2017 Grange #225 Talent Contest Winners: Left to right: 1st place Adriena Pew, 4th place Eric Sable, 2nd place Blake Budwill, 3rd place Aida Must – Contributed photo

Friday Harbor Grange #225 and Community Treasures sponsored the Grange Spring Talent Contest on Thursday, April 6, 2017 at the FH Middle School Commons.

There were 10 entries and three awesome judges: Laura Concord, Julie Hanks, and Bobby Ryan. Master of Ceremonies was Dorian Oliver.

The evening was joyful, positive, and a cheerful audience applauded at the effort, enthusiasm, and sometimes nerve induced performances. Participants were scored with a rubric which included: stage presence, appropriateness of dress, preparation and skill, suitability of number, and audience appeal.

First Place and $250.00 went to Adriena Pew for a vocal performance. Second Place and $100.00 went to Blake Budwill for an instrumental performance. Third place and $50.00 went to Aida Must for a vocal/instrumental piece. Fourth place and $25.00 went to Eric Sable for an instrumental performance.

Left to right: Barry Cave- Grange 225 Vice President, Dorian Oliver – Master of Ceremonies, Nancy Fusure- Grange Program Director. Contestants: Dexter Prescott, Eric Sable, Sienna Bartlett, Blake Budwill, Austyn Gunwall, Emily Atwell, Aida Must, Adriena Pew, Dominic Beachem, and Maria Penwell with her son Carson. Not pictured, Deborah Strasser – Contributed photo

All of these winners will have the opportunity to enter the Grange’s NW Regional Talent Contest in Lynnwood later this month. All participants received CT gift cards and participation certificates. The talent was diverse from singing to a magic act, dancing, and 5 gallon bucket drumming.

Deborah Strasser was the first participant, and she dedicated an original song that she sang while she played the music to the Sullivan and Ashcraft families.

Here at the San Juan Island Family Resource Center (SJIFRC), our mission is to assist people in our community to achieve their highest potential by providing access to essential resources and programs that promote health, well-being and stability.  We’re fortunate to have a warm, inviting building, gracious clients from all walks of life and an experienced, involved board of directors. 

SJIFRC also has a quiet partner right down the street that many people might not realize: the San Juan Island Community Foundation.  I’m guessing that most people in our community associate the SJI Community Foundation with the notable financial support it provides for so many critical services and organizations in Friday Harbor. 

From my perspective here at the SJIFRC, I can attest to the foundation’s generosity. In the past year alone, SJI Community Foundation has provided the bulk of funding needed for our center’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program, Island Neighbors Program, Young Adult Life Skills Classes and annual Kindergarten Kickoff event.  These programs reach over 350 islanders of different ages, socioeconomic levels, cultures and educational backgrounds each year. 

Here’s what many people might not realize: Continue Reading

Skagit Valley College Commencement 2017 is quickly approaching! Celebrate with your family and friends! It’s your time to shine!

• San Juan Center
  Wednesday, June 14; 1:30 pm
  The Brickworks
• Mount Vernon Campus
  Thursday, June 15
  Dave DuVall Pavilion (gym); 6:30 pm
• Whidbey Island Campus
  Friday, June 16
  Oak Harbor High School; 6:30 pm

The deadline to apply for Commencement is Tuesday, April 11. To apply, visit http://grad.skagit.edu

Whether or not a student plans to participate in Commencement, they still need to apply to graduate in order to be awarded a degree or certificate.

All graduates attending Commencement are required to follow academic tradition and must wear a cap and gown will be available for purchase in the SVC Cardinal Bookstore starting May 16 at a price of $49.99.

Jane Fox – Contributed photo

San Juan Community Theatre’s new Office and Events Assistant, Jane Fox, brings a variety of experience to her new job.

Fox first moved to the island seven years ago from Boston (where she’d earned her Masters in Journalism) to be a photographer for the San Juan Preservation Trust. She later worked as a reporter at the Journal of the San Juan Islands before briefly moving back to her native Scotland. She then returned to the island where she managed the the San Juan Island Farmers Market. She currently is an Education Planner and English Literature teacher at Skagit Valley College.

Her part-time position at SJCT includes administrative support of the staff and box office as well as assisting with events. “I like what the Theatre does for this community,” said Fox about why she applied for the job. “I also like working with the people there.”

The Land Bank 2016 Annual Report is on its way to postal boxes across the county, but if you just can’t wait, click on the image below and get first peek!

