Woody vegetation on Mt. Finlayson – Click to enlarge – Contributed photo

Work is under way at American Camp as the next step in the Cultural Landscape Restoration moves forward. The park will be removing a stand of young Douglas fir that has encroached on Mt. Finlayson and Grandma’s Cove area. There are approximately 300 trees in the stand which will be removed by mechanical methods and chipped on site.

The most significant threat to the integrity of the cultural landscape at American Camp is encroachment of woody vegetation onto prairie land, which is altering the historic relationship between the camp and the natural landscape. The removal of the Douglas fir trees is just one component of the long term Cultural Landscape Restoration Plan. To learn more about the cultural landscape at American Camp, see this link (PDF)

Workers feeding trees to the Chipper – Click to enlarge – Contributed photo

At San Juan Island National Historical Park, small trees and shrubs once confined to hedgerows are beginning to grow in the meadow areas and large rose thickets and Douglas firs are replacing prairie vegetation. In order to retain the open meadow landscape as it appeared during early settlement, it is important to retard colonization by woody vegetation and encourage herbaceous plants. Continue Reading

Here’s the official word on the fire this morning from Sheila Harley, Public Information Officer for San Juan Island Fire & Rescue…

Early morning fire erupts at Sunshine Laundry on Web Street in Friday Harbor – Click to enlarge – Contributed photo

At 2:32 AM Tuesday a neighbor made the call to Dispatch who alerted San Juan Island Fire Rescue of a fire at the Sunshine Laundry.

Three engines and the Rescue unit responded as well as EMS. There were 14 firefighters, four officers, and three EMTs plus a Paramedic who ran the rehabilitation unit for the firefighters. OPALCO was there to shut off power to the building.

Smoke was showing in the back corner of the approximately 40′ X 60′ building. Hoses were brought in and the fire was quickly extinguished. No adjacent buildings were affected although the guests of the hotel above Funk ‘n Junk were evacuated for a while until it was determined that it was safe to return.

In this high fire danger season, the firefighters did well to contain and extinguish the fire in a very timely manner.

This fire call was ended at 5:09 AM.

Cause of the fire is under investigation.

Remember that awesome school bus driver that used to live here? Named Carla? Yeah, you know the one… She had to move to Anacortes, but good news – She’ll be here this coming weekend for the Summer Arts Fair with a “Carla’s Funky Art” booth. Go check it out; she’s got some really cool stuff.

Weather expert and radio personality Cliff Mass will discuss global warming, the media and coal trains – Contributed photo

This story has been updated: Cliff will speak at 6:30 pm (not 6:00 pm)

San Juan Island Library announced that Cliff Mass, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington will speak at the Mullis Center on Tuesday, July 22 at 6:30pm. The program will be free to the public. As a blogger and radio commentator, he speaks about weather science in language the public can understand. Mass is making a return visit to Friday Harbor to talk about 3 hot topics in the news today. His talk will examine how global warming, the media and coals trains influence each other, and provide a factual basis thinking about these issues. He combines his expert knowledge with an entertaining personality.

“Global warming is a serious problem that requires immediate attention, but there are two serious problems: (1) the media and politicians are not giving an accurate description of the current and future impacts of increasing greenhouse gases and (2) mankind is not doing enough to mitigate the future warming,” Mass says. This talk will discuss these issues, examine how they influence each other, and provide a factual basis for dealing with this environmental threat.

Mass and his students have systematically studied the weather of the western U.S., completing over seventy papers on West Coast phenomena such as coastal surges and the Puget Sound convergence zone. He has been involved in a number of initiatives, including the acquisition of coastal radar on the Washington coast and the use of smartphone pressure observations for weather prediction. He is the author of the 2008 book “The Weather of the Pacific Northwest.”

Dirigo II and Super Moon over Lopez – Click to enlarge – John Miller photo

John Miller shares this scene of Saturday night as the Super Moon came up over Lopez. That’s the sailing vessel “DIRIGO II”, owned and skippered by Art Lowery. Thanks for sharing John!

