Yesterday Erin took a group of 30 Road Scholars around the park & lighthouse...and the killer whales dropped by during her presentation.
Well, here’s a good case of putting two good things together – remember earlier this year I told you how the Center for Whale Research was extending its outreach program at Lime Kiln State Park, with Erin Corra as the point person in the program (here’s that story, posted in April)…now there’s a fundraiser on Tuesday night at 6 featuring Elephant Revival, who played here back in April at the Community Theatre…they’re back from Colorado & you’ll love them!
Erin’s doing a super job & this is a chance to hear great music, get outside, and help good things keep happening at the park. Here are the details for the concert – see you there!
Because I do a little bit of Internet stuff, I’ve gotten to know Mike Hall through Rock Island, and I gotta say, it was always a pleasure to work with him. He always looked after whatever I needed, and his expertise and straightforward way of problem solving made me glad to know him.
Mike, you’ll be missed.
Here’s the writeup of his life that was submitted:
MICHAEL HALL July 23, 1953 – July 4, 2011
Michael was born in Jacksonville, Florida, but grew up in Minnesota. He joined the Navy with the expectation of seeking adventure on the high seas and in exotic ports around the world. He spent 1 week at sea in U.S. waters, and that was the extent of his adventures with the Navy.
Michael was extremely smart and excelled in engineering, computers and anything electronic. He was always experimenting with different devices and making new items. He was constantly upgrading stereo, television, and computer equipment. He had several inventions that were patented and are still in use today.
Michael had a passion for music. His collection of CDs was eclectic and vast. He loved movies and enjoyed going to our local movie theatre. He had a large collection of DVDs. In his life, an excellent entertainment center was mandatory.
Michael moved to Friday Harbor in 1996 from Minnesota. The only people he knew here were his mother and her husband. He arrived in a huge Oldsmobile covered in dirt and grime from the long drive.
Michael soon made his way to Rock Island Technology Solutions to sign up for Internet service. It quickly became apparent to Mike Greene, the owner of Rock Island, that Michael had great knowledge and experience with computer systems. Michael was soon working full time at Rock Island. He was instrumental in designing and developing many of the services that Rock Island customers and clients use to this day.
Michael was well known at many of our local cafés since he went out to eat breakfast every day. He was easy to spot due to his severely curved spine (a type of painful rheumatoid arthritis) and the presence of his blue and gold macaw, Cosmo, on his arm.
Michael was very modest about his accomplishments. He was a caring and giving person. Mike Greene is correct in saying that Michael was a real gem. Ron Hall, Michael’s brother, stated that Friday Harbor was the place where Michael was accepted, respected, and loved for the special man he was.
He will be greatly missed by his Rock Island family, his clients, his animal family at F.H. Pet Supplies, his friends with whom he played trivia, and all the people in our community who knew Michael.
Michael is survived by his brother, Ron Hall, who resides in Minnesota, plus 3 birds and 1 cat.
Anyone wishing to give a donation in Michael Hall’s name may do so at our local Animal Shelter.
Everybody say "cheese"...then click on the photo for a larger version...
One of the cool things about Roche Harbor is seeing so many local folks mixed in with folks who come to the island to work for the summer, all out in the sun…looks like the marina staff was getting together for a photo when I walked by on the Fourth, with everyone in their Fourth of July tee shirts.
It’s one of the great things to do between now and the Fair – every Wednesday night at the Historical Museum. Be sure & bring a blanket or jacket (starts to get cooler as the sun goes down), and we’ll see you there at 6:30pm!
There's no such thing as old news...I know it was a month ago, but I'm still proud of our Griffin Bay High graduates. The alternative school's grads included (from left) Wilson Schubert, Zoe Stone, Tara Snyder, Shelby Estrada, and Oliver Strasser, just before the ceremony. Susan Stehn tells me commencement was great and included live music from Amanda Brast and awards and scholarships presented by Rick Thompson, Janet Olsen, the Legion Auxiliary, CenturyLink, Islanders Bank, and the Lions Club. Photo by Joan Benney. Way to go, you guys!
Let’s look around….
• There’s a bit of this going around: Seems to me over the past 2-3 weeks people have been telling me that they’re bugged by somebody – their kid, husband, girlfriend, buddy – who interrupts whatever cool thing they’re doing with a cell phone call.
Having a nice conversation & getting interrupted by a friend who “has to take this one.” Eating dinner with someone who is more responsive to their cell than to the food & talk at hand. Even a friend who said he came to the island to see a woman who he was really in love with, and she met him at the ferry, waved, smiled, ran towards him, then took a call.
Just say no. The time we have together is too short & too precious. Treat it that way.
