San Juan County EDC Commends OPALCO for Progress on Broadband Initiative

The San Juan County Economic Development Council commends OPALCO for its rapid progress on the broadband initiative, particularly its work on the completed broadband plan and development of “Neighborhood Connections” for broadband deployment in the county.

The EDC has worked for many years on the broadband initiative – assisting in the facilitation of the deployment of high-speed broadband in San Juan County. The EDC Board and staff are pleased that OPALCO has worked to clarify their strategy going forward in the broadband field, and that OPALCO has developed a well-balanced strategy which preserves the integrity of OPALCO’s electric business while positioning them to leverage their infrastructure for the community’s betterment.

“Neighborhood Connections” are neighborhoods with enough pre-registrations for OPALCO’s ultra-fast fiber network to make it financially feasible to install. By working with residents and homeowner associations in higher-density neighborhoods to share the construction costs of extending the network, OPALCO can deploy fiber-optic-based broadband more quickly. Continue Reading

Contributed photo

Don’t forget – it’s this Saturday…

Island Harvest Chili Cook-Off and Art Market

Local chefs compete for prizes as they present their best vegetarian and non-vegetarian chili recipes. Tasting tickets cost $10 – $16 and include cornbread, fresh pressed cider and homemade S’mores. Cook-Off winners will be announced at 6:00 pm.

Admission is FREE to the Art Market, music by The Rocky Bay Boys and the beer and wine garden. Lots of fun for the whole family!

Saturday, October 11 from 3:30 pm-6:30 pm at Brickworks in Friday Harbor.
Tickets can be purchased at Market Chef, at Griffin Bay Bookstore, and online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/471072 or at the door.

Vincent W. Shu, MD, FCCP, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Diseases – Tim Dustrude photo

Dr. Vincent Shu has opened a new clinic over on Price Street next to the historical museum and has this to share with you…

INSPIRE Medical Clinic is committed to helping individuals find solutions to the health issues they are experiencing. Our goal is to educate and empower our patients by emphasizing nature’s inherent self-healing process. We look for the root cause of the body’s inability to heal itself, and correct the problem at its core.

While respecting the healing power of nature, our focus is to help our patients find ways to improve their health in a realistic and sustainable way. We also work cooperatively with other health care professionals so patients get the benefit of many practitioners working for them. Through personal experience, we have found an integrated approach to be the most successful.

Inspire Medical Clinic is in the same building with Patricia Hansen, Chiropractor over on Price Street – Tim Dustrude photo

Vincent W. Shu, MD, FCCP
INSPIRE Medical Clinic
Integrative Holistic Wellness, Heart Valve and Heart Failure Programs, Heart and Stroke Prevention.

321 Price Street
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Tel: (360) 370-7380
Fax: (866) 651-0544

Evergreen Park on Green Way – Tim Dustrude photo

The Friday Harbor Town Council welcomes the public to enjoy the new walking path, picnic area and greenery recently added to Evergreen Park. The park is one of five parks within the Town, and is located off of Spruce Street on Green Way in the Greenway neighborhood. The public is invited to suggest additional enhancements.

“Sarena Schumacher has earned a special thanks from the Council and the community for the design and labor she put into this park,” said Town Administrator Duncan Wilson. Schumacher is an employee of the Town. Mr. Wilson added that the Council is actively encouraging the community to share ideas for additional improvements to the Town parks.

Town parks are open to the public during daylight hours. For a link to a map of Friday Harbor parks, visit www.fridayharbor.org.

Are you unsure about the upcoming ferry reservations? Some people have asked if I would put up a link to this petition site which is gathering signatures to Revoke the Reservation System and saying “the issue was not brought to our attention until the ‘solution’ was etched in stone.”

Or do you simply have questions about the new program and want answers directly from WSF? Then keep reading..

Washington State Ferries will be holding some events here in the islands starting this weekend which will be geared toward informing locals about the upcoming vehicle reservation service. Representatives will be available to set up vehicle reservation accounts and answer questions about the service.

• Saturday, October 11 San Juan Island Library
  11 am to 4:30 pm
• Sunday, October 12  Shaw Island Community Center
  1:00 to 6:00 pm
• Saturday, October 18 Lopez Island Library
  12:30 to 5:30 pm
• Saturday, November 1 Orcas Island Library
  2:00 to 6:00 pm

Here’s a note from Denyse Davis for all you basketball parents out there…

We are having a mandatory meeting for all parents of girls 5th through 8th grade that have signed up or have the desire to play in this off-island basketball league.

