Public invited to weigh in on Friday Harbor’s future
Four week survey underway

The Town of Friday Harbor is asking for the public’s participation in a short survey intended to help identify the perceived image of the town and provide direction for marketing the town as a place to live, grow your business, start a new business, and vacation.

The nine question survey is available through the Town’s web site at www.fridayharbor.org, and at bit.ly/branding-fh through October 15, 2014. Anyone with an interest in Friday Harbor should take part in the survey; it is not limited to county residents.

The survey is conducted by Roger Brooks International, the company selected to help coordinate the Town’s Branding and Marketing initiative. “These survey results from the public will be the foundation of our project” said Duncan Wilson, Town Administrator. “The input we receive will be instrumental in focusing our efforts going forward.”

All members of the Washington community are encouraged to attend and learn about Leave No Trace principles to help protect and preserve the San Juan Islands for years to come.

Leave No Trace recently designated Washington’s San Juan Islands as one of the nation’s eight ‘Hot Spots’ in the U.S. this year as part of the nonprofit organization’s campaign to address and help public lands that are facing the threat of irreversible environmental damage. The event is conducted by the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers and helps communities raise awareness and take action using Leave No Trace principles.

“Many outdoor areas across our nation, like the San Juan Islands, are negatively impacted by recreational use. We are literally loving the land to death,” according to Danielle Rowland, Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer. “In most cases, the land impact isn’t due to a malicious intent to harm nature and wildlife. Instead, it’s simply lack of an understanding or know-how of ‘Leave No Trace’.”

Click here to read the full story (PDF)

Kevin “Miracle Man” Zoerb with kids in 2012 – Contributed Photo

OPALCO lineman returns to work with a celebration and community BBQ on Lopez, Friday, October 3rd. ​

Lopez Island Journeyman Lineman Kevin Zoerb has returned to work following an arduous journey of surgeries and healing from injuries he received when coming into contact with a high voltage line in September of 2013. Dubbed the “Miracle Man” at Harborview Medical Center, Kevin has made a remarkable recovery.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kevin back to work,” said Foster Hildreth, General Manager. “Kevin is a veteran lineman; he and his family are important members of the OPALCO family.”

OPALCO is committed to supporting Kevin as he regains his strength and transitions back into the trade.  We expect to see him back in full force within a year. OPALCO’s Safety Program will provide additional training opportunities to make sure this type of accident never happens again and to ensure the safety and confidence of all of our operations staff. Continue Reading

National Voter Registration Day is coming! The League of Women Voters of the San Juans (LWV-SJ) have joined Leagues around the country to kick their election-season planning into high gear, with a lot of attention paid to plans to make this year’s National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, September 23, the biggest ever!

San Juan Island – Lee Sturdivant is organizing League members to assist people that day from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at both Market Place and in front of the Friday Harbor Drug Store.

Lopez Island – Beverly Zapalac will man a table to register voters at the Lopez Village Market from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

Orcas Island – Voter Registration forms, election information and red hots, white raisins and blueberries will be offered at the Orcas Public Library at two sessions: from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Look for our posters around the islands and plan to stop by. Bring someone to register to vote and we’ll reward you with a special treat!

For more information about the League of Women Voters of the San Juans, come to the monthly membership meetings the second Monday of each month at noon, usually at the San Juan Island Library, go to www.lwvwa.org, or call Diane at 370-5814.

General Election Timeline:

• October 6 – Deadline for voter registration, address change and other updates
• October 17 – Start of 18-day voting period (through Election Day). Ballots are mailed out and Accessible Voting Units (AVUs) are available at voting centers.
• October 27  -Deadline for in-person new Washington State voter registration
• November 4 – General Election

If you are registered to vote but miss the deadline to update your address, you can still vote. Contact your county elections department where you are currently registered to request a ballot.

The San Juan County Voter Registration pamphlet will be available in early October. The League of Women Voters of the San Juans will hold election forums Oct. 7, 8 and 9.

For more information about San Juan County voting registration and elections, click here.

Contributed Photo

Oregon author Warren Easley will be at Griffin Bay Bookstore on Saturday afternoon, September 27, 2:00—4:00 pm to introduce his latest Cal Claxton mystery. Anyone who is drawn to fly fishing, Oregon wines, and river rafting as a backdrop for a murder mystery should stop in the bookstore to meet the author and see what his new book is all about.