The U10 All Stars: Back standing, from left: Coach Joel Arnold, Nick Clark, Coach Phil Mayer. Front standing: Wade Swirtz, AJ Kurtz, Henry Arnold, Tyler Davis, Jackson Pieples, Gavin Mason, Julian Brown, Bridger Holmes, Isaac Mayer. Seated: Lucas Chevalier, Nick Herko.
• Just heard from Denyse Davis that the baseball boys have been having a good time – here’s more:
I wanted to pass along this picture and information about The Mid Summer Classic Baseball Tournament that was played in Lynden, WA over the weekend. Friday Harbor was well represented in two different divisions. The U12 (Under 12) All Stars coached by Doug Guard and Joe Cooper finished a strong 3rd place and a record of 3-1. They played very well and showed so much heart in each game.
The U10 (Under 10) All Stars came away as champions with a record of 4-0! The team was coached by Joel Arnold and Phil Mayer. These 12 boys played hard and represented Friday Harbor very well and each and every one of them played a part in the championship! We’d like to thank all the support from the families that came and cheered both teams on! We had one of the loudest crowds there!
The antlers just get longer, everytime we see our friend in the parking lot at the apartment...photo by Update wildlife photographer Cameron Byington.
Jean (left), Maragaret & Kaylen embrace the time-honored island way of saying, "You rock!"
Just got this note from Margaret Nash (FHHS ’11) that nicely sums up the way a lot of folks feel about one of the most positive coaches around…here’s more from Margaret:
Attached to this email is a photo of Jean Melborne, Margaret Nash, and Kaylen Meeker. We thanked our former softball coach Kevin Carlton, who recently retired after 15 years of coaching, by painting the rock in his honor. We wanted to thank him one last time and this is the biggest ‘thank you’ we could think of. We were so lucky to have a coach like Kevin and know that he will dearly be missed in the softball program.
You know how most of time when you hear there’s a fundraiser coming up, you kinda check to see if it’s one you really want to go to. The Animal Shelter’s annual Wags to Riches is in a class of its own, because people make plans a year ahead to be able to go. The reason they do this is because it’s so awesome each year, and this year it appears they are headed for a new level of awesomeness. This year there will be a famous comic, really cool food,an auction, entertainment by musicians, people, and dogs… and a good time for all. And a good time for you to buy your ticket – here’s more from Leslie at the Animal Shelter:
Elayne
Big Name Comedy Comes to San Juan Island!
Be prepared to ‘Laugh Your Tails Off’ at this year’s WAGS to RICHES, an annual fundraiser for the Friday Harbor Animal Shelter.
The shelter crew is very excited to announce internationally-known comedian and animal advocate Elayne Boosler will be entertaining this year’s guests at one of the island’s premier fundraising events.
The WAGS event will once again be held on the estate of Bob & Lissa McDowell on the Hannah Road on Saturday, July 30, 2011. There will be music, great food and spirits, canine entertainment (‘Splash for Cash’ and the 1st running of the ‘ChiWeenie 500’) silent and live auctions, and a comedy show by Elayne at the end of the evening. The event runs from 3pm – 8pm.
All proceeds from the event benefit the Friday Harbor Animal Shelter. Tickets are now available by phone (378-2159) or at Island Tails Gift Shop at Cannery Landing. Price is $85.00 per person and seating is limited, so get your tickets early. Call Leslie at 378-2159 for ticket information & purchase or if you would like to donate to our auction.
Just got this from Tony & Lisa – congrats to John (FHHS ’05)! and Claire! Here’s more:
Tony and Lisa Fyrqvist are happy to announce the engagement of their son John Fyrqvist to Claire Hoipkemier, daughter of David and Rory Hoipkemier, currently of East Timor but originally of Lansing, Michigan.
John is a product of the Friday Harbor School system, graduating from FHHS in 2005, and from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend Indiana in 2009. The wedding is scheduled for 12/31/11 in South Bend, which will continue to be their home as John will be attending graduate school at Notre Dame and Claire is a teacher at the local middle school.
That's Mary, who took a moment's break from cashiering at Kings Market to show the hat she received as a surprise from a customer....looking good!
Let’s check on things & see what’s up:
The Bean's new sign is nice & visible from the ferry lanes....
• I’d like to thank everybody who wrote, called, e-mailed, faxed & came over to my house to tell me that the bird that I guessed was a starling (or a brown pelican, or a shy oyster catcher, or something) was in fact a barn swallow. Here’s the bird – see for yourself – and it’s really cool to have so many friends who love birds, so.
• Opening day:
Next Friday, the new & last Harry Potter movie opens ’round the US (and here with a midnight showing Thursday night/Friday morning) with a character named Hermione in it; on the island, Island Stage Left’s The Winter’s Tale opens, with the wife of the main guy in it named (you guessed it!) Hermione.