It will be Monday, October 13 at 5:00 at the FHAA Clubhouse at the far end of the football field located at the elementary school field.

We will be answering questions, and will have forms available as well. Can you please spread the word? If they can’t attend they can also call me at 378-6846 in the evenings.

Thank you!

The San Juan Island Library, the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA), Life Care of San Juan Islands, and San Juan Senior Services are working together to sponsor two community workshops in Friday Harbor presenting an overview of Medicare information for seniors and Medicare Part D, or the prescription drug insurance program. The Medicare workshops take place on:

• Wednesday, October 22 at 3 pm at the Library, or
• Tuesday, October 28 at 2 pm at Mullis Center

Pat VanSkyhawk will be making the presentations at the Library and Curt VanHyning will present the Mullis Center workshop.

2015 Part D insurance offerings are now available online at www.medicare.gov, but many individuals have specific questions or are unfamiliar with navigating web sites. These workshops will allow individuals and couples to get the information and to complete the online application with assistance from someone who can take them through the options on the web site, as well as answer their specific questions.

Participants should bring a complete list of current medications with strengths, dosage frequency and annual cost paid. They also will need their Medicare card, Medicare Supplemental Insurance card, if available, and Medicare Part D card, if they have one.

Yakima arriving in fog – Aaron Shepard photo

Seen any fog lately? If you’re anywhere near the water, or in town, we’re guessing that’s a big huge “YES”. Fog slowed the ferries yesterday morning and they ran late for the better part of the day because of it, and last night Aaron Shepard caught this great image of the Yakima arriving at the ferry dock in some thick fog. Beautiful shot Aaron – thanks for sharing!

It’s that time again for this month’s column from the Historical Museum…

Clothing styles change but buddy pictures are always popular with boys. In these two photos from the collection of the San Juan Historical Museum, taken about 50 years apart, all six of the boys have been identified. But their life stories can always be collected as part of our island’s narrative.

Left photo undated, left to right: Walter Scribner (born 1902 in the Scribner Cabin now on the grounds of the Historical Museum), John Nash (born 1901), and Henry Lightheart (born 1902).

Right photo taken in 1969, left to right: Mitchell Chevalier (related to John Nash), Jeff Beeston, and Paul Miner.
What tales do you have about these boys? Please do share.

Come see the Fairgrounds building transformed into a Bavarian wonderland. In its 20th year, San Juan’s Oktoberfest is organized by San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce, Lions, Rotary and Soroptimists. All proceeds go to charity.

Bratwurst, excellent beers, Felicitations desserts and San Juan’s own Blaskapelle Oompah Orchestra! Eat, drink, do the chicken dance, sing-a-long, and celebrate the end of the summer with your island neighbors.

FREE ADMISSION* if you wear a costume! Costume contest…collectible beer steins…so much more. This is a true island event.

(It’s only $5 without a costume. 🙂
Saturday, October 11, from 5:00 to 10:00 pm

The Volunteer Sign-up web page is ready for all of you who are interested in volunteering to sign-up for your choice venue positions. Simply go to our Volunteer web page at www.fhff.org/volunteer, and:

• Look over the job descriptions
• Select the position you want
• Fill out the information required and *SNAP* – you’re done!!

Or stop by our office a pick up a program hot off the press to better plan your volunteering times!

Don’t forget to sign up to attend the Volunteer Bash at the same time… it’s just one of the perks for volunteering!

For all of you who have emailed interest in volunteering, please follow the instructions above. This will give us a fail-safe system for tracking volunteer sign-ups.

The more hours you volunteer the more movies you get to see for free!! Plus you’ll receive a really cool festival hat, a reuseable water bottle, a wristband and get to party at the volunteer bash on November 16th! We are looking forward to working with our amazing volunteers once again!

As the Film Festival time grows closer, the Venue Leads will be in contact and set-up meetings for those who signed up.

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

Terry Marshall, Tim Savage, Kevin and Isabelle Zoerb, Foster Hildreth, Marty Clark, Jim Ghiglione and Mitchell Barr at the Community BBQ on Lopez, October 3, 2014 – Contributed photo

On October 3, 2014, more than 50 people gathered at OPALCO’s Lopez Crew Station to celebrate Journeyman Lineman Kevin Zoerb’s return to work and to recognize the community members who helped save his life. On September 20, 2013, Zoerb was injured when he came into contact with a high voltage line.

