IMPORTANT: At approximately 11:20am PST on Wednesday October 3rd, FEMA will conduct the first ever NATIONWIDE test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) and Emergency Alert System (EAS).

Thanks to Nancy DeVaux for sharing her visit to the Land Bank’s Lake Zylstra Preserve… (click on the photos for a larger image).

Lake Zylstra Preserve – Nancy DeVaux photo

“As the rain let up Sunday afternoon a steady flow of islanders showed up at the Open House to get an early look at Zylstra Lake, a new 60-acre acquisition by the Land Bank and the San Juan Preservation Trust. In a pastoral setting below Mount Dallas, the Lake has a one+ mile trail around it. It meanders through fields and with views of a series of wetlands that flow into San Juan Valley and the False Bay watershed.

 Islanders were thrilled with the access to a new area, formerly privately owned. The misty fall foliage added to the celebratory mood. A management plan is being developed by the Land Bank, which will guide public use of the property. It is not currently open to the public.”

Lake Zylstra Preserve – Nancy DeVaux photo

Piedmont is this week’s Pet of the Week – Contributed photo

My friends, I am Piedmont, Cat of Distinction.  I find myself temporarily without a place to call home.  I’m hoping you were able to attend the grand opening of our brand-new animal shelter Saturday.  That way, you’ll know where to find me when I move into my new suite very soon.  If you are looking for a gentleman friend of good taste and exquisite manners, you will find me the perfect fit!  Come meet me before or after the move – I’ll be waiting for you.

Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor
111 Shelter Road
(360) 378-2158

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

Mullis Center Holiday Fair – Peggy Sue McRae photo

Mullis Center Holiday Fair – Peggy Sue McRae photo

While it may still seem like summer can’t really be over already, believe it or not, it is time to think about this year’s Holiday Craft Fair. This will be the Mullis Center’s Second Annual Artisan Fair. I went last year as a shopper and enjoyed it so much that this year I’ll be going as a vendor. The Mullis Center’s dining hall makes for a cheerful, pleasant environment for shoppers and vendors alike. Held the weekend before Thanksgiving, Friday, November 16 and Saturday, November 17 at $25 for a table, the Mullis Center offers a reasonable alternative while supporting our island seniors.

Mullis Center Holiday Fair – Peggy Sue McRae photo

To find out more about it or to sign up, the person to contact is Anna at the Mullis Center ([email protected] or 360-378-9102) Says Anna, “We want you whether your passion is beading, quilting, or painting. Join us if you make cards, candles, jewelry, baskets, paper mache, or soap. Sign up if your creations are knitted, written, sewn, collaged, or crocheted. We’re looking for a wide assortment of local made arts and crafts.” I was impressed last year with the variety and quality of items for sale.

Be sure to put November 16 and 17 on your calendar to get a jump on your holiday shopping. If you are a craftsperson consider this venue and plan to join us. If you would like to read my take on last year’s Fair link to: Island Senior: Mullis Center Offers a New Venue For Crafts.

Mullis Center Holiday Fair – Peggy Sue McRae photo

San Juan Garden Club – Contributed photo

Thanks to Dot Vandaveer for recounting the Garden Club’s Recent Trip…

At the dawning of the morning on September 18, 2018, sixteen persons assembled at the San Juan Community Theater parking lot to board two vehicles that would take them on an adventure that had not been previously experienced by the San Juan Island Garden Club members and friends.

We were launched on our way to see the Amazon Spheres and then experience the Dale Chihuly Garden Exhibit at the Seattle Center (and for the most adventurous, the Space Needle). Then, some confusion about where to park in downtown Seattle.  

Amy Draves, who calls Friday Harbor her home town, coordinated our access to the Amazon Spheres.  She was accompanied by two other Amazon employees, since security at The Spheres only allows each employee to check in six guests at a time.  The guests then were escorted in groups of six to the Spheres.  The guests were given license to roam as long as they stayed with the guide.   The tour of the canopy level is just fabulous!  We all had a wonderful tour of the facility and Amy clocked the attendees out “six at a time”.  Thank you, Amy!!

It was about 1 PM, and in keeping with our itinerary, we boarded the monorail to Seattle Center. What fun!  Just reminding ourselves that the monorail was constructed as part of the World’s Fair exposition in 1962.  

Upon arriving at Seattle Center, we had the Chihuly Garden/Space Needle option.  Most of the attendees chose to participate in the Chihuly Garden.  For those who chose to do the Space Needle, Mt. Rainer was standing tall in all her beauty. The Chihuly exhibit is breathtaking in every aspect. It was all enchanting and wonderful.    

After a very challenging and beautiful day we arrived home right on schedule. A special thank you to the drivers for the day Ken and Suzy and exceptional guide Amy.  We look forward to the next adventure!