All on the 15th.
Colby's in the story...
• Look for the islander! Roberta Leed says you’ll see her son Colby in this CBS report from Afghanistan (he’s with the doctor that the story is about.)
• People are telling me they sure like the new Cask & Schooner, where the Ale House was located – have you tried it yet? Sounds like they’re off to a good start.
• Tawm Perkowski tells me Gwenyth & Monko are coming to town to play at the Rumor Mill this coming Thursday – have you heard of them? If so, I know you’ll be there (you get it!) and if not, here’s their website….
• Doug McCutchen (he was the FHHS girls soccer coach for a spell, and does a super job of pulling folks together) has put together a community soccer Facebook page – check it, then come out & play!
• It starts today – here’s more from Peggy & Oren:
You know, this is their first summer, but the good folks at Zip San Juan make it look and feel like they’re are old pros at this stuff.
Heading for the treeline....
Pat and Stella are two of the most cheerful folks you’ll ever meet, and they make a fun experience exhilarating. I love hanging around them (which takes on new meaning with them).
Now I tried to describe what it is they do in my postings earlier this summer and earlier this year, but I believe this video (below) will give you a better idea than anything I can say, and make you dizzier than anything I can do, as well.
Scope out the vid, then give them a call at 378-5947 (their website: www.zipsanjuan.com.)
I know you’ve heard it before, but after you hear it this morning, you’ll be singing it all day, today – here’s Chad & Jeremy with “Summer Song” from the sixties, and from this morning….
You have heard the expression, “Think outside of the box,” and if you’re like me, you have wondered what exactly was kept outside of the box that was so handy.
Over the past month, I’ve noticed the expression being used a fair amount by folks who are ignoring the resources that are available in the box. (This is not to be confused with the expression “let’s approach this creatively” which I believe always means that in the next budget, somebody is going to get it.) The “outside the box” deal is usually used in a context always suggests that things are bad in the box. If we keep doing things the same way, the movie will have an unhappy ending.
It seems to me that it may be time to start looking around the box. Maybe it’s time to color the walls of the box, on the inside. Maybe it’s time to add a guestroom to the box. Maybe it’s time to get a cardboard knife and cut a skylight into the box, to let the sunshine in.
There is a lot to be said for approaching the problem with a new perspective, a new angle, and often, a new attitude. But it seems a little shortsighted to me to forget about the box we used to get there in the first place.
See if this fits, with the stuff around you.
Good luck with the changes that surround us. We’re going to need all the cleverness we’ve got, and that luck.
Saturday’s 8 pm performance by the Hawaiian group Hapa is sold out! Jan at the Community Theatre says: "Sometimes, seats do open up so we will start a waiting list at 7 pm Saturday at the box office. People need to show up in person, put their name down and then at 7:45, we’ll call names on the list if there are tickets available."
Well, let’s see what’s going on and what we need to catch up on…
• The San Juan Soccer Association reminds me that there’s a week left to register for the fall season for kids… Travis Ayers tells me after July 15, registration fees go up! But here’s the part that I would like to add to that: this isn’t just about you signing up, it’s about your friends! Be sure and remind other families and other players to sign up this coming week. It’s more fun when more kids play!
• I hear Peggy & Kurt Long landed the job as caretakers of Brown Island…good choice!
• One of the nicest parts of summer in Friday Harbor is the beautiful potted plants above the sidewalks in town. Take a look next time you downtown and notice the purple ribbons that have been added to this year’s plants…that was Sharon Hammell’s favorite color, and is a reminder of the color and beauty she brought to our town’s streets.
• Thanks to Darren at San Juan Islands TV, you don’t have to miss the fireworks – he & Lisa edited the show down to four minutes or so for you…check it out!
• If your spring cleaning is still going on, and you have summer cleaning going on, this may help! Here’s more from Jan at the Community Theatre:
Saturday, July 9 and Sunday, July 10, the nice folks at CATS will be collecting items for their annual Attic Treasures on July 16. Folks can drop off their gently used stuff…anything but clothes…tomorrow from 10 am to 1 pm and Sunday from 2 to 5 pm at PARC, 70 Saltspring Drive (that’s in the Beaverton Business Park off Beaverton Valley Road). All proceeds from the sale on July 16 benefit the Theatre.
Yesterday morning Kevin Holmes saw this barn swallow & nest near Fourth of July Beach...(Ian's note: Hey, thanks for all the input after I misidentified the bird as a starling....ooops.
• Last year the Soroptimist team for Relay for Life sponsored the Kiss the Pig contest, and this year have another cool way to raise money – here’s more from Marie DiCristina:
The Soroptimist Relay for Life Team has another wonderful fundraiser to help generate funds to find The Cure.
