9, 2019.

The “Open Doors Program” is a student re-engagement system that provides education and services to older youth, ages 16-21, who have dropped out of school or are not expected to graduate from high school by the age of 21. 

Open Doors re-engages disconnected youth through programs that:

• Encourage community partnerships
• Create multiple pathways for students to realize success
• Provide an on-ramp to post-secondary achievement through a performance based, individualized support model

Our Open Doors students will be able to work on completing their high school diploma or work toward a GED.

Prospective students should contact Griffin Bay School Office Manager, Connie Domenech at (360) 378-3292.

Time to put away your Fair ribbons and head to San Juan Vineyard, THIS Saturday, August 24 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, for the 13th annual Concours d’Élégance.

This year, the Concours will include the raffle of a Tesla (child’s size) electric vehicle and silent auction of car memorabilia.

Lunch will be served under the pavilion with musical entertainment by the Argyle Street Jazz Band.

Beneficiaries:  Family Resource Center, Family Umbrella Group, Hospice of San Juan, and PolioPlus of Rotary International.

For car registration and further information, please visit sanjuanconcours.org

Alchemy Art Center will host Fountainsun for a return performance almost one year later on Saturday, August 24th at 8pm. 

The show will take place in the Dome at Alchemy Art Center located at 1255 Wold Rd, Friday Harbor. A $10 donation is requested at the door.  Parking is limited, please carpool.

Fountainsun is the duo of Daniel Higgs (formerly of Lungfish) and Fumie Ishii (artist and musician) performing with a variety of instruments, singing, and reciting of verse. 

Poetic, theatric, chaotic, humorous… all of these things joyfully spill out of Fountainsun’s composed vessels of song. Their performance is a celebration of this life’s beauty, but also it’s absurdity.  

Daniel and Fumie invite you to dance to the words, interpret the beat, vanish into melody, and reappear in gladness.  All are welcome in the Fountainsound.

Learn more at www.fountainsun.com

Alchemy Art Center, founded by Maria Michaelson and Eben Shay in 2017, is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to creating a thriving arts community on San Juan Island.

For more information about Alchemy, visit our website at www.alchemyartcenter.com or email [email protected].

Friday Harbor Film Festival is proud and excited to announce that the Andrew V. McLaglen Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented posthumously to Paul G. Allen for his outstanding contributions to the art of documentary filmmaking, television, and media.

The award presentation, to be held during the Festival’s Opening Night Gala on October 25 at San Juan Community Theatre, will honor Allen’s legacy by screening Vulcan Productions’ tribute reel entitled A Tribute to Paul G. Allen’s Contributions in Film, TV and Media.

Allen made significant contributions to filmmaking through his company, Vulcan Productions, providing critical support to filmmakers working to make the world a better place by telling important stories. Without the support of people like Allen, documentary filmmakers struggle to find the funds to get their stories told. Vulcan’s message aligns with the mission of the Festival: Entertaining, inspiring, and enlightening audience members so they create positive changes in the world.

Allen was known world-wide as a businessman, investor, researcher, humanitarian, and philanthropist. As the co-founder of Microsoft, he helped start the microcomputer revolution. He also founded a variety of organizations to support medical research, education, wildlife and environmental conservation, the arts, healthcare, community services, artificial intelligence, and spaceflight. In addition, he owned two professional sports teams – the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers – and was co-owner of the Seattle Sounders. He authored a memoir in 2011 entitled Idea Man. Continue Reading