Once it’s gone, it remains only in the memories of those who saw it. Make one of those memories yours.
Playing 7:45 pm Thursdays – Sundays at 1062 Wold Rd, Friday Harbor until August 11.

Here are some reviews from the last 3 weeks:

Simply, WOW! Absolutely spectacular show of The Merchant of Venice by Island Stage Left! GO SEE THIS SHOW! Congrats to the whole cast! … Well done! Nick

“The Merchant of Venice”, so well directed and played. Very enjoyable and understandable. Thank you, Helen, for answering all my questions and making it easy for us to attend. It was so much better than I thought it could be . . . enjoyable in so many ways. Ron

We saw it Sunday – an extraordinary performance and a valuable, challenging tale for our “interesting times” Brent & Maggie

Fabulous show! ISL always does a great job, but they knocked this one out of the park! Susie

BRAVO! A superb and deeply thought-provoking production. Not to be missed! Alex Continue Reading

Crews at work on San Juan Valley Road – Contributed photo

Our local line crew is working on a large project to rebuild and strengthen the electric distribution line that connects Roche Harbor and Friday Harbor substations. The project included installation of 29 new 45-foot poles and 1.56 miles of new 3-phase distribution wire which will increase the capacity of our system on San Juan Island and build greater redundancy to manage power during outages and periods of high demand. The larger conductor size will reduce voltage drop and system losses.

Hot arms in place to keep energized lines away from the work area. OPALCO linemen have specialized skills to work hot – with live lines – Contributed photo

The crew was able to work with live (energized) 12.5 kilovolt lines, which is a specialized skill that minimizes the service disruptions during major construction projects. Two of the three phases were de-energized, and the third phase was moved away from the work area onto hot arms to give the crew a safe space to construct the new equipment. Once the poles are built out, all three phases of the wire will be moved onto the new poles.

This project is part of a major conversion project that began in 2011 at Douglas Road. Some sections were converted to underground and others overhead upgrades. The final phase of the project will start in 2020, connecting San Juan Valley Road to Boyce Road and completing the circuit between the two substations and more than doubling the capacity of the system. Continue Reading

Kristina Thalacker Ewing, former island resident and life-long Kiwanian, was honored in a memorial celebration July 27th by the placement of a bench in the courthouse lawn.

Some of Kristina’s achievements include the Hugh O’Brien Youth Scholar, charter member of the FH Key Club, charter member of EWU Circle K International Club, member Kent AM Club, charter member Cascadia Internet Club, President of Kiwanis Club of Oak Bay, District First Lady 2009-2010, and International Trustee’s Spouse 2013-2016.

Once again the San Juan Community Home Trust will have a booth in the main exhibition hall at the East Entrance of the building. We will have news about the completion of our latest neighborhood, and can tell you about plans for our next projects. Board members, staff and new homeowners will be on hand to answer your questions and show you pictures of the work that we do to provide permanently affordable housing for San Juan islanders.

In addition this year, the San Juan Island Community Foundation has included the Home Trust in its annual Fair Matching Grant Program. Donors and new supporters can go to the Community Foundation booth, also at the East Entrance to the main exhibit hall, and make donations designated for the SJC Home Trust which will be matched by the Foundation up to $2500. To help answer your questions, Home Trust members will be helping at the Community Foundation booth on Thursday, August 15th and Saturday, August 17th from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. This is a win-win for supporters and for the families who live in Home Trust Homes.

Come see us at the Home Trust booth throughout the Fair, or at the Community Foundation booth at our designated times. We love talking about the work that we do.

Many months ago Susan submitted three photos of her work to the jury of the Arts at The Port Exhibition.  All three were accepted. While attending the opening of the Anacortes Arts Festival Gala she found that she had won the first ever Bill Mitchell Award.  Bill was the man responsible for painting all of the murals that can be found in the town of Anacortes.

Then she also discovered that she was the winner of  first Public Arts Purchase Award.  The piece called Yates was purchased by the Anacortes School District and will be on display in the schools as a way to help inspire young people to tell stories thru their art. Having once been an Art teacher this award was particularly meaningful to her. The school system hopes to have her come and talk with the students about her work.

The pieces are on display until this Sunday as part of the Anacortes Arts Festival 2019. It’s been said that up to 10,000 people come to this Festival yearly. Susan is very grateful for all of the attention that her work has been given and is now busy in her studio creating more 3-D  stories…

The awe-inspiring installation in the atrium is the largest and most lyrical shown at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA).

