Thought you might be interested in this…

This January, the State Legislature and Governor will be faced with tough choices – should transportation taxes be raised or services be cut?

To help decision-makers, the Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) will soon be sending you an on-line survey covering transportation funding and policy issues.  [editor’s note: That would be me because I’m already signed up – if you’re not signed up, see the next paragraph] We hope you will consider responding.  The results will be reported directly to the Governor and Legislature at the start of the 2013 session.  We already have 17,000 WA citizens who have indicated a willingness to help.  Many have also invited their neighbors to participate.

If you know of any neighbors or friends who would like to share their opinions or concerns about how to fund and improve Washington State’s transportation system – our roads, transit, rail, airports, bike paths and sidewalks – please forward this email to them.  All they need to do to receive the survey is register for the Voice of Washington State (VOWS) survey panel at:

www.voiceofwashingtonsurvey.org

You may let them know that the VOWS program is a new, online public input program utilizing short surveys that allows WA citizens an opportunity to share their thoughts on what our state’s priorities should be and how we should pay for them.  The VOWS program has been featured in the Seattle Times, Spokesman Review, Yakima Herald, and numerous local papers as a way for citizens to give direct input to the state leaders on the tough issues facing our state.

For more information on the VOWS program or WSTC, please call or email us at 360.705.7070 or [email protected] or visit www.wstc.wa.gov.

Sincerely,

Dan O’Neal, Chairmen
Washington State Transportation Commission

Lenore is ready with the scissors

It was a huge crowd at the grand opening ceremony of the new Peace Island Medical Center. Standing room only. Click on the photo and see if you recognize anyone. You probably will – the whole town was there. That’s Lenore Bayuk with the scissors getting ready to cut the ribbon. We’ll have more photos later, but for now we wanted to put this image up for the handful of people that weren’t there.

Mark your calendars before they fill up with too much holiday stuff  – Ellen Roberts passes along this schedule for Islands A Capella…

Here’s a new one from the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor:

Pet of the Week

Meet Sonny!  This handsome boy came to Friday Harbor all the way from Texas with his sister, Cher, when their owner passed away several months ago.   A concerned family member had visited our shelter before and wanted these beloved pets to come here, where she knew they would be well-cared for.  Sonny is a flame point Siamese mix and Cher is a lynx point Siamese mix.  They are about 8 years old, and very loving and well-mannered.  They are very bonded to one another and would prefer to go to the same home – they’ve been together all their lives!  Sonny and Cher are beautiful – inside and out.  Please drop by the shelter to meet them – they would love to be “home for the holidays”. Get in touch with APS-FH if interested – 378-2158

Here’s a notice from the San Juan Island Library…

Library to replace information system
Library management, with support of the Board of Trustees, met recently to evaluate progress with the recent Library Information System migration. Major issues affecting patrons and staff have been addressed, but many remain, and it was judged, the vendor will not be able to address all of them in an acceptable time frame. As a result, the library will be returning to the information system it used for the previous five years within the next few months for the interim..  That system will need to be replaced eventually, but we will continue to search for alternatives which will serve San Juan Island Library users well and save taxpayers money.

Migration back to the old system will take several weeks, and both the new and old software vendors are cooperating to facilitate moving records between systems.

Prior to August 1 of this year, library circulation and the online catalog were managed by a product known as Millennium provided from the vendor Innovative Interfaces. While Millennium had served the library well for several years, Innovative Interfaces is phasing it out in favor of new software, and library management, with the Board’s support, decided to look for additional options that would lower library costs in years to come.

The Online Computer Library Center’s WorldShare Management System (WMS) promised cost savings and modern features, and since the library is already part of this cooperative, the decision was made to migrate to the WMS product after evaluation and reference checks. “The WMS system has turned out to not to be an appropriate choice for a library of our size, and not as mature as an information system, in light of bugs, missing features, and the long development path required to address our concerns.” said president Mark Madsen.   “We believe our patrons and staff are best served, we believe, by returning to Millennium. We plan on continuing our search for the best possible product as we anticipate the need for an eventual upgrade or replacement considering Millennium is no longer being updated by its vendor. Good patron access and good value for the taxpayers will be guiding principles as we move forward with a deliberate search for the next circulation system and online catalog.”

In addition to its collections of books, audio books and DVDS to loan, the library also provides computers for the public to use. The library web site provides 24/7 resources on consumer, financial and academic information, language learning, and test preparation. Library hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Library cards are free to island residents with proof of residency.

Dan & Krista

This is one you don’t want to miss.

Watching Island Stage Left‘s fall offering “A Walk in the Woods” provides a flashback to the Cold War’s conversations in the arms race (and Soviet & US efforts to tone it down).