Kubatana Marimba band performing on the Community Stage in 2016 – Contributed photo

The San Juan County Fair calls for local performer applications

Calling all performers for the 2017 San Juan County Fair, applications are being accepted. Performers from the San Juan Islands and surrounding areas are encouraged to apply online now!

The 2017 San Juan County Fair will be held Wednesday through Saturday, August 16th-19th at the San Juan County Fairgrounds, featuring multiple stages, roving family entertainment, educational demonstrations and exhibits.

The San Juan County Fair is an opportunity to showcase local talent and celebrate the culture of the San Juan Islands. Help represent this region through music, dance, comedy, theater, improv, storytelling, poets, parades, visual artists, and everything in-between at the largest event in San Juan County.

Debbi Fincher writes in support of the Youth Sailing Club…

Click to enlarge

The annual San Juan Island Sailing Foundation Fundraiser which supports our Youth Sailing Programs – both Island Rec Summer Sailing classes on Percich Pond and Teen Sailing Team out on the water at Jackson’s Beach – is coming up on May 4th at the SJI Yacht Club.

The SJISF has been offering an affordable sailing program to island youth for over 25 years now, with the generous support of our community and those that frequent the SJI Islands. This year, we also made a social media platform to help our outreach to those that know the value of such a program for young kids. Sailing is a sport that can take you places 🙂 Paying it forward to the next generation is always a win-win.

Our Social Media Campaign Link is SJI Youth Sailing. If you can’t make our Dinner and Auction Event in May, you can still show support of island youth learning how to sail. After all, we do live on an island! Learning to sail builds confidence, determination, and character, all skills which will carry over into adulthood.

Continue Reading

Salish Sea Stands for Climate Action Rally and Solutions Fair!

Join your community on Saturday, April 29 in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in solidarity with Climate Movement marches throughout the world.

• When: April 29, 2917
• Where: San Juan County Courthouse Steps, Friday Harbor WA
• Time: 12 pm – 1:30 pm

The People’s Climate Movement and Mobilization is part of a larger strategy to push back on Trump’s agenda of climate denial and fossil fuel expansion, and show we support real climate solutions here in the San Juan Islands.

Share your energy, creativity, and leadership to promote climate and clean energy solutions in the islands and resist fossil fuel infrastructure projects. This is our best chance of continuing to keep playing offense, even as we defend everything this administration wants to take away. This is an inter-island event, and planned around the inter-island ferry.

Local speakers on the topics of energy production, conservation, food, transportation, soil health, and other topics will discuss initiatives to reduce climate impacts starting at noon. Then stretch your legs for a march around Friday Harbor in solidarity with other communities around the world. The march will end at an electric vehicle car show and solutions fair.

If we want to build the future we need, it will require us mobilizing to make change.

For more information call Friends of the San Juans at 360-378-2319 and visit https://peoplesclimate.org/.

Friday Harbor High School’s Turnbull Gym Locker Room Remodel to begin April 12, 2017

San Juan Island School District is excited to announce the start of the Turnbull Gym locker room remodel. The demolition and construction phase of the long awaited re-model and refurbishment of the Turnbull Gym locker rooms will officially begin on Wednesday, April 12th. This project is scheduled to be completed by the middle of August so that it does not interfere with next year’s curriculum or sport schedules.

The Turnbull Gym remodel bid was awarded to H.B. Hansen Construction, Inc., from Lynden Washington.

After April 12th gym access will be limited to the weight room area for weight training classes only. Island Rec activities that are usually scheduled for Turnbull Gym will continue in the Friday Harbor High School’s Hall Gym. Middle School and High School PE classes will take place also in Hall Gym or outside during favorable weather. During inclement spring weather, high school Baseball and Fastpitch practice will take place in Hall Gym as well.

Ralph Hahn, SJISD Board Chair, said, “We are looking forward to completing the Turnbull Gym Locker room remodel. The district is very thankful to the community for support for this project through the Capital and Technology Levy.”

Questions may be directed to Garret Holmes, SJISD Facility Manager, (360) 370-7902.

New video highlights how healthy shorelines can adjust to rising seas, protecting habitat and property.

Sea level rise and climate change: they’re what coastal communities around the globe are increasingly talking about and feeling the impacts of. Forward-thinking individuals and governments are taking steps to prepare.

