The runners turning onto San Juan Valley Road (where Spring Street takes you out of town).....a cool morning turned into a warm day for the tenth running of the race.

There’s a lot to like about our annual Marathon – it’s a reliable annual event that brings happy, healthy people to the island, it’s always well-run (way to go, Clark! way to go, incredible volunteers!), and it seems to bring out the best in people – islanders who cheer for the runners as they go by & in the runners’ efforts to do their best. The island provides a beautiful place to get a run in, and it was looking great yesterday…

There are ways to measure the success of a race, but for me seeing that many smiling people on the island all at one time means we had a good deal going on.

Here are the results, so you can look up your time & see how you did.

And…here’s a little video I took of the start of the race as they took off down Argyle….

Last night's sunset made the trees glow, before the dark....near the Marine Labs, heading back to town.

Nothing Gold Can Stay
by Robert Frost

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

The Island’s Artist Studio Tour starts today! Here’s the map of where the open studios are…see you there!

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Mona...photo by Cyndi Brast

Hey, I just talked to Vanessa, who is looking after Mona the Camel, out on Roche Harbor Road….she asked me to share with you that it would be a good idea for folks NOT to feed Mona. Someone gave her a bunch of carrots, and it made the camel so sick she couldn’t get up, and someone else  gave her a bag of potato chips (which aren’t even good for people, people!)

Vanessa’s been studying the camel diet, and it would be good to help her take care of Mona the way she needs to….so let’s lay off “helping” with free handouts. Thanks!

Ian, not really an animal vet  but wanting to hekp

Friday night!

Yesterday, I mentioned that tonight was open mike at the Rumor Mill, but I was going off an old calendar – The True Spokes (they used to be Flowmotion) are coming to town – here’s more from Bob Rees – this is a show you won’t want to miss!

Through a decade of fearless, seat-of-the-pants music-making, countless live performances, and a handful of beloved albums, the Seattle quintet has developed that rare, magnetic combination of radio-ready songcraft and transportive instrumental chops. Through their annual Summer Meltdown festival—held in the beautiful Cascade mountains 12 years running—they’ve cultivated a legion of die-hard fans thirsty for unique music uniquely performed. Theirs is a musical ethos that’s both timeless and totally of the moment.

After all that history, the moment demands a fresh start. Which is why they are the True Spokes, not Flowmotion, as the band was known for the first ten years of its life. Flowmotion is now the True Spokes. The name change coincides with the release of their brand-new, eponymous album, and the timing couldn’t be better.

The True Spokes presents a band matured but not grown up, refined but still renegade. For the first time, singer and guitarist Josh Clauson was abbetted in songwriting by the rest of the group. In fact, Clauson now shares lead vocal duties with guitarist RL Heyer, while drummer Scott Goodwin sings backup. Their three-part harmonies are rife throughout these 11 songs, a soulful vocal outpouring fans have never heard before. Bassist Eric Bryson and percussionist/keyboardist Bob Rees round out the lineup. In its new skin, the band is freer and more cohesive than ever, revealing unexpected touchstones like Steely Dan, the Beach Boys, and Supertramp.

Also for the first time, the band brought in an outside producer. But this was no hired gun: Tim Bluhm first fell for the True Spokes’ music when his band, the Mother Hips, played Summer Meltdown in 2010. To the band, the Hips have been a tremendous inspiration, another longstanding outfit with an improvisational bent, festival-set background, and ear for hooks. They, too, are post-jam and self-aware. In them, and Bluhm in particular, the True Spokes found kindred spirits. Synergy is loud and clear on lead single “Back Porch,” hard-driving anthem “Old at Heart,” and mantra-like album closer “Unravel”—songs that build from ambling meditations to cathartic climaxes. It’s present in the low-key ambiance of “Saving Face” and “Rocketship.” The members of the True Spokes have never been prouder of any album recorded under any name. Fans old and new will surely feel the same

A new year, a new album, a new name, a new swagger: The time is right for the True Spokes.

Sample the new album:  http://truespokes.bandcamp.com/

Pics/videos/music: http://www.truespokes.com

Youtube station:  http://www.youtube.com/thetruespokes

Pictured Rear: Tara Dalton, Maia Yip, Morgan Meadows, Gretchen Staehlin, Susan Williamson, Bill Severson, Mikah Smith, Meredith Griffith, Marjorie Harrison. Front: Co-Coordinator Liz Illg, Chelo Carlton, Foster Hildreth , Melanie Rollins, Gary Franklin, Mike Close, Co- Coordinator Jim Hooper..

