FHHS Junior, Sammantha Hopkins, doing her part to free Lolita

FHHS Junior student Sammantha Hopkins is working to try to help free Lolita for her Community Service Project. You will likely see these posters around town within the next few days.

Her stepdad Captain Hobbes says: “A 17 year old that really cares, these flyers will be distributed all over Friday Harbor. She went totally out of her way to contact Howard Garrett of Orca Network to see what she could do to help get Lolita released from captivity. Let’s show her our support!”

Here’s what you’ll see on the posters:

Please help free Lolita by commenting at www.orcanetwork.org by March 28!

Help increase Lolita’s chance of being freed from her very small tank at the Seaquarium in Miami and returned to the San Juan Islands to be reunited with her family by commenting at www.orcanetwork.org today.

Lolita is currently one of the oldest orcas in captivity (about 45 years old), she’s healthy, and her mother (known as L25 ‘Ocean Sun’) and her family still live in our local waters. Lolita was captured in 1970 from Penn Cove and has been living alone at the Seaquarium since 1980 when her whale mate Hugo committed suicide by repeatedly smashing himself into the sides of the tank. Orcas should not be in captivity.

You can read more about Lolita’s story at www.orcanetwork.org
Comment period ends March 28 – please write today!

Get Certified for the Spring! Upon successful completion of First Aid and CPR you will walk away with life-saving skills and have a first aid certification from the American Heart Association and/or a CPR certification, which are valid for two years. This is an ideal class for parents, baby sitters, volunteer coaches and recreation leaders.

First Aid is March 17, 5:30-9:30pm.

CPR is March 19, 5:30-8:30pm.

Both classes will be held at the Frank Wilson EMS building and are $27 each.

Hope to see you there. For more information or registration call 378-4953 or visit www.islandrec.org

Click for larger image

San Juan Community Theatre’s The Met: Live in HD program continues Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m. with a screening of Borodin’s defining Russian epic, Prince Igor.

Famous for its Polovtsian Dances, the opera comes to the Met for the first time in nearly 100 years.

Dmitri Tcherniakov’s new production is a brilliant psychological journey through the mind of its conflicted hero, with the founding of the Russian nation as the backdrop. Star bass-baritone Ildar Abdrazakov takes on the monumental title role, with Gianandrea Noseda conducting.

In addition to The Met: Live in HD presentations, SJCT also rebroadcasts National Theatre Live productions from Great Britain. A complete schedule of the HD-live events is available at www.sjctheatre.org. SJCT’s new partnership with both programs and the HD equipment to present them, was made possible through a generous bequest from the late Dodie Gann.

Tickets for Prince Igor are $20 for adults, $18 for SJCT members and $10 for student reserved. Tickets are available on-line at www.sjctheatre.org or at the SJCT Box Office: 378-3210.

Just got this note from Madden Surbaugh about our neighbors over on Orcas and their new Food Co-op…

New Orcas Co-op General Manager Learner Limbach (L) and Assistant/Deli Manager Madden Surbaugh (R) – Regina Zwilling photo

Orcas Food Co-op Announces Senior Management Team

The Orcas Food Co-op has announced that they have hired their Senior Management Team. Learner Limbach, one of the founding board of directors members, was officially named the store’s General Manager on January 2nd. Limbach has hired Madden Surbaugh, a local Chef/Restaurateur, to be his Assistant Manager & Deli Manager. The Board of Directors is excited about the progression of the management team and the foundation that is being established by hiring a solid opening core.

Lisa Byers, Board of Directors President, stated “We took another positive step toward opening day when Madden agreed to join the team as Assistant Manager. He compliments Learner’s skills and experience in many ways and as a volunteer, has already demonstrated his keen eye for design and his commitment to excellence.” Continue Reading

The Community Development & Planning Department is preparing for a much needed renovation. We will be moving the reception area and select staff to other locations in the building.

The front office will be moved to the side of the building with a temporary entrance located on Reed Street (see diagram – PDF).

Normal front office activities will be interrupted in order to move desks, phones, computers, and staff. Front office calls may go to voicemail, but will be checked periodically throughout the day. For your convenience, a listing of direct staff contacts can be found here: http://www.sanjuanco.com/cdp/staffcontacts.aspx.

The current front door will remain unlocked for the day and applicants may drop off submittals that require a date stamp.

