By Peggy Sue McRae –

Curt Van Hyning

I turn 65 this year so I was very glad to hear about the free forum on Medicare that will be held at the Mullis Center on Wednesday, October 26. Even if you are not a medicare newbie like me, you may want to take this opportunity to get an overview of changes to Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Insurance. Just saying “Medicare Part D” makes my eyes cross and my brain start to go numb. It can be confusing. Due to my age I’ve been getting lots of official looking mail marked “important Medicare information” that turns out to be advertising from insurance companies. I’m relieved to have an opportunity to get some reliable information that I can have confidence in.

The forum will be led by SHIBA Volunteer, Curt VanHyning. SHIBA, (Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors) is part of Washington state’s consumer protection services. Our community is lucky to have Curt’s expertise. When my sisters and I moved our Mom into assisted living at The Village at the Harbour, Curt helped us make sense of her health insurance. He also helped me obtain the health insurance I have now, all as voluntary community service. Curt helps people of all ages find their best health insurance options through the family resource center. At the 2-hour forum on October 26 there will be time for Q & A as well as access to individual confidential appointments.

The free Medicare Community Forum will be held at The Mullis Center on Wednesday, October 26 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Its Official – Roche Harbor Salmon Derby sold out on Monday Oct. 17th!

Yep, that is a record previously held by the 2009 Derby that sold out on Nov. 5th!

However, if you were hoping to compete and haven’t registered yet, you may still consider getting on the waiting list, as they usually receive a few cancellations prior to the start.

CALL in to the Market , (360) 378-5562
FAX 360-378-9850
EMAIL market [@] rocheharbor.com
MAIL : Roche Harbor Market ATTN: Debbie PO BOX 4001 Roche Harbor, WA 98250

Any and all questions please don’t hesitate to give them a call!

Related to the Letter to the Editor sent last week we were notified that Bob Jarman had sent a response to our questions in September, but it never reached us.

The Facebook site and web page have now been updated with Bob Jarman’s responses (also available here) and we apologize for any confusion or misrepresentation that this has created.

Sincerely
Sarah Severn
Strategic Advisor, Washington Business for Climate Action

By Merri Ann Simonson –

Merri Ann Simonson – Contributed photo

Due to the fact that Real Market Data no longer produces a report containing all of the transactions in the County, effective this quarter I am forced to use the NWMLS as my data source.

The County’s site is too cumbersome but complies with State regulations. The site reports property sales multiple times when more than one tax parcel is involved which requires deletion and many entries lack complete addresses, therefore too much manual manipulation.

Unfortunately, the NWMLS lacks about 20%+/- of the volume as compared to actual. I had two choices; change or retire. I decided to deal with it as obviously I am not ready to retire. – continue reading (PDF) –

Donny Galt of Ace Hardware and Jimmie Lawson of Jim’s Heating have partnered together to create a new business offering propane to the islands. Inter Island Propane and Mechanical will be the only locally owned propane business on the island.

“With the recent buyout of VanderYacht Propane by AmeriGas (DBA San Juan Propane) we both realized the importance of a new option for the residents of San Juan County” says Donny. “As we both came to the partnership table we realized how valuable we will be as partners. Jimmie’s 30+ years in the heating and cooling business and my 30+ years in a variety of entrepreneur ventures has created, in my opinion, a perfect match for a new propane sales and HVAC business.”

2 new propane trucks and a large assortment of propane tanks have arrived. The storage facility is nearing completion and the large storage tank should arrive within the next couple of weeks. They hope to begin delivering propane at the end of October or early November.

This is a new venture for Donny – he’s no longer managing Ace Hardware. Jimmie will still be doing the heating business, but it will be rolled in with the new business under the name of Inter-Island Propane and Mechanical.

Molly Finch, Ronnie Thurman, Donny Galt and Jimmie Lawson

Helping out with the deliveries will be Molly Finch and Ronnie Thurman.

Find more information on their new website at InterIslandPropane.com.

Ballots for the 2017 General Election, which includes the Presidential election, are on their way. Ballots are being mailed on Tuesday, October 18. Most ballots should be in mailboxes by Friday, October 21. If you have not received your ballot by Tuesday, October 25, please let the Elections Office know, at (360) 378-3357.

