Living on an island is cool, but living on a literate island is even cooler.  Here are four books (including three presentations) that I know you like. Here’s the scoop:

• Nancy at Griffin Bay Bookstore reports they’re presenting Caryl Sherpa this Friday (the 2nd) at 7pm…here’s more:

I TASTE FIRE, EARTH, RAIN:
Elements of a Life with a Sherpa
by Caryl Sherpa

Griffin Bay Bookstore and the San Juan Island Library are co-sponsoring an evening with author Caryl Sherpa at Griffin Bay Bookstore on Friday night, December 2, 7:00 pm at the bookstore. This promises to be an exciting and inspiring program.  Anyone who has traveled in and or trekked around the Himalaya should not miss the Caryl Sherpa’s book talk and slide show of  a region of unforgettable majesty.

This Friday!

I TASTE FIRE, EARTH, RAIN: Elements of a Life with a Sherpa

Sometimes one is ready to take risks, accept the unexpected, and commit to a dramatically altered life.  Caryl Thornton leaves Los Angeles and begins her journey around the world, open to the new and ready for adventure. As she treks around the Annapurna Mountains of Nepal, she finds herself attracted to her Sherpa trekking guide, Nima. She denies her feelings for Nima, but as she comes to know the land and the Sherpas, she falls in love with Nima, his country, his people, and their joy. Together, Caryl and Nima struggle to find balance in Los Angeles and Ann Arbor, but it is on their return to Nima’s homeland near Mount Everest that they both come to terms with who they have now become. This is an inspiring story of love, cultural exploration, the importance of place, finding one’s faith, and the revelation that in the Himalaya, anything is possible.

Fire, earth, and rain represent a triumvirate of three of the five elements of Tibetan Buddhist astrology that sustains life. Fire is heat, light, and passion: earth is our foundation: rain purifies and sustains. Together, Caryl and Nima welcomed the elements of fire, earth, rain, which allowed them to grow, flourish, and transform.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After Caryl traveled around the world in 1991, she returned with a story to tell and a desire to write. Since her return, she has studied with teachers at the University of California Los Angeles and at Richard Hugo House in Seattle, as well as at workshops around the country.  Her teachers have included Kathleen Alcalá, Bernard Cooper, Philip Lopate, and Terry Tempest Williams. Her passion is for Nepal, its people, and its culture, and especially that of the Sherpa after she met and married her trekking guide, Nima Sherpa. For six years, Caryl and Nima ran Himalayan Discovery, a trekking company. Whether they go with clients or alone, Caryl and Nima trek often in the Himalayan regions of Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan.

Caryl writes to inspire others to move towards “a broadening of consciousness, the ultimate destination after any journey.” She intends to never stop traveling, and so her migration continues. In 2012, Caryl plans to spend more time in Nepal among farm fields, family, and mountains, so she may continue to write about what she loves—the Himalaya, the Sherpa, and their joy.

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• Here’s a new one from Monika – here’s more from The Whale Museum’s Jenny Atkinson:

A Guide to Birds of San Juan Island
Book Signing on December 3 with Monika Wieland

Come see Monika on Saturday!

Come to The Whale Museum on Saturday, December 3rd, from 1:00-3:00pm for a book signing of the newly released book A Guide to Birds of San Juan Island by local author Monika Wieland.  This book will make a great gift for any nature lover!

San Juan Island is a diverse place made up of a wide variety of habitats: shorelines, farmlands, forests, and prairies. As a result, over 300 bird species have been documented here. Whether a budding nature enthusiast, an advanced birder or somewhere in between, A Guide to Birds of San Juan Island will provide details about all of the birds that can be seen here and where to find them. Part species guide and part site guide, Monika Wieland’s book will help residents and visitors alike discover more about the bird life of San Juan Island.

Wieland is a naturalist, wildlife photographer and nature writer who lives in Friday Harbor, Washington. In 2007 she received a degree in biology from Reed College and published her first book, Orca Encounters. A bird watcher from a young age, she has observed San Juan Island bird life for the last decade. She blogs at www.orcawatcher.com.

