Judy Cornell shares this notice…

It’s time to remind everyone that new bowling leagues are starting up this week.

Interested bowlers are encouraged to stop by Paradise Lanes on Wednesday, September 16th or Thursday, September 17th at 6 PM.

April Verch steps, sings and fiddles with a fresh and feisty approach to deep North American traditions. The Canadian performer brings her band and world tour to the San Juan Community Theatre this Saturday, September 19 at 7:30 pm.

Sharing songs from her milestone tenth album (The Newpart), April’s performances combine her delicate voice, energetic footwork and stunning playing— a trifecta of talents she brings together simultaneously.

Practically since birth, Verch was immersed in folk music and dance from her native Ottawa Valley. By the time she was finishing up her first year of college she had become the first woman to win both the Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Championship and Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition, and then represented Canada’s fiddling tradition by performing in the opening ceremonies at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Her band features bassist and clawhammer banjo player Cody Walters and guitarist Hayes Griffin, who has a Masters in jazz improv from the New England Conservatory.

Prior to the concert, Verch will hold a FREE workshop in the Whittier Theatre at 4 pm., teaching the Ottawa Valley Stepdance style, unique to that region of Canada. The workshop is open to ages 8 and up and is limited to 50 people.

The April Verch Band’s visit to Friday Harbor was made possible through support from the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Buy Tickets Now online! Or through our Box Office; hours are 11 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Friday and 11 am to 2 pm on Saturday.

Just two weeks of Island Rec’s Movies in the Park to go. For September 19th, they will be showing Remember the Titans. In Virginia, high school football is a way of life, an institution revered, each game celebrated more lavishly than Christmas. And with such recognition, comes powerful emotions. In 1971, high school football was everything to the people of Alexandria. But when the local school board was forced to integrate an all black school with an all white school, the very foundation of football’s great tradition was put to the test.

The movie should begin at about 7:45 pm but come early for fun trivia, prizes, and to claim your spot! FANs sponsors this great family event and also pops free popcorn! Don’t miss out! The September 12th movie will be The Wizard of Oz! Go to www.islandrec.org or call Island Rec at 378-4953 for more information. Bring blankets or lawn chairs. No alcohol please.

Here is the September 2015 of Chamber Chat, written by Lauren Cohen, Co-owner San Juan Canvas, LLC and Chamber of Commerce Board President…

The Far North Cafe – Contributed photo

On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Executive Director and staff, we would like to congratulate all of our Island businesses on a fantastic summer. We will look forward to hearing about the good (and not so good) regarding your season at the fall meetings that Becki Day will be holding with member business owners and managers. Hearing details from you helps the Chamber to better serve our members and visitors as well as advocate for the merchant community.

There is also a great deal to be learned from each other and we hope these gatherings are helpful to all involved. The Town still seems to be active with visitors and we hope that continues as we move into the next season.

New Members
We welcome the following new members to The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce:

• Foster Septic and Excavation owned by Richard Foster. They specialize in septic installation, repair, and inspection and are a fully licensed and bonded excavation company serving all of the San Juan Islands. Contact Richard at 370-5557 or fostersepticwa [@] gmail [.] com.
• Enamora Art Gallery and Studio owned by Alisha Merrick. Alisha is a talented artist working in glass on metal making jewelry, bowls, switch plates and other beautiful pieces. Her studio is located in Surina Business Park at 50 Malcom. She can be found on Facebook and ETSY as well.
• Whole Art owned by Teresa Smith. Teresa is a professional artist and art instructor. She works in watercolor and other media, capturing the essence of her subjects with vibrant colors. Teresa will have a piece displayed at the Chamber Visitors Center from October 1 through December 31. She can be reached at teresa [.] smith5 [@] gmail [.] com or 303-246-3208.
• Island Homewatch owned by Marjorie and Allan Smith. They specialize in the care and security of second homes, vacation homes, and investment properties for absentee owners. They offer services includes inspection and maintenance. They can be reached at 378-5437 or margie [@] islandhomewatch [.] com

Member Social
Thank you so much to Eric Bienenstock for hosting the September Chamber social at his new business The Far North Café. It is located directly across from the ferry landing at 85 Front Street. The place looks great and has a wonderful menu. Stop in and give the Far North Café a try. Continue Reading

San Juan Healthcare announces the following schedule for their Drop-in Flu Clinics this Fall:

Flu Clinics begin on Wednesday, September 30th, from 2:00 to 4:30, and will run every Wednesday* after that while supplies last. Flu shots will be available by appointment only outside of their scheduled walk-in clinics.

