Bob and Angie are the Pets of the Week – Contributed photo

I say, chaps – you wouldn’t by chance fancy a game of rope pull or ball throwing, would you? Perhaps we could meet up for elevenses or a brisk stroll? My name is Sponge Bob Square Pants, but my mates just call me “Bob”. As you can see, I’m a snappy dresser and we would make a handsome couple, you and I…

There is just the one little thing I should tell you. You see….. how to put it? The thing is, you should know I’m in a committed relationship with this charming girl, “Angie”. We’re a pair, we are, and can’t bear to be apart. Might you have room in your home and heart for the both of us? Cheerio! Do stop in at the Animal Shelter to meet us soon!

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

Gene Bergman Loads Meals on Wheels – Photo Peggy Sue McRae

It always feels like a fresh start to begin a new year. If giving back to your community, meeting new people, and having fun, is how you would like to enrich your life in the coming year there are a wide variety of volunteer opportunities to choose from.

The Mullis Center needs volunteers to help out with senior lunches every Monday and Thursday and also for the once a month fundraiser, the popular Pancake Breakfasts. I heard it said that Bob Jarman is “the best” pancake flipper, a claim that I’m thinking should not go unchallenged.

I spoke to volunteer Rusty DeSherlia who was setting up for the senior lunch. Rusty lives in Mt Vernon but when on the Island she enjoys coming in to help out. I also spoke to Gene Bergman who was loading “meals on wheels” into the Senior Services van to deliver hot meals to homebound seniors. New to the Island, Gene enjoys getting to know the people he meets on his route and also getting to know different parts of the Island. Drivers are also needed for off-island trips.

Carolyn Adler – Photo PS McRae

Carolyn Adler is a board member who can be found in the kitchen on lunch days. Like every volunteer I spoke to Carolyn enjoys the camaraderie and the good feeling of helping out. When I asked volunteer Sandy Leschine what she liked about volunteering at the Mullis Center she echoed the others saying, “It’s so fun! You meet so many great people!” adding that she enjoyed learning about all the many services that are available. Volunteers will also be found in the office answering the phone.

The program “Island Neighbors” is a volunteer outreach program for seniors (formerly known as “Friends and Neighbors”) that has been revamped to address a wide variety of Island seniors needs. Volunteering may include running errands, computer support, shopping, rides to medical appointments, small outings, reading, pet care, light house keeping, and more. The amount of time volunteers spend is flexible from a one-time service to setting up a regular routine.

Applications for the Island Neighbors program are available at the Senior Services office in the Mullis Center 378-2677 or at the Family Resource Center 378-5246. Stop by the Mullis Center at 589 Nash Street if volunteering sounds right for you. 

Serendipity Bookstore, at 223 “A” Street in Friday Harbor

Just heard that Serendipity will be closing for a week… Here’s Carol with more:

Hi Tim!

Could you possibly put in a little blurb to say that Serendipity will be closed January 2nd through 6th?  We are having new carpet installed!

We have never been closed for more than a day in 21 years,  so it may come as a shock to some people!

We dearly hope to be ready for business on Saturday January 7!! 

Thanks,
Carol Jackson

Proud mom Cynthia asks your help – It’s the last day to vote for Hanna Burke – Help her win the Broadway Cabaret Award – She needs some votes Today!

Here’s a note from Hanna:

My Dear Friends and Family!

I am surprised and very honored to find out that I have been nominated for a BroadwayWorld Cabaret Award for my show ” ‘Why is Everyone Laughing?’ A Tribute to Madeline Kahn”!  The voting polls are open to everyone, so please go to the link below and vote for me under “Best Debut Show”! Polls are open until December 31st! 

http://www.broadwayworld.com/cabaret/vote2016region.cfm

Also below is more information about the awards and how to vote. It only takes a couple minutes and you can consider it a  present to me and my show! 

Thank you SO MUCH and I hope all of you have a wonderful Holiday Season!

