1. EDC offers FREE workshop on business planning and financing
The San Juan County Economic Development Council will present a FREE half-day workshop for small businesses and entrepreneurs on San Juan Island, on Wednesday, May 28, from 10:30am until 1:30 p.m. Advance registration is required.

The business and financing workshop course material will be presented by James McCafferty, of the Economic Development Association of Skagit County, a management consultant for over a decade.

As part of the workshop, McCafferty will cover business financing, discuss a variety of financing options and will provide a reality check for those considering a new or expanded business venture. He will be available for one-on-one consultation after the workshop. Continue Reading

Here’s a note from Louis Prussack at Spring Street International School, and links to some blogs they’ve set up so we can all follow their travels…

Dear Families and Friends,

Keeping in mind that it is hard to say what updates will occur along the way, where internet connection may be spotty at best, the following blogs are set up:

ssissouthwest.blogspot.com
ssisethiopia.blogspot.com
ssisguatemala.blogspot.com

Before we left, the school met together where each of us had a chance to reflect on the year. In closing, I shared a short piece by John O’Donoghue which is pasted below. May we all have safe travels that enrich us and challenge us and bring us back safe. Continue Reading

Here’s a note from Suzanne Olson over at Opalco….

OPALCO is pleased that the San Juan County Council on May 20 unanimously approved an update to our franchise agreement with the County.

The franchise agreement allows OPALCO to install various types of equipment within County roads and rights of way, and today’s update adds wireless facilities to that authorization. OPALCO plans to install several new two-way radio facilities for field crew communication, in order to improve the safety of our operations. We are also working with local First Responders (Sheriff, EMS and Fire Departments), so they can use these facilities to improve their radio coverage.

OPALCO hopes to add a data communications capability in the future as well. This will allow OPALCO to manage our electric grid more efficiently and further improving the reliability of our electric service. This update could also help provide improved telecommunications capability for the whole County.

Suzanne Olson, Communication Specialist
OPALCO

San Juan Island National Historical Park, the San Juan Island Library and the San Juan Historical Society will celebrate the pioneer heritage of American Camp with a Fireside Program and Historical Structures Tour of American Camp’s Officers’ Quarters and the other structures associated with it at American Camp on May 30-31.

An evening program—scheduled at 7 p.m., Friday May 30 in the San Juan Island Library—will focus on families who played a major role in birthing settlement on San Juan Island, as well as conserving historic structures such as the Officers’ Quarters (the old McRae house), which was constructed by the U.S. Army in 1856 and moved to San Juan Island during the Pig War crisis.

The next day, from noon to 3 p.m., park staff will, for first time in park history, open the interior of the Officers’ Quarters to the public, as well as the old Brown house (moved to the park in December 2010), the Laundress Quarters and offer guided tours of the redoubt.

The events are being held in conjunction with “History Lives Here,” a month-long celebration of history throughout San Juan County. For more information on local events visit the Town of Friday Harbor website. Continue Reading

Larry Wight has some great news to share with you…

FHMS ROV team – Click to enlarge – Contributed photo

The Middle School ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) Team placed first against 40 other teams from all around the Pacific Northwest on May 10th. This event, in which we compete annually, involves designing an underwater ROV to accomplish several complex tasks at the bottom of the Weyerhaeuser Pool in Federal Way. This year’s competition was designed to mimic the exploration of a shipwreck.

The team consisted of Josiah Wegemer, Zach Fincher, Jacob Kaden and Matthew McElrith.

“It was amazing,” said Josiah… “There were teams from all over. The college robots were amazing. In our Scout Class competition I was the pilot, Zach was operating the claw, Matthew was the cable-man, and Jacob was in charge of the window that we designed to see into the pool easily. We all worked well together…”

The Middle School team was supported by Jenny Wilson, FHMS ROV Advisor; Bob Tauscher, a retired engineer; and Molly Roberts from the UW labs.

This accomplishment builds upon last year’s 3rd place finish. Where do they go from here…?

The high school team also competed in this event and did very well. Their accomplishments will be reported upon in a subsequent article.

