Ginny & David are here this weekend!

I’ve been listening to these guys since the early eighties, and their version of  The Bramble & The Rose is a staple in my set when I sing….it’s awesome they’re coming to visit the island! I hope you get a chance to see their show this Saturday – here’s more from Jan Bollwinkel-Smith:

Ginny Reilly and David Maloney started making folk music together in 1970 after the two solo singers met at San Francisco’s Drinking Gourd club on Union Street. More than 40 years later, Reilly & Maloney share those folk sounds with us on the Whittier stage THIS Saturday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m..

In those early years, the two friends became known as simply “Ginny and David” as they toured clubs in the Bay Area, around Seattle and in between, both playing the guitar and performing their original songs as well as paying tribute to folk favorites. They played more than 3000 shows together, including sharing the stage with such artists as Judy Collins, Tom Paxton and Greg Brown.

After a ten-year hiatus that began in 1990 as they pursued solo careers and attended to family, the duo reunited. The release of their 2004 CD, Together Again, prompted a review from Tom Nelligan of Dirty Linen: “Reilly still has one of the sweetest voices in folk music, an ethereal soprano that dances lightly around Maloney’s grittier baritone, and the contrast in their voices and their unique sense of harmony makes for some wonderful duets.”

Today, the two continue to sing both together and in solo concerts. For more information on the artists, check them out at www.reillyandmaloney.com

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.

Debbie

To know her is to love her & to hear her is a delight – here’s more from Jan Bollwinkel-Smith:

Island Songstress in SJCT’s Night Music Series July 26

One of San Juan Island’s musical treasures highlights San Juan Community Theatre’s Night Music summer concert series on Thursday, July 26.

Island born singer and songwriter Debbie Nash-Strasser brings along Ashley Stone to present an evening of acoustic magic. Nash-Strasser’s original songs of life and love offer compelling lyrics that are poignant and joyful, delivered in a folksy bluesy style.

The series continues Thursday nights through August 9, with a variety of local musicians showcased.  The live music starts at 8:00 p.m. in the intimate Gubelman Theatre, 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 50 guests; all tickets are $10 each per concert.

The Business Partner for the series is Bed & Breakfast Association of San Juan Island.  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.

August 14 marks the return of the immensely popular band Elephant Revival. But instead of playing at a private residence, the stage and musicans will move to Brickworks for a night of “great music, awareness, fundraising and family fun.” Theresa Simendinger has more:

Elephant Revival gracing the community made stage at Cloud Oaks’…

Recent island legends are not hard to come by, but this was a good one. The last of 2011 summer concerts was with Elephant Revival and held at Cloud Oakes’ lovely hideaway home near the interior of San Juan Island. Community spirit built the stage near Cloud’s home for the Elephant Revival late 2011 summer concert billed as “Family Fun.”

This year Cloud donated the stage to the Brickworks for community concerts and now Elephant Revival is playing on the same stage again at Brickworks Plaza in Sunshine Alley. Everyone who attended the last concert is excited for the opportunity to hear them again. Different local people are donating their time and expertise, from moving the stage itself to Brickworks Plaza all the way through the sound-man, lighting, event coordinating, set up, etc., all by volunteers to make musical magic on August 14.

Elephant Revival’s motto is, “ Where words fail, music speaks…” Continue Reading

A favorite among parents and kids, Camp Eagle Rock is in full swing! 

Campers work together to see which line can empty their bucket of water and fill the one 15ft away by squeezing the contents of the yellow sponge into it …

Peyton started going to Camp Eagle Rock when she was five and still considers it to be the best summer camp ever. Talk about a great testimonial!

With 10 staff members and 60 kids, the camp is as full as it can be, with a growing waiting list. Camp Eagle Rock satisfies both children and parents, for it runs from 8:30am-5:30pm to accommodate work schedules and keeps kids social, supervised, and entertained.

They do a van trip once a week (last week was Roche Harbor) as well as a field trip (last one was the San Juan Fitness Center Pool) to provide variety and a chance to see more of the island.

Diana, the main coordinator, describes Camp Eagle Rock as “much more than just daycare.” A highlight of many participants summers, kids learn new skills like basic cooking, play sports (their favorite is dodgeball), do arts & crafts, and have all sorts of fun in the sunshine.

One thing that’s a bit different this year than previous ones is the makeup of the campers. Although the camp is open to K-6 graders, half the participants are rising first and second graders.

Summer, and the sailing is easy….photo by John Miller (thanks, John!)

Let’s take a look around the island & see what’s up!

The happy couple…

• Island-raised Erin Woodard is engaged to her best friend Ray Thompson! The date is set for August 3rd and the wedding will take place down in Mexico. Here’s a website she made that has all the details from the proposal to guest directions.

