Local artist Pam Hoke shares her cancer journey online at SoWeHaveCancer.org and has recently posted a moving entry. Here are a few excerpts…

“Butterfly Healing” Mixed Media on paper by Pamela Hoke – breast cancer journey, monarch protecting the artist’s left breast (Click to enlarge)

Immense sighs of relief have arrived after long days of butterflies in my stomach: My third lumpectomy was a success! In addition, the oncotype test results came from the original invasive tumor with a score of 3 on a scale of 21, meaning very low risk of recurrence. I cannot express the incredible wave of emotions that I am experiencing at this time.

In fact, I am still sorting out how best to describe the past three months. Currently, I feel like I have been hit by a train, yet given a get out of jail free card. I know, weird.

I will just have to get back with you about it all.

For now, this art serves as my expression, and this …

Cancer makes me fearful, yet empowers me to face fear.

It frustrates me, yet helps me embrace life amidst uncertainty

It breaks me down, yet lifts me up.

It challenges me, yet calms me.

It saddens me, yet inspires me.

It angers me, yet places me into gratitude.

It gets me worked up, then helps me take pause.

It brings me pain, yet the pain leads me to be gentle with myself.

It hardens me, yet softens me.

What now?  Well, the hardest part for me is over, which was living with major uncertainties at least.  Let us all realize, there is no certainty in life, except it begins and ends – it is all what we do with ours on a moment to moment basis. We either embrace it for all it is, just as it is, or not. So, I am spared chemotherapy, and I have been spared mastectomy – these are two of the largest realities for many of my cancer fellows. My heart shall always be with them, and I will do whatever it takes to be the voice I can for this major epidemic of modern humanity.

Continue reading on Pam’s blog. Thank you Pam for sharing this.

Pam will be painting at the Fair at the art activity section on Saturday, August 15th from 12:00 to 4:00, and may assist visitors through some creative works, pending crowd size and what supplies are available there.

If you would like to help her out on this journey, the best way to do so is to buy her art at www.pamelahoke.com.

Roger Ellison – Contributed photo

Boyd Pratt shares this news from the SJI Grange…

I am delighted to announce that as of August 1, 2015, we have a new Rental Agent for our San Juan Island Grange #966 Hall: Roger Ellison.

Roger is taking over from the capable hands of Noreene Ignelzi, who has been managing the Hall rentals for many years—thank you Noreene!

You can reach Roger by leaving a message at the Hall phone number (360) 378-6632 or directly at (360) 622-6122 or email him at rogergranger [@] rockisland [.] com.  Welcome Roger!

The staff at Friday Harbor Elementary School is very excited to offer free Full-Day Kindergarten to San Juan Island children. FHES Principal Diane Ball stated that “Thanks to an increase in state funding, we are hiring two new teachers this year to support our new free Full-Day Kindergarten offering and low class size initiative.” FHES has added additional staffing to support Full-Day Kindergarten and to maintain low class sizes for all students. Each of three kindergarten and first grade classes are at 17-18 students; second and third grade classes range from 19-22 students; and our class size average for grades 4-6 is 25.

According to FHES Principal Diane Ball, “As promised, our youngest learners will experience an appropriate balance of academics and play. The new Full-Day Kindergarten program will provide instruction through discovery, interaction, creativity, problem-solving, and conversation in an environment that is safe, positive, age-appropriate, play-based, and balanced between independence and structure.”

Our three Full-Day Kindergarten teachers are Mrs. Holly Wehner, Ms. Heather Mueller, and Mrs. Stephanie Levasheff, who has recently been hired for this new position. While students in grades 1-6 will start classes on Thursday, September 3, kindergarten students will not begin classes until Tuesday, September 8. Continue Reading

Put your child’s health at the top of your back-to-school list

To ensure students get a healthy start to their school year, PeaceHealth and the San Juan County Health Department are hosting a free back-to-school health-screening event on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center, 1117 Spring St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Students from ages 5 to 19 may visit the health center to receive the following free services:

• Immunizations, offered in conjunction with the health department’s Community Immunity campaign
• School sports physicals (Parents: Please provide a signed sports physical form and immunization history)
• Sports injury prevention evaluations offered from 1:00 to 5:00 pm by San Juan Physical Therapy
• Information on sports injury and concussions

No appointments are necessary. Services are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

It’s time for the annual Mullis Community Senior Center August Flea Market. Plan for it now. If you want to rent a space, give them a call at 378-9102 or 378-2677. Spaces go for $25.00.

