A “Logic and Accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used in San Juan County for the November 5, 2013 General Election is scheduled for September 19. The test works by tallying the results of a prepared set of ballots to see if the results match the votes cast. The test will take place at 11:00 a.m. in the Elections Office located at 55 Second Street, Suite A, in Friday Harbor.

A representative of the Secretary of State’s Elections Division will be present for the test. The test is performed before every local, state or federal election to ensure that tabulation hardware and software equipment are compliant with Washington State rules and will accurately count the votes.

All interested members of the public are invited to observe.

Dan Calohan – September 22, 1944 – November 27, 2012

We invite you to a Celebration in Memory of Dan Calohan
Artist — Craftsman
September 22, 1944 – November 27, 2012

Open House at Jaime Ellsworth Studio —
Saturday, September 21, 12 – 8 p.m. and Sunday, 12 – 4 p.m.

Featuring a collection of Dan’s furniture, sculpture and surfboards

Music on Saturday with Tom and Tami Doenges
At the corner of Market and Mullis
Info: 378-4840 or 298-1822

After several weeks of public voting with more than 2,500 votes counted, Southern Resident Community Orca calf L-119 has received her name! Though the voting was close, Joy is the winning name by about 100 votes. Joy is a fitting name as this playful calf has brought joy and hope for these endangered whales.

Read more about this new calf and her family on our Meet the Whales page at www.whalemuseum.org. Receiving a name is an important event. It acknowledges the whale has survived their first winter, making their chances for long term survival much greater. This active young whale has returned with her pod and has been seen throughout the summer. She has now been entered into the Orca Adoption Program.

Finding Your Dream Through Ancient Mythological Symbols
Preview film to be presented Tuesday, Sept. 17 by the Friday Harbor Film Festival

On Tuesday, September 17 at 7 pm come view Sukhavati: Place of Bliss – A Mythic Journey with Joseph Campbell, the weekly documentary offering from the Friday Harbor Film Festival at the FHFF office (10 First St., next door to The Toy Box. Admission is by donation, including free popcorn. Seating is limited. The film runs 60 minutes.

In Sukhavati: Place of Bliss – A Mythic Journey with Joseph Campbell, Joseph Campbell travels the world to track the mythological symbols lefts to us by the ancients. Primal mythological signs and images evoke strong emotions and serve as a sort of public dream. Campbell reasons that dreams are private myths. He suggests that each person must find a dream and follow it through, explaining that each dream will lead the dreamer to the myth world in which they spiritually dwell. In an attempt to show people that the human soul has always walked the same path in search of true bliss, Campbell gazes through the mist of the Bronze age, explores Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity, and investigates the mysteries of the ruins of Ajanta in India, Delphi in Greece, and Stonehenge in England.

Friday Harbor Film Festival will feature a special Kidz Cinema on Saturday, October 12.
An exciting program of films for children of all ages, Kidz Cinema will feature a variety of just-for-fun animated tales and short documentaries that are either about kids or of particular interest to kids. Topics range from saving the environment, experiencing outdoor adventures, and learning about the wilderness, to stories from the native peoples of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Kidz Cinema will also feature films created by school children and home schoolers here in San Juan County.

Rebecca Parks thought you all might like to see the new San Juan Island crest she designed for the Chamber of Commerce. See its debut on collectible steins, available at Oktoberfest October 5.

San Juan Nature Institute offers a new hands-on workshop on the evening of FRIDAY September 20. Join Richard Strathman, Colin Hermans and Noreene Ignelzi on the dock at Friday Harbor Labs to study marine life including plankton by spotlight. The class starts at 8 p.m. and costs $40 per person.

Richard and Colin offered a plankton class by day in spring and participants were enthusiastic about the possibility of a night time class. Participants should dress warmly for this evening class and be sensibly shod. Life vests will be provided. We hope to attract a wide variety of marine life and will have microscopes ready for detailed inspection.

Noreene Ignelzi, our marine educator will meet delegates in the carpark in front of Fernald, the main building and guide them round to the dock. All equipment will be provided. We hope at least 15 people will enjoy the fun, but we must limit the numbers so that everyone enjoys the experience.

