Susan Stehn arrived at the finish line first in the 10K race....photo by Kerry Andrews

Great day for running yesterday morning as nearly eighty women collected in front of the Hotel De Haro at Roche Harbor for this year’s Run Ladies Run 10K. It was great to see everyone cheering for each other before, during, and after the race…that’s what islands are for, right?

Super job by Kerry & BooBoo pulling this together, as they continue to amaze…

Here are the winners & their times (everybody who ran/walked the course is a winner,if you ask me):

1. Susan Stehn  46.46
2. Casey Swirtz 47.47
3. Irina Bell 48.35
4. Heather Highland  50.14
5. Stacie Tangney 51.23
6. Violetta Jimenez 51.47
7. Rachel Goodremant 54.56
8. Aileen Murphy 54.56
9. Deb Vermeire 55.45
10. Kathleen Foley 56.01
11. Judith Bunnell 57.41
12. Denyse Davis 58.19
13. Sarah Stehn 58.42
14. Jennifer Anderson 1.00.49
15. Kelly Shannon 1.01.20
16. Jen Fleming 1.01.43
17. Kim Erickson 1.01.50
18. Kim Wickman 1.02.54
19. Carrie Weaver 1.02.31
20. Laurie Riley 1.02.54
21. Carmen Jimenez 1.03.55
22. Olivia Schatz 1.04.24
23. Kristi Richardson 1.04.56
24. Belinda Hedin 1.05.20
25. Tracy Roberson 1.06.10
26. Lisa Beckt 1.06.10.94
27. Dawna Schatz 1.06.11.37
28. Barbara Lord 1.06.11.66
29. Vida Wight 1.09.51
30. Savannah Hoffman 1.09.52
31. Danica Ratkovich 1.10.12
32. Amber Garcia  1.10.13
33. Chelsea Foussard  1.11.40
34. Cere Demuth 1.11.52
35. Juniper Maas 1.13.01
36. Cady Seiler 1.13.41
37. Jaquelyn Reiff 1.14.35
38. Merideth Miller 1.16.00
39. Jeanette Mayes 1.16.01
40. Ava Hoffman 1.23.11
41. Meghan Hoffman 1.23.21
42. Maria Schatz 1.23.32
43. Lisa Guard 1.23.33
44. Mildred Foss 1.25.57
45. Becky Greenway 1.29.10
46. Sherry Lawson 1.29.11
47. Audrey Espinoza 1.30.18
48. Kim Seiler-Bell 1.30.19
49. Nancy Devaux 1.30.53
50. Jane Bell 1.30.54
51. Jenn Furber 1.31.17.26
52. Jennifer Horn 1.31.17.64
53. Jennifer Whalen 1.35.02.02
54. Libbey Oswald 1.35.02.65
55. Teri Gentry 1.35.03
56. Penny Dunn 1.35.15.36
57. Michelle Lambright  1.35.15.74
58. Kare Brown 1.35.37.37
59. Roxanne Angel 1.37.22
60. Natasha Frey 1.38.53
61. Michelle Waldron 1.38.56
62. Staci Baker 1.42.38
63. Debbie Cutting 1.42.59
64. Marcy Hahn 1.43.03
65. Brenda Beckett 1.43.05
66. Jan Bollwinkel-Smith 1.43.06
67. Susan Williamson 1.43.06.05
68.Tanja Williamson 1.43.06.80
69. Susie Murfin 1.47.41
70. Leslie Mutchler 147.38
71. Jennifer Deshon 1.48.10.07
72. Kira Sable 1.48.10.58
73. Desirae Whalen 1.51.39
74. Ashley King 1.51.41
75. Tori Zehner .1.51.55
76. Deanna Elinge ..1.51.56

"Summer Garden" by Steve Harrold

Wendy Smith over at the IMA has a new show opening this week – here’s the scoop! (By the way, Wendy will be moving back to New York, and Susan Key will take over her spot as director of the Island Museum of Art after this weekend):

New Art Exhibition – Opening Saturday, April 2 at IMA!

Steve's work will be on display at the IMA

Steve Harrold: Teaming with Nature from April 2 – July 10, 2011

A whimsical, mixed-media exhibition with 3 dimensional works and paintings by artist Steve Harrold – exploring the agricultural partnership between humans & nature – creating artistic beauty and life.