“A good local field guide ranks right up there with binoculars in the birdwatcher’s toolbox.  Monika Wieland’s book will be a great asset to anyone exploring San Juan Island in search of birds.” –  Thor Hanson, author of Feathers: the Evolution of a Natural Miracle.

The event is free and open to the public, although donations are encouraged.  Light refreshments will be available.  For more information, call 360-378-4710 ext.30.  The Whale Museum is located in Friday Harbor at 62 First St. N.  Founded in 1976, The Whale Museum’s mission is to promote stewardship of whales through education and research.  The Whale Museum can be found on-line at www.whalemuseum.org.

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Jim Lawrence...photo by Joan Benney

• Nancy at Griffin Bay Bookstore reports they’re presenting Jim Lawrence this Sunday (the 4th) at 7pm…here’s more:

Callused Hands Hungry Heart:
Memoir of a Fisherman Farmer
by Jim Lawrence

Griffin Bay Bookstore and the San Juan Island Library are co-sponsoring a special evening with San Juan Island’s Jim Lawrence, first-time author and well-known farmer and fisherman on Sunday, December 4, 7:00 pm at Griffin Bay Bookstore.

In Callused Hands Hungry Heart Jim Lawrence writes movingly of his younger self, his quest for meaning and purpose.

Born the second son of a hard-charging doctor, Jim was unable to respond to the pressures and opportunities of his middle class upbringing. A learning disability kept him from functioning well in school, which fueled disappointment at home. The resulting tension led to bouts of physical illness for Jim.

Parts of Callused Hands Hungry Heart are reminiscent of John Krakauer’s Into the Wild. Jim, like Chris McCandless, leaves it all behind and unplugs from  his well-fed, well-bred upbringing, rejects the main staves of the American dream and wanders into the wilderness of adventure in search of a meaningful life. Jim struggles to learn new skills for survival, from logging forests of the great Northwest, to fishing commercially and working relentless hours in fish canneries, to living on a remote Aleutian Island, and hopping freights across the country.

Eventually the wine and poetry of rural living, and a childhood dream of farming lead him to buying a small piece land on San Juan Island. This is where he finds his renaissance with a life of purposeful work and great meaning. He does this by building a cabin, barns, and fences. “My hands are how I will do this life,” he discovers. With very little money Jim carves out a farm high in ideals and theory. 30 years before words like “sustainable,” “organic,” and “local” were household terms, Jim was one of the “back to the landers,” honing the skills required of this lifestyle.

This is a story of perseverance, romance, adventure, and the inevitable mistakes made while traversing the road less traveled.

Jim has many stories to tell, skills and inspiration to pass on. His hands may be worn and gnarled, but his heart is full and it’s open to telling us what it was like to lead life with your hands, and what it has taught him over the years. His stories describe a particular slice of island history, a time during the 1970s when an adventurous group of young people came to San Juan Island to pursue a handmade life.

Excerpts of this book have been published in the Sun magazine.

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Anne's latest book

• I sure enjoyed Anne L. Watson’s last novel Joy (here’s my review), and this sounds like a a winner as well – here’s more from Aaron Shepard:

THE LUXURY OF HANDMADE LOTION

Do you love the feel of a good lotion but find yourself unhappy with the cost, or wary of the chemical ingredients? Do you ever wonder if you could make it for yourself at home? Are you afraid to try because the lotion might not turn out well, or might even be unsafe?

Local author Anne L. Watson’s “Smart Soapmaking” was the first book based on modern techniques that eliminate the drudgery and guesswork from home soapmaking. Now, by popular demand, she continues her handcraft cosmetics revolution with “Smart Lotionmaking,” the first practical, comprehensive book on making lotion.

You can order “Smart Lotionmaking” now from your favorite bookseller. Or find out more from Anne’s Web site, at www.annelwatson.com.