Lee Blessing’s script doesn’t play the historical card, though….the reason the show won so many awards (and kudos from this island!) is the way it humanizes the folks who had the weighty task of achieving trust, keeping a conversation going, and ultimately trying to achieve something.

Wow…that sounds like just about anybody keeping any relationship going, doesn’t it? Dan Mayes & Krista Strutz do the job with a sometimes intense, sometimes funny, always absorbing performance. The two negotiators begin their connection from scratch, with the objective of talking about arms reduction…and proceed from there.

You know those conversations – wit, being careful to pick just the right words & phrases, the little chess game of wondering what effect your words will have seven moves later – Dan & Krista hit a great rhythm with a challenging but engaging & often funny script. Great chemistry for a two-person show.

I believe this show is going to be one you talk about afterwards…I know Josie & I (and our friends who went) had a long visit about it.

See it.

Outstanding Achievement for a New Dentist Practice

Let’s see what people are sending along for announcements….

OK, here’s a good one and wow this is cool: Our very own Dr. Michelle Reynolds of The Tooth Ferry dental office, has won a national design award. Outstanding Achievement for a New Dentist Practice. Check this out: http://www.ada.org/news/7908.aspx

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And the Soroptimists sent this over:

Soroptimist Awards Available

Fall is awards season for the Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor. Local women are encouraged to apply for the Women’s Opportunity Award, the Violet Richardson Award, the Ruby Award and the Fellowship Award.

The Women’s Opportunity Award assists a woman in overcoming personal difficulties and improving her life through education and skills training. A woman who is the primary wage earner in her household and is pursuing an undergraduate or vocational degree may apply for the award. Applications are available at the Soroptimist website, www.sifri.org., at the Toy Box or by contacting Kristine Odle ([email protected], phone 378-2414). Completed applications are due by December 15^th, 2012.

The Violet Richardson Award honors a young woman between the ages of 14 and 17 years to is helping to make our community and world a better place through her volunteer activities.  Applications are available at the Soroptimist website, www.sifri.org or at The Toy Box. For more information contact Gretchen Staehlin ([email protected] or 370-5933). Completed applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on December 1, 2012.

The Ruby Award honors a woman who has worked to improve the lives of women and girls through her professional and/or volunteer work assisting women and girls. The program enables local Soroptimist clubs and the Soroptimist organization to thank these women and encourage others to explore ways to assist women and girls. Applications are available at the Soroptimist website, www.sifri.org or at the Toy Box. For more information contact Dana Bune, ([email protected] or 378-0857). Completed applications are due by December 15^th, 2012.

The Fellowship Award will be presented to a woman who is returning to school for postgraduate study in an accredited college or university leading to an advanced degree (Masters or Ph.D.) The local winner will receive a scholarship award. Her application will then be submitted to the Northwestern Region of Soroptimist International of the Americas for further consideration of an additional scholarship. Applications are available at the Soroptimist website, www.sifri.org or at the Toy Box. For more information please contact Lenore Bayuk ([email protected] or 378-3636. Completed applications are due by January 10, 2012.

To learn more about Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor or to download applications, visit their website at www.sifri.org.

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Here’s a message from the Trails Committee:

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is revising the state’s strategic plan for outdoor recreation and we’d really like your thoughts about what’s important to include.
The state’s outdoor recreation strategic plan, called the State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), needs to be updated every 5 years to maintain our ability to receive federal funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. RCO uses these federal dollars for grants to local communities to build parks and trails, and conserve wildlife habitat.
The SCORP addresses the future recreation needs of our residents and helps guide decisions about what projects to fund.
Your input is crucial to understanding what’s important to include in the plan. To make it easy to give us your opinions, we created the ‘SCORP Town Hall’ Web site at (www.scorpwa.wordpress.com) where you can quickly share your views.
Please help us spread the word and let your members know about this opportunity through your distribution lists, newsletter, or Web site. Everyone who is interested in recreation should have an opportunity to participate.
Thanks for your help in planning for the future of outdoor recreation in Washington!
If you have additional questions, contact:

Mark Duda, Responsive Management’s Executive Director
540-432-1888, [email protected]

Michael Fraidenburg, subcontractor to Responsive Management
360-867-1140, [email protected]

Dominga Soliz, RCO’s project coordinator
360-725-3937, [email protected]
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San Juan Island Trails Committee, a committee of Island Rec
Facilitating and participating actively in the creation, maintenance, and use of a network of trails for non-motorized use on San Juan Island

Something wicked this way comes…along with a little song and dance, when San Juan Community Theatre’s Family Theatre presents Shakespeare’s

Macbeth this Friday through Sunday, November 16-18.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Some 60 island elementary school children as well as several parents (see cast list below) are featured in this story of ambition, power and treachery that maintains its relevance more than 600 years after being penned by the world’s most well-known playwright.  The play—adapted by Elizabeth Weinstein and including music by Lea Anderson and lyrics by Bill Siviter as well as original music by Conrad—includes original Shakespeare lines combined with more modern English.

