Island Rec and Xtreme Fitness invite you to take part in some local history and enter the 36th Annual Friday Harbor 8.8k Loop Run scheduled for a 9am start on Saturday August 17, 2013. People of all ages enjoy running or walking in this race.

Fees for registrations are $20 for kids 12 and under and $25 for racers 13 and older. All fees include race entry, a free pass into the San Juan County fair and an event t-shirt.

Runner check-in and day of registrations takes place in the Wells Fargo Parking Lot, located on the corner of Argyle and Spring Street from 7:30-8:45am. The race starts promptly at 9:00 am in front of Friday Harbor Drug. Awards ceremony follows the race with medals awarded for the first three place winners in 5 year age categories.

Volunteers Needed for race day, please contact Morgan Johnston at Morgan [@] islandrec [.] org if you are interested. Call Island Rec at 378-4953 for more information.

You can register online at www.islandrec.org or in person at Island Rec’s office, Monday – Friday 1-5pm at 580 Guard Street.

Historian Candace Wellman will talk about what U.S. Army officers and other public officials left behind when they ventured East to Civil War battlefields in a lecture entitled American Officers, Indian Families and the Civil War, scheduled 7 p.m., Saturday, August 10 at the San Juan island Library.

Wellman’s talk explores the lives of American Camp officers such as James W. Forsyth, and George E. Pickett and what they left behind: namely First Nations and American Indian wives and their offspring. Wellman utilizes nearly two decades of meticulous research to tell a poignant story of these relationships and the legacies that remain to this day.

George Pickett, for example, married a Northwest Coast woman (specific tribe unknown) with whom he had a son, James Tilton Pickett. When his wife died a few months after childbirth, Pickett gave the boy to a mainland family while he went east on leave and then came to San Juan Island during the boundary dispute. He left the child behind for good when he departed for Virginia and eventual brigade and division command in the Army of Northern Virginia. Continue Reading

Hop on the ‘RoundTowner shuttle and experience Friday Harbor for only $3.00 per boarding. This service will operate as an “on-demand” taxi from 7:30 AM until 6:00 PM, between these locations:

• Ferry Landing
• Spring Street Landing
• Marina
• Whale Museum
• Courthouse
• Post Office
• Friday Harbor High School
• Friday Harbor Middle School
• King’s Market
• Friday Harbor Drugs
• Life Care Center
• Library
• PeaceIsland Hospital
• Skagit Valley College
• Friday Harbor Airport
• Marketplace
• Foodbank
• Family Resource Center
• Mullis Senior Center
• Brickworks…
• Restaurants, Lodging, etc.
• And anywhere in between

Call 360-298-4434 to be picked up on the next trip or just “flag down” the shuttle.
This is a pilot project to estimate ridership demand and operational details, and is sponsored by the San Juan Islands Shuttle System, a Washington non-profit corporation. We are currently using a small SUV, carrying 3-4 passengers and luggage. In full operation, we will have one or more 14-passenger coaches and will be offering 10-ride and 20-ride punch cards for frequent flyers at $1.50 per boarding. Elderly and disabled have priority.
For more information and/or questions, contact:
Curt VanHyning, President, 360-317-8399 or cvanhyning [@]gmail [.] com
Bob Reilly, General Manager, at 360-298-4434 or info [@] roundtowner [.] org

Seattle-based airline Kenmore Air announced last week that it will put tickets on sale for just $69 each way between Seattle and one island in the San Juan Islands as a part of their Facebook promotion where fans vote for their favorite island.

“We rarely discount our flights between Seattle and the San Juan Islands however we think this promotion is a great way to say thanks to our loyal customers by offering them an outstanding fare to the island with the most votes”, said Todd Banks, CEO of Kenmore Air. “It’s also a great way for others to experience getting to or from one of the most beautiful places in the Northwest in just 45 minutes.”

Kenmore Air Facebook fans will be able to vote July 22 – August 3 for which of the three islands in the San Juans they want to go on sale for up to half off: Lopez Island, San Juan Island or last years winner – Orcas Island. Fans can vote once a day, every day.