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• Have a spare riding mover? David Dehlendorf could really use one to keep the grass at the Roche Harbor Dog Park in check. Send him a quick e-mail at dauffa(at)gmail.com if you’re feeling generous!

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• Pictures of Saturday’s Fly In are up! Fred Schumacher and Bob Tauscher have a great slideshow featuring both people and planes.

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• Roy’s is all decked out for Relay for Life; stop by and support their fundraising by buying Moons & Stars! It’s all for a great cause….

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Tobi

• Erin isn’t the only one with great things ahead… Tobi Lehman is finished with college and is already employed! Anyone who went to school to Friday Harbor High School with him can remember how computer savvy he is. Here’s a bit more from his dad Ron:

Tobi Ross Lehman has graduated cum laude on June 17, 2012 from Portland State University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics.

He scored highest on the prestigious Putnam Competition, making him the sole plaque entry for 2011 at PSU.

Even before graduating he began employment at Resource Data Inc. in Portland,OR where he is currently full-time.

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Three hours of searching later, a very stuck dog was found…

• Lots of friendly islanders including Eli Bailey, Sandy Rabinowitz, and Casey McLean turned out to help Jan and Jon Murphy find their lost dog Paco (right). He was wedged in a pretty tight spot, as you can see!

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• A big thank you to Islander’s Bank from the Friday Harbor Weight Watchers! Here’s more from Gina:

The group is coming up on its two year anniversary and couldn’t have existed without the donated conference room for their weekly meetings. The collective weight loss is up at 3,107 lbs and going strong!

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• Fair Events Manager Rev Shannon is working hard! The Fair website has been updated with info about headlining performers and some schedules are already available to view, such as 4H and horses.

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• Jan Murphy from Wolf Hollow could use some help…in the form of delicious cookies! Why? Wolf Hollow is doing a cookie booth at the fair and need as many as possible. You don’t even have to bake them last minute, they have lots of freezer space available! Call Jan at 298-2195 for further arrangements.

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There’s always a great variety of entries to oogle or (if you’re lucky) taste…

• On that same sweet note, the San Juan County Fair Baking Department could use some entries and volunteers! Kris Brown has more:

Volunteers are needed as judges on Tuesday, August 14th and to staff the booth for short shifts Wednesday through Saturday, August 15-18.

Yes, you taste entries as a judge. Yes, you can serve up entries to fairgoers as a booth volunteer. No, you don’t have to be a master chef to participate. Just check out the department rules (especially bring entries in a resealable plastic bag to keep down the fruit flies), plan your entry and enter on time. Full details can be accessed here.

Last year more than 40 men, women and children gave two to three hours and helped make the booth the best ever. Plus we had more than 200 entries in adult and youth categories. Let’s top that this year.

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• Local author and third generation islander Sam Buck will be speaking about his book “Believe your Experience” on Thursday July 26 from 7-9pm at the Lavendera Massage Center. Although “you may find the book has more questions than answers,” it will no doubt prompt an evening of great discussion about consciousness and more.

Isn’t it nice when you can put a green check mark on your list of things you want to do? Isn’t it even more satisfying when you put a lot of energy into fulfilling the task? Three years and one happy filmmaker later, Kyle Steneide‘s video “About Time” is ready for the world to see. 

Kyle Steneide features many Friday Harbor skaters including Kyle Nolan, Will Kromer, TK Kromer, and Elliot Garl. The movie premiered in Seattle at the Historic University Theatre on May 22nd and wowed the crowd. There are copies available for $10 online or through Shelly Van Skyhawk at San Juan Hollistic Healthcare (378-5660). Great job, Kyle!

Griffin Bay Books is proud to host a special event for Seattle native author Debra Dean. She’s well known to the world, with her debut novel published in 20 languages and picked as the Editor’s Choice by the New York Times. Here’s a bit about her book, “Madonnas of Leningrad,” from Nancy Larsen:

The Madonnas of Leningrad, Debra Dean’s debut novel, was hailed as a powerful and sensitive look at Alzheimer’s, the consolations of art, and the consolations and degradations of memory. Marina is a Russian emigrant living in the Pacific Northwest whose mind is being steadily corroded by Alzheimer’s disease. She cannot hold onto fresh memories, yet her distant past is miraculously preserved in her mind’s eye.

Author and novel…

As a young woman during World War II, Marina survived the Nazi siege of Leningrad in the basement of the Hermitage, where she’d been a docent; she kept her sanity by building a “memory palace” to recall the paintings long since packed up for safekeeping. The novel switches deftly between the siege and the present, when Marina and her husband are traveling to their granddaughter’s wedding, and in doing so it keeps circling the idea that memory can be both ally and enemy.