The sale is this coming Saturday, August 8th from 9:00 am til 2:00 pm in the parking lot at the Mullis Center on Nash Street. (Rain or Shine – it will move indoors if necessary)

Michelle Loftus sends this note to you…

I would like to thank the voters of the hospital district for my success in the primary. I know we are all busy this time of year but for those two thirds who did not vote I ask that you find out our hospital district needs and issues before the November general election.

Passing the EMS Levy and keeping our EMS healthy are going to give us all peace of mind. As Hospital District Commissioner, I plan to keep our district money in the district and out of court. Come learn about my approach at my county fair booth, ask me in the grocery store or visit my Facebook page “Loftus for Hospital Commissioner”.

Sincerely,
Michelle Loftus DVM
Candidate for San Juan Public Hospital District Position 2

I just heard from Mike Vouri with the National Park Service that the program Limey’s on San Juan: The Royal Navy in the Pacific, scheduled for August 12 at the San Juan Island Library has been postponed until October, time and date to be announced. They apologize for any inconvenience.

Camping on Brown Island – SJ Historical Society photo

It’s time for the August edition of the SJ Historical Society’s History Column…

What child doesn’t love this? Before Brown Island (pictured here in 1903) was developed for residential use, it was a favorite place for San Juan Island kids to camp out – just kids, no parents.

Jackie Douglas Hubbard was one of those kids in the summer of 1935, when she was ten years old. She says it was a summer tradition to borrow a family’s row boat and paddle over to the island for overnight fun with sleeping bags and picnic food. Jackie says it was quite safe, as they knew they were watched over by parents in Friday Harbor who could check on them from their homes overlooking the harbor.

Do you have summer island traditions from childhood to share? We’d love to hear them at the San Juan Historical Museum.

Shhhhhhh!!! It’s a secret! Don’t tell anyone you heard this on the Update, but we have it on pretty good authority that there will be a Flash Mob, put on by SJI Prevention Coalition’s Rock Solid Youth Group right after the Trashion Fashion Show at the Fair.

Watch the video above to get your Twist and Shout moves down, and then be ready to join the flash mob during the Judging of the Trashion Fashion Show.

And here’s a note from Debbi Fincher with SJIPC:
“Thanks to Madrona Jameson and Zach Fincher for stepping up! Madrona did the choreography, danced and edited the video! Zach was a good sport:) Luke Fincher helped on video, too:) Help support their efforts to Twist and Shout for Health! We’ll plan on videotaping the event too; it should be great fun – See you at the Fair! Boy, did the Fair come around fast this year, or what?”

David Bromberg – Contributed photo

Friday Harbor gets a second chance to spend time with an acoustic blues and guitar icon who has spent plenty of his own time with legends like Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, The Beastie Boys and Jerry Garcia to name a few.

David Bromberg brings his quintet back to San Juan Community Theatre on Saturday, August 8 at 7:30 p.m., having drawn a sold-out crowd in 2011.

After learning to play the guitar at 13, Bromberg eventually enrolled at Columbia University as a musicology major and was soon drawn into the Greenwich Village folk scene in the mid-60s where he could watch and learn from the best performers. He became a “hired gun” guitarist for recording sessions, ultimately playing on hundreds of records by artists such as Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Ringo Starr and Carly Simon. Bromberg signed on with Columbia Records in 1970, recording four albums. One of those included “The Holdup”, a song writing collaboration with former Beatle George Harrison.

By 1980, Bromberg had expanded his folk and blues to encompass bluegrass, ragtime, country and ethnic music. After taking a break to spend more time with family and to open a violin store in Chicago, he released his first studio CD in 17 years in 2007: Try Me One More Time, harkening back to the acoustic folk and blues music of his early days. And in 2013 came Only Slightly Mad, a return to his genre–bending albums of the ’70s and ’80s, filled with blues, bluegrass, gospel, folk, Irish fiddle tunes, pop and English drinking songs.

