Houses on Barge – Contributed photo

San Juan Community Home Trust Eyes Expanded Role In Affordable Housing On San Juan Island

The San Juan Community Home Trust has successfully launched two “permanently affordable” neighborhoods on San Juan Island – the Salal neighborhood on Carter Avenue with 15 individual homes, and the Sun Rise 1 neighborhood on Grover Street with 14 condominium homes. The Home Trust is currently developing Sun Rise 2, a neighborhood with 12 more affordable homes utilizing previously owned homes purchased through Nickel Brothers Moving.

In the recent update of its strategic plan the Board of the Home Trust has broadened its mission and will be studying other ways to create affordable housing on San Juan Island with their first focus being rental housing. Home Trust Board president, Sarah Crosby, said:

“San Juan Island is experiencing the same affordable housing issues that are being seen all across the country. Diversity in our community is critical and we need to encourage that diversity by making housing available for people from all walks of life. We recognize that an “affordable home” is one that is safe, comfortable and permanently affordable, whether as a homeowner or renter. With this in mind, we will be studying ways to add affordable rental units to the Home Trust’s portfolio.”

As part of its inquiry the Home Trust will be reviewing the efforts of other community land trusts that have developed affordable rental units, including those on Orcas and Lopez.

For more information on the San Juan Community Home Trust and opportunities for those seeking affordable housing, please contact Nancy DeVaux, Executive Director, at 378-5541.

When 914 members of the People’s Temple and four visiting Americans died in Guyana, South America on November 18, 1978, Laura Johnston Kohl survived.  She was one of 87 who lived through the trauma.

In 2010, she published her book JONESTOWN SURVIVOR: An Insider’s Look. Laura will be talking about surviving the tragedy, living with guilt and how she managed to reclaim her life.

Her book will be for sale at the event. Refreshments are courtesy of the Friends of the Library.

Wednesday, February 17 at 7 pm at the San Juan Island Library. Free.

OPALCO offices are open for business today, Friday 2/12/16. All OPALCO offices were closed yesterday following a series of incidents that threatened the safety and security of OPALCO employees. The Sheriff’s office and the FBI are investigating the incidents and report a steady flow of valuable information coming from the community. OPALCO appreciates the cooperation of our membership and encourages anyone with information to come forward.

“We will not tolerate threats or acts of violence or vandalism,” said Foster Hildreth, General Manager. “This is about the lives and well-being of the people who work hard every day to serve our membership with reliable power and excellent customer care. I’m proud of our team for standing tall in the face of adversity, and measures are being taken to ensure their safety in the workplace.”

San Juan County Sheriff Ron Krebs is asking that anyone with information call 911 or the anonymous tip line at 360-370-7629.

Also, please note that OPALCO offices will be closed on Monday, February 15th in honor of President’s Day.

Port of Friday Harbor Marina – Kevin Holmes photo

The Port of Friday Harbor Commissioners invite the public to attend a hearing on the Port’s Waterfront Master Plan on Wednesday, February 24th at Ernie’s Café.  The public hearing will start at 5:00 pm.

The Port adopted the Waterfront Master Plan in 2014 to create a development plan for their upland properties and Jackson Beach.  The addendum focuses on marina improvements including docks, floats, and utilities.

For questions please contact Tami Hayes at (360)378-2688.  This is a great opportunity to provide feedback, bring ideas or ask questions, light refreshments will be provided.

From Snapshots to Great Shots: How to Make Better Photographs
A Photography Course by Mark Gardner

Remember the old adage – a picture is worth a thousand words? Well it’s just not true anymore, even though almost all of us have cameras with fantastic capabilities. A bad picture that you deleted (or should have) is worth nothing, even if you took it with that incredible camera. On the other hand, a good picture is still worth a thousand words, and a great picture even more, even if you took it with your iPhone. But good pictures don’t just happen by chance. Ok, every now and then you get lucky. Rather good pictures are made – not by cameras or luck ‐ but by photographers who know how to use their camera to make the pictures that they want.

