1st Annual Hill of Thrills Soap Box Derby – Tim Dustrude photo

Island Rec held their first annual Hill of Thrills soap box derby on Saturday and had a great turnout for this first-ever event here on the island. 18 racers competed in 3 different age groups.

• PJ Nixon took first place in the 5 to 8 years old category;
• Timmy Mountford won first place in the 9- 15 years category;
• and Michael Seibert won first place in the 16 years to adult category.

Everyone had a great time and will certainly be back next year with likely more competitors as word gets around how much fun this was. Click here to see more photos. Continue Reading

There’s a new store in town. It’s Joe’s Shoes on First, and it’s right there where Cotton Cotton Cotton used to be next door to the Rumor Mill. It is an extension of the clothing store Joe Friday’s upstairs at King’s Market.

When they heard the space was available, they took most of the shoes and moved over there with them. They did leave some footwear though because of King’s Marine – water shoes, rubber boots and flip-flops. But everything else is moved and looking good in the new surroundings. Go check it out!

The Port’s Fairweather Park – Tim Dustrude photo

Join Harbormaster Tami Hayes and Port Director Marilyn O’Connor on a tour of the Marina with the new dock improvements.

Then we will see up close the new construction along the waterfront with new restaurant and shops rising from the ashes of the terrible fire two years ago.

Saturday May 28, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Port of Friday Harbor. Meet at Fairweather Park (next to the Port of Friday Harbor Marina office).

This will be an easy walk and dogs on a leash are welcome.

For more information: info [@] sanjuanislandtrails.org.

Do you want your business to grow? Learn to increase sales and develop business in our FREE upcoming workshop, Sales Processes for Profitability!

In this exciting class, you will learn how to help customers arrive at informed final purchasing decisions, how to understand your buyers and the buying processes, and how to design a strategic sales process that will help your business earn greater profits.

DETAILS: June 7th from 1:00-2:30 p.m. at the Orcas Island Fire Station. FREE!

For more information, visit www.sanjuansedc.org/sales_process

Reservations required; please call or email: (360) 378-2906 or info[@]sanjuansedc.org.

From May 21 – June 11, WaterWorks Gallery welcomes David Ridgway – Oil Paintings, and Jeremy Newman & Allison Ciancibelli – Blown & Sculpted Glass.

In sharing their sense of place, David, Jeremy & Allison, create artworks that convey their fascination with the Northwest landscape. David Ridgway pares the landscape down to interlocking colored shapes and paints painting them in bold colors. He expresses his love of form, in particular of the gable as seen in the barns, farmhouses and summer cottages of the Skagit Flats or the San Juan Islands.

The duo team of Jeremy Newman & Allison Ciancibelli work in blown glass, creating a world of shapes; circles, rectangles and squares. These shapes evoke their vision of landscape. The surface of the glass is colored, engraved or stenciled. These painterly marks dramatize their story of the Northwest landscape.

Reception for the artists, Saturday May 21 st 4-7 PM. Artists in Attendance.

To preview the show, visit the gallery website.

This is the 31st year of WaterWorks Gallery located in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, it is a contemporary, light filled gallery space that continues to evolve as a gallery dedicated to showing artists from the Islands, Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia . The represented artists, painters, sculptor,s and jewelers reflect the area’s beauty, both conventional and unusual. That is the flavor of the Northwest and what makes, making WaterWorks Gallery the unique place it is.

Click to enlarge flyer

Cote Bonneville Wine Dinner at Coho Restaurant to benefit Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

There’s still time to make your reservation!

Friday night is the night and there are still a couple of spaces left, so, please join us for delicious food and wine, all for a great cause. We’re looking forward to seeing you there.

Email reservations[@]CohoRestaurant.com or call 378-6330 to reserve your table. For more information on Côte Bonneville and Coho, visit www.cohorestaurant.com/cote-bonneville-wine-dinner.

Albert Olson – Contributed Photo

Sheila Harley, Public Information Officer of San Juan Island Fire/Rescue shares this month’s volunteer firefighter…

Albert Olson, Tender Operator/Engineer

To protect life and property

Albert and his wife, Kris, own and operate Krystal Acres alpaca farm on Blazing Tree Rd off West Valley Rd.

He is also a Tender Operator/Engineer assigned to Station 36 ( Eagle Crest) where he has served for 6 years. Previously he was assigned to Station 34 (Sunset Point). Albert retired from actually fighting fires when he turned 65. Tender Operator/Engineer is a position that was developed so that firefighters who have served as firefighter and are past retirement age can still participate. They are qualified to drive and operate the water truck and a fire engine during a fire. This allows the firefighters to fight fires rather than worrying if they will have enough water to do so.

Albert was born and raised in a farming family on Fir Island, Washington which is bounded by the North and South forks of the Skagit River. His family were dairy and crop farmers. He attended Mt. Vernon High School, attended business school in Seattle for a year, then went to work for Pacific National Bank in Seattle. He met and married his wife Kris 1965. Since he was a farm boy at heart, he and Kris moved back to the country to Camano Island and purchased a Napa Auto Parts store in Stanwood, WA. He sold the store in 2002. After that he settled on San Juan Island permanently. Continue Reading

Garden Club at Fort Worden – Contributed Photo

The San Juan Island Garden Club shares with notice us…

Members and Friends of the San Juan Island Garden Club recently enjoyed a two-day excursion to the Olympic Peninsula and experienced natural beauty and gardening information that matched and exceeded all expectations.

