Posted August 6, 2013 at 5:20 am by Tim Dustrude
Voters in the Town of Friday Harbor are reminded that ballots are due today, August 6. Ballots must have a postmark by August 6 or deposited in a drop box at the Courthouse or Elections office by 8 p.m. If you are a Town of Friday Harbor voter and have misplaced your ballot, you may call the Elections Office at 378-3357 for a replacement.
Posted August 5, 2013 at 5:45 am by Tim Dustrude
Pete was picked up as a stray here on the island not long ago, very thin and in desperate need of some TLC. As near as we can tell, he is a Husky/Lab/Pitt Bull mix. Whatever the combo is – Pete is a terrific dog! He is just about a year old, neutered and full of energy and spunk. He loves people and gets along well with most dogs once a proper introduction has been made. HE CANNO T LIVE IN A HOME WITH CATS, however, as he seems to have a strong prey drive. We think Pete would make an excellent family dog in a home with children older than ten – or a great companion to go hiking or camping with. He’s just an all-around great dog! He’d love to meet you! Stop by Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 4:00 to meet Pete and his other pals here at the shelter – 111 Shelter Drive.
Posted August 5, 2013 at 5:44 am by Tim Dustrude
Don’t forget, this is coming up soon – August 25 and 26th:
Wild at Heart Studios Announces a Michael DeMeng Workshop in Friday Harbor!
New York’s most audacious and beloved assemblage artist will be making a rare west coast visit this August to teach “The Patron Saint of Discarded Things”, a 2-day workshop – just before he heads off to Europe to teach. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this opportunity to be inspired by Michael’s unique approach to mixed media art-making. Even if mixed media isn’t your chosen art medium, this workshop is sure to get your creative juices flowing and the techniques you learn will easily transfer to your other artistic journeys.
In this class you’ll create a found object patron saint or deity that will aid in your artistic endeavors of finding and recreating with discarded things. Using some sort of structure to build on (such as an iron, a shoe, a phone, a shadow box…just about anything) we will create a place for our effigy to watch over our undertakings. This shrine will be filled with all sorts of unusual elements as adornment, but will also serve as a place to add future bits of randomness.
This workshop promises to fill up fast, so don’t wait too long to register – plus, there’s a pretty nifty discount if you register early! As always if you’d like to send a deposit to hold your space, just give Jan a call at (360) 298-2195 or email at (sanjuanjan [@] gmail . com) to make arrangements.
Don’t forget – workshop gift certificates make great gifts! Treat yourself or someone you care about to a creative retreat!
Let’s make art!
Yours,
Jan Murphy
Visit www.wildatheartstudios.com for more information and to register.
Posted August 5, 2013 at 5:40 am by Tim Dustrude
The Friday Harbor Film Festival has scheduled an array of special films to be shown each week leading up to the festival. These free screenings will be held at the FHFF office (10 First St., next door to The Toy Box) on Tuesday evenings beginning at 7 pm. Admission is by donation, including free popcorn. Seating is limited.
Sampling quality documentaries is sure to get you in the mood for more! Come each week as you prepare for a full weekend of great films on October 11-13.
The film schedule:
The 11th Hour: A look at the state of the global environment including visionary and practical solutions for restoring the planet’s ecosystems. Leonardo DiCaprio narrates this urgent and transformational look at where we’ve been, where we’re going, and – most important – how we can change.
HAPPY: HAPPY takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Combining real life stories of people from around the world and powerful interviews with leading scientists in happiness research. HAPPY explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion.
The 1st Annual Friday Harbor Film Festival will present entertaining, inspiring, educational and award winning full length and short documentaries about the diverse Pacific Rim and one of the largest features on earth; the Pacific Ocean. The variety of film subjects range from island cultures, marine ecology, environmental issues and human interest. Directors and Producers of many of the Films will be on hand throughout the event to introduce their films, give workshops on documentary film-making, mingle with film goers and answer questions. Please check our website for trailers of our upcoming Film Festival and for further information: www.fhff.org/.
Posted August 5, 2013 at 5:30 am by Tim Dustrude
If you’re not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he’s the famous Canadian (comic) scientist who once said: “I woke up one morning, and all of my stuff had been stolen and replaced by exact duplicates.” His mind sees things differently than most of us do.
Here are some of his gems:
1 – I’d kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
2 – Borrow money from pessimists – they don’t expect it back.
3 – Half the people you know are below average.
4 – 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
5 – 82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
6 – A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
7 – A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
8 – If you want the rainbow, you got to put up with the rain.