San Juan Nature Institute is dedicated to increasing public understanding and appreciation of the unique natural history of the San Juan Archipelago through education programs that promote active learning and conservation. Adult workshops such as this offering are one of the four core programs of SJNI. For further information visit our website www.sjnature.org.

You’re Invited to a Community Support Circle

WHEN: Wednesday, September 25th
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: San Juan Island Grange #966
152 First St. N., Friday Harbor
WHO: San Juan Island adults
WHY: To support our community

Our island has recently endured extraordinary upheaval & loss.
Join other community members in a simple gathering to support each other through focused silence & sharing of the heart.*
Please bring your own non-alcoholic beverage, & a pillow/blanket if you’d prefer sitting on the floor.
Donations will be accepted for space rental but are not required.
…..
Contact Deb Langhans, Wholistic Health (Life) Coach & Reflexologist,
with questions: 378-8907; [email protected]

* Mental health counselors have been invited to lend additional support if desired.

Come out to Sunken Park this Saturday evening for the second week of Movies in the Park – Island Rec’s brand new outdoor movie series made possible by FANS (Families and Neighbors Support Island Rec). Bring your own chairs or blankets. Free popcorn provided. Movies begin at dusk.

This week’s feature: “The Incredibles” (PG). We’ll have a superhero costume contest before the show, so remember to dress up!

For more information call 378-4953 or visit www.islandrec.org.

This just came into the Update email inbox…

Tony Anderson here from Springtide Paddlesports. Hope you’re having a nice September.

Below is a press release for an event an associate of mine, Matthew Friedlander, is doing to raise awareness and money for the Wings for Life Charity. He is paddling around the perimeter of the San Juan islands by Stand Up Paddleboard. There is a silent auction being held in Bellingham at the conclusion of his tour. Matt has a page on facebook with more information: www.facebook.com/supsanjuans.

Here’s a map of his course. More information is also available on this press release (PDF).

John was born Jan. 8, 1980, on a quiet beautiful snowy morning to Sam & Jane Buck in Mt. Vernon, WA, and he departed August 13, 2013, on a very calm morning, sitting on a beach with a heavenly view, just after a beautiful sunrise.

Before John turned 6 years old, he had lived on Orcas Island, in Seattle, and these California locations; San Rafael, Calistoga, Rancho Sierra, Murrieta Hot Springs, as well as New Zealand.

While on the ferry traveling to Steve and Laurie’s wedding, 7 year old John, said, “Can we live here?” and shortly thereafter we were islanders again. John graduated from Friday Harbor High School in 1998 after 6 seasons of football, his favorite sport. He went with a local group of volunteers to help islanders off the coast of Honduras recover from a devastating hurricane. John passed the rigorous “ski patrol” classes at Mt. Baker, where he worked for a season and moved to Colorado to live the ski patrol life, where he met and fell in love with Laura Bell from New Zealand. She was on a trip around the world with her cousin and when they left for England, heart broken John just had to follow, where they worked together in a Pub. They eventually returned to the mountains of Utah, married and returned to make Friday Harbor their home, where they home-birthed their two beautiful children, Indigo Rose Aurora Buck (9) and Solomon Sealth Buck (7) – 5th generational islanders!

John really appreciated being able to learn how to work with stone, from Dave Koch, and construction from Peter Kilpatrick, and he really enjoyed their crews. John was an artist at heart and felt the need to express that artistic freedom as can only be done when one is working directly with the client. He started “Island Custom Stone & Woodworks”. He loved sharing and developing his ideas and his clients really appreciated his touch. John’s love of community, creative drive and collaboration with his grandfather, led to development of “The Knoll”. It became a place for all to gather for: music, dance, good home made beer and delicious home made pizza from the cob ovens which he, and those close to him, created. He overcame his shy nature enough to play the “washtub bass” with two dear friends in their newly formed band. Continue Reading

Hi Tim, Can you share this and welcome our community to join in? It would be appreciated 🙂
Take care. Debbi Fincher

Guest Speakers Derek Franklin & Ramona Leber on I-502, Legalization of Marijuana, How Does it Work? This Friday, September 13th…

We have invited Derek Franklin, Project Director of Mercer Island Communities That Care Coalition (MICTC), and Ramona Leber, Washington Association of Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention (Treasurer), to our next Board of Trustees meeting. Ramona was the State Liaison for Community Mobilization for the past 20 years with the Department of Commerce. Derek Franklin is President of WASAVP.