Here’s the word on this year’s class, by Liz Illg:

Leadership San Juan Islands Class VIII Graduates June 1     

Leadership San Juan Islands Class VIII will hold its graduation ceremony Friday, June 1, 11:30-1:30 p.m. at the San Juan Island Grange in Friday Harbor.  The fourteen islanders are: Mikah Smith, Tara Dalton, and Maia Yip from Lopez Island; Foster Hildreth, Meredith Griffith, and Morgan Meadows from Orcas; Bill Severson, Gretchen Staehlin, Gary Franklin, Marjie Harrison, Chelo Carlton, Susan Williamson, Melanie Rollins, and Mike Close from San Juan Island.  Keynote speaker will be Jill Blankenship, Philanthropist and CEO of Frontline Call Center.   LSJI alumni and the public are invited to attend.

Businesses and agencies across the county play part in the success of the program. This year the class appreciated significant donations by Smuggler’s Villa and Heartwood House on Orcas, Harrison House on San Juan Island and Lopez Islander Bay Resort. Each participant was also sponsored in part or wholly by their employer or a local nonprofit. This year we thank the following sponsors: Whidbey Island Bank, San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, Lopez Island Prevention Coalition, the San Juan Islands Economic Development Council, San Juan Island Library, San Juan County Health and Community Services Department, San Juan Island Prevention Coalition, Orcas Power and Light Company (OPALCO), San Juan Island Prevention Coalition, and several anonymous donors.

The Curriculum Committee designs and implements the program and supports the Program Coordinator position, this year shared by Liz Illg and Jim Hooper. The members of the committee for 2012 were Gretchen Krampf, Cynthia Stark-Wickman, Kathleen Foley, Margaret Payne, Steve Hushebeck, Candace Jaegel, and Katie Loring.

Leadership San Juan Islands is a county-wide program which fosters leadership skills such as facilitation, collaborative problem solving, and public speaking as well as the analysis of local systems related to governance, economics, social services, history and culture, education and the environment. Participants are selected in the fall and spend five months together, January through May, with a staff of eight and many regional leaders. For more information see: http://www.leadershipsanjuanislands.org/.

In the sun, relaxing on the roof above the Cask & Schooner about a month ago...people DO come to the island to relax!

Let’s see what’s going on this weekend:

• Jan Murphy & the folks at the Animal Shelter would love for you to come to Wags to Riches (it’s in June this year!)….here’s more from Jan:

Drop by Friday Harbor Drug Store this weekend, as Dodie Gann and Polly White will be on hand to sell tickets! Come on Saturday between 11am-2pm to purchase tickets to this year’s “Wags to Riches,” the animal shelter’s annual fund raiser.

The event is a Monte Carlo themed event taking place Saturday, June 16 at The Fairgrounds.  Also on sale will be raffle tickets for the  grand prize drawing that will be held at Wags – a Costa Rica Dream Vacation, which includes airfare for four and five nights lodging at Villa Vigia in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.

Don’t wait to get your tickets to Wags!  Ticket prices are $85 prior to the event and $125 at the door.  Raffle tickets are $10 each.  Can’t make it by the Bird Saturday?  Drop by the shelter or call the shelter at 378-2158 to purchase tickets.

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• This weekend at The Rumor Mill, it’s The True Spokes on Friday & The Duotones on Saturday – see you there!

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• Patricia Bolding has a garage sale this weekend – here’s more:

Garage Sale – Sat. June 2,  8 – 1
Furniture, Women’s Clothing & Assessors, Household, Soft Saddle & Pads, Hanging Pot Rack, Harley Helmet, Votive Chandelier, Fun Stuff & Much More!  615 Harrison, Friday Harbor.

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• Just moved to the island? Get your house set up – visit the Thrift Store on Mullis Street, behind Spa D’Bune….lots of good stuff, and everything you need!

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When you're driving along Cattle Point Road....great idea! Drop by & see the good folks at Cattle Point Rock & Topsoil!

