A Fish for Teeth volunteer-crafted Fish Taco is absolutely delicious. These hefty burrito/tacos are prepared with love, and feature hook-and-line caught Alaskan cod donated by Alaskan Leader Seafoods, with Pablito’s Salsa, Tillamook cheese, zesty greens, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Volunteer Opportunities Available (info at the end of article)

These delectable fish-focused hunger-satisfying consumption-units always draw a crowd. That’s good because Fish for Teeth depends on the $8.00 suggested donation to fix the teeth of island residents who cannot otherwise afford dental care. Join us for lunch on Friday, January 18 from 11:00 to 1:30 at Ace Hardware, Friday Harbor. ($8.00 suggested donation) Continue Reading

This article written by Carolyn Hudson, SJI Fire and Rescue Administrative Officer

(L – R): Fire Commissioners Frank Cardinale, Bob Jarman, Lt. Michael Henderson and Commissioner Albert Olson – Photo by Chuck Dalldorf

Lieutenant Michael Henderson received San Juan Island Fire and Rescue’s highest award Saturday night when the District celebrated the 2018 contributions of its members at Downriggers Restaurant.

The firefighters and support members were honored for their dedicated service in 2018 at the annual awards banquet, which was attended by nearly 100 people including guests.

Lt. Michael Henderson has been a District member since he was 16 years old and has responded to more than 1500 calls in his career, a record number in our District. His responsibilities are with the fleet, rope rescue, vehicle rescue, training and working as a duty officer. He is professional, courteous and is an excellent lead and support for the volunteer firefighters.

Firefighters Adam Greene and Craig McConnell were both named Rookie of the Year. Continue Reading

Meeting today (Wednesday, January 16th) of the Friday Harbor Port Commission.

It happens at the San Juan Island Grange Hall, 152 1st Street N., Friday Harbor at 4:00 PM.

To see the agenda, click here.

Its time again for the local crowd to see all the films they missed during the FH Film Festival because they were busy with all the business brought in!

Friday Harbor Film Festival  presents “Given”, a festival big hit with all – especially families.

Given is a filmed travel journal as a young boy from Kauai and his family travel around the world seeing the world while looking for the perfect wave. The story is told through a few of the 6-year old’s notes.

Great for wintery times here. DONT MISS IT!
Tuesday, January 15 Grange 7pm

FREE.
(donations appreciated)

On January 24, Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor will provide a free screening of The If Project documentary at 7pm at the San Juan Community Theater.

Women are the fastest growing segment of the incarcerated population, increasing at nearly double the rate of men since 1985. The IF Project explores the reasons behind these staggering numbers by intimately following a heroic Seattle police officer and the writing workshop she created with a group of inmates at a maximum security women’s prison.

Detective Kim Bogucki, the force behind the project, will be here to answer questions after the showing of the film. She will be accompanied by someone who has benefited by the project, sharing her personal insight and experiences.

The If Project is a partnership between law enforcement, currently and previously incarcerated adults, and community leaders to build commonality, reduce misperceptions and serve as a deterrent to recidivism and future incarceration.

Everyone who cares about the future of all kids is invited.

Sponsors are San Juan Community Theatre; Kenmore Air; San Juan Island Inn Connection; and M&W Auto Sales and Rental

EDC to offer free Plumbing Basics training at Friday Harbor High School

[Editor’s note: Please see the corrected dates in Bold type below]

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) will offer free training in plumbing basics this January, sponsored by the Washington State Governor’s Strategic Reserve Fund and by the Washington State Department of Commerce.

The course will be taught at the Friday Harbor High School STEM Center by Brent Huntington.  The program is intended to benefit participating students as well as local plumbing companies in need of skilled employees.  The hands-on curriculum has been designed for students and career changers, and will include a history of plumbing, career information, tool usage, standard plumbing code, safety, and more.  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.

The course will run from 4:00-6:00PM Tuesdays and Thursdays from January 29^th though February 26^th of 2019. There is no cost for the training; pre-registration and a $10 filing fee is required.  The deadline to apply is Friday, January 25th.  Continue Reading

Superintendent Kari McVeigh – Contributed photo

Dear Fabulous Community Members,

Happy 2019!