The team would like to thank Bob Tauscher and Molly Roberts for all their volunteered time. They would also like to thank Paul Hopkins and the San Juan Island Fitness Center for use of the pool for practice sessions, and Jeff Asher for use of the pool for last minute practice for the high school team. They would especially like to give a big thank you to the San Juan Public Schools Foundation for their continuing generous support of this program.

Larry Wight
Director, Career and Technical Education

There’s a new astronomy club in town. Their first meeting is tonight in the Library Meeting Room at 7:00 pm. Anyone with any interest is welcome to attend.

According to their Facebook page, they:

Led by our fearless leader, Paul Walsh, we will journey into the far reaches of space in search of …anything astronomy related. A group of keen stargazers, created in Friday Harbor, Washington, meeting to learn about all things space related, share photos, knowledge and go where no person has gone before…or just chat.

Saturn positioned just over the edge of the moon – Paul Walsh photo

Correction – This just in…  it appears Roadrigger’s will be in the parking lot behind the old Flying Burrito building on Spring Street, until their waterfront place is ready. Go up Spring Street just past Post San Juan and turn left onto Airport Center Road, and you’ll see them on your left.

A bunch of happy islanders enjoy some great food – Click to enlarge – Tim Dustrude photo

A few lucky islanders got to enjoy some great food and good company at the headquarters of Downriggers new mobile rig, “Roadriggers”, in the parking lot behind what used to be the Flying Burrito. Debbie, Hogan and crew put on a great feast for a good crowd that showed up for a preview of what’s to come when they open up officially.

You’re now probably wondering, “when do they open officially?” – They open TODAY!  The plan is to be open from now throughout the Summer from 11:00 am until 8:00 pm or so. Look for the big gorgeously painted truck in the Downrigger’s colors.

Excerpt from Runner’s World Magazine, June, 2014 – Click to enlarge – Contributed image

The 12th Annual King’s San Juan Island Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K is the featured “Race of the Month” for June in the nationally published Runners World Magazine. The publication has a monthly circulation of 716,857.

This year marks several changes for the annual event. There’s a brand new course, still offering plenty of hills, the date is now Sunday, June 22 and the start and finish is at Lakedale Resort. This is also the first year the Three Lakes Triathlon (Saturday) and Marathon (Sunday) will be held back to back on the same weekend, both from Lakedale Resort.

“This has been a vision for the past six years. With the forward thinking, partnership mentality of Lakedale’s owners and their General Manager, Karl Bruno, we’ve been able to cooperatively put this weekend together. It’s good for the sport and good for the island” says Paul Hopkins, Owner of Island Athletic Events, LLC.

Both events have been presented by King’s Market, for 12 years running. A portion of the proceeds will go to FHHS Purple & Gold. To find out more about the event, or volunteer, visit www.lakedale.com or call Paul Hopkins at San Juan Island Fitness, 378-4449.

Here’s one from the Update mailbag…

Barbara & Gary Sharp, Emily Reed-Geyman and the new tree – Click to enlarge – Contributed photo

Hi Tim,

I wanted to pass along a note and give recognition to the Soroptomists for a kind deed done for the Historical Museum. Barbara and Gary Sharp along with Emily Reed-Geyman, planted a replacement tree on the museum grounds in memory of Museum founder and Soroptomist member Etta Egeland (1896-2002).

A flowering Cherry was planted in 2004 honoring Etta and in the last year the local deer population have been pretty rough on the tree. A Thunderhead Black Pine was chosen to replace the damaged tree and was recently planted in its place. We thank the Soroptomists for taking care of Etta’s tree and for all the good work they do in our community.

Kevin Loftus
Director

Sheila Harley submits another entry in the “meet your firefighter” series…

Ben Waldron – Contributed photo

Ben Waldron is a native of San Juan Island working out of Station 36 in the in the Eagle Crest area of the Island. He is a Firefighter 2, a Wildland Firefighter 2, and is most active in and proud of his position on the Fire Boat Operations Team.

Ben is one of the growing number of people who are cross trained to work as both Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician.

During the summer of 2001, Ben took the wildland training class here on the Island and thought he would eventually have a career in the fire service.

He took an Emergency Technician Training class in college and, after 9/11, spent five years as a diver in the United States Navy. There he became proficient in the use of the hyperbaric chamber which, in addition to other things, is used in the treatment of the Bends.

