Lush full crew – Contributed photo

Students, local and regional volunteers support local restoration efforts

Orcas Middle School kids plant trees – Contributed photo

A cadre of enthusiastic and energetic volunteers helped FRIENDS of the San Juans plant over 500 native trees and shrubs along the banks of the recently restored West Beach Creek on Orcas Island. Participants included 19 students from the middle and high school marine biology classes on Orcas Island, community and Marine Resources Committee volunteers as well as 15 employees of Lush cosmetics from Seattle-Tacoma area stores who volunteered their time to spend a day with FRIENDS restoring habitat for people and nature.

The streamside replanting effort follows last year’s removal of an outdated dam and small, perched culverts that blocked fish passage and created a pond in place of the natural stream habitat preferred by salmon and trout. Restoration of fish passage with a large culvert was completed by the Northwest Straits Foundation in partnership with the family of the privately owned property in 2014. West Beach Creek is one of a small number of streams with year round flow in the San Juans and its lower reaches, including the restoration site, provide important habitat for coastal cutthroat trout as well as outmigrating juvenile salmon.

Stephanie Prima – Contributed photo

“It never occurred to me that small salmon need a place to rest and hide out from predators on their long run from the Frazier River to points south. With this restoration project, I feel like I’m contributing to the health of not only the salmon population but also our beloved Southern Resident Killer Whales. I’m grateful to Friends of the San Juans for helping me understand how modifications we make on land affect the sea and those who dwell in it” noted San Juan Island resident and project volunteer Stephanie Prima.

‘Going Local’ Now Goes Beyond Fruits And Veggies

The Toy Box Celebrates The Sixth Annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day, November 14
Special Activities mean a Fun Day for Families

These days, those in the know “shop local” when stocking the kitchen pantry. Restaurants boasting locally sourced ingredients, meanwhile, increasingly draw crowds.

But support for local resources doesn’t have to end at the refrigerator door. This holiday season, consumers everywhere can support their communities by shopping local stores for the best holiday toys. In return, those neighborhood independent toy stores support parents, grandparents and other gift-givers with expert advice on encouraging creative play among the children in their lives.

On Saturday, November 14, The Toy Box will join hundreds of locally owned stores across the country to celebrate the sixth national Neighborhood Toy Store Day, an annual celebration in which independent toy shops kick off the holiday season with special events to introduce consumers to the benefits of shopping local. The Toy Box will offer fun, child-friendly activities such as surprise discounts, prizes, free cookies, and as always, free gift wrapping.

Specialty toy store owners are the real experts when it comes to choosing toys for kids, said Kimberly Mosley, president of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting local toy shopping and creative open-ended playtime for children. “These store owners spend time with kids day in and day out. They understand the value of play, and what types of toys encourage active, open-ended and creative playtime.” Continue Reading

Anniversary Open House on Saturday, November 7, 10:00 am—6:00 pm 20% off on all books in the store

On Saturday, November 7, 10:00 am—6:00 pm Griffin Bay Bookstore is celebrating 36 years of bookselling with the annual Open House and Sale. This annual sale with 20% off on all books on the shelves is Laura Norris’ way of thanking our island community for loyal support and on-going patronage, and dedication to an independent bookstore. Come by to shop and have cookies and coffee or apple cider.

You’ll find the bookstore crammed with all manner of books and things literary: New fiction and nonfiction, big picture books, homesteading and gardening books, architecture, history, economics—it’s all here, ready and waiting to pique your interest. Continue Reading

Senator Kevin Ranker – Contributed Photo

San Juan Island School District is proud to announce that Senator Kevin Ranker will be visiting for a dedication of the new San Juan Island School District STEM facility at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, November 10, 2015.

Senator Ranker was influential in his support for the state grant funding needed to remodel the building from a wood and auto mechanics shop/storage facility to a state of the art STEM Learning Center for 21st century application of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Senator Ranker will enjoy a tour of the facility and student project demonstrations.

The eleventh annual “Turkey Trot”, a 5K (3.1 mile) run, walk, trot or crawl, will be held on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, at 9:00 am. Registration will take place beginning at 8:00 am in front of the Friday Harbor Suites, the location of the start and finish, rain or shine… or snow.

