Greetings Students, Teachers, Parents and Community Members:

Dr. Danna Diaz – Contributed photo

This letter is to provide meaning as to why am I looking to leave the San Juan Island School District. I have reached a time in my life that I feel the need for a change both personally and professionally. I am looking for a new challenge in a district that align with my strengths. I am selective about my applications and would be pleased to continue as your superintendent, if the right job isn’t available. I will continue to work for the students and families in our community to the very best of my ability by focusing on the district’s shared vision, mission, values and goals.

Let me take this opportunity to give you an update on the progress our fine district has made over the past three years. The school board and I have agreed upon a set of goals for each of the three years I have been serving the San Juan Island School District. We have reached beyond those obligations, in order to benefit our students. Our district is moving forward and is on the right track.

Here are some examples of the progress we have made as a district and community: Continue Reading

Oly Archibald calls the play-by-play with Kaila Olin on Color Commentary – Contributed photo

Former “Wolverines Voice” Mike Martin shares this FHHS Sports update with you…

The Friday Harbor Wolverines take on the Oroville Hornets in Wenatchee Friday Night at 7:00 pm for a trip to the state tournament in Spokane. The game will be broadcast live on 1650 AM in Friday Harbor and on fhtinyradio.com. Oly Archibald and Kaila Olin will have the play-by-play. The Lemon Computers Pregame Show starts at 6:30PM.

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In the fall of 2016, after 4 years of being the Voice of the Wolverines, Friday Harbor Tiny Radio’s Sports and Information Director, Mike Martin, decided to hang up his microphone. In doing so he scoured the internet for his replacement and found 40 year play-by-play veteran, Oly Archibald. “He’s one of the best in the business and we were fortunate to get him,” Mike said. “Clearly an upgrade from me.”

For nearly four decades Oly has been announcing high school and college sports across the State of Washington. His first gig was in 1978 doing the sports news on Forks Radio 1490 KVAC at 13 years old…he has done it all and seen it all. Or so he thought.

Mike tried helping Oly with the the color commentary whenever possible but Oly needed someone at his side on a consistent basis. That’s when the ol’ friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend came into play… Continue Reading

Happy Birthday, Wanda June returns to San Juan Community Theatre this weekend with four performances, including a “Pay What You Can” show on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday’s performances are also at 7:30 pm; Sunday’s 2:00 pm matinee features a post-show Q & A with cast and crew.

Directed by Tony Vivenzio, the satirical play by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. takes aim at phony heroes and macho swagger, addresses issues such as sexism, racism, homophobia, and domestic abuse, and is for mature audiences only.

Final shows for Happy Birthday, Wanda June are March 1-3. Please note: seating is limited in the Gubelman, so reserved tickets are suggested. www.sjcheatre.org or 360 378 3210

Cast List:

Penelope Ryan – Manda Dietz
Harold Ryan – Flash Dietz
Paul Ryan – Myles Posenjak
Looseleaf – Keith Keyser
Herb Shuttle – John Cornell
Woodly – Douglas Schirmer
Wanda June * – ElseDora Arendt & Kira Clark
Mildred – Carrie Jewett
Von Konigswald – Dennis Busse

*The role of Wanda June will be played by ElseDora Arendt on February 16-18 and 24 & 25. Kira Clark will play the role on February 22-23 and March 1-3.

The San Juan Island Fire Department’s Major Emergency Response Team (MERT) is looking for volunteers to assist in our island’s welfare by collecting and coordinating the exchange of information during major emergencies, such as earthquakes. Although this may sound intimidating, the only requirements are living within walking distance of a fire station and not volunteering for another emergency service entity. 

The MERT volunteer program is part of the San Juan Island Fire Department and training is minimal. This specialized team provides an outlet for community members to give and receive pertinent communication in the event of a disaster. The primary responsibilities are staffing each neighborhood station, collecting information to relay to emergency headquarters, and disseminating information from headquarters back to each neighborhood.

If you would like more information about this program or would like to sign up, an informational meeting will be held March 22nd at 6:00 pm at Station 31, 1011 Mullis Street. You may also contact the fire department at 378-5334. 

Wondering how to safely dispose of expired and unused medications? Take the medications to one of the five permanent Drop Off Bins located throughout the County for free disposal. The Drop Off bins are located at:

• San Juan Island Sheriff’s Office (Available 24/7)
• Lopez Island Sheriff’s Substation
• Orcas Island Sheriff’s Substation
• Ray’s Pharmacy on Orcas Island
• Friday Harbor Drug

Please check the “What Can You Take Back” list to see which items are accepted. Leave medicines in their original containers and, if you wish, mark out any personal information. Law enforcement locations can accept all medicines, including opiate pain medicines and marijuana. Currently the drop off bins at our local drugstores cannot accept any controlled substances. Please take any controlled substances to one of the Sheriff Offices on San Juan Island, Lopez Island or Orcas Island for disposal. Continue Reading

Ferry in Snow – Click to enlarge – photo by Kristen Arnim

SJ Update reader Kristen Arnim caught this beautiful image of the Samish coming into the ferry dock this afternoon. Thanks for sharing Kristen!

“I’ve had enough and I just can’t do this anymore.”

After 15-years as a whale watch tour operator, Captain Alan “Hobbes” Buchanan’s passion for whales has led him to create Orca Protection & Rescue, a new organization aimed at helping to save the whales and wildlife of the Salish Sea. Orca Protection & Rescue will focus on whale watch regulations and enforcement, and marine debris and plastics removal.

