Helen Machin-Smith and Daniel Mayes of Island Stage Left perform A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters” Feb 11 – March 6 at the Marie Boe Building (SJC Fairgrounds)
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.

The Rotary Club of San Juan Island has added a free lending library to the Playpark at the Fairgrounds.  You won’t find ‘War & Peace’,  but you may find ‘The Cat in the Hat’ or maybe ‘How I Learned My A B C’s’ inside.

Barbara Fagan spearheaded the project; Paul Mayer built the little house, and Adam Eltinge installed it.  Now you have something to read to those babies when pushing them on the swings.

You may donate your old kid’s books at the Fairgrounds Office.

Know Your Islanders Talks – Eric Adelberger and Val Veirs: Two Islanders and their sons take on Olympic National Park
Eric Adelberger and his son, Kurt, and Val Veirs and his son, Scott hiked 50 miles or so in Olympic National Park. They backpacked from Hurricane Ridge down and up and down and up and eventually descended along the newly freed Elwha River.

Eric and Val will relate their experiences and show photos of the magnificent landscape that forms the inner reaches of Olympic National Park.

• Monday, February 1st at 7 pm
• San Juan Island Library, free
• Refreshments courtesy of the Friends of the Library and the San Juan Island Trails Committee

Exploring Basic Book Structures with Brenna Jael

San Juan Island Library meeting room, free. In this 4-hour class you will create a variety of small, simple book structures and learn about paper types, paper grain, closures, using recycled materials and more. All tools and materials provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring old books, maps, papers, buttons and other items that inspire them. Refreshments are courtesy of the Friends of the Library.

• Wednesday, February 3rd from 10 am to 2 pm
• Please register at the Library: limited space available.

Sheila Harley of SJI Fire/Rescue shares this announcement…

Burn Awareness Week: Don’t Get Burned
February 1-7 is Burn Awareness Week. Take time with your family and friends to discuss how to prevent scalding and burns, which is especially important because every day routines such as cooking, ironing, bathing, washing clothes, and curling hair can cause burn injuries. In fact, according to the American Burn Association most burns are started in the kitchen and bathroon.

Prevent burn injuries by making changes to some of your daily routines. The National Fire Protection Association offers some recommendations to keep you and your family safe:

• Allow microwaved dishes to cool before removing from the microwave oven;
• Place hot liquids and food in the center of a table or toward the back of a counter;
• Test bath water before you or your child get into the tub; and
• Never heat a baby bottle in the microwave oven. Heat baby bottles in warm water from the faucet.

If you do receive a burn injury, you should:

• Cool the burn with cool water for three to five minutes;
• Cover it with a clean, dry cloth; and
• Seek medical attention if needed.

The San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit is back in 2016! This year it will take place in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island on Friday and Saturday, February 12-13th.

Join fellow farmers, regional experts, local food and farm advocates for three days of education, inspiration, and camaraderie.

Registration is now open! Sign up before February 1st for Early Bird Pricing: Early bird rate for the Saturday Summit is $50 pp, or $55 pp including a ticket to Friday night’s Plenary Talk by Dr. Courtney White.

Register Here.

Rebecca Clarke, owner of Sugar Bare Studio, is excited to announce that she has moved her practice and will now be offering body sugaring services out of the Spa at Earthbox, located on 410 Spring Street.

“In addition to offering high quality sugaring and makeup services, I’ll now be able to offer facials and body treatments through the spa. I’m really excited to be working with an exceptional team of therapists,” says Rebecca, a WA Licensed Esthetician.

Rebecca Clarke – Contributed photo

Body Sugaring is an ancient form of hair removal used around the world. It is an all-natural, gentle and highly effective method for removing unwanted facial and body hair for both men and women.

To learn more visit www.sugarbarestudio.com. To book an appointment with Rebecca call 298-7137 or call the Spa at Earthbox at 378-3383.