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• It was great to hear from Kathleen at the Preservation Trust that they just made a big acquisition – here’s the deal:

The Preservation Trust Acquires 687-Acre Red Mill Farm

Donation, purchase ensure largest working farm in San Juan Islands will remain in agriculture

The San Juan Preservation Trust is pleased to announce that it has acquired the 687-acre Red Mill Farm on San Juan Island, the largest working farm in the San Juan archipelago.

Red Mill Farm is located in the heart of San Juan Valley, which contains perhaps the most fertile agricultural land in the San Juan Islands. The property was purchased in the 1960’s by Dodie Gann and her late husband, the author Ernest Gann.

Upon Ernie Gann’s death in 1991, the property’s ownership was divided in two, with one-half interest going to Dodie Gann and the other half-interest going into a trust that benefited Ernie’s family from a previous marriage. In a series of transactions that concluded on May 18, Dodie Gann donated her half-interest in the property to the San Juan Preservation Trust, which then purchased the other half-interest from the beneficiaries of Ernie’s trust for $1.0 million.

When combined with adjacent and nearby farm properties under Preservation Trust ownership and conservation easements, the San Juan Preservation Trust has now protected almost 1,000 acres of farmland in this scenic and productive landscape.

For more information about the acquisition of Red Mill Farm, including a map, our plans for the property, and a video clip of Dodie describing her motives for conserving her farm, visit www.sjpt.org.

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Jean Schmidt with the raggedy anns & andy's....

• Jean Schmidt put together some nice pictures on Memorial Day at Lime Kiln State Park, with a nice remembrance – here’s more, from Jean:

We photographed these raggedies today. Many Years ago, I purchased all 4 together at a thrift shop. Each raggedy andy had an old military button that a mother had sewn onto their shirt. I left the dolls as found, as I felt that the mother placed the button on each doll to honor a family member in the service….. We pray for all those members of the military who have died in our nation’s service: that they will be lovingly remembered, thanked, and honored for their immeasurable service — at Lime Kiln Point State Park.

And a couple of friends dropped by....

You saw all those logs at British Camp on the parade ground - looks like they're going to re-build the base of the bastion (in the background) this summer, because it's old & starting to rot....the project will probably take all summer. (This is an update on the report from Mike Cohen, who told me they were logging onto the Internet....)

There’s a lot going on & so….hurry up & relax! Here’s the news:

• At Lavendera on Thursday night at 7pm, you can learn more, with Pam Fry:

A GENTLE HEALING TOUCH FOR YOU AND YOUR PETS 
Learn this gentle healing treatment, based on ancient acu-points, to help you and your pet relieve stress, emotional /behavior issues, pain, insomnia and more!
Pam Fry, RN & High Touch Practitioner hosts this fun event. You will leave knowing how to help yourself, your pet, friends & family, gently and easily!

Postmaster Dan Fleming is all smiles as we roll into the summer season....

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• Did you see Aaron D’Errico’s blog entry on Stan Lee’s website? Pretty cool, the connection Aaron has with the cartooning legend….

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• If JFK were alive yesterday, he would have celebrated his 95th birthday….

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• Changes at the Community Theatre…here’s the update from Jan:

The time has come! This is SJCT executive director Merritt Olsen’s final week at the Theatre. He’s off to South Dakota with his wife, Janet, where they’ll be closer to family and he’ll work part-time helping to develop a new theatre there. Production Manager Steve Judson also says “good-bye” this week…he’s moving back to San Diego to resume stagehand work and pursue a new avenue of interest in Automation Console Programming.

And if that isn’t enough change at one time, front of house manager Julie Hanks also leaves this week—she’s staying on the island but taking on more responsibilities at the Whale Museum. (We’ll have more soon about Julie’s replacement).

In the meantime, SJCT Business Manager Mary Blevins takes the helm as Chief Administrative Officer of the Theatre, Costume Shop Mistress Susan Williams becomes Artistic Director and Scene Shop Manager John Schaller is now Production Manager. The SJCT staff also includes Promotions Director Jan Bollwinkel-Smith and Development Director Tanja Williamson.

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• Passing: Sure sad to hear of Tim Aylward‘s passing….he’ll be long remembered for his infectious smile & laugh & great love for his kids. Condolences to the family….

