John Jensen – Contributed photo

John Jensen has recently retired from serving as a Fire Commissioner for Fire District 3. His experience and commitment to our community has been a real asset to San Juan Island. 

Jensen began his career working for the US Civil Service Commission as a Security Investigator. He then worked for the National Park Service, first as a ranger at Pipestone National Monument, Whitman Mission National Historic Site, John Muir National Historic Site, and Point Reyes National Site, and later as a superintendent and district manager in North Cascades National Park for 9 years. At Mt. Rainier National Park, Jensen served at Chief Ranger for 11 years. 

His responsibilities at the National Park Service included structural fire, wildland fire, law enforcement, EMS, search and rescue, back country and climbing, resource management and road patrol.

Jensen states, “I want to thank the taxpayers of Fire District 3 for allowing me to serve as Fire Commissioner for 18 years. It was an honor and a privelege to work with great Commissioners, a fantastic staff, and wonderful firefighters. We have the best small fire department in the state!”

About 13,000 ballots were mailed to county voters almost two weeks ago.  As of Friday morning (Nov. 3) only 25 percent (about 3,200) of the ballot envelopes had been received.  That means many voters have their ballots.  Getting those ballots in “on time” is important.

If you plan to vote by mail, I encourage you to mail by Monday. Here is why:

To be considered, a mailed ballot must have the post office date stamp of Election Day or sooner. The next Election Day is Tuesday November 7. 

While the post office will accept mail all day long, it will stamp the mail on the same day only when it is received by mid-afternoon.  The exact time varies for each post office.

For that reason, it is most reliable if mail your ballot by Monday of election week, which is Monday November 6. 

You can deposit your ballot on Election Day, and the most reliable way to do that is to drop your ballot at one of the red, white and blue drop boxes for that purpose: at the Senior Center in Eastsound, at the courthouse in Friday Harbor; and at the fire station in Lopez Village.

Regards,
Randall Gaylord

Here’s a note from Rod Turnbull, Athletic Director at FHHS…

Just wanted to get the word out that the site of our Bi-District Championship Game has been moved to Sedro Woolley.  Since both teams involved in the game were from our area, we were able to move the game to a closer site. 

The game will start Saturday November 4th at 3:00 at Sedro Woolley High School.

Thanks,
Rod

Hi Everyone,

The next Art for Fun, paint pARTy, is coming up November 15! Enjoy an evening of step by step instruction as local artist, Kristen Abramson, guides you through the process of completing your own acrylic painting.

Partner up with friends, family, working buddies and register online for this fun experience at www.sjima.org.  The cost is only $35.  All supplies are provided. Time is 5:45-8:00pm. Located in the workshop room at San Juan Islands Museum of Art.

Class size is limited to 15.  Our painting for November 15 is “Fall Leaves.”

Private Party?? Contact Debbie if you would like to organize a private Art for Fun party, minimum of 6. You pick the date and the painting from our Painting Library and we provide the rest! A great way to celebrate with your employees, family coming to visit or just a girls (guys) night out for the holidays!

Warmly,
Debbie Pigman – Art for Fun Coordinator SJIMA
378-0951  [email protected]

Women’s Fund awards another $8,000 in grants to local non-profits

The San Juan Island Women’s Fund is a pooled donor-advised fund of the San Juan Island Community Foundation. For nearly 15 years, more than 100 local women have pooled their annual membership fee of $100 or more to fund local non-profit projects.

In October, 6 proposals were selected by Women’s Fund members to share in a total of $8,000 in allocated grant funds. The projects included: Family Umbrella Group (Preschool Scholarships), San Juan Island Family Resource Center (Special Needs Parent Support Group, Kindergarten Kickoff Event and Spanish Language for Human Services Professionals), San Juan Island Library (English Language Learning) and Island Stage Left (Equipment Replacement).

Founded in 2003, the San Juan Island Women’s Fund has a 3-pronged mission: to educate and expand the pool of local women engaged in philanthropy, to combine and build resources in order to make a significant impact in our community and to increase awareness of important issues facing San Juan Island non-profit organizations. To date, the Women’s Fund has donated $217,000 to more than 40 local non-profits via the Foundation’s grant program. 

Women’s Funds have been established all over the country to engage women in the power of collective giving. If you want to make an impact through local collective grant-making, consider joining today! You can sign up online by visiting sjiwomensfund.org or by calling Carrie Unpingco at the San Juan Island Community Foundation at 360-378-1001. For more information about the Women’s Fund, contact our facilitator, Amy Saxe-Eyler, at [email protected] or 360-317-8120.