Vivid images of her youth in war-torn Leningrad arise unbidden, carrying her back to the terrible fall of 1941, when she was a tour guide at the Hermitage Museum and the German army’s approach signaled the beginning of what would be a long, torturous siege on the city. As the people braved starvation, bitter cold, and a relentless German onslaught, Marina joined other staff members in removing the museum’s priceless masterpieces for safekeeping, leaving the frames hanging empty on the walls to symbolize the artworks’ eventual return. As the Luftwaffe’s bombs pounded the proud, stricken city, Marina built a personal Hermitage in her mind—a refuge that would stay buried deep within her, until she needed it once more.

Be sure to come to the event hosted by Griffin Bay and the San Juan Library on Thursday, July 26th at 7pm.

David Dehlendorf tells me his daughter will be in town this weekend with a presentation about the way Walmart does things…here’s the scoop & I hope to see you there:

Learn About “Making Change at Walmart”

Workers at Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, are fed up with their pay and working conditions and are uniting in an effort to improve them.

On Sunday, July 29, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the San Juan Island Library, Andrea Dehlendorf, a veteran labor organizer, and two hourly Walmart workers from Skagit County, will present a program explaining a broad- based effort to persuade Walmart to act to rebuild our economy and strengthen working families.

“Making Change at Walmart” is a coalition anchored by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and includes Walmart associates, union members, small business owners, religious leaders, community organizations, elected leaders, and many others.

The presentation is sponsored by the San Juan County Democratic Central Committee. The public is invited.  The program will include a question and answer session.

Killer whale, in the dance….photo by Ivan Reiff.

I love this photo that Ivan Reiff with Western Prince shot yesterday & shares with us today….thanks, Ivan!

You’d recognize that chipper smile anywhere…

When Dan Ward started San Juan Transit in ’94, there was no Visitor’s Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce was in its infancy, people were just beginning to cater to tourists. Nineteen years later, Dan has built a successful business and watched the town change from inside out.

When I asked Dan about his favorite part of the job, his instantaneous reply was, “The people.” He loves to interact with passengers, telling them all about the island and watching the surprised looks on their faces as they realize it’s normal for bus drivers to be this friendly. Dan transports about 20,000 passengers per year, which has been a largely consistent number for most of his years in business.

Although the general number of passengers stay the same, Dan has fun watching the hometown trends change.

This year he’s gotten many passengers from Pennsylvania in particular, a big switch from last year’s popular homestate of California. In fact, 80% of his traffic came from outside Washington state before 2001, and it switched to being 80% in state traffic for the first few years afterwards.

Dan has been listening to both local and tourist impressions of Friday Harbor via back of the bus rants for the past 19 years, and it’s amazing how their impressions have changed from somewhat negative to quite positive. As a businessman and islander, he loves hearing the unabridged reactions to what our island offers and accounts of how locals perceive the visitors. Our town has really flourished in the past few years as new businesses have made Friday Harbor a choice destination that offers “lots more than just whales.”

John from Skagit Valley College’s Road Scholar program thanks Dan for a smooth ride, earlier this week….

Just this year Dan expanded to include a route on Orcas Island with the help of a grant from Scenic Byways. Besides that limited funding, Dan does not receive any subsidies from the state, making him the only bus company in Washington to do so. He hasn’t raised rates in 12 years; something extremely difficult when you consider the price of gas nowadays compared to over a decade ago.

One thing a lot of people don’t know about San Juan Transit? They are bike and dog friendly! So next time you see a tired out biker with a dog that doesn’t have the energy to pedal back into town, tell them not to worry, San Juan Transit will happily accommodate them. For information about schedules, click here!

There are some deadlines looming for kids’ soccer to get ready for the fall – here’s the word from San Juan Soccer Association president Travis Ayers:

1.)    We are rapidly approaching the end of registration, which closes on Aug 1st..  Teams are assigned that night, and any later signups are handled on a space available basis.  THANKS to all of you who have registered.  If you haven’t done so, please go to www.islandsoccer.org and sign up!  You may have missed the early registration discount, but we added the option to spread out the costs over two monthly payments.

Need a scholarship?  Email me and let’s get those kids playing!

2.)    At the moment U11G, U16G, U14B, and U19B don’t have enough kids signed up to form teams!  PLEASE help me get the word out to your friends that they need to hurry up and register.

3.)    Island Rec is bringing TetraBrazil soccer camp to the Island for the first time.  Registration for the older group (14 and older) is very low, so Sally needs to decide how to break up the different ages.  I encourage you to go to their website and register within a week!