Voter Pamphlets were mailed by the state last week, and should have reached most households by now. If you did not receive one, you can pick one up at the Elections Office at 55 Second Street in Friday Harbor.

Not registered? If you’ve never been registered to vote in Washington, it’s not too late. You must register in person, at the Elections Office in Friday Harbor. In-person registrations will be accepted through October 31.

In addition to President and Vice President, the ballot includes state races for Governor, Lt Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, State Attorney General and others. United States Senator and Representatives are also on the ballot. Nine state measures, two local measures (not applicable to all precincts), and two local races round out the ballot.

For questions about ballots or anything election-related, contact the Elections Office at (360) 378-3357 or email:
elections [@] sanjuanco.com.

Check out the information below about two very important community events coming up this week, hosted by SAFE San Juans:

1. Friday, October 21st, 12:00 noon – Silent Witness Campaign Vigil: You may have already noticed the Silent Witness silhouettes on the lawn of the legislative building, across from the courthouse. This display is meant to honor those who died from domestic violence in 2015. Please take some time to walk among the figures or write your thoughts in the journal provided on site. SAFE San Juans will be hosting a vigil in honor of these victims at the site on October 21st at noon.

2. Sunday October 23rd, 2:00pm-4:00pm – Allied Social Service Initiative, Community Awareness Event: Come out to the old medical center building (550 Spring St.) on Sunday, October 23rd, for an afternoon of fun and information about the new allied social service project being spearheaded by SAFE San Juans. Also featured will be the exciting new vision for The COVE – Carlson Youth Center of the San Juan Islands. The event will be a wonderful opportunity to catch the energy for this great initiative! There will be a virtual tour representing the finished project, as well as self-guided walk-throughs of the building past our artist’s renderings. There will also be several short presentations by project leads, a complimentary hot dog feed (hosted by the Stand Up Men), ample time for questions & answers, and sign-ups for those who would like to take on a more active role in this project benefiting the entire community!

Be sure to mark your calendars and join SAFE San Juans in their work to empower our islands to live free of abuse.

Click to enlarge

The 2017 Preliminary Budget for San Juan County has been published. The theme of the 2017 Budget Message is “Building for the Future.” With the effects of the Great Recession now largely behind the County, the goal for the 2017 budget is to look forward, positioning the County to serve its citizens for the next 20 years. The budget can be viewed at: http://sanjuanco.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/10618.

Included in the budget are a “Status Quo” scenario, which includes no discretionary changes from 2016, and a “Preliminary” column, which includes requests as recommended by the Budget Team.

In addition to budget detail, the Budget Book represents a thorough picture of the purpose and mission of San Juan County. The Overview section includes the Budget Message, as well as general information about the County. Sections organized by function (Legislative & Administrative, Financial Services, Community Services, Law & Justice, and Public Works) follow. Within those sections, every department is described, including their individual missions, accomplishments of 2016, and goals for 2017. In addition, in the Department Requests section, every request for new or increased funding is described in detail.

The Budget Team is comprised of County Auditor Milene Henley, County Manager Mike Thomas, Chief Deputy Auditor Kim Herrenkohl, and Health and Community Services Director Mark Tompkins.

“Draw the Figure” at San Juan Islands Museum of Art

San Juan Islands Museum of Art is pleased to present a third session of “Draw the Figure” on Monday evenings from 5:30pm – 8:30pm for eight weeks, beginning October 24, 2016. This unique workshop will be facilitated by instructor, Annie Howell-Adams. Annie is a member of Arts Student League of New York and is an artist and art instructor living on San Juan Island.

In the class, students will learn many technical challenges such as form, design, line, and measuring with accurate observation. Drawing concepts will include: blocking in the figure, contour and shadows, edge control, negative space, and specifics of the head and features. Drawing the human form is the cornerstone of art training.

Tuition for the eight weeks is $160 and includes the model fee. Students are to bring their own preferred art supplies.

For more information and to register, contact the class organizer, Debbie Pigman, at 360 472-0216 or email [email protected], or the museum at (360) 370-5050.