EDC presents Climate Change for Business – a workshop on mitigating climate change impacts…

Business and farm owners or managers are invited to join the San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) for a 5-hour workshop and discussion on the topic of Climate Change for Business, Thursday, October 18^th, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.  at the San Juan Island Grange.  The workshop includes a gourmet boxed lunch.

All business owners and managers can and should prepare for potential negative impacts on their enterprises from any source.  As climate change is one of the defining issues of our time both for businesses and individuals, preparing for change and implementing practices that mitigate potential business and farm impacts will be a critically important exercise for savvy business owners. 

At this intensive workshop, the EDC will cover climate-impact issues such as carbon footprint awareness, facility retrofitting, heating/cooling and rebates, ramifications for agricultural businesses, potential financial impacts to businesses and more. 

Led by noted business and climate experts, this workshop is sure to give business owners and farmers the information they need to mitigate the impacts on their enterprises from climate change.  Leading the workshop will be:  Georgine Yorgey, the Associate Director of WSU’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources; Ryan Palmateer, Energy Program Manager for the San Juan Islands Conservation District; Victoria Compton, EDC Director; and Lindsay Curtis, Energy Efficiency Specialist for OPALCO.

Details:  San Juan Island, Thursday, October 18^th, from 9 a.m. till 2 p.m. at the San Juan Island Grange, 152 First Street, Friday Harbor.  Tickets include lunch, beverages and snacks and are $25; advance payment is required.  Please visit www.sanjuansedc.org/climatechange to reserve seats. For questions, please call (360) 378-2906 or email [email protected]. 

The EDC thanks our funders for their support of this workshop and other EDC initiatives. 

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) strives to strengthen and diversify the economy of San Juan County.  We believe a strong economy builds a strong community.

On Saturday and Sunday, October 6 and 7, Dollahite Studios will be showing new paintings in the Friday Harbor House Conference Room 130 West St. in Friday Harbor.

Stewart Island, Watercolor Collage on Rice Paper – BJ Dollahite

Please come see Matt and BJ Dollahite’s new works in their first show in six years.

Someones Backyard, Oil Painting – Matt Dollahite

Thanks to Jill Urbach for this video…

Friday Harbor students who attended were Lucy Urbach, Joely Loucks, Arlo Harold, Max Mattox, Evan Foley, and Brandon Payne. The teacher in charge was Daniel Garner. 

FHHS Band at 66th UW Band Day – Contributed photo

Last Spring, the Friday Harbor High School Band was selected to participate in the University of Washington’s 66^thannual Band Day event. Nine FHHS band members, seniors Julian Brown and Lucy Urbach, juniors Jack Knapik, Jonah Strasbourger, and Sander Van Hamersfeld, and sophomores Emily Atwell, Blaze Borgquist, Olivia Brown, and Lizzie Lee, joined other Washington high school bands to play at Husky Stadium in Seattle on Saturday, September 15th. While the Huskies took on the Arizona State Sun Devils, over 2,000 high school musicians took the field at half time to perform in front of 70,000 spectators. 

On the setlist was a patriotic song, two pop songs, and an arrangement from “The Greatest Showman.” 

FHHS Band Instructor Cart Nelsen said “I am proud of these band students who took the time, and had the courage, the passion and the drive to perform in front of the huge crowds at the Husky game. Experiences like this one opens our students to what is possible musically off of the island.” Mr. Nelsen would also like to thank parent Jill Urbach for chaperoning this event.

Business owners and managers are invited to join the San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) for a free workshop entitled Customer Service 101, led by noted islander and business process improvement consultant, Jim Hooper, on October 24^th, from 10-11am at Key Bank in Friday Harbor.

In this workshop, participants will learn easy and effective ways to get customers to come back to their retail or service establishments – again and again – using tools like surveys, referral programs and other customer relationship management techniques. Workshop leader Jim Hooper is a noted business process improvement consultant with a track record for helping businesses reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction.

 The workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 24^th from 10-11 a.m. in the downstairs meeting room at KeyBank, 95 Second Street, Friday Harbor. 

The workshop is free; advance registration is required – please call 378-2906 or email [email protected] for more information.

 The EDC thanks our funders for their support of this workshop and other EDC initiatives. 

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) strives to strengthen and diversify the economy of San Juan County.  We believe a strong economy builds a strong community.   

Dean Adams – Contributed photo

Griffin Bay Bookstore and the San Juan Island Library are hosting Dean Adams at the San Juan Island Library on Monday, October 1, 7:00 pm. This is your chance to hear first-hand about his memoir, Four Thousand Hooks: A True Story of Fishing and Coming of Age on the High Seas of Alaska, a fabulous story about ocean adventures, commercial fishing, maritime life, and the Northwest coast

As Four Thousand Hooks opens, an Alaskan fishing schooner is sinking. It is the summer of 1972, and the sixteen-year-old narrator is at the helm. Backtracking from the gripping prologue, Dean Adams describes how he came to be a crew member on the Grantand weaves a tale of adventure that reads like a novel―with drama, conflict, and resonant portrayals of halibut fishing, his ragtag shipmates, maritime Alaska, and the ambiguities of family life.