So if you want better photos of your kids or your travels or whatever, then the 3rd annual photography course by Mark Gardner – From Snapshots to Great Shots: How to Make Better Photographs – is for you. The course will cover the full process of digital photography in four sessions over two weekends at Skagit Valley College. Each session includes lecture and lots of hands‐on exercises using your own camera. The sessions build on each other over the four days, but are designed to be taken independently to meet your specific needs. The fee for the course is $95 per session, or $50 for those 18 and younger. Attend 2 or 3 sessions get $10 off each session; attend all four and get $20 off each session. Continue Reading

FHHS Boys beat Orcas 53-38 on Wednesday – Brook Ashcraft photo

FHHS Student Brook Ashcraft was at the games and shares this report…

The rivalry grows between Orcas and San Juan. On February 10th, both capable basketball teams went head to head. Our Lady Wolverines kicked it off with a win of 52-28, staying in control of the board the entire game.

Next our ballin’ basketball boys brought the pressure. We stayed in control and kept our heads in the game. It was a truly exciting game to watch. Our 6’6” senior Kyle Janguard, #44, shut down many attempted shots by the Orcas team, swatting down the ball almost effortlessly.

He racked up the points on the scoreboard with strong layups. We also got to watch freshman Kyle Mapstead, #3, make an impossible leaping save to keep the ball in bounds. It was a treat to watch these games. Both sides of the crowd, Orcas and FH, supported their teams and brought electricity to the games. In the end, our boys won 53-38 and kept our FHHS pride strong.

The Town of Friday Harbor held a public hearing on Tuesday to show preliminary plans for the new “pocket park” set to be installed on Spring Street this year, possibly to be completed before July 4. It is called a “Pocket” Park because because of its small size and limited facilities. Pocket parks are very popular in urban areas where space is at a premium. This one will be a wide spot in the sidewalk with some plantings, some benches and maybe some art. It is intended to be an iconic sort of meeting place for locals and visitors, to increase pedestrian safety in town, and also to create more of an inviting “entryway” to Sunshine Alley.

Duncan Wilson introduces Patricia Lenssen – Tim Dustrude photo

Town Administrator Duncan Wilson opened the hearing by introducing Patricia Lenssen of The Philbin Group, the design firm from Bow, Washington, who worked with the Town to come up with a couple of possible designs. More notes from Patricia on the design objectives and process are below.

The Pocket Park location is the south east side of Spring Street right where the narrow alleyway by the movie theater is. The sidewalk will be extended an additional 13 feet out into the street (which is just about equal to the angle parking stripes on either side). No parking spaces will be removed – this is a sort of unused, wide spot in the street currently. One way this will increase safety for pedestrians is that it will take away the opportunity for impatient drivers to pass on the right, around cars waiting to turn left from Spring onto 2nd Street.

Design options “A” and “B” appear below and you can also see them printed on display at the Town Council Chambers. The Town of Friday Harbor is requesting your comments, questions and concerns this week. Click to see the designs and Patricia’s notes… Continue Reading

Daniel Mayes and Helen Machin-Smith of Island Stage Left – John Sinclair photo

Helen Machin-Smith and Daniel Mayes perform A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters” February 11 through March 6 at the Marie Boe Building at the Fairgrounds. 7:30 Thursdays – Saturdays, and 4:00 Sundays

Bring your Valentine, your old friend or your new love. This wonderful, simple play encompasses them all.

“a disarmingly funny and unforgettably emotional portrait about the powerful connection of love.”

Two friends, rebellious Melissa Gardner and straight-arrow Andrew Makepeace Ladd the Third have exchanged notes, cards and letters with each other for over fifty years. From second grade, through summer vacations, to college, and well into adulthood, they have spent a lifetime physically apart, perhaps, but spiritually as close as only true lovers can be.

Red-flowering Currant – Contributed photo

February and March are GREAT MONTHS for planting! How about adding some native plants to your garden or yard this spring? There’s still time to order them through the Master Gardeners’ 2016 Native Plant Sale.

The deadline for pre-orders is March 1st. Plant quantities are limited, so order now!

Pick up your pre-orders and some additional plants at the Native Plant Sale and Expo on March 12th at the San Juan Island Fairgrounds, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Cash or check only.

Don’t miss the free Native Plant Workshop, open to all, at the Grange on February 20th, from 9:00 to 11:30.