4.)    Do you want to earn money by becoming a licensed soccer ref?  You can do so with some online training and a single day of instruction in Burlington on August 11th.  Email me if you want to know more!

5.)    If you are interested in coaching or volunteering, go to our website to register.

6.)    We have a Donation Button on our website where anyone who wants to support SJ Soccer can make a contribution to the program.   Hint:  send this email to grandparents!

Sincerely,

Travis Ayers,President
San Juan Soccer

That was last night’s sunset on the westside of the island….photo by Tamara Weaver (thanks, Tamara!)

The island was decked out in its colors this past weekend….

All the sprinkles & rain & mist on Sunday paid off…a triple rainbow…photo by Chris Teren

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Jim Agnello’s Drift-Away Wood Art and watercolors. Came all the way from Blaine for the Arts Fair at the Courthouse this past weekend….photo by Tamara Weaver

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If you didn’t see the Fly-In on Saturday, you probably saw it anyway, as planes were flying in & out of the airport all day – Tim Dustrude shot this photo of a Mustang taking off….

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Late Sunday, the rainbow ended at Friday Harbor House….photo by Kevin Holmes

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The familiar black & white of our killer whale friends…photo by Jim Maya

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Eric Ellison, Ron Garner, Detlef Weick and Jon Marler fire the Mountain Howitzer at Fort Townsend.

Ron Garner & Company D had a good time at Fort Townsend a couple of weekends ago, and he sent along these photos of their adventures there…they invite everyone to this coming weekend’s Encampment at English Camp – here’s more:

Members of Company D, a volunteer group of San Juan Island National Historical Park, traveled to Fort Townsend State Park where they demonstrated the military life of the 1860’s. To enjoy more of this period of history, join them at English Camp on July 28 and 29.

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Kathy and Detlef Weick

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Joseph Meacham and Eric Ellison, blacksmiths!

Let’s take a look at some of the things happening on our gilded shores:

• One more reason to visit the islands: A national news story says weather forecasters are calling for the dry, hot weather much of the country is experiencing to continue till fall. Makes our high of 62 yesterday look good – here’s more.

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Stuart and Tim beside Stuart’s 1929 Travel Air plane…

• Ran into Tim Pope at the Fly In on Saturday, and he told me that Stuart not only rebuilt the engine of this plane but flies up every year to the island. This time he came all the way from San Diego!

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Jane and Marilyn at the Friends of the San Juan Library Book Sale…they put a lot of effort in making it a success! Also, Jane is leaving for North Carolina so make sure you say your goodbyes soon…

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Jana got to show off her artistic side with some beautiful face painting on the behalf of the Soroptimists at the Street Fair on Saturday…

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The coordinators of the tie dye event: Daisy, Jacklyn, Noah, Emma, Erin and her little sister Stella…

• The IMA is hosting Family Art Days, and this weekend a lot of white shirts became extremely colorful with tie dye. Be sure to go to each Saturday to the Sculpture Park, there are always fun things to do for kids through July and August! All events are free, family oriented, and sponsored by local businesses. You want to research a bit, check out the IMA website at www.sjima.org or call 370-0035.

No reservation necessary, just drop in!

Bryan, at The Sandpebble. Photo by Tim Dustrude

Photographer Tim Dustrude has put together a series of photos & stories called This Is Our Town about folks around the island, and I’m excited to add his work to the Update as a regular feature. Here’s the first in our series – meet Bryan & Carolyn and their Spring Street business, The Sandpebble:

Sandpebble is a gift shop in Friday Harbor with enough variety to satisfy almost any taste. Many of the items on the shelves are fun and will make you chuckle or laugh outright, and many are simply unique and interesting novelties that you might not find elsewhere. Books, home decorations, plaques, greeting cards, candles, clothing – it is rather impressive how much they have to offer. Looking at the store from the sidewalk outside, it may seem like a small shop but it is larger than it appears with a back room almost as big as the front and they have done a great job keeping the inventory fresh and interesting. (Click here for the rest of the story)

Tim Dustrude has been a professional photographer for over a decade, and does great work. Check out his website.

The Preservation Trust will be selling landscape paintings depicting areas all over the county created by local artists. 

The paintings will be created on site over the few weeks on islands all over the county and some from private lands donated to the San Juan Preservation Trust, as well as a live painting demonstration at the barbecue, as part of the program’s Summer Social.

The event itself is scheduled for Saturday July 28th on Shaw Island. The sales and live auction will be run by Crow Valley Gallery from Eastsound.

Additionally, great local artists have been teaming up with the Peace Health Hospital to create a relaxing, beautiful space. Matt Dollahite just sold his piece, “Low Tide.” Look for it when the hospital opens!