Support & Celebrate John’s Recovery!
In January of this year John Sandwith had surgery to remove 2 aneurysms from his brain and during the surgery he suffered a stroke. The good news is – he is expected to make a full recovery in time, so during this downtime of healing we are celebrating with a Fun-Raiser to help him aid his recovery!

Saturday June 15th
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
1555 Bailer Hill Rd.
Friday Harbor, WA

$100 per plate
Pre-sale tickets are available at:

• Roche Harbor Market 378-5562
• Debbie Sandwith 317-1665
• Becky Nash 472-1198
• Nancy Vejvoda 378-7272

Salmon ~ Pig ~ Tri-Tip BBQ
Beer & Wine Garden

5-6 pm Appetizers
6-7 pm Dinner
7-10 pm Live Music by The Tease

Medical Account has been set up at:

Whidbey Island Bank
535 Market Street
Friday Harbor, WA  98250

Dr. Gonzalo Giribet

University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories is pleased to announce the Annual Illg Distinguished Lecturer will be Dr. Gonzalo Giribet of Harvard University. The free lecture will be on Thursday, June 20 at 7:30 pm at the San Juan Community Theater. Dr. Gonzalo Giribet’s talk is entitled, “Around the world in search of invertebrates for species discovery, biogeography and systematics.”

Dr. Giribet’s primary research focuses on the evolution and biogeography of invertebrate animals using morphology, molecular sequences and transcriptomic analysis. His talk will feature invertebrates, which dominate all the ecosystems on earth and are perfect models for studying the patterns of distribution of organisms in our planet. During the past decade he has collected invertebrates in all continents and all oceans and discovered new species to address biodiversity questions and to study biogeographic and phylogenetic patterns.

This endowed lecture series is presented in honor of Professor Paul L. Illg, who made many important contributions as a scientist, teacher, mentor, and friend. Paul excelled as a faculty member of the UW Zoology Department from 1952 – 1982. An expert in the biology of crustaceans, he participated in many summer sessions at Friday Harbor Laboratories. He invited world-renowned scholars to FHL to join him in teaching invertebrate biology and thus greatly enhanced the quality of the graduate program and research at the Laboratories. This lectureship endowment was established through memorial gifts from Paul’s family, friends and colleagues.

For more information, please contact Kathy at (cowelk [@] uw.edu) or 378-2165 ext 11.

It’s just about time for the 3rd Saturday Contra Dance, again – This Saturday, June 15, from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at the SJI Grange Hall. Linnaea Chapman calling with The Electrodes, a band from Seattle. No partners needed. All dances taught. No experience necessary. $10/person donation (students half price). Information, 378-3836.

Liven up your trip to Friday Harbor by stopping in Griffin Bay Bookstore Saturday afternoon, June 15, 2:00 – 4:00 pm to meet and share a few laughs with San Juan Island author D. M. Ryan. He’ll be on hand to talk about his latest work: Bring Me the Head of El Monte Slim.

Tired of corrupt politicians and big business running the show? So is El Monte Slim and he’s doing something about it! Featuring a whacky, absurd and endearing cast of characters, Bring Me the Head of El Monte Slim follows an eccentric philosopher’s quest to save the world from a massive corporate takeover. Full of hubris and humility, El Monte Slim is a nose-thumbing anti-authoritarian who speaks his mind as often as he puts his foot in his mouth. But can he expose The Council and their evil plans in time? Join El Monte, his trusty sidekick Pancho and Annie Price on a coast-to-coast comic odyssey as they battle pharmaceutical hit men, suicide bombers, professional wrestlers and gay Native American bikers all out for the bounty on El Monte’s head. Meet Buck Nekid and his Big Band, Farmer Dave and Chief Two Dogs as they help El Monte thwart his adversaries in his quest to save the world!

It’s a fun book! It’s awesome to read a book which grabs ya by about a third of the way in. Dave’s wry wit, grasp of the way things work (and don’t work), mixed in with a clever mix of plot-turns, memorable characters, and people making the kinds of mistakes you would make too, if you were on the run from the law, your past, and your demons. . . brilliant stuff.
Ian Byington, San Juan Update

About the Author
D.M. Ryan’s novels, short stories, and songs often revolve around society’s forgotten souls and underdogs. He has traveled extensively and was inspired to write his second book, Bring Me The Head of El Monte Slim, during a long stay on a remote Pacific Island. He currently lives on San Juan Island.