IMA exhibited one of Harrold’s works in its juried competition last summer, “Green: on the edge.”  His 3-dimensional work, entitled “Goats & Flowers” proved to be one of the most popular and talked about pieces in the show. His witty and talented use of materials, often found objects, delight in a unique and humorous way.  You won’t want to miss this ingenious show!

My work has developed into a style of dimensional sculptures of fields, gardens, and pastures with animals and tractors. What motivates me is to look for glimpses of wonder and ‘simplexity’ in nature’s colors and designs- from small flowers and leaves to large fields & forests. The greatest compliment I can receive is when people of all ages smile when they see my work. –Steve Harrold

Harrold grew up in the Midwest and studied at De Pauw University in Indiana and the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He has worked extensively coast-to-coast painting and drawing landscapes, cityscapes, and seascapes. He is currently living in Mount Vernon, Washington on a farm studio and has a studio in Los Angeles, California.

Museum Exhibition Hours: Wed – Sun, 11-5pm
Admission by $2 donation.
IMA – 285 Spring St, Friday Harbor, WA – 360-370-5050, www.sjima.org

Micah Powell starts the attack in last Saturday's game against Woodinville here on our field, with our fans & our sun & our island (home games are cool.)

Last season, the San Juan Dragons surprised the state high school lacrosse world by reaching the state finals, and this year the guys are back in action. Their home games this year are on Saturdays, so you have a chance to see them at the high school football/soccer field:

3/26 Woodinville at San Juan
4/2  Skagit Valley at San Juan
4/16 Whatcom at San Juan
4/23 Everett at San Juan
5/7  North County at San Juan

Clint Borgen, working the halls of Congress....

On Thursday night, islander Peter Corning made a presentation at Griffin Bay Bookstore in support of his new, internationally distributed & acclaimed book, The Fair Society, in which he talks about his sense that people, at bottom, DO try to share & work together to make things more equitable in the world. A major point, however, is that in the US, some 20% of folks control 84% of the wealth, and the remaining 80% get to scrabble over the 16% that’s left. Similar figures – often more imbalanced – measure the distribution of resources in the world, leading to widespread poverty.

This Tuesday, we get a chance to continue that conversation with a visit to the island of Anacortes native Clint Borgen, who heads an international organization called the Borgen Project, which is working the political end of things to begin the process of shifting those percentages as a key part of fighting world poverty. His presentation is set for Tuesday, March 29th at 7:00pm in the Meeting Room at the Library.

This was set up by FHHS grad (’07) and UW student & Project intern Brock McNairy. When I spoke with Clint about coming to the island, he said it’s a great chance to connect with folks on the other side of Anacortes – he’s usually headed east. The Project has grown in leaps & bounds since it was begun in ’03, and currently is supporting legislation in Congress to increase poverty-focused aid, protect children from trafficking & exploitation, and work to ensure (and often, begin) protections for women from human rights violations.

Tall order? I was struck while visiting with Clint that he’s bringing intelligence & passion to a job that can be done, with the right leverage applied. This is a presentation you won’t want to miss.

Based in Seattle and founded in 2003, the Borgen Project works to reduce global poverty through education, advocacy, and mobilization. Find out how one man with a laptop created a national, web-based campaign fight global poverty. To learn more about global poverty and what the Borgen Project is doing to help, visit www.borgenproject.org. A question and answer session will follow Clint’s presentation.

Supporters for the Project cover a wide range of ages....

In last night's Mr. San Juan evening, Chad Hoffman raised the most money to become the winner for the next year. The annual event rasies money for the Friday Harbor Elementary School PTA & the kids at school....and a great time was had by all! Photo by Cere Demuth (thanks, Cere!)

Hope you got a little chance to sleep in this morning! The rest of the island already got coffee (yawn!)…

Jordan (he plays Grotto Good) gets a ride with Fred Yockers after the show last night....

• ‘Still Life with Iris’ rocks: Last night the Friday Harbor Middle School Drama Group sank their teeth into the challenge of putting the same script as the high school used three months ago on stage, and they met the challenge well.

Under the direction of FHHS grad Bristol Whalen (PLU ’10), the kids delivered the goods with a challenging metaphoric script, lots of scene changes, and colorful costuming of a cast that included pirates, musicians, lost & found memories, and much more.

Libby Anderson delivers the goods as Iris (she’s onstage nearly the whole time), with an awesome, energetic, believable supporting cast.