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• More art this weekend – drop by Waterworks Gallery anytime, or on Sunday to hear this artists’ talk – here’s more from Ruth:

ON THE SURFACE

Artist Talk Part 2 and Reception:  
Joan Stuart Ross, Encaustic and Kathryn Trigg, Monotype

Kathryn & Joan will speak about their works on Sunday, June 3 at 1pm at WaterWorks Gallery, 315 Argyle St. Friday Harbor

Working with printing inks and paper, Kathryn Trigg, infuses the paper surface with up to 30 layers of color creating an amazingly complex colored surface.

Joan Stuart Ross continues her process with encaustic painting and ongoing affair with nature in the wild, culminating in this new series of paintings.

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That's San Juan Outfitters' kayak guide Biscuit loading a van with Road Scholar kayakers yesterday at the Earthbox Inn & Spa for a great sunny day on the water.....

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• Time to sign up for school! Here’s more from Skagit Valley College/San Juan Center’s Randy Martin:

Expanded Hours and Course Offerings for Fall Quarter at Skagit Valley College/San Juan Center

Fall Quarter registration for new students begins on May 30 at Skagit Valley College/San Juan Center.  This Fall Quarter the San Juan Center will be open Monday – Thursday with expanded course offerings. Classes begin September 24. Academic transfer courses, online GED prep courses, computer workshops and community education courses are offered at the center. In addition, students can study anytime, anywhere with online courses from a variety of disciplines through the eLearning program.

“You can study locally and learn about the world from top-notch faculty who teach here in the islands and online,” stated Randy Martin, SVC San Juan Center Director. Prospective students can apply on-line or in person at the San Juan Center. Call for an appointment with San Juan Center Advisor/Counselor Sandy Harold. Sandy is available to assist any potential student with guidance through the admissions and registration processes, as well chart and plan an educational journey.

Interested students can apply on-line (www.skagit.edu), in person, or with a phone call to the San Juan Center in Friday Harbor  at 360-378-3220.

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It's all rebuilt - check out the new deck in front of the Pavilion at Roche Harbor....

The new deck includes a re-paved courtyard, and new steps....

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You’ve seen ’em on YouTube (they go viral!) and this one kinda did too….Angel Michaels leads a bunch of her barbershop friends in song at last Saturday’s Market, in this fun (and on Facebook, much commented on) video by Mike Martin:

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A multi-awarding winning Canadian “Sweet Adelines” chorus, a Seattle champion quartet and three of San Juan Island’s own ensembles bring the art of barbershop singing to the Whittier stage this Sunday, June 3 at 2:00 p.m.

Barbershop Bonanza, hosted by San Juan’s mixed barbershop chorus, Island Chordsmen Plus, celebrates its 14th year in Friday Harbor. It has grown into a popular Sunday afternoon medley of contemporary and old-time favorites honoring this uniquely American music with its a cappella four-part harmonies.

This will be West Coast Harmony Chorus’s first visit to the Bonanza. Based in Vancouver, B.C., the a cappella group of more than 40 women is a seven-time Gold Medal Western Canadian Champion and was recently silver medalist in the International Harmony Classic.

Also joining the Bonanza this year is Evergreen District Champions, Cheers, a Seattle-based quartet. Quartet member Wes Sorstokke, who has appeared in the Bonanza in the past with other award-winning groups and has been singing for more than 40 years, recently held a coaching session in Friday Harbor for members of Island Chordsmen Plus. He says the key to a good barbershop performance is a quality combination of good vocals and good expressions and movement. “I want them to move me. If the song is funny, they better make me laugh. If it’s sad, I want to cry.”

In addition to the mainland visitors and Chordsmen, the island’s own women’s a cappella ensemble, Sound Vibrations, and San Juan’s male quartet, Lane 4 will participate in the Bonanza.

Bonanza director Angel Michaelswill lead the audience in a rousing community sing, and everyone in the audience is invited to attend the complimentary afterglow reception in the Gubelman Theatre following the show.

This weekend!

The newest killer whale....photo by Jeanne Hyde

Looks like there’s a new killer whale….there was a superpod (that’s where all three pods – J pod, K pod, and L pod – all get together) today as all three pods came in to the west side of San Juan Island, and ace photographer Jeanne Hyde shot the photo above. Since little ones usually hang out with their moms, Matia (L77) is assumed to be the mom.

Jeanne Hyde was on Jim Maya’s boat, the Peregrine, this morning, with Capt. Spencer Domico at the helm, south of Victoria…the new calf was first seen in the Strait of Juan de Fuca by Jeff Lamarche on Eagle Wing.  That’s when Jeanne got the photo of the new calf with his/her mom.

