It’s that time again for the Know Your Island Walk – This one is Saturday at Third Lagoon…

Third Lagoon Trails – John Dustrude photo

Meet Eliza Habegger, San Juan County Land Bank Steward, to explore trails at Third Lagoon. Expect to see Spring wild flowers, marine birds, and forested wetlands. Meet and park at Third Lagoon trailhead, located at the end of Cattle Point Rd, about 0.5mi. past the DNR Cattle Point Interpretive Canter. Park on the roadside across from Marine Lane (look for orange cones). Length is 1.5 mi. round trip. Terrain is easy. Dogs on leash. Rain or shine. Information at www.sanjuanislandtrails.org. Apr. 27, 2013, 1:00 -4:00 pm

Third Lagoon – John Dustrude photo

A FRIENDS intern surveys for forage fish eggs

“Little Fish Big Impact”… “One-Third for the Birds”… the titles of recent global scientific reports on the small, oily, schooling fish species known collectively as forage fish speak to their importance in ocean food webs. Locally and across the globe, forage fish play a critical role in marine ecosystems, transferring energy from plankton to larger fish, seabirds and marine mammals.

In San Juan County, two species of forage fish- the surf smelt and Pacific sand lance- use the upper regions of sand and gravel beaches to incubate their eggs. A decade ago, FRIENDS of the San Juans partnered with the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee, Friday Harbor Labs and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to survey and map spawning sites. To date, forage fish spawning has been documented on ten miles of shoreline in San Juan County.

With support from the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board, additional field surveys are planned for 2013 and 2014, focusing on priority regions and sites that have not yet been surveyed.

“The protection and restoration of known forage fish spawning beaches is a top salmon recovery priority in the San Juans. Resources are available to assist both public and private landowners in improving stewardship of these essential beach habitats – but we also need to expand our understanding of where these fish spawn” states Barbara Rosenkotter, San Juan County’s Salmon Recovery Coordinator.

Volunteers are needed to assist with the boat-based field surveys beginning this summer. A volunteer training with regional and local forage fish experts Dan Penttila (retired Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife), Tina Whitman and Lety Hopper (FRIENDS of the San Juans) will be held in Friday Harbor on Saturday May 11th from 11:30 to 2:00 pm, accommodating the interisland ferry schedule. Pre-registration is required.
For more information on the beach spawning forage fish project, or to register for the volunteer training, please contact Tina Whitman at FRIENDS at (360) 378-2319 or tina [@] sanjuans.org.
To see local surf smelt spawning on Shaw Island check out this video created by FRIEND’s intern Tessa Wyllie-Echeverria:

The Garry oak woodland on the south slope of Young Hill has made a comeback thanks to prescribed fire treatments over the last several years – Mike Vouri photo

We’ll be meeting again this Sunday at the bottom of Cady Mtn Road to continue with the Garry oak project. The work this Sunday will focus on limbing and cutting small fir trees as well as installing cages around some oak seedlings. The wildflowers are out and it is gorgeous!

Meet at the base of Cady Mountain to carpool up. Turn off of West Valley Road onto Cady Mountain Road and meet up at the intersection approximately 100 yards in.

Bring water, gloves, and a handsaw or large bypass loppers if you have one. Watch the forecast for weather conditions and appropriate clothing layers/rain gear.

Sunday, April 28th, Noon – 4:00 pm.

For questions or RSVP please email me: dougm [@] rockisland.com

Spring Musical OPENS! Children’s Matinee Sunday* In the photo, Left to Right: Deb Langhans, Baker’s Wife; Scott Mapstead, Baker and Jill Urbach, Witch – SJCT photo

This is not your daughter’s fairytale… Instead, Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical (Best Book, Best Actress, Best Score) takes fairytales to a new sophisticated level—a level a bit more funny, a bit more dark and a bit more thought-provoking.

Into the Woods opens THIS Friday, April 26 at San Juan Community Theatre, complete with a multi-talented cast, orchestra and stellar set and costumes thanks to a multitude of island volunteers.

“I tell people who ask me about the play that Act I is all of the characters going into the woods to realize their wish,” said director Margaret Hall. “Act II is ‘be careful what you wish for.’”

Intertwining the Brothers Grimm stories of Cinderella, Jack in the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood, the play is a “never a dull moment” mixture of almost nonstop music and singing, plot twists and turns that take us on a one-of-a-kind journey into the woods.

Friday and Saturday’s shows this week are at 7:30 pm.

*And because Into the Woods does take a more mature-themed turn in Act II, our special matinee for children and families on Sunday at 2:00 pm, will feature only the first act.

Into the Woods continues Thursday through Sunday, May 2-5 and Thursday through Saturday, May 9-11.

Tickets are available on-line at www.sjctheatre.org or 378-3210.