Art and Imagination
by Teddy Deane

What will the next 50 years be like for the kids of today? An educated guess suggests that it will be more multinational, multicultural, digital, real, virtual, and it will use music and images as much as words. It will be both more hopeful and more frightening than any era in the past and, due to the now projected 8 billion humans in 2050, insanely competitive. The coin of the realm in this world will be ideas; ideas born out of creative thinking and concentrated, cultivated, heightened imagination. Continue Reading

There are two parts to this posting, which contains two messages from San Juan Island School Superintendent Rick Thompson….I hope you get time to read them both. The first addresses the proposed budget cuts to schools at the state level, and the second details the recommendations adopted by the Board for the Capital and Technology Levy  in February. Here’s more:

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District Bracing for More State Cuts to K-12 Education

For the last several years, we have tried to make the community aware of the state funding cuts to basic education which have a direct impact on our classrooms.  Continue Reading

It was time for the Printonyx staff lunch on Friday, as Kris, Jonathan & Jeff closed up so they could get out on the busy town....

Let’s take a look around this island:

• I hear Carolyn Adler is staying on the mainland, resting after last week’s knee surgery…get well, friend! Can you feel the island cheering for you?

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Just opened last Friday....

• Let’s see if we can get all these moves straight – stay with me now:

– Softwear closed in the summer; the new General Store convenience store opened this last week in that spot.

– Mi Casita is re-locating over at the Best Western, where Homesteaders was last year & the PepperMill before that.

– Castaways Consignment has moved from Surina Business Park to where Compost-It was.

– Judith Carter opened the Barking Bird in the old Fat Cat/Latitude 48 building.

– The Mystical Mermaid opened a couple of weeks ago next to Nash Brothers Sporting Goods, in the spot where Robin’s Nest used to be; Robin is now a few spots down in the old SpringTree/Concepia/IMA spot.

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FHHS grads Ryan (left), Brooke & Alex came home to the island for the holiday from college last weekend....

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• You know the feds are considering creating the San Juan Islands National Conservation Area (that would be us!), right? Here’s more, from the Spokane Spokesman-Review.

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Help Santa with his bike presents....

• Got this note from Santa – check it out!

Northwest Safety First, Travel Light Cycles, Consignment Treasures, and the San Juan Island Grange have joined forces to provide Santa with bicycles for Island kids for the Holidays.

We have been collecting previously-peddled bicycles; giving them some TLC and now we’re looking for new homes with kids to ride them.  If you or someone you know would give a safe and responsible home for one of these bicycles & one tricycle, here’s what you do……

Write us a letter as to why you or someone you know should be the proud owner of one of these bicycles.  Here’s your opportunity to be Santa’s helper.  Do you know of someone who could really use a bicycle?  Be sure to include your/their age, contact information and other details.  Bicycles will be delivered on Sunday, Dec.18th.

Send your letters to Santa by December 10th at: Santa’s Cycles, P. O. Box 457, Friday Harbor, WA  98250 or Email: santa(at)rockisland.com
Join the movement…..  Pedal Power or Bust!!!!

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Remember Traci Mullis? She came home to see the family, and brought Kris and little Conrad with her....

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• Tracy Roberson & the bike committee welcome you to come help out:

On Tuesday November 29, at 5 pm at Whidbey Island Bank Community meeting room we will have a short meeting about the Spring Bicycle Tune-up.  If you are interested in helping with the planning and organizing of this event, we would love to see you on Tuesday, we are always looking for new energy and ideas.  The event date has been tentatively set for March 31, 2012.

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• Jessica Merlino says her kid liked last weekend’s Santa deal: “Thank you King’s/King’s Marine for sponsoring Santa’s visit on Saturday. Tristan‘s first Santa experience was great. Kudos to the elves for the beautiful and festive decorations!”

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Kates, united: Katie Chevalier and Kate Fyrqvist (WSU '12) got together over at the Holidat Marketplace over the weekend....