Sue and Possum are this week’s Pets of the Week

Move over Thelma and Louise. Step aside Laverne and Shirley. We’re Sue and Possum and we’re here to tell you that adopting two shelter cats at the same time is a Purrrrfect idea!

We’re sisters and we’ve been together all our lives. We sleep together, eat together, and judge other cats together. One of us is mischievous and the other is a perfect angel. Can you guess which is which? You’ll just have to meet us to find out!

If you have a cozy room with a fireplace we’d really love to meet you!

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

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

Fall has arrived on San Juan Island. This truly is such a beautiful time of year here. It is great to see so many visitors on the island especially on the weekends. All of our guests will enjoy and our business community will benefit from the wide array of fantastic activities going on through the fall.

Savor The San Juans is in full swing with events running through November in celebration of food and farming in the San Juan Islands. November 4-6 brings us the fantastic Friday Harbor Film Festival with an amazing selection of films and unique opportunities to hear from filmmakers themselves. Lastly… and here come the “H” word… the holiday season will be upon us.

The Friday Harbor Winter Festival will commence on December 1 and will include fun and celebratory events through the month of December. The Island Lights Festival will take place on Friday, December 2 with events to include an open house at the Whale Museum, caroling, the tree lighting and Santa at Brickworks. December 3-4 all islanders and visitors are invited to the Ag Guild Old Fashioned Christmas Market at Brickworks which will be a traditional European style holiday market showcasing talented local artisans. Other events will be added to our winter line up as we get closer to the season. Enjoy the peacefulness of the autumn season and as always, support your local businesses especially as we head into the gift buying season.

New Members Continue Reading

Have you seen any Rough-skinned Newts this fall?

These little brown amphibians with orange bellies are moving from the ponds and wetlands where they spent the summer into the surrounding woodland where they’ll hide under rotten logs and leaves during the winter months. Sadly their route often takes them across roads where many are squished by cars. They are small and difficult to see, especially at night, but if you know the areas where they cross roads you can watch out for these little creatures and have a better chance of avoiding them. You can also gently scoop them up and move them off the road. (Just wash your hands afterwards).

In the past couple of weeks we have seen some crossing Boyce Road in the area between Wolf Hollow and Beaverton Valley Road, and in previous years people have also reported seeing newts crossing Egg Lake Road, Prohaska, Wold Road (near the Lavender Farm), and the road up Mt Grant. We also know they are seen in the Three Meadows area.

Please drive carefully and look out for newts in these areas.

If you drive by on Boyce Road you will notice a couple of Newt Crossing Signs. If you’d like to warn people about newts crossing the road in your area, digital copies of this sign can be obtained from Kwiaht, so you can print a couple out and put them up. (The sign meets county standards for temporary signs if put up only when newts are present in spring and fall.)

If you see newts on the roads mentioned above, or in any other areas in San Juan County, we would love to know so we have an idea where these little animals are living and especially where their movements take then across busy roads.

You can help! – Call Wolf Hollow at 360-378-5000, contact us by email at [email protected], or contact Kwiaht at [email protected].

This is the final Know Your Island Walk of the year:

Joining Forces for a Community Trail, hike and learn about the creation of the trail connecting town and American Camp. We will walk the middle section of this 6 mile trail, and hear about its beginning and the community cooperation, both public and private that has it largely completed.

Led by Alice Hurd, a trail neighbor and easement donor. The 3-mile walk has little elevation change, but is not really flat. Bring walking poles if you use them, sturdy shoes, and dogs if they are leashed. Park on Old Crab Lane off of Cattle Point Road, follow signs. If you get to Portland Fair Road you went too far.

This will be the last Know Your Island Walk of the year so come and join us. Saturday October 22nd, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Email for more information:
info [@] sanjuanislandtrails.org.

Ron Vincellette

Ronald Lee Vincellette died of natural causes in the early morning of Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at his home in Friday Harbor, WA. He is survived by his loving wife of 28 years, Phyllis, known as “Sam” to friends, and his son Mark, daughter Kim, stepdaughter Lisa and extended family.