Eleven very joyful gardeners (from San Juan Island and Lopez Island) enjoyed visits to Heronswood Garden, where we experienced the extreme woodland beauty and the incorporated monumental art of this estate. There were also free lectures by noted speakers, Kelly Dodson and Heronswood Garden Director, Dan Hinkley. Heronswood has a history of development-to-total beauty; then decline; and now restoration to it’s original beauty and beyond.

The day turned rainy, but the group prevailed and proceeded to beautiful Happy Valley of Sequim to visit the Peony Farm Gardens.  Tucked off of the mainstream of traffic, there exists this beautiful “oasis” of blooms of peonies.  It was enjoyed by all, but especially those who chose to exit the bus without an umbrella and to purchase the beautiful plants.

The second day, our excursion took us to the Centennial Rhododendron Garden at Fort Worden. This is one of those gems that shines brightly in late Winter and early Spring. The blooms were still vibrant with exclusive colors that many of us have not experienced in our own “rhodies.”  The grounds at Fort Worden are so open and offer the idea of a “blanket on the ground” picnic in the future.  Very inviting! Continue Reading

Summer is just around the corner and our prickly foes are gearing up for a big convention on the mountain! Be sure to bring your leather gloves this Sunday to avoid their wrath when yanking them out of bed.

• When?
  Sunday, May 22
  10:00am to 2:00pm

• Where?
  Base of Cady Mountain Preserve – turn on to Cady Mountain Road off of West Valley Road. We’ll meet at the triangle junction about 100 yards from West Valley.

• What?
  Invasives removal
  Cleaning out oak seedling cages
  Tree Girdling

• 

  Sharp Tailed Snake – Contributed photo

  Bring/Wear?
  Favorite weeding tool and/or hand pruners or hand saw
  Lunch and water
  Weather appropriate clothing

RSVP required (e-mail tanjaw [@] sjclandbank.org).

*Bonus: Checking for Sharp-tailed snakes (we’ve had TWO recent sightings on Cady Mountain!)

There were a lot of great performances this past week for Friday Harbor Wolverine athletes and teams.  

Below is an update about the post season opportunities for our spring sports teams…

• Baseball – Our Baseball team entered the District 1 Tournament as the # 2 seed and hosted Orcas on Tuesday, May 10.  They lost a close game 4-3 and needed to bounce back and win two games this past  Saturday to advance to the State Regional Playoffs. By winning both games on Saturday they are now 1 of 16 teams at the class 2B level left playing.  To advance, they first defeated Concrete in a close contest, 3-0 and then got a little payback when they defeated Orcas 12-1 in the second game.  They will now play Tri-Cities Prep at Adna High School (near Chehalis) on Saturday, May 21 at 10:00am.  A win would see them playing again on Saturday, and a loss would end their season.  Should they win both games Saturday, they would advance to the round of four, state final tournament, the following weekend. Visit our league website at www.nw1a2bathletics.com  or go to wiaa.com  for more information on seeding and brackets.

• Girls Tennis – Our Girls Tennis team completed their season this past week at South Whidbey.  Six girls competed at the District 1 tournament where although played competitively did not advance to the B-District tournament being held this week.  Great experience was gained and this will help with future play.

Continue Reading

Part of the new Logging Exhibit at MHI – Tim Dustrude photo

This weekend the San Juan Historical Society and Museum celebrates their 50 year anniversary. Lots will be happening up there and it will be a great opportunity for you to check out the progress they’re making on the newest exhibit – their Museum of History and Industry (MHI) of San Juan Island.

Part of the Lime Exhibit at MHI – Tim Dustrude photo

Dodie Gann’s apple cider press is on display at the MHI – Tim Dustrude photo

When completed (hopefully within the next 2 years) the MHI will consist of 4 exhibits, each devoted to a significant industry that has shaped the island over the last 100 years – Fishing, Logging, Farming and Lime.

Currently, great progress is being made on the Logging and Lime exhibits, with Fishing and Farming coming up next.

Saturday, May 21st from 11am to 3pm. Go enjoy an admission-free day filled with exhibits, music, stories, and the opportunity to browse through some vintage local newspapers, and pore over Pioneer Picnic scrapbooks from decades gone by. There will be storytellers and docents to serve as guides, and there will be cake!

You can also support the museum and have your name or message proudly displayed on their grounds if you Buy a Brick for History.

Buy a Brick for History and support your local museum

Mural artist Jake Wagoner – Tim Dustrude photo

That’s the theme of the mural currently being painted in town down at the Sunken Park. If you pop down there this week, you’re likely to run into Jake Wagoner, a Kirkland, WA mural artist who is busy painting away on this newest piece of public art in Friday Harbor.

