Click to enlarge poster

Rock the Dock with Rotary! Enjoy the magic of Independence Day on San Juan Island

San Juan Island’s annual community party, Rock the Dock, brought to you by the Rotary Club and sponsored by Islanders Bank and Century Link, returns on July 4th for its 13th year of family fun and celebration.

Friday Harbor’s own J-BOTS – Click to enlarge – Contributed photo

This year’s event will feature a new look and a new sound. Dance to the music of the fabulous J-BOTS, a local band known for its talent and energetic music of many varieties – contemporary and retro. Come to the parking lot on the waterfront with an appetite (tasty food will be available) and enthusiasm for celebrating the 4th of July with friends and family.

Tickets will be available at the gate. The cost for adults is $10. In all these years the ticket price has never been raised. Kids 12 and under, accompanied by an adult, get in free.

Proceeds from this year’s event will help eradicate polio world-wide and support local non-profits. Join your friends and neighbors and Rock the Dock with Rotary!

Rainbow over Friday Harbor – Click to enlarge – Kevin Holmes photo

Happy Saturday! Kevin Holmes shares this photo of a beautiful rainbow from yesterday with you. Thanks Kevin!

Erik and Andrea with their dogs, golden retriever Henry and springer spaniel Harley. The dock is still being repaired but will open later this summer. In the meantime, dinghies may pull up on the beach in an area marked by red flags. – Louise Dustrude photo

Editor’s Note: Story is updated with correct mileage from English Camp parking lot.

The oyster farm is open again, offering home-grown oysters, clams, and mussels.

Now called Westcott Bay Shellfish Co., it is owned by Erik and Andrea Anderson. It’s open daily through Labor Day, 11 am to 5 pm., and at the Farmers Market in Friday Harbor on Saturdays.

Erik’s parents owned a summer cabin on Henry Island starting in 1953, and he spent summers here growing up. He and Andrea had been hoping to return to the Northwest, and when the sea farm came on the market just as they retired it seemed the perfect opportunity. Now their home is on Henry and they can commute to work by motorboat.

Employees Mark Billington, Frank Raue, and Kathleen Dolsen provide continuity with the operation owned for many years by Bill and Doree Webb.

The farm is reached via Westcott Bay Drive. There is no vehicle parking for the adjacent national park, but you can park at English Camp and walk a new trail to the oyster farm. Total round-trip is about 2.5 miles.

More information is on the website westcottbayshellfish.com.

Story and photo by Louise Dustrude

New Signage at Historical Museum – Contributed photo

San Juan Historical Museum adds new outdoor interpretive signage

The San Juan Historical Museum announces the addition of 15 new interpretive outdoor signs. The professionally designed signage provides a cohesive and consistent branded identity for the interpretation of the museum’s heritage structures and outdoor exhibits.

Click to enlarge – Contributed photo

When you visit the museum this summer for the Kiwanis Pig War Picnic, Island Rec’s Music on the Lawn or with your summer visitors, give them a look and you may learn a bit more about San Juan Island history. For instance, did you know that the first automobile arrived on the island in 1905? That the jail was used until 1971, when it was condemned and declared to be the worst jail in the state of Washington?

The signs were designed by Jennifer Rigg of LOEA Design with historical context developed by Boyd Pratt and were installed by Fred Yockers. Funding was made possible by a San Juan County Historic Preservation Grant and contributions from museum members.

The signs are the latest improvement to the museum grounds which in recent years has seen restoration of historical buildings, installation of walking paths, new outdoor exhibits and new picnic tables.

Here’s Sheila Harley with the latest installment of “Meet Your Volunteer Firefighter”…

Michael Hartzell – Ron Garner photo

Michael Hartzell grew up in Friday Harbor. He is the chef for the Cask and Schooner and has been with them since their opening. Mike is married to Rachel (also grew up in Friday Harbor) who is the Referral Coordinator for Dr. Burk Gossom.