To pre-order your native plants, go to www.mgfsjc.org

Can you drive this thing?

Jensen Shipyard has a few job openings, both seasonal and year round.  Click for more information and contact Alisa Schoultz at alisa [@] jensenshipyard.com if you’re interested. Continue Reading

Cathy Kromer and friends at A Place to Play – Contributed photo

Arriving on the island in 2002 with her husband and three children, Cathy always thought Friday Harbor needed an indoor place for kids to play, but never consider herself for the job. Ten years later, as her kids began to graduate and head off on their own, she decided this need should become a reality and A Place to Play opened its doors in the summer of 2014.

Designed and operated much like a children’s museum, A Place to Play is filled with creative play areas, imaginative activities and fabulous toys. It’s a place where parents can relax, chat with a friend or catch up with some work while their kids do what kids do best – play!

With the help of many local businesses and craftsmen, A Place to Play took a year to design and six months to build. The large, colorful, comfortable space, over 2000 square feet, includes a beautiful, three tiered train table built by island chiropractor Jerry Wickman. The main wall boasts a spectacular mural painted by Bob Van Plowman, and an enormous doll house, built by woodworker Sam Fry is tucked under the stairway. Local architect, David Waldron’s ball wall maze keeps kids and parents alike mesmerized and challenged, while the 17 foot wooden boat, built by B’s Construction, is always full of little fishermen off on a day’s adventure.

Hosting birthday parties, family gatherings and providing childcare during Saturday Date Nights and private gatherings is a growing business for A Place to Play. They celebrated birthdays for over 50 island kids in 2015, provided childcare on Sunday afternoons during the Seahawk games and enjoyed visits from Island Rec’s Schools Out Camp and preschool field trips.

“It’s a great job,” says Cathy. “As a former teacher, it’s a perfect fit for me. Our goal at A Place to Play is to provide the most enriching, comfortable, fun and clean environment that we can for our visitors. Bringing happiness and play into kids’ lives each day is very rewarding for my staff and me. We love what we do and are grateful to all of you who share your marvelous children with us!”

55 Spring St.
378-0378
www.aplacetoplay.biz
info [@] aplacetoplay.biz

FH High School student Brook Ashcraft checks in with this story and photo…

SJI Rotary Club won this year’s Knowledge Bowl – Brook Ashcraft photo

The 22nd Annual Knowledge Bowl, put on by the hard-working and beloved San Juan Public Schools Foundation, drew people of all ages to watch and participate in a trivial show-down on Monday. Subjects from science to music to Spanish were all featured in this Jeopardy-like match.

The evening started with live music by the Friday Harbor High School Jazz Band, treats supplied by the FH Middle School PTA, and raffle tickets for sale for the intermission raffle. At 7 o’clock, we welcomed this year’s teams:

• The Lions
• Soroptimists
• Kiwanis
• Rotary Club
• 8th graders
• 9th/10th graders
• 11th/12th graders

…and the competition started. At the end of the first segment, the Lions were in the lead with 16 points and Rotary close behind with 14 points.

During the break, Debbie Taylor, a teacher at the Friday Harbor Elementary School, presented a video featuring elementary school children thanking SJPSF for the elementary school STEM garden and all the innovative materials they have had the opportunity to work with. Board members were applauded and thanked for their contribution to our community.

Soon after, the competition was back in action. At the end of another exciting and brain-busting round, the Rotary Club came out on top.

Thank you SJPSF board members and everyone in the community for believing in our kids and striving to give them the best education possible.

Thank you also to all the partners that made the 2016 Knowledge Bowl possible.

“Turandot”, Puccini’s Final Opera – Contributed photo

Puccini’s Final Opera February 14

An epic fairy tale set in a legendary China is the next edition of The Met: Live in HD series at San Juan Community Theatre on Sunday, February 14.

Puccini’s final opera before his sudden death in 1924, Turandot is loosely based on a play by 18th-century Italian dramatist Carlo Gozzi. Featuring a most unusual score with an astounding and innovative use of chorus and orchestra, it is still recognizably Puccini, bursting with instantly appealing melody.

