Island Stage Left Announces Fall Production

Island Stage Left is proud to announce its production of “Annapurna” by Sharr White. The four week run opens at the San Juan County Fairgrounds’ Marie Boe Building on Thursday, Nov 9.

Director Helen Machin-Smith describes the play as, “compelling, laugh-out-loud funny, moving, devastating, and hopeful. It is a tour de force for two outstanding actors, and is an absolute joy to witness.”

The play opens on a down-on-his-luck cowboy poet living in a run-down trailer in the Colorado Rockies. His life is upended by the sudden arrival of Emma, his ex-wife from twenty years ago, but amid laughter and tears they discover the answers to some burning questions from the past.

Annapurna in Nepal is the most dangerous mountain in the world to climb – a fitting metaphor for the journey of love that Emma and Ulysses undertake as time begins to run out.

Venue: The Marie Boe Building, San Juan County Fairgrounds
Dates/Times: November 9 – December 3
Thursdays – Saturdays at 7 pm, Sunday matinees at 4 pm.
Special performances at 2 pm & 7:30 pm on Saturday, Nov. 25
(No performance on Thanksgiving Day)

Fish + Brew at Pier 1 (by the ferry dock and Cheesecake Cafe in Friday Harbor) is having a pumpkin carving contest.

Join us Saturday October 28th, anytime between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm. Our deck will be open for carving all day.

B.Y.O.P. bring your own pumpkin (no power tools please)
Complimentary Hot Cider and Hot Chocolate.

Pumpkins not taken home will be lit each night for display.

Judging will take place on Sunday the 29th. Winners will receive a mini pumpkin trophy (photo below) and a $20.00 gift certificate.

Friday Harbor Haunted House!

It’s time again “Frightmare at the Fairgrounds”! The Friday Harbor Jolly Trolley and the San Juan County Fairgrounds are sponsoring the 3rd annual Friday Harbor Haunted House on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28, 2017. This is truly a wonderful, spooky, fun and safe event for the whole family.

Alison and Tony from the Friday Harbor Jolly Trolley have gathered amazing, animated, professional Halloween displays and scenery over the years and are sharing their talents at creating a fun, memorable event. You will be truly surprised at the caliber of the spooks and scares… sure to delight everyone.

For the little ones and the faint of heart, there is a Saturday afternoon 2-6pm “No Scares” tour for $5. For all the “Scares and Spooks” go either Friday or Saturday night 6-10pm for only $10. Perfect followup after a birthday or dinner party! Bring your family and friends!

The proceeds of this event go to the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition to help our teens. For more information about Frightmare click here: www.fridayharborhauntedhouse.com 

This year we are asking for volunteers to step up and help make this the best year ever.  To volunteer and to find a time slot or little job that suits you click here: Volunteer: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080a4da9a923a5ff2-frightmare

Have a Spook-tacular season!

We support Anna Lisa Lindstrum for election as commissioner of Public Hospital District #1 because of the perspective she would bring to health care issues on our island.

A 17 year island resident, she has experience in health care and in business as current general manager at Duck Soup.

Her goals are to work for affordable health care for everyone on the island, to support EMS to ensure it will always be here, and to support Planned Parenthood in Friday Harbor as well as Washington State’s Death with Dignity Act.

Anna Lisa would bring commitment and caring as a commissioner of the Hospital District.

John and Emily Geyman

Here’s a note from Debbi Fincher at the SJI Prevention Coalition…

We are at it again! And we know It takes a Village to put on a community Haunted House! It’s actually fun when you do it with others! And, we’ll try to have some snacks on hand, too.

Thank you for considering (and hopefully) coming out to help! It’s all countable volunteer hours for school, as it’s a fundraiser through the SJC Fairgrounds and the SJIPC. This event will directly benefit the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition and Youth Leadership Training opportunities for local Middle & High School students!

So come rack up some hours with us! It’s a howling good time.

Thanks to the Friday Harbor Jolly Trolley for supporting our youth programs!

Please SHARE this with all your family, friends and neighbors!

(Ed. note – More info coming soon on this popular event)

The San Juan Island Friends of the Library organization will be celebrating the National Friends of Libraries Week, October 15-21. Many activities and special events will be available during the week.

We will be kicking-off our annual membership drive for 2018 week and the membership forms will be available at the special FOL table in the library salon. All members joining the Friends between Oct. 15 – Dec. 9 will be eligible for a $100 gift certificate to Griffin Bay Bookstore plus one our new library t- shirts. Drawing will be held Dec. 9 at our Holiday Book Sale.