Beginning Wednesday, March 12, the new temporary entrance will be on Reed Street. Please bear with us as we move through this process and know that we will try to maintain our current level of service.

Just received this notice from Emily Reed-Geyman about a new website you might want to check out…

Artists and art lovers of San Juan County: The San Juan County Arts Council website is up and ready and all we need is you! www.sanjuancountyarts.org

If you’re an artist in any discipline, e.g. music, visual arts, performance or literary arts, if you have an art gallery or performance venue, there’s an Artists Directory for you to enter your description, photos, website link and contact information. Best of all your listing is free. There is also a Calendar of Programs and Events for you to post performances, workshops, classes, and openings.

If you are an artist or involved in any way with the arts, please be a part of it. If you want to see what’s happening in arts in the county, please visit it. This website is the only resource for all the arts in San Juan County and has the potential to be of significant benefit to the islands.

Click for larger poster

3rd Saturday Grange Dance, Contra. March 15, 7:00 – 9:00 pm at the SJI Grange Hall.

From Seattle & Bellingham, Linnaea Chapman will be calling with Up in the Air – fiddle, guitar, flute and concertina.

• No partners needed
• All dances taught
• No experience necessary.

$10/person donation (students half price). Info at 378-3836.

Engaged – Camila Ergueta and Elliot Robinson Thomsen – Contributed photo

To their families’ absolute delight, Camila Ergueta and Elliot Robinson Thomsen will marry this summer at Elliot’s family home on San Juan Island. Camila is the daughter of German and Tamara Ergueta of San Jose, California. A member of FHHS class of 2004, Elliot is the son of Marty Robinson of San Juan Island and Tim Thomsen of Friday Harbor.

At the University of San Diego in 2008, Camila earned the Bachelor of Arts and Master’s Degrees in Accounting, and Elliot earned the Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology.

Camila and Elliot live in Seattle. Camila is Business and Planning Financial Analyst at the Boeing Company. Elliot is Research Associate at the Paul Allen Institute for Brain Science.

Melodious Notes Over the Harbor Returns March 15

Click for larger image

After two highly successful concerts that wowed San Juan Community Theatre audiences, clarinetist Sue Collado has again gathered a diverse group of island musicians for a one-of-a-kind classical concert on Saturday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Since moving to the island from California three years ago, Collado (former Principal Clarinetist of the La Jolla Symphony) set out to uncover the many island musical talents she’d heard so much about. For this edition of Melodious Notes Over the Harbor, she is happy to collaborate with pianists Dorothy Baker, Carol Hooper, and Sonja Zarek; flutist Pam Stewart; bassoonist Pat Nelson and cellist Sasha von Dassow.

Collado’s goal has been to create a “not your typical” chamber concert that presents a variety of what she calls “unique bites of great music.” The program this time around expands the horizons to include works by Haydn, Mendelssohn, Chabrier, Piazzola, Tchaikovsky and Dutilleaux. Plus, they’ll showcase island composer Richard Hieronymus’s piece, “The Wounded Hawk” from the American Folk Ballet, Moon of the Falling Leaves.

“It’s always great to work with the musicians, get to know them, and make the pieces come alive for the audiences,” said Collado.

The Business Partners for Melodious Notes Over the Harbor are PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center and Islanders Insurance. Tickets are $17 for adults, $8 for student reserved and $5 student RUSH at the door. The SJCT box office is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Eagles work on their new nest above the American Camp visitor center – Sue Ryan photo

American Camp’s eagles are continuing work on their new nest above the visitor center, though there are still no signs that eggs have been laid.

Through recent high winds and heavy rains the nest remains solidly ensconced in the fork of a tree-top, located about 50 yards from the building on the edge of the employee parking area. Center staff have observed the birds each day adding fresh branches along with tufts of grass presumably to pad the base for insulating eggs that may or may not come.

“They’re puzzling us right now,” said park ranger Doug Halsey. “However, we have to remind ourselves that in past years they have not had young when establishing a new nest.”

Normally bald eagles require a high degree of privacy to feed and breed, but the new nest is the second they’ve built in the busy parking area, said Mike Vouri, park chief of interpretation.

“Nonetheless, we’re discouraging visitors from going into the employee lot area,” Vouri said. “We have a bird scope set up almost daily just outside the center door and our park host, Sue Ryan, is an enthusiastic guide. Come out and see her Wednesday through Saturday.”