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• Pets on the loose – first, here’s the word from Carolyn Leighton at Sandpebble:

Our family friends are missing their cat. He is black, short haired, and isn’t wearing a collar. He went missing about a month ago from their home on Harbor Street. They are worried sick. We are hoping that someone took him in and just need to know where to return him to. Please contact me if you have any leads. Thanks!

And then a friend reports a dog they turned into the Animal Shelter:

If anyone lost an old chocolate Labrador Retriever, he was picked up wandering on Cattle Point Road Friday night. Red collar, no tags. Sweet old guy. He is at the Friday Harbor Animal Protection Society shelter. He’d sure like to go home.

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That's Patrick at Kings Market getting things ready for the season....

• Kirk has a show – be sure & go! Here’s mo:

Greetings lovers of live music,

Isle be Jammin’ Performer’s Showcase is pleased to announce two upcoming  musical events. Knowing full well that the Holidays are packed with activities, this heads up will allow you wonderful people a chance  to mark your calendars early.   TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE .$10

Thursday December 1st at 7:00pm at Isle be Jammin’ Performer’s Showcase

Two time US NATIONAL  SCOTTISH FIDDLE CHAMPION  BRANDON VANCE with
Multi-instrumentalist, guitar and piano  MARK MINKLER

Presenting tunes from their recent CD Beyond the Borders

These two gifted musicians will be on stage together, as they have been for the last few years after meeting at the National Scottish Fiddle Championships.

Here is a passage from the liner notes:
” ……From the very outset, we have both felt the freedom to allow the subtle influences from classical and jazz idioms to seep into our music making. Our music is a lively mix of traditional Scottish, Irish and Cape Breton fiddle music as well as original tunes.”   Mark and Brandon
If you enjoy Celtic Music, fiddle and guitar and piano expertly played, this concert is for you. The up close and personal setting at Isle be Jammin’ makes for a wonderful evening of music. Refreshments will be served at intermission. Tickets on Sale Now $10.

Next event:

Stanley Greenthal and Friends CD Release Event and Winter Solstice Concert

Saturday Dec 18th .  Time 7pm  at Isle be Jammin’ Performer’s Showcase.  A full band of merry folks plays for your holiday pleasure. Great assemblage of fine players!  More info to follow!
Tickets on sale Now! $10
Happy Holidays,
Kirk

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Next Wednesday!

• The high school’s community dinner is next week – here’s more from Liz:

Wednesday December 7th 5:30 – 7:30 in the High School Commons

The Chef 1.0 student interns and the Food for Thought Program will present a FANTASTIC meal featuring some local products, and the Baking Class is hard at work making appetizers and dessert.

The Menu:
Appetizer- The Baking Class is making crunchy breadsticks with a twist!

Dinner- The Food for Thought Program is presenting Smoked Salmon Cannelloni with house-smoked local Salmon from Matt’s Fresh Fish stuffed inside pasta sheets from the San Juan Pasta Co. Roasted Vegetables, Garden Salad and Fresh Baked Dinner Rolls will accompany.

Dessert- The Baking Class is preparing Tiramisu Cheesecake with a vanilla-gharam cracker crust and espresso-chocolate drizzle! WOW!

Suggested Donation $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12
Proceeds support the Chef 1.0 Student Internship, Food for Thought Lunch Program and the Baking Class

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Kylie Foster (right) dropped in for the holiday last week, with mom MaryEllen....

• Looking for a quiet place to sit & reflect on the season? Here’s more from David Bentley at St. David’s Episcopal Church:

Come to the Quiet.

As the holiday season bustles around us, the Lutheran Church in the San Juans and Saint David’s Episcopal Church invite you to take some time out and enjoy the quiet. On each of the four Wednesdays during Advent – the season of hope-fill waiting for the promises of Christmas – the community is invited to join us for a brief candle lit evening service of quiet, simple prayers, readings and song. 6 p.m. at St. David’s Church on the Corner of Park and Marguerite – November 30, December 7, 14 and 21. Join us!

That was the way of the wind, that weekend....