Macbeth rehearsal

Director Penelope Haskew says she has been impressed with how enthusiastic the cast has been tackling Shakespeare, which can be complicated even for adults.  “I think they like that it’s not the typical kids fare,” said Penelope.  “They’re getting a kick out of doing stuff that’s supposed to be beyond them.”  Penelope adds that this lighter version of the drama as well as the singing, dancing and staging, will appeal to audiences of all ages.

Buy Now on line! or Box Office hours are 11 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Friday and 11 am to 2 pm on Saturday.

The Cast of Macbeth:

King Duncan……………….Brian Fleming
Malcolm………………………Ryker Mattox
Donalbain……………………Lucy Marinkovich
Captain……………………….Sonora Tate
Lennox………………………..Ula Grace
Ross……………………………Ayla Ridwan
Angus………………………… Jayna Ott
Macbeth………………………Hank Erickson
Lady Macbeth…………….. Chiara Power
Banquo………………………..Luke Erickson
Fleance………………………..Tyler Fleming
Macduff ………………………Max Mattox
Assassin 1…………………….Arlo Harold
Assassin 2…………………….Elanor Gislason
Nurse…………………………..Emily Cain
Dr to Lady M…………………Darcy Ayers
Dr to Captain…………………Lizzy Lee
Dr to Captain………………..Merritt DeShon
Guard of Duncan…………..Ava Smith
Guard of Duncan…………..Anne Marie Ryan
Armored Head………………Katie Holmes
Crowned Child………………Sidney Herda
Bloody Child………………….Fallon Taylor
Messenger 1…………………..Fionnoula Bourne
Messenger 2………………….Inga Harold
Weird Sister1…………………Lucy Urbach
Weird Sister2………………..Else Arendt
Weird Sister3………………..Hannah Greene
Hecate………………………….Tori Zehner

Witches…………………………Maggie Zehner
…………………………………….Fela Andrews
…………………………………….Soma Andrews
…………………………………….Danielle McKay
…………………………………….Avery Laurimore
…………………………………….Alison Power
…………………………………….Sofia Duke
…………………………………….April Cain
…………………………………….Betty Furber

Narrators ……………………..Jennifer DeShon
…………………………………….Tamara Greene
…………………………………….Stephanie Mattox
…………………………………….Regan Taylor
…………………………………….Heather Cain

Servants……………………….Satchel Bourne
…………………………………….Aidan Greene
…………………………………….Ellie Rollins
…………………………………….Bryce Ridwan
…………………………………….Elliot DeShon
…………………………………….Michelle Foster

Viking Dancers………………Duvie Dow, Siri Dow

Circus Acrobats………………Allison Fleming
…………………………………….Darcy Ayers
…………………………………….Fallon Taylor
…………………………………….Soma Andrews
…………………………………….Fela Andrews

Irish Dancers…………………Piper Taylor
…………………………………….Stella McCauley
…………………………………….Josephine Crosby
…………………………………….Alison Power
…………………………………….April Cain

Scottish Sword Dancers….Presley Clark

Marine Water Rescue Training

San Juan Island EMS would like to inform the public that they will be hosting a Marine Water Rescue Training in the Garrison Bay and Yacht Haven Road area. This training will be conducted on November 17th & 18th from 8am till 7pm.

This training will involve several agencies, among them are San Juan Island EMS, San Juan Island Fire Dist. 3, Lopez Island Fire and Rescue, San Juan Vessel Assist, San Juan County Dive Team, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Coast Guard.

Multiple vessels will be operating on the waters of Mosquito Pass, Garrison, Westcott and Horseshoe Bays. There will also be helicopters operating overhead and landing in the area. Operations will be monitoring VHF channel 16 and operating on local fire and EMS frequencies.

This joint operational training will provide for a safer and more organized response to actual emergencies that occur within San Juan County.

Thank you for your support.