Registration fees will be $5.00 and two cans of food for adults and $2.00 and two cans of food for kids under 12. Participants will have the option of providing food for human or animal consumption. Proceeds and food from the Turkey Trot will go to the Friday Harbor Food Bank and Friday Harbor Animal Protection Society.

The Turkey Trot is produced by Island Athletic Events, LLC with special thanks to Kings Market, Friday Harbor Suites and San Juan Island Fitness. For more information, contact San Juan Island Fitness, 378-4449.

The Town of Friday Harbor is once again making it easy for residents and business owners to support the local food bank during the holiday season. Utility customers who donate to the Harbor Life Ring program in November will have their contributions forwarded directly to the Friday Harbor Food Bank. In addition, the Town will again provide up to a total of $1000 in matching funds.

Last year, the FHFB received $3302 from this campaign. According to their president and former County Sheriff Bill Cumming, this significantly improved the food bank’s ability to offer fresh vegetables and protein. The food bank is funded entirely through donations, spending over $7000 each month serving an average of 170 households on the island. The annual November contribution from supporters of the Town’s Harbor Life Ring program helps the food bank provide for island families during the holiday season when the need threatens to outweigh the supply

The Harbor Life Ring program was established in 2013 to assist families in need of financial relief on their Town utility bills. The program is funded through donations that Town customers add to their monthly bill payments.

L to R:  Jonathan Piff Rotary Club President , Jim Corenman of Car Club,  Mariluz Villa of Hospice, Curt Van Hyning of “RoundTowner. Photo: Ted Strutz

The San Juan Island Rotary Club raised $8,200 from the Concours d’ Elegance held at San Juan Vineyards on August 30th. The recipients of the funds were Hospice ($3600)

‘RoundTowner ($3600) and Rotary Polio Plus ($1000).

‘RoundTowner will use their funds to continue providing affordable transportation to islanders. Hospice will use part of their funds for Grief Support Program and for the purchase of a series of DVDs for caregiver training program starting in 2016.

The SJI Rotary Club  will donate $1000 to PolioPlus Fund of Rotary International, dedicated to achieving a polio-free world in our lifetimes.

Two separate and exciting workshops on Orcas Island the third week of November:

DISASTER PLANNING & RECOVERY
What would happen to your business as a result of a major disaster in the San Juan Islands? Are you, your staff, your property and your data prepared?
In this course, participants will learn to prepare their businesses for disasters, and to recover from them. The course will help business owners and managers to review insurance coverage, to prepare for utility disruptions, secure facilities, back up financial records, prepare employees for emergencies, and to create an effective emergency communication plan.

FREE – space is limited—contact us today!
Date: Monday, November 16th from 10-11:30 a.m.
Location: Orcas Island Fire Department community room.

BUSINESS PLANNING & FINANCING
Want to know what it takes to start and maintain a high performing business? From financing to business plans this is a must do for anyone who has recently started or is considering to launch a business.

Join us at the Orcas library for this fun and informative session with James McCafferty from the Economic Development Association of Skagit County.

FREE – space is limited—contact us today!
Date: Wednesday, November 18th, 9:00a-12:00p
Location: Orcas Library

The County Council is searching for San Juan County citizens to fill current and upcoming vacancies on various boards and commissions. Additional information about each committee is available on the County’s website at: http://sanjuanco.com/Council/AdvisoryCommittees.aspx

Persons interested in serving on a board or advisory committee should fill out an Advisory Committee Application or Contact the Council Office at: (360) 378-2898 Email:[email protected]

The following is a list of current and upcoming vacancies: Continue Reading

Frank Douglas and Fred Hackett – SJ Historical Society photo – Click to enlarge

The San Juan Historical Society shares this History Column entry for November…

Veterans Day was established in 1954 as a day set aside to thank and honor all who have served in the U.S. military, in any era of war or peacetime. It is largely intended to thank living Veterans for their service. And so we will once again observe this tradition on November 11th.