Opening Reception this Friday at 5:00 pm

Luminous three-dimensional metal mesh works created by renown mixed-media sculptor Lanny Bergner.

Lanny Bergner is an international mixed-media sculptor/installation, fiber and sculptural basketry artist. He received his BFA in sculpture from the University of Washington in 1981 and an MFA in sculpture from Tyler School of Art, Temple University in 1983. His work is in numerous museum collections including the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA; Museum of Art and Design, NY, NY; and Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA. His work was recently included in the book “Fiber Art Today”, a survey of contemporary international fiber artists, published by Schiffer Publishing.

Lanny maintains a studio and residence near Anacortes, WA. The ethereal quality of Lanny Bergner’s work is in contrast to the mundane materials he uses to construct them. All are created using industrially woven bronze, brass, copper, aluminum and stainless steel mesh. He also uses silicone, wire and glass frit as additional elements. Using only a pliers and scissors, he employs inventive yet simple techniques to transform mesh into semi-transparent chambers, vessels and angular constructions that play with light and overlapping patterns. The works have references to architecture, plant biology, microorganisms, undersea forms and the human body. They celebrate the mystery and wonder of it all.

The exhibition runs April 26 thru July 8 at 235 A Street.

Tickets are now available for the Family Umbrella Group Luncheon on Friday, April 26, 2013 at the Mullis Center. All proceeds go to a need-based scholarship fund for preschool aged children. The gourmet lunch will be catered by Market Chef, and festivities will include a silent and live auction. Doors open at 11:00 am for the silent auction, with lunch beginning at 12:00 pm.
Tickets are available for $35 and may be purchased in person at the Sandpebble (245 Spring Street).

The Family Umbrella Group is a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit that has been active on San Juan Island since 1998. The founders recognized the need for every child to have the opportunity to go to preschool despite their family’s economic situation. Since its inception, the Family Umbrella Group has awarded over 230 scholarships to children whose families would not have otherwise been able to afford tuition. Over and over early education studies have shown how important the preschool years are for the future success of children. Please visit www.familyumbrellagroup.org for additional information.

It’s not this Friday, but next Friday, May 3rd – Islander’s Bank is having a document shredding event in their parking lot. Check it out:

John Miller captured this beautiful image of a male Rufous Hummingbird Monday morning. Click on the photo to see it larger. Thanks for sharing John!

Male Rufous Hummingbird – John Miller photo

Undercover Update reporter Louise Dustrude shares this account of the celebration out at English Camp Sunday afternoon:

Park superintendent Lee Taylor, the Webbs’ attorney Konrad Liegel, and three of the Webb sisters, Robin, Joanne, and Sally. The fourth sister, Nancy, lives in Alaska and was unable to come – Louise Dustrude photo

Over a hundred adults and children — and one dog — joined together Sunday afternoon to celebrate the addition of the Webb Camp property to English Camp: 34 acres and 2500 feet of undeveloped shoreline.

Mike Cohen entertains the lunch crowd on the deck – Louise Dustrude photo

Following a lunch on the wrap-around porch of the former Webb family home, with Pig War era music provided by Mike Cohen, the group convened near the shore of the cove to honor those who made the acquisition possible. Three of the four Webb sisters — Robin, Joanne, and Sally — were present, as well as representatives of the Conservation Fund, the Land Bank, the San Juan Preservation Trust, the National Park Service, and of our two U.S. Senators, Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, and of our U.S. Representative, Rick Larsen.

Following the trooping of the colors by Ron Garner, Jonathan Marler, Dan Kerr, and Doug Halsey, Raena Parsons led the group in singing The Star-Spangled Banner.

Park superintendent Lee Taylor introduced the honored guests and then led the group in singing “This Land Is Your Land,” accompanying on her guitar.

Park historian Mike Vouri led some of the group on a tour of the shorefront property. As the celebration concluded, the sunny day turned cold and blustery, and visitors headed to the San Juan Transit buses for rides back to their cars at English Camp.

And the oyster farm at Webb Camp? It will be open again this summer for retail sales of clams and oysters. That portion of the property was not sold to the National Park, and is still on the market. With luck, someone will buy it who wants to continue the operation.

Scott Brennan sends over this account of last week’s event and he says they might do it again if there is enough interest…

On Sunday April 14th fourteen women attended the free DV/SAS Women’s Self Defense seminar held in Friday Harbor. The participants were all ages from 13 on up, with several mother/daughter teams. The class was sponsored by DV/SAS as part of Sexual Assault Awareness month. It was led by instructors Scott & Leslie Brennan and Arian Drake-Raue and they were aided by their students in the Friday Harbor Kali group, Matt Anderson, Katie Jones and Angelia Procaccini.