He has been with San Juan Island Fire Rescue for 5 years and has served in many capacities. Although he has been trained in all aspects of beginning and advanced fire fighting, his favorite roll is fighting structural fires as a hose man. “Its more fun!”

Mike has recently taken an Incident Command System course to keep up on firefighter strategies and he will be assisting in the training of the new Wildland Firefighter 2 class to be held here on the Island June 21/22 and June 28/29 noting that there are several opportunities within the department to broaden one’s horizons. He definitely recommends recruits attend this class as a great introduction to firefighting.

He also joins structural firefighter recruits to the State’s North Bend facility as part of the recruit’s training.

Mike’s involvement with San Juan Island Fire Rescue began when he decided to join his friends in looking for something exciting to do and look how far he has come!

Great news from Mike is that he and fellow firefighter Brandon Baney have passed the exams to become an Emergency Medical Technicians. Congratulations!

San Juan Island Fire and Rescue welcomes interested persons to drop by the Station on Mullis Street or phone 360-378-5334 for information on the up-coming Wildland Firefighter 2 class and more.

Here’s a note from the animal shelter…

Whole lotta relaxin’ goin’ on – SJ Update photo

Lower Your Blood Pressure and Help the Animal Shelter at the Same Time!

Petting a dog or cat feels good to most folks – and multiple studies have shown that it can also lower blood pressure, in addition to helping your body release a relaxation hormone, which cuts down on stress levels. Dogs and cats seem to like it too!

If you are concerned about your own blood pressure or stress level, the Animal Protection Society – Friday Harbor would love to help you out! The shelter is in need of volunteers who are willing to come in once or twice a week to spend some quiet time petting cats. “The shelter has many adult and geriatric cats who have been at the shelter for a long time and are just in need of some TLC”, says Kennel Manager, Rina Tappan. Shelter hours are from 11:00 to 3:00 every day except Monday. You must be 18 or older to volunteer at APS-FH.

Dennie Carter is off to Orcas Island – Contributed photo

After 17 years of working in Friday Harbor and living on Orcas, Dennie Carter will be transferring to the Orcas KeyBank branch. This move will allow him to avoid a time-consuming ferry commute, spend more time with family, and positively impact his community on Orcas.

Martha at Key Bank invites you to come and say good bye to him today (Friday). It’s his last day at KeyBank Friday Harbor and they will have refreshments all day.

She adds, “We will miss him greatly, but we are all excited for the new opportunities the move will present him. Congratulations Dennie! “

Karlyn at Roche Harbor Market shows off some of the delicious ice cream from Loch Mead – Contributed photo

This post could have been called “Ice Cream on the Update” instead, but it’s not because it’s updating you on where else to buy the stuff.

The Update got a lot of comments on that Ice Cream post several days ago – 3 online and several in person. It’s really popular stuff and you can also find it at Roche Harbor Market, the Little Store and FH Marketplace.

Taylor added that when they first brought it in, it was only sold at Whole Foods in Oregon, and San Juan County. So I think that makes us pretty special.

Here’s an invitation for you to join Islands Museum of Art in the July 4th Parade…

We hope you are enjoying this beautiful summer weather – we do! To make it an even more exciting kick-off of summer we invite you to join us in this year’s 4th of July Parade, representing the San Juan Islands Museum of Art. Why? Because we think it is important that the vibrant arts community of the Islands and its supporters are represented in this fun, exciting, locally important and truly American event.

Dress up as an artist, an art piece, or even as a construction worker (after all, the IMA building is under construction!), etc. – get creative and come up with your own idea!

We will have a few banners and signs to carry, and brochures to hand out during the parade and most likely (if we can find enough volunteers – hint, hint) we will also have an area for children to paint/be creative during the picnic at the Historical Society’s grounds.

For questions and/or signing up, please contact Hella Cascorbi via email at
h [.] cascorbi [@] sjima [.] org

Please join us representing the Arts Community of the Islands in this fun, exciting, and important event!