Christine Goerke, Lise Lindstrom, and Nina Stemme, three of opera’s greatest dramatic sopranos, take turns in the title role of the proud princess of ancient China, whose riddles doom every suitor who seeks her hand. Tenors Marcelo Álvarez and Marco Berti are Calàf, the brave prince who sings “Nessun dorma” and wins her love. Franco Zeffirelli’s golden production is conducted by Paolo Carignani.

Tickets for our HD programs are $20 for adults, $18 for SJCT members and $10 for student reserved. Due to a financial agreement with the Met, no SJCT coupons are accepted for these productions. Tickets are available on-line at www.sjctheatre.org or at the SJCT Box Office: 378-3210.

The San Juan Island Farmers Market is now open to applications from new and returning Farm, Food, Art and Craft vendors and Community Organizations. The market is no mere business association, year after year it continues to be a vibrant part of this community and an important representation of local agriculture and business.

When the market started in 1986 (or 1987, reports differ) Waldron-based farmer Joel Thorson was one of the early vendors on the scene. Although the market was small, Thorson said the public was always eager to support the venture. “It was well received from the beginning, it was fairly small but it grew steadily and was always popular.” The market did indeed grow and evolve, migrating through several locations in Friday Harbor before settling at the Court House parking lot for several years. The permanent move to the Brickworks Plaza in 2013 marked the high point in the market’s identity as a going concern in Friday Harbor.

Thorson identifies the market as particularly valuable to new and upcoming farmers. It’s a chance to “get their feet wet” managing the dynamics of growing produce to sell. Since the market has a very loyal following in the community, Thorson says you can trust people to buy whatever you are able to grow. Because there are no orders to fill, if you have apples one week and carrots the next, the market and the community will embrace that. The important thing is that small scale, organic agriculture is supported and celebrated. “It’s a great opportunity,” says Thorson. Continue Reading

Public Invited to Meet WSU San Juan County Extension Director Candidates on Friday, February 19th, 2016

On Friday, February 19th, community members are invited to presentations to be given by the current candidates seeking the WSU San Juan Extension Director position. This event is open to the public and no RSVP is required. The person chosen will serve as the lead administrator for WSU Extension county operations in San Juan County and is responsible for overall management of the local Extension office.

From 10:45 AM-3:00PM on February 19th, each candidate will give a 30-minute presentation on their vision for Extension programming in San Juan County followed by a question and answer session. The presentations will be held at Skagit Valley College (Community Room), and will also be shown via video conferencing at Lopez Public Library and Orcas Public Library.

The four candidates are:

Erica Bates of Olympia, WA
Brook Brouwer of Chimacum, WA
Justin O’Dea of Hurley, NY
Kristen Rezabek of Friday Harbor, WA. Continue Reading

Tina Whitman of Friends of the San Juans shares this letter…

Shoreline Master Program Update Provides an Important Opportunity

The more than 400 miles of marine shoreline in San Juan County define our unique community of islands- they are our identity.  Highly productive intersections of land and sea, these shorelines support the marine food web and its salmon, seabirds and marine mammals that provide the foundation for our tourism-based economy and our vibrant quality of life. With the first update in eighteen years, today’s changes to the Shoreline Master Program will determine how our shorelines look and function for decades to come.

Will we ensure that residential development and redevelopment, our primary shoreline activity, occurs in a way that protects the scenic shorelines we all expect to enjoy as we travel the county’s shared waters?

Will we incorporate the extensive, new, site-specific scientific information gathered for just this SMP update? This information could help us do our part to help recover the chinook salmon, southern resident killer whales, tufted puffin seabirds, and rockfish listed under the federal or state Endangered Species Act since our community last updated the SMP in 1998?

Will we find the right balance between the rights of shoreline property owners and those of the larger community to public access and the protection of public resources into the future?

Volumes of public comment have been provided to the County, from multitudes of residents sharing their vision for shoreline stewardship in our community, and from local and regional committees, organizations, agencies and tribes sharing their expertise.  It is the job now of our elected officials to carefully consider this input from their constituents and embrace this significant opportunity to ensure that the feature we are most known for locally and across the globe, our cherished marine shorelines, prosper into the future.

Tina Whitman is Science Director at Friends of the San Juans and lives on Orcas with her husband and son.  She is happiest on a beach, for work or play.