At sea, the Grant‘s crew teach Dean the daily tasks of baiting thousands of longline hooks and handling the catch, and on shore they lead him through the seedy bars and guilty pleasures of Kodiak. Exhausted by twenty-hour workdays and awed by the ocean’s raw power, he observes examples of human courage and vulnerability and emerges with a deeper knowledge of himself and the world.

Four Thousand Hooks is both an absorbing adventure story and a rich ethnography of a way of life and work that has sustained Northwest families for generations. This coming of age story will appeal to readers including young adults and anyone interested in ocean adventures, commercial fishing, maritime life, and the Northwest coast.

About the author
Dean Adams was born in Seattle and grew up on the shores of Lake Meridian near Kent, Washington. In 1972, he began his commercial fishing career at the age of 15, working on his uncle’s schooner, the Grant, and went on to become the owner and captain of the Quest in 1979 at 22. In the 1990’s, Dean returned to the University of Washington to finish a B.S. in Fisheries Science (1994) and completed his M.S. in 1998. He retired from Alaska commercial fishing in 2007. 

If you are between 13 – 21 years old the Fairground Master Plan would like your input. You could win a $30 gift card!

Attention youth 13-21!  The Fairgrounds wants to hear what you think!  San Juan County Parks, Recreation, and Fair is updating the Fairgrounds Master Plan and wants to hear from local residents ages 13 to 21. The Master Plan will help make the best of the Fairgrounds so the site is active and enjoyable year-round for local residents, not just during the Fair. Please take a few moments to complete this quick, multiple-choice survey or by going to www.sjcfair.org.  

To thank you for your time a $30 Amazon gift card will be awarded to a survey respondent chosen at random.  All responses will be kept anonymous. However, to be included in the gift card raffle your contact information must be provided. This information will only be used to contact the winner. No purchase or attendance to the Fair is necessary. The winner will be notified by October 31st, 2018. Odds of winning will depend on the number of survey respondents. 
 
Link to: Fairgrounds Survey
Thank you for participating!

Dear Members of our Fabulous Community,

The new school year has started and we are all, already, making sure that each and every one of our students is well served in our school district.  And because it is a new school year, we have new people and new plans to share with you! First we are extremely pleased to welcome our new staff.  We welcome our new English Language Learner teacher, Shannon Quishenberry, who will be teaching and supporting our English Language Learners, grades K-12.  We also welcome, Lowell Jons, 4^thgrade teacher, Jenn Furber, elementary Art teacher, and Kristin Thomas, middle school and high school Math teacher.  John Boyd is joining our district as the District Assessment Coordinatorand Truancy Liaison…Welcome John!  Each new staff member brings individual talents, making San Juan Island School District a strong and vibrant school community.

We have also added facility upgrades and strategies to make sure our students are safe in their schools and classrooms.  All of our secondary buildings have new locking systems to help secure our secondary sites.  New energy efficient lighting has been installed and the schools sparkle under the new brightness.  Most importantly, we have updated our Emergency Preparedness plans, adding district-wide consistency in response to natural or manmade emergencies.  We will be practicing drills throughout the year to make sure we are fully prepared. Continue Reading

Bill Cumming, Rich Barker, and Jennifer Armstrong – Contributed photo

Have a concert, and people will come. Have two concerts with some good musicians, and even more people will come. Ask for admission in the form of donations to some respected community organizations, and people will be generous. So that’s exactly what Rich Barker and his musician friends did on September 15 & 16.

Arranger Rich Barker, members of the San Juan Jazz Quintet +2, vocalists Angel Michaels and Jill Urbach, a Gospel Choir directed by Jim Collado, and sound technician Gary Ford volunteered their time to put on two Gospel Jazz concerts at Saint David’s Episcopal Church. Community members were asked to make donations to the Food Bank or the Family Resource Center. A week or so later, Rich Barker presented envelopes to Bill Cumming, Board Member of the Friday Harbor Food Bank, and Jennifer Armstrong, Director of the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center. Each envelope contained $2,016.

Fr. Doug Simonsen, Rector at Saint David’s Episcopal Church, said, “It is always heartwarming to see community members open their hearts and support good work in such a generous way. We were happy to host these two fine concerts and look forward to future collaborations within our community.”

Join the fun or just find a good spot to watch this year’s Farm Parade… Eric Ellison takes his ducks on a “dry” run and Lori Ann David of Aurora Farms, where the Farm Store is open daily, is ready to roll… 

Eric Ellison Getting His Ducks in a Row – Contributed photo

Lori Ann David of Aurora Farms – Contributed photo