Chef Hobbes is at it in the kitchen again…

This pasta is the Bomb Baby! (Sorry I’ve been watching too much Breaking Bad!)

Recipe for two:

2 English bangers cut into 1/2″ rounds
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
15 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 pinch cayenne
2 three finger pinches of paprika
S & P
Italian flat leaf parsley
1/2 stick butter
olive oil
Pasta

Get the pasta going in boiling salted water, and break it up a little – I want this to be easy for kids to eat…

In a heavy pan over medium high heat brown the sausage in a little olive oil, then add the onion and garlic, cook until soft. When done add the herbs and spices, season with salt and pepper and mix together, add the stock and cook the stock down until just a little liquid is left. Remove from heat and add the butter shaking the pan back and fourth. Add to the pasta.

Serve onto warm plates with Italian parsley and parmesan cheese.

Bon Appetit! Chef Hobbes

Suzie Thomas sends over an invitation for you to join in her upcoming gatherings…

Creating Altars: A Gathering for Spiritual Transformation

When we gather together in the name of unity, and intuitively, non-logically, build a Medicine Wheel or an Altar, we conjure our way into the soul of the earth. We then can ask Her to reveal Her wisdom to us via personal, inner, reorganization and metamorphosis.

This manner of working together can bring about stunning transformation, if we allow ourselves to drop deeply into right brain functioning. The more deeply we are able to sink down into non-linear, allegorical, Being, the more powerful the transformation.

Begins Wednesday October 9th 6.00 pm -8.30 pm. This is an on-going gathering which will meet every other Wednesday. $25 per evening. 8 maximum!

Led by Suzie Thomas, who has had a private practice in Seattle nearly 20 years, and who recently returned to being an island resident. For more information or to sign up, contact Suzie on her cell phone (206) 406-3085 or email her at:
suziethomas [.] journeys [@] gmail [.] com

Despite the federal government shutdown, Washington’s Women, Infants, and Children food and nutrition program has funding to continue service through October. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reallocated funding to cover the costs for the month.

The reprieve comes just in time for Washington’s WIC Nutrition Program, which had only enough remaining funds to operate the program statewide until Oct.9.
WIC provides important nutrition assistance and health referrals along with breastfeeding support to pregnant and breastfeeding women and their children up to age five, whose family income is at or below 185 percent poverty level.

The state Department of Health contracts with local health organizations and tribes to provide WIC services in all 39 counties in Washington. The program also authorizes certain grocery stores to accept WIC vouchers for the purchase of approved healthy foods.

If the federal government shutdown continues through this month, USDA will not have funding to re-allocate for services in November, and Washington WIC may not have funding to continue operations. The Department of Health had been working on contingency plans in the event that WIC services had to end in October when reallocation was announced. Agency officials now have more time to develop a strategy in the event the shutdown does not end by Nov.1.

“WIC helps low-income families feed their children. We hope a budget will be passed and this important program can continue beyond October 31,” said Janet Jackson Charles, director of Nutrition Services at the Washington State Department of Health.

For questions about local WIC services call the state WIC office, 1-800-841-1410. The Washington WIC Nutrition Program website has information about local WIC clinics; related services around the state can be found at ParentHelp123.org or by calling the Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588.

The Department of Health website is your source for a healthy dose of information. Also, find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Just got this note from Nick Power of the Kiwanis about candy collection beginning next week. Thanks Nick!

Fish for Teeth is funding its tooth-fixing efforts with another batch of fabulous FISH TACOS! The “Taco Team” will be at the Friday Harbor Ace Hardware this Friday from 11-2pm. These huge, tasty tacos are only $7 each, and are filled with wild Alaskan rockfish, Pablito’s salsa, and other premium ingredients.

“People rave about these tacos,” says Matt Marinkovich, local commercial fisherman and Fish for Teeth President. “They’re really, really good!”

Fish for Teeth raises money through these taco sales to support it’s mission to provide free dental care for individuals who cannot otherwise afford it. Money earned goes to fund the Medical Team’s International 40-foot Mobile Dental Van, which comes to San Juan and Lopez Islands to fix peoples teeth.