He and his wife, Michelle, of Daisy Bloom, have 3 three children; Jaxson, 9, Paloma, 6, and Pearl is 16 months.

Ben’s full time job is Director of Operations with San Juan Island Emergency Medical Services which includes supervision of Operational Readiness, and Disaster Preparedness.

The part Ben enjoys most about being a volunteer firefighter with San Juan Island Fire Rescue is “laughing and joking with the crew after a tough call or drill and knowing we did everything we could to make an islander’s worst day a little bit better. I feel honored to work with people who are willing to put so much effort toward helping their community.”

He feels grateful to have the opportunity to serve his community as a firefighter and to serve with people of like mind who don’t shy away from the difficulty of doing a job even if it means getting up at 3 AM to help put out a fire. The effort is well worth the reward of helping out the community.

San Juan Island Fire Rescue is holding it’s next Wildland Fire Training soon. If you are interested in joining this exciting class, call Brad Creesy, Training Officer at the Mullis Street Station at 378-5334 or e-mail him at
training [@] sjifire [.] org for more information.

San Juan Island Fire Rescue’s mission is To Protect Life and Property.

Here’s a quick reminder from Travis Ayers, President of San Juan Soccer….

Hello Soccer Fans,

Here is some important information: Read on!

1. Register Now
Please visit https://islandsoccer.org/programs/ to sign up. Fees are lowest from now until June 15th. Fees go up after that date. Registration closes and wait lists are opened on July 13th. Wait lists close on July 25th.

Scholarships are available, so don’t let cost get in the way. Just email me and we’ll see what can be done. Note that scholarship recipients are asked to volunteer a few hours to help the club.

2. Local Camp
Coaching Director Bob Leytze will be conducting a Coed Middle School Soccer Camp. Dates are June 23 – 27, from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. $150 per player and the camp will take place at FHES. You can sign up on at the same URL above.

3. Field Help
FHHS Boys soccer will switch to the fall this year, putting more pressure on field use than ever. Even with Carter Street Fields moving along, we need more places to play! The Islands Community Church at San Juan Valley Road and Gilbert Lane has been kind enough to let teams practice there for several years. Now we are going to make a big push to make some improvements to the field. Please come on Saturday, May 31st at 9:00 a.m. with rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows, etc to help. It is a very good opportunity to earn hours for the SJI Service Scholarship (formerly Dollars for Scholars). Contact Stan Wakeman with any questions about how to help at the field.

4. Uniform Day
We encourage all previous players to wear their uniforms tomorrow, (Thursday May 22nd) to raise awareness of soccer sign ups. We’ll be posting information at FHES and other places around town. Help us get the word out!

As always, please contact me with any comments, questions, or concerns.

Sincerely,
Travis Ayers, President
San Juan Soccer
Ayers [.] Travis [@] gmail [.] com

Northwest Certified Forestry is excited to co-host a harvesting and marketing forestry tour with Rain Shadow Consulting on Orcas Island. Harvesting timber is an important management tool. If done with care and good planning, it can improve the quality and value of your forest while enhancing wildlife habitat, generating revenue and keeping your land in compliance with current use taxation programs.

If you are considering a timber sale, join us for a tour of several recent harvest projects on Orcas Island where we will discuss harvest costs, logistics, markets and a wide range of ecological timber management strategies.

Participants will learn about:

• Conducting a timber sale that aligns with your objectives
• Accessing local markets for your logs
• Estimating potential costs and revenue
• Locating contractors and professional forestry resources
• Improving wildlife habitat and forest health
• Developing ecological timber management strategies

The tour will be from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday, June 14th, and will leave from Buck Park (Mt. Baker Road Eastsound). Participants are encouraged to carpool.

Don’t forget to RSVP! Space is limited to 25 participants. See our website or check out this PDF Flyer for more details.

