Lotus Blossom is this week’s Pet of the Week

I know. I’m stunning. I hear it all the time. It grows tiresome…

My name is Lotus Blossom, but my friends here at the animal shelter call me, “Cactus” because, if you must know, I can be a little prickly at times.

Think of me as the Mae West of the cat world. I’m just a girl who knows what she wants and how she wants it – is that so awful?

I’m actually very friendly and like people quite a bit. Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?

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

Washington State ferry Evergreen State passes in front of Mount Baker and Shaw Island on May 4, 2011, while entering the Harbor – Aaron Shepard photo

Local photographer Aaron Shepard has quite a few beautiful photos of the decommissioned Washington State Ferry M/V Evergreen State on his blog. See them all at this link.

As almost everyone knows, there’s an important election coming up in November. The League of Women Voters of the San Juans would like to urge you to become the best informed voter you can be. Ballots are in the mail, and you should have already received your Voters’ Pamphlet.

You can also go to the League’s voter website: Vote411.org. Both of these resources provide good quality information, from candidates’ statements that reveal their positions and goals to explanations of the Initiative Measures. And reading the “Argument for” and “Argument against” each of the initiatives provides a helpful understanding of the pros and cons. If you are a new voter here in the county, you can still register to vote by going to the Elections Office across the street from the courthouse by October 31st.

Most importantly, be sure to mail your ballot, or drop it in one of the ballot boxes by November 8th. Democracy works because citizens vote. Remember: “Vote and the choice is yours; don’t vote and the choice is theirs.”

Clare Kelm
President, LWVSJ

On 24 October, Rotary will mark World Polio Day to help raise awareness and the funding we need to reach full eradication.

Rotary has contributed more than $1.6 billion to ending polio since 1985, including $70,000 contributed by Rotary Club of San Juan Island since their formation in 2003.

Since Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative 31 years ago, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99.9 percent, from about 350,000 cases a year to 26 confirmed as of 9/16/16. To sustain this progress, and protect our children from polio, experts say $1.5 billion is urgently needed. Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to previous polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk.

Celebrate how close we are in ending polio by making a donation in honor of World Polio Day. Your gift will be matched 2-to-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation at Rotary Club of San Juan Island website, first page, under Rotary Links, click on Rotary International.

Carla Wright
Publicity
Rotary Club of San Juan Island

Heather Clark (MERT) Lt. Ken Clark , FF1/WF2/FBOT –  S.Harley photo

Sheila Harley, Public Information Officer of SJI Fire/Rescue shares this month’s volunteer spotlight…

Heather and Ken are one of several couples who are active in San Juan Island Island Fire & Rescue. Heather is a member of San Jan Island Fire & Rescue’s Major Emergency Response Team (MERT) and Ken is a Lieutenant firefighter, a wildland firefighter and a member of the fire boat team.

They have been married for 21 years and moved here from Los Angeles, California about 11 years ago to raise their children. They had an eight week old baby, McKenna, and a 3 year old daughter, Presley, when they moved to the Island.

Ken has been a Hollywood stuntman for 28 plus years, a job he had really wanted to do since he was very young and he’s still doing it.

Both worked at theme park Knott’s Berry Farm in southern California where they met in 1992. Ken was working as a stuntman there and Heather was an animal trainer ( wolf, bobcat, monkey and more). She has always liked animals and originally wanted to become a veterinarian. She attended 2 years of training at Moorpark College Exotic Animal Training and Management, saying, “It was pretty incredible.” Continue Reading

Need A Mountain by Dave McGraw and Mandy Fer

Local singer/songwriters, Dave McGraw and Mandy Fer, wrote “Need a Mountain” for the Campaign for Mount Grant Preserve because, as they stated, “it’s near to our hearts and home that has inspired us deeply. It would mean the world to us if you considered donating (any amount helps!) to ensure the protection of this stunning island landscape.” Check out their video, shot solely atop Mount Grant Preserve, above.

