Class picture on the hospital bed donated by the convalescent center (from left): Bottom Row: Sarah Clark, Roxanne Borman, Sofya Prewitt, Ciara Jimenez, Sophia Treleven, Chandra Crawford. Top Row: Blythe Parker, Nancy Wilson, Dylan Demaris, Nelson Wynn, Mindy Brandli, Levin Demaris, James Bryner, RN (instructor). Not shown: Elizabeth Taylor, Cheryl Bryner (volunteer assistant instructor)

This is great, not just because it’s happening, but also because it’s happening for a multi-level age group – here’s more from Larry Wight:

Friday Harbor High School has recently started another class for Nurses’ Assistants. This class is especially notable in its breadth of support.

Partners include Aaron Marson at the Life Care Centers of America (the convalescent center), Charlie Anderson of the San Juan Island Community Foundation, and Jim Barnhart of PeaceHealth and Peace Island Hospitals. The students, made up of both adults and youth, will meet Wednesday evenings and many of Sundays acquiring the skills to be certified by the state. Certified nurses’ assistants are the backbone of the health care profession and support every branch of medicine. Furthermore, this certification is required for advancement in the nursing field. This class is designed to assist the convalescent center meet their future employment requirements. In addition, Peace Island Hospital will shortly be hiring several nurses’ assistants and the class is timed to enable them to hire locally. Finally, there are often related nursing assistants opportunities at the Village at the Harbour, all the adult family homes, all the home health care programs, and Hospice.

With the expanding health care opportunities on the Island, it is hoped that this partnership will lead for a more formal set of educational programs involving Skagit Community College or Bellingham Technical College. Contact Larry Wight, San Juan Island School District (622-6586), if you want more information about this class or these future programs.

The parade is set for 1pm! That's kids in last year's parade through town....

It’s one of the fun days of the year….when island old & young & in-between get dressed up & get out on the town. Here are some parts to that:

•The elementary school costume parade is at one pm today – watch for it as it winds through town! Here are the photos from last year, and here are some from 2002, which includes kids who have graduated over the past few years who you’ll recognize.

• Over in the Greenway neighborhood, you’ll want to plan to go around the holes in theground – and some of my favorite stops won’t be in action tonight. Here’s a note from Amy Wynn on Rose Lane:

Ian, It is with deepest regrets that we will not be welcoming trick or treaters at 525 Rose Lane this year.  There is road construction going on in front of our house, a lack of funds for candy for the nearly 500 kids we get each year, and, I hate to admit it, my garage is such a mess I can’t find the beloved “tube of doom” we’ve used over the years to shoot candy from our living room window into the open bags of ghosts and goblins.

But I haven’t given up the Halloween spirit.  I’ll be teaching water aerobics from 5:30-6:30 at San Juan Fitness to an awesome Halloween soundtrack and then heading over to the Bowling Alley to volunteer for the teen party! Have a great one!

Nelson Wynn exjoys the new beach in front of his house over int he Green way neighborhood, as construction continues to put the new drainage pipes in....plan on going around tonight when you bring the kids trick 'r treating!

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• Lot’s of stuff planned – check it out! New this year: The Island Rec Teen Night is moving from its spot at the Fairgrounds to the bowling alley this year, with free bowling & games & free pizza for kids 13 and up – see ya there!

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Got to see Jeff Beck & his band last week in Vancouver….whoa! He’s amazing! This’ll give you a taste:

Here’s the word from education coordinator  Cinday Hansen at The Whale Museum:

Please join us on Wednesday, November 2nd from 4:00 to 5:00 pm as we honor the lives and commemorate the deaths of several Southern Resident orcas.

At this first annual Day of the Dead celebration we will pay tribute to these whales and their legacies.  The Whale Museum will help keep their legacies alive through our new ‘Storykeeper Series’ – limited commemorative packets available in the Museum store, designed to remember those orcas who have gone before.  In the Mexican Day of the Dead tradition refreshments will be provided.

Hope you will join us!

Thanks to Jessica Hagy, Indexed

Here’s a report from Marion:

A HUGE thank you to Terry Whalen, Shalen, Inc. for taking the lead constructing the students’ greenhouse across the street from the high school. About 10 adults, including Chris Wilson, John Stamey and Jim Cole worked with approximated 10 students including Cody Pierce, Ryan Cole and Parker Satin. Construction started on Saturday just as the rain began to lessen and patches of blue sky brightened the day.