San Juan Healthcare
689 Airport Center Rd., Suite B
360-378-1338

*On Wednesday October 14, the Flu Shot Clinic will be held at the Mullis Center from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.

An image from last year’s prescribed burn – Contributed photo

National Park Service and possibly San Juan County fire crews plan to conduct a prescribed fire on the southwest slope of Young Hill and two American Camp locations between September 20 and 25, weather permitting, announced Acting Superintendent Jerald Weaver.

The Young Hill fire–a continuation of a successful burn on the hill in June and September 2014–will involve about eight acres on the lower southwest portion, running from below the English Camp cemetery to Mitchell Hill Connector Trail. The crew will utilize the connector trail as a fire line.

Prescribed fires in several units over the last decade have been especially beneficial to the Garry oak woodlands on the southwest slope, Weaver said.

The American Camp prescriptions will include a small plot east of Robert’s Redoubt, on the north side of the Redoubt Road where the park has been managing a return of the long-extinct golden brush. Time and weather conditions permitting, the crews also will burn about five acres just below the former Belle Vue Sheep Farm site, with the Grandma’s Cove trail serving as a western hose line.

No road closures are anticipated at either park unit, although a few trails in the immediate vicinity of the prescribed fires may be closed for a short time during the burns. Prescribed fire and caution signs will be posted along roadways and trails near the projects. For safety, park visitors are urged not to stop along the roadway or enter the area while burning operations are being conducted. Continue Reading

The Garden Club is hosting another excursion. This time it’s the Fall Fruit Festival. Here’s more from Vonnie…

The first stop, after disembarking the ferry and boarding the van, will be Garden Spot Nursery in Bellingham. Now that the heavens have opened up and temperatures have begun to drop it is the perfect time to take stock of our gardens.

From the Garden Spot Nursery we travel to the Cloud Mountain Center to participate in their annual Fall Fruit Festival. An annual event for more than 25 years, they have over 200 varieties of fruit and fruit products to taste and enjoy. You can try as many as 25 different pears, 80 varieties of apples as well as small berries, kiwis, quince and wine grapes, table grapes, nuts and more. Live music provides background, local vendors will be selling tasty food and Julia’s Pumpkin Patch is open.

• Date: October 3, 2015 (Reservations required prior to 9/29/2015)
• Depart: 8:05 AM ferry
• Return: 6:00 PM ferry
• Cost: $45.00 Includes:
  Mainland transportation
  Box Lunch (1/2 sandwich, chips, fruit and dessert)
  Entry Fee
  Not Included: Return Ferry Ticket
  Driver Gratuity

For more information: www.sjigardenclub.weebly.com

Vonnie Harold
yeharold [@] rockisland [.] com
360-378-6250

Kathie Forsyth
kathie [.] forsyth [@] edwardjones [.] com
360-378-8685

Mark Gardner is the SJI Chamber of Commerce Featured Member of the Month…

Mark Gardner – Contributed photo

Mark Gardner, photographer, has been creating art from life with photography since 1994.  Today, Mark is a full-service provider of studio and location photography for families, individuals, businesses and publications.  He combines passion, artistic expression and technical skill to create images for clients and personal expression.

In his professional work, Mark primarily photographs people to create both traditional and lifestyle portraits for personal, editorial and commercial use. Mark also shoots fine art and craft, products, classic and sports cars, and architecture.  In his personal work, Mark photographs landscapes, nature, people and culture, especially in the San Juan Islands, the Pacific Northwest or wherever his travels take him. Mark also loves to experiment in the digital dark room to make images that push the boundaries of traditional photography.