“We are a 100% volunteer effort,” says Marinkovich. “The local dental professionals volunteer their time, as do the many people who help schedule people to be seen in the van. We work cooperatively with the Health Department, and the Oral Health Coalition to make this all come together. It really is a community effort.” Continue Reading

Click for larger poster

On Saturday, October 5th, from 3:30-7:00pm, the Island Harvest Chili Cook-off and the Artstock Art Market will bring a little something for everyone to Brickworks.

• Competing for best chili at the event will be:
• Coho Restaurant
• Pablito’s Taqueria
• Cask and Schooner
• Ernie’s Cafe
• Mike’s Café
• Friday Harbor High School’s Food for Thought Program
  (2013 Chili Champ back to defend their title!).

Each of these fine food establishments will create a unique chili for folks to taste, including a vegetarian option and corn bread. A cider press will be on hand to make your own fresh apple cider, and there will be a fire pit to make your own s’mores with homemade marshmallows. A beer garden will feature local wine, beer and hard cider.

The public is invited to judge the best chili, with the crowning of the chili champ at 5:00p.m.

Tickets for the chili meal are $15 for an adult and $10 for a child under 12. Tickets can be purchased at the Saturday SJI Farmers Market at the Sweet Earth Farm Booth, at Market Chef and online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/471072 . The ticket covers ample chili, fresh apple cider, and s’mores.

The Artstock Art Market in the Brickworks building is free and will feature a variety of local artists selling their creations. Live music will be provided by local musicians, Teddy Deane (3:30-5:00pm) and the Florino Brothers (5:00-7:00pm).

Artstock 2013 will also feature a Gallery Tour around Friday Harbor. The Gallery Tour features two new galleries, Gallery 9 and WM McCauley Gallery, and long-time Artstock favorites, Island Studios and Waterworks Gallery. All participating galleries will stay open until 7:00 pm, offering special receptions with music and refreshment. Artstock is sponsored by Earthbox Inn & Spa and the Port of Friday Harbor.

The Island Harvest Chili Cook-off and Artstock are part of the Great Island Grown Festival and Savor the San Juans.
For more information contact Candace Jagel at
snowberryfarm [@] rockisland [.] com

And Hell Followed With Her: Crossing the Dark Side of the American Border by David Neiwert

It began with a frantic late-night 911 call from a woman in a remote, dusty little Arizona border town, reporting that she and her husband and their 9-year-old daughter had been shot by a camouflage-bedecked gang wielding guns, barging into their home and pretending to be Border Patrol officers. The woman survived her wounds, but neither her daughter nor her husband, a known smuggler, lived. Two weeks later, the leader of one of the more prominent offshoots of the Minuteman movement—a brassy blonde from the Pacific Northwest named Shawna Forde—was under arrest, along with members of her group, charged with plotting the home-invasion murders as part of a scheme to finance a violent anti-government border militia through robbery.

On Saturday afternoon, October 12, 2:00—4:00 pm Seattle journalist David Neiwert will be on hand at Griffin Bay Bookstore to present and discuss And Hell Followed With Her: Crossing the Dark Side of the American Border, his latest work in a long and distinguished career chronicling the exploits of right-wing extremism in America. This is an illuminating portrait of a southwestern tragedy—the brutal murder that rocked the Arizona border town of Arivaca, and the ugly underbelly of the anti-immigrant movement that played a vital role in it. In light of the looming national discussion on immigration, Neiwert exposes the realities of life on the border and exposes many of the myths perpetuated by the Minutemen and other anti-immigrant groups. Continue Reading

It is not too late to enroll your child in the on-island ASL class that begins this Thursday, October 3rd, 3:30pm in the Science Room of Spring Street International School.

Sessions begin this Thursday for children ages 7-10. These classes are free and offer a wonderful opportunity to introduce children to language exploration and cultural awareness.

ASL is the third most widely used language in the United States. And it is fun to learn.

For information or to register your child contact Judy Lingerfelt by phone at 378-5662 or email at:
booklady [@]centurytel [.] net

There is also an adult class at 4:30pm. For information about the adult class or to register, send an email to:
strehlou [@] rockisland [.] com

Click for larger poster

Yippee! It’s time for the first Community Dinner of the 2013-14 School Year!

Chef Andy has created another great menu for everyone to enjoy on Wednesday, October 9th 5:30-7:30 in the High School Commons.