Click here to cast your vote (Requires Facebook membership)

The island with the most votes will be announced on Kenmore Air’s Facebook page August 5th. The $69 tickets can only be purchased over a 4 day period: August 7, 8, 9 & 10, for travel on Kenmore Air’s daily scheduled seaplane or wheeled aircraft (Express) flights between Seattle (Lake Union, Lake Washington or Boeing Field) and the winning island September 23, 2013 through March 31, 2014 (excludes 11/27/13 – 12/3/13 and 12/20/13 – 1/2/14).

The overwhelming response to San Juan Community Theatre’s upcoming Remember Patsy Cline concerts (both the Friday and Saturday shows sold out weeks ago) has prompted SJCT to add an additional show. Kate Schuman and Keith Busha will now pay tribute to the late country legend THIS Sunday, August 4 at 8:00 p.m. in the Gubelman Theatre.

Tickets—just $15 for adults and $8 for students— are available on-line at www.sjctheatre.org or via the box office at 378-3210.

“We’re so thankful Kate and Keith are available to do this extra evening to give more of us a chance to enjoy and appreciate Patsy’s enduring music,” says Promotions Director Jan Bollwinkel-Smith.

2013 Nourdine Jensen Cooperative Youth Scholarship winners Maya Burt-Kidwell, Bree Swanson and Brodie Miller

All four of the high-school students from San Juan County who participated in the Idaho Consumer-Owned Utility Association (ICUA) Youth Rally in July brought home additional scholarship awards and made OPALCO proud through their cooperation and leadership at the camp. OPALCO was the only co-op (out of 15 participating) to earn scholarship awards for each one of its students.

The students selected as OPALCO’s 2013 Nourdine Jensen Cooperative Youth (NJCY) Scholarship award winners are Maya Burt-Kidwell and Brodie Miller of Orcas Island, and Bree Swanson of Lopez Island. Cameron Schuh (Orcas) returned as a Youth Director at the Rally, a week-long leadership camp at the College of Idaho. Cameron traveled to Idaho in March to plan the programming for the Rally, and was elected by his peers to serve as President of the 2013 Rally.

Roger Sandwith (Chaperone), Bree Swanson, Cameron Schuh, Maya Burt-Kidwell, Brodie Miller and Suzanne Olson (Chaperone) are recognized at the 2013 Youth Rally.

All three first-year students received $400 scholarship awards from the ICUA – in addition to the $500 scholarship awards received from OPALCO. Cameron was awarded an additional $600 scholarship, one of two given to returning student directors each year. Maya was elected by her peers at the Rally to return as a Youth Director in 2014.

The students participated in forums with regional leaders from the power industry, learned the basics of electricity and how co-ops work from the grassroots up, worked through a simulation of the challenges of serving (and trying to get re-elected) as a freshman Congressman – and then put their knowledge to work in team building exercises and games. The classroom time was balanced with fun summer camp activities such as bowling, roller-skating, social dances and a day at a water park.

“My sense of the world was changed by coming to the Youth Rally,” said Brodie Miller. “I met so many interesting people, and enjoyed learning about electricity, as well as participating in all of the other activities. What surprised me most was how many different jobs there are in the utilities industry—not just power line repair and accounting, but jobs in finance, engineering, public relations and energy efficiency.”

Check out a slide show of the 2013 Youth Rally on OPALCO’s website.

OPALCO’s Nourdine Jensen Cooperative Youth Scholarship Program is open to sophomores and juniors of OPALCO member households. It includes a $500 OPALCO scholarship award, an all-expenses paid trip to the Youth Rally in Idaho and the chance to compete for additional scholarship awards at the Rally. More information is available online at www.opalco.com. Applications for the 2014 program will be accepted beginning in January 2014.

Weavers from throughout San Juan Island and Washington State will gather for the weekend to demonstrate how European and American Indian techniques melded to create woven objects and clothing unique to the Pacific Northwest.

The free program is scheduled Saturday and Sunday August 3 and 4 on the English Camp parade ground. A golf cart is available to transport disabled persons to and from the parking area. Call (360) 378-2240, ext. 2233 or 378-4409 for additional special access information.

Cowlitz Nation weaver Judy Bridges and renowned Washington State storyteller Karen Haas will join San Juan Islanders Roger Ellison and Anita Barreca, plus island spinners and weavers to show how it was done with all-natural fibers, including wild reeds.

Weaving is a common element across many cultures from Eurasia to the Americas, Bridges said. The location of a culture determines the type of creations its members will make.