Cal Claxton is determined to reinvent himself as a small town lawyer. Once a hard charging L.A. prosecutor, he now lives in an old farmhouse overlooking the Oregon wine country. His passion is fishing, and he sometimes works as a guide.

Dead Float is set on Oregon’s gorgeous Deschutes River and in its canyons, where there’s not just the lure of fly fishing, but also a mystery for Cal Claxton to solve. Continue Reading

Eric Corbin, Kale Taylor, and Haley Rennick are out and having fun! – Contributed photo

Need a date night, but don’t have a sitter?? Well you’re in luck! Drop your k-6th grader off with Island Rec for Kid’s Night Out! We’ll provide dinner, games and activities, while you get a night off.

Friday October 3rd, 6:00 – 9:00 pm at the Elementary School. Early Registration Deadline is September 25th;

$22/Child, fee increases $5 thereafter. For more information or registration call 378-4953 or visit www.islandrec.org.

Construction in progress on the new IMA Building where SJ EMS used to be – Click to enlarge – Tim Dustrude photo

Rebecca Parks shares this good news for IMA…

The Washington State Building for the Arts advisory committee has selected the San Juans Islands Museum of Art (IMA) as one of 14 non-profit organizations from a field of 50 applicants. IMA placed number 6 out of the 14 in their rankings of “desirability”, and incidentally, number two of those with an Arts orientation. The award can mean a $650,000 grant toward finishing the visual arts museum currently under construction. The list of recommended recipients will now be sent to the legislative branch for consideration in the upcoming capital budget.

Ranking criteria include the ability to complete the project expediently, the organizational capacity to run the facility effectively, community need, and availability of other funding resources. The panel that arrived at these rankings is made up of 12 professionals from a variety of non-profit organizations and affiliated firms.

Charlie Bodenstab, Executive Director of IMA, expressed his enthusiasm at having the endorsement of such an esteemed review committee:
“We intend to meet their expectations and then some!” he said.

Here’s a report from the Stewardship Network of the San Juans…

Shellfish Growers and Marine Scientists Agree that Ocean Degradation is Fact, Not Theory; Collaboration and Adaptation Key Next Steps

Ocean acidification is fact, not theory, and collaboration and adaptation are key to tackling this crisis. That was the conclusion of local shellfish growers, marine managers and scientists who gathered September 10 in Friday Harbor, Washington.

Convened by the San Juan Marine Resources Committee, with support from the Northwest Straights Initiative, Puget Sound Partnership and Charlotte Martin Foundation, the shellfish growers and marine managers met all day to discuss changing ocean conditions and how they impact local shellfish growing and marine management.

The sobering truth is that anthropogenic carbon dioxide—carbon dioxide caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels—is changing the chemistry of the ocean. The effects of positive changes we make today won’t be seen for the next 30 to 50 years, because pollution in ocean waters circulates for decades.

Because of this “…things will get worse before they get better, so we have to learn to adapt,” said Bill Dewey, public affairs manager for Taylor Shellfish Farm, who started noticing changes in his shellfish in 2005. Continue Reading

Click for larger poster

Here’s an invitation for you from Ruth Offen of WaterWorks Gallery, to come and do some dancing this Friday…

Ahhhhhh – A Late Summer Dance

Please join me on Friday, September 19 from 7:00 to 9:00 or so for dancing. Music DJ to play Waltz, Swing and other notes.
Admission is $5.00, bring a dish or beverage to share…

Kind regards –

The dance gal,
Ruth Offen

Location: XYZ Movement Center, Airport Center Road, Friday Harbor.
Second floor, last building on the Left.
Airport Center Road is off Spring Street at the corner of M&W Auto Sales.

Merri Ann Simonson

Merri Ann Simonson of Coldwell Banker San Juan Islands Inc. shares this definition and explanation of Real Estate Market Value and how it is calculated…

Definition: Market Value is the price a property is most likely to command in a competitive and open market, with a willing buyer and a willing seller in an arms-length transaction, wherein the parties have each acted knowledgably, prudently, and without compulsion and in their own best interest.

The definition above is rather boring sounding when you consider that you are addressing one of the highest value assets that a property owner may have or the most expensive item that a buyer may purchase in their lifetime. Emotions run high when it comes to selling and buying real estate. If we all could sell high and buy low, life would be so much more rewarding.

Click here to read the full story (PDF)

It’s this coming Saturday in the Sunken Park – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Click the image above for a larger, easier-to-read version

“Orca Pup Over Mom”, a photo by Aaron Plotkin

Seattle based professional photographer Aaron Plotkin was up visiting the San Juans last month and he sends over this cool photo with the following description. Thanks for sharing this Aaron!