We continued on Sunday to experience the joists, supports and finally the door installed. Donations from Browne Lumber and Harbor Rentals helped solve problems as they arose and the work continued seamlessly. This project offers an almost endless variety of educational opportunities for all students and a future of experiential learning that will benefit our community for years to come.

Although we have completed over half the construction, one more weekend will be required to finish the project. We will again need volunteer assistance to complete the greenhouse. Please contact Marion Melville, 378.4179 or [email protected] if you would like to support this project.

Marion Melville

Yesterday's rain was good for the trees & plants & animals of the island...photo by Tamara Weaver.

Lots going on – let’s check & see….

• Sports check: The FHHS girls soccer team (7-7-2) ended their season last night in the first round playoff game at Lynden Christian (11-4-2), losing 2-0. Here’s the story in the Bellingham paper. Good season, girls!

Meanwhile, boys tennis played the first round in Seattle Tuesday night, and doubles team Parker Satin & Hayden Place beat the Vashon doubles team but lost to Seattle Academy & Overlake, and were eliminated; FHHS was represented by Swiss exchange student Sandro Meyer in singles, who beat Coupeville but lost to last year’s state champ from Charles Wright & Seattle Academy. (Looks like if we could stick to public schools, we’d be public schools champ…it’s those private schools that get us….). With the losses, FHHS has no representatives in next spring’s state tournament…congrats on a great season, guys!

• In this nice story profiling our Julie Knight & her work with the oil spill response team here, Oregon Public Broadcasting says, “In this entry, reporter Ashley Ahearn recounts her day spent with a woman she describes as ‘the beating heart’ of an all-volunteer oil-spill readiness group in Washington’s San Juan Islands.” Check it out…

I love Julie’s response to the reporter’s question:

I was thinking about your question ‘why do you do this,’ and I think that many of the people that live and work here year round feel that having a part in protecting and taking care of this place is like taking care of a family member. That is how I feel too for many reasons – the water and quiet surrounding us, the voices of the steller sea lions that I can hear at night over 8 miles away, the air that is flushed and cleaned by the wind and water as it crosses over to the islands, the clean water and all the life that covers every square foot of the solid surfaces below the water (the rocks, and kelp and eelgrass…) and the complete quiet that happens in the middle of the night during the winter (so quiet that you can feel the leftover vibrations from the day dissipating and emanating out through your ears), and the big rock boulders and cliffs that the waves crash into at the south end of the island, where there is sparkling overwhelming energy that fills you when you stand there quietly at night.

Islanders from Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, Stuart & Waldron Islands gather on county dock at Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island, for pre-drill orientation and crew assignments for IOSA (Islands Oils Spill Associatopn). Photo by Jackie Wolf

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• Jan from the middle school PTA has a reminder:

We’re having a “BOO-RIFIC” bake sale THIS Saturday, October 29 from 9 am to 2 pm at Marketplace.  This is a great way for folks to get fresh baked treats for those Halloween festivities this weekend and help us raise money for field trips and student and teacher activities at the same time! See you there.

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• Ready for ghost stories? Here’s what’s happening tomorrow:

Dear Friends of Local History and Historic Preservation:

Following the train in the autumn at English Camp...photo by Tamara Weaver

I am writing to invite you to an interesting event taking place this Friday at 6:30pm at the SJI Library:

Ghost Stories of Historic Friday Harbor

My work involves historical research and outreach to the community about the people and events associated with the town’s historic buildings. We can’t preserve important cultural resources unless people value what they tell us about our history. Events like this one give us a chance to hear fantastic stories about these sites; stories that probably haven’t been documented. Ghost tales passed down over time become valuable as part of the “lore” of the building or site–distinguishable from what we know to be true–but still interesting.

I haven’t experienced the phenomena to be described at the event myself, so I can’t say I believe or not. What does interest me is the story behind the story: What happened to cause people to experience or imagine something extraordinary? Where is the kernel of truth and what compels others to tell and re-tell the story over time.

Ghost stories, tall tales and local lore are part of who we are as a community. If nothing else, they are another of the countless shared experiences that make our place—this place–unique. When they are tied to a building or site, they give us another reason to recall history, to wonder about what came before. This is why these stories are fascinating and why they are relevant to preserving historic buildings and sites.

I hope you will come to this first-time-ever event being sponsored by the San Juan Island Library.