General Manager Foster Hildreth commends Mitchell Barr for his lifesaving action – Contributed photo

General Manager Foster Hildreth presented awards to Lopez Fire and EMS, Mitchell Barr and Tim Savage for their life saving efforts and outstanding service to community. Chief Jim Ghiglione recognized his team of volunteers from Lopez Fire and EMS – many of whom were in attendance, including fire cadets from the high school program. Emotions were high as Ghiglione recounted the horror and miracle of that emergency call – the perfect storm of successful cell phone reception for the 911 call and quick radio contact to the EMS team in an area notorious for poor communication. He gave special thanks to Paramedic Marty Clark and EMT Terry Marshall, who were first responders that day.

Hildreth commended Mitchell Barr, an equipment operator for Lopez Sand & Gravel, who made the call to 911 to get help on its way and freed up our Journeyman Lineman Tim Savage to begin CPR, and Savage for his skillful and swift action.

“Safety is OPALCO’s top concern,” said Hildreth. “I appreciate the job our linemen do at all hours and in all weather. I have the utmost respect for our crews and their dedication to keeping the lights on. A large effort is underway to improve our safety program and field communications for our first responders and, by extension, for our whole community.”

For the latest information about OPALCO, visit www.opalco.com.

Volunteer to make a difference! Help make San Juan Island an even better hiking and biking community. The San Juan Island Trails Committee of Island Rec is offering two informational sessions for island residents who want to volunteer a few hours a month. Each meeting will last one hour and refreshments will be served. Come and listen to what you can do to make a difference.

For more information visit www.sanjuanislandtrails.org or www.islandrec.org or call 378-5114.

Trails Committee Volunteer Opportunities Meetings:

• Monday, October 20th at 3:00 the Islander’s Bank Community Room
  or
• Monday, October 27th at 6:30 at the SJ Island Library Conference Room

The Arts and Social Media: Success is in Your Hands (and Keyboard)

Robin Jacobson – Contributed photo

The San Juan County Arts Council presents a new workshop using social media to promote your art, arts organization or arts facility, expand your audience, and enjoy doing it in less time than you thought possible. The workshop will be held at the Lopez Library on Lopez Island, November 8, 2014, from 10:30 am – 3:00pm.

Social media is not just a fad. It’s a cultural shift in the way we communicate. In this workshop you will learn how to:

• Speak the language, have a plan and do it all with a smile
• Set up your new social media accounts and know which ones are for you
• Know when to tweet, tag or pin (#soconfused)
• Know who to follow and get the followers you want
• Find tips, tricks, and “How To” guides online
• Go mobile, share images, create connections

The workshop presenter, Robin Jacobson, is a media relations consultant, formerly with the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau. She has been a participant and presenter at destination marketing gatherings for many years and has benefitted from working with top social media leaders. Her arts background includes leadership roles in cultural programs such as Art in Action, Artquake, and arts councils.

Bring your smartphone, iPad, or laptop (not required but very helpful). Also, bring a bag lunch. Coffee, Tea and bottled water will be provided by the Arts Council.

Transportation will be available at the Lopez Ferry Landing to take walk-ons to the workshop.

Cost of the workshop is $40 and class size is limited, so register early. To register or obtain a registration form, go to www.sjcartscouncil.org or email gerardw [@] rock island [.] com or phone (360) 378-4961.

Skagit Valley College in Mt. Vernon is hosting an event on Thursday about the benefits of  publicly owned broadband infrastructure. Click here to register and view the agenda.

Crowdfunding is an exciting way for entrepreneurs to use online communities like Kickstarter to ask for monetary pledges from individuals. Crowdfunding has significantly expanded the way that small U.S. companies can raise growth funds, launch new products and find new customers. But do you know the legal requirements for seeking crowdfunding? What about the type of disclosures that you need to make to potential investors… or the potential liability?

Learn how to procure money legally for your business through crowdfunding during a comprehensive and informative all-day crowdfunding workshop offered by the San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC).

Presenting at the workshop will be Faith Anderson, Chief of Registration for the Washington Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) Division of Securities, and a key crowdfunding rule maker; Gregory Paley, entrepreneurial mentor, angel investor and crowdfunding advisor; James McCafferty, of the Economic Development Association of Skagit County, and a management consultant for over a decade, and Victoria Compton, director of the EDC and a long-time marketing consultant.

The presentation will cover how the law has changed, which companies may be eligible to crowdfund, how much money you can raise (and where you can raise it), and the legal requirements and pitfalls facing companies that use crowdfunding. Continue Reading