Heard about Barbara’s passing last week, and it’s been a sad time….here’s more from the family:

Barbara C. Fry, M.D., beloved mother, aunt, scholar, and friend, passed away peacefully on Tuesday evening, May 22, at 10:00 PM at Harborview Hospital in Seattle, WA.  Her loving sons, Greg Fry of Seattle, WA, Chris Fry of Edmonds, WA, and her niece, Jane Hamilton of Portland, OR were with her to help her embark on this final journey.

Her passing is being grieved by all who knew her and loved her and your love, and prayers are felt by her entire family.  There will be a celebration of her life in Friday Harbor in the near future.  Plans are being made for this event and more information will follow. The family is also in the process of deciding where donations can be made in her honor instead of sending flowers.

Thank you to all who knew and loved her and we appreciate your patience as we make these very difficult decisions.

Morning in the valley on the island....photo by Shannon Bailey

Don’t you love four-day weeks? Hope you got  a chance to relax the last few days, and to remember the folks who offered themselves for our country, this past weekend….let’s see what’s going on:

• The Woodwards have a fundraiser today to help keep their mission t the Dominican Republic going – here’s more from Winnie Brumsickle:

At the Brumsickles home on 320 Ross Lane….
We are having a BBQ fund raising dinner, on Tues. May 29th, starting at 5:30pm. $10 donation for a barbecued hamburger, hot dog or vegie burger, salad, chips, drink and dessert.

Come meet the 2012 Friday Harbor DR team and send them off on this life changing mission.

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• We have some marine issues we need to discussa round here, and one of ’em is…what’s the deal with the salmon farms? People ask me why I’m so pushy that wild salmon is OK, and farmed fish are not?

Besides being toxic & making people sick….well, this article this weekend about BC scientist Alexandra Morton will give you the picture. (This matters!)

Hanna Burke (FHHS '07, AMDA '12)

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• Graduating this weekend – Cynthia & Christopher are pretty proud that Hanna’s walking this weekend at graduation – here’s the word from Cynthia:

Hi Ian – Just to let you know Hanna Rose Ohia Burke will be graduating on June 2nd from AMDA – College and Conservatory of Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater.  Hanna will be coming home for a visit and then off again to pursue her career.  Way to go HANNA!

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• Josie & I went out to check the Sustainable San Juans deal on Sunday, and it was cool to hear they had some 150-200 folks drop by throughout the day at Lime Kiln Lighthouse….

It was also something to hear from one of the volunteers at British Camp that they had over 500 visitors as of mid-afternoon Sunday (presumably, more from then through Monday….)

I’m glad they opened a week earlier this year, for this sunny & warm Memorial Day weekend…

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Starts this week!

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This weekend on Saturday & Sunday!

• The San Juan Island Artists Tour is this weekend – wahoo!

Here’s the writeup from last week and here’s their website – if you haven’t done it before, this is the year to start! See you there!

This encaustic painting to the right is by Yvonne Buijs Mancuso….

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• Gonna miss the people who have been doing such a wonderful job, leaving their imprint on the way the island spirit continues to grow – tomorrow is Rebecca Clarke‘s farewell event at Island Rec, and Thursday at 5 there’s an event at the Community Theatre for Merritt Olsen you’re invited to….last week there was a party for the Visitors Bureau’s Robin Jacobson, who did such an awesome job as outreach director.

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• The American Legion’s Minnie Kynch says three girls have been selected for this year’s Girls’ State – here’s the scoop:

Kaylen

Three young women have been chosen to represent Friday Harbor High School and Unit 163 American Legion Auxiliary at Girls State. Sarah Clark, Lita Gislason, and Kaylen Meeker are juniors at Friday Harbor High School. They say they are looking forward to the opportunity to learn more about how our government works and to sharpen their the leadership skills that will help them to better serve their community and high school during their senior year at FHHS.

Girls State Citizen is an honor bestowed each year on a high school junior who has demonstrated good citizenship and leadership qualities and who will make the commitment to return to school as a senior high school student to use what was learned during Girls State for the good of the school and community.