And please feel free to share this message with anybody you think might be interested.

Thank you,
Your IMA Team

Tawny Martel over at Windermere brings us up to date on the community spirit over there…

The Winderemere Landscaping Crew – Click to enlarge – Contributed photo

Windermere SJI & Cattlepoint Rock and Topsoil Making A Difference
By Tawny Martel

The Realtors and Staff of Windermere San Juan Island once again closed their office (except for mobile) Friday morning to help make a positive difference in our island community! This year was a celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Windermere Community Service Day which started in 1984 with a handful of Windermere Owners, Agents and one elementary school.

Thirty years and more than one million hours of community service later the tradition has grown to include Windermere offices from the San Juan Islands and Hawaii to Mexico, all who went into their respective communities on June 20th, 2014 to work for community and neighborhood enhancement.

The “before” photo – Click to enlarge – Contributed photo

On San Juan Island, The Mullis Senior Center was selected for a third year as the San Juan Island Windermere Office’s Community Service Day project. “The senior center is fundamental in our island community. It was important for us to help an organization with such wide reach in our community; one that provides services not only to seniors but the community as a whole; it was a unanimous YES vote”, answered Zita Sandmeyer when asked about the selection process. “It is always difficult to choose one, since we have so many organizations in need,” she added.

Gary Franklin, Managing Broker for Windermere Real Estate – SJI enthusiastically reported an anonymous donor stepped forward to have 3 yards of bark delivered. “We are grateful for Mildred Foss of Cattlepoint Rock and Topsoil for her discount donation and delivery of the landscape bark. With a busy season in progress, our Realtors took time to give back to this community in this special way. This year it was a real community effort, we are excited to see where next year may lead.”

For information on plans for next year or how you could get aboard contact Gary Franklin at the Windermere office 360-378-3600, windermeresji.com or our Facebook Page.

Here’s a cool story about the classic sailing schooner Adventuress, and her bell which has been missing for a century. Thanks to Art Shotwell and www.anacortesnow.com for the story…

Adventuress’ Bronze Bell – AnacortesNow photo

The 101-year old schooner Adventuress, which is back in Anacortes Friday for sailings for local school kids and the Anacortes Schools Foundation, has regained a bit of its history with the return of the ship’s original bell.

The bell that sounded on Adventuress’ maiden voyage to the Arctic a century ago has been found in the care of an 87-year-old man who received it as a gift in 1936

Representatives of the Puget Sound area’s historic schooner Adventuress, along with experts from the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and the San Francisco Bar Pilots are travelling Friday to Belmont, Calif. to receive the ship’s bell that went missing a century ago.

The bronze bell, that reads Adventuress 1913, has been in the possession of Alfred R. “Nick” Lemos since he received it as a boy in 1936. He has kept the bell ever since, until this spring when Lemos asked his adult children to help him find out the fate of the ship named on his bell. (continued at Anacortes Now)

Come join us for the free “Bring Em’ Back” Music on the Lawn concert series at the San Juan Historical Museum on 405 Price St. every Wednesday night from July 9th to August 6th. Island Rec is celebrating 30 years of people, parks, programs and trails and to honor this milestone we are bringing back the most popular bands as voted in a people’s choice balloting.