Mark is based in the San Juan Islands in Washington State, where he has a fully equipped studio.  He started his business, Photography by Mark Gardner, on San Juan Island in 2006. He’s provided images for a myriad of clients ranging from portraits for families to location images for resorts to studio shots for artists.  He’s published a coffee-table book of images of the San Juan Islands, and a how-to book on outdoor and travel photography with Art Wolfe.  These books and Mark’s fine art prints are available through his website: www.photographybymarkgardner.com. Mark also maintains a website that provides self-service, stock images of the San Juan Islands: www.imagesofthesanjuans.com.

Terry Ogle Benefit at the Fairgrounds – Contributed photo

On August 29th the community of San Juan Island came together at the county Fairgrounds to help one of their own. The Benefit 4 Terry Ogle was sold out with 500 event tickets. A fierce wind storm earlier in that afternoon had downed trees which blocked some roads, but hundreds of people still attended the event. We are happy to say the overall fundraiser, which included the event, the auctions, the website, PayPal and the raffle, provided funds that exceeded our expectations.

The event attendees enjoyed a Skype session with Terry and Janie Ogle who are living at the Cancer Care Alliance House in Seattle. He is preparing for his upcoming Stem Cell Transplant but really wanted to connect with the guests at the event. It was truly a heartwarming interaction. Later in the evening the Live Auction provided great entertainment. This was especially true during a very lively exchange when Terry Ogle’s beautiful oval carving of a “Orca playing in Kelp” went for $7,000! It was an amazing evening with so many volunteers and kind attendees. The event was full of joy and generosity, wonderful auction items, good food, and camaraderie.

To see a slideshow of images from the event or to help Terry if you could not attend, please go to www.Benefit4TerryOgle.com. The PayPal link on the website will be active through the Fall and Winter. Gift$ can also be given at any Wells Fargo Bank under the “Terry Ogle Medical Savings” account. Even with insurance, many expenses associated with Terry’s stem cell transplant are over whelming and any help is truly appreciated. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to helping Terry and Janie Ogle.

Blessing to you all,
The Organizers of the Benefit for Terry Ogle

Java is this week’s Pet of the Week – Contributed photo

I like coffee, I like tea….my name is Java and I hope you like me! O.K., so I’m not a great poet. What I AM is a really good dog in need of someone kind to give me another chance at a good life. My previous owner didn’t want me – and I don’t know why….I’m a very good, well-behaved girl with lovely manners.

I love people, love going for walks and romping in the play yard! If I tell you a secret, you must promise to tell no one……I am afraid of little dogs. There, I’ve said it. It’s true. When a small dog approaches me, I roll over on my back! I’m really just a big softie. I’ve been to dog training and was a very good student. Now all I need is someone to take a chance on loving me!

Animal Protection Society of Friday harbor
111 Shelter Road
(360) 378-2158

Washington State Ferries shared this cool time lapse video from down sound in their weekly update, along with this note about possible delays due to fog this time of year…

On Tuesday night, a brilliant, rare display of the aurora borealis, or northern lights, lit up the skies over Puget Sound. Wild Northwest Beauty Photography shot this beautiful time lapse video.

Service impacts due to fog

It’s that time of year again when cooling temperatures and warmer Puget Sound water leads to foggy mornings. Just this week, we had to cancel several sailings on the Port Townsend/Coupeville route and we were delayed on other routes due to fog. While our vessels may sometimes operate in low visibility because of redundancies in radios, radar and other equipment, the captain makes the final decision based on safety, especially if there is other marine traffic in the area. Please bear with us over the next few months and enjoy the quiet beauty of foggy mornings on the sound.

Great Bear Rain forest – Contributed photo

What is the Great Bear Rainforest?
Fall Community Class at the San Juan Center!!

Before the big cities of San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle rose up from the ground, the land and nature stretching from Alaska to California was called the Great Bear Rainforest.

