Please help our island community gather in support of the nationwide Women’s March!

On Saturday, January 21, 2017, the communities of the San Juan Islands, WA will gather in solidarity to honor human rights – united in support of our unique island community, and the greater communities of the world. For those living on San Juan Island, we will gather to march at 12 noon on the lawn next to the County Courthouse

All are invited and encouraged to participate in the march, regardless of gender, race, or background.

Mission Statement: We stand in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, our environment, and our families – our women’s led movement recognizes that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our county and our country. Because women’s rights are human rights.

The intention and purpose of our march in Friday Harbor is for it to be fully inclusive rather than divisive; our goal is to build bridges and raise awareness between all walks of life in our community.

To donate funds towards the organization of this march, please visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/womens-march-on-friday-harbor

For more information or to volunteer with the march, please email womenmarchfh [@] gmail.com

Here’s a message from Stephanie Prima…

Stephanie Prima – Contributed photo

Hello Islanders, and wishing you an auspicious New Year! For those who are feeling meltdown from the stress of the holidays, the election, and life in general, my new Move Into Mindfulness class FIND YOUR CALM: New Year, New YOU is just the antidote you’re seeking. It begins Monday, January 16, 5:30 – 6:30pm in the Community Room at Skagit College San Juan Center.

In this unique class, rather than just using our body like a piece of machinery, we learn to look within ourselves to find the emotional/physical connections throughout the body. The introspective components of the flowing, gentle movements help us to change the way we view the functionality of our body. Through this practice we become more integrated, and function as a whole, rather than just a series of separate moving parts.

You’ll find this class is especially great if you’ve tried traditional seated meditation without success, but want to capture the benefits that meditation offers. Mindful practice on a regular basis helps bring clarity, focus, serenity, emotional strength, improved learning and memory, self-awareness, compassion, and energy. Yes, YOU can be calm in the center of the storm!

Moving meditation has been a critical factor in my own life transformation and healing journey. In this class, as well as with my private clients, I share some of the movements and philosophy that I continue to utilize today.

This course runs from January 16th to March 6th, with no class on February 13th and 20th. The cost is $87 and all participants must be pre-registered. To register, click here. Contact Stephanie for additional information, (360) 317-1448 or Outreach [@] MoveIntoMindfulness.com.

Juvenile Bald Eagles – Wolf Hollow photo

After several months of receiving care at Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Friday Harbor, two juvenile bald eagles have a second chance at life in the wild. With a small group of onlookers attending, Wolf Hollow staff and volunteers released the pair on December 29th at Rasar State Park near Concrete, WA.

The eagles – one male and one female – were transported to Wolf Hollow separately this past summer. Just weeks old at the time, the first eagle was found near Coupeville suffering from a leg injury and unable to fly. She was transported by a WDFW officer to Pet Emergency Center in Mt. Vernon and subsequently to Wolf Hollow for rehabilitation.

The second eagle, found sitting on the ground near Valley Highway in Bellingham, was first taken to the Whatcom County Humane Society Wildlife Division. The staff there found no injuries, but the eagle was emaciated, dehydrated and weak. He had damaged feathers from being down on the ground so long. After three weeks of care in Whatcom County, the eagle was strong enough to be transferred to Wolf Hollow for longer-term care and flight training.

In the weeks leading up to their release date, Wolf Hollow staff coordinated closely with state park rangers near the Skagit River. The timing of the release and the location at Rasar State Park were chosen to coincide with the gathering of eagles on the upper Skagit River to feed on spawned–out salmon carcasses. This provides the young eagles with an abundant source of available food and an easier transition to life in the wild.

It only took a few moments for the eagles to emerge from the transport carriers and fly swiftly away to enjoy their newfound freedom.

“These two youngsters are ready. It’s great to see them fly off and start a new life” said animal care volunteer and Wolf Hollow board member Susan Waters, who was on hand to assist with the release.

Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is a non-profit organization on San Juan Island.  Its mission is to promote the well-being of wildlife and their habitats through rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife, public education and non-invasive research.  Over 16,000 animals from San Juan, Skagit, and Island Counties have received care from Wolf Hollow’s staff since it was opened in 1982.  To learn more about the organization, visit  wolfhollowwildlife.org.

The future home of San Juan Island Brewing Company. This photo shows the east side of the building; that’s SJI Fitness and Cecil’s Electronics in the background – SJ Update photo

Jesse Visciglia, Sean Aylward and Tim Aylward – SJ Update photo

What’s all the commotion going on there at the end of the field in town behind the Backdoor Kitchen? It’s the future home of San Juan Island Brewing Company, a new brew pub and restaurant, a collaboration by partners Verne Howard, Sean Aylward-General Manager, Tim Aylward-Brewery Assistant & Distribution, and Jesse Visciglia-Head Brewer.

Site prep and construction was begun in August of 2016 – You may remember seeing truckloads of dirt being delivered to the empty field next door to Marketplace grocery store. That dirt was removed to level the site for construction – and as you can see, construction is well under way. The plan is to be open for business in early summer if all goes well.

The site as viewed from Argyle Avenue – SJ Update photo

The brewery is being built by Jim Moe Construction with other local contractors pitching in, including N.W. Plumbing & Waterworks and Friday Harbor Electric. Here’s a CAD rendering of the building that Sean produced. He says “Just keep in mind it’s a mock up and we seem to make some changes every now and then.” 

The brewing equipment will be located in the back and a restaurant dining room and outdoor patio in the front. Lots of windows and roll-up “garage door” walls will allow light and fresh air into the dining area on good weather days & evenings. The restaurant will serve traditional pub food and about 7 regular ales & lagers and 1 to 2 seasonal rotating taps, all brewed right there on the site.

To keep up with their progress, you can find them on Facebook here.

2017 San Juan County Resident Camping Reservations

San Juan County Parks & Fair is again offering advance camping reservations for people who reside in our county year ‘round! Choose from:

• San Juan County Park
• San Juan County Fairgrounds (RVs only)
• Odlin County Park
• and Shaw County Park

for any dates in 2017.

To request your reservation, please email parks [@] sanjuanco.com for a 2017 Resident Reservation request form. Resident reservations must be made directly through our admin office and are not available to book online. Early resident reservations will be accepted from January 18th until February 24th (starting at 10:00 am on January 18th).

Due to the popularity of this program, duplicate date requests may be randomly selected. Proof of residency is required; 2 sites max per household per stay.

The San Juan Island Food Co-op is seeking a part-time employee whose primary focus will be to work collaboratively with existing staff and volunteers to coordinate our Bulk Foods Department. Those basic duties will involve tracking inventory, ordering, receiving, repackaging, and stocking of bulk goods, as well as researching new products and maintaining professional vendor relationships.

Other duties may include, but are not limited to, cashiering, customer service, and upkeep of the store. Though this is a part time job to start with, we are looking for someone interested in growth potential, working into a full time position and potentially more responsibility.

To request a job description and application information please send an email to sanjuancoop [@] gmail.com with “Job Opening” in the subject line. Application period ends January 9.

If someone you know is looking for part time work please feel free to share this announcement with them.

In these partisan times, where do you go to talk about solutions to issues in a non-partisan way? Your League of Women Voters of the San Juans is a grassroots organization which is political. We discuss issues. But we are non-partisan. We do not endorse candidates or political parties. There are many issues that islanders are concerned about from the local to the national level. What of these issues would you like the League to take up in the next year? Would you like to help us? Would you like to have input into the programs which are always free and open to the public?

The LWVSJ is holding their Program Planning meeting on Monday, January 9th, at the SJI Library conference room from Noon to 2:00pm. Entitled “Programs and Pizza”, we are offering a slice in return for your participation and input. Climate change? Gun Safety? Affordable Housing? A state Income tax? Tanker Traffic through the Salish Sea? What would you like to know more about? What would you like the League to take action on in the coming year? This is your opportunity to tell us, and perhaps to play a small part in changing the world.

