Island Stage Left will be performing another collection of seasonal stories, poetry and music under the title “Omnium Gatherum” – meaning “a gathering of all”.

Join us in our warm and cozy venue for a celebration of the season!

This year we hope, once again, to nurture “hygge” – the traditional Danish concept of “coziness of the soul” and the reason that Danes have been rated, for many years, the world’s happiest people. It incorporates the gathering of friends, candlelight, home-spun music, warm drinks, telling stories by the fire and letting go of life’s worries. We love to share this warm and embracing evening with our community each year. It has become one of our most popular traditions. Come alone, with friends and/or family prepared to laugh, to reminisce and to celebrate!

Performances at the Marie Boe Building, SJC Fairgrounds:

• December 16 & 17 at 7:00
• December 18 – 4:00
• December 20, 21, 22 & 23 at 7:00
• December 24th (Christmas Eve) at 4:00 and 6:30
  Reservations are strongly recommended for both Christmas Eve performances (and are only available on that date).

Free admission. Donations appreciated.

For reservations for Xmas Eve please call: 360 378 5649 or email: stageleft [@] centurytel.net

American Camp Visitor Center – Contributed photo

Staffing shortages and mandatory furloughs will force the park to temporarily close the American Camp visitor center this winter for about six and one half weeks, from December 17, 2016 until February 1, 2017.

The English Camp visitor center is also currently closed for the season.

However, the park grounds at both the American Camp and English Camp units will be open daily from dawn until 11 pm.

Last year’s dinner – Contributed photo

Wait! Before you open that can of chicken noodle soup…  Consider this, you are invited to join us for the Community Thanksgiving Dinner at the Mullis Center.  

It’s like Thanksgiving dinner with the family, a big giant community family. 

Enjoy a full Thanksgiving dinner menu plus connect with old friends and make new friends at the dinner.  If you really want to feel like family you can also volunteer to help. 

Steve Ulvi, Dick Coffey, Dave Zeretzke, and Allen Rosenberg with Gus-Gus, Mike Lazzari’s dog (Photo by Mike Lazzari)

The six-mile American Camp Trail (ACT) connecting Friday Harbor with the national park’s visitor center is a relatively easy walk for most people, but as it goes through a gully on airport property it has been difficult for some.

So last Saturday, November 18, a crew of Trails volunteers led by Steve Ulvi built steps down the steeper north slope to the creek, using materials supplied by the Port of Friday Harbor. The other crew members were Dick Coffey, Mike Lazzari, Allen Rosenberg, and Dave Zeretzke.

The trail through the airport property is maintained by Trails volunteers, with major mowing throughout the year by Don Jarrell. The sturdy bridge over the creek was built a few years ago by Jarrell. The trail itself was built jointly by airport acting director Stuart Hansen and volunteer John Dustrude in 2005.

The finished steps and the bridge over the creek (Photo by Louise Dustrude)

Beyond the airport the trail goes along roadsides on Golf Course Road, Fairway Drive (with a permissive use agreement from the homeowners association), and short stretches of Cattle Point Road. Just north of the golf course entrance it sits on county property known as the Minnie Mae Trail.

Six of the landowners along Cattle Point Road have given trail easements and on their property the trail is shielded from the road by a screen of trees. Then the trail goes through the Land Bank’s Frazer Homestead Preserve and American Camp to the visitor center.

At six miles, it’s the longest trail on the island, followed by the three-mile Barracks to Boats trail connecting English Camp and Roche Harbor Resort. Both have been pieced together by a variety of cooperating landowners.

Mark your calendars, the last Flea Market of 2016 at the San Juan County Fairgrounds is coming up on Saturday, December 10th from 9am-Noon.

From jewelry and handmade goods to yard tools and…

This is the place to find it! Got some items you’d like to sell? Booth space is just $15 with application available on the Fair website: www.sjcfair.org.

Have a question? Contact the Fairgrounds staff at info [@] sjcfair.org.

See you at the Flea!

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

“Heyyyy….” I’m Arthur Fonzarelli, but my friends here at the animal shelter call me, “The Fonz”, because I’m such a smooth operator.

I’m still just a kitten, but that doesn’t mean I’m not the coolest cat around.

Wait til you meet me… it’s gonna be love at first sight. Capiche?

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

Photo Credit: Image via Pixabay by freefaithgraphics

San Juan Update reader from California Paul Denikin shares some more green tips with you – this time for the holidays…

The holiday season is a time of wonder and joy, but it can also be a major crunch on your finances. Going green isn’t just good for the environment, it can also help you save some green over the busy holiday season. Here are a few holiday tips to help you save some cash while also being a bit kinder to the environment.

Make Your Own Greeting Cards Using Recycled Paper
Greeting cards can be expensive, and they can also contribute to paper waste. Make your own cards with a special, personal touch using recycled paper and other materials. You’ll save a few bucks, make a big impression, and ease a little environmental stress at the same time.