The class covered the basic mental, physical and legal aspects of women’s self-defense. The phsycial techniques covered a series of simple moves that allowed the women to use their whole bodies to drive thru simple, effective strikes and deflections and to escape from grabs and holds. The women were able to practice their techniques with power on the male instructors, who were padded up in gear on loan from the Extreme Fitness Gym and Brennan’s Kali group. Continue Reading

Travis Ayers, president of San Juan Soccer, wanted to share this information with you:

Please hurry over to www.islandsoccer.org and sign up for fall soccer.

Now is your chance to save money. Fees increase substantially on June 1st., and registration closes on July 14th. We again offer the ability to spread out the fees over 4 equal payments, so don’t delay. The fees for traveling teams have been raised this year due to the need to adequately cover travel expenses.

Some general points about registration:

1. It is very important that your child’s birthdate is correct. When you go to register you should only see programs (U8, U10, etc) that your child is eligible for. If you want them to play in a different age group, enter that in the comments field and email me because it has to be approved and handled manually. Be aware that if your child plays up, the fees may be higher!
2. U stands for Under. Age is determined as of July 31st, 2013, so if your child is 7 years old on that date, you would register them for U8. If they are 8 on that day, you would register them for U10. Please see the different age groupings at the registration link on our website. The exception to this rule is U6, and that cutoff is August 31, 2013 to match up with Kindergarten registration.
3. When prompted, please enter your child’s grade that they are going into this fall.
4. The only accepted form of payment is credit or debit card. Transactions are processed securely via Authorize.net.
5. Scholarships are available; email me if you would like to request one. We ask that anyone requesting a scholarship volunteer in some manner.

Please email me at Ayers [dot] Travis @ gmail [dot] com if you have any questions or trouble with registration. Looking forward to another great season!

Sincerely,

Travis Ayers
President
San Juan Soccer

There was a good turnout of young and young at heart at the Mullis Center Sunday afternoon for the Spring Swing Sock Hop dance party with music provided by the One More Time Band. Check out the slide show and see how many people you recognize (and click the “Full Screen” button in the lower right corner so you can see it full size):

Meet Lucy – this week’s Pet of the Week

Lucy came to us recently from Oregon Dachshund Rescue. She is a doxie-pug mix and as sweet as she can be. She is about two years old and has perfect manners. She walks nicely on a leash, gets along well with other dogs and seems to enjoy the company of cats as well. She is quiet, good natured and very affectionate. We know she’d love to meet you – stop by the shelter Tuesday through Sunday and introduce yourself!
111 Shelter Road. (360) 378-2158

OPALCO board member Bob Myhr shares these thoughts with you:

These are exciting and challenging times for OPALCO. We have celebrated our 75th Anniversary and our success in building a member-owned cooperative to meet our electrical needs in San Juan County. OPALCO consistently rates at the top of the co-op world for our safety record, system reliability, financial strength, and innovative approach to solving problems.

The time has come to focus our attention on the next 75 years: the future of our Co-op and the legacy we will leave to our children. As our region’s hydro-electric resources begin to reach capacity, energy is less abundant and more expensive than in the past. This presents a new challenge for continued success and new opportunities to engage our membership in energy savings and conservation that will help keep our rates down. We will continue to use and further develop utility smart grid technologies that help us to be more efficient—but the greatest factor going forward will be increased member understanding of energy usage and changes to our household and business practices in how we manage our energy loads. With each new challenge we face, we will approach solutions together as a co-op. Our purpose is, as it has been since the beginning, to empower ourselves to improve the quality of our lives. Continue Reading

A Fun and Fundraiser for Shann Weston
Friday May 17 at the Fairgrounds

• Dinner
• Silent – Live Auction
• Dancing with the Rhythmatics

Advanced Tickets – $25.00 Adults/$10.00 Kids
Tickets are available at Lavendera Spa, Griffin Bay Bookstore and Islander’s Insurance
(advanced ticket purchases are appreciated to help with event planning)
General Donations may be made at Whidbey Island Bank, 535 Market St. “Shann Weston Medical Fund”

Island Rec is pleased to announce the main attractions and entertainment for the 23rd Annual Children’s Festival! Headlining this year’s festivities, we’ll have representatives from the Imagine Children’s Museum conducting six different hands-on science & engineering projects.
Kids will also have opportunity to join local architect extraordinaire, David Waldron, in constructing a large geodesic dome and cardboard box town.
Salvage-wizard Kevin Roth will be onsite with a variety of recycled materials just waiting to be transformed into cool new gadgets & gizmos at the “Trash to Treasures” booth.
And the fabulous Franci Hansen will be showing kids how to turn old socks into one-of-a-kind dolls & stuffed animals.

We’re also looking forward to performances by the FH Elementary School Choir and the “Ballet Folklorico” dance troupe.

With dozens of other community organizations providing all kinds of hands-on activities, this year’s Children’s Festival promises to be an imaginative, fun-filled day for kids of all ages. Come join us in the “Creation Zone!” Saturday, May 4th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Fair Building.

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