In San Juan County, the most likely impacts associated with sea level rise are higher water levels, high tides and increased frequency and magnitude of coastal flooding and erosion events. Many places in the San Juans, especially low lying shoreline roads, are already impacted by coastal erosion and flooding.

Beach habitat for recreation, shellfish and forage fish spawning will also be lost in a process known as the “coastal squeeze” – when hard armoring prevents the beach from naturally adjusting landward in response to rising seas, causing the beach to be under water even at lower tides.

Friends of the San Juans’ new video called “Planning for the Future: Benefits of Restoration” documents the approach one family took when undertaking a major redevelopment of their property.

“When we were looking at our options for redeveloping our property, one of the things we took into account was sea level rise. We wanted to get rid of the big seawall and make sure both the house and beach would be around in 100 years. By moving the house back, we were able to restore the beach for now and the future,” said John and Maia Vechey, who are spotlighted in the new video.

This beach restoration project was funded by the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the private landowner.

To view the video and for more for information, visit the Friends of the San Juans website.

“Everyone can play a proactive role addressing the projected increases in erosion and flood hazards—whether as individuals or as a community in terms of public infrastructure and the siting of new development. How we adapt will impact how our shorelines look and function for generations to come,” said Tina Whitman, Friends’ Science Director.

Land Bank – Contributed photo

Litter-Free by the Sea: The Great Islands Clean-Up on Earth Day (April 22)

Mark your calendars – it is time for the 2017 Great Islands Clean-Up, the annual county-wide spring-cleaning event, during which volunteers collect litter from public beaches and roadways. This year, the clean-up will be held on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to noon, rain or shine.

During last year’s event, approximately 450 islanders collected almost 5000 pounds of litter. And things looked pretty spiffy! But sadly, sometimes our refuse continues to end up as litter. Thoughtless tossing of bottles, cans, food wrappers, or cigarette butts; accidental “blowing away” of debris from unsecured loads on boats and trucks; or deliberate dumping of tires, etc., all contribute to the need to make litter pick-up an ongoing effort.

Many businesses on the islands have been supportive – particularly San Juan Sanitation, who always provides collection for the event. This year multiple organizations have joined the effort – including the town of Friday Harbor, Washington State Ferries, the Orcas Chamber of Commerce, San Juan Islands Leave No Trace, and Friends of the San Juans.

All islanders are encouraged to help pick up the accumulated trash so that residents and visitors alike are treated to a litter-free island where clean roadsides and beaches are the standard.

Want to help?

Free bags, grabbers, safety vests and gloves will be available on San Juan Island at the County Public Works office at 915 Spring Street during the week before the event, and on the other islands the day of the event. Pick-up of collected litter will be at various places on each island; check with your island’s organizer for that information. 

More info and photos below –  Continue Reading

Free Presentation: Awaken Your Inner Healer

Stephanie Prima – Contributed photo

Despite what the medical system tells you, there are many things you can do naturally to move you towards the wellbeing and health you desire.

Learn how to “Awaken Your Inner Healer: Simple Strategies to Heal Yourself from Inside Out” on Monday, April 10th from 5:15 to 6:30pm, at the San Juan Island Library meeting room with Stephanie Prima. This event is free to the public.

In this presentation, Stephanie will share three specific tools she has used to activate her innate healing as well as insights she has learned along her journey in holistically healing from cancer.

This event is not sponsored by the San Juan Island Library. 

Email questions to [email protected].

On Saturday, April 22, Lopez Island Conservation Corps (LICC) invites the community to join in on the seventh annual Procession of the Species. The Procession kicks off promptly at 3:30 pm, so plan to arrive at 3:00 to get set up.

To participate in the procession, all you need is a costume or adornments that display any living thing–animal, plant, fungus–wearable while walking. Only three rules govern costumes: please, no written words; no motors; and no living animals. This is a free, all-ages event, rain or shine, and open to all members of the public.

Need help creating your costume? In partnership with the school, LICC is sponsoring a costume-making workshop in the school’s Art Room on Saturday April 15 from 10 am- 2 pm. A LICC representative will be on site to advise, assist, and provide art materials to bring your creativity to life. Children must be accompanied by their parents.

As it did last year, the Procession will begin and end at Lopez Village Water Tower Park. Animal costumes and accessories will be available before the parade, for those who haven’t had the chance to make their own but still wish to participate. Spectators are also very welcome!

This Earth Day celebration is sponsored by the Lopez Island Conservation Corps (LICC) and Lopez Island Prevention Coalition (LIPC). For more information about this event contact: Erin Licata, erin [@] sjicd.org.