Click on the graphic at right to see what’s on the menu!

Skagit Valley College (SVC) is currently seeking nominations of 10th through 12th grade students from Skagit, Island, and San Juan county high schools who contribute to diversity and community service on their campuses and in their communities. The students will be honored at the Champions of Diversity Awards ceremony on Wednesday, December 4th in McIntyre Hall, located at SVC’s Mount Vernon Campus.

Nominated seniors will also be considered for scholarships offered by Skagit Valley College, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, The Evergreen State College, University of Washington-Bothell, University of Washington-Seattle, University of Washington – Tacoma, Washington State University, Western Washington University, and several community organizations. Nominees are often students who are: 1) Exercising significant responsibility in a family, a community, employment, or through activities, 2) Demonstrating a commitment to community service and leadership, 3) First generation college students, and 4) Attaining a college prep education despite significant personal adversity, economic disadvantage, or disability.

Nomination forms are available online at http://www.skagit.edu/champions. The deadline to submit nominations is noon Tuesday, October 15, 2013.

Nominated students in 10th and 11th grades are eligible to apply for a free 12-day North Cascades Wild Summer backpacking/canoe trip; only senior students are eligible for scholarship awards. Approximately $210,000 in scholarships was awarded last year. For more information, contact Anita Ordóñez, Multicultural Student Services Director at (360) 416-7786 or by email at:
anita [.] ordonez [@] skagit [.] edu

Artstock: A Different Twist Plus New Galleries and Artists for the 2013 Event.
Artstock 2013 is happening Saturday, October 5, from 3:30-7:00pm, with a bit of a different twist. For the past five years, the first weekend in October, Artstock has been an event full of art, music and the fall harvest; with an Artists’ Open Studios Tour and Friday Harbor Art Gallery events and evening receptions. This year organizers decided to take a break and take time to assess, evaluate and come back strong with a dazzling Artstock 2014. As a matter of fact, planning has already begun.

In the meantime, a “mini” version of Artstock has been designed to keep the arts alive in October during the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau’s “Savor the San Juans” promotion. Artstock 2013 is a one day event with a Gallery Tour in Friday Harbor and an Art Market at Brickworks.

The Gallery Tour features two new galleries, Gallery 9 and WM McCauley Gallery, plus longtime favorites, Island Studios and Waterworks Gallery. The galleries will stay open until 7:00 pm, offering special receptions with music and refreshment.

The Art Market, in partnership with the Island Harvest Chili Cook-off, features a variety of local artists selling their art just in time for the holidays. There will be a cider press, beer garden, and s’mores, plus local musicians, Teddy Deane and The Florini Brothers. Admission to the Art Market is free. Tickets for the Chili Cook-off contest are $10-$15.

Artstock 2013 is sponsored by Earthbox Inn & Spa and the Port of Friday Harbor.
For more information, contact Debbie Pigman at:
pigmansartworks [@] rockisland [.] com

The League of Women Voters of the San Juans (LWV-SJ) invites the public to candidate/position election forums:

San Juan Island — Monday, Oct. 7 at the Brickworks on Nichols , Friday Harbor from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Contested positions or seats

• Proposition 1-Charter Amendment
• Town of Friday Harbor Council Member #4
• Port of Friday Harbor Commissioner #1
• San Juan Island Park & Rec District Commissioner #3
• San Juan County Public Hospital District Commissioner #1

The League of Women Voters does not endorse candidates or political parties, but does encourage informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, influences public policy through education and advocacy and does take stands on issues after study and consensus.

Questions? Call Steve at 370-5814

San Juan Community Theatre’s new HD-live program features the Metropolitan Opera’s first production of the 2013-2014 season, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, on Sunday, October 6 at 2:00 p.m.

Thanks to new satellite, projection and sound systems, SJCT joins more than 1,900 theaters in 64 countries, recording the live transmissions via a satellite feed and then presenting them to theater audiences.

A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera and English National Opera, Eugene Onegin features Anna Netrebko and Mariusz Kwiecien as the lovestruck Tatiana and the imperious Onegin in Tchaikovsky’s fateful romance. Deborah Warner’s new production, set in the late 19th century, moves episodically from farmhouse to ballroom, with a powerful snowstorm providing the dramatic setting for the finale. Piotr Beczala is Lenski, Onegin’s friend turned rival. Russian maestro Valery Gergiev conducts.