Jeremy M. Talbott
(360) 317-4713
captaintalbott (at) yahoo . com

Round the County Race 2012
By Norris Palmer

5:30 a.m. comes early and dark on the west Side of San Juan Island.  But that’s what you have to do to serve on Dennis Pratt’s Race Committee, responsible for starting over 75 sailing vessels with rip roaring, hard corps racing crews on Sunday morning’s start right outside of Roche Harbor.
Continue Reading

Help is needed for this big event. Minnie Knych sends in this request:

“Please help me get the word out.  We need more people to roast turkey and make pies for the Community Thanksgiving Dinner.  There are other volunteer spots open too. 

We provide a pre-seasoned turkey in a foil pan — all the volunteer has to do is pick up the turkey at the Grange on Wednesday after 3 PM and bring it into the Grange on Thanksgiving Day hot from the oven.”

Minnie Knych

Friday Harbor, WA 98250

360 378-4662 (Office)  360 378-7040 (Home)

What are you doing on Thanksgiving Day this year?

If you’re looking for a special way to celebrate and give thanks, come to the Grange for a good old-fashioned community Thanksgiving dinner. Bring a pie, sign up to help in the kitchen, or just join us for a wonderful dinner.

“This is the fourteenth year for the Community Thanksgiving celebration and we never know who or how many will show up”, says Minnie Knych, “but that just makes the day more interesting. Come and dine anytime between noon and 5PM. Last year we served dinner to close to 400 people so we have added an hour. Many diners also pitch in and help. Sometimes there are a dozen people in the kitchen peeling potatoes, washing pots, stirring gravy or slicing turkey. There’s always another chore that needs to be done so there’s plenty for everyone who enjoys that part of the day, too. It’s always good fun and reminds me of my big family childhood holidays when uncles, aunts and cousins gathered in one home for this special day.”

Come alone or bring friends and family. This is a day to share and give thanks together. Everyone is welcome. It’s all free. The food is great. There’s a fire in the fire place. Most important of all, there is plenty of turkey, dressing and all the fixin’s and there are plenty of friends and neighbors to share a special day. For information about how you can join the fun, call Minnie Knych at 378-7040 or email knych (at) rockisland.com.

See you at the Grange on Thanksgiving Day!

This 1947 Dodge flatbed dump truck is on display at the LeMay Family Collection in Tacoma (that’s a car museum, which you guessed already)….I saw it yesterday when I visited there. Do you remember it, from the cannery?

Let’s see what’s going on ’round here:

• The Washington State Ferry folks have named two new ferries, using Native American names…of special note is they named one of them Tokitae, which is the name of Lolita the killer whale (here’s a link to the campaign to free her from her prison in Miami)…here’s more from WSF about the meaning of the names:

Tokitae:  The first of the 144-car ferries under construction will be named Tokitae. This Coast Salish greeting means, “nice day, pretty colors” and also is the name given to an orca whale captured at Penn Cove, near Keystone, in 1970. Tokitae was brought to a marine park in Miami 40 years ago, where she was put into service as an entertainer, and re-named Lolita. She is the last survivor of the 45 Southern Resident Orcas captured in Washington state during the capture era of the 1960s and 70s. Such captures were banned in Washington state waters in 1976.

Samish: The second 144-car ferry will be named Samish. The meaning of the name is the “giving people” in proto-Salish origins. The Samish Indian Nation has held a deep-rooted respect for the traditions of sharing with its neighbors. The tribe’s historic area ranges from the mountain tops of the Cascades westerly along the hills, woodlands, and river deltas, arriving at the far western shores of the San Juan Island. The tribe’s historic lands have been inhabited for thousands of years by the ancestors of the Samish and their Coast Salish neighbors.

It’s time to bring Lolita/Tokitae home from her confinement in the Miami Seaquarium….

Remember it was at $4.70 at the first of last month?

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• Make sure you have catching the kids’ show at the Community Theatre on your schedule this weekend – Penelope Haskew does a great job with the elementary kids, and this year’s adaptation of MacBeth should be more of the same…..

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• The Farmers’ Market moves inside this weekend…drop by the high school commons on Saturday from 10am – 1pm!

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• You know this is the week the high school sports started winter practices for basketball & wrestling, right? Pretty promising seasons ahead for the Wolverines….

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Get your ticket now, and maybe you’ll win a chance to get all the groceries you can in four minutes next Tuesday! Watch for the Lions on Friday & Saturday at Kings Market & Market Place!

Tom Doenges…photo by Tim Dustrude

Tim Dustrude continues his series with photos & stories about people around the island – here’s more about my good friend & colleague Tom Doenges:

Tom Doenges owns and operates Computer San Juans which he started nearly 12 years ago. He’s been in the computer industry about 25 years total. Many of you know him as a very talented guitarist who plays with the Henry James Blues Band, among others, as well as quite a bit of solo stuff. Being a musician got him involved in beta testing for Yamaha in the early 80’s working on the first music computer for performers and also performance software….
(Click here for the rest of the story)

Photographer Tim Dustrude has put together a series of photos & stories called This Is Our Town about folks around the island, and his work is a regular feature here in the San Juan Update. Tim has been a professional photographer for over a decade, and does great work. Check out his website.