David Bromberg’s Friday Harbor appearance is made possible through the generous support of island underwriters, including Larry Soll and Nancy Maron. The Business Partner for the evening is Kings Market. Tickets are $34 for adults; $17 for student reserved, with $5 student RUSH at the door. The SJCT box office is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or buy online at www.sjctheatre.org

Minnie Knych and Jim Dunn have some details to share about the Food Preservation, Beer and Wine Exhibit at this year’s Fair. (Beer and Wine used to be part of the Food Preservation exhibit, then a few years ago it got separated. Now they’re back together again this year.)

“I have volunteered to work the Home Brewing portion of the Food Preservation, Beer and Wine exhibit at the Fair this year”, says Jim.  “Minnie is finding and organizing the volunteers.  I will exhibit the equipment I use to craft my own beer.  The intent is to show those interested in home brewing how easy and inexpensive it is to make their own beer.”

Here are a few things you can expect:

• There will be a competition at the Fair to find the best three home brew examples.  Entries will be accepted on Tuesday, August 11.
• There will be a sign up sheet for people interested in a hands-on brewing session – Jim will randomly pick 8 people who can go to his house sometime after the fair and make a 5-gallon batch of beer. Then they will go back two weeks later and bottle their beer and take home a 6-pack. (5 gallons yields two cases of beer).
• Jim will display his brewing equipment at the fair to encourage folks to try homebrewing.
• San Juan Vineyards will donate a 6 gallon carboy for the Best of Show winner in Wine and in Beer.  (A carboy is a big jug used in the process of making both wine and beer.)

Friday Harbor Grange #225 is sponsoring $50 Gift Certificates to Valmark for Best of Show in Food Preservation, Beer and Wine.

Also, Jim wrote the following short history of beer to share with you: Continue Reading

Washington State Ferry M/V Hyak loads up with travelers in Anacortes – Tim Dustrude photo

State acts to increase ferry fares

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Transportation Commission held its final hearing in Seattle on Tuesday on its proposal to increase ferry fares. The proposal is designed to generate $357 million between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2017, as required in the 2015/17 state transportation budget for Washington State Ferries’ operations.

A unanimous vote was taken to make the following changes to fares over the next year:

• October 1, 2015: A 2.5 percent fare increase for vehicles and a 1 percent fare increase for passengers.
• October 1, 2015: The current over-height surcharge for vehicles less than 22 feet in length is eliminated.
• October 1, 2015: The over-height waiver currently in place for qualifying disability vehicles 22- to 30-feet long will be expanded to include any feature necessary to accommodate a disability on the vehicle, that may add height, rather than limiting it to a lift or other mechanism.
• May 1, 2016: A 2.5 percent fare increase for vehicles and a 1 percent fare increase for passengers.
• May 1, 2016: The over-height fare threshold for vehicles 22- to 30-feet long will be reduced from the current 7 feet 6 inches, to 7 feet 2 inches.

The commission held three public input meetings in Friday Harbor, Whidbey Island, and Bremerton, and also took input at the final hearing this week. They also held a virtual, online meeting. Input was provided at the public meetings and via emails.

Strawberry Fields for Heifer – aka Berries & Dairies at the Ag Corner

The SJC Fair Agriculture Exhibit (a.k.a. the Ag Corner) will feature San Juan County Berries & Dairies! Find us between the Beer Garden and the new Parks Office on the west side of the Main Building.

Presentations
Come experience instructive presentations, demonstrations, and Cooking With Local Foods! Master Gardeners Alice Deane and Susan Mahoney will tell you all about Raising Strawberries and Bob Levinson will show you How to Improve the Nutrition of Your Produce. WSU Livestock Specialist Susan Kerr will compare the quality of Local and Organic Produce and Meat. Take the Soil Carbon Challenge with Bruce Gregory (from the San Juan Islands Conservation District) and Sweet Earth Farm’s Amanda Zee.