This school year, all of our schools have been working to increase consistent and systemic protective factors for our students so that regardless of whatever else may be happening in a student’s life, ALL students find school a safe place to learn, with practices they can count on, and a place where they are cared for. Our schools have found ways to have students ready themselves for learning quickly, thus ensuring a consistent learning environment each time their teachers are ready to begin. In one school, all staff members, in their initial greeting of students, ask each student what is going well for them. So, regardless of all the possible turmoil a student might have in their life, they start their day at school reminding themselves of what is going well, that staff care for them, providing them with a kick start to a productive day.

What is going well?
So, as a school district what is going well for us? As I observe classrooms, I see tremendous emphasis being placed on teachers figuring out exactly what each student needs next in their learning. Teachers are engaging in rigorous professional development that is shaping and growing grade level and individual teacher practice. Across the grades, teachers are looking at assessment data on student learning, exploring useful teaching strategies and collaborating with each other to determine what students need to be successful learners. A lot is going very well! Continue Reading

Deb Langhans has a new workshop series this year…

Do you love the multifaceted gifts of Mother Nature throughout the year? Is ongoing self-discovery and acceptance a personal goal? Do you enjoy sharing fun, creative experiences with other women in a safe, nourishing space?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, a special workshop series this year might be just the adventure to satisfy a deeper longing within than you even recognize.

Deb Langhans – Contributed photo

“Four Seasons Collage” is the latest offering by Deb Langhans (Journeys To Healing), creator of Inner Journey Collage© (IJC) a fun, satisfying and therapeutic process for women using collage as the centerpiece for accessing inner wisdom & deepening self-discovery, acceptance & celebration.

“Four Seasons Collage” will be presented as six, four-hour workshops over a nine month span using the seasons as metaphors for themes along the life cycle.

Sessions are offered within appropriate seasonal timeframes while avoiding holidays.

A fee structure provides flexibility for those unable to attend all six sessions: Continue Reading

Does your family want some time outside this winter, time that includes scavenger-hunt-like fun and multi-sensory exploration? Try birding – it’s as easy stepping out your door!

Winter is the ideal season to take up bird watching as feathered friends flock to the Northwest. Join Wolf Hollow’s Shona Aitken at Third Lagoon Preserve to learn some basic birding techniques for everyone in your family, Sunday, January 20, from 10:30 am to noon.

Limited space available. Register with Tanja Williamson at 360-378-4402 or [email protected].

This month’s caller is Marlin Prowell from Bellingham. He runs the very successful dances in Bellingham and is a skilled and very well liked caller in the area.

The band this month is The Spuds, our local contra group, all of whom live here on San Juan Island. The band includes Val White on fiddle, Jim Nollman on mandolin, Katy Nollman on banjo and Malcolm Suttles on guitar.

We all know and love these folks and they make fine music together. You’ve seen them from time to time playing at the Farmer’s Market too.

As always, all dances are taught, no partner needed since a feature of contra dancing is changing partners for each dance, and since each dance is taught beforehand there’s no need for prior experience in contra dancing. It’s easy and fun.

• Cost: donation is $10 at the door, $5 students
• Date and Time-Saturday Jan. 19th from 7 till 9
• Location-Grange Hall in Friday Harbor

The dance is sponsored by San Juan Island Grange #966

WSF: Electrify the San Juan Islands Ferry Routes FIRST

Don’t delay protection of the Salish Sea

The current WS Ferries Long range plan for deploying electric ferries puts the San Juan routes last on the list. Why lose decades in our efforts to protect the Salish Sea – and all of the species who depend on it? OPALCO is calling for WSF to prioritize getting the new, cleaner, quieter and super-efficient electric ferries to the San Juan Islands route FIRST.

Carbon pollution impacts our sensitive marine environment through acidification, warming air and water temperatures and changes to shoreline health and levels. Ferries make up 63% of the carbon emissions from the Washington State Transportation Fleet. The number of species that are affected in the Salish Sea area of the Puget Sound is remarkably concentrated and diverse: humans, Orcas whales, salmon, oysters, clams, bait fish, near shore eelgrass and kelp beds, birds, otters, seals, sea lions, invertebrates, and myriad other fish and mammal species.