They will speak on the issues of I-502 Legalization of Marijuana and how we proceed to limit the health risks, especially to our youth. Our guest speakers come from over 20 years experience each in the field of Prevention and offer good insight on this topic. What do you want to know about I-502? Join us for this presentation and the conversation that will follow. Here are the details. Sponsored by the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition.

Friday, September 13th, 2013 at the Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church

11:30am Free Light lunch provided, please RSVP by email at:
prevention [@] centurytel [.] net

12noon-2pm Guest Speakers Derek Franklin & Ramona Leber and conversation to follow with Board of Trustees members and community members. All invited to join in!

For I-502 Implementation Rules visit:

http://liq.wa.gov/marijuana/I-502

Guardrails for Safety to be Installed and Repaired Soon
In San Juan County, 83% of all vehicle crashes occur with single vehicles and 67% of those involve running off the road, based on crash data from 2001-2011. In 2011, San Juan County was granted federal safety funds to reduce the severity of these crashes and keep vehicles from leaving the road.

Beginning in mid-September 2013, eight new guardrails will be installed at locations on Orcas and San Juan Islands. Additionally, repairs will be undertaken on guardrails on San Juan Island as the beginning of a new county-wide program. Continue Reading

American Sign Language (ASL) is now the third mostly widely used language in the United States. It is beautifully expressive and fun to use. As a recognized second language, ASL introduces children to language exploration and provides an opportunity to better understand different cultural experiences. The deaf, hard-of-hearing, hearing family members and friends, teachers, legal and medical professionals, and many other people have reason to learn ASL. Classes meet after school each Thursday at SSIS, starting October 3rd.

Course Schedule:
Children ages 7–10: Thursdays, 3:30–4:30pm
Students ages 11–18 and adults: Thursdays, 4:30–6:00pm
Space is limited. Enroll Soon!

Fees:
Free, thanks to SSIS, the San Juan Island Library, and our community volunteers.

More Information:
E-mail strehlou [@] rockisland [.] com
or call 360 378-8337

When you go to Victoria, be sure & take a walk along Dallas Road, along the water, looking south to the Olympics across the strait & up at the hang gliders….photo by Ian Byington.

I was hoping to impress on you how autumn-like it was in Victoria, so I chose the warmest week of the year – this week it hit over 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 C.), with people I meet in the streets saying, “Is it like this all the time, here?” Since I want them to know the truth, I mention that surveys have shown that great numbers of Canadians hope to retire here, as this is known as the warmest, most temperate place in the country. Take that.

Anyway, it’s pretty warm this week, if you ask me.

Here are some other things going on, which I’m telling you about because I hope you’ll come over from the island & visit, soon. I miss you!

Similar to Popeye the harbor seal down at Friday Harbor’s marina, people go to Fisherman’s Wharf in Victoria to feed the harbour seals there, who are generally quite roundish by the end of the season. Photo by Ian Byington.

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When you come, you’ll want to say stuff that makes it sound like you read a book about “How To Talk Canajun.”

Eh.

You already know that it’s a washroom, not a bathroom, that the $1 coin is a loonie (it has a loon on it, for easy reference), the $2 coin is a toonie, and the $5 bill is called a five dollar bill.

It’s kilometres, not miles (here’s an easy reference for converting, using the Fibonacci sequence), and it was fun when someone asked how long Josie & I have been married, and we said nearly five years, or 7.2 in metric.

You know how the Mighty Seahawks have a “12th Man” when the crowd makes itself part of the game – CFL teams have a 13th Man, since there are 12 players.

You know how when you get a “brain freeze” it feels, when you drink something cold too quickly – here it’s called “Slurpee Head.”

