Showing at San Juan Community Theatre on Sunday at 2:00 pm…

Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de Perles – Contributed photo

Few operas can match the sheer lyric beauty of Bizet’s youthful The Pearl Fishers. This gorgeous opera of lust and longing set in the Far East returns to the Met stage for the first time in 100 years.

Soprano Diana Damrau stars as Leïla, the beautiful Hindu priestess pursued by rival pearl divers competing for her hand. Her suitors are tenor Matthew Polenzani and baritone Mariusz Kwiecien, who sing the lilting duet “Au fond du temple saint,” which opera fans know and adore.

Director Penny Woolcock explores the timeless themes of pure love, betrayal, and vengeance in a production that vividly creates an undersea world on the stage of the Met. Conductor Gianandrea Noseda brings his romantic flair to the lush score from the composer of Carmen.

Friday Harbor Film Festival Winter Series presents another audience favorite: A River Between Us. This film documents the largest river restoration project in American history. Nearly three hundred miles in length, flowing from southern Oregon to Northern California the vast communities of the Klamath River have been feuding over its water for generations. As a result bad blood has polluted their river and their relationships equally.

In order to save a river you must first heal a people.

Crowdfunding Workshop offered by the San Juan County Economic Development Council…

Crowdfunding is an exciting way for entrepreneurs to ask for monetary pledges from individuals using online services like Kickstarter.   Learn how to procure money for your business through crowdfunding during an informative workshop offered by the San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) on Monday, February 8^th from 9:30-11:30am at the San Juan Island Public Library.

Crowdfunding has significantly expanded the way that small U.S. companies can raise growth funds, launch new products and find new customers.  But the legal and disclosure requirements for seeking crowdfunding, the type of liability and the crowdfunding platforms can be difficult to navigate for small businesses.

The presentation led by EDC director and marketer Victoria Compton, will cover Crowdfunding law, how much money companies can raise (and where they can raise it), and how to set up a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.

Details:  Monday, February 8^th from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the San Juan Island Public Library at 1010 Guard Street in Friday Harbor.  Materials and snacks are included, cost: $20 per person.   Advance registration is required; for tickets visit: www.sanjuansedc.org/crowdfunding.  For more information:   360-378-2906 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, 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.                                                         

Molly O’Neil and Xena Prepare to Peddle Off with Their Fish Taco. – Ted Strutz photo

356 TACOS!!!  A Record number sold to benefit Fish for Teeth!

Matt and Maureen Marinkovich report: “Our efforts in the “taco trenches” brought in enough money, with taco sales + extra donations combined, to completely pay for the ToothMobile’s two-day visit to the island.  The dental van and volunteer dental staff served a full complement of people in need of dental care on Friday. The dental team really puts their heart and soul into what they do, especially when they are doing it for this cause.”

So does the Taco Team… 15 strong.  Viva la Taco!!! (or maybe it’s a burrito…)  Save the date: May 13th… The Taco Team Will Be Back!

Folks Line Up For Fine Fish Tacos

Fish Taco Team at Work

The Sun Shines on Fish For Teeth

San Juan Community Theatre presents an original fairy tale ballet Lord of the Stark Realm on February 6…

A Grimm-style ballet fairy tale takes us into the lushly romantic, dark, light and sensual in the latest offering from contemporary and professional ballet company, La Danse De La Mer.

Lord of the Stark Realm features internationally-renowned dancers Danny and Sylvain Boulet of Seattle and is set to music from Beethoven to Megadeth to Fauré to John Lennon—on stage one night only at San Juan Community Theatre on Saturday, February 6 at 7:30 p.m.

This new ballet begins where last year’s sell-out Prince of the Rain Realm left off, with the lovers—who are now lost and disoriented—travelling through the mysterious Stark Realm.

In addition to the Boulets, Caitlin Ross, Kerry Ratza, Michelle and Ian Randall and Stephen Moore will be dancing, as well as renowned Turkish classical dancer Ferah Bakuy. Soprano Angela K. Morgan (“The Golden Voice of Daniels Recital Hall” in Seattle) will share her vocal talents in one scene and island cellist Sasha von Dassow will provide live music from backstage. Continue Reading

Join Thérèse Finn, local singer, actress, director and educator, as she introduces three classic films at the library this weekend in the series, Dance the Blues Away Classic Film Festival.  Thérèse always enlightens with fun facts about the director, stars, and even bloopers.

With a focus on dance these films span the decades:

Friday, January 29th: 1940s Broadway dance extravaganza 42nd Street

Saturday, January 30th: 1950s to the tune of Gershwin An American in Paris

Sunday, January 31st: 1960s groundbreaking take on Romeo and Juliet West Side Story

Refreshments courtesy of the Friends of the Library.

