Tickets are on sale for Island Rec’s 13th Annual Father Daughter Dance – a special occasion for girls of all ages to get dressed up and spend quality time with their dads, granddads, or other male role-models.   Treat your darling daughters to a special night out with music from DJ Doug, dancing, and delicious appetizers & desserts! Girls receive a free charm and a keepsake photo.

The fun happens Friday, February 9th, from 7-9pm at the Mullis Center. Tickets are $25 per couple in advance and can be purchased at Island Rec’s office or online at www.islandrec.org.

Get your tickets now as the price jumps to $30 at the door. Scholarships are available. Sponsored by Vinny’s Ristorante, Market Place. For more information call 378-4953 or drop by the office 580 Guard St. Monday – Friday 11am-5pm.

Free Community Screening Of Dolores, The Movie To Be Held On January 29th

The Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor, in collaboration with the Friday Harbor Film Festival, San Juan Island School District, and the San Juan Community Theatre are pleased to announce the screening of “Dolores”, the autobiographical documentary of Dolores Huerta, on January 29, 2018 at 7:00 pm at the San Juan Community Theatre.

The film is directed by Peter Bratt and produced by Carlos Santana. This is a FREE community event, with limited seating available on a first come first served basis. The film will be followed by a Q&A session with Ms. Huerta. In addition to the free community screening, there will be a private screening for Friday Harbor and Griffin Bay high school students at 1:00 pm on January 29.

Ms. Huerta was an equal partner in co-founding the first farm workers union with Cesar Chavez, and a life-long advocate for the rights of others. Dolores Huerta is among one of the most important, yet least known, activists in American history. Dolores tirelessly led the fight for racial and labor justice alongside Chavez. Her contributions have gone largely unrecognized, until recently. In 2012 President Obama bestowed Dolores with her most prestigious award, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. Upon receiving this award Dolores said, “The freedom of association means that people can come together in organization to fight for solutions to the problems they confront in their communities.”   Continue Reading

Orcas Island author and photographer, Robert Dash, returns to San Juan Island to talk about his his gorgeous book, On An Acre Shy of Eternity, Micro Landscapes at the Edge at the San Juan Island Library on Wednesday, February 7th at 7:00 pm. You’ll get a glimpse of the foray he made into his own landscape and the magic he captured there.

In On An Acre Shy of Eternity, Micro Landscapes at the Edge, Robert Dash takes nature exploration to new depths. He views the mystery of this land as one might read a book, promoting a visual, poetic, and ecological literacy that he calls “locavore art and ecology”—the art, science and discovery that beckons in one’s own front yard.

Over a three-year period he traveled from bluff to tree, feather to seed on a near-acre of forest, meadow and cliff shouldering the Salish Sea. Using metaphors, a camera, and a scanning electron microscope, Dash features beauty at scales ranging from craters on the moon to grains of pollen a few thousandths of an inch wide.

Robert Dash – Contributed photo

About the Author
Robert Dash is an Orcas Island photographer, naturalist and educator whose book invites readers on a wild, contemplative, miniature hike. His photographs have been published by National Geographic, Time, The Week, and Lensculture, and have appeared in galleries and juried shows around the country. Dash presented the Orcas TedX talk, “The Intercourse of Nature: It’s What We Are” in 2016. Several images in his book were created with the scanning electron microscope at Friday Harbor Labs.

This just came in from Washington State Ferries this morning:

The Anacortes terminal remains closed for an emergency search and rescue incident. Service to and from Anacortes is expected to be suspended for several more hours. All vessels with inbound Anacortes sailings have returned to departure terminals. When service resumes, reservation holders are prioritized on a first come, first served basis. “No show” fees will not be charged for any reservations departing or arriving at the Anacortes terminal. Inter-island will continue to operate as scheduled.

We advise limiting discretionary travel for the remainder of the day due to long delays and backups expected when service resumes. Schedule details will be provided when clearance to return to service is received.   

This alert was sent on 1/25/2018 at 10:43AM to subscribers of the Anacortes / San Juan Islands route.

The San Juan Island Fire Department celebrated another year of service at their annual banquet at Downriggers, Saturday, January 20. As part of the festivities, Chief Brad Creesy presented many members with awards and recognition for their dedication to the department. 

Among the awards (left to right in picture): Assistant Chief Noel Monin for 20 years of service; Lt. Erin Graham Officer of the Year; Captain Tad Lean 25 years of service; Kate McDowell Logistics Member of the Year; Firefighter Ron Stanger 20 years of service; Lt. Harry See Operator of the Year; Michelangelo von Dassow Rookie of the Year; Nicolas Wainwright Firefighter of the Year. 