And, like San Juan Island, if it’s cool outside it’s probably summer & if it’s hot it’s probably spring or fall. References to “June-uary” and “Fog-ust” are kinda universal.

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Literary types like Karly abound – she was selling tickets for the Shakespeare shows at the Moss Street Market. Photo by Ian Byington.

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There was a dog show over at he Delta Hotel, across the harbour…this little guy was a finalist for best prepared for a motorcycle ride, I think. Photo by Ian Byington.

It sure was cool that islanders Tom Schultz & his daughters Emily & Alaina dropped by Victoria the other day – great to see how well everyone’s doing & to catch up on stories from the island….

Earlier this week, I got to visit with the Road Scholar group that was visiting Vancouver Island. Group leader Adele Grover was there, too, with the program that is sponsored by Skagit Valley College/San Juan Center. And…they were having a great time!

I hear Brenna Woods will be over this way this weekend, and that the Yacht Club is bringing some 70 people over to the Inner Harbour this weekend as well….

That would be speed bumps. Photo by Ian Byington.

So far, I’ve heard that a lot of islanders have discovered the Royal Scot as an affordable place to stay, just a block from the harbour & a block from the Clipper to get here (if you don’t come on the ferry, which drops you in Sidney, a few blocks from the bus which takes you near the hotel for $2.50)…check it out, especially later in the fall!

And yes, hockey season starts a month early this year, because of the Olympics….the NHL shuts down for nearly a month in the middle of the season so that players can play in the Olympics. So, instead of the end of October, the Canucks have their first game on October 3rd this year…..

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Or…you can just keep going! Vancouver Island is long & seems to just keep going…here’s a grey whale decked out with a little kelp that we saw north of Tofino, earlier this year…..photo by Ian Byington.

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Travel correspondent Ian Byington’s special reports to the Update are posted whenever the prose is clear, the photos crisp, and the weather nice enough to go out & play in. He & Josie currently live in Victoria, BC after nearly two decades on San Juan Island.

San Juan Island Cheese sends along this invitation to you…

Greetings! Stop by and celebrate the end of season bounty with us at San Juan Island Cheese!

Here is the question: What wine goes with Caprese Salad? Red, white, sweet, dry?

Stop by between 5-7pm on Thursday, September 12, for the answer and enjoy a glass and a nibble.

Thanks and we hope to see you!
Richard, Sherri and Hannah

Richard Daly
Cheesemonger
San Juan Island Cheese

Left to right: Finn Cullen, Yasmin Sarah, Hayden Mayer (Madeline Schroeder not shown) – Click for larger view

San Juan Island School District is proud to announce that four Friday Harbor Middle/High School students took courses at Seattle University this summer through the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) program. All four received Rural Connections Scholarships, an extremely competitive award. According to its website, CTY “identifies and develops the talents of the most advanced K-12 learners worldwide…”

Madeline Schroeder, now a junior, took the intensive course “International Politics”, current freshman Hayden Mayer, took “The Physics of Sports”. Finn Cullen, an 8th grader this year, took “Principles of Engineering Design” as did Yasmin Sarah, now a freshman. The previous summer Yasmin received this scholarship and took “Whodunit? Mystery and Suspense in Literature and Film”. Last year was the first time it was offered and Yasmin was one of only 40 students in the nation to receive this scholarship.

Friday Harbor Middle School Social Worker Nina Page encourages gifted students to apply to the CTY Talent Search, which qualifies them to take the college preparatory SAT test in grades 7 & 8. If a student’s SAT scores qualify them for the Center for Talented Youth, they are eligible throughout their middle and high school years to take summer courses through CTY Summer Programs and CTYOnline.

Quotes from the students…
Finn: “I had an awesome experience. I feel like I had fun while learning about something I really enjoy. I would love to go next year. There were lots of cool kids there that were really nice and interested in the same thing.”

Yasmin: “These students attended CTY over the summer – a great, 3 week academic summer camp that provides a wonderful opportunity for talented students to exercise their brains outside of school.”

Hayden: “It was truly a fantastic experience. I learned more about physics in 3 weeks than I learned in 1 year at school! I will always recommend it to other students.