Keep Holiday Parties Small
Yes, the holidays are a festive time of year, but that doesn’t mean you have to throw a shindig to satisfy every single one of your Facebook friends. To minimize waste and energy use, keep your holiday parties small and intimate. When you do, you can use your own plates and utensils rather than disposable ones, avoid waste by cooking less food, and minimize energy use by encouraging everyone to group together in the same room.

Reuse Gift Bags, Boxes, and Bows
Think about it: You purchase expensive gift bags, boxes, and bows every year. They’re used and, in many cases, minimally abused in the course of the few weeks leading up to the holidays. Why toss those perfectly good boxes, bags, and bows in the trash? Reuse anything that’s still in good shape from year to year. Wrapping more gifts in boxes and bags that can be reused will cut down on paper waste from gift wrap, too.

Go Local to Purchase Holiday Gifts
Purchase locally and from small businesses, where you can often find items made from eco-friendly materials that are good for the environment and cost less than expensive, mass-production consumer products. Continue Reading

The Kinder Morgan Transmountain Pipeline expansion decision could happen before the end of November. On Nov 21st, our island community will join together with rallies in the U.S. and Canada to send a clear, shining message – climate leaders don’t build pipelines or create oil spills. Reject Kinder Morgan.

Join us! Stop Kinder Morgan Candlelight Rally, Monday, November 21st, 4:30 p.m. at the Friday Harbor Waterfront Portals of Welcome.

Send a Message to Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister’s Carr and McKenna that Kinder Morgan fails on climate, environmental and Indigenous rights and they must reject it!
[email protected] Hill: 613-995-0253 Constituency: 514-277-6020

[email protected] Hill: 613-992-9475 Constituency: 204-983-1355

[email protected] Hill: 613-996-5322 Constituency: 613-946-8682

Visit www.sanjuans.org/safeshipping to learn more about why this project is dangerous for the Salish Sea.

Read this Seattle Times article by Michael Riordan to learn more about the risk that tar sands present in the Salish Sea.

Share the event on Facebook.

Thank you for your support and your voice!

Stephanie Buffum
Executive Director
stephanie [@] sanjuans.org

Young Spring Street School writers speak up.

Louis Prussack from Spring Street School invites you to this special event on Wednesday:

Dear Families and Friends,

Next Wednesday, Kate Small’s students will be doing a reading at the Presbyterian Church across the street from Spring Street School. I would urge you to attend.

Not just because someone you know will be on stage reading a piece of their writing. Not just because learning to speak in public in front of a large audience is a critical skill for our students to practice.

No. The main reason to come and listen to their stories is to be transported back to that time when we had an essential wisdom that we have since mostly lost. That pre-teen clarity and insight full of honesty and reflection, untainted by the knowledge of adulthood.

So come. Come to laugh and to cry. Come to glimpse the wisdom of our kids.

Here’s an excerpt from one of the writers:

…everyone should have the love and warmth that I have. Everyone should feel protected, have fun, and go to a great school. Let’s help people be themselves, live in justice, and sleep safely. Maybe we don’t feel safe right now, and that’s why we need to keep dancing, writing, and making art. Right now is when we should talk loudly about equality for everyone. It’s going to be hard, but who knows, it might work. We have to try.
~ Olivia Morris, 6th grade

The writers:

Wednesday, November 23rd 11:30 am at FH Presbyterian Church

Click to enlarge

The First Annual Brickworks Old-Fashioned Christmas Market Lights up winter on December 3rd and 4th in Friday Harbor

Step back in time to a magical European-style Christmas Market on December 3rd and 4th, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. The historic Brickworks barn will glow with sparkling lights illuminating an island crafts market with local food vendors, farm produce, live holiday music, a beer and wine garden, and activities for kids and grownups alike.

Festivities begin Friday night after the tree lighting in downtown Friday Harbor, with Soup and Santa at Brickworks. Fun continues on Saturday with the Old-Fashioned Christmas Market, featuring something for everyone, including gingerbread decorating, Christmas pony rides, magical visits from the Sugar Plum Fairy and Santa and Mrs. Claus. Local food vendors will ply visitors with roasted chestnuts, grilled Salish salmon, raclette, and more.

On Sunday morning, enjoy a full English breakfast with local eggs and sausage, bacon, brioche toast, hashed brown potatoes, Orca beans, fried tomatoes, and a sweet surprise. Then shop artists’ booths with handmade gifts and art, and listen to carolers and musicians playing throughout the day.

Later that afternoon, Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive on a tractor, with bell ringing and carol singing. Indulge in holiday treats, including mulled wine, beer and brats, roasted chestnuts, hot chocolate & hot cider, and s’mores made with homemade marshmallows.

The Brickworks Old-Fashioned Christmas Market is produced by the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild. Watch www.sjiagguild.com for event details.

The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild is a community-based volunteer organization dedicated to fostering a vibrant, resilient and sustainable local food system in San Juan County, Washington.

The Brickworks Project is a major initiative by the San Juan Islands Agriculture Guild to re-purpose an historic property in the heart of Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington. Situated at 150 Nichols Street in Friday Harbor and taking its name from its original role, the project most prominently includes the restoration of the original building and its re-purposing, along with an outdoor plaza, green and stage areas, to provide a community gathering place for a variety of local, food-based, educational and cultural activities and events.