In addition, 5 members were recognized for their dedication to Public Education, including school visits, the safety fair, and fire extinguisher training. They are: FF Melissa Arata, FF Susan Risser, FF Peter Risser, Lt. Erin Graham, and FF Kathleen Salinas. 

The department would like to especially thank Orcas Island Fire for sending an engine and crew to provide first response during the banquet, Joan Williams for coordinating the banquet, the San Juan Firefighters’ Association, the Friday Harbor Firefighters’ Association Thrift House, and Debbie and the whole crew at Downriggers for a lovely evening. 

The Town of Friday Harbor is looking for two people to fill immediate vacancies on the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB).

The best candidates are people who appreciate Friday Harbor’s history and historic sites, and are willing to attend two meetings a month to help preserve Friday Harbor’s rural character. At least one of the positions must be filled by a Friday Harbor resident. The other position is open to anyone living on San Juan Island.

The five unpaid citizen board members who make up the HPRB are appointed by the mayor to help guide the Town and the owners of historic properties toward the common goal of sensitive preservation of historic buildings for contemporary use. It is nuanced work that also requires a willingness to collaborate and the desire to serve the community.

And above all, the HPRB is the advocate for historic buildings that have no voice of their own, except in our memories.

For information about board duties and responsibilities, or to submit a resume, visit www.fridayharbor.org or contact Sandy Strehlou, Historic Preservation Review Board Coordinator, Town of Friday Harbor, 378-2810, [email protected], or PO Box 219, Friday Harbor.

Island Rec is very excited to announce a do-it-yourself strum stick class. Strum sticks are essentially dulcimers that are played like a guitar and are simple to learn.

In this class you will make a strum stick from a kit, a number of which are being produced by a group of HS STEM students. You will also receive lessons on how to play the strum stick as part of the class and you’ll end up with a beautiful instrument.

This class costs $45 and discounts are available. To buy this instrument typically cost $150-$200, so this is a great deal, with lessons thrown in to boot!

Classes will be M-F during the school’s mid-winter break, February 19-23, from 1-2:00, and meeting at the Rec House. Contact Island Rec to register, early fee deadline is Feb. 15.

www.IslandRec.org, 360-378-4953, 580 Guard St. Monday – Friday 11:00-5pm.

The second semester FHHS Community Service-Learning Class will begin January 29th. This class utilizes committed adult mentors who will guide students through the completion of a service project related to community improvement – both locally and globally. 

This is a great opportunity for a “win-win” partnership between students and local organizations. If you have a community improvement project in mind, a fifteen minute in-class presentations time can be arranged on January 31st, February 1st, or February 2nd  from 8:15-9:00 AM.

Please contact Jenny Wilson at [email protected]  for more information.

This article was shared by Dave Holloran of the SJC Department of Emergency Management…

If you are like me, you woke up in the early morning hours yesterday to a phone call, text or other notification of a potential tsunami stemming from the 7.9 magnitude earthquake in the Gulf of Alaska.

A flurry of activity followed with phone calls between DEM Director Brendan Cowan and myself, the Sheriff’s Office 911 dispatch center and the State Emergency Management Alert Center. Then came updating local first responders, Facebook and Twitter with any new updates to the situation.

We’ve been advised previously that an earthquake in the Gulf of Alaska would not cause a tsunami threatening our island community, but wanted to be sure this was the case. Continue Reading

Thomas Adés’ The Exterminating Angel

One of The Met: Live in HD’s newest operas also features a record for the 137-year-old opera organization.

Thomas Adés’ The Exterminating Angel will be screened at San Juan Community Theatre this Sunday, January 28 at 2:00 p.m. (It was originally set to be screened in November but there was an island power outage that afternoon).

The surreal fantasy, which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 2017, features soprano Audrey Luna hitting the highest A above high C note in its history. The opera is about a dinner party from which the guests can’t escape and is based on the screenplay by Luis Buñuel and Luis Alcoriza for the acclaimed 1962 Buñuel film.

Tickets available at this link.

It’s that time of year again! The 24th annual Knowledge Bowl will take place on Monday, February 5th at the San Juan Community Theatre. Sponsored by the San Juan Public Schools Foundation, this family fun event begins at 6:30 PM with the Friday Harbor High School Jazz Band.

Teams made up of middle and high school students will go head to head with 4 local service organizations: Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary and Soroptimist, to answer tricky questions on a wide range of topics while dressed in fun costumes. This year we are pleased to include a team of high school students from Spring Street International School. Prizes will be awarded for best team costume and the team correctly answering the most questions.

With Brent Snow emceeing, the event promises to be lively and entertaining.

Delicious baked goods provided by the Friday Harbor Middle School PTA will be on sale before the program and during intermission.