We have received a few more letters in support of the upcoming School Levy on February 9. Ballots may be mailed in or you can drop them off at the San Juan County Courthouse, 350 Court Street in Friday Harbor or the Election Office at 55 Second Street Suite A. Ballots may be deposited in ballot drop boxes 18 days before the election (you can do it now) and until 8:00 pm on election day…

Dear Readers,

I’m writing in support of the San Juan Island School District Capital and Technology Levy, despite the fact that my wife and I have no children attending here. You have already been provided with the charts and graphs and various mathematical analyses, so I will spare you that. My support lies in my firm conviction that the measure of a community may be taken by the support it provides to its next generation.

In my law practice, I read carloads of material ranging from court decisions to the journals published by the various components of our society: economic, social, educational, historic, and the like, as well as material from other cultures. What troubles me in reading comparative surveys of international student performance, is that American students face the specter of the risk of being surpassed in the areas of learning that will dictate success in the economies of the future: science, technology, engineering, and math, the core concerns of this levy.

That our state’s Supreme Court ever had to consider the case of McCleary versus The State of Washington, and go on to find, what so many educators had known, that our children were being denied the fundamental constitutional right of basic education, does not speak well of our society. The remedial portion of the decision drags on, almost if scripted by Charles Dicken’s story about eternal litigation, “Bleak House.” Continue Reading

Welcome Home, Chief – Contributed photo

We heard sad news from Sheila Harley at San Juan Island Fire and Rescue. Fire Chief Steve Marler returned to the Island on Tuesday and died at Peace Island Hospital on Thursday…  

“Many of the volunteer firefighters, retired firefighters, and staff of San Juan Island Fire and Rescue were at the Island Air hanger to welcome home their Chief at 3 o’clock, Tuesday, January 26, 2016.  They were accompanied by EMS personnel, law enforcement personnel, friends and neighbors.

It was Chief Steve Marler’s wish that he spend his final days here in Friday Harbor where he has served and loved the people of San Jan Island for so many years.

The Chief was flown off the Island for medical reasons at Christmas time and has now returned here to spend his last days with us. Steve requested that Capt. Noel Monin convey this message to everyone: “Please give everyone my deepest, sincere thank you.”

I recently installed two Silk Collages by artist Amanda Richardson at the Peace Island Hospital.  They were a gift from the estate of Pauline (Polly) Stern and will make a visit to the clinic more enjoyable.

Hanging in the lobby is ““Tiger Lilies with Rufous Hummingbird” 40×59

A visit to the Administration Office will find “Imperial Silver Lily with Rufous Hummingbird” 36×60

Cast of the ‘Never Ending Story’

Drama instructor and director of the successful high school play Jenni Merritt sent me this cast photo.  Hats off to a talented bunch of kids and the entire crew who brought this show to the stage.  What a blast!

Local Attorney Cyrus Field with his Son – Contributed photo

Local attorney Cyrus Field is presenting a free ‘Estate Planning Workshop’ on Thursday, February 11 from 12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the San Juan Library for people who want to learn more about creating or updating a will.

More than half of the people in the United States die without a will. If you do not have a will, you have no say in things that are important to you such as your family, friends and charities that you care about. Without a will, the government may decide who gets your money, property and other assets through probate. The estates of those who go through probate total over $100 billion, and the figure increases each year.

But it’s not just about money, property and things. If you do not have a will, the care for a dependent spouse, child, parent, or pet will be made by the government. In short, if you do not have a will, you have no say in what is important to you today.

Workshop participants will learn about making and updating a will, federal estate laws, designating beneficiaries and tax advantages of designating charities in your estate plans. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the San Juans. For more information, call 360.378-2319.

The workshop course material will be presented by Tom Zebroski, Certified Financial Planner Professional, member of the Financial Planning Association, and an Accredited Asset Management Specialist with Columbia River Advisors in Bellevue, WA.

Mr. Zebroski will cover general financial planning, how to get out of debt, how to manage credit, and how to save for retirement. Topics covered will include a consideration of how to mitigate impacts from San Juan County’s cyclical economy. Through this workshop, attendees will get a clearer picture of their current financial situations and future planning. Mr. Zebroski will also be available after the workshop for one-on-on sessions.

