Rhiana Franklin

Former Friday Harbor resident and 2011 FHHS graduate Rhiana Franklin is a co-writer and featured vocalist  in the song “Up all Night” which will be featured at the end of episode 2 in the New Amazon Prime original “Hanna”, which premiered on March 29th. She is a co-writer on the song with Sammy Plotkin.  You can hit  the soundcloud link below to hear the whole song.

https://soundcloud.com/genie-930128094/genie-up-all-night-feat-emree-scrufizza

Rhiana’s stage name is Emree Franklin. Viewers can go to the You Tube link below to support her by joining her You Tube channel to stay updated with her music and  listen to other songs set to video as well.

YouTube

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

Beginning April first (no foolin’) the Senior Lunch program at the Mullis Center is expanding to three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. As our island community gets older and costs of housing and healthcare keep going up, this popular program, including Meals on Wheels, looks forward to providing more tasty nutritious meals more often.  Meals for seniors, aged 60 or older, request a $5 donation. Not a senior? No problem. Lunch for youngsters under 60 is still only $7.

Jan Hess, Albert Claggett, Carolyn Alder and Bonnie Sliger at the Salad Bar – Peggy Sue McRae photo

A well-stocked fresh salad bar opens at 11:30 am with entrees served at noon. A possible exception might be if the main dish is a salad such as Caesar Salad or Taco Salad.  Chef Hobbes Buchanan and the multi-talented Eugene Cuomo (“assistant chef” doesn’t quite cover all of Eugene’s contributions) provide the well-balanced hot and delicious meals. Check the Mullis Center Facebook page for menus.

Meals on Wheels Volunteer Driver Dan Rognas and Chef Hobbes Buchanan – Peggy Sue McRae photo

The Meals on Wheels program will also be expanding to three days per week. Meals on Wheels are available to both homebound seniors and disabled adults in need of a prepared meal. Volunteer Driver Dennis Busse said, “It’s very obvious that these few meals a week might be their only option for a fresh cooked meal”. Volunteers remain a vital aspect of our meal program. I spoke to volunteer Marie Skuffeeda who was setting up beverages before lunch. I asked her what she liked about volunteering. She said, “Do it if you can. It’s a gift to be able to do it.”

Volunteers Marion Wilkie and Marie Skuffeeda – Peggy Sue McRae photo

The Mullis Center is located at 589 Nash Street and is open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Monday through Friday. Besides the Senior Lunch program the Mullis Center offers a wide variety of activities and services. Drop by or call 360-378-2677 for more information.

April Community Meetings on Oil Spill Response in San Juan County

The Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA) is hosting community meetings in April for those wanting to learn more about IOSA and explore opportunities for getting involved in local oil spill response efforts.

Any and all are invited!

• Tuesday April 16^th from 5:30 – 6:30pm at the Orcas School Cafeteria
• Wednesday April 17^th from 5:30 – 6:30pm at the Lopez Island Community Center
• Thursday April 18^th from 5:30 – 6:30pm at the San Juan Island Grange

Current and former IOSA volunteers who would like to help with the ongoing effort to rebuild the organization are strongly encouraged to attend.

These meetings will consist of a brief overview of current actions and plans for the future, followed by a Q&A with IOSA volunteers leading the effort to restore spill response capabilities to the San Juans.

Please contact IOSA at [email protected] with questions in advance of the meetings.

Image by Nicholas Jackson

Here’s a reminder from the Washington State Department of Transportation…

Last week’s arrival of spring means drivers in Washington have until this Sunday, March 31, to remove their studded tires, or face a $136 fine.

While studded tires help keep your vehicle from slip-sliding around wintry conditions, they also damage the pavement.

Removing the tires after winter helps us preserve our state highways and limit the amount of repairs we need to do this spring and summer. More information

Photo by Donald A. Cordi

He Left Us A Legacy of the Vietnam War

In A War Never Ends opening at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) you can make a striking discovery in one of the galleries.