Part of the DANCE HAPPY troupe: FRONT ROW, Left to Right: Rita Ament, Juniper Reynolds, Emily Jacobsen, Vera Schoultz, Liviya Eisenhardt, Lola Clark, Kaden Horn, Phoebe Schutza, Millie Wargo, Ara Bienvenu, Vanessa Chambers, Bill Ament. BACK ROW, left to right: Natalie Morton, Nakiya Scott, Mirabel Garcia, Indra Prieto, Lila Horn, Mariah Carter, Hope Oberreit. (And some very proud parents holding the letters!) – Tamara Weaver photo

Join Bill & Rita Ament and more than 50 local island performers, children through adults (ages 2 on up) for their 29^th annual Dance Happy extravaganza.

Be totally captivated by the magic and color of the Little Tots on stage for the very first time.  Be charmed by the Skip To My Lou kids and have a giggle with the I’m A Little Star dancers.  Go wild with the Animal Crackers tappers.  Hip Hop in your seat to the Zumbatomic Kids doing the Dinosaur Walk.  Clap your hands to the Cane Tap & Jazzing Tappers strutting their stuff!  Tap your feet to the rhythm and beat of the Sweet Georgia Brown dancers.  Go gaga over the colorful twirling costumes and quick dancing feet of Monarca.  Wow yourself over the sequined exotic Belly Dancers and feel the heat from our electrifying Zumba fast shuffling dancers.  Be inspired by singers Debbie Nash Strasser, Skylar Moeder and other local talent and musicians as well for this outrageous family dance and song revue.

The traditional Dance Happy show is guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, giggle, aah, ooh la la, smile, wiggle, wow, clap, cheer and be totally inspired!

Saturday, June 15, 2013 at 7:00 PM

Adults $16 Students  $8 Rush  $5

Sponsored By:  Rock Island Technology Solutions, Jensen’s Shipyard, and The Tooth Ferry

Click here for more photos Continue Reading

“Blue” is this week’s Pet of the Week

This lovely Russian Blue lady is “Blue”.   We believe she is about 10 years old, but she still has plenty of spunk.   She love-love-loves people!  She’s very affectionate and personable and would love to find a new family where she can settle in and get some good lap-time.  She’d love to interview you to see if perhaps you might be the one…..Stop by the shelter at 111 Shelter Drive to meet her.

Mark your calendars, folks! An exciting world music and cultural experience is coming our way! Island Rec and Island Marimba Studios are pleased to welcome two very special guests from Zimbabwe to lead an enriching youth music camp here in Friday Harbor!

Jacob Mafuleni and Martha Thom are multi-talented and highly sought-after musicians who teach and perform internationally. The husband & wife duo are members of several renowned performance groups, including such bands as “Mbira dzeMuninga,” “Vibe Culture,” and “Sweet Calabash.” They are also veteran instructors at ZimFest – the Pacific Northwest’s premiere Zimbabwean music festival – where they teach a variety of workshops for youth, teens, and adults.

Together with Margie Smith as Camp Coordinator, Jacob and Martha will present a fun, engaging curriculum that includes marimba, drumming, singing, dancing, story-telling, group games, cultural activities, and lots more. Participants are sure to make friends, learn new skills, and have FUN as they experience the vibrant musical culture of Zimbabwe right here on our little island!

Marimba on the Rock happens July 8th through 12th, 1:00-4:00 pm at the FH Middle School Commons. Camp is open to youth and teens ages 8 & up, and will culminate with performances and a potluck style picnic for family and friends on the last day.
To register, call 378-4953 or visit www.islandrec.org. Sign up before June 27th and SAVE with an early fee discount! Scholarships are available.

Need a home for that older computer after your recent upgrade? Don’t want to put it in a land fill?

United Way of San Juan County accepts donations of computers – desktop or laptop systems. They clean them up and donate them to people in the community who can use them. Please contact them if you have a computer to donate – your community and your world will thank you!

San Juan Island Grange #966 is sponsoring a program on 4-Season Gardening in the San Juans, Wednesday June 19, 2013 at the Grange Hall; the program begins at 7pm, preceded by a potluck at 6pm—all are welcome and encouraged to attend.