Kicking off our FOL week will be a Book Swap event on Sunday, Oct. 15, for all ages. This year we will be swapping books from three categories: Mysteries, Comics, (for all ages) and Graphic Books (for children under 12). The swap will open at 2 pm for you to bring your books and the swap starts at 2:30 pm. This is a no-cost event and a great chance for you to trade your books. Refreshments will be provided. Continue Reading

Join Oak Boesky in a monthly, facilitated conversation to deepen your connection to your life’s purpose. The focus will be on re-discovering what you love and move in ever-widening circles to find greater purpose and meaning in your connections with others, in community, or in your ‘work’ in the world.

Oak is a doctoral candidate in Leadership and Social Transformation. Her great passion is story-listening, and finding the connections between our individual and collective stories. Each class will be held in the comfort of Oak’s home and include a potluck dinner, because what is better than food, friends, and good conversation. Directions will be given when you call to register

The cost of this ongoing workshop is $275.00. Limited scholarships are available, or monthly payments of $25.00/month/$300.00. Sign up with a friend and receive the friendship discount of $250.00/each. Call Oak at 360.298.4904 or email [email protected] to register or for more information.

Paideia Classical School’s Board of Directors, Staff, Students & Families would like to thank The Honeywell Charitable Fund of The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region
for their generous donation to our Scholarship Fund and Teacher Professional Development Program.

Paideia is a private school in Friday Harbor offering an excellent classical education for Kindergarten through 8th Grade. These funds go directly towards tuition aid for families wishing to attend our school and for the continuing professional development of our staff. We appreciate this wonderful community supporting our island families.

Thank You,
Jodi VanderYacht, Administrator
Paideia Classical School

In the mailbag today we find this letter from Louise Dustrude…

This election is crucial for those of us who believe in the reproductive rights of women and men and in the right to death with dignity. With Barbara Sharp’s term expiring, we need to elect someone with an equally strong commitment to these rights. There was only one candidate at the candidates forum on Oct. 3 who was willing to stand strong for these rights for all of us: Anna Lisa Lindstrum.

Louise Dustrude
Friday Harbor

In the SJ Update mailbag this morning we find this letter from Rich Meenan…

The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and the fall fundraising campaign of the San Juan Public Schools Foundation (SJPSF) is underway. Non-profit and all volunteers, the SJPSF has a simple mission: support K-12 public education on San Juan Island by raising community funds that supplement increasingly uncertain state and federal funding. Virtually all funds we raise support resources that our educators deem critical to sustain and improve the quality of our children’s education.

Many local businesses have generously purchased ads in our popular annual school directory through our Business Partnership program. Proceeds benefit students through updated textbooks, science materials, musical instrument repairs, coding kits, field trips, and reading programs, just to name a few of the many resources we support. Our students and their families thank our Business Partners, and we encourage the community to support them in return.

On October 16-17, the SJPSF will also hold our annual Phone-A-Thon. High school students, their parents, faculty and staff, and other volunteers will call community members (maybe you!) to ask for their financial support. Although many organizations are worthy of your generosity, I urge you to support the mission of public education, and celebrate with us its importance to the future of our children and our island community. Thanks for your support!

Rich Meenan
President
San Juan Public Schools Foundation

Skagit Valley College (SVC) is pleased to announce its participation again this year in the “College Goal Washington” event on Saturday, October 21 from 9:00 am-1:00 pm at SVC’s Mount Vernon and Whidbey Island campuses.

College Goal Washington is a program that helps students and families complete the FAFSA or WASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid/Washington Application for State Financial Aid) which is the applications needed to apply for financial assistance for post-secondary education.

Students from SVC, as well as high school students and their families, are welcome to attend. The event is being held in October as FAFSA/WASFA applications are available now.

Attendees will receive assistance in filling out FAFSA/WASFA forms from trained volunteers. In addition, financial aid experts will be onsite to answer questions about how to pay for college, how to access financial aid, and to work individually with students on a case-by-case basis.

Students who are ineligible for the FAFSA due to citizenship status may be eligible to file the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) and access the State Need Grant, helping them pay for college. Trained volunteers and interpreters will be available to work with students and families to fill out the WASFA.

For more information about the event, contact Rose Hill, Outreach Specialist, (360) 416-7795 or [email protected]

Merri Ann Simonson – Contributed photo

Here’s an update from Merri Ann Simonson on the local real estate market…

The third quarter results for San Juan Island and the County were consistent with the market recovery we have enjoyed over the last few years. Per the NWMLS, the dollar volume on San Juan Island was $102,639,659 with a total of 198 transactions.

This reflects a 21% increase in the dollar volume and an 18% increase in the number of transactions. For San Juan County, the total dollar volume was $202,326,283 with a total of 399 transactions. The County’s gain was 18.3% in dollar volume and 10% in the number of transactions. Since 2014, the increase in dollar volume each year has been steady and in the range of 12% to 16.5% at year-end. This year-end should be very similar.