Please join us.

Blair, Steven and Richard King – SJ Historical Museum photo

SJ Historical Museum checks in with their first history column entry for 2017…

This photo in the San Juan Historical Museum’s archives is titled simply “Three Kings.” These particular Kings are Blair, Steven and Richard. Although the photo is not dated, we can guess that it may have been taken in the early to mid 1970s, possibly in late summer. One clue is the boxes of Mason jars for canning season.

Kings Market was established by Blair King’s father Lyle in 1929. Blair and his wife Vi took over ownership in 1948, selling the expanded business in 1980 to the Howard family.

This photo provides an example of how important it is to preserve snapshots of a more recent past. The Historical Museum has begun an archives renovation project to update the organization of its artifacts from many decades of island history. More images from the past will be posted here in months to come.

The Town Council of Friday Harbor will hold a public hearing on Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 5:30 p.m., to consider an ordinance for the regulation of single-use carryout plastic bags.

San Juan County adopted Ordinance No. 10-2016 that will ban single-use plastic carryout bags within the unincorporated areas of the County. The Town is considering similar regulations. If adopted, the Town’s regulations will be in effect on April 1, 2017.

The Town is accepting written public testimony prior to the public hearing. Written comments may be delivered to Town Hall or should be forwarded to the Town Clerk, PO Box 219, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 or amyt [@] fridayharbor.org.

For more information, contact the Town of Friday Harbor at (360) 378-2810. See the complete ordinance here (PDF).

Fish For Teeth, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing dental services to those who cannot otherwise afford dental care is looking for people to fill some volunteer positions: Clinic Manager and Clinic Support Team

After five years of dedicated volunteer service, Margaret Johnson has stepped down as the coordinator of the dental clinics sponsored by Fish For Teeth. Liz Pillow has also volunteered nearly four years of service, and is also stepping back from her participation. The Fish for Teeth Board and supporting volunteers, as well as those who they assisted in receiving dental services, owe them much gratitude for their consistently outstanding effort.

We are looking to assemble Team Tooth—the team of volunteers who work with the Fish For Teeth board and share the duties of conducting three (3) two-day dental clinics, which occur consistently in late-January, mid-May, and early-October.

Duties are as follows:

• Pre-Clinic Duties: Confirm scheduling of the Mobile Dental Van with Medical Teams International; confirm hotel accommodations for the Dental Van Driver; schedule patients into the Dental Van; send press release to online and written news journals, and post posters about the clinics.
• Day-of Clinic Duties: Receive patients and assure necessary paperwork is completed.

We are not proposing just one or two people do all these tasks, but a team which can share the tasks so it is a fun and enjoyable volunteer effort.

For more information please see www.fishforteeth.com

If you are interested please email fishforteeth [@] rockisland.com.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Matt and Maureen Marinkovich,
Co-founders, Fish for Teeth.

Here’s a 2016 recap sent in by San Juan County News…

The holiday season is a good time to reflect on all that was accomplished on behalf of the citizens of San Juan County in 2016. The County Council conducted 65 meetings, including those held on Orcas, Lopez, Shaw and Waldron, passed 67 pieces of legislation, and continued to advocate vehemently for oil spill protection, noise abatement, salmon recovery, and mental health funding. Such advocacy will continue in 2017.

Continue reading here.

Kim Grotle is the Volunteer of the Month at APSFH – Contributed photo

The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor has announced Kim Grotle is the Volunteer of the Month for December, 2016. Kim started volunteering at the animal shelter shortly after moving here about a year ago and has been a loyal and regular volunteer ever since.

Not only can she can be counted on to help with events and fundraisers, she also visits the shelter at least twice a week to walk dogs, cuddle cats and do various odd jobs around the facility. The staff and board of directors of APS-FH extend heartfelt gratitude to Kim for everything she does to help the homeless animals of San Juan Island!

Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor
111 Shelter Road
(360) 378-2158

Readers Theatre Auditions January 8

Islanders will all levels of acting experience are invited to audition for San Juan Community Theatre’s On Book! Readers Theatre series on Sunday, January 8 at 2:00 p.m.

The free ongoing reader theatre series is designed to gather island actors and friends to read new, classic and prize-winning plays before an audience.

During the audition, director Therese Finn will be looking for four readers for Gina Gionfriddo’s Rapture, Blister, Burn. The comedy takes an unflinching look at gender politics in the wake of 20th century feminist ideals; Finn will cast two women aged 40s to 50s, one man aged 40s to 50s and one woman aged early 20s.

Auditions are being held at SJCT’s PARC Studio, 70 Saltspring Drive (off Beaverton Valley Road). Contact On Book! administrator John Davis at 378-2697 for more information.

The play will be presented in the Gubelman Theatre on February 28 and March 1.

Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor is now accepting applications for two of its major awards.

The “Educational Opportunity Award” is given to a woman who is a resident of San Juan County, enrolled in an undergraduate or vocational degree program of study. This $2,000 award was created to help women overcome financial difficulties and better their lives through education and training. The recipient may use the cash award to offset any costs of higher education, such as tuition, books, childcare, and transportation. An applicant does not need to be the primary wage earner in a household to be eligible for this award. This is the third year in a row that Soroptimist of Friday Harbor has offered the Educational Opportunity Award.

The “Fellowship Award” is given to a woman in San Juan County who is returning to school for postgraduate study at an accredited college or university, leading to an advanced degree. This $2,500 award is open to local women established in business or one of the professions who wish to undertake advanced study at an accredited college or university.

Downloadable instructions and application forms are available online at www.sifri.org. Applications for both awards must be mailed to SIFRI, PO Box 2856, Friday Harbor WA 98250, and postmarked by January 31, 2017. For questions or additional information, contact Diana Sibert, [email protected] or (360) 370-5269.

All applicants will be notified of the judges’ decision in mid-February, and the winner will be invited to be introduced at the annual Notable Women’s Lunch in March. Continue Reading

Skagit Valley College Foundation Scholarship application is now available

Just in time for the financial aid application season, Skagit Valley College announces that the SVC Foundation and Financial Aid Office have launched the 2017-18 SVC Foundation Scholarship application. 

The SVC Foundation offers a wide variety of scholarships each year to eligible students. Nearly half a million dollars in scholarships were awarded last year! Students only need to complete one application, along with a one-page (max), single-spaced essay to be considered for ALL Foundation scholarships. Current, future, and graduating SVC students should apply.

Applications for the 2017-2018 academic year are being accepted now, through 5:00 pm on March 10, 2017. No late applications will be accepted.

This year, Current students will submit their application materials online! The application and submission instructions are available online at this link.

In addition, the Sydney S. McIntyre, Jr. Skagit Valley College Memorial Scholarship is also available now. This scholarship is for students majoring in the Basic or Applied Sciences that were enrolled Fall 2016, or are enrolled Winter 2017, and are planning on transferring to a four-year public university in the state of Washington beginning Fall 2017, upon graduation from SVC. The student must have a cumulative college level GPA of 3.0 or higher. Other criteria apply. This scholarship provides in-state tuition, room and board, and a book allowance for the junior and senior years of study. Students must complete a separate paper application for this scholarship. Eligible students can pick up a paper application packet at the Mount Vernon Campus or Whidbey Island Campus Financial Aid Office.

Applications for the Sydney S. McIntyre, Jr. Scholarship are being accepted now, through 5:00 pm on March 10, 2017. No late applications will be accepted.

For questions regarding the scholarship process, please contact Tom in the Financial Aid Office at [email protected].                          

Pausing during a break in the morning for a snack and a photo op, Nancy, Michael, Barbara, Mark and John ham it up for the camera – Tim Dustrude photo

We had a good time out on Saturday counting birds for the Audubon Society’s 117th Annual Christmas Bird Count. More information on counts around the county will be coming soon.