Contact:
Kirk Hanson, Director of Northwest Certified Forestry
kirk [@] nnrg [.] org
(360) 316-9317

It’s tonight (Tuesday, May 20) sponsored by the Friday Harbor Film Festival…

Something remarkable is happening in the fields and orchards of the Pacific Northwest.  Small family farmers are making a comeback. They’re growing much healthier food, and lots more food per acre, while using less energy and water than factory farms. For decades Northwest agriculture was focused on a few big crops for export. But to respond to climate change and the end of cheap energy, each region needs to produce more of its own food and to grow food more sustainably. Good Food visits producers, farmers’ markets, distributors, stores, restaurants and public officials who are developing a more sustainable food system for all.  Within the context of the history of Pacific Northwest agriculture, the film features some of the places where many of the region’s vegetables, fruits, grains and animal products are produced. Farmers and farm workers speak about their businesses, marketing, and the reasons they are committed to producing food that is healthy and environmentally-friendly.

Eating local isn’t always easy and may mean paying a little more for food. Purchasing local food means going to a farmers market, a local food co-op, and/or joining a CSA (community supported agriculture – buying a share of vegetables from a local farmer). Locally-grown food tastes fresher and is healthier than mass-produced products shipped from other states or countries. The makers of Good Food visited a number of local farms in Washington and Oregon, including Skagit River Ranch, Bluebird Grain Farms, Blue Heron Farm, Billy’s Organic Produce, Alvarez Farms, and Alm Hill Gardens.

7:00 pm tonight at the Grange. Admission is by donation.
Running time: 1 hour 13 minutes – See the movie trailer on the FHFF website.

The entrance to all the fun – RKSdesign.biz photo

A Place to Play officially opens this weekend – Friday actually, with special $1.00-off rates on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. If you haven’t been down to see the place yet, you really should go and check it out – Well actually, you really should take your kids there this weekend and let them check it out. In the meantime, you can see lots more photos on their Website and on their Facebook page.

What a great place Cathy and crew have come up with! Kids will get their wiggles out and parents will unwind for a bit and maybe plug in with the free wi-fi.

FHHS student Patricia Deitz attempts to drive the simulator and text at the same time – Tim Dustrude photo

Last Friday, the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition hosted the Arrive Alive Tour, an organization that brought a distracted-driving simulator to the high school. Over 200 people tried out the simulator, in which you wear a set of glasses that present a simulated roadway with people and traffic. As you are “driving” your vehicle, the operator instructs you to pick up your phone and send a text message. And that’s where it gets ugly. Kinda difficult to avoid obstacles (people – signposts – other vehicles) when you’re not even looking where you’re going. The simulator really helps “drive home” the point that drivers and cell phones don’t go together!

Debbi Fincher, Rob Nou and Bob Jarman – Tim Dustrude photo

The proclamation – Click to enlarge

As part of this event, County Councilman Bob Jarman read a proclamation (at right) declaring May 16th as Distracted Driving Awareness Day in Friday Harbor and San Juan County. Sheriff Rob Nou talked about the dangers of such behavior even in our quiet little community. Zach Fincher of Rock Solid Youth and Debbi Fincher of the Prevention Coalition put together this little video from clips shot throughout the day.

Other partners who helped make this happen were Sam Leigh of Right of Way Driving School, Lainey Volk of San Juan Island EMS, The San Juan County Sheriff’s Department, Friday Harbor High School, Mayor Carrie Lacher and the San Juan County Council.

Catlin Gabel students will offer free performances of Gilbert & Sullivan’s operetta H.M.S. Pinafore in the San Juan Islands June 2-4 – Contributed photo

Eighth graders from Catlin Gabel School in Portland, Oregon, will offer free performances of their production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s operetta H.M.S. Pinafore at three community performances during the first week of June:

• Monday, June 2, 10 a.m. at the Life Care Center in Friday Harbor
• Tuesday, June 3, 1 p.m. at the Orcas Center on Orcas Island
• Wednesday, June 4, 1 p.m. at the Shaw Community Center on Shaw Island

H.M.S. Pinafore is a topsy-turvy story challenging societal, class, and gender rights in Queen Victoria’s England. Catlin Gabel updates this classic production with a cast of suffragettes of the progressive era and proletariats of the machine age set against a steam punk backdrop-all singing Gilbert & Sullivan’s sublime music. It’s a modern tale that everyone will enjoy. Continue Reading