“I’m done with too many whale watch and private boats around the whales at one time, not enough enforcement, some bad tour operators due to poor training, and ignorance around these majestic animals!” said Captain Hobbes.

Orca Protection & Rescue is focused on protecting the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs), transient killer whales (Biggs), and humpback and gray whales.

When Captain Hobbes began as a whale watch captain in 2002, only 15-20 vessels engaged with the 90+ whales that made up the Southern Resident Killer Whale population. Today, over 97 whale watch boats engage with only 76 whales; the boats are from the San Juan Islands, Anacortes, Everett, Seattle, Port Townsend, Victoria, Sidney, Vancouver, and other small Canadian towns. These vessels do not account for the private boats, ferries, commercial shipping, research boats, or enforcement vessels also operating daily.

Orca Protection & Rescue is concerned with the growing number of whale watch companies and increasing vessel traffic, with no permits or training required, due to sound and other interference as the whale populations hunt and socialize.

“… that’s well over 120 boats! Whales change their behavior and stop feeding when lots of boats and noise are around them, no wonder they are starving to death. And as of now, there are still no permits or training required by local, state or federal agencies to operate a whale watch company. And the number of boats is still growing…” Captain Hobbes explains. Continue Reading

Classic Film Series: Love and Laughter, February 23-25. All showing at 7 pm. You’ll love–and laugh–through these three comedies by Billy Wilder and Charles Bracket, “the happiest couple in Hollywood”.  Served with a loving smile by our very own comic diva, Therese!  Refreshments are courtesy of the Friends of the Library. 

“It’s kind of a look at how the world has changed and stayed the same, through the eyes of comedy.” Therese Finn

 Friday, February 23 – Ninotchka (1939–Greta Garbo [“Garbo laughs!”] and Melvyn Douglas) – A stern Russian woman sent to Paris on official business finds herself attracted to a man who represents everything she is supposed to detest.

 Saturday, February 24 – Midnight (1939–Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche, and John Barrymore) – A chorus girl stranded in Paris is set up by a millionaire to break up his wife’s affair with another man.

 Sunday, February 25 – The Major and the Minor (1942–Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland) – A woman disguises herself as a child to save on a train fare and is taken in charge by an army man who doesn’t notice the truth.

Admission is Free.

Todd Nicholson, Executive Director of the Port of Friday Harbor will lead a walk on the airport trail. Todd will share details about the upcoming tree removal required by the FAA and plans to replant a sustainable native forest and other trail improvements. 

Terrain is moderate, distance is 3 miles and dogs on leash are welcome.

Saturday February 24th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Meet at Skagit Valley College. 

Tonight at the Grange, a double feature showing 2 films from the recent 2017 Friday Harbor Film Festival –

The Memory of Fish
The salmon of Washington’s Elwha River sustained Dick Goin for the first half of his life.  He and his family had been nourished by these salmon since migrating to the Olympic Peninsula during the Dust Bowl.  But since 1913, when a dam without any fish passages was constructed across the river, the salmon population had declined to less than 90% of its former size.

Goin never forgot his debt to the salmon, and spent the last half of his life fighting to bring these fish back to the river.  A pulp mill worker and master fisherman by trade, he drew on his memories and persistence to battle for the biggest dam removal project in U.S. history.

The Memory of Fish paints a documentary portrait of the heroism of one man with a mission: to bring the salmon home.

A Hand to Stand (short film)
Seven indigenous high school students who inhabit the Great Bear Rainforest on the coast of British Columbia build their own stand-up paddleboards from locally-sourced red and yellow cedar.  The students’ project encourages them to connect with their environment and to take pride in themselves and their culture.

Interested in learning more about Pilates or immersing yourself deeper in your current practice? The Studio has the perfect workshop for you!

Join Jacquelyn Reiff for an intensive Intro to Mat Pilates at The Studio March 3rd and 4th from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm. This session will detail Joseph Pilates classic mat exercises and prepare you for work in all The Studio Pilates mat classes.

Cost is $85 plus tax and includes the Joseph Pilates book Return to Life. Register at www.TheStudioSJI.com/PilatesIntro.

Local, state, and federal agencies that manage lands or recreation facilities in the San Juan Islands sponsored a study in 2017 to collect better information about use, impacts, visitors, and preferences for management. The study addresses several questions related to San Juan Islands tourism, public lands, and recreation areas. The goal is to describe visitor experiences on San Juan Islands public lands, their trips, their opinions about impacts or problems, and their views on management actions that might be used to address problems.

The study included:

• A survey of ferry passengers (visitors and residents)
• Surveys of visitors to attraction sites (e.g., Lime Kiln State Park, Moran State Park, Shark Reef Sanctuary)
• Counts and observations of use at attraction sites
• An inventory of accommodations on the three main islands (San Juan, Orcas, and Lopez)
• An analysis of visitation from WSF, other passenger ferries, airlines, and marinas

Information will be used to inform decisions about development (campgrounds, lodging, roads, parking), recreation uses (boating, biking, trail networks), and ways to manage or better distribute use to enhance the quality or sustainability of visitor experiences. It is anticipated to facilitate efficiencies in cooperative planning among recreation managers.

The study, funded through county lodging tax grant and National Park Service investment, is being conducted for several agencies (including San Juan County Parks, San Juan County Land Bank, San Juan Islands Visitor Bureau, Washington State Parks, WA State Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Land Management, and the National Park Service) by Confluence Research and Consulting. For more information about the study, contact Dr. Doug Whittaker at 907-346-3769 or Dona Wuthnow, Parks & Fair Director at 360-370-7452

Public Presentations Continue Reading