In Waterline, created by Andrew Shewman, Orcas Island resident, the whale and orca’s flukes move within the art morphing from human to vessel. Several forms make up the total art piece- Mask, Skywolf, Resiliance, Swimmer and Fluke and Eyes. The enjoyment is discovering each as you walk among and are dwarfed by the sea structures.

Shewman says of his work, “Non-human forms captivate me—the beauty of their perfect adaptation to their environment, thus their inseparability from the natural world.” In keeping with the strong environmental message of the summer exhibit, he is interested in bamboo as a sustainable material in the family of grasses. Bamboo has a rich cultural and aesthetic history in the arts. In his hands, the traditional methods of splitting, bending and binding form sculptures that reflect his curiosity of human encounter with the natural world.

“I am fascinated with the human encounter with the spiritual world, archetypes throughout all cultures, and how as humans we reason our existence in the world. Of these things my artwork has become its own personal search and diversion between reality and myth.” Continue Reading

PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center to offer well-child checks and sports physicals to school-aged children

To ensure students get a healthy start to their school year, PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center is offering well-child checks and sports physicals on an appointment basis for children ages 5 to 18 on Thursday, Aug. 8, and Thursday, Aug. 15 at the medical center, 1117 Spring Street, Friday Harbor.

Sports physicals are offered for a flat fee, cash only payment of $40. Well-child exams may be scheduled concurrently with a sports physical, if desired, and insurance may be billed for this service if available.

Please call 360-378-2141 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Children younger than 18 must be accompanied to their appointment by a parent or legal guardian.

The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor has announced Carole Crowley as the Volunteer of the Month for August, 2019. 

Carole started volunteering at the animal shelter shortly after retiring from her day job as a nurse and has been a loyal and regular volunteer ever since.  Not only can she can be counted on to help with cleaning, she also visits the shelter at least twice a week to walk dogs, cuddle cats and do various odd jobs around the facility. 

The staff and board of directors of APS-FH extend a heartfelt gratitude to Carole for everything she does to help the homeless animals of San Juan Island!

Hospice of San Juan’s fundraiser on Saturday July 20th, hosted by The Village at the Harbour, brought the community together to successfully meet a matching challenge put up by a coalition of supporters.

The fundraiser aimed to increase HSJ’s endowment fund, geared toward eventual financial sustainability in the face of annual fixed costs such as rental for equipment space, liability insurance, phone line, website, education and training of volunteers, and professional grief support counseling.  

Fundraising success is thanks to The Village; volunteers; donors of auction items, food, drink and music; and attendees.  The anonymous dollar-for-dollar matching challenge of $25,000 was more than matched due to the incredible generosity of both donors and attendees. Hospice of San Juan sends a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone.

In the past 12 months approximately 20 people received care; nearly 100 families borrowed 160 items; and over 100 people attended educational events. Volunteers visited, walked dogs, responded to equipment needs, helped process grief, and in a myriad of other ways spent untold hours with hospice patients.

Hospice of San Juan, founded in 1985 by a group of people interested in caring for neighbors, reflects how this incredible community meets the needs of its most vulnerable members. Please help hospice help others! For information on how to get involved as a hospice volunteer or to donate, please call (360) 472-0322 or visit www.hospiceofsanjuan.org. You, too, can make a difference, just as all those who participated in the recent fundraiser did.

Mullis Center Parking Lot Sale – Contributed photo

Island Senior is a regular column on the SJ Update written by Peggy Sue McRae…

With a move in my future it is good timing for me to have the Mullis Center’s Parking Lot Sale on August 24 as further inspiration to selectively pare down my belongings.  I often think about culling my clutter but sometimes it takes something dramatic, like an impending move, to actually make it happen. 

It can be challenging, even daunting, to edit your possessions. As archeologists tell us, our material culture, our artifacts, tell our story. So, what is your story? I was cleaning out a storage unit once when I realized that as I chose what to keep and what to let go of I was also deciding, in many cases, what I was going to do or not do.  There is a reckoning to be faced when you admit to yourself that you are never going be a knitter, wear those tap shoes, or play those bongo drums. Continue Reading

Mark & Aylene Geringer of Friday Harbor Chocolates – SJ Update photo

Friday Harbor Chocolates was created by owner, Aylene Geringer, a resident of Friday Harbor in February 2017. Her relationship with the island commenced in 1990 when she and her husband first came to visit friends who lived on San Juan Island. Over the years, they bought a vacation home in 1998 with an eye towards settling down someday in their retirement years.

Right after 9/11, they decided to accelerate their retirement, left their professions in Los Angeles (Aylene was a trial lawyer for 20 years & her husband Mark was a garment designer & manufacturer), sold the vacation house and bought an existing Bed and Breakfast, The Trumpeter Inn, which they operated as a post-retirement business.