FANS Helps to Fund New Stage for Music on the Lawn – Click to enlarge – Contributed photo

A generous donation to Families and Neighbors Support Island Rec (FANS) has led to a larger and more professional stage for Island Rec’s popular Music on the Lawn series.

The new 12’ x 24’ modular stage with a water resistant deck, was made possible through a more than $7,400 donation to FANS from the Honeywell Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region.

Now in its 14th year, the free series originally had been using the front porch of the Scribner cabin as its stage, but in 2012 it was moved as the museum dug up the lawn to lay electrical wires; the bands were then moved across the lawn onto 4’x 8’ plywood platforms made from the walls of a duck blind.

“We were moving in the wrong direction going from the front porch of a cabin to the walls of a duck blind for a stage,” said Island Rec Director Sally Thomsen. “Now—thanks to this generous donation and the support from FANS—Music on the Lawn has a safe and proper stage.”

The nonprofit group FANS was formed in 2012 to fill the gap (primarily through fundraising efforts and events) between the community’s park and recreation needs and what Island Rec’s budget can afford to address.

The new stage will also be used by other organizations. It premiered during the Kiwanis’ Pig War Picnic on July 4 and will be used during the Historical Museum’s Pioneer Day event.

A full schedule of the Music on the Lawn concerts, which continue on Wednesday evenings through August 6, is available at www.islandrec.org. For more information on supporting FANS through its FAN Club membership for as little as $10 a year, visit www.islandrecfans.org.

Well what did you expect with all this sun and no rain?

The fire danger in San Juan County is now “MODERATE”.

While visitors and residents of San Juan County enjoy the beautiful warm weather, fire officials are keeping a wary eye on the increasing risk of a wildland fire. Based upon fuel moisture readings observed around our region, all of the County’s fire danger signs now point to the yellow “MODERATE” range.

Fire officials ask that everyone be very cautious with recreational fires and outdoor barbecues. Recreational fires must be no larger than two feet in diameter, centered within a six foot diameter clear area. Recreational fires must never be left unattended, and should be fully extinguished and cold before leaving the area.

Fire officials will continue to monitor the fire risk, and may have to increase the category to “HIGH” within a few weeks if the current weather pattern continues.

The San Juan County Fire Marshal’s Office is a cooperative effort of the fire districts on Orcas, San Juan, Lopez and Shaw Islands, along with San Juan County.

More information is available at www.sjcfiremarshal.org and www.dnr.wa.gov.

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3rd Saturday Grange Dance, Contra Dancing and Waltzes- 7:00 – 9:00 pm, Saturday, July 19 at the SJI Grange Hall. From Seattle & Bellingham, it’s Lindsey Dono calling with the French Canadian band “Les Poulet Fantastiques” – 2 fiddles, piano and button accordion. No partners or experience needed. All dances taught. $10.00 per person donation (students half price). For more information, call 378-3836.

Contributed photo

This year’s Summer Arts Fair at the Courthouse July 19 and 20 promises to be the liveliest one yet, with more music, lots of activities for kids and families, and a wider variety of art than ever before in this favorite island festival’s 15-year history.

Joe Buckler, inventor extraordinaire, will bring his latest kid toy: a huge hands-on goldberg-esque contraption sure to surprise. And of course there will be lots and lots of bubbles from Buckler’s famous Bubble Machine. (This may be the only fair where kids leave cleaner than they arrive.)

Island Rec leads the always-anticipated Chalk It Up event, where kids of all ages decorate the courthouse sidewalks. Creative Passions Craft Supply House has a children’s crafts tent where all kinds of fun summer souvenirs are created with the help of crafter-extraordinaire Bonnie Turman.

The Saturday music lineup includes Daniel Finn, Debbie and Oliver Strasser, and the One More Time Band at 4 p.m. On Sunday: lots of local acts, including Paul Arroyo on country guitar and Marimba. At noon both days, Kate Schuman leads a kid-friendly stagecoach singalong.

And the ART: The San Juan Island Summer Arts Fair is the largest and longest-running art show on the islands. Court Street will be chalk-a-block with rows of white tents where talented artists show and sell their wares. Buy a lunch from one of the food vendors and have a picnic on the lawn before exploring the fantastic fine art, pottery, textiles, jewelry, paintings, photography, sculpture, potions and soaps, furniture, hammocks and more. Each vendor will be at their booth and ready to answer your questions.