See you there,
Sandy Strehlou, Historic Preservation Coordinator
Town of Friday Harbor

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Reflections of English Camp....photo by Tamara Weaver

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• Only a week till Island Stage Left’s Blithe Spirit opens!

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They're back!

• Battlefield Band is back this Saturday – here’s more from Jan Bollwinkel-Smith at the Community Theatre:

Armed with a new CD and a new band mate, the high-flying Battlefield Band brings their Celtic sounds to the Whittier stage this Saturday, October 29 at 7:30 pm.

The band, which is named after the “Battlefield” area of Glasgow, formed more than 40 years ago and has an international following.  Their first performance on the island was in the early 1990s, and they have consistently been so popular here that this will be their 14th performance!  “Friday Harbor really is one of our longest relationships,” said manager Robin Morton.  “It has always been a great concert, and the band always seems to go down well with the audience.”

That close relationship includes two songs written specifically about the area: Leaving Friday Harbor (also the title of the band’s 1999 album) and Haro Strait.

Saturday’s concert will feature several “firsts”: new tunes from the band’s latest CD, Line-Up and some Gaelic songs (from the Western Hebrides).  Also for first time at a Friday Harbor concert, founder Alan Reid will be missing.  Reid has begun touring on his own. “I know that when Alan made the decision to leave the band, he did say that he would really miss his trips to Friday Harbor and the San Juans,” said Morton.

New to the band this year is Ewen Henderson, who plays fiddle, pipes and whistles, and also sings Gaelic song. Returning performers are vocalist and guitarist Sean O’Donnell; Mike Katz on Highland pipes, small pipes, whistles, guitar and bass; and phenomenal fiddler Alasdair White on whistles, banjo, bouzouki, bodhran and both Highland and small pipes.

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• Paul says it’s time to sign up for the team:

Swim Team Registration Open

Registration has begun for the 2011/2012 San Juan Island Fitness Swim Team.  Tryouts for those who were not on last year’s team will be held on Wednesday, November 2 and Thursday, November 3.

If your child is interested in swimming this year, registration forms can be picked up at San Juan Island Fitness, 435 Argyle Ave.  Deadline for registration is Friday, November 4 at 5:00 p.m.  Due to limited pool space and time, the team is limited to 32 members.  Swim team is open to any child ages 7 to 17.  Registration fees for this year have been reduced to reflect the trying economic times in our community.

For those lacking some basic skills necessary to have a positive swim team experience, there will be a “Seals Team” available.  Seals Team will meet two times per week from November 9 to December 7.

“We’re aiming at 3 meets vs. other regional clubs, two intra-squad meets and a dive clinic and play day at the Anacortes pool.  Our big emphasis this year, aside from building strong swimmers, is to have a lot of fun,” says Paul Hopkins, Orca Coach and owner of San Juan Island Fitness.  “Amy Harold will be heading up the program and coaching the Dolphins.  Her enthusiasm, smile and knowledge are great for the kids.”

More detailed information is posted on their web site at www.sanjuanislandfitness.com or contact San Juan Island Fitness at 378-4449

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• Brickworks Plaza was alight with fabulous food, wonderful music and great company for the 4th Annual Harvest Festival October 16. We celebrated the completion of the plaza (Phase I) and kicked off our fundraising drive for the money needed to begin restoration of the building (Phase II). The evening was a success because of the many businesses and individuals who contributed. The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild and the San Juan Farmers’ Market Association would like to extend hearty THANK YOUs to the following:

Chef Alphonsine Haslet-Phillips and her marvelous crew, Debbie Pigman, Rex and Lisa Guard of the Lazy G Ranch, Gary Gero of Cask and Schooner and Marshall Davis of Schooners North, Guard and Connie Sundstrom of Fir Oak Farm, Elaine Kendall and Ron Zee of Sweet Earth Farms, Susie Wampler, Mark Sheppard of Bakery San Juan, Ron Bates of Best Western, Rebecca Moore of Blue Moon Produce, John Hamilton, Waca Hubber and Stephanie Hubber-Keyes of Cask & Schooner, Anna Maria De Freitas of The Coho Restaurant, Cynthia and Claire Burke of Cynthia’s of Course, Gretchen Allison and Anna Lisa Lindstrum of Duck Soup Inn, Guard and Mike Sundstrom of the Farmers’ Market Meat Wagon, Paul Hopkins of Flagship Rentals, Kyle Nicholson of Friday Harbor House/Bluff, Jai Boreen of Grover’s Greens, Tom Ashcraft of Heuristic Enterprises, Sara and Nick Jones Jones Family Farms, Matt Marinkovich of Matt’s Fresh Fish, Linnea and Steve Bensel of Nootka Rose, Layne Sundberg of Quail Croft, Warwick Hubber of Relish Catering, Alejandra Zacci-Jacobson of Roche Harbor Resort, Angel Michaels of San Juan Pasta, Hawk & Susie Pingree of San Juan Distillery, San Juan Island Grange,  Yvonne Swanburg, Chris Primus and Emily of San Juan Vineyards, Susan and Peter Corning of Synergy Farms, Rob Waldron of Talking Horse Ranch, Joel and Margaret Thorson of Thousand Flower Farms, Becki Day and Julie Strang of Vinny’s Ristorante, Linda Francis, John Stamie and Lenore Bayuk of Wild Bird Bamboo, Ricarda Burnett, Mary Sly, Alison Johnston, David Halpern, Rosa Blair, Jayne Hemmerich, Alison Engle, Margaret Thorson, Nick Nicholson, Robin Blair, Jane Buck, Gourmet’s Galley, Mary Guy McCullough, Ralph Hahn, Mike Cohen, Jim Nollman, Kirk Fuhrmeister, Amanda Brast, Guthrie Tyson, Teddy Deane, Bob Freeauf, Greg Sadowski, San Juan County Fair, Griffin Bay Bookstore staff, Tim Barrette and Laurie Paul of Market Chef and staff, Peter Kilpatrick, Megan Jones, Colleen Howe-Gregory, Jane Burton Bell, Sandy Strehlou, Roger de Roos, Anna Coffelt, Maya Gordon, Paul, Nina and Mars LeBaron, Nick, Therese Finn, Tom Pence, Vivien Burnett, Cam Pennington, Mark Madsen, Kevin Ranker, Ben Goodman, Ellie and Eric Geiger, Lee Sturdivant, Kari Koski, Doug McCutchen, Peggy and Don Weir, Candace, Erik and Lucas Jagel, and Susan Key.

SJI Agricultural Guild
San Juan Farmers’ Market Association

Autumn rain near sunset, looking over the strait...photo by Tamara Weaver

“Great Island Giveaway and Social”
a community recycling/swap meet
at the Mullis Center on Saturday, October 29 2011
Drop off items/Social 10:30 -11:45
Event begins at noon!

Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor is hosting our fourth annual community recycling/ reusing event. The concept of the event is that people will bring good, clean, functional items that they no longer need or want, and in exchange, they can take home other things that they do need or want. Community item donations will be accepted between 10:30 -11:45 and the give away will start promptly at noon. After dropping of items one can stay and enjoy Cafe Femenino organic fair trade coffee with homemade cookies or leave and return for the Giveaway Event.

This project promotes recycling and the re-use: we share the wealth and help Mother Earth by decreasing our consumption and increasing awareness. All items must be clean and functional: no out dated electronics, clothing or shoes. Monitors at the doors will deny items if they don’t fit the criteria. Please bring no more than ten items.

At noon the event begins and we will allow people to take items in exchange for items they brought. Persons who have nothing to donate will not be denied entrance. People without items to donate will be asked to make a small monetary contribution to help defray our costs for space rental. For more information about Soroptimist please visit: www.sifri.org.

For information about this event please call Pat Hansen at 378-3537.

Michael Roger

It was sad to hear of Michael Roger‘s passing on the 20th, last week. Special memories of Michael can be shared at a gathering of friends, neighbors, and family on Wednesday, November 2, 5:00-7:00 pm, at Duck Soup Inn on Roche Harbor Road.

The day he died, Charlie Anderson wrote a few words for our friend:

Today we lost a true friend. We lost one of us who cared. We lost one of us who stood up to the challenges that we as a community face and wouldn’t let go. Today we lost Michael Roger.

We knew him as a champion of affordable housing, as a dedicated advocate for our new Peace Island Medical Center and as a public servant as our elected Public Hospital District Commissioner. Michael worked tirelessly to weave together the fabric of some of our most important institutions, often under the most difficult of circumstances.

So let us not let this moment pass without taking something of Michael with us in our everyday lives. Let us be strong where we need to be and not shy away from the conflicts to challenge our principles and our path. Let us be wise and choose the path which we know, in our own hearts, is the one that is just for all. And in the end let us dedicate ourselves to making this a better world whether it be a new hospital or affordable housing or one of the millions of simple things that would make someone else’s life better.