If you would like to drive to the top, the preserve will be open for driving the last two Sundays of October (23rd & 30th) and then switch to a holiday schedule. The preserve is open for hiking 7 days a week.

Contact Tanja at (360) 378-4402 or email tanjaw [@] sjclandbank.org if you have questions about the schedule.

The Campaign for Mount Grant Preserve is not yet completed. Approximately $325,000 remains to be raised for completion of the property acquisition and a dedicated stewardship fund to care for the preserve into the future. For anyone who has not participated in the Campaign, please click here to donate online, or phone the Preservation Trust at 360-378-2461.

San Juan Island Park & Recreation Commission Vacancy

San Juan Island Park and Recreation District, a junior taxing district on San Juan Island seeks to appoint a new person to its board to fill the position vacated by Commissioner Tracy Roberson’s resignation. The appointment to the Board will run until the November 2017 election.

Persons interested in the field of parks and recreation who have the desire to serve the public are asked to submit a letter of interest to Island Rec’s Board of Commissioners at P.O. Box 1946, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. Applicants must be a San Juan Island resident and registered voter to qualify.

San Juan Island Park and Recreation District, known as Island Rec, operates the Family Park and Skate Park located at the SJC Fairgrounds, Eddie and Friends Dog Park, Lafarge Open Space, John O. Linde Community Park and the San Juan Island Trails Committee. Island Rec is most recognized for its year-round comprehensive recreation program annually offering over 2,900 hours of organized programming with nearly 15,000 participations. As authorized by voters in 2015, Island Rec is the main funding source for Friday Harbor High School’s Sports program.

The Commission meets on the first Thursday of every month at 5:00 pm. In addition to participation in Board meetings, Commissioners set the annual levy rate and budget, act as a liaison on projects and partnerships and actively volunteer for Island Rec special events.

To learn more about serving on the Commission, contact Director Maddie Ovenell at 378-4953 or contact one of the current commissioners – Bill Cumming, Jacquelyn Reiff, Adam Eltinge and Scott Zehner.

Apply Now for Soroptimist $4K Live Your Dream Award

If you are a woman currently enrolled in a vocational or undergraduate program, and are the primary wage earner in your family, you may qualify for the Live Your Dream Award.

The Live Your Dream Award is the signature project of Soroptimist International. This award helps women overcome personal difficulties in bettering 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, or transportation.

Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor has made a monetary award of up to $4,000 available for women in San Juan County. (This award is not a scholarship; therefore, it is taxable for U.S. citizens.)

Applications are online at www.sifri.org. You may print out the application from the site. Applications will also be available at the Toy Box, located at 20 First Street in Friday Harbor.

Submit your application to Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor, PO Box 2856, Friday Harbor, Washington, 98250. Applications must be postmarked by Nov. 15, 2016. You may email Lynn Weatherill for any questions at [email protected].

Founded in 1996 the Friday Harbor club is part of Soroptimist International of the Americas, a global organization that works to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment. Friday Harbor members join with almost 80,000 Soroptimist in about 120 countries and territories to contribute time and financial support to community-based projects benefiting women and girls.

This is the market that was originally scheduled for last week, but was cancelled because of windstorm warnings…

Saturday, October 22nd, 9:oo am to Noon in the Fairgrounds Main Building

Rain or shine, there will be shopping at the Fairgrounds tomorrow! Crafts and Flea Market items, even a bake sale—you don’t want to miss this market. Come find your new favorite treasure—whether it be home décor, kitchen items, furniture or a new piece of art for your wall!

Doors open at 9:00am sharp (sorry, no early birds permitted during vendor set-up—THANK you in advance!)

See you there!

From Sakya Kachod Choling, Buddhist Retreat Center…

Explore the potential of your inner strength from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective.