Ron graduated with a BS in Management and an MBA at California State University, San Diego. He served the military in the United States Marine Corps. He and Sam had travelled extensively around the world during his working years and after retirement. Management work took him to Canada, the U.K., Argentina, Egypt, Trinidad, Mexico, North Africa, and Saudi Arabia. His knowledge in many fields led to many wonderful opportunities. Ron was a member of the American Institute of Industrial Engineering, American Society of Tool & Manufacturing Engineers, the American Management Association, the American Legion, the Masonic Lodge and Lions International.

Ron was a fun, gregarious, intelligent, gentle, caring man who was well liked and admired by many people from across our nation. Ron enjoyed many things including racing, sports of all sorts including golf, photography, travel, reading, volunteering, but most of all he enjoyed entertaining friends. He was the consummate host who always made each individual feel special even in large gatherings. Ron Vincellette had a zest for life that was evident the minute you met him. He brought us joy and will be remembered always as a good and loving man. And as everyone knows, Ron loved a good joke.

The Masons will hold a memorial service for Ron on Monday, October 17, 7pm at the San Juan Masonic Lodge at Second & Reed across from the Courthouse. This will be followed with potluck appetizers and a toast to Ron. Friends are welcome to attend. His ashes will be scattered in the Salish Sea in a private ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, a donation in honor of Ron Vincellette to the Friday Harbor America Legion Post 163, San Juan Island Lions Club or the San Juan Masonic Lodge #175 would be appreciated.

Savannah picks the correct sample – Contributed photo

Local Dogs Make the Grade in Parkinson’s Detection Project

Dog trainer Lisa Holt, with a team of volunteers, recently completed a pilot study designed to determine whether dogs can be trained to detect Parkinson’s Disease and in doing so contribute to early detection of a debilitating and costly disease. The answer seems to be a firm “yes”.

Volunteers Nancy Jones and Linda Scribe – Contributed photo

What started as a grass roots effort in Friday Harbor and a first-of-its-kind test anywhere in the world has provided preliminary evidence that dogs can indeed be trained to detect a Parkinson’s Disease scent. On the strength of positive results in the pilot study, Lisa is now seeking funding from various organizations, including the Michael J. Fox Foundation, an organization devoted to Parkinson’s Disease, for support of a second phase that she hopes will confirm the findings of the pilot study.

Using methods common in training dogs to detect narcotics, explosives, invasive and non-invasive species, and cancer, this pilot study involved six dogs and their trainers. Of the six dogs, five performed at an 80% or higher level of correct response to a sample of Parkinson’s Disease and three of the dogs gave a 90% or higher level of correct response. The presence of L-Dopa (a standard Parkinson’s medication) appeared not to affect the dogs’ response level. Lisa says, “There is no better detection tool than a dog. By putting the dogs’ amazing olfactory systems to work we not only support efforts to uncover markers for Parkinson’s but we also supply information to researchers, and this work may even lead researchers to look in new directions.” Continue Reading

An artist’s rendering of the new home for the Animal Protection Society – Friday Harbor

Shelter Project Moving Forward

Just over three years ago, The Animal Protection Society – Friday Harbor announced its’ kickoff of the New Home – New Hope Capital Campaign to build a much needed new animal shelter for San Juan Island. When APS began this campaign, we committed to the public that we would (1) not break ground until we reached a goal of 80% of the funds needed, and (2) use qualified, local contractors during the construction phase. With the help of many generous donors throughout the community, off island supporters, and with the tireless commitment from volunteers, staff, and board members in our fundraising efforts, the APS Board of Directors and the New Home – New Hope Fundraising Committee are excited to announce the Shelter Project has reached its’ groundbreaking goal by raising 80% of the funds necessary to build our new shelter.

With construction bids submitted and all permits and architectural & engineering designs finished and approved, the Board of Directors would also like to announce that the excavation contract will be awarded to Chris Lawson Excavation and the General Contractor contract will be awarded to Mike Greenway Construction, both businesses based on San Juan Island. We have achieved our second goal in using a local construction contractor by receiving affordable and quality bids offered by several local builders. We would like to thank all the contractors who submitted bids and the extensive efforts & considerations put into all the bids that we received.

Groundbreaking and excavation for the new shelter at 994 Cattle Point Rd will begin dependent upon weather conditions. We are hopeful actual building can begin early spring, with an anticipated finish and occupy date of early 2018. Continue Reading