We hear from Sheila Harley at San Juan Island Fire and Rescue…

Ian Paterson, FF2, WF2, FBOT, Inst.1 – Sheila Harley photo

Ian started fighting fires when he was 18 years old and still in high school! He has been on the Island for 15 years. Ian was born in Long Beach, California then lived in Big Bear, also in California, before moving to San Juan Island in 1997.

At the time his family was living here. He was 14 years old when he moved up and attended all of his high school years at Friday Harbor High School. When he was a senior in high school, he volunteered for the Town of Friday Harbor Fire Department and at age 18 he was excited to join a hose team on a car fire. He has really great memories of being a kid doing fire fighting and making some really good friends in the process.

After high school, he attended Western Washington University for a year. When he got home from attending college, Ian decided to rejoin the fire department, only this time he joined the District Fire Department. So, when the two departments merged, he got to help train those firefighters who made the switch from town to district.

Ian is a Firefighter 2, Instructor I, Wildland Firefighter 2, and FBOT ( fire boat crew member). He also has a regional certification for Safety Officer. He has attended The National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland several times, and closer to home, he has been to North Bend Fire Training Academy (hands on training for firefighters in Washington and surrounding area) close to a dozen times helping with the training of new recruits. Ian has also taken several classes on vehicle extraction and stabilization. His next goals are to get an airport fire fighting certification and play more of a command role in general. Continue Reading

Duke Fisher with Winning Catch – Debbie Sandwith photo

This year’s Annual Roche Harbor Salmon Classic has a winner! Top prize of $10,000 goes to Duke Fisher of Burlington pictured here with his proud grandfather and the winning catch weighing in at 17 lb 12 oz. In total $25,000 in cash prizes were awarded.

Heather B. Munro – Jenn Furber photo

Yoga teacher and eating psychology and mind/body nutrition practitioner Heather B. Munro will be starting a series of free talks with Q&A sessions at her studio in Surina Park. The first talk will be on January 27 at 5:00 pm.

Heather traveled the world from Singapore to New Zealand before landing on our shores. On her way she embraced volunteer work from Meals On Wheels to preparing Prasad in India for thousands of families in the rural villages that bordered the ashram where she studied. She volunteered on farms across the country in exchange for knowledge on growing food, working with animals and living a sustainable existence. She firmly believes that food is the doorway into the soul.  Her daily goal is to help instill confidence in people so they learn to trust their intuition, stay grounded and remain focused in their lives. She is a registered yoga teacher, an eating psychology and mind/body nutrition practitioner, and is certified as a food & spirit practitioner.

Heather believes yoga is the process of unraveling the layers of the self to reveal the light within, our truest essential piece of who we are. She provides private yoga sessions, small group yoga classes at her studio, and various open group classes around town. “I work with people one on one and in small groups that have challenges with losing weight, body image, digestive disorders, fatigue, overeating, binge eating, skin challenges and much more. But, thats a good base.”

Heather’s studio is at 50 Malcom Street, Suite 506 in Surina Park, her’s is the red door with the AUM symbol on the window. Email her to secure your spot at the January 27 talk or to ask questions [heather @ heatherbmunro . com].

To learn more about her, find out more about her services, or find inspiration, I recommend  Heather’s webpage: Heather B. Munro

Robert Burns 1759 – 1796

In celebration of the Scottish Bard’s birthday here is a gift from the government of Scotland, a free Robert Burns app for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Besides featuring more than 550 poems and love songs, a timeline of his life, and a useful glossary, the app provides tips on how to prepare for your own traditional Burns supper.

In case you are wondering how relevant today the eighteenth century poet is, here are just a few fun facts, also from the app. Two classic American novels, Catcher in the Rye and Of Mice and Men, take their titles from poems by Robert Burns and when asked for the source of his greatest creative inspiration, Bob Dylan cited Burns poem A Red, Red Rose.

Here is a link to get the app. Robert Burns App

Director and Curator Ian Boyden – Peggy Sue McRae photo

Three new exhibitions have just opened at San Juan Islands Museum of Art that are truly world class featuring artists of global and historic significance. Sleep of Reason: Selected Prints by Francisco Goya seems darkly relevant to our times. Goya served as a painter in the Spanish court of the late eighteenth century and some of his work shown here was so politically provocative it was not published until decades after his death.

I arrived at the museum just in time to hear the museum’s director, and curator of the exhibitions, Ian Boyden introduce “Rebar and Case” one of three parts of  Ai Weiwei: Fault Line by Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei. The work investigates the corruption leading to a tragic loss of school children’s lives during the Wenchuan earthquake of 2008. The marble pieces are carved into the shape of twisted rebar recovered from faulty school construction that collapsed in the earthquake. The marble used came from the same quarry as the marble used for Mao Zedong’s mausoleum in Tiananmen Square. Names of the students cover the walls.

In buoyant juxtaposition to the dark weight of Ai Weiwei’s mortuary stone and Francisco Goya’s images of madness, Portland artist Dana Lynn Louis’s installation As above, So Below in the museum’s atrium floats with an effervescence created by suspended glass, stung discs of mica, and painted patterns on the tall glass windows that mimic prayer beads. Meditation cushions are provided and a floating table of glass bells with felt clappers seem to send up a silent prayer. Says Louis, “My intention is to inspire hope and thus encourage action towards the betterment of our ability to live humanely together.”

SJIMA is open Friday – Monday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Silent Bells – Peggy Sue McRae photo

Maria Michaelson sculpture – Ted Strutz photo

There is a new sculpture at San Juan Islands Sculpture Park. San Juan Island artist Maria Michaelson’s figure, ‘Holding Still to Watch as the World Changes’ holds true to its title watching quietly over the park.

Maria Michaelson sculpture – Ted Strutz photo

Even on a bleak day it is beautiful at the park. Everywhere you look there is something to see.

The park is open daily from dawn until dusk.

A reminder from Hospice of San Juan…

Hospice of San Juan will offer its 2016 Grief Support Group to anyone in the community who is grieving the loss of a loved one. This professionally facilitated group offers participants an opportunity to share their individual experiences and to acquire tools and resources for coping with their personal grief.

Registration is open for the four week session of 2016 Grief Support Group, which begins February 2, 2016 and continues through February 23rd. The group, which meets Tuesdays from 4-5:30 p.m., is facilitated by Lenore Bayuk, MN, ACNS. Lenore has been a nurse for more than 45 years and a Psychosocial Nurse Specialist for more than 40 years. She has worked with loss and grief in her own life and professionally as a nurse and psychotherapist. Lenore also facilitates the annual Grief and Loss: Getting through the Holiday Season program co-sponsored by Hospice of San Juan and the San Juan Island Library.

Contact Lenore Bayuk at 360-378-3636, ext. 1, to register. Early registration is advised as the number of participants is limited. A donation of $5 – 25 per weekly session is suggested to sustain this program; however, sessions are open to all regardless of ability to pay.

Girl’s Boxing – Casey Sjogren photo

Boxing Coach BooBoo James would like to thank our community for supporting Friday Harbor’s burgeoning boxing program. In particular she’d like to thank James Guard and Andy Stromberg for their community project that helped buy new gloves, liners and helped with ring upkeep.

Friday Harbor’s boxing program began in Brock and Alexis Hauck’s garage with one boxer and one bag. It slowly it evolved into FHYB (Friday Harbor Youth Boxing). Brock set up behind Larry’s Auto Body, in a cliché of an alleyway with old car parts and gyres. Alexis Hauck began teaching women and it slowly evolved to 2 classes 4 days a week. Brock and Alexis moved off Island and Hannah and Shane Bison took the reigns of the program.

“Then I joined in” said BooBoo, “I have been boxing for 4 years. I teach 6 classes a week for women and 2 classes for High School girls.”

“I have been wanting to teach girls for a long time, and it has truly given me a purpose. I teach boxing skills with bags, a ring, and circuit bootcamp training, lots of squats, pushups, some weights etc. and women and girls of all abilities and ages. There is no team thing you are all doing your own thing, no one is watching, you really work as hard as you want to work, so empowering, to hit the bag, to do a ring combo. I love doing this, and I am so honored and proud that I get this chance.”

They still have a few spaces in the women’s boxing classes led by both BooBoo and Hannah Bison.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 8:30-9:30

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday – 10:15-11:15

Contact: BooBoo 360-640-4506

Boxing – Casey Sjogren photo

Tuesday, Thursday – 8:45-9:45

Contact: Hannah Bison 298-5469

High School Girl’s Boxing Program. Tuesday and Thursday right after school 3:15-4:15. No experience necessary. Spaces still available.

Contact: BooBoo 360-640-4506

Chamber Quarterly Luncheon – Contributed photo

Here’s this month’s Chamber Chat, written by Lauren Cohen, Co-owner San Juan Canvas, LLC and Chamber of Commerce Board President…

Welcome to 2016. The Chamber of Commerce in any community should be a cohesive voice for the best interests of our business community. San Juan Island is no exception. All of us in business of any kind, desire a vibrant local economy. A united group of merchants is more likely to create the dynamic commercial environment we wish for then each of us on our own.

Speaking for our business, San Juan Canvas did not get involved with the Chamber to gain exposure or get references from the visitor’s center as is true with many non-tourist related businesses on our island as these are not services we need. We are members because we want there to be an organization that represents and advocates for small business.

We believe it is important to be connected to and learn from the business community at large. Medical professionals, specialists in the trades, beauty industry pros and many more all have something great to add to our community’s business conversation and we would love to see more of you involved. All of us at the Chamber of Commerce wish every business on San Juan Island a prosperous 2016. Continue Reading