A box containing several professional-looking photographs resting in their yellow Kodak box was found at the solid waste transfer station by an employee, also a Vietnam veteran. He contacted Military Museum director Peter DeLorenzi at the Friday Harbor American Legion Post 163 and turned over the photographs.

Being curious about the photos, the person who took them, and how they came to be on San Juan Island, DeLorenzi started looking for a veteran named Cordi. For a while, he discovered nothing and the puzzle remained. Continue Reading

Don’t get caught by surprise! Peruse the new schedule online, and see these new changes to our area sailings:

• Anacortes/San Juan Islands will have four vessels in service, similar to the fall schedule
• Anacortes/Sidney, BC will have one daily roundtrip via Friday Harbor
• Two-boat service resumes for Port Townsend/Coupeville on Sunday, May 12

Come join the Reardan FFA Agricultural Issues team as they perform their presentation titled “Is Washington Doing Enough to Save Puget Sound’s Southern Resident Killer Whales?”

The Agricultural Issues Forum is an FFA Leadership Development Event that requires students to research an agricultural or natural resources issue and equitably present both sides of the issue. As part of the requirement for state level competition, teams are required to build a portfolio of public presentations; this is where San Juan and area residents come in.

The Reardan FFA Chapter Agricultural Issues team has developed a presentation about the plight of Southern Resident Killer Whales in and around Washington State. The students make arguments integral to the recommendations set forth by the Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force appointed by Governor Inslee and make arguments on both sides of this complex issue.

Much of the argument centers on northwest salmon recovery efforts. The presentation is about 15 minutes long and afterwards, we ask that you question the students about the content of their presentation to test their depth of knowledge and soundness of their arguments as well as share islanders’ perspective on the issue.

Sunday, March 31st 6:00 p.m. at the Whale Museum – Friday Harbor

This is a free event open to the public. For more information, call (360) 378-4710 ext.30.

Merri Ann Simonson shares some more real estate info with you…

Merri Ann Simonson – Contributed photo

Wells on the Shoreline in San Juan County

Even though I have been in this business for 24 years, on almost every transaction I learn something new. During 2018, I learned how difficult it is to develop a residential home on waterfront lot that is reliant upon a private water system.

As in the case of most waterfront lots with a private system, the well was located within 1000 feet of the shoreline and therefore triggered more regulations. This 2-party well system was shared with an existing interior water view home and the proposed home planned for the waterfront lot.

The County’s regulations include a review of the distance to the shoreline, lot size, static water level in the well and chloride concentrations. Based on all criteria, the County will determine if a hydrogeological site evaluation will be required.   (A drawn-down on the well)

The escrow on this transaction was over 12 months and the buyer spent tens of thousands of dollars during their feasibility study prior to closing to investigate the suitability of the lot.

Continue reading… (PDF)

Here’s a note from Washington State Ferries…

Siri Lindstrum – Photo by Ashley King

The cover of the Washington State Ferries’ Summer 2019 Sailing Schedule will feature a haiku written by Friday Harbor’s own Siri Lindstrum.

Out of nearly 200 entries in the #WSFHaiku Twitter contest, Siri’s poem received the most “likes” of the three finalists on the @wsferries page. Here’s the winning entry:

Warm pink rays of light
Reflects on shimmering sea
We watch the sun rise

Siri is a student at Friday Harbor High School, where last year’s winner Lisa Salisbury is a librarian. Lisa says she and the school’s English teachers promoted the haiku contest and used it as an educational opportunity. She added that Siri loves poetry and created a poetry website for a school project in January.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a haiku, as well as everyone who connected with us on Twitter for this contest. We also need to give a shout out to Washington State Poet Laureate Claudia Castro Luna for selecting our finalists.

And of course, congratulations Siri!

Beginning Friday, March 29, there will be reduced vehicle capacity on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route when the 90-car Sealth begins service as vessel #2, replacing the 144-car Yakima.

Effective today, the Yakima replaces the 144-car Hyak, moving from position #2 position #3, beginning with the Anacortes 2:10 pm to Friday Harbor. The Sealth carries about 50 fewer vehicles than the Yakima.

Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and consider giving themselves extra time. For continued up-to-date information, customers can follow WSF’s Twitter account at https://twitter.com/wsferries. Passengers can also get real-time departure and arrival information using Vessel Watch:

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/vesselwatch

The special license plate legislation has passed both chambers of the Legislature by overwhelming margins!  

Many thanks to Representative Lekanoff and Senator Lovelett for their hard work.

April/May 2019 – Signature of legislation by Governor Inslee

August 1-October 1, 2019 – License Plate available for purchase sometime during this period depending on final effective date of the legislation

For more information: Call Tanja Williamson, San Juan County Land Bank, at 360-378-4402.

Thanks for your support!

The Friday Harbor Film Festival Winter Series presents: Best of Fest – Ocean Warriors Chasing The Thunder

The eco warriors of Sea Shepard embark on a high seas, 110 day, 10,000 mile chase to catch the illegal fishing vessel Thunder, the notorious poaching boat. The chase takes the audience on an exhilarating ride to the farthest reaches of the planet on the world’s longest maritime pursuit.

Friday Harbor Film Festival is proud to have honored Captain Paul Watson with its Lifetime Achievement Award as founder of Sea Shepherd and a lifetime of marine wildlife conservation and activisism.

Come and see this inspiring and exciting sea adventure April 2 at the Grange, 7pm.

FREE
Donations welcome.

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) is partnering with Rock Island to offer free training in low voltage wiring and fiber optic installation at Friday Harbor High School this April.

This latest class in the EDC’s Trades Education Initiative is sponsored by the Washington State Governor’s Strategic Reserve Fund, the Washington State Department of Commerce, Rock Island, and the San Juan Island School District.

The course will be taught by Rock Island Staff and will cover essential concepts in fiber optic design and installation, modern home networks, practical wiring, and what to expect from a career path in this trade.

The curriculum includes lectures, safety/tool usage demonstrations, field trips, and hands-on projects. All materials and tools will be provided. This program is intended for young people and career-changers considering a career in the trades. The course will benefit participating students as well as local employers. This class is free to residents of San Juan County, but space is limited and requires pre-registration as well as a filing fee of $10. Continue Reading

Meet some of our island poets: Antoinette Botsford from Orcas, Elizabeth Landrum from Lopez, and Bill Weissinger from San Juan.  

Monday, April 1st at 7 pm at the San Juan Island Library. Free.

Refreshments will be served courtesy of the Friends of the Library and the San Juan Island Trails Committee.  

Snow days waived for San Juan Island School District

San Juan Island School District’s application for continuation of state support (waiver of snow days) for the February 12 and 13, 2019 school closure has been approved by the state.

The district will not have to make up the two school days that were missed due to inclement weather, in accordance with the Governor’s Proclamation #19-02.

The last day of the 2018-2019 school year will remain Friday, June 14, 2019. Graduation for Friday Harbor High School seniors is Saturday, June 8, 2019.

This district-wide closure was due to a severe snow storm that created transportation conditions that were hazardous and unsafe.

The Town is accepting applications for two open positions on the Friday Harbor Arts Commission (FHAC). Commissioners are unpaid volunteers who represent the interests of the Town, community, and local artists in advising the Town Council on the cultivation, selection, acquisition, and placement of public art.

One position is to be filled immediately with a term expiration of December 2020. The second position is for a youth member for the 2019-2020 school year. This is an opportunity for a 16- to 19-year-old youth to experience public service and influence the Town’s artistic direction.

Interested parties with experience, background, or involvement with visual, performing, or literary arts should provide Mayor Farhad Ghatan with a Letter of Interest and examples of their art and/or experience.  Applicants are advised to review the FHAC Guidelines posted on the Town of Friday Harbor web site: www.fridayharbor.org. Application review will continue until the positions are filled.

Questions and application letter should be directed to the Town of Friday Harbor, ATTN: Julie Greene, 60 Second Street, PO Box 219, Friday Harbor, WA 98250; [email protected]; (360) 378-2810, ext. 229.

The FHAC was formed in February 2015 with the appointment of eight commissioners, including one youth member. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month.