I just got back from Friday Harbor last night and unfortunately we did not see any whales this time but about a month ago I got a stunning photo of an Orca pup jumping over its mother who was on her back at the surface. It was taken on the Sea Lion, with San Juan Safaris. Carla Wright at  WaterWorks Gallery suggested that I submit it to you.

John Sinclair will be riding next week in a worldwide cancer fundraiser next week in Seattle. Here’s a note from him with more info:

John Sinclair rides for cancer research

Tim,

On September 28th I will be riding in the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride in Seattle. This is an event to raise funds for prostate cancer research. Lots of classic bikes, dapper suits, handlebar mustaches… you get the idea.

It’s a worldwide event, with rides happening in all the major cities. The goal is to raise one million dollars, of which we are already more than a third there.

Maybe you could put a little something on the Update and I could get some more sponsorship?

Many thanks,
John S.

About DGR:
http://www.gentlemansride.com/about/about-dgr

My sponsor page:
http://www.gentlemansride.com/rider/the450

Build diary for the bike:
http://www.thefourfifty.com

Learn to spin your own yarn this weekend with Sarah Anderson who has been a fiber enthusiast since childhood. She is the author of The Spinner’s Book of Yarn Designs, a well-known handbook in the spinning world. Sarah’s enthusiasm for spinning techniques and constructions has driven her to create an extensive library of different yarn constructions that she loves to share with other spinners. She lives, spins, knits, and weaves in the Pacific Northwest.

Use different drafting techniques with various fibers allowing you to get a taste for a variety of possibilities, such as slubs, fine to fat singles, S twist, Z twist, etc.). Once you have spun your singles, the world of plying possibilities is practically limitless. You will be able to create unusual yarns such as spirals, crepes, and boucles to enhance your spinning experience.

Saturday and Sunday, September 20th & 21st from 10am to 6pm at Mullis Center, Friday Harbor
Cost: $110-$185 ($75 deposit required)
Materials fee: $40
Registration Form here (PDF)

Monday night!

Here’s a note from Rob Simpson about next week’s film:

Hello Inquiring Islanders,

Next Monday, (Sept 22nd, 7 PM) is our next Conscientious Projector screening. This one is brand new. It’s the personal story of the film’s producer as he goes from being a total believer in the official 9/11 story… to becoming one of the now more than 50% of US citizens who doubt what we have been told.

Making the film nearly cost him his marriage. No one in his family could believe he would waste so much time on “stupid conspiracy theories.” They all thought he’d gone nuts. Until he finished it and they watched it. Then they all became his supporters to get the film completed in a professional fashion… and get it out into the world ASAP.

This is one film we really should all see together. Bring a friend or three. We’ll have free Friends-of-the-Library popcorn to help us digest the information.

Also of note…
Petitions do seem to have some effect on motivating our leaders.

The best international petition group I have ever seen is called AVAAZ.org

It takes on issues that affect everyone on the planet.

​There is a petition at the AVAAZ site​ ​now ​to convince our leaders in the UN to​ ​begin moving the whole world toward CLEAN ENERGY​… for the safety of our planet and our economies.​

With a UN climate meeting coming up in just a few days, AVAAZ now has close to 2 million signatures from every nation to present to the UN.

If you’d like to add your name, you can check it out here:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/100_clean_final

Hope to see us pack the library next Monday.

Meanwhile, Stay cool.
Rob

The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor has stepped up to help Pasado’s Safe Haven of Sultan due to a cat hoarding situation that resulted in 48 cats being rescued from a home in Ritzville. The Friday Harbor Animal shelter received six cats from Pasado’s on Wednesday, September 10 in an effort to help free up space at Pasado’s allowing them to accommodate the incoming cats.

Pasado’s, along with the Humane Society of the United States, and other local animal shelters worked as a team to bring all 48 cats to safety. A few of the cats were pregnant and many appear to be suffering from health issues related to poor living conditions.

Kim Koon, Pasado’s Safe Haven’s Director of Rescue and Investigations said of the joint rescue “It was a pleasure to work with HSUS and other organizations on this rescue and to see the power of partnership result in a successful outcome for all of these sweet cats. Together, we can truly make the greatest impact for all of the animals who desperately need us. ”

The animal shelter invites the public to visit the Pasado’s cats during business hours, Tuesday through Sunday, 11:00 to 3:00.