In addition to carbon (and other contaminant) pollution, vessel noise has been identified as a major barrier to the health and survival of our Southern Resident Orcas Whales. The Governor’s 2019-2021 budget initiative states: “The frequent daily transits of Washington state ferries are a significant contributor to underwater noise in Puget Sound.”

OPALCO is ready and willing to help WSDOT meet the needs of electric ferries on the San Juan Islands routes. In 2019, OPALCO will install the first of many battery energy storage systems which can be utilized to help offset the large peaks that charging electric ferries will incur. OPALCO also brings to the table gigabit fiber and wireless infrastructure throughout the San Juan Islands routes to assist WSF with real-time monitoring and data sharing. Continue Reading

L124, the youngest living SRKW friskily following L25, the oldest living SRKW. Photo by Dave Ellifrit, CWR Senior photo-identification analyst

This just in from the Center for Whale Research…

On January 10, 2019, TV stations in Seattle aired live aerial footage of several groups of killer whales in Puget Sound near Seattle, and discerning viewers were able to see a very small whale among them. CWR researcher, Melisa Pinnow, was able to see that L pod individuals were in one of the groups with a new baby. It was associated with a female, L77.

The whales were still in Puget Sound by nightfall. At 5:45 am this morning they were heard on the CWR sponsored hydrophone at Bush Point in Admiralty Inlet. We dispatched a research team from San Juan Island, and they encountered the whales exiting Admiralty Inlet at 9:50 am with their new baby!

The mother is L77, a 31-year old mother of two known calves. Her first known calf was born in 2010 and died the same year, and her second known calf is L119, a female born in 2012. The new calf with her will be designated L124, sex unknown at this time. 

Approximately 40% of newborn calves do not survive their first few years, but we hope that this one makes it to maturity, especially if it is female. The Southern Resident killer whale population is now 75.

San Juan Community Theatre has two brand new classes for kids coming up in February!

Acting is Fun: students will play theatre games, learn about creating an ensemble, explore character development using voice and movement, and develop scenes or a short play for a final show for parents. For kids in grades 4 & 5. Tuesdays, February 26th through April 2nd, 3:15 to 4:40 pm at PARC Studio. $70 per student.

Intro to Acting for Storytellers: students will learn techniques for using their voices and bodies to tell stories. They will play games and learn about rehearsal etiquette and create a short play to tell a favorite story for parents at the final class. For kids in grades 1 & 3. Thursdays, February 28th through April 4th , 3:15 to 4:30 at PARC Studio. $70 per student.

Class size is limited for both both classes, so sign up soon!

Fundraiser for Sea Scouts –

Send an email to Eric Stone to Sign Up Today – Tournament Will Be: February 2nd at the Friday Harbor Yacht Club from 9:00 to 3:00. Every participant will go home with 60 new Ravinica Allegiance cards plus enough mana for a new deck.

Prizes for top winners.

Cost is $20 ($17 for your new cards / $3 towards prize pool)

The Sea Scouts will be selling pizza snacks and sodas from the kitchen for fundraising.

Artwork by Yutong Du of SSIS

The students of the Spring Street International School (SSIS) are exhibiting selected works in their show Creative Diversity at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA) during January.

Responses from visitors include:

• “Are you telling me this is High School art?”
• “These pieces are so imaginative and sophisticated.”
• “Each student has such a strong presence.”
• “I wish I could have had you as an art teacher.”
• “The show is absolutely beautiful, your students should be very proud of themselves.”

In this group there are three seniors and four juniors, and they are all extremely gifted young women. Instructor Taylor Bruce said the group was thrilled when she announced this opportunity to exhibit their works.

The students are Marieke Danniau, Yutong Du, Rain Gao, Danica Islam, Eden Light, Cameron Sinclair and Georgia Smith. They each chose their own mediums have their own visions and modes of expression. More than one has set her sights on a career in art. Continue Reading