That was Michael’s way and that is the right way.

There's the work that's being done in the Greenway subdivision to put in the drainage pipes (yay!) to keep the streets from flooding, as they have for 2-3 decades...the excavating was a couple of feet deep when the rains came last weekend, so Malcolm Wynn got out his kayak for a little paddle up the street.

Let’s see what’s going on ’round here….

• Mike Vouri (left, with Mike Cohen & Chris DeStaffany) offers his “Life & Times of General Pickett” tonight at the Community Theatre as a benefit to raise money to help Darlene Wahl with her battle with cancer. The Rumor Mill is also donating 10% of tonight’s proceeds (from 4pm-11pm), so that’s a good place to have dinner before the show! Here’s more.

• Sports check: The playoffs begin today for the FHHS soccer girls, as they head to the mainland for their game with Lynden Christian this afternoon…they had a nice run of a 5-0 win over Orcas, a 3-2 win over Bear Creek before losing 2-1 this Monday with LaConner.

Meanwhile, the volleyball team heads to the playoffs on Saturday off-island, while the football guyscome off last weekend’s wild 36-35 loss to Lynden Christian (we beat ’em 40-20 the first time – that’s a lot of points for us, in two games!) to play Kings on Friday to start the playoffs.

Just a little fog left in the marina earlier this week as the ferry comes in....photo by Kevin Holmes.

Kristine Lytton

This will be a good one to attend – here’s more from Dot Vandaveer:

The San Juan Island Garden Club will be hosting Washington State Representative Kristine Lytton as the speaker for our regular monthly meeting to be held November 1, 2011 at 1 p.m. at the Mullis Center. As a Member of the Agricultural Resources committee, she will be speaking to agricultural issues that are unique and that are affecting our growing environment.  Coffee, tea, and dessert will be provided.

RSVP is necessary since seating is very limited.  Please RSVP to Joyce Harrell (378-6146) or to Dot Vandaveer (378-8306) no later than Friday October 28.

One of the highlights of the year is the elementary school's costume parade through Town at one pm on Monday. See you there!

Do you have this on your radar?

• The Halloween Parade for the elementary school is set for next Monday at 1pm through Town…don’t miss it!

• You know the Greenway neighborhood is having some street repair, right? Might want to factor that into your plans for trick or treatin’ on Monday night….

• On Saturday, there are Halloween Parties at Herb’s Tavern (with The Tease playing) and at The Rumor Mill (who feature the Chameleons.)

• Meanwhile, Alyssa Hallock tells me there’s a special get-together on Halloween Monday:

Calvary Chapel San Juan (on the corner of Guard and Tucker) is putting on a concert featuring The New Divide Halloween night at 7:30, admission is free and the event will include a personal message from Pastor Joe Gamez entitled “From Grunge to Gospel”. If you could include this information on your website it would be greatly appreciated and provide a safe alternative for teenagers on Halloween night.

• And…this year’s Island Rec Teen Night will be at the bowling alley:

Teens! Grab your friends and get your costumes ready for this year’s Teen Black Light Bowling Halloween Party at Paradise Lanes! FREE pizza and bowling! Costume contests, prizes and more…7:30-9:30 pm, October 31st, OPEN TO AGES 13 & UP.

And…by the way – Rebecca could use a hand with chaperones. Got some time? Call her at 378-4953.

• Meanwhile, the annual Harvest Festival is on – here’s more from Kris:

Harvest Festival

OCTOBER 31, 5:30-7:30 pm
Friday Harbor Elementary School Gym

GAME BOOTHS:
Dart Dare • Shooting Range • Mini-Golf
Fishing • and more!

FOOD BOOTHS: Hot dogs • Cookies • Popcorn • Beverages • Pie Area for adults

PHOTO BOOTH (pick up pictures before you leave)

It’s a safe, kid-friendly, family-oriented alternative to scary Halloween parties. Our goal is to provide a safe but fun place for toddlers, preschool & elementary age children to experience the fun of trick-or-treating without the crowded streets & scary costumes of older kids.

Started as a Harvest party more than 20 years ago by Islands Community Church, this year we are moving to town with the help of volunteers from:
• Calvary Chapel SJ • Christ the King FH • FH Presbyterian • In-Focus Family Ministries
• Lighthouse Preschool • Paideia Classical School • Transformation Assembly of God.