Lita

Girls State is an Americanism and government training program sponsored by the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary. It is a nationwide program for high school students who have just completed their junior year of high school. This program allows teens the opportunity to live together as self-governing citizens and informs them about the duties, privileges, rights, and responsibilities of American citizenship. Through participation, delegates may better understand the functioning of their government and the responsibilities they will assume when they become adults.

Sarah

There are fifteen cities, four counties, and two political parties at Girls State. Each girl is assigned to a city and to either the Nationalist or Federalist Party. Citizens learn through activities, the techniques, advantages and disadvantages of two-party government.

Every girl has a part in the operation of her city. The citizens of each city elect their officials and set up their government. Political parties are organized at the city precinct level and continue through county and state conventions.

Platforms are endorsed and primary and general elections are held. Two girls will be elected United States Senators representing Evergreen Girls State at Girls Nation in Washington  D.C. in July 2005. These U.S. Senators and the Girls State Governor will have additional responsibilities following the end of the session. The Girls State Legislature’s organized upon the principle of the Washington State Legislature.

Bills are introduced and, by legislative process, defeated or enacted into law. Procedures are conducted according to parliamentary rules, and the laws of the State of Washington.

High School Team: Cassidy Quigley, Alex Halliday, Marga Eshelman, Mars Le Baron, Katy Deitzman, Dalton Ayers, Michael Barsamian, Audrey Olshefsky, Matt Mazzarella, Conrad Bormann, and Matt Stepita (not pictured). High School Mentor: Nick Frazee Middle School Team: Griffin Cuomo, Yasmin Sarah, and Lauren Ayers. Middle School Mentor: Jenny Wilson

It was cool to hear from FHHS junior (and heckuva writer) Michael Barsaimian how the ROV teams did this year – here’s the scoop from the competition two weeks ago:

On Saturday, May 12, the Friday Harbor High School ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) Team and the Friday Harbor Middle School ROV Team embarked on a trek down south, to Federal Way, for the 2012 Pacific Northwest MATE ROV Competition. Both teams had spent multiple hours on almost every Sunday for the past six months working on these incredible contraptions, making them able to perform complex tasks, such as surveying a shipwreck site, removing fuel oil from the shipwreck, and many miniscule but difficult tasks in between. To be able to construct a robot capable of optimal performance, the students participating on the ROV teams had to construct appendages of all different shapes, sizes, and capabilities. This forced them to channel their inner engineers to figure out how to solve these complex problems.

Each team had to make a poster for display, give a presentation of their poster and ROV, and participate in two fifteen-minute underwater runs. This was the middle school team’s first year actually competing, due to a snafu in the paperwork department the previous year, preventing them from even travelling to the competition. But they exceeded all expectations and more, earning a very high underwater run score. The high school team’s underwater runs didn’t go as well as they had planned, but it was still an improvement from the previous year’s score.

Both teams had crafted very good quality posters, showcasing all of their work, and explaining the teams’ stances on how to deal with shipwrecks, which was the theme of the 2012 competition. Both teams were able to utilize the massive amount of communications points to propel themselves up towards the front of the pack, score-wise.

In the end, the middle school team earned 4^th place out of 21 teams, but ended up a mere 7.5 points from 2^nd place, which was absolutely incredible for it being their first year. The team also earned the Team Spirit award. Imagine what they’ll do next year!

The high school team, who had received 3^rd place the previous year, earned 6^th place this year. This closely correlates with last year’s score, because in this year’s competition, they doubled the amount of teams able to register in the high school division, making it more difficult to place high. The team knows exactly what it wants to work on to optimize the ROV’s performance for next year’s competition, for higher placement.

This competition has been very rewarding in the fact that it has provided a unique outlet for all of our team’s participants to hone their engineering and scientific skills and to also find out what their future passion may be, be it through the construction of the ROV, the designing of appendages, or the communications requirements.

Both teams would like to thank their mentors, Nick Frazee and Jenny Wilson, for all of the time and effort they put into helping out with every minute detail in this competition.

They would also like to thank the Public Schools Foundation and the Friday Harbor UW Labs for providing the teams with funding, resources, and a place to work. Also, the team would like to thank additional mentors, such as Mike Stepita and Bob Tauscher, for donating their time to helping out with the competition. The high school team would finally like to thank Derek Smith for his extremely helpful scientific expertise in the field of exploring and dealing with shipwrecks.