Town accepting applications for open positions on Friday Harbor Arts Commission.

The Friday Harbor Arts Commission (FHAC) is seeking two new members to fill three-year appointments commencing January 1, 2018. Commissioners appointed to these unpaid, volunteer positions will 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.

Those with experience, background, or involvement with visual, performing, or literary arts should provide Mayor Carrie Lacher with a Letter of Interest and examples of their art and/or experience.  Applicants are advised to review the FHAC Guidelines posted under “Arts Commission” in the Agenda tab at 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 Mayor Lacher’s appointment of eight commissioners, including one non-voting youth member. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month.

Auditions are being held for San Juan Community Theatre’s winter play, giving actors chance to help warm up audiences with laughter and satire during the winter season.

Director Tony Vivenzio will be casting for Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s Happy Birthday, Wanda June on Monday and Tuesday, November 6-7 at 6:00 p.m.

The story centers around a famous hunter, Harold Ryan, who was missing and presumed dead and returns from Africa after eight years; his wife is aghast and his son is enchanted. 
Vivenzio will be looking for nine characters, including one young girl, a pre-teen boy, two adult females and five adult males.

Auditions will be held at SJCT’s PARC Studio, 70 Saltspring Drive off Beaverton Valley Road. Perusal scripts are available with a $10 deposit at the SJCT box office. The box office is open Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

PERFORMANCES for Happy Birthday, Wanda June will be held in the Gubelman Theatre February 16-18, 22-25 and March 1-3, 2018.

The Toy Box Celebrates the Eighth Annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day, November 11

On Saturday, November 11, The Toy Box will join hundreds of locally owned stores across the country to celebrate the eighth national Neighborhood Toy Store Day, an annual celebration in which independent toy shops kick off the holiday season with special events to introduce consumers to the benefits of shopping local. The Toy Box will offer fun, child-friendly activities such as instant discounts at the register, free samples, cookies! paint you own Breyer Horse.

“Our local stores make holiday shopping easier, by offering a personalized approach and customer service that one will not find shopping large retailers,” said Nancy Buechner, owner The Toy Box Friday Harbor. “Our friendly and knowledgeable staff is ready to help you find that special toy. AND as always, we offer free gift wrapping.”

In addition, shopping locally supports the community by creating jobs and preserving neighborhoods. Compared to chain stores, independent local businesses put a significantly larger share of revenue back into the local economy in the form of taxes, salaries and more. Continue Reading

The Friday Harbor Film Festival officially starts tomorrow, Friday November 3rd, but they are having a FREE preview tonight at 5:30 pm at San Juan Community Theatre. Check out the Angst: Breaking the Stigma Around Anxiety screening and virtual reality experience for high school and middle school students, parents and teachers.

Angst takes an in-depth look at anxiety – its causes and effects – and explores what we can do about it. The film features interviews with kids and young adults who suffer or have suffered from anxiety, and who are willing to talk about their experiences and what they have learned.

Prior to the film, the audience will be given special glasses to have a virtual reality experience. This fascinating documentary and virtual reality experience was produced by Scilla Andreen, who also produced Screenagers, featured at the 2016 Film Festival. Angst will also be shown during the Festival on Friday, Nov. 3rd. See the FHFF Website for more info.

Girls Soccer – Contributed photo

FHFC has some exciting news. This weekend 5 of our of traveling teams will compete in the Skagit Valley Youth Soccer Association (SKVYSA) soccer playoffs and championships. Our traveling teams compete against teams from Mt. Vernon, Anacortes, Burlington, Sedro-Woolley and Conway.

This year our players and coaches have done very well. On the girls side, our U11 team coached by Bryan Leighton, U14 team coached by Randy Martin & Ed Tucker and U12 team coached by Scott Zehner & Missy Martin have all made the playoffs finishing their season in second and third place in the standings.

Our boys teams have done just as well with our both of our boys U14 teams, coached by Sean Parsons & Floyd Bourne and Tito Bayas & Humberto Jimenez, finishing in 3rd and 1st place in their league standings.

All playoff and championship games will be held at Skagit River Park in Burlington. Please see the schedule below. Continue Reading

The County currently has 2 ways for you to share your input.

First – Put Your Opinon on the Map! Literally…

13 of our very own island writers will read from Landings, a compilation of poetry, prose, and creative non-fiction written about “landings”
in the San Juan Islands!

San Juan Writes, a consortium of island writers is proud to present a reading from their second annual ‘zine, Landings, at the Library on Saturday, November 4, 7:00 pm. These local writers will share their exploration of the theme, “landings” through poetry, prose and creative non-fiction.