In 2005, they sold the Inn, due to a family emergency back in Los Angeles, and took a 10 year hiatus from the Island, until they had the wherewithal to come back and make their home here. During that time, Aylene created a one of a kind gourmet chocolate and wine shop in a little town called Silverton, Oregon, featuring the finest of chocolates and confections handcrafted in Oregon.

She successfully operated that business until September 2016, when they decided it was time to make their way back up to the San Juans. By December 2016, she found not only a house that was affordable but also an empty retail space which cried out for the creation of a new gourmet chocolate shop! And the rest is history. Continue Reading

The Rotary Club of San Juan Island and the Sports Car Club of the San Juan Islands invite you to their 13th annual Concours d’Elegance car show at the San Juan Vineyards on Saturday, August 24, 2019 from 11 AM to 3 PM welcoming custom and classic vehicles.

This year’s event poster is a stunning watercolor by regional artist, Gary Matthews. Beneficiaries for 2019 are Family Resource Center, Family Umbrella Group, Hospice of San Juan, and Rotary International’s PolioPlus project.

Registration and further information is available at sanjuanconcours.org.

Dr. Joshua Corsa – Contributed photo

Dr. Michael Sullivan, EMS Medical Program Director (MPD) for San Juan County has resigned from his position as the county MPD effective today July 31, 2019.  Dr. Sullivan served as the MPD for over a decade.  The San Juan County EMS and Trauma Council extends our appreciation for his years of service to our communities in this capacity. 

After an intensive recruitment process, in partnership with the Washington Department of Health the council identified several very qualified candidates to fill this position. The San Juan County EMS Council recommended to the DOH that Dr. Joshua Corsa be appointed as Dr. Sullivan’s successor. The Department of Health has approved the local council recommendation appointing Dr. Joshua Corsa to be the MPD effective August 1, 2019.

Dr. Corsa began his medical career as an EMT in 1997 in a small island community on the East Coast before becoming a Paramedic.  Dr. Corsa attended medical school at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. He is currently a Trauma and Acute Care Surgeon at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington.  He is an Assistant Professor at Washington State University and provides medical oversight for Snohomish County Region One SWAT team, and Snohomish County Search and Rescue.  He is active in additional roles within the larger emergency medical community including the U.S military, wilderness EMS, and air medical organizations. Continue Reading

Saturday  and Sunday, August 3rd and 4th, from 9 AM to 2 PM at 6997 Roche Harbor Rd, 2 drives past Community Treasures, at Marcotte sign

• Antique & Vintage Items, Large Pacific Rim Collection
• Wicker, Rattan, Oak, Rosewood, & hand-carved / hand painted Black Lacquer Furniture
• Glassware, Pyrex, China, Sterling Silver, Enamelware
• School Chairs/Desks, Farm & Garden Tools, Dressers, Tables, Chairs
• Baskets, Woven Art, Wood Carvings, Japanese Fishing Floats, Shells & Artifacts
• Lots of Unique & One-of-a-Kind Items, Must see to truly appreciate

Bob Stavers (Right) celebrates with the First and Third place winners – Contributed photo

Bob Stavers, avid cyclist, took second place in the Washington State Senior Games in Olympia yesterday in his age class (75-80).

He won the silver in the 40 km road race with a time of 1:21. The state games lead up to the biennial National Championships which will be held in Fort Lauderdale in 2021. Bob will have to re-qualify next June for Nationals.

The National Senior Games are the largest multi-sport championship event in the world for adults aged 50 and over.

42 Years Running! Island Rec and Xtreme Fitness invite you to take part in the 42^nd Annual Friday Harbor 8.8k Loop Run/Walk scheduled for a 9:00am start on Saturday August 17, 2019. People of all ages enjoy running or walking in this race.

Register for $25 for kids 12 and under and $30 for racers 13 and older. All fees include race entry, a free pass into the San Juan County fair, an event t-shirt, and Finisher Medals to the first 150 people across the finish line. Register online at www.islandrec.org, or in person at the Island Rec office, opened M-F, 11:00am-5:00pm, located at 580 Guard St.

Race number and shirts can be picked up the Friday before Race day at the Island Rec Office from 11am-5pm. Runner check-in and day of registrations takes place in the Wells Fargo Parking Lot, located on the corner of Argyle and Spring Street from 8:00am-8:45am. The race starts promptly at 9:00 am on the corner of Spring & 2^nd.

Please contact Lili Lyne at [email protected] if you are interested in sponsorship or volunteering for this event. Call Island Rec at 360-378-4953 for more information and registration.