Transient killer whales yesterday, south of Victoria...photo by Jim Maya

A few things going on:

• Ken & Heather at Xtreme Fitness wondered if you know anyone who could help:

Hi, Ian!

Hope you are doing well! We wanted to ask your help in getting the word out that Xtreme Fitness is looking to hire a part-time child sitter.  We need someone for Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and a couple mornings.  We are looking for someone who is friendly, helpful and enjoys children.  This would be a great job for a student, mom or dad with a young child, or someone who just wants a few extra dollars and a free gym membership.  The job is not seasonal and would continue past summer.  We need someone immediately and will be hiring this week.   Interested individuals can stop by and pick up an application.

Thanks Ian!!!
Ken and Heather

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• You know that Justin Blevins and Tawm Perkowski have been running Skyline Tree Care for four & half years now? (How time flies!) Skyline Tree Care still offers free estimates and are looking to offer the highest standard of tree care….and they have a 100% safety record. Call today at 360-370-5999

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It was fun at Quinn's birthday party a couple of weekends ago!

• Here’s the word from Courtney about horse camp – coming up at Blazing Tree Ranch

DirtStompers Horse Camp Summer 2012 Schedule:
Monday – Friday 9:00am-1:00pm  $190/week $40/day

June 25 – 29: Ages 8 – 12 yrs
July 2 – 6: Ages 4 – 7 yrs
July 9 – 13: Ages 8 – 12 yrs
July 16 – 20: Ages 4 – 7 yrs
July 23 – 27: Ages 8 -12 yrs
July 30 – August 3: Ages 4 -7yrs
August 6 – 10: Ages 8 – 12 yrs (Advanced Riders Camp)
August 13 – 17: No Camp. See you at the fair!
August 20 – 24: 9:00am -1:00pm 4 – 7 yrs • 1:30 – 5:30pm 8 – 12 yrs
August 27 – 31: FULL DAY CAMP 9:00am – 5:00pm
Ages 8 – 12 yrs $290/week  $60/day Please call
378-1364 or email us at [email protected]!

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Barred owl on the garden on Friday....photo by Tamara Weaver

Ken Still is coming this year!

The Celebrity Golf Classic is next weekend! Here’s more from Becki Day:

Islander’s Bank San Juan Celebrity Golf – June 1^st and 2nd

A full list of well known celebrities are on their way to San Juan Island.  It’s the June 1^st and 2nd, 26^th Annual Islanders Bank San Juan Island Celebrity Classic and John O. Linde Memorial, at the San Juan Golf and Country Club. Local non profits help to put this fun event on and everyone is invited to come out to the traditional Salmon BBQ. The BBQ is cooked by the talented John Vevjoda and his team. 400 lbs. of Alaskan salmon is being donated by San Juan Seafood’s once again. Tickets are $25.00. That dinner, and the fun raising auction, annually attended by nearly 400 friends and neighbors, will again be in the big tent out at the golf course starting Saturday night – 5pm for appetizers donated by our generous local restaurants and the salmon dinner at 6pm. Boo Boo Keane will be our lovely auctioneer and MC.

The winning team will enjoy having their names posted on the John Linde Memorial Plaque hanging at Islanders Bank.  This in tribute to our much loved Judge who gave this community so much and always played in the tournament.

The Celebrity Golf Classic and Salmon Barbecue has a star studded cast and is taking shape for a thrilling weekend! Visiting stars include Ken Still, who is a 3 time winner on the PGA Tour. Ken is also a former member of the US Ryder Cup Team. Ken Still has recently been honored as the ambassador for the 2015 United States Open Championship that will be played at Chambers Bay Golf Club in Tacoma, WA. One of our favorite actors, John Aylward, will be returning, along with Sonny Sixkiller, Dick Baird, Craig Terrell, Percy Allen, Shawn McWashington, Alan White, Queensryke’s Eddie Jackson, Jeff Aaron, Brian Perkins, Dave Villwock, Lisa Moretti, Ashley Cartier, The Groz, Lars Sorenson, Jim Moore and more…

For dinner tickets contact Becki Day, 360.298.0458 or [email protected].

Bobby & Julie

They’re open this weekend – Bobby & Julie Ross are opening  The Corner Store Emporium at the corner of Madden and Cattle Point Road this weekend – I dropped by & they sure have a lot of interesting collectibles and furniture, tools, books & much, much more….drop by when you’re coming into town!