Join instructor Candace Gossen at the Skagit Valley College for this fall community course covering the science, ecology, culture and life of the Great Bear Rainforest.

Through the study of its ecosystem defined by the rainfall, trees, animals and humans, you will find out why the people of this land and time called this rich and diverse place home.

Discover the Spirit Bear: the connection between the Salmon, trees and N15 isotope; the Haida; and the amazing tree canopies where insects and animals never touch the ground.

This course will be interesting, engaging and an excellent way to start off the quiet months of fall and winter in the San Juans. A class for all ages!!

Running Tuesdays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
From September 29 through November 3.

Call or come on up to the San Juan Center to register
We are at 221 Weber Way in Friday Harbor
(right above the airport terminal)
(360) 378-3220

Budding Photographer – Tim Dustrude photo – Click to enlarge

From one photographer to another… Riding the ferry home a couple weeks ago I saw this budding photographer honing his craft and I thought I would share this cute photo with you.

EDC introduces business plan competition “Launch San Juan Islands”

Entrepreneurs can bring their business ideas to the next level in the first annual EDC Launch San Juan Islands business plan competition, created by the San Juan County Economic Development Council.

Participants will receive instruction in business planning and marketing, plus follow-up mentoring— and some will win cash prizes to help launch their businesses.

Thousands of dollars in cash prizes will be awarded to contest winners this year. The greater goal, however, is to help every participating entrepreneur to advance their business.

Included in the program for all participants will be seminars on business planning, marketing, and financing; opportunities to network and collaborate with other entrepreneurs; media coverage for contestants; professional advice from a team of experts, and feedback on business plans.

Launch San Juan Islands will start in October 2015 and run through early December 2015. The cost to participate is $95 (or $75 if registration received prior to September 25, 2015.). This fee covers direct costs for course materials and events. Please see www.sanjuansedc.org/launch for more information.

The EDC thanks San Juan County government, the Town of Friday Harbor, Mark Madsen, Jack Yelverton, the Washington State Department of Commerce, Windermere Real Estate, Valmark and Island Market for supporting Launch San Juan Islands.

Snow Geese – Andy Porter photo

Island Rec is teaming up with Andy Porter to offer three photography workshops this fall. Andy is a professional photographer from the Skagit Valley and is coming over to Friday Harbor to teach three different classes. Class one is on Sat, Sep 26 from 10:30-1:30pm and is called Digital DSLR Camera Class. The focus will be on learning how to maximize the controls and options on your camera to get the best possible shots. Class two is on Sat, Oct 3 from 3:30-7:30pm and is called ‘Golden Hour’ Outdoor Workshop. You will explore the forest and shoreline through the lens of your camera. Class three is on Sat, Oct 17 from 10:30-1:30pm and is called Photo Editing & Composition.

Cost for each class is $44, with discounts available. Go to www.islandrec.org or call Island Rec at 378-4953 for more information.

Flower Garden Open House this weekend – Kim Flack photo

Here’s an invitation for you from Kim Flack of New Day Garden…

If you are looking for something fun and colorful to do this weekend don’t miss New Day Garden’s Annual Dahlia Open House!

At New Day Garden you can always find a fresh-cut flower bouquet throughout the growing season from April through October at our  roadside stand, but nothing compares to the magnificent dahlias for beauty and inspiration! Dahlias are late-blooming flowers that keep color in your garden and your vases from late July thru October.

Come and view our flower field of 2000 plants including nearly 100 varieties. Stroll the field for fun, take pictures or select tubers to order for planting next spring. The dahlia field will be open for viewing Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12th & 13th from 9am to 4pm.

If you are interested in growing and caring for dahlias, information will be available, as well as demonstrations on dividing tubers. There will also be fresh-cut dahlia bouquets and blooming potted dahlias for purchase!

New Day Garden is located only 2 miles from town at 1220 Cattle Point Road. That’s just up the hill after the corner at Golf Course Road, on the right before Madden Lane. If you need additional information call 378-4048. Don’t miss it!
~New Day Garden – Beautifying Our World One Flower At A Time~