Imagine a power that must be reckoned with and that is the force behind all possibilities, without which the virtues of the world and merits of the individual will simply not flourish. The Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, a Tibetan Buddhist text by Shantideva points to just such a power. Here we are guided on how to go about acquiring this sustained energy, which can both inspire and provoke our inner strength and make use of the potentialities. Enthusiasm empowers everything, from our confidence in the relative nature of things to compassion, kindness, generosity, discipline, meditation, and even our success in life’s daily affairs.

The talk is free (donations are happily accepted and support Sakya Kachod Choling Retreat Center) and will be held at the Mullis Center, 589 Nash Street in Friday Harbor on Friday, November 4, at 7:00 pm. Contact: 360-378-4059 or [email protected]. Khenpo Pema will also be giving initiations and leading a retreat at Sakya Kachod Choling retreat center November 5 – 12 Please visit the center’s website for details. Link to: Sakya Kachod Choling retreat center

Left to right: Mariluz Villa of Hospice, Jennifer Armstrong of Family Resource Center, Scott Dudley Rotary District Governor, Chris Curtin of Car Club, Rotarians Steve Bowman and Thomas Sandstrom – Carla Wright photo

The San Juan Island Rotary Club recently presented checks to the recipients of proceeds from their annual Concurs d’Elegance held on August 28th at the San Juan Vineyard.

Mariluz Villa of Hospice and Jennifer Armstrong of Family Resource Center each received $6300. Hospice will direct the funds to 2 of their programs: Medical Equipment Lending and Music & Memory program. Family Resource Center will continue providing valuable resources for island individuals and families.

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

For further information about these worthy organizations visit: www.hospiceofsanjuan.org, www.sjifrc.org and Rotary Club of San Juan Island.

The fourth annual Friday Harbor Film Festival, which will be held November 4-5- 6, features a very exciting line-up of documentary films, as well as special events that celebrate the art of filmmaking.

Over 50 films have been scheduled, featuring quality documentaries and docu-dramas that highlight compelling stories about humanitarian efforts, environmental issues, social concerns and daring explorations.

Each film will be followed by lively discussion with the filmmaker or a local expert. For example, our special guest Pete Freeland, who is a successful actor, rocket scientist and astronaut will be on hand to speak after showings of “The Last Man on the Moon” and participate in our Filmmakers Forum. Additional highlights of the festival include:

• The Opening Night Filmmakers Gala, to be held at San Juan Community Theatre on Friday, November 4 starting at 6:30 pm, honors Richard Chew, a distinguished academy award-winning film editor and producer who has spent 50 years in the film industry, with The Andrew V. McLaglen Lifetime Achievement Award.
• On Saturday, November 5 at 7 pm at San Juan Community Theatre, there will be a screening of the KAVU Collection Film Series and presentation of the Local Hero Award to Bruce Barr, followed by entertainment courtesy of The J-BOTS, a local rock band.
• A Filmmakers Forum, to be held at 10 am on Sunday, November 6 at Friday Harbor House, gives audience members the opportunity to learn about the challenges of documentary filmmaking and to engage with filmmakers.
• The Young Filmmakers Project highlights films by local students and young filmmakers on Saturday, November 5 at 1 pm at the Grange, and on Sunday, November 6 at 10 am at Friday Harbor House.
• The grand finale of the Festival, our Awards Night, occurs on Sunday, November 6 at
  6 pm at San Juan Community Theatre, celebrating our audiences’ favorite films.

The Friday Harbor Film Festival is distinguished by the large number of filmmakers who personally come to San Juan Island each year from across the globe. The Festival’s celebration of these filmmakers, as well as its focus on the conversations that the films evoke, connect audiences with both the filmmakers themselves and the compelling stories they are telling.

To preview this year’s featured films, visit the Festival’s website, www.fhff.org. And for information on how to get to San Juan Island or where to stay, go to www.visitsanjuans.com.

Steven Mallatratt’s eerie spine-tingler, The Woman in Black, returns to the San Juan Community Theatre THIS Thursday through Sunday, October 20-23.