Continue reading here (PDF)

Debbie Sandwith from the Roche Harbor Salmon Derby writes to let you know…

William Fisher with Winning Catch from 2016 – Debbie Sandwith photo

The Derby is SOLD OUT.

Please email/call to get on the waiting list. In all years past we have had cancellations.

We certainly appreciate the strong support of our participants.

~ Thank You!

Debbie Sandwith
[email protected]
360-378-5562

Photo by Jan Bollwinkel-Smith

San Juan Community Theatre’s fall play takes us to the origins of a far-off place known as “Neverland” –and the characters we fell in love with in the classic Peter Pan.

The Tony Award-winning, magical, and hilarious musical adventure by Rick Elice (based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson) is presented in the Gubelman Theatre for ten performances October 13-28.

Directed by Joy Van Camp, the play features some 15 island teen and adults actors, as well as a small group of musicians, all on the stage the entire time. Many of the actors play different roles and act as part of the set and sound effects, with more than 110 props to work with. “The play is very rhythmic,” said Van Camp. “Sometimes like being on a ship.”

The nonstop action centers on a young orphan and his mates who are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff, a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands… and then the ship is taken over by pirates.

The Business Partner for the production is Islanders Bank. Tickets are $22 for adults and $11 for student reserved; $5 student RUSH at the door if any seats are available; Thursdays, October 19 and 26 are “Pay What You Can: at the door.” The SJCT box office is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. www.sjctheatre.org or 378-3210.

You can help Las Vegas shooting victims.

On Monday morning, Bloodworks Northwest communicated with United Blood Services in Las Vegas to offer emergency blood components to treat those injured in the horrific shooting Sunday night. UBS advised that while their immediate hospital requirements are being met, additional supplies will be needed. We expect to be called upon in the days ahead as a large number of patients will need treatment and ongoing care.

We’re urging local donors who have not donated recently – regulars and first-timers – to help build our local inventories by donating this week so we can be ready to respond when shipments to Las Vegas are needed. Thank you for your support.

San Juan Island Blood Drive: Wednesday, October 11 from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Mullis Community Senior Center. To schedule an appointment to donate whole blood, please contact Bruce Martin: [email protected] or (360) 562-7263

Please see below to see the best way to help out, depending on your blood type. Of course, whole blood donations are always appreciated if you do not have the time for apheresis! To sign up for platelets or plasma, please call 1-800-398-7888!

Platelets (O+, A+, B+, O-): How platelet donation works. Platelets are essential for cancer patients. The process takes about 2 hours but allows you to give 10-15 times the amount of platelets as a standard donation. You can give platelets in between whole blood donations, up to once per week. You are eligible for platelets as soon as 3 days after a whole blood donation.

Plasma (AB+, AB-): How plasma donation works. If your blood type is AB, you are the universal plasma donor! Plasma is essential for burn victims and other patients. Donating plasma adds just 30 minutes to your visit.

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Jennifer Armstrong of Family Resource Center, John Lackey of Hospice of San Juan, Rotary District Gov Lindagene Coyle, Brian Moore of Family Umbrella Group – Jack Cory photo

The Rotary Club of San Juan Island recently presented checks to the recipients of proceeds from their 11th annual Concours  d’Elegance held on august 27th at the San Juan Vineyards. This event was co-sponsored with the Sports Car Club of San Juan Islands.

John Lackey of Hospice San Juan, Jennifer Armstrong of Family Resource Center, And Brian Moore of Family Umbrella Group each received $5,950.

The Rotary Club will donate $1,000 to Polioplus fund of Rotary International, dedicated to achieving a polio-free world in our lifetimes.

Please support our recipients as well as the following sponsoring organizations: Islanders Bank, IPS, Roche Harbor Resort, Kings Market, Lowe Construction, Peace Health Medical Center, Safe Harbor Insurance, Finish Line Auto Repair, Earthbox Motel & Spa, Porsche Bellevue, Friday Harbor Eye Clinic, Road Scholars, Friday Harbor House, Heritage Bank, Friday Harbor Drug, San Juan Propane, West Mechanical, Friday Harbor Electric, San Juan Interiors, Island Gardens, Aeronautical Services, Inc., Sotheby’s International Realty, Kenmore Air, Harbor Rental, Discovery Sea Kayaks, BMW of Bellevue, Goddu, Langlie, Loring, Sandstrom Pllc, M & W Auto Sales & Rentals, San Juan Vineyards.

Submitted by Carla Wright, publicity, Rotary Club of  SJI