All my love,
Hanna

Continue Reading

As things slow down like they usually do in the winter, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the past year and take a look at some of the events that affect us and shape us as we move into 2017. So in no particular order, (other than grouping similar things by category) here are some of the notable stories from the SJ Update in 2016:

First, a rather bumpy year for ferries on our route:

1. The decommissioning of the M/V Evergreen State. Built in 1954 when “Mr. Sandman” topped AM radio pop charts, the Evergreen State has set sail into history and into the dreams of Washingtonians. Due in part to its status as the state’s oldest ferry, the Evergreen State has been decommissioned and will be put up for sale. The 87-car ferry boasts World War II surplus drive motors and has served as a workhorse for tens of thousands of passengers and vehicles in our state for more than six decades…

2. A hole found on the M/V Samish. WSF crews found a small hole in the hull of the Samish, necessitating taking it out of service. Engineers examined the vessel and discovered localized corrosion on the hull in the vicinity of both engine rooms. This corrosion is what led to the hole discovered…

3. A fire on the M/V Yakima. The Washington State Ferry M/V Yakima was out of service after a fire broke out in the engine room while at dock in Friday Harbor. According to bystanders who overheard what was going on, “the No. 1 Engine shut down and then smoke began billowing out”… Additional stories from that day: Yakima Towed Away and Cause of Fire Unknown.

Some good things in outdoor recreation:

5. Roche Harbor Trails area Honored as National Recreation Trail. The Trails Committee of the San Juan Island Park and Recreation District announced that the Roche Harbor Resort Trails are now designated the honor of being a National Recreation Trail. On June 3rd, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and National Park Director Jonathon B. Jarvis announced that the Roche Harbor Trails were one of six trails nationally to join the National Trail System…

6. New National Park Superintendent. Elexis Fredy (Lex) started work as Superintendent of SJINHP after meeting some 30 or 40 local residents at a reception at the Historical Museum. The reception was scheduled for two hours but lasted three, partly because people kept showing up and partly due to her interest in asking people so many questions about the community…

Goodbyes and hellos:

7. Goodbye to Fire Chief Steve Marler. We heard sad news from Sheila Harley at San Juan Island Fire and Rescue. Fire Chief Steve Marler returned to the Island on Tuesday and died at Peace Island Hospital on Thursday. It is with deepest sorrow that we at San Juan District 3 Fire Department inform you of the passing of our beloved Fire Chief, Steve Marler, on January 28, 2016…

8. Welcome New EMS Chief. On Friday February 19th, the San Juan Island EMS welcomed Jerry Martin as the new chief.  Many community members came to meet the new chief and socialize at the EMS station near the hospital. Jerry comes from Ferndale with his wife and four kids where he served as a paramedic and firefighter for many years…

9. New owners for Vic’s Drive In. After 17 years of operating Vic’s Drive In Restaurant, owners Kevin Widmayer and Linda Jensen have sold the business. New owners Brian and Theresa Carlson took over on October 1st. They are both very excited to be on the island and will “carry on the tradition” at Vic’s…

10. Ribbon Cutting for SSL Building. The official ribbon cutting ceremony happened at the Spring Street Landing building. A good crowd of about 100 or so people showed up to get a first glimpse of the inside of the new Downrigger’s Restaurant and also check out the businesses below…

Changes in our local Orca population:

First, the orca baby boom continued. Then J55 went missing. J54 was confirmed male, and J53 female. And then sadly J14 went missing, L95 died and J34 died.

Some other noteworthy happenings:

San Juan Island Historical Museum celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary. John Stimpson retired from Marketplace. Port Director Marilyn O’Connor retired and was replaced by Ted Fitzgerald. Rachel Dietzman retired from Public Works and Susan Matthews retired from SJI Community Foundation. Part 1 to a major Tucker Avenue improvement project was started and finished (Part 2 will come next year), and a major improvement to water, sewer and storm drainage was done on Spring Street. 

Click to enlarge

Correction: This event will be held at Mullis Center.

Island Rec once again holds their community New Year’s Eve party –

This is a free, all-ages community New Years gathering. There will be games, dancing, crafts, and a live video feed of the NY Times Square ball drop. Guaranteed good time!

Saturday, December 31st from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Mullis Center, 589 Nash Street, Friday Harbor.

Click to enlarge

The Friday Harbor Film Festival and Mike’s Café and Wine Bar are delighted to announce a collaborative effort this winter and spring… Dinner and a Movie!! Films that were selected by the 2016 Film Festival attendees as their favorites will be shown at the Grange on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, starting at 7 pm. And Mike’s Café and Wine Bar will be offering a special movie night dinner from 5 pm to 7 pm before each film so that you can make an evening of it!

This exciting film series, to be co-hosted by Theresa Simendinger and Jessica Lansfield will kick off on January 17 and run through June 6. If you would like to help organize the series, set up chairs or to make a donation that will help cover screening fees and venue costs, please stop by the Film Festival’s office on First Street or send an email to info [@] fhff.org.