Signs Along The Way was the first ‘zine written to the theme: street signs in the San Juan Islands. It was the effort of two local writing groups. This year the publication has expanded to include several other local authors.

A ‘zine or fanzine is a self-published, small circulation publication based on a common interest or theme. They are considered to be alternative or creative publications sold at a minimal price that reflects the publishing expense. ‘Zines often reflect the local culture of the many places where artists and writers flourish.

You can see letters from individuals supporting our candidates at the links below. Letters are listed in chronological order. As more letters come in, this list will be updated so be sure to check back.

For Anna Lisa Lindstrum – Hospital District Commissioner
Robbie Lawson
Louise Dustrude
Kerwin Johnson
John and Emily Geyman
Martha Scott
Susan Grout
Eileen Drath
Don Pollard & Dave Ralston
Lee Sturdivant
von Dassow family
Karin Agosta
Richard and Sherri Daly

For Farhad Ghatan – Mayor
Lynn Danaher
Louise Dustrude & Lee Sturdivant
Carrie Lacher & Howie Rosenfeld
Aaron D’Errico

For Barbara Marrett – Port Commissioner
Robin Jacobson
Steve Simpson
John and Emily Geyman
Jean Shreve
Bob Brunkow
Lynn Danaher

Keith Carver – Port Commissioner
Lauren Cohen
Melissa Alspaugh

John Manning – Hospital District Commissioner
Robert Callegari

Sarah Werling-Sandwith – School District Board
Jo Sandwith

T.J. Heller – School District Board
Jo Sandwith

Please join us at the Whale Museum on Wednesday November 1st at 3:00 pm as we honor the lives and commemorate the deaths of passed Southern Resident orcas. Come and share your memories of departed whales who are gone but never forgotten. The Whale Museum helps keep the legacies of these whales alive through its ‘Storykeeper Series’ – limited commemorative packets available in the Museum store, designed to remember those orcas who have gone before.

We ask for your help as we prepare to honor the departed members of the Southern Resident Community. If you have any photos of past whales or special stories you would like to share, we welcome them! For more information please contact us at 360 378-4710 ext. 30. A special thank you to Islanders Insurance for their generous sponsorship of this event.

The November 1st event is free and open to the public. The Whale Museum is located in Friday Harbor at 62 First Street North. Founded in 1979, The Whale Museum’s mission is to promote stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research. In addition to providing exhibits, the Museum also offers programs including, Marine Naturalist Training, Orca Adoption, Soundwatch Boater Education, San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and the Whale Hotline.

The Whale Museum can be found on-line at www.whalemuseum.org.

San Juan Historical Museum checks in with the November edition of their History Column…

John W. King and his wife Marcia Dightman King – SJ Historical Society photo

“Your grandma used to tell me about the land,
every bit these young people cleared by hand.”

This was a King family memory included in a poem read on Thanksgiving Day thirty years ago at the Friday Harbor Grange Hall, where many King family members had gathered. That day, Helen Senior King shared family stories as told to her by John W. King and his wife Marcia Dightman King, pictured here. Even though John and Marcia had passed away long before, in the 1950s, stories from their early island years were preserved in the poem and in family reminiscence.

“She would take the baby, put him in a box
to keep him in safety while they hauled rocks.”

Not all family history is found in census records and birth certificates. Some is found in poems and journals. The San Juan Historical Society archives include collections of family memorabilia, large and small, but all important.

As this is the month of Thanksgiving, we would like to express our thanks for the generosity of island families who have shared their histories with us over the years. Let’s plan for the future and continue to preserve today’s family memories. After all, it’s history in the making.

Beth Spadafora With Her Mother Dorothy – Photo Levy Ross

November is National Family Caregivers month and a time to acknowledge those among us who, whether it is for an aging parent, injured spouse, or a sick child are caring for loved ones every day and around the clock. You probably do not have to think very hard to come up with someone you know who is doing this. Don’t be shy to offer a hand. A trip to the store, a meal, a foot or shoulder rub… or just a good conversation can lift the spirits of a friend with what can sometimes seem like overwhelming responsibilities.

If you are an unpaid family caregiver of someone over 60 or disabled, a valuable resource our community has to offer is San Juan Island Family Caregiver Support. This support group is free of cost and meets from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at the Mullis Center. Lucretia Devine facilitates the group. With her background in therapy, she brings insight and sensitivity to the complex issues caregivers face. Continue Reading