Jake started out painting as a kid and art for him has become much more important as he grew up. He has a strong graphic arts background and has been doing mural work professionally for about 5 years now, and he’s getting more and more busy as time goes by. After this, he will return to Kirkland and go directly to meetings for 2 murals he’ll be doing next, and then later this summer, he’ll be doing a large project for the Issaquah Skate Park.

He submitted 2 proposals to the Town for this mural, one that was more straightforward – a photo-realistic image of Lime Kiln Lighthouse, and this one that was ultimately chosen by the arts council and the Town that he calls “Witness the Beauty”.

Jake Wagoner – Tim Dustrude photo

“I wanted it to be a reminder to viewers, and to myself, to always try to see the bright side of things” he says.

The mural will be finished in time for this coming Sunday’s dedication at 2:00 pm, with a reading of Bill Weissinger’s winning poem “What You Don’t Want to Do…“. More info about the selection process at this previous post on SJ Update.

Salish Sea Ballet invites aspiring dancers of all ages, and their families, to attend our Summer Program Open House. The event takes place on Friday, May 20th from 3:00-6:00pm. Stop by to see our studio, meet the faculty, and register for summer and fall classes.

Salish Sea Ballet offers a variety of dance camps and classes that inspire children to explore multiple dance genres and engage in movement, craft, and educational activities. This summer we will stage an original ballet for the San Juan County Fair. Donʼt miss this opportunity to perform! Check out our Summer Program camp and class offerings on our website.

Stop by our Open House on Friday for snacks and coffee, and a free T-shirt for each dancer who registers for summer camp or classes at this event. Our summer dance T-shirts are limited edition and this offer is good only while supplies last. Continue Reading

Let’s see what’s in the ol’ Update mailbag today – here’s a letter from Judah Finney…

This goes out to those Republican voters who were going to vote for Ted Cruz in the upcoming Primary, but are now thinking that, since he suspended his campaign, your vote is meaningless. So you’re just going to let that ballot sit. Or maybe you’ve even decided to hold your nose and vote for Trump.

No! Our votes still count!

I want to ensure you that this primary is not meaningless; that if Donald Trump does not represent your values (he definitely does not represent mine), you can still make a statement to that effect by voting for Ted Cruz on the ballot, and with that statement you can wash your hands of Trump’s nomination. You can tell the nation, and the world that you did not fall for his showmanship, that you respect women, that you do not agree with his characterizing Mexican immigrants as rapists, that you believe that the Constitution is still relevant, that you don’t believe we can spend our way out of the National Debt, etc., etc. – that Donald Trump does not speak for us!

Again, Cruz did not drop out of the race completely – he merely suspended his campaign. And Trump does not have 1237 delegates yet. It’s a mathematical certainty that he will, but he hasn’t yet. Just imagine: what if he were to lose Oregon? Washington? California?

So make a statement. Vote for Ted. And pray for the nation, because “It’s not over till it’s over.”

Judah Finney
Friday Harbor, WA

Image courtesy of Fenner Photography

Don’t forget, this event is happening this coming Saturday…

Island Rec – Hill of Thrills Soap Box Race

Island Rec is very excited to announce a new event coming up on Saturday, May 21 – The Hill of Thrills Soap Box Race.

This is a classic old fashioned ‘gravity’ race where people race their homemade non-motorized contraptions down Park St. from Marguerite to Price St.  There will be prizes for style as well as for the races.  The racing will have categories for ages 5 through adult and there will be a parade for ages 0-5 to kick off the event, which goes from 9:00 am-noon.

Race packets and applications can be found on-line or at the office.  Please register soon.

To view a full schedule of Island Rec programs or to register online please visit the website at www.IslandRec.org, call 360-378-4953, or visit the office at 580 Guard St. Monday – Friday 11:00-5pm.

Exploring the islands?

There’s an app for that…

Well – there’s an app coming soon, like in about 2 weeks or so.

You may remember from a previous post on the SJ Update, that Lopez resident, Tim Fry of 468 Communications, won a portion of the grant from the EDC’s Launch San Juan Islands business plan competition with his plan to create a visitor’s app.

Well it’s pretty much done now and just waiting for Apple and Google to run it through their approval processes. Sometime very soon you will be able to get the app yourself from the iTunes app store or Google Play.

So what does it do exactly? It helps visitors once they’re here, to explore the islands by awarding points when they see and experience various attractions. Things like restaurants, businesses, beaches, parks, hikes, and other destinations are shown on the app’s Map. When a user visits one of these locations, the app will know they are there (through the wonders of GPS technology), and the user will then be able to tap on “Collect Points”.

Points may then be redeemed for various goods and services at participating businesses. In this way, the app is not merely a Guide Map, but rather an incentive to get people out to see and experience the islands’ attractions.

What’s more, for many locations, the app will have instructions and guidelines – Stay on trail, dogs on leash, or other “leave-no-trace” tips will help ensure visitors know how to enjoy our local destinations without having too much of a negative impact upon them.

The whole process for this started a little over a year ago with an idea from Becky Smith, then director of the Lopez Chamber of Commerce. It is now a group effort from the Chambers of Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Islands, and currently includes over 130 points of interest over all the islands.

More information about the app is available on this Overview brochure (PDF). View more screenshots from the app below. Continue Reading