Mark your calendars now for the films that you missed during the Festival and/or the ones you’d like to see again!

First up: on January 17, it’s “Where to Invade Next” by renowned filmmaker Michael Moore, a timely, rib-tickling and subversive comedy in which Moore, playing the role of “invader,” visits a variety of nations to learn how the U.S. could improve itself.

Georgia is this week’s Pet of the Week – Contributed photo

What do you mean Christmas is over? It can’t be! My brothers and I didn’t even get a chance to sit on Santa’s lap! Maybe that’s why we’re still here at the animal shelter… Santa had no idea that what we want most of all is forever homes!

I’m Georgia. My brothers, Clooney, Bogart and I are all available for adoption. If you see Santa, tell him we’ve been mostly nice, but occasionally a tiny bit naughty. Better come and meet us soon!

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

In the Update Mailbag this morning we find this note from Jim and Minnie Knych…

We get annual letters from Santa via our friends, Tom and Stephanie Gonser, that used to live on San Juan Island.  This year we were surprised to learn that everything is not honky dory at the North Pole but, of course, Santa had a poetic and practical solution.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we took Santa’s advice? 

Jim and Minnie Knych

Christmas 2016: Tales from the North Pole

Santa’s job this time a challenge — his yearly message verse:
The task seemed most impossible, since all was so adverse

T’was a year chocked full of North Pole strife, his Elves were quite divided
Some wore Blue, and some wore Red — few Elves were undecided Continue Reading

The “Pintail” is a freight vessel that serves among other things, many of the smaller non-ferry-served islands – Contributed photo

January 1, 2017 – New Year’s Day: Salute the Compass

Join the Pintail for the annual Shipyard Cove tradition of saluting the compass, where we will toast to the four cardinal directions. There will be drinks, merriment and celebration of the new year!

Meet at the boat at 11:00am (last dock in Shipyard Cove). We’ll leave the dock at 11:30am and the first compass salute will be at noon. Dress warmly and we’ll plan to stay out until roughly 1:00pm.

If you’d like to join, please contact Kendra at (605) 431-9580 so we can get a rough estimates of numbers.

Free to all and the more the merrier!

Happy New Year,
Pintail Marine

National Park Service and Northwest Youth Corps announce that their American Sign Language (ASL) Inclusion Conservation Crew has been honored with Corps Network Project of the Year Award.

What: San Juan Island National Historical Park and Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) announce that the NYC American Sign Language (ASL) Inclusion Crew is chosen as one of four projects by The Corps Network as Project of the Year for 2016.

Background: The Corps Network, the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps, presents this prestigious award on an annual basis to select organizations from their membership of over 130 Corps across the country. Awardees are chosen through a rigorous application and peer review process.

Three to four Project of the Year Awards are presented on an annual basis to Corps that have undertaken especially influential or innovative endeavors within the past year. Projects of the Year are noteworthy for their ability to provide both a positive experience for Corpsmembers and meaningful improvements to the community. Staff from The Corps Network as well as outside reviewers from member Corps select the winners of this award.

Why: NYC developed this project because individuals who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) experience higher rates of unemployment and lower lifetime wages compared to those who can hear. In response, NYC created the ASL Inclusion Crew to provide DHH teens and young adults with a safe, supportive and accessible job training opportunity to earn a stipend and academic credit.

Click to enlarge – Contributed photo

Where: During the summer of 2016 the ASL Inclusion Conservation Crew worked in and around the San Juan Island National Historical Park (NPS) as well as with San Juan County Parks, San Juan County Land Bank, San Juan Island Conservation District, San Juan Islands National Monument (BLM), San Juan Preservation Trust, Washington State Parks, Washington Department of Natural Resources, and the Madrona Institute. Continue Reading

Brad Williamson, Tanja Williamson, Becki Day and Michelle Morton – Contributed photo

The winner of the “Where’s that Elf”, Shop San Juan Island’s Joey contest is Tanja Williamson! 

Starting November 25th, Chamber Executive Director Becki Day began posting a photo of an Elf on the Shelf at a different local business every day. Followers of @SanJuanIslandChamber on Instagram were invited to guess the location by commenting on the Chamber’s daily post. Every correct guess earned individuals another entry into the December 18th iPad drawing. Tanja Williamson was the Lucky Winner. Congratulations Tanja!