The Summer Arts Fair is sponsored by the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce.

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Mark your calendars for the 2nd Annual Pioneer Festival on San Juan Island. The event will take place at the San Juan Historical Museum on Saturday, September 6 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Please visit the San Juan Pioneer Festival website and the Facebook page. We hope you will LIKE us on Facebook.

Pioneer Festival Costumes – Click to enlarge – Contributed photo

Volunteers from San Juan Island National Historical Park & Battery D will be dressed in period attire from the 1850’s Pig War era. Other vendors and visitors will be wearing period costumes.

Come and enjoy an old fashioned fair along with San Juan Pioneers. Participate in the Cake Walk, Three Legged Races, Sack Races and the Shooting Gallery.

Enjoy interactive demonstrations of a two man crosscut saw, an authentic blacksmith forge, and apple pressing.

There will be food vendors, arts & crafts vendors and MORE!

The festival takes place on Saturday, September 6, 2014 at the San Juan Historical Museum grounds.

On most days you can see the bluffs of Whidbey Island from American Camp’s redoubt, but the connections between Whidbey and San Juan run deeper than mere proximity. Learn why from Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve interpreter Lynn Hyde during an illustrated talk scheduled at 7 p.m., Friday July 18 in the San Juan island library.

The program is free. Call the park at 360-378-2240, ext. 2226 for information.

In the 1850s all western Washington communities faced the Puget Sound—the maritime “Main Street” of the Washington Territory—as distances between European settlements were often much shorter by vessel than they are now by automobile, according to Hyde. Two of the founding fathers of the community that is now Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve on Whidbey played important roles in the San Juan Island border dispute between Great Britain and the United States, Hyde said.

Most prominent among them were political leader Isaac Ebey and military leader U.S. Army Maj. Granville O. Haller. Ebey triggered the first international incident when he attempted to collect customs duties from Charles Griffin, agent for Belle Vue Sheep Farm, shortly after nearly 1,400 sheep were landed on the island. As commander of Co. I, 4th Infantry at Fort Townsend, Haller was directly involved in the Pig War crisis of 1859.

“Both helped insure that the international border settled where it is today, and by so doing, forged the historical links between the two communities,” Hyde said.
Hyde is the Education and Outreach coordinator for the Reserve, based in Coupeville. A former high school English teacher from Seattle, she made the move to public history in 2007 in New England. There she was the Director of Education at The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, a partner site of Minute Man National Historical Park.

Her love of Pacific Northwest history brought her home to Washington in 2011 to serve as an interpretive ranger at North Cascades National Park and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle. In 2012 she joined the Reserve staff to expand their public history offerings, and brings new perspectives on interpreting and preserving historic sites home to the West Coast.

Patricia Macrae Eden passed away Monday June 30, 2014 at her home in Friday Harbor. She was born in Hamilton, Ontario on March 6, 1922, the second of two children born to Joseph and Jesse Macrae.

Pat graduated from Dunkirk High School in New York, and married her high school sweetheart Jay “Bus” Eden in 1943. She attended Sul Ross State College in TX while Jay finished officer training at the Army Air Corps base. During World War II Pat traveled on her own across the country by train several times to be in close proximity to Jay. In her later years she often spoke fondly of the many people she met on those trips, and the kindnesses they shared.

In the early 1950s the family left the east coast to settle across the country in Southern California. Pat was a dedicated mother to her three sons. Although she worked in banking, and as an office manager in a veterinarian clinic, her main focus was her family, home, and church.

Upon retirement Pat and Jay visited the homes of their sons to determine where to settle for the next phase of their lives. San Juan Island appealed to them, and in 1986 they made the move to Friday Harbor.

Pat enjoyed her connection with many friends through the Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church, the San Juan Island Senior Center, and the Garden Club. She and Jay traveled often to visit family and friends, but also enjoyed hosting their family on the island. All of her grandchildren and great grandchildren had opportunities to enjoy summer visits at Grandma Pat’s house.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents and her older sister Edna. Her husband Jay passed away in 2001.