This is so cool – Norris Palmer wrote up his experience with the “Around the County” Race at the first of the month to share – here’s the story with his pictures (thanks, Norris!):

Norris Palmer

Around the County
A Participant’s Experience

Ever since we have been a member of the Friday Harbor Sailing Club, we have helped host the Orcas Island Yacht Club’s “Around the County” annual race.  It was always exciting to see these sailors drenching wet and cold come in from some really gnarly weather in the San Juans with huge smiles and hungry appetites, and wondering just how rough it was.

The weather in the San Juans starts getting wintery right upon the day of the Round the County Race or a couple of days before.  It gets windy, lots of waves, rain, cold, and foggy.  Imagine sitting out on the rail of a 30 ft. boat for 8 hours during all of that and having fun doing it.

This year we decided to see what the event was like using our 28,000 pound Fisher 34 pilot house Fragile Habitat, complete with diesel heaters, windshield wipers, and lots of room for errors.

The race was to begin in Rosario Channel at a buoy off the East side of Orcas called Lydia Shoal the next morning at 8:40 a.m.

On Friday, with a crew of three, we departed Roche Harbor going out the North entrance into 20 ft. deep water with 25 to 35 gusts head on.  The waves were rolling and breaking, something you don’t normally see in the waters around here.  Choppy; yes, breaking; no.

The nose of the Fisher was up and down like one of those bobbing head toys.  The windshield wipers were on full blast until we could make the turn to take the weather to our stern breezing down Spieden Channel.

Red sky...

We cleared Flat Top Island at the East end of Spieden and thought we could get tamer water in the lea but to no avail.  It was really blowing.  We put out a storm jib and rode the swells headed towards Deer Harbor.  This was not the San Juan Islands in the Tourism book.  This was the real Pacific Northwest turning into winter! Continue Reading

The season is upon us!

Just heard from Peggy at The Chamber of Commerce what’s on tap for this week & this month – here’s the deal:

Wolf Hollow and the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce
Co-sponsor the first annual “Twelve Days of Christmas” Pageant
December 1-31, on San Juan Island
Twelve island businesses will participate by hosting a lighted display representing one of the twelve days of Christmas. Each of these businesses will have maps available showing each of the display sites. Folks are encouraged to visit each of the locations and complete the questionnaire on the reverse side of the map to be entered into a drawing for a gift basket containing a gift from each of the participating businesses.

The completed questionnaires can be dropped at the Chamber of Commerce prior to
December 31 for your chance to  win a gift basket.

Friday Harbor Lighted Holiday Parade
Friday, December 2, 2011
The Friday Harbor Fire Department is bringing Santa Claus and his helpers to town!
Parade Line-Up: Begins at 4:15 pm. Parade begins at 4:30 pm. Please have your designated group leader check-in with the parade marshals at the corner of Second and West Street. The Parade goes to Spring Street, and ends at Memorial Park, at approximately 5:00 pm for the Tree Lighting Celebration.
Contact the Chamber to Enter. It’s Free! 378-5240

Holiday Decorating Contest
Celebrate your Christmas Spirit! Join your fellow downtown businesses in decorating our town. Entries & fees are due Wednesday, November 30 at 5:00 pm, with judging set for Thursday, December 1st. Prizes will be awarded and the Grand Prize winner will have the opportunity to turn on the lights during the Tree Lighting ceremony on December 2 at 5:30 pm, at Memorial Park.

Friday Harbor Tree Lighting Celebration
5:00 pm – Holiday Music and Sing-a long
Children’s Creative Center ~ crafting holiday tree ornaments,
Hosted by Island Rec in the Arcade Building
Cookies & Coffee ~ Hosted by Soroptimists, Spring Street
Kiwanis Club of Friday Harbor  – K-Boose Hot Dogs!
Bring Your Camera for Photos with Santa at Memorial Park,
and bring your donation of cash or food items for our local Food Bank.
5:30 pm Tree Lighting Ceremony

Barbara (far right) and the Lions & Kings staff get ready to head to the Food Bank....