While white settlers used natural resources in some aspects of their lives, American Indian relied almost entirely on what was at hand, especially the cedar tree, known to them as the “tree of life.”

Cedar served a purpose in all its forms. The bark could be pounded into cotton for clothing. Some American Indians also wrapped their dead in cedar.

Bridges began weaving because she wanted to pursue an activity that would reflect her native heritage. To her, weaving can be a spiritual experience. Throughout the basket weaving process, Bridges said, there are times when she feels connected to past basket weavers.

“I feel like I’m a part of the long line of people who have done this,” she says.

Daub and wattle are building materials used in constructing houses. A woven latticework of wooden stakes called wattles is daubed with a mixture of mud and clay, animal dung and straw to create a structure. Pioneer weaving usually blended European techniques and native materials.

Ellison and Barreca not only will demonstrate these crafts, but will also invite visitors to try their hands. Participants also will have a hands-on opportunity to make and take home their own small crafts projects.

30 miles for 30 years (3 people, 3 islands, 3 days)
To celebrate Wolf Hollow’s 30 years, and to raise awareness and funds to support the work we do, three people with long-term associations with Wolf Hollow will be doing a 30 mile sponsored run/walk in early September. They will run or walk 10 miles on each of Orcas, Lopez and San Juan on September 5th, 6th and 7th.

The people involved are:
Meg Lainson (formerly Jessica Porter) – a veterinarian and one of Wolf Hollow’s founders.
Ross Lockwood – who has been involved with Wolf Hollow as a volunteer, Board Member and supporter for 25 years.
Shona Aitken – who started as an animal care volunteer in 1990 and has worked in education, wildlife rehab and a range of other roles since then. She is currently our Education Coordinator.

We need your help!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to raise a nice round figure like $30,000 to match the 30 miles and 30 years? We need lots of sponsors who will pledge X dollars for every mile completed by Meg, Ross or Shona. You can be part of our 30 years celebration by calling 378-5000 or emailing: wolfhollow [@] wolfhollowwildlife [.] org to make a pledge.

Make a $30 (or more) donation now – visit our website at www.wolfhollowwildlife.org to make a donation.

As San Juan Island EMS and MedEvac continues to expand services to the community, there is a growing need for professional volunteer EMTs. San Juan Island EMS and MedEvac will be conducting an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course beginning October 5, 2013. Classes will be held each Wednesday Night and all day Saturday through March 2014.

Interested full-time residents of San Juan Island are invited to investigate this opportunity at www.sanjuanems.org/emtclass where they can find detailed information and the necessary paperwork. Applications are only available online and must be completed and turned in by 5PM on August 28, 2013 to the Frank Wilson EMS Building located at 1079 Spring Street.

San Juan Island EMS and MedEvac is a service of the San Juan County PHD No. 1 and operates the nationally accredited critical care 9-1-1 response and transport agencies of San Juan Island EMS and Island Air Ambulance.

Contact: Cady Davies, PIO
Phone: 360 378-5152 ext 0
pio [@] sanjuanems [.] org

Reposting this one again, just in case you missed it last week – The San Juan County Fair is pleased to announce that through a generous donation they are able to offer Youth Exhibitors free entrance into the 2013 County Fair.  The Youth Exhibitor fee (ages 5-16), which is normally $5.00 for entrance all four days, will be waived this year.  Check out the Premium Book at their website, www.sjcfair.org and start planning your exhibit for the fair this year.  Entrance day for exhibits is Tuesday, August 13th from 9am – 6pm.

Island musicians gather for an evening of blues during San Juan Community Theatre’s August 1 edition of its Night Music Summer Concert Series.

The live music inside the intimate Gubelman Theatre features Keith Busha, Daniel Finn, Kirk Fuhrmeister and Steven Keyes. The singers, guitarists and pianist promise plenty of new musical treatments of classic blues.

The Night Music series continues through August 8, with a variety of musical styles showcased. The live music starts at 8:00 p.m., with a social hour in the Steele Memorial Garden (complete with special chocolate desserts, wine and beer available for purchase) from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Each evening is limited to 70 guests; all tickets are $10 each per concert.

The Business Partner for the series is Islanders Bank. The SJCT Box Office is open Tuesdays-Fridays, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturdays 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and one hour before any performance. Call 360-378-3210, or surf to www.sjctheatre.org.