She is survived by her sons David of Friday Harbor; Fred (Nancy) of Lakewood, CA; Rob (Debbie) of Greenwood, AR; her five grandchildren – Elise, Scott, Laura, Melissa, and Jeffrey; her five great grandchildren; and many extended family members.

Pat had a generous heart and a loving spirit. She set a good example for all those who knew her, and she will be greatly missed.
A graveside service will be held August 9th at Valley Cemetery. Time will be announced later.

Submitted by the family of Patricia Eden

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Kitchen Cosmetics: Skin Care Tips, Tricks, Recipes with Dr. Lisa Meserole

Join Dr. Lisa Meserole for a FREE workshop at Brickworks on Sunday, July 20th from 2:00 to 3:30 pm.

Dr. Meserole is an ND, herbalist, and past dietitian who Chaired Botanical Medicine at Bastyr University. She lives on Whidbey Island, has studied modern & early cosmetic chemistry and formulates moisture & acne creams.

Learn of safety concerns in modern cosmetics, label reading, skin types, and ages.

Space is limited; please contact Tanja Williamson at 360-472-0337 or email
tanja [@] fhbrickworks [.] com to register for the workshop.

This free event is presented by the SJI Ag Guild’s Live Life Well Education Series.

During its July 14 meeting, the San Juan County Council will discuss placing a property tax measure on the November election ballot. If approved by voters, the issue would continue the County’s property tax at a level that guarantees funding for a number of popular programs. The Council has tentatively scheduled a hearing to take public comment and conduct final deliberations on the ballot proposal on Thursday, July 31.

The current County property tax level was established in 2009 during an economic downturn. State law limits property tax increases to 1% per year, plus an additional amount for new construction. Other revenues had been hit hard by the recession. Caught between rising costs and shrinking revenues, the County had been forced to reduce staff, mandate furlough days and shorten operating hours. All non-mandated services were on the chopping block. The 2009 ballot measure guaranteed funding for several popular programs that faced devastating cuts, including public health, parks, emergency management, senior services, and the WSU Extension Service’s master gardeners and 4-H youth programs.

The 2009 measure passed by a wide margin. “Thanks largely to the 2009 lid lift,” said County Manager Mike Thomas, “the County’s budget is not in crisis now. But increases in the cost of everything from fuel to building maintenance to employee health insurance have kept our budget tight.” Continue Reading

You’re invited to join the San Juan Preservation Trust for a volunteer work party at Hunter Preserve, a ten acre preserve on Mount Dallas on the west side of San Juan. This view property is prized for its remnant prairie ecosystem and wildflowers. Tasks will include removing small Doug firs and English hawthorn, and installing a San Juan Preservation Trust sign.

The work party is scheduled for Thursday, July 17 from 9:00 am to noon

If you’d like to attend, please contact Bella French for directions at
bella [@] sjpt [.] org or 378-2461 or (cell) 206-458-0286.

Bring sturdy shoes, work gloves, water, snacks and hand tools if you have them. Invite a friend to join you!

Hope you can make it!

Bella

Friday Harbor Brickworks – Click to enlarge – Photo courtesy of fhbrickworks.com

It is with deep gratitude that the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild announces that it has achieved its major goal of paying off the remaining mortgage on its downtown Friday Harbor Brickworks property.

Reaching this goal was the culmination of a long journey that followed the initial purchase of the property in late 2010, with a Washington State grant of $365,000 and a federal USDA grant of $100,000 joining some $228,000 in private donations. The Ag Guild then embarked on a major community-wide fundraising effort to support the dream of completely repurposing the property as a permanent home for the San Juan Islands Farmers Market. Over subsequent years that dream, which became the Brickworks Project, increasingly captured the imagination of the community as a whole.

“What we came to experience was an amazing blending of community-wide passion, persistence, generosity and commitment,” said Susie Wampler, Ag Guild Board chair. “Though the odds initially seemed daunting, we strongly believed in the worthiness of the cause. We believed that if we built it, they would come. And come they did, with donations ranging from $5 to over $100,000 added to over 35,000 hours of volunteer time and the gift of many talents.” Continue Reading