Thursday at 7:30 pm is “Pay What You Can” at the door. (Doors open at 6:30 pm).
Tickets for Friday and Saturday’s 7:30 performances and Sunday’s 2:00 pm matinee are available on-line at www.sjctheatre.org or at the box office (378-3210).

Directed by Bobby Ryan, this play-within-a-play highlights a lawyer (Floyd Bourne) obsessed with a curse that he thinks has been cast on his family. He hires an actor (Tyler Ryan) to tutor him in recounting to family and friends the story of that dark and stormy night he first encountered the specter of “The Woman in Black.”

Mary Ann Ragsdale

Mary Ann Ragsdale of San Juan Island, born November 1, 1945 in Quincy, Massachusetts, died October 18, 2016 at St Joseph’s hospital in Bellingham surrounded by her family. She was in no pain.

Mary Ann lived her life like each day was the last. She loved all that came across her path. She married the love of her life, Lynn, in 1980 and never looked back. She was a woman filled with a fiery passion for music, theater, art, travel, her grand baby and love.

She is survived by her daughter Candace and her beloved grandson Brogan Lynn; her brothers John Jackson and family, Marc Jackson and family, Tommy Jackson and family, Steve Jackson and family; cousins Lynette Beltran and family, Ceilia Kozuch and family; her sister Mary Aubert and brother Lou Aubert.

There will be a celebration of her life from 2 to 4 pm. November 13, 2016 at the Roche Harbor Pavilion. In honor of Mary Ann’s favorite color, everyone is asked to wear hues of pink.

The new Spring Street Landing building – Contributed photo

The Port of Friday Harbor wraps up construction on the new waterfront building located at 10 Front Street Friday harbor, WA. The Port will celebrate with a ribbon-cutting and Grand Opening ceremony Friday, October 28 at 2:00 p.m.

The building replaces 1960’s construction that was destroyed by a fire in August of 2013.

The state-of-the art building required reconstruction of the deteriorating seawall and removal of contaminated soils from a former fuel operation.  The Port’s contractor Wellman & Zuck completed the bulk of its responsibilities as of mid-October.

The new building houses San Juan Excursions and San Juan Safaris offering whale watch tours, kayak trips and locally inspired apparel. Riptide Cafe, featuring Stumptown coffee, offers traditional espresso bar eats and treats. The much anticipated re-opening of Downriggers Restaurant will take place the first part of November.  Recently, two suites within the waterfront lower level have become available to lease.

Barbara Marrett, Port Commission President, explains “We’re grateful that the new Spring Street Landing building has helped transform our waterfront. On the street level, a newly created plaza invites us to linger and look out on the harbor or pause to dine alfresco. Below, what was formerly a parking lot with chain-link fencing is now a lovely waterfront walkway. New storefront spaces and restaurant facility with amazing views add warmth and a touch of sophistication to the downtown experience. We are also grateful to our contractors, architects, businesses and staff for helping us create something beautiful from the ashes. We are excited to cut the ribbon and share these new spaces with you!”

Captain Jim Maya has this news to share…

Dear Friends…

I hope this note finds you all well.

Our new calendar is out soon! San Juan Islands Wild, 2017… The Photography of James Mead Maya. Here is the cover image. You can order by return email, at www.mayasimages.com and through Facebook, at Maya’s Images. If you live on San Juan Island I’ll be happy to deliver the calendar or arrange a pickup.

Here is the ordering info…

You can order our new 2017 San Juan Wild Calendar anytime now. They are $21.62 each, including sales tax. In addition, there is a $6.00 shipping for 1-6 calendars in the US. You can pay by PayPal ([email protected]), charge card, (call us with your credit card #) or check sent to Maya’s Images, 210 Madrona Dr. Friday Harbor, WA 98250. I’ll need a shipping address.We’ll start shipping by November 1. Please let me know if you have any other questions…

Thanks for your consideration, and I hope you have a great Holiday Season.

Cheers,
Capt. Jim