This workshop will address structural season extenders and enhancers, as well as crop selection and timing to provide year-round gardening success. For 3 years Keith Keyser has taught the 8-week class “Grow what you eat where you live” at Skagit Valley Community College. He has been a successful organic gardener in the PNW since 1975. In 1997, as a master gardener, he co-designed the Native Plant demonstration garden at the San Francisco Street bakery in Olympia. He also works as a landscape/gardener and finds that an increasing portion of his business is being devoted to installing and maintaining vegetable gardens for his customers.

San Juan Island bird expert Barbara Jensen will give a guided nature walk beginning at 7:30 a.m., Thursday, June 13 at American Camp.

The walk is free and meets in the Visitor Center parking lot. Birders are encouraged to wear sturdy shoes and bring sun block. Disabled persons should contact the American Camp Visitor Center for trail access information.

Jensen is a former national park ranger and naturalist. This is her 18^th season providing bird walks for the park. She is closely associated with the San Juan Island chapter of The Audubon. To learn more about The Audubon on San Juan go to http://www.sjiaudubon.org.

This nature walk is one of 13 Special and 10 Weekly programs presented by the park in 2013. For more information about park programming click here. (PDF)

I hear that last year it was a magical evening – the music was beautiful and more than 60 folks from here and off island gathered to sing together or just listen and enjoy the moment.
Note the corrected date for the event is June 15th –

Click to see event poster

On Saturday, June 15 at 7:00 pm, Shantala returns to Friday Harbor for another special evening of call-and-response chanting, dance, and meditation. The band, orchestrated by Benjy and Heather Wertheimer, will feature Grammy Award winning bamboo flute master, Steve Gorn as well as Sean Frenette on bass, vocals and three string guitar. Shantala leads kirtan worldwide with soul-stirring vocals, sacred lyrics and exotic instrumentation. The weaving of Benjy’s Indian classical singing and instrumentation with Heather’s soaring vocals is freshly original and profoundly moving. Together they create music with beauty, passion, and reverence.  Check out the official press release for more information.

Special Pal (PIP) Volunteers needed at Friday Harbor Elementary School for next year. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with a child and really make a difference. This program works with K-3rd grade students individually in a playroom designed to support students who are struggling with issues which interfere with school success.  Training is provided. If you have an interest, please email (amarazee [@] sjisd . wednet . edu) or call 370-7344 for more information and an application.

OPALCO has a vision for broadband in San Juan County: true high-speed Internet service for all islanders. The plan that was proposed in February 2013—to build a hybrid fiber-wireless system to serve 90% of San Juan County—has been challenging, particularly in terms of financial risk and member subscriptions required. Given the number of sign-ups to date (900) and feedback from our members, it is unlikely that the proposal would gain enough support to mitigate the financial risk. OPALCO has closed the sign-up process and is returning deposits to those who presubscribed. We have a new direction that will put us on the path to realizing our vision. Continue Reading

On May 11th the Friday Harbor High School ROV Team (a.k.a NORD ROV) and the Friday Harbor Middle School ROV Team traveled to the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, WA for the MATE ROV Regional Competition. For the past six months these teams have been meeting on Sundays to design and construct their robots capable of performing the tasks specified in the competition’s outline. This year they were given the task of servicing and expanding ocean observing systems owned and operated by the University of Washington. The teams then compete in two fifteen minute underwater runs, trying to earn as many points as possible by completing the most mission tasks.

This year the high school team took 5th place in the Northwest region. The Middle school team exceeded expectations, taking home 3rd place in the Northwest region in their division. Continue Reading

Jim Maya had one of the best evenings ever on the waters of the San Juan Islands…

South Stuart Island, WA and a happy Orca

We left J Pod at the Turn Point Light, Stuart Island, WA, headed north at 7:00 PM. Just another amazing evening on the water with those lovely Js. Warm, calm, Mt. Baker, the Olympics, Vancouver Island, and a happy bunch of Js…

Cheers,
Capt. Jim

More photos here…  Continue Reading

And speaking of wildlife, check out these awesome photos by Kevin Holmes. Thanks for sharing Kevin!

Swooping down to get some dinner – Kevin Holmes photo

Eagle in Flight – Kevin Holmes photo