Details: Friday, February 12, from 11a.m.-1p.m. at the San Juan Island Senior Center at 589 Nash Street in Friday Harbor. Advance registration is required; please call 360-378-2906 to reserve your space, or email: [info @ sanjuansedc . org].

The EDC thanks the Washington State Department of Commerce, San Juan County government, the Town of Friday Harbor, the Ports of Friday Harbor, Lopez and Orcas, Island Market, Heritage Bank and Islanders Bank for their support. This event is not sponsored by the San Juan Island Public Library.

The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) strives to strengthen and diversify the economy of San Juan County. We believe a strong economy builds a strong community. The EDC works to build an environment that helps business owners create jobs. We serve business: linking organizations and resources, providing valuable information, rendering assistance and advocating for an improved island business environment.

From Friends of the San Juans…

Friends of the San Juans (Friends) is releasing a new video about a project that removed large unnatural rock from a historic feederbluff and restored a local beach.  This project is helping to “set the table” for the entire Salish Sea food chain.  Removing unnecessary armoring and restoring this beach helps ensure that forage fish have the right kind of sand/gravel mixture to lay their eggs on and plenty of shade from vegetation to protect these eggs.  Forage fish, like surf smelt, sand lance and herring feed larger fish like salmon and ling cod, as well as marine mammals, seabirds and people.  A healthy forage fish population is critical to the food web in the San Juans and the Salish Sea.

Friends recently completed this beach restoration project on Brown Island with many partners including three private shoreline landowners and local contractors. The video, “A Place at the Table: Benefits of Beach Restoration,” showcases the project, the people involved and its goal of reestablishing a healthy, functioning shoreline and habitat for fish.

“It all started when I saw a newsletter from Friends of the San Juans talking about armoring of beaches and how it degrades the beach, which was a huge shock to me.  I want the beach to be able to be here for my grandchildren, for my nieces, nephews and god children—and that’s why we made the decision to contact Friends and see what we could do about this portion of beach,” said Mariluz Villa, the shoreline landowner who is highlighted in this video.

San Juan County-wide there are approximately 700 shoreline bulkheads interrupting natural processes—many of these structures are outdated or unnecessary.  This video shares a story of how removal of one of these unneeded structures will benefit the landowners, forage fish and the entire food chain, including the Southern Resident orcas.

Thank you to the private landowners, state and federal funders, and Friends of the San Juans members who helped make this project possible.

A six-week grief support group for those healing the loss of a loved one begins Monday, Feb. 1 and runs every other week through April 11 at PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center, 1117 Spring St., Friday Harbor. Meeting time is 2 to 3:15 p.m., and cost is free.

The group will be facilitated by Andrea Zikakis, a PeaceHealth spiritual care chaplain, and Gary Waters, MSW, Ed.S., a behavioral health consultant at PeaceHealth Peace Island with public and private practice in educational psychology, clinical social work, family therapy and chemical dependency treatment. Together they will create for participants a safe place to grieve loss and process life. Because this is not a drop-in group, participants will be asked to attend each of the following meetings, if able:

Feb. 1 – Meet one another and create a safe space for future sharing

Feb. 15 – Consider and discuss characteristics of grief

Feb. 29 – Consider the journey through grief

March 14 – Offer assistance through self-created rituals and group conversations

March 28 – Companioning loneliness in bereavement

April 11 – Honoring grief; continuing life

For more information or to express your interest in attending, please call Zikakis at 360-788-6300 ext. 2456.

From San Juan Community Theatre…

110 Stories – Contributed photo

Sarah Tuft’s powerful and humanizing account of New York City’s darkest day is the latest addition in our On Book! Readers Theatre series this Wednesday and Thursday, January 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m.

110 Stories captures the grief and resilience of New York City in the wake of September 11th through the words of those who experienced it directly — not only the firefighters and police, but the ironworkers, chaplains, K9 handlers, nurses, photojournalists, and the homeless who witnessed the horrific events and saved lives that day, too. Together these unflinching first-person testimonials offer catharsis by revealing the hope, humor, and compassion that emerged in the midst of this tragedy.

Admission is FREE!  Doors open at 6:30 pm.