It was cool to see that Barbara Cable won the Shopping Spree this year – I asked her how it went last week, and here’s her report:

It was such a surprise to win the Lions’ Shopping Spree at King’s, and such a pleasure to share my good fortune with the Food Bank.  Because of my work with the San Juan Island Community Foundation, I know that the Food Bank has been serving an ever increasing number of clients.

I asked Pat Vannest of the Food Bank what items would be most useful, and then went to King’s on Monday to map out my spree.

On Tuesday, with the Lions and Leos manning shopping carts and stop watches, I had four minutes to select flour, sugar, laundry detergent, paper towels, and numerous other needed items.  Those four minutes went really fast!  Then the boxes were loaded into our car, and Tom and I were off to deposit our treasures at the Food Bank.

This was, of course, a fundraiser for the Lions.  After paying my $736.33 bill, the rest of the money from ticket sales was earmarked for scholarships.  It turned out to be a true win-win situation for our island.

Thank you to the Lions for supporting our community in so many ways!

Joseph offers me a closeup of his glasswork...

It was great. Another gathering of the tribe.

Checking out the salves....

For the 33rd year, the Island Artisans Holiday Marketplace brought hundreds of islanders together for two days at the elementary school. The incredible variety of different folks’ craft & art on display made for a holiday atmosphere; it was fun to catch up with friends & family & returning students & sometimes people from other islands.

In the picture below, Aaron Shepard re-defines art of art, as he makes a beautiful photo of the Evensong Soaps’ booth’s products….you can see more of his work in his portfolio here.

The things that craftspeople were showing were artistic displays in themselves - this is Linda Francis' Evensong Soap....photo by Aaron Shepherd.

I got a chance to stroll around & visit pretty much everyone’s booth, and got pictures of most of the 50+ vendors so you could get a sense of the flavor of the day…see who you know!

Bill, on the move!

Just got this press release that puts a spotlight on Bill Ament – check it out:

Bill Ament, well known in Friday Harbor as a dancer and teacher for children, teens and adults in Dance Happy and Zumba, became part of a music video released by Zimmer, a worldwide joint replacement company, who provided Bill with the product for his full right hip replacement last August, 2009.  He was recently selected along with 14 other participants nationwide to be part of this video project.

Zimmer is the world leader in musculoskeletal health and the creators of innovative and personalized joint replacement technologies.  After nearly a century Zimmer continues to restore mobility, alleviate pain, and help millions around the world find renewed vitality.

That’s exactly what happened to Ament.  After 3 years of pain and suffering, thinking that his dance days were over, Bill surrendered to a full right hip replacement.  Continue Reading

One of the cooler deals here on the island: High school students who put in a certain amount of community service volunteer time can receive financial help from Dollars for Scholars…and now DFS has a new website. Here’s more from Maude at the School District:

The site is live!

Dollars for Scholars Annual Fund Raising Campaign and New Website

Every December, Dollars for Scholars San Juan Island holds it annual Letter Campaign to solicit donations to its scholarship fund. Dollars for Scholars (DFS-SJI) provides scholarships to graduating San Juan Island seniors who have completed a minimum of 80 hours of volunteer community service during their high school career.

These scholarships are not based upon grades, but solely upon the student’s volunteer efforts to make our own community a better place to live. This allows every student the opportunity to qualify for a scholarship to use toward their higher education, including trade schools, just by their participation of giving personal time and effort for the benefit of the San Juan Island community. In 2010, thirteen graduating seniors received scholarships and over the past 10 years, DFS-SJI has awarded over $150,000 in scholarships.

DFS is on the WEB!

This year Dollars for Scholars San Juan Island has finally made it to the web!  The new site is making it easier than ever to bring students and non-profit organizations together to further the mission of community volunteerism.

The center of the website is a calendar where community organizations can post volunteer opportunities for students.  DFS is currently reaching out to all San Juan Island non-profit and community organizations.  If your non-profit group has an event or opportunity which needs volunteers, please visit www.dollarsforscholarssji.org and register to become part of their network.