Since this holiday’s roots are in the establishment of Armistice Day in 1919, our thoughts also go to the granite monument in Memorial Park. It was dedicated on Armistice Day, 1921 to commemorate the sacrifice of nine San Juan County servicemen who gave their lives for their country in World War I: George D. Allain, Walter E. Heidenreich, John M. Jones, Bud C. Larson, Charles Lawson, Voyle B. Martin, Fred Martin, Harold Butterworth, and Fred E. Hackett.

Pictured here is a moment from a happier time for the Hackett, Douglas and Guard families, when Fred Hackett, age 19, posed with his little cousin Frank Douglas. Soon after this picture was taken, Fred shipped out to France. He was killed in action on May 1, 1918 near Montdidier, France.

“A triumph of the human spirit”

Click to enlarge

Do not miss this haunting and finely honed piece of contemporary theatrical magic. It is truly exceptional.

John, a recently bereaved sales rep, is haunted by the presence of his dead wife. In a series of confessional encounters with his Dublin therapist, Ian, a former priest, reveals the hoarded guilt that rationally explains an irrational phenomenon. But, as we learn in two complementary scenes, Ian has his own demons and ghosts to lay.

The dead continue to haunt the living in the very particular cosmos of Conor McPherson, but anyone expecting his new play, “Shining City,” to be a gloomy downer is in for a surprise.

The play comes laced with a compassion that makes the moment-by-moment experience of it a near-constant delight.

Be forewarned, though. you are likely to be haunted by the final coup de theatre!

Mattias Anderson and Ellery von Dassow, practitioners of an art called medieval longsword – Photos by Aaron Shepard of IslanderImages.com

On October 8, the SJ Update posted a photo by Aaron Shepard of two swordfighters in Sunken Park, with the title “The Two Musketeers?”. Aaron had snapped that photo in a hurry on his way to the Farm Parade. But tipped off by a bystander, he went back two weeks later, hoping to meet the fighters and photograph them more seriously.

Click to enlarge – Aaron Shepard photo

Their names are Mattias Anderson (pronounced ma-TEE-us) and Ellery von Dassow, and they’re practitioners of an art called medieval longsword. It’s part of an international revival movement called Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). These are not the re-enactors or role players you may have seen before, and you won’t find them in decorative armor! Though their swords are blunt, their movements are authentic, based on manuals written by German and Italian masters of the Middle Ages. The bouts have rigid rules, and protective gear is required!

Mattias and Ellery are both San Juan Island residents, though Ellery goes to university in Bellingham. The longsword events they attend are in Bellingham and Seattle. So far, they say, they’re the only two longsword fighters in the islands, but they hope others will join them. Weather permitting, they meet in Sunken Park every other Saturday at 2:00.

Click to see more photos by Aaron Shepard of IslanderImages.com. Continue Reading

Contributed photo

Tis the wet weather season—a time to be indoors. Why not take an indoor one-day workshop on rainwater collection, self-watering gardens, eco-roofs and living machines?

In this workshop learn how water can be collected from any surface, learn how to build efficient DIY systems to grow food, store in heat ponds, for solar thermal under pond systems, aquaponics as a component of greywater, and blackwater to composting.

Class will be held at the San Juan Center of Skagit Valley College located above the Friday Harbor Airport overlooking beautiful Griffin Bay.

Saturday, November 7, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Cost: $69.00
Call 378-3220 to register

Fire Truck Slide – Contributed photo

I just heard that this Fire Truck Slide will be at the FANS Carnival at the fairgrounds on Saturday, November 14th from 11:00 to 2:00 for the  benefit of Island Rec.

Grief and Loss: Getting through the Holiday Season with Lenore Bayuk

Monday, November 9, from 9:00 to 11:00 am

San Juan Island Library Community Room

Refreshments provided courtesy of the Friends of the Library

The holiday season is often stressful, especially after having lost a loved one. So many rituals and memories are associated with holidays, but you do not have to suffer through them alone.

Come to share and learn how to cope during this time of year. Facilitator Lenore Bayuk is a Psychosocial Nurse Specialist and Friday Harbor psychotherapist who has offered this popular workshop for the past 2 years.

This event is co-sponsored by the SJI Library and Hospice of San Juan.

You can see a list of letters from individuals at the link below. As more letters come in, this list will be updated so be sure to check back.

Click here