• July 9 – 133D Army Band’s Brass Patriots play tunes ranging from The Beatles to John Williams, Patriotic to Funk. Come sing along and tap your feet, or if the mood strikes…get up and dance! The group is comprised of 15 citizen soldiers from across the great State of Washington, stationed at Camp Murray, Tacoma and is led by Sergeant First Class Alton Huckaby.
• July 16 – Tapwater is a boisterous sextet that blends the sound of banjo, steel pans, piano, accordion, upright bass, guitar, vocal harmonies, drums aplenty and more into a swirl of highly danceable and strangely exotic music steeped deeply in the roots of American tradition while bringing musical inspiration from around the globe.
• July 23 – The Seattle Chamber Brass is comprised of Seattle’s brightest up and coming brass musicians. With energy and style, they’ll jump Brouadway show tunes to Mozart, from Back to Joplin. A rare showcase of how two trumpets, trombone, horn, and tuba can whish you through a musical landscape. This concert will be one to remember!
• July 30 – Soul Purpose is remembered for their dynamic female lead singer, a blazing 5 piece horn section and a thumping 4 piece rhythm section. You will remember them for playing hits form the ‘60’s, ‘70’s and ‘80’s – they will get you moving! Get ready to boogie with the Northwest’s top Classic Rock/Soul Band.
• August 6 – Rewind features popular local musicians Kate Schuman, Tami and Tom Doenges who will bring fun songs from the ‘60s and ‘70’s, with an emphasis on strong vocal harmonies. Come out and unwind with Rewind for the final concert of the season.

Bring blankets or lawn chairs, a picnic if you’re hungry, and enjoy an evening of great music. Please, pack it in, pack it out – no pets or alcohol. Call 378-4953 or visit www.islandrec.org for more information.

Kids dancing at Summer Day Camp – Contributed photo

Bill & Rita Ament’s Summer Creative Arts Day Camps 2014.

Camps this year are:

• Camp Dancing Deer, July 7-10
• Camp Rainbow Spirit, July 21-24
• Camp Two Eagles, August 4-7

Monday-Thursday, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Camps are $140, including the cost of t-shirt. We have full scholarships available for island children.

Our exciting camps are great for children, ages 3-12. They are all outdoors with lots of exploration, arts & crafts, stories/legends, songs & chants, music, dance, play, and learning the Native American Indian ways – all woven together in the natural beauty of San Juan Island. Go to www.amentsummercamp.com for information or call 360-378-9628.

We are having new Summer Dance Camps this summer, too. On Tuesday & Thursday, 9am-4pm, July 15 & 17, and July 29 & 31. Cost is $110, includes t-shirt. For ages 7-12, children will be dancing all day long: hip hop, jazz, Zumba, Improvisation, yoga, partner Swing dance, line dancing and performing. Lots of fun! Go to www.amentdancehappy.com or call 360-378-9628.

San Juan Island Garden Club is hosting an excursion – Whatcom Horticultural Society Bellingham Garden Tour

The tour has 6 gardens available for touring. All are within the Bellingham city area. We will view a minimum of 3 gardens hopefully 4 as time permits.

Reservations required prior to July 3, 2014.

• Date: July 12th – Depart on the 8:05 ferry
• Cost: $42.00 – Mainland transportation and ticket
• Additional cost: Ferry ticket (Purchase return passenger ticket prior to departure)
• Lunch – a stop at Haggens or Winco
• Return to Friday Harbor on the 4:45 boat

SJI Garden Club

Theresa Hill – thill355 [@] yahoo [.] com – 378-2447
Vonnie Harold – yeharold [@] rockisland [.] com – 378-6250

Sapphire is this week’s Pet of the Week – Click to enlarge

Meet Sapphire! If those beautiful brown eyes don’t melt your heart we don’t know what will! She’s a terrier mix, about two years old and just a lovely little girl. She loves playing with other dogs, walks nicely on a leash and has a sweet, gentle demeanor. She’s spayed, up to date on vaccines and ready to fill someone’s life with lots of love and joy. She won’t last long, so if you’re interested in making her part of your family don’t wait too long to come meet her.  Friday Harbor Animal Shelter, 111 Shelter Road –  360-378-2158

Are you passionate about Fine Arts or Photography? The San Juan County Fair is looking for a superintendent for each department. Must be knowledgeable, organized, and enthusiastic about Fine Arts or Photography.

This year’s Fair dates are August 13-16. Contact the Fair Office at 360-378-4310. Fair info online at www.sjcfair.org.