Please Support Scholarship through Volunteerism!

If you do not receive a letter directly from DFS this December, you can still make a tax deductible donation through the secure “Donate Here” button on the website.  By making a donation to the DFS-SJI Scholarship Fund, you contribute directly to encouraging young people to become the next generation of volunteers and leaders.

Through fulfilling the mission of providing meaningful scholarships for students, you and DFS-SJI bring full circle the goal of increasing the amount of volunteerism in our community.

Dollars for Scholars is a registered 501 (3) c non-profit organization so your donation is fully tax deductible.

Just heard from Dot that the regular meeting for December will be an hour earlier & a potluck – here’s more:

The San Juan Island Garden Club will be meeting on Tuesday, December 6, at the Mullis Center AT NOON (not our usual 1 p.m. meeting time).  This is our annual Holiday Potluck and we ask each attendee to bring a food item for the food bank and an unwrapped toy for the Kiwanis Toy Drive.

We also ask everyone to bring a special dish to share. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Dot Vandaveer (378-8306) or to Joyce Harrell (378-6146) no later than December 3, 2011.

It’s always good to hear what local songbird Rhiana Franklin is up to (the FHHS senior was just named to the all-league team as second-team goalkeeper, too!) and the songs just keep coming – here’s her new one, for which she says:

Hey everyone! This is my new song “The Closest I’ve Ever Been” – no music video yet, so a slide show with some of my favorite moments and people will have to do for now!

Just got this note from Howie & the County Council – it’s our chance to give the ferry folks input:

SAN JUAN FERRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Washington State Ferries will be holding a public meeting on Thursday Dec. 1 from 5:30-7:00 PM at the County Council Chambers, 55 2nd Street in Friday Harbor.

This meeting, meant for both the San Juans and Anacortes, will be streamed live from the county website, here.

David Moseley, Assistant Secretary for Transportation and head of WSF, will attend along with members of his management team, and will make a presentation on state and local ferry issues. There will be ample opportunity for questions and feedback, either in person or via email for those watching the video.

Please attend in person if you can. “We know the evening ferry schedule leaves something to be desired, but it is important to make our voices heard and let ferries know what is working, and what is not,” said Jim Corenman, FAC Co-Chair. If you cannot attend in person, then please tune in to the video and send questions and comments via email.

The email address for questions will be announced and posted on the video page during the meeting.  Recent adjustments to the county video streaming should help those with limited bandwidth. See the FAC web page at http://sanjuanco.com/fac for more details.

“If there are specific topics or issues that you would like to see covered, please send them to us via email to: fac (at) sanjuanco.com and we’ll pass them on to WSF,” Corenman suggested.

“For the record, we’ve been repeatedly assured that there will be plenty of opportunity for public input before anything is decided,” Corenman reported.

Just a couple of little plugs:

If you’ve been dodging the crowds that have been going to Blithe Spirit at the Fairgrounds, go to the matinee today at 4pm. After this weekend, there’s only one weekend left!

And…tonight at the Rumor Mill, Steve, Tom, Jerry & Ken (together they are the Rocky Bay Boys) are playing from 6-9pm.

You’ve been home too much – time to get out!

Emily tries out one of Keith Keyser's rocking chairs at the Holiday Marketplace at the elementary school yesterday...the fair continues today till four!

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The Kiwanis Club's K-boose is posted out front of the movie theatre today (and yesterday) to sell hot dogs to help raise money for the Toy Drive for Kids...they'll be open to day from 11-3 - drop by!

It was great to go & hang out with the hundreds of folks who came to the Grange yesterday for Thanksgiving dinner – great food, great volunteers & crew (thanks, Jim & Minnie!) and great company…can’t go wrong when islanders come together! Here’s a little movie so you can get an idea of a few of the folks who dropped by (sorry that Kevin & I didn’t get everyone – there were hundreds!)

Check it out: