Click to enlarge poster

The Community Art Theatre Society’s (CATS) annual Elegant Edibles on Saturday, April 4 gives islanders and guests a chance to find yummy holiday treats, try to win a Spring raffle basket, and help San Juan Community Theatre all at the same time.

The annual bake sale is from 10:00 am to 12 noon in the Theatre’s lobby and features dozens of homemade treats prepared by CATS members. They’ll concoct a variety of goodies, including coffee cakes, breads, cakes and condiments (sauces, jams, jellies, etc.) — all just in time for those family holiday brunches on Sunday.

CATS members will be selling raffle tickets for the chance to win a basket-full of décor and menu treats.

All proceeds from Elegant Edibles help fund Theatre operations.

Crews remove creosote logs from local beaches – Contributed photo

Toxic creosote treated wood removed from local beaches

Over the past month, restoration crews from the WA Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have removed over 50 tons of toxic creosote treated wood from public and private beaches on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Islands. Special thanks to the Puget Sound Conservation Corps members who did the hard work and to the concerned individuals who reported creosote debris to FRIENDS of the San Juans for their support of improved beach conditions for people, fish and wildlife.

Contributed photo

Creosote-treated wood was commonly used in marine structures throughout the Salish Sea for more than a century during a period of rapid development and industrial expansion. Like other chemical compounds that were innovations in their time, creosote was broadly used without knowledge of its long-term consequences. It is now known that creosote contains more than 50 carcinogens to humans and is toxic to marine fish and other wildlife. Much creosote remains in local waters today, washing in with storms and tides and persisting in older structures such as docks and pilings.

“FRIENDS of the San Juans is continuing its partnership with the DNR to remove unnecessary toxic creosote-treated pilings and outdated structures from tidelands in San Juan County at no cost to interested landowners this summer. The goal of the project is to improve water quality and overall ecosystem health for salmon and salmon prey,” said Tina Whitman, FRIENDS’ Science Director.

FRIENDS and DNR are currently seeking property owners who have in-water creosote-treated wood such as unused pilings or derelict docks that they are interested in removing. To find out if your structure is eligible for this voluntary and free removal program, please contact Tina Whitman (FRIENDS) at 360-378-2319 or Chris Robertson (DNR) at 360-854-2808.

FRIENDS and DNR are also interested in receiving information about beach sites with large accumulations of drift creosote materials; this material may eligible for removal through the same DNR Puget Sound Corps Program that just completed removals over the past few weeks.

FRIENDS received funding from the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board to coordinate the local effort in San Juan County. This is part of the state-wide DNR Creosote Removal Program in which more than 19,823 tons of creosote 276,000 square feet of overwater structures and 3,972 tons of toxic beach debris have been removed from the Salish Sea to date.

A week from today at the Grange, it’s Shark Girl, part of the Friday Harbor Film Festival’s Tuesday film series

The film tells the remarkable story of 20-year-old Australian, Madison Stewart, to whom nothing feels safer or more natural than diving into shark-infested waters. Growing up by the Great Barrier Reef, she’s always treated these predators as family. But they’re vanishing from existence, and because of their bad reputation, few people seem to care. The documentary follows Stewart on her mission to protect sharks, a battle that began when she put her studies on hold, grabbed a camera, and set out to save these incredible, misunderstood creatures.

The documentary traces Stewart’s activism in Australia, where she projects films of her dive onto a wall in Chinatown to draw attention to shark finning, and meets with executives from the Woolworths grocery chain to discuss high levels of mercury found in shark meat from the Great Barrier Reef sold in the chain’s stores. (Ultimately, Woolworths declined to comment on the product, Stewart said.)

Running time: 58 minutes
Tuesday, April 7th at 7:00 pm at the Grange

San Juan County Land Bank Celebrates 25th Anniversary

In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, as well as National Poetry Month, The Land Bank, with help from its partners, SJI Library, SJI National Historical Park, SJI Trails Committee, Lime Kiln Point State Park, and Friends of Lime Kiln Society (F.O.L.K.S.), will display nature poems submitted and selected by Islanders along trails winding through some of San Juan Island’s most inspiring natural settings – Limekiln and Deadman Bay Preserves, Lime Kiln Point State Park, and American Camp.

The Poetry Trails are yours to explore during regular Park and Preserve hours throughout the month of April. Included in the month long celebration is a series of three Saturday guided poetry walks:

• April 4th at 1pm. Poetry Walk Guided by Poet Gary Thompson and Land Bank Volunteer Karen Vedder.
  Meet and park at Lime Kiln State Park main lot. No dogs please.
• April 11th at 1pm. Poetry Walk Guided by Poet Paul Nelson and SJI National Historical Park Historian Mike Vouri.
  Meet and park at American Camp Visitor Center lot. No dogs please.
• April 25th at 1pm. Poetry Walk Guided by Poets Sally and Sam Green and Land Bank Director Lincoln Bormann.
  Meet and park at Lime Kiln State Park main lot. No dogs please.

For more information, phone Tanja at 360-370-7655 or visit us online at www.sjclandbank.org.

Washington State Ferry M/V Hyak at dock in Anacortes – Tim Dustrude photo

Jim Corenman of the ferry advisory committee shares this notice of an upcoming public meeting…

Washington State Ferries and the Ferry Advisory Committee invite the public to an Reservations Outreach event for San Juan Island, Thursday April 9 from 5pm to 7pm, in the meeting room at the County Fire Station at 1011 Mullis St, Friday Harbor.

WSF representatives will be on hand along with FAC and County Council members, to present an update on reservations, answer questions, and listen to your experiences both good and bad. WSF and FAC are very interested to learn more about how the system is working for you, our local businesses, and our community.

Jim Corenman
Chair, San Juan County FAC
fac [@] sanjuanco [.] com

Acrobatic Antics – Contributed photo

“High-caliber acrobatics, aerial artistry and moments of absurd clownery” fill San Juan Community Theatre’s Whittier stage THIS Friday, April 3 at 7:30 pm.

In their first appearance in Friday Harbor, Acrobatic Conundrum shares the mesmerizing production, The Language of Chance, drawing inspiration from a story by Jorge Luis Borges, The Library of Babel. The six acrobats find themselves at odds between the sensations of falling forever and the task of looking for a story in a nonsensical world. The piece features two chapters, each with a respective director (Seattle’s KT Niehoff and Elizabeth Klob) and the contrast of the two together evokes a tale of imaginary translation, absurd truth and calculated risk.

Company artists say their goal is to surprise all “stripes” of the audience as they blur the lines between dance, theater and circus, inventing their own form of storytelling.

Since their debut in 2012, Acrobatic Conundrum has performed in various venues around the Pacific Northwest, headlined the Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival and was a featured performer at the Vancouver CircusFest.

Tickets are available at www.sjctheatre.org or the SJCT box office 378-3210.

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

My name is Pat and you might say I’m the Barry White of the cat world. You know, “Can’t get enough of your love, baby….?” That’s me.

I’ve been here at the animal shelter for over three years. I showed up as a stray and was very frightened of people at first… but as I’ve come to know and trust the folks working here, I’ve actually become quite a friendly guy.

Now I love people! I especially love sitting on laps. I would love to try yours out… Stop by the shelter to meet me soon!

Kindergarten Round Up – Contributed image

Kindergarten registration will be held on Wednesday April 15th and Thursday April 16th. Please call Friday Harbor Elementary at 378-5209 for an appointment.

What do you need for Kindergarten registration?

• One special little boy or girl who is five years old on or before August 31, 2015
• Child’s immunization record
  (note: child cannot start school without up-to-date immunization information)
  4 doses of DTP Vaccine with the last dose after age four
  3 doses of Polio Vaccine with the last dose after age four
  2 doses of Measles/Mumps/Rubella Vaccine on or after the first birthday
  3 doses of Hepatitis B Vaccine
  2 doses of Varicella (chicken pox) or date of disease verified by a health care provider
• Child’s birth certificate
• Recent health checkup by the time school starts

Islands of Hope – 2015 Relay for Life – Cancer Fundraiser

Mark your calendar right now.  San Juan County Relay for Life is gearing up for a fun-filled event.

• When: Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at 6:00 PM
• Where: Brickworks, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
• What: A fundraiser to help find a cure for cancer and benefit those fighting it
• Cost: $20 per person
• Who: Everyone is invited, this is a family friendly event
• Tickets: please contact Gretchen Staelin or Colleen Johansen

This is what the $20 ticket includes: home-style Lasagna dinner (vegetarian available), fresh green salad, bread and soft drinks. Beer and Wine will be available for sale for an addition fee. Also live music by the Wild Rabbit band, a silent auction – with goods and services such as gift baskets to cruises ranging from $10 to $2000.

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Scott Hale over at Islands’ Inn would love it if you would click to vote them Best Luxury Hotel in the Northwest. Here he is with the details…

Hello Tim,

Can you help spread the word?! – Vote: Best INN the Northwest!

The Island Inn at 123 West is nominated once again for BEST Luxury Hotel in Evening Magazine’s 2015 edition of BEST Northwest Escapes! The Inn placed first in 2012, third in 2013 and won again last year, 2014, so we’re 2 for 3 and want to make it 3 for 4! You can help the Inn win again by following these three easy steps:

1. Click this link
2. Vote for the Inn
3. Spread the word! (and repeat for other Island neighbor nominees, too!)

Remember, every vote counts and voting is only open Monday, March 30th to Friday, April 24th!!!

We sure appreciate your help!

The Island Inn Experience Ambassadors

M/V Tacoma – WSF photo

Here’s the latest from WSF…

Following two weeks of sea trials, and approval from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Tacoma returns to work on the Seattle/Bainbridge Island route starting early in the morning of March 28.

In late-July 2014, the Tacoma lost power and suffered significant damage to its electrical switchboard system transiting from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. Ferry maintenance workers, engineers and contractors spent eight months inspecting and rebuilding the system. In mid-March, crews conducted a battery of tests at the dock and at sea to ensure the electrical system is fully operational.

“Safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. I’m confident the repairs made to the Tacoma and the lessons learned from this incident ensure the vessel’s readiness to safely operate and carry passengers,” said Assistant Secretary for the Washington State Ferries Division Lynne Griffith. “I commend the crew for their swift actions when this incident occurred.”

The initial incident occurred when a protective device in the circuit breaker control failed, which led to a chain of events that caused a full loss of power. A Board of Inquiry was appointed to investigate the incident, identify the causes and contributing factors, recommend corrective action and capture lessons learned.

The WSF Board of Inquiry’s recently completed investigation confirmed the failure was a characteristic of the manufacturer’s design. WSF modified the electrical switchboard systems on the other Jumbo Mark II Class vessels, Puyallup and Wenatchee. Crews will replace the circuit breakers during regular maintenance periods to ensure this type of failure does not happen again.

Built in 1997, the Tacoma is one of three Jumbo Mark II Class ferries, the largest class in the Washington State Ferries fleet.

One person dies nationally, every fifteen minutes, in a drug or alcohol related auto crash. Every 15 Minutes is a nationally recognized program that creates increased community awareness and action to reduce alcohol and drug related incidents and deaths.

On April 21 and 22 , the fourth Every 15 Minutes program will be held in Friday Harbor. This two day event will include simulated death announcements every fifteen minutes during local High School classes, a catastrophic auto accident demonstration, transport of multiple patients to the ER at PIMC, the arrest and trial of a student for DUI, reactions from the student victims and their parents and a mock funeral with a heartfelt speaker.

San Juan Island’s emergency responders have joined forces to create a “real life” experience intended to impact this community and youth. “The “Every 15 Minutes” program is amazing.

“As a 911 Dispatcher, I see the results of bad decisions and meet people who are having, for some, their worst day.” said Michael McElrath, San Juan Sheriff’s Dispatcher. “I also compile statistics for cases so I see, firsthand, that there has been a decline in teenage alcohol related incidents and accidents in the San Juans. I feel very strongly that the Prevention Coalition and ‘Every 15 Minutes’ have a direct role in that decline.”

This event is sponsored every three years by San Juan Island EMS and is funded through generous donations and grants from the community.

In this workshop, we will begin by discussing the elements of art that make a good 3-D design. Each student will learn how to make a template to create repetition around the gourd.

Techniques of wood burning, engraving, staining, painting and embellishment will be discussed to will help each student complete their finished piece.

Dona lives on San Juan Island and has been working with gourds for more than 20 years. Her gourd vessels and lamps can be found in many galleries and art festivals in the Northwest. She is also an accomplished printmaker.

Click to enlarge poster

Students should bring:

• Old bath towel
• Leather gloves
• Paper, pencil, eraser
• Scissors
• X-acto knife
• Hair dryer
• Images/idea for design*
• Dremel and engraving tip
  (if you have one)

Congratulations Elizabeth Anderson and the Writing Our History Project for this fabulous essay on the history of the San Juan County Land Bank.

More people, events and county institutions need to be documented and their stories told.

Contact sstrehlou [@] fridayharbor [.] org to find out how you can support the Writing Our History Project.

Deadman Bay Preserve, one of several properties of the SJC Land Bank – Steve Horn photo

Easter Eggs hide in the grass – Contributed photo

The engine horn will blow at 1:00 pm to start the hunt. Children ages 0-12 are welcome to participate. There are prizes for everyone and tons of eggs to be eaten. The Easter Bunny will be there!

The Firefighters Association will be collecting donations for the food bank at that time.

The eggs will be dyed on Friday, April 3, at 5:00 pm at the old town fire station across from King’s parking lot. Families are welcome to come help.

Luke Waite as the Wolf, Joely Loucks as Red Riding Hood and Lucy Urbach as Goldilocks – Contributed photo

Island teens bring to life a delightful and humorous blending of favorite children’s stories in A Walk in the Woods, performed at San Juan Community Theatre THIS Friday and Saturday, March 27-28 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 29 at 2:00 p.m.

Ayla Ridwan as Gypsy and Alex McIntire as Jack Horner – Contributed photo

Written by Debbie Metzler and directed by Jenni Merritt, the play makes some twists to such tales as Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood, the Three Pigs, and Hansel and Gretel while staying true to the original stories.

Goldilocks, forest-savvy from having to survive in the woods without a family, is on the run from the Three Bears but takes time to help Red Riding Hood. Along the way, they are saved by the Woodsman (who also happens to be Hansel and Gretel’s father) and from the zany Wolf (the same canine who plagues the Three Pigs). Then it’s encounters with the citizens of Mother Goose’s village, including Jack Horner, the Butcher, the Baker and the Candlestick Maker.

Ryker Mattox as Baby Bear, Luke Erickson as Papa Bear and Annemarie Ryan as Mama Bear – Contributed photo

“There’s a lot of tongue in cheek humor that all ages will enjoy, especially younger children, “said Merritt. “It has been a great play for the actors to learn about comedic timing.”

Tickets ($11 each, with $5 student RUSH at door only) are available at www.sjctheatre.org or the box office (378-3210).

A Walk in the Woods CAST:  Continue Reading