The Chamber also wants to pass along these open hours for the following businesses this weekend:

Open Christmas Eve:
The Bean – 7am-2pm 
The Blue Water – 11am-8pm
Cask and Schooner – 12pm-8pm
China Pearl – 11am-9pm
Cynthia’s – 8am-2pm 
Downriggers – 11am-8pm
Friday Harbor House – 4pm-9pm
Herbs – 9am-5pm
San Juan Island Cheese – 10am-3pm

Open Christmas Day: 
Coho Restaurant is opening on this special day so you can enjoy a relaxed holiday meal with family and friends. Our five course fixed menu -with choice of appetizers, entrees, and desserts plus optional wine pairings – is surely a feast worthy of this special day. $60 per person, $30 optional wine pairings. 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. 360-378-6330 

Cask and Schooner will be open Christmas Day from 12pm-8pm and is taking reservations. 360-378-2922

The Medical Teams International Dental Van is coming back to the Mullis Center on Friday, January 13th and 14th. Fish For Teeth is sponsoring this clinic to provide dental care for anyone who is financially unable to afford it. Applications may be picked up at:

• SJ County Health Department,
• The Family Resource Center
• The Mullis Center

Or, they may be downloaded from our website fishforteeth.com and dropped off at the Health Department but PLEASE do NOT email them.

Please note that the application deadline is Tuesday, January 3rd. Also, please understand that the kind folks receiving your application have nothing to do with scheduling; scheduling will be made, according to severity and space, the week prior to the clinic.

San Juan County Students are Saving Energy to Combat Climate Change

Spring Street International School 8th Graders – Contributed photo

Extreme weather events, rising sea levels, melting glacier – oh my! While climate change is an overwhelming issue, there is certainly hope, especially in the collective power of individual actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That’s the underlying principle of the Cool School Challenge (CSC), a climate education program that motivates students, teachers and administrators to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions school-wide. At the heart of the program is the philosophy that big changes start with small steps – and taken together, simple individual actions create a world of difference.

“I am concerned about climate change because it’s what I’m going to have to deal with in the future. I think the best thing is to start with small steps because people don’t really like change, but if they are simple and very straightforward, people will understand and they can help,” said Ela, an 8th grader at Spring Street International School, who has been participating in the CSC. Continue Reading

The new play equipment at John O. Linde Park – Contributed photo

Island Rec is pleased to announce that the new playground at John O. Linde Community Park will open at 1:00pm on Friday, December 23rd.

Over 40 community volunteers came together to help build Island Rec’s new playground at the John O. Linde Community Park. The playground features a large play web, swings, slide and even a mini dozer.

Thank you to our funding partners: San Juan County, Town of Friday Harbor, Kiwanis, and the Honeywell Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region.

Join us at the park at 1:00 to be one of the first to enjoy this new and exciting play space on our island. The playground will be open daily, dawn to dusk. If you have any questions please feel free to call Island Rec at 378-4953. See you at the park!

J34 – Photo by Dave Ellifrit, Center for Whale Research

Another southern resident killer whale has died!

By Kenneth C. Balcomb, Senior Scientist Center for Whale Research

We regret having to make a distressing announcement during this holiday season, but we confirm from news photographs and eyepatch photos sent to the Center for Whale Research that the killer whale carcass that was towed to a beach near Sechelt on the BC Sunshine coast is indeed that of J34, an eighteen-year-old male in the iconic J pod of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population. The carcass was observed floating near shore on Tuesday, December 20th 2016 and was recovered by coast guard personnel and Sechelt First Nation members.

We are awaiting the results of a necropsy conducted late Wednesday by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) for an official report of J34’s body condition and cause of death. We reported that J34 was looking skinny this past summer.

At least four other J pod members have died so far in 2016: J55 in January, J14 in July, and a mother and calf J28 and J54 in October.

J34’s eighteen-year-old cousin, J32, died from birthing complications and emaciation in December 2014 and her necropsy report was released to the public in April 2016.

For over a decade, we have been voicing concern that these whales are not getting sufficient salmon for their survival and that all fisheries management options should be considered including catch limits and strategic dam removal to recover endangered wild salmon populations. However, a blue-ribbon panel of experts assembled by DFO and NOAA Fisheries concluded in 2012 that they were: “skeptical that reduced Chinook salmon harvesting would have a large impact on the abundance of Chinook salmon available to SRKW.” Continue Reading