The San Juan Island Library will close August 14-16 for an inventory of its collection, library director Laurie Orton announced. The Library will be closed to the public Wednesday through Friday, the same time as the County Fair, to minimize disruption to island residents. “Historically, Fair Week has been a pretty slow time in the Library,” Orton said.

The library last conducted a complete inventory in 2006. While theft at the San Juan Island Library is quite low, the library’s catalog does contain errors that an inventory will identify so errors can be corrected. The experience with new library software last summer caused hundreds of errors that are slowly being rectified, but which could more easily be corrected with complete records.

Library staff will electronically scan each item in the library. Preparations for inventory reveal that the library has one hundred ten (110) different collection areas (e.g. adult fiction, teen fiction, juvenile fiction, easy fiction) and a total collection of more than 58,000 individual items, including books, CDs, DVDs, and maps.

The public is requested to refrain from returning items during the three day closure. Bookdrops will be temporarily closed. Books returned during the closure may not be checked in until Monday, August 19.

In addition to its collections of materials to loan, the library also provides public access computers and WiFi. The library web site provides consumer, financial and academic information, language learning, and test preparation to account holders from any location with internet access. The Library web site will be fully operational during the closure to provide online access to information resources. Library cards are free to island residents with proof of residency.

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Richard Norris passed away peacefully at home on the morning of July 17, in the presence of his wife Fiona and daughter Laura. He was preceded in death by his younger son Jack.

Richard, youngest child of Ernest and Freda Norris, was raised at Haller Lake near Seattle where his love of nature was nurtured by his adventures in and around the lake and his introduction to horticulture by his father. Richard attended Roosevelt High and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Botany at the University of Washington. But for the encouragement of Professor Wes Blaser, Richard might have pursued a career in horticulture, however a summer course taught by Professor Blaser at Friday Harbor Labs in 1947 diverted his attention to the study of algae. Horticulture remained a lifelong hobby. Continue Reading

Historian and storyteller Karen Haas portrays women from differing walks of life and points of view during the Civil War in her program, I am Always on the Woman’s Side, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Saturday, August 3 in the San Juan Island Library.
The program is free. Call the park at 360-378-2240, ext. 2233, or the library at 360-378-2798 for more information.

Haas’ vignettes address a neglected side of Civil War life: women striving to survive in a time of violence, turmoil and societal change. Though women’s voices are often lost amid the din of the battlefield, their stories are an integral part of our nation’s history.

Her talk is the fourth in the summer program series, Connections: The Far West and Civil War, which explores the relationships between the American Civil War, the San Juan Islands and Pacific Northwest. All programs are scheduled at the San Juan Island Library, except for the Life and Times of General George Pickett, which is next slated August 7 at the San Juan Community Theatre.

The two remaining library programs-scheduled at 7 p.m., 10 and 17, are free of charge, thanks to a $500 grant to the library from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

At their July 18th meeting in Eastsound, the OPALCO Board of Directors appointed Glenna Hall, of San Juan Island, to fill the vacant seat for District 1 (San Juan, Brown, Henry, Pearl and Speiden islands). The seat was vacated in May when George Mulligan resigned from the Board.

Glenna retired as a judge of the King County Superior Court in 2008, and currently serves as Judge Pro Tempore for the San Juan Superior and District Courts. She earned her J.D. at the University of Washington School of Law, her M.A. in Political Science from Northwestern University and her B.A. in Political Science with Highest Honors from Douglass College, Rutgers University. She has served in a variety of judicial, academic and mediation/arbitration roles and has held public office for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Chair and Commissioner) and the Seattle Board of Park Commissioners (Chair and Commissioner). Since moving full-time to San Juan Island in 2008, she has served on the San Juan Island Library District Board of Trustees and is active with the San Juan Pilots Association, San Juan Singers and Islands A Cappella.

“I’m honored to be appointed to this position,” said Hall. “OPALCO plays a key role in our rural communities and I’m excited to be at the table. I look forward to working on the challenges the Co-op is facing in terms of tiered rates, load management and the expansion of our data communication network—and the opportunity to help steer us into the next chapter for a sustainable energy future.”

OPALCO is a member-owned cooperative electrical utility serving about 11,000 members on 20 islands in San Juan County. OPALCO provides electricity that is 95% greenhouse-gas free and is generated predominantly by hydroelectric plants. OPALCO was founded in 1937 to bring electricity to rural islanders.