Island Crops & Food Co-ops with Madden Surbaugh, Orcas Island Food Co-op and Anna Coffelt, San Juan Island Food Co-op will feature the sourcing and enhancing of local and regional crops by our co-ops. Something’s definitely brewing on Friday afternoon, when ‘Kraut Pleaser’ Josh Ratza will tell you all about Fermenting Cabbage and Orcas Island Distiller Charles West will discuss the rise and demise (and revival) of Historic Cider Apples in the San Juans.

Come to the Ag Tent every day for Cooking With Local Foods presentations and get a tasty sample. We’ve got Berries! Local chefs Gretchen Allison will prepare Skillet Cornbread with Ricotta & Strawberries and dynamic duo Jan Sandberg & Jen Black will prepare Pork Shoulder Kabobs with Berry Sauce. And Cheese! Come Sample Local Cheeses! And be sure to Wok It Up with Local Beef!

Best of all, 4-H Demonstrations will take place at the Ag Corner on Thursday, 2:30–4:30pm.

Exhibits
Check out the latest census and other economic data on Agriculture in the San Juans and learn how farms, farming, and farm crops contribute to the county’s economy. Find out more about local groups involved in island agriculture: Island Grown in the San Juans, San Juan Islands Conservation District, San Juan County Agricultural Resource Committee, San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild, and WSU Extension. Local farms will display their products, from herbs to honey and veggies to wool. And see the exhibits on our county’s Dairies (historic and contemporary) and the history and reuse of the Olga Strawberry Barreling Plant.

The Ag Corner is home to the Grains & Forage Department. Bring your entries and come see all the grain and forage crops that can be grown in San Juan County!

Boyd and Lovel Pratt, Ag Corner Coordinators, 360-378-7172 or mulnocove [@] gmail [.] com

Full Schedule of Ag Events at www.sjcfair.org

See you soon at the Ag Corner at the San Juan County Fair!

August 1-7, 2015 marks the annual celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, a global call to action for support and empowerment for ALL women in achieving their breastfeeding goals. This celebration highlights the positive impact breastfeeding has on long-term health.

This year’s theme or World Breastfeeding Week is, “Breastfeeding and Work, Let’s Make it Work.” Breastfeeding mothers have fewer absences from work, lose weight faster, and have healthier babies. Mothers are the fastest growing segment in the U.S. workforce. Whether a woman is working from home or in a formal office setting, it is necessary for her to be supported in claiming her right to breastfeed her baby.

San Juan County Health & Community Services joins health organizations worldwide to promote awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding for infants, mothers, community, and society. Breastfed babies have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and constipation. Breastfeeding promotes mother, infant, and family bonding and may reduce the risk of childhood obesity. San Juan County has the highest rate in Washington State of women initiating breastfeeding at birth, a statistic to be proud of.

San Juan County’s Women, Infants and Children Nutritional Program (WIC) offers breastfeeding education and support services to families in our community. Breastfeeding assistance is available by phone, home visits and clinic appointments on San Juan, Lopez, and Orcas Islands, and may be accessed by calling 378-4474.

Justin Roche, Executive Director of Homes for Islanders, a non-profit organization, announced Homes for Islanders has entered into a contract to purchase land on Malcolm Street. Once developed there will be 20 lots for very-low to low income individuals and families on San Juan Island. The constructed homes will be equivalent to those currently in construction across from the elementary school just off Grover Street in Friday Harbor. Applicants who qualify for the loans will own the land without any resale restriction.

Homes for Islanders is a private non-profit corporation funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (through Rural Development) to assist limited income families interested in building their own homes. Homes for Islanders is currently planning to begin house construction in early 2016.

Homes for Islanders services are free to their clients and include:

• Formation of building groups who will be working on the construction of the homes
• Assistance in applying for a 502 Rural Housing Loan from Rural Development.
• Provision of fully serviced, builder ready lots.
• Three different model house plans.
• Building account management and construction budgeting.
• Instructions and training during every phase of the construction process.

This program is for people who cannot afford a down payment typically required to purchase a home and large monthly mortgage payments. Upon successful completion of the program, monthly loan payments will be based upon the applicant’s income level and are often less than their current monthly rent. Those who qualify and are accepted into the program will pay no money down, no out of pocket closing costs and make no mortgage payments during construction. The only costs for qualified applicants will be to pay for their credit report. Continue Reading