In keeping with the Relay theme, Seasons of Hope, our Team has assembled four fabulous prize baskets each named for a season of the year. Please help us help the American Cancer Society find a CURE! Check this out…
The basket values range from $355 to $850! The Spring prize basket contains Tucker House lodging (for Oct-May), Coho dining certificate and four SJC Theater ticket s plus more items. The Summer prize basket has Maya’s whale tour for two, 2 nights lodging in a Town suite, Rocky Bay Cafe Breakfast, portable BBQ and more items. The Autumn basket has a 2 hr yacht cruise for six with wine and appetizers, lodging at Roche’s Quarryman Hall, dining at Roche’s McMillin’s and more. The Winter prize basket has a helicopter ride for three, lunch certificate at Ernie’s airport cafe, Zumba sessions plus additional items. Each basket has prizes that can be used most any time of year with few exceptions. What great prizes from generous donors!!!
The tickets are $5 each, 12 for $50 or 25 for $100 and tickets can be purchased six days a week at Spa d Bune on Mullis St. The Soroptimist team will also have sales tables at Kings on most Fridays and Sundays and at Marketplace Saturday July 9 and 16.
The opportunity drawing will be held at the beginning of the Relay for Life event on July 30 at the High School. Watch for us this weekend, buy a chance for a prize, and thank you for your support!
You have a super chance to see this tonight at the Community Theatre – it’s the Friday Harbor premiere showing of Rob Michaan’s documentary ‘Cut Poison Burn.’ If cancer has touched your life, then this will help fill in some of the gaps in understanding you may have….
The show is at 7pm, with donations to the Food Bank accepted. Here’s more from Jane Buck, with the film’s trailer below:
Rob
Rob Michaan was a passionate soul. When he became aware of what he saw as the injustice, collusion and negative manipulation that was causing such great harm and heart wrenching distress to those of us in need of medical help, Rob took action in deed and with fortune to shed light on this darkness.
Rob became dedicated to the creation of a movie that would shed awareness about this diseased aspect of the healthcare industry. He knew that it was not enough to just complain to others about what he saw. Rob’s compassion for freedom and his distain for the arrogance of over-reaching American “revolving door” political power and greed, compelled him to financially support and be directly involved with birthing this movie called ‘Cut Poison Burn’.
Rob’s calling resulted in the cooperation of playwright Louis Peter Cimino, Emmy award winning director Wayne Chesler, accomplished actor, author, director and narrator, Peter Coyote, and the plight of Donna and Jim Navarro and their son, Thomas.
This documentary is a chronicle of the journey through the history of cancer treatment, and the politics of who has a right to use available methods and who doesn’t. The film takes no sides; it simply reveals the facts of what is legal and what is not, what has worked and what has failed, and investigates the money trail connected to each.
This is a film that could save your life, the life of a loved one and hopefully many lives.
DVD Pre-orders available from nehst.com
Ships August 1st. Item#:cutpoisonburndvd
Downloadable versions coming soon!
View film trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCmr2OGmMDQ
Proud parents Betsy & Michael Wingren join just-graduated Eva (FHHS '04), who just completed a Master's of Public Administration at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs. She is moving to Washington D.C. to start her new job coordinating federal affordable housing efforts for Mercy Housing. Way to go, Eva!
Looking around the island…
• This is happening at waterworks gallery – here’s more from Ruth:
Please join me at WaterWorks Gallery tonight at 7pm for an Artist Talk with Barbara Duzan & Jaime Ellsworth speaking on what inspires them as artist and their process.
Tony, in action
• Hey, Kate Schuman tells that she & Tami & Tom Doenges (they’re called Rewind) are playing this Saturday at The Rumor Mill starting at 7:30pm!
• Meanwhile, Tony & T:FLO are playing their karaoke on steroids show tomorrow night at the Rumor Mill – starts at 8pm. Here’s the deal – you look at Tony’s list of songs, pick one & then come up & sing with the band.
I’ve done it maybe 4-5 times now & let me tell ya, it’s great fun! Give it a shot tomorrow! Live karaoke with a band!
Island Stage Left's production of The Winter's Tale opens tonight off-island, then begins its San Juan Island shows on July 15. Photo by Mark Gardner.
Most folks are pretty familiar with the more famous Shakespeare plays, but he had some good success with his late-in-life efforts, including The Winter’s Tale. Although not frequently presented, it’s a good choice for the Island Stage Left folks to add to their list of accomplishments.
The show opens off-island on Orcas tonight, Shaw Island on Saturday, and plays on Lopez Sunday & Monday before opening for the season run here on San Juan Island on next Friday. I’m telling you about this now so that you can get your calendar out and begin planning when you can take in the show. See you there!