March 14 • March 27 • April 14

Visit classes for the day. Meet with teachers. Ask questions.

Scholarships available.

Spring Street students are adaptable, outspoken, and inquisitive about the world and their place in it. They are intellectually curious individuals who see learning as a joy and a challenge. They learn to think critically and not fear a controversial idea as long as it can be articulated and defended.

Spring Street programs are rooted in academic rigor, a progressive educational philosophy, and individual development. We teach students, not classes. We vary our teaching methods to reach different students, including experiential travel and work outside the classroom, inspired by each student’s capacity for leadership.

Call 360 378-6393 (ext. 3) to schedule your visit.

Anamo Roloff, Admissions Director
aroloff [@] springstreet [.] org

Citizens for the Core wants you to know about this upcoming potluck/discussion on Thursday…

Are you concerned about the proposed move of customs, and the lack of transparency and collaboration by GSA officials? How about the increased military activity over Whidbey Island? So are a lot of other people all around the area. Citizens for the Core is hosting a long-awaited North Sound Communities Roundtable and Potluck to discuss ways we can and are striving to hold the government and military accountable.

Groups attending:

• Whidbey Noise Coalition (WNC)
  – regional/ Whidbey Is
• Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve (COER)
  – central Whidbey Is.
• Concerned Island Citizens (CIC)
  – north Whidbey Is
• Citizens for the Core
  – San Juan Islands

Topic: Stop government and military encroachment in the area and hold them accountable
Date: Thurs March 13
Time: 4:00 – Informal meeting and film showing of “Ebey’s Reserve Video” by renowned Mark Dworkin.
5:00 to 7:00 (Tight schedule to accommodate ferries!) Roundtable and potluck
Location: Brickworks
Contact: citizensforthecore [@] gmail [.] com

And just got this notice from David with the local Democrats…

Boeing EA-18G Growlers – Norman A. Graf photo – http://www.flickr.com/photos/normangraf/

The public is invited to an informational forum, sponsored by the San Juan County Democrats, on March 15. The subject of the meeting is the negative impact of the noise generated by the increasing flight activity of the Navy’s EA-18G Growler jets stationed near Oak Harbor on the lives of citizens of Whidbey, San Juan, Lopez, and other nearby islands.

The meeting will take place from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm on Saturday, March 15 at the Grange Hall in Friday Harbor.

The forum will be led by Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve (COER) of Coupeville. COER is attempting to convince the Navy to cease operations of the Growler jets on Whidbey Island. The group recently held a similar meeting on Lopez, with more than 70 people attending.

The San Juan County Democrats has not taken a position on this issue. We are sponsoring this meeting for the sole purpose of informing members of the San Juan Island community about this issue so they can reach their own conclusions.

If you have any questions about the meeting, you can call me at 378-1082.

David Dehlendorf – Chair
San Juan County Democrats

Run Ladies Run is happening not this coming Saturday, but the next one – March 22nd. Get it on your calendar now. And ladies if you haven’t signed up yet, better get on it. Click that link below to register online.

This year, Run Ladies Run is sponsoring Jessica Oldwyn in her fight with Brain Cancer. As you probably know, Jessica is an island native, now living in Seattle. She was diagnosed with Brain Cancer 4 years ago. Read more about that and what RLR is doing on her behalf at the Run Ladies Run website.

Both the 10k and the Half-Marathon start at 9:30 a.m. at Brickworks and both finish at Brickworks as well.

Packet pickup is Friday March 21st at Haley’s from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Register online at this link.

It’s a beautiful day in Friday Harbor and Spring is in the air. Did you hear the frogs last night? Here’s a visual treat from a planter box on Blair Avenue. Get outside and enjoy the weather!

Little Purple Jobs – Click for larger version – Tim Dustrude photo

Wasn’t that you that was recently saying you wanted to improve your Spanish speaking? Well I just heard the following from Gail Ochoa that Tia’s is having Casual Spanish Night every Wednesday night from 5:00 – 7:00 pm…

Practice, Laugh and Learn with us. Spanish facilitators will be available to assist and encourage you. We want to encourage folks to come practice their Spanish or learn something new. We will have Spanish speaking facilitators on hand to help encourage conversation and assist in placing orders. We will also be offering dinner specials those nights.

Tia’s Tacos
485 Ellsworth Ave, Friday Harbor
378-8226