So put on your thinking caps and test your knowledge while supporting a great cause in a fun filled night of trivia.

Suggested donation of $5 for adults and $3 for students.

Do you have fruit trees or an interest in them? Would you like a better understanding of how to prune and care for them?

Join the San Juan Island Grange for a field trip to Dancing Seeds Farm Sunday, January 28th, for a hands on pruning workshop lead by Greg Meyer and Keith Keyser.

The workshop will begin with an 11am brunch potluck meet ‘n’ greet in the farmhouse at 3501 Beavterton Valley Rd, where there will be books to peruse, and graphics to examine.  

We will move into the orchard at noon, where Keith and Greg will go over times of year to prune, tools, techniques, and collecting scion wood for grafting future trees!

The day will wrap up by 2pm.

Greg Meyer’s experience with pruning started out with attending a workshop just like this while living in Seattle, where he was also lucky enough to have a landlady who let him practice on a plum and apple tree at her house.  Greg then spent two years at the Bullock Brother’s Homestead on Orcas Island, where he pruned trees of all ages and sizes, while at the same time honing his skills with his landscaping clients.

Keith Keyser pruned apple trees for commercial orchards in Okanogan County for two years, in the late ’70’s.  Since then he has worked on many clients trees over the years as well as for his own small orchard.

Free Pruning Workshop at Dancing Seeds Farm is part of the Grange Lecture Series, which strives to foster social and political engagement, discussion, and to maintain our historical Hall as a home for celebrations and programs.

The San Juan County Council has approved, based on petitions submitted last summer, a proposition for the formation of a public hospital district on Orcas Island. The question of formation will go to the voters of Orcas Island in the April 24, 2018, election. Also on the ballot will be the election of five commissioners for the new district. If the formation measure fails, the results of the commissioner races will be voided.

Persons who are interested in serving as commissioners for the new district must file to run for office. Candidate Filing Week is scheduled for the week of February 5 through February 9. During filing week, candidates may submit their filings online, by email, by fax, or in person at the San Juan County Elections Office at 55 Second Street, Friday Harbor. Online candidate filing will be available Monday, February 5 at 9 a.m. through Friday, February 9 at 4 p.m. In person, emailed and faxed filings will be accepted Monday, February 5 at 8 a.m. through Friday, February 9 at 4:30 p.m. Continue Reading

Merri Ann Simonson is back with another of her videos…

This San Juan Island lifestyle video shares the 2018 Roche Harbor Derby.  It offers tips on fishing and dancing.

The San Juan Community Home Trust held an orientation session on Saturday, January 20 for new members of its Board of Directors. It was the second year the Home Trust has held the get together, which familiarizes recently elected board members with their legal responsibilities under Washington law, as well as the Home Trust’s programs, finances, neighborhoods, fundraising, and history. Continue Reading

17lb. 11oz $10,000 winning fish caught by Robert Enselman of Stanwood – Contributed photo

This derby recap was shared by Debbie Sandwith of Roche Harbor…

Record early SELL-OUT ~ on October 6, 2017, with a 100 Boat Limit ~ the 15th Annual Derby kicked off on Thursday January 18th registering a total of 357 Anglers. Weather was wet, cool & winds that kept us honest when the cannon went off Friday Morning to start day one of fishing. Friday total fish weighed in was 102 in spite of the challenging weather for our hardy anglers!

Saturday morning was wet but calm to start the day as they raced out for the second day of the Derby. 77 fish were weighed in on Saturday. Total Fish weighed in: 179

The results from the derby are:

• 100 Derby Boats; total 357 Anglers *Record Attendance*
• 102 fish weighed in on Friday January 19th, 2018
• 77 fish weighed in on Saturday January 20th, 2018

$26,000 cash prizes awarded:

• $10,000 1^st Place – Robert Enselman, Stanwood      17.11
• $5,000 2^nd Place – Larry Surdyk, Snohomish        15.15
• $3,000 3^rd Place – Dustin Walker, Oak Harbor      14.10
• $1,500 4th& 5th Place Tie – Vicki Klein, Friday Harbor   13.11
• $1,500 4th & 5th Place Tie – Michael Beard, Oak Harbor      13.11 
• $2,000 Mystery Fish – Thomas Lerch, Oak Harbor tag#1051  13.9   
• $2,000 Best Boat Total Weight – Team Michael Beard, Oak Harbor      79.11
• $1000 Leading Lady Angler – Vicky Klein, Friday Harbor   13.11 
• Youngest Angler – Floyd Holman, 8 yrs old, Friday Harbor
  
• Miles Harris, Federal Way – 2019   Boat Entry drawing winner

For more pictures of the event visit the Roche Harbor Salmon Derby Facebook Page