“Nootka”, a Pacific Harbor Seal pup in rehab – Wolf Hollow WRC photo

Resuming rehabilitation for harbor seal pups has been a top priority for Wolf Hollow since the temporary suspension of its marine mammal program in 2016, primarily due to a lack of funding. After many months of diligent work to assess facility needs and raise funds, Wolf Hollow recently announced they will be accepting injured harbor seal pups again this summer. 

Historically, facility and rehabilitation costs (an average of $40k per year) have been largely funded by NOAA’s John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Grant. As with any grant program, funding is not guaranteed. In 2015 and 2016, Wolf Hollow’s proposals were not selected for funding. There were also some facility items to address to get back up and running.

“It wasn’t an easy hurdle to clear, but we had a lot of help,” said Amy Saxe-Eyler, Wolf Hollow’s Executive Director. “By the end of March, we reached our goal to obtain enough private donations to prepare our facilities and feel comfortable about committing to resuming our program this summer. We’re so grateful for the support we’ve received from our donors, volunteers and marine mammal community partners like the San Juan and Whatcom County Marine Mammal Stranding Networks, NOAA and other state wildlife facilities. This is a strong network of people committed to the health of the animals.” Continue Reading

Just one of many places represented at the Terrestrial Managers Meeting, Mt. Young in English Camp – Tim Dustrude photo

Managers of conservation lands in the county met Thursday and Friday at the Grange, in their sixth annual meeting to compare notes and collaborate. Their breaks were not called coffee breaks or restroom breaks, but “networking breaks.”

Representatives of the National Historical Park, the San Juan Islands National Monument, the State Parks, the Department of Natural Resources, County Parks, the Land Bank, the San Juan Preservation Trust, the Conservation District, and others stretch their resources by working together and making use of volunteers.

These face-to-face meetings help them know the person they’re talking with when they pick up the phone and ask for — or offer — help.

None of the agencies has the resources to accomplish all that they need to with paid employees alone, so there was considerable interest shown in finding and sharing volunteer workers, many of them young adults and teens trained by the Youth Conservation Corps and other groups.

One of the main areas of emphasis for the meeting was a joint effort to assess impacts to natural areas, and to explore potential options for accommodating increasing demand for these special places.

Another major concern is how to provide more camping opportunities in the county. Dona Wuthnow, director of County Parks, with campgrounds on Shaw, Lopez, and San Juan, and provision for campers at the fairgrounds, said when they opened camping reservations for this year “we filled up Memorial Day weekend by early afternoon.”

Lex Fredy, superintendent of the National Park, reported that the group campsite at English Camp is now under construction, and “we are exploring what [additional] kind of camping we might be able to develop.”

Dean Washington, Lummi elder and master canoe builder, encouraged those present to “listen to one another,” and that did seem to be their goal.

The group, which is chaired by Land Bank director Lincoln Bormann, meets annually, and many expressed appreciation of the benefits to their agencies of this regular collaboration.

By Louise Dustrude

SJI Library circa 1922 – Photo courtesy Margaret Nash

The San Juan Historical Society and Museum shares the April 2017 edition of their History Column…

This month we salute the San Juan Island Library in recognition of National Library Week, which will be April 9-15. This year’s theme is “Libraries Transform” and we can certainly say that’s true on an island. Recently, a detailed history of the Library, written by Lynn Weber/Roochvarg, was published on History Link. We thank her for inspiring this short list of interesting facts about our Library’s locations throughout history, as found in her article.

• Beginning in the 1890s, Washington state’s free traveling libraries provided books to islanders. Books on loan were stored in the County Clerk’s office in the Courthouse on Spring Street until a larger space was needed.
• In 1922, a private/public library next to the drugstore was sponsored by the American Legion and its auxiliary, so the County Clerk got his office back. Pictured is a news clipping photo from about 1922, courtesy of Margaret Nash.
• When you attend a meeting of Town Council, you are in the next old library building. The Library moved there in 1936, sharing the new building with the Town of Friday Harbor.
• In 1982, legislation allowed for island junior taxing districts and the former Shrimp Boat restaurant on Guard Street was purchased and remodeled as a library. When this current library building opened, 4,800 books had been relocated in a massive community effort.

Even though a library is most often thought of as a building, we know the heart of it all is its librarians, support staff, and volunteers. To all of them, we send appreciation during Library Week and every week.