9 – All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand.
10 – The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
11 – I almost had a psychic girlfriend, But she left me before we met.
12 – OK, so what’s the speed of dark?
13 – How do you tell when you’re out of invisible ink?
14 – If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
15 – Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
16 – When everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
17 – Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.
18 – Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.
19 – I intend to live forever… So far, so good.
20 – If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
21 – Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines.
22 – What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
23 – My mechanic told me, “I couldn’t repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.”
24 – Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
25 – If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
26 – A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
27 – Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.
28 – The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.
29 – To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.
30 – The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.
31 – The sooner you fall behind, the more time you’ll have to catch up.
32 – The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required to be on it.
33 – Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don’t have film.
34 – If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.
And the all-time favorite –
35 – If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work?
Posted August 4, 2013 at 9:53 am by Tim Dustrude
You may remember seeing this story (FHES Construction) on the Update last month about the renovation going on at the elementary school. Here’s school superintendent Richard Thompson with a quick update, and some progress photos. Thanks Rick!
Good Afternoon:
I thought I would send you some pictures of the project taking place at the Elementary School.
The project this summer has included replacing the windows with more energy efficient ones, replacing all the exterior siding, and the renovating the main student bathrooms. The roof was replaced last summer.
The school will be ready and open at the end of the month.
Rick
Posted August 4, 2013 at 9:34 am by Tim Dustrude
Work is under way at American Camp as the next step in the Cultural Landscape Restoration moves forward. The park will be removing a stand of young Douglas fir that has encroached on the prairie southeast of the Redoubt. There are approximately 170 trees in the stand which will be removed by mechanical methods and chipped on site.
The most significant threat to the integrity of the cultural landscape at American Camp is encroachment of woody vegetation onto prairie land, which is altering the historic relationship between the camp and the natural landscape. The removal of the Douglas fir trees is just one component of the long term Cultural Landscape Restoration Plan. To learn more about the cultural landscape at American Camp, visit: http://www.nps.gov/sajh/parkmgmt/upload/American-Camp-CLI-2004.pdf.
At San Juan Island National Historical Park, small trees and shrubs once confined to hedgerows are beginning to grow in the meadow areas and large rose thickets and Douglas firs are replacing prairie vegetation. In order to retain the open meadow landscape as it appeared during early settlement, it is important to retard colonization by woody vegetation and encourage herbaceous plants. Continue Reading
Posted August 3, 2013 at 5:10 am by Tim Dustrude
The Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning series of live opera and the best of British theater from the London stage are now coming to Friday Harbor.
San Juan Community Theatre will be presenting The Met: Live in HD and National Theatre Live productions inside the Whittier Theatre (see schedule below). SJCT joins more than 1,900 theaters in 64 countries that will record the live transmissions via a satellite feed and then present them to theater audiences.
This new partnership, including purchasing new sound, satellite and projector equipment, was made possible thanks to a bequest from the late Dodie Gann.
“Our new high definition projector and the amazing sound upgrades bring the world stage into our community,” said SJCT Artistic Director Susan Williams. “Watching the most exciting talents in the world perform with the Met and National Theatre is an experience you won’t forget.”
SJCT will kick off the new programs during a premiere summer event on Sunday, August 18, featuring an encore performance of The Met’s Carmen and a Mediterranean cuisine dinner by chef Gretchen Allison (formerly of Duck Soup Inn). Tickets for this fundraising event are available on-line at www.sjctheatre.org.
Tickets for the 2013-2014 season of The Met: Live in HD and National Theatre Live will be available for sale in the SJCT box office and on-line beginning August 21. Each event will be $20 for adults; $18 for SJCT members; $10 student reserved.
The Met: Live in HD and National Theatre Live 2013-2014
*Monday Events: 7 pm Sunday Events: 2 pm
Posted August 2, 2013 at 8:10 pm by Tim Dustrude
Auditions are being held Sunday and Monday, August 11 and 12 for San Juan Community Theatre’s fall play: Neil Simon’s hilarious salute to the comedy writers of television’s golden age, Laughter on the 23rd Floor.
Director Michael McElrath will be casting seven males and two females during auditions scheduled at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday and 7:00 p.m. on Monday at the PARC Building, 70 Saltspring Drive off Beaverton Valley Road.
Perusal scripts are available at the SJCT Box Office with a $10 deposit. 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.
Laughter on the 23rd Floor will be presented in the Whittier Theatre on October 17-20 and 24-27.
Laughter on the 23rd Floor characters*
*McElrath says that while there are several ages listed, character and pacing is more important than how old the actors are.