In addition to The Met: Live in HD presentations, San Juan Community Theatre also rebroadcasts National Theatre Live productions from Great Britain, including the upcoming encore presentation of Frankenstein on November 1. A complete schedule of the HD-live events is available at www.sjctheatre.org. SJCT’s new partnership with both programs was made possible through a generous bequest from the late Dodie Gann.

Tickets for Eugene Onegin are $20 for adults, $18 for SJCT members and $10 for student reserved, with $5 Student RUSH at the door. The SJCT box office (378-3210) is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are also available on-line at www.sjctheatre.org

The San Juan Public Schools Foundation will hold its annual Phone-A-Thon on Wednesday, October 2nd, and Thursday October 3rd, from 4 to 8:00 pm. During this time, volunteer students, parents, faculty and members of the community will be calling to ask for your support.

The Foundation is a group of volunteer parents, educators, business leaders, and community sponsors who raise money to make a difference in the classrooms of our school children. They work year-round on projects that put 100% of the proceeds from the Phone-A-Thon, the Knowledge Bowl, the Business Partnership Program and other activities back into the classrooms at the public elementary, middle and high schools.

We hope that the community will respond generously again for our kids. Quality education is everybody’s business. US News & World Report has ranked Friday Harbor High School no. 5 out of 587 high schools in Washington State, and no. 161 in the nation out of 21,035 high schools from 49 states and the District of Columbia (Nebraska was not included).

Friday Harbor High School has recently been recognized in the areas of marine science, robotics, athletics, drama and art, through awards, competitions and highly acclaimed performances. The students continued excellence in AP testing has also been acknowledged.

Anyone wanting to support our program can send a donation to the San Juan Public Schools Foundation, P.O. Box 1452, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. Donation envelopes were mailed on Sept . 26-

Also, CALLERS ARE NEEDED! If you would like to volunteer at the Phone-A-Thon, please call Nancy at 317-1755 for information.

This is Part II in our new monthly series of articles about the history of San Juan County. Written by Shaun Hubbard for the Historical Society…

Our county will be 140 years old on October 31 (which may have something to do with a few ghostly courthouse experiences reported over the years). This county was established in 1873, the same year scenic postcards came into popular American culture. The first courthouse was more of a shack, also serving as the home of county auditor Ed Warbass. Built over that site is what we know today as the Arcade Building at 1 Spring Street. The second courthouse stood a block up on Spring Street, as depicted here (inset) around 1900. The building was not to last and islanders gathered in 1906 for the laying of the cornerstone to the current courthouse. It must have been a lengthy ceremony, as we see some people brought chairs. These images and more, plus local history books, are sold at the San Juan Historical Museum. www.sjmuseum.org

It was twenty years ago, today….(actually, July 16th….)

Do you remember where you were, the first time you saw Free Willy? For me, it was in a movie theatre in Eugene, OR, with a packed house that screamed & cheered & clapped when Willy gets away at the end (see the poster at right, for spoiler). It was a football game where the home team won, a fairy tale that wasn’t Grimm, it was a tale of justice, unpeeled. It was awesome.

Then, during the filming of Free Willy 2 (do you remember this?) there were discussions with the Town Council (in’95) to ask the film’s producers (while they used Friday Harbor for the movie) not to mention the name of Friday Harbor – there were concerns (gasp!) that too many people would come to the island.

Those were the days.

One of the byproduct events of the movie was the eventual real-life release of the whale who played Willy, a captive killer whale named Keiko. Was this a good idea? Did it work out? Did humans learn anything from the experience about orcas, or about themselves?

I got to shake David Kirby’s hand last summer when he was passing through Friday Harbor (WA) on a promotional tour for his new book, Death at SeaWorld. I found him thoughtful, articulate, and an impassioned warrior against marine mammal captivity. Reading Death at SeaWorld made me want to read the article linked below.

He shares his take on what we could have learned, what we missed, and perhaps what lies ahead in this penetrating essay. Let me know what you think.

Here’s the link to David Kirby’s remarks about Keiko on the 20th anniversary of Free Willy.

And…. here’s the trailer for the movie, back then.