Sea lions at Whale Rocks – Whale Museum photo

This story comes from the Whale Museum’s E-News monthly newsletter…

Starting earlier this year, The Whale Museum’s San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network began conducting regular surveys of sea lion haul-outs in San Juan County. Both Whale Rocks in Cattle Pass and Green Point on Spieden Island are popular gathering spots for Steller sea lions and California sea lions.

On November 10, we conducted a haul-out survey and spent the afternoon in the midst of a feeding frenzy at Whale Rocks. Marine birds, sea lions, harbor porpoises and harbor seals were bursting with energy. Our goal with these surveys is to get an accurate count of animals throughout the year and to keep an eye out for any individuals that are entangled in marine debris.

Thanks to many groups including NOAA, SeaDoc Society and the Vancouver and Seattle Aquariums, the capabilities to disentangle large pinnipeds in the Pacific Northwest have been rapidly improving. However, rescuing a 2000 lb animal is no easy task and involves a lot of resources and highly trained personnel.

Haul-out surveys allow us to investigate the prevalence of entanglements in our area, document the type of gear involved and hopefully identify the perfect window of opportunity for collaborative rescue attempts.

Report entangled animals to (800) 462-8832 or (866) 767-6114 – photos are helpful but do not approach the animal closer than 100 yards.

Read more news here.

An Island Tradition Family 5K Fun Run, Trot, Walk or Stroll!

• Start: On Price Street at Friday Harbor Suites
• When: Thursday, November 24 8:00 – 9:30 am
  Registration starts at 8:00, event starts at 9:00 am, rain or shine (more fun in the rain! or Snow!)
• Who: You, and Bring Your Friends and Relatives
• Why: To burn off a few of those calories you’ll be consuming and have some fun for a good cause;
  Portion of proceeds will benefit Friday Harbor Food bank.

Entry Fees:
16 and OLDER: 2 cans of food and $5.00
UNDER 16: 2 cans of food and $2.00
Non-Perishable Food Accepted and Additional Donations to Food Bank Appreciated.

PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center Hosts ‘Fireside Chats’ –
Free Community Education Events – Louise Dustrude photo

Family caregiver support offered in gathering at PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center

PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center, in conjunction with San Juan County Department of Health & Community Services, Mullis Community Senior Center and Peace Island Volunteers, invites family caregivers to participate in a Fireside Chat on Monday, November 21st, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm in the medical center’s main lobby at 1117 Spring St. in Friday Harbor.

Discussion will focus on self-care in the midst of caring for others, as well as available resources in the community.

The gathering also will provide an opportunity to interact with others who also are family caregivers.

Refreshments will be served.

Ruth Offen of WaterWorks Gallery and Becki Day, Executive Director of the Chamber at the November social earlier this week – Contributed photo

It’s time for the November issue of Chamber Chat, written by Lauren Cohen, Co-owner San Juan Canvas, LLC and Chamber of Commerce Board President…

Wow… it seems like we were just talking about our busy summer and here we are with the holidays right around the corner. The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Executive Director and staff would like to wish all of our members and every islander a Happy Thanksgiving. Living in such a beautiful place surrounded by kind and caring neighbors, we all have much to be thankful for. Show your gratitude for all of the goods and services provided by these friends and neighbors by shopping and buying locally for the holidays. This is your hometown! It is important to support our local merchants.

Keep an eye out for information on our “Shop San Juan” campaign and our Instagram based Elf on the Shelf promotion for the chance to win a brand new iPad donated by Islander’s Bank. Download the San Juan Islands Insider App and be ready to play!!

Moving Day
Exciting news for the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce. We will be moving our office to 165 First Street South, next to The Rumor Mill. Having a storefront location will be beneficial for not only our visitors but for our local business community. Chamber members, mark your calendar for January 9 for our first social of 2017 at our new “street front” Chamber of Commerce.

November Social
Thank you to Ruth Offen at Waterworks Gallery and to Vinny’s Ristorante for hosting the Chamber social this month. It was a lovely gathering of our business community surrounded by beautiful artwork. Vinny’s provided flatbread pizzas which they are now serving on Monday nights. We heard updates from Debbie at Downriggers, Karen & Lynn from the Friday Harbor Film Festival as well as our Mayor Carrie Lacher and Town Councilman Steve Hushebeck with information on the Town. Be sure to stop into Waterworks Gallery at 315 Argyle. Ask Ruth how her gallery got its name… it’s a great story!

New Members
The San Juan Chamber of Commerce welcomes these new businesses to our community of merchants: Continue Reading

Seniors will be outside Lowe Construction—across the street from Brickworks during The Farmers Market – Saturday November 19th from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm selling holiday wreaths.

Don’t miss out! The proceeds support Grad Night, so come out and get your wreath and support a good cause.

Mitchell Bay Morning – Theresa Simendinger photo

Theresa Simendinger shares a beautiful photo of this morning at Mitchell Bay with a rainbow reflection. Thanks for sharing Theresa!