Posted August 2, 2013 at 12:38 pm by Tim Dustrude
Here’s Helen from Island Stage Left this morning…
Despite possible rain, Island Stage Left will perform The Taming of the Shrew tonight at 8:00 at 1062 Wold Rd.
We will do it inside if necessary, but do it we will! Please pass the word!!
The show continues Fridays – Sundays through Aug 18th.
Posted August 2, 2013 at 9:58 am by Tim Dustrude
Don’t forget – the art market is at Brickworks today. Here’s more from Debbie Pigman:
Stop by the Art Market at Brickworks on Friday, 3-7pm. Take in the music of Ian Boulton from 3-5pm and Deb Strasser from 5-7pm, get a little chair massage for $1 per minute and enjoy the art of many local artists from San Juan, Orcas and Lopez islands.
Posted August 2, 2013 at 5:25 am by Tim Dustrude
![The problem is not that the [deaf] do not hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen - Rev. Jesse Jackson](http://sanjuanupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Screen-Shot-2013-08-01-at-10.24.27-PM.png)
The problem is not that the [deaf] do not hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen – Rev. Jesse Jackson
Posted August 1, 2013 at 4:00 pm by Tim Dustrude
Just got this notice from Fire Marshall Steve Marler:
A recent press release from the Department of Natural Resources announced a prohibition on any open fires on any lands protected by DNR. Unfortunately, the notice left many with the impression that the burn ban was all encompassing. In actuality, it applies only to unimproved forest land. Campgrounds, parks and private residences are not affected.
Please note that the State Parks System, HAS decided to prohibit campfires. However, that was their decision, not a request from the County Fire Marshal’s Office. Any campground operator may limit or prohibit campfires at any time and for any reason within their facilities. This press release (PDF) is a statement of the County Fire Marshal’s Office position on recreational fires.
Everyone is asked to be very cautious with any outdoor fire. However, the current level of fire risk throughout San Juan County does not warrant an outright ban of open fires. Hopefully, the attached press release will help the community understand the current level of fire risk.
Posted August 1, 2013 at 12:23 pm by Tim Dustrude
Just saw this sad news… In case any of you are wondering, here it is straight from Cow and Pig:
I have some sad news about Pig and Cow
many of you have asked “where art thou?”
They’ve been put away and know not when
they’ll return to their spot…if ever again
Their beloved caretakers, Laurie and Steve,
were furloughed from their jobs and had to leave.
Cow and Pig send a fond farewell to all…
Don’t forget us! And please post pictures and comments here…
on our memorial wall!
Posted August 1, 2013 at 5:50 am by Tim Dustrude
That’s Tony Anderson right there on the left, of Springtide SUP, located down at the far end of the road at Jackson’s Beach, and he’ll not only tell you what SUP is, but he’ll outfit you so you can try it yourself. Oh alright, I’ll tell you – SUP is Stand Up Paddle boarding and as Tony says on his brochure:
“Springtide is delighted to provide first time paddle boarders with an introduction to the basic paddle strokes, balance techniques and safety measures to enjoy this exciting sport. It’s a fun and relaxing activity that naturally improves balance, strengthens core muscles and burns calories.”
Plus, what a wonderful, unobstructed view of our beautiful waters from that vantage point.
For more information, check out the website at www.springtidesup.com, or better yet head down to Jackson’s Beach and try it yourself. (You might get a locals-only discount).
Posted August 1, 2013 at 5:46 am by Tim Dustrude
Rebecca N. DeBoer received her Master of Arts Degree in Mathematical Education from the Western Governors University.
Rebecca is a 2004 graduate of Friday Harbor High School, Cum Laude graduate of Central Washington University, and a Fulbright Scholar. Celebrating Rebecca’s wonderful achievement were her family:
Rebecca teaches 4th grade at Whitney Elementary School in Yakima, Washington where she makes her home.
The Honorable Cyrus Habib provided the Commencement Speech and he spoke of overcoming the challenge of losing his eyesight at age 8 and then going on to achieve a degree at Columbia, Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, and Yale Law School.
His Honor spoke of the tremendous dedication that the recent graduates put forth by balancing work, family, and higher education. He praised Western Governers University for being pioneers for on-line learning and providing opportunities for thousands of students to overcome their challenges and achieve higher education. His main message was “Get on the Monkey Bars, because even a blind child of immigrants can learn how to navigate them with perfection.” The commencement ended with Habib performing the jazz piano tune “Summertime” accompanied by Valerie Lopez.