Just in case you haven’t heard – the open house is this coming Saturday for the new medical center. Here’s the official word from Peace Health:

PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center, San Juan Island’s new critical access hospital which will open for business on Monday, Nov. 26, will be open to the community for tours and a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 17.
On Nov. 17, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. visitors are invited to tour Peace Island Medical Center at 1117 Spring St. in Friday Harbor, with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony beginning at 11:17 a.m. in the main lobby. (Note: the event officially begins at 11:17 a.m. on 11-17 at 1117 Spring St.)

PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center – the result of a collaboration between the San Juan County Hospital District No. 1 and PeaceHealth – is a ten-bed critical access hospital, which will also house a new, expanded primary care and specialty clinic, cancer center, expanded diagnostic and treatment services, an operating suite for outpatient procedures and a 24-hour emergency department with five beds.  Its design is the result of a collaborative process involving the Island community, PeaceHealth and the facility’s architectural firm, Mahlum.
“The new medical center is stunning – inside and outside,” Jim Barnhart, chief administrative officer for PIMC, said. “The island-led design team has worked tirelessly to create a facility that includes state of the art technology within a healing environment that fits beautifully within its natural surroundings.
“The open house will be a wonderful opportunity for community members to come see for themselves the technology, services and structure of their new medical center,” said Barnhart.

The hospital project continues to be on budget and on schedule. As construction wraps up, locally provided or procured art is being placed around the medical center, while landscaping should be completed the first week of December.

InterIsland Medical Center staff, including all physicians, will transition to Peace Island Medical Center when it opens. At that time, the total number of physicians (including part time visiting specialists) serving the Hospital District will nearly double.

PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center, a critical access hospital on San Juan Island, will operate as part of the  PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center network of care, which includes a not-for-profit full-service hospital founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, and is part of the PeaceHealth system with medical centers in Alaska, Washington and Oregon.  In addition to the hospital and PeaceHealth Medical Group, PeaceHealth’s services in Northwest Washington include several Centers of Excellence, North Cascade Cardiology, a diagnostic laboratory, a joint venture outpatient imaging service and a specialty clinic in Sedro-Woolley.

San Juan Community Home Trust

Wednesday evening the San Juan Community Home Trust is holding it’s 12 annual membership meeting and dessert night with special guest Lisa Byers. Lisa is the Executive Director of OPAL on Orcas Island and a national leader in the CLT (Community Land Trust) movement. She will speak about CLTs, a growing national and international movement of home & land ownership.

Everyone is invited! Come learn, enjoy desserts, elect Board Members, celebrate our successes, and win a door prize. Wednesday, November 14, at 6:00 p.m. Click here for a PDF with more info.

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Climate change on Saturn?

CLIMATE CHANGE ON SATURN AND HOW THE OUTER PLANETS CAN TEACH US ABOUT EARTH
Can evidence of climate change on Saturn give us insights into changes on earth? Professor Mark Smith believes it can.  Dean of Science at University of Houston, Mark Smith will present an early Arthur Whiteley Winter Lecture at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 16, in The Commons at UW Friday Harbor Labs.  The lecture series is offered by San Juan Nature Institute in collaboration with Friday Harbor Labs and all lectures are free and open to the public. Donations are gratefully accepted,
Professor Smith was Professor of Planetary Science at the University of Arizona before taking up his new appointment. His early work focused on the mechanisms whereby molecules are formed in the extreme reaches of the galaxy. With the advent of the NASA Cassini mission to Saturn, he and his research team developed techniques to study the chemistry of carbon which is integral to life.
One outcome of the studies was the realization that non-human induced climate change can take place over very short time in certain atmospheres. We look forward to an interesting talk and stimulating discussion.

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The San Juan Island Farmers Market is coming inside for the winter.  Join your favorite vendors for fine holiday foods and gifts at the High School Commons on November 17, December 1, and December 15, 10am – 1pm

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3rd Saturday Contra Dance, SJI Grange Hall, Saturday, November 17, 7-9p.m. Jay Finkelstein (from Seattle) calling with Hands Four (from SJI): Jim & Katy Nollman on mandolin and piano, Val White & Malcolm Suttles on fiddle and guitar, and special guest Sally White on fiddle. All welcome. No partners or experience needed. All dances taught. $10/person donation. Info. 378-3836.