The show runs tonight & tomorrow – you’ll be glad you saw it! I’m glad I did!

• While you’re running around today, be sure & drop by the FHMS Bake Sale at Marketplace, which gets underway at 10 this morning, and the FHHS Rummage Sale, which starts at 9am.

• Speaking of great performances, Steve Dyer is hosting the Acoustic Jam at the Rumor Mill tonight from 7:30-10pm…

• There are still spots in classes at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Marine Labs this summer…check ’em out!

• Usually he comes & goes unannounced, but Sea Shepherd’s Paul Watson got a spirited reception this week when he came back to the island Thursday…and there’s something to celebrate: Japan called back its whaling fleet this year because of the group’s efforts.

Paul Watson arrives to the cheers of Sea Shepherd supports at Friday Harbor Airport on Thursday. Photo by Annie Fickes (thanks, Annie!)

A hero's welcome for Pual Watson... Photo by Annie Fickes

Lorie Narum reports in from San Francisco: "My husband Todd and I are down in the Bay Area visiting my Dad, Don Kowalski, and his sweetie Joanie and we managed to met up with with Natalie King at the Golden Gate Bridge. No matter where you go there is always someone from Friday Harbor! PS... the weather is warmer and sunnier in Friday Harbor than the Bay Area right now!"

Let’s see what’s up:

Poster designer Jersie Angel, a 3rd grader at Friday Harbor Elementary School, is ready to help clean up the island on Saturday, April 9th. Are YOU?? Sign up at the Great Island Clean-Up kiosk at Market Place, April 1-8.

• Yes, you saw it & I did too…there was a woman on Wednesday afternoon who rode her horse into town, drinking a cup of coffee (her, not the horse.) I checked at Friday Harbor Espresso & they said, yep, she rode up to the window & ordered….

• Kerry says there is room for you (well, some of you – it’s women only) in the Run Ladies Run 10K this Sunday at Roche Harbor at 10am.

You can sign up early at San Juan Fitness (preferred) or the day of the race (be there by 9:30am – preferred over you sleeping in). See you there!

• You’re going to Mr. San Juan tonight at Roche Harbor, right? All proceeds to the elementary school PTA…and yes, that’s the coolest part. So much fun for our kids…

• The Rummage Sale is this weekend! Here’s the scoop from Mo:

If possible, could you please post a brief reminder about the FHHS Class of 2011 Rummage Sale this Saturday from 9-1?

Donations will be accepted today (Friday) from 12-6 at the FHHS Commons. We would really appreciate it!

It's that time of year! I ran into Rolf & his flower cart at the Yacht Club yesterday!

The view from Turtleback...photo by John Miller (click on the pic to see a larger, cooler version)

This picture was shot by John Miller from Turtleback Mountain the other day….I love the mixture of colors & nature & sky, land & water coming together that we call home. Thanks, John!

Something's going on in the tunnel....

When Yogi Berra said, “It’s like deja vú, all over again!” he must have been thinking about this – the middle school drama group is reprising the same show the high school did in January, with Bristol promising a whole new take on the same story – here’s more from Jan Bollwinkel-Smith at the Community Theatre:

Still Life with Iris Returns!

The Friday Harbor Middle School Players take their turn showcasing Steven Dietz’s fantastical play, Still Life with Iris, THIS Friday through Sunday, March 25-27 at San Juan Community Theatre.

Originally commissioned and produced by Seattle Children’s Theatre, the adventure takes us to the land of Nocturno, where all of the things we use in the day are made at night and where Iris lives.  She is soon taken from her home to live with the world’s leaders, who are determined to have that one item which is the “best” of everything.  As Iris tries to find her memory and home again, we meet a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a feisty female pirate Annabel Lee and other memorable characters.

The show opens tonight!

The Friday Harbor High Drama Group produced this same play in January; director Bristol Whalen says this middle school version will be different, including new set features and more cast members, adding their own unique talents to each role.

Buy tickets NOW on-line at www.sjctheatre.org, or the box office is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 am to 4 pm and Saturdays from 11 am to 2 pm (360-378-3210).

Still Life with Iris CAST

IRIS : Libby Anderson

MOM/MISS OVERLOOK : Sophie Marinkovich

MR. MATTERNOT : Max Haenel

MEMORY MENDER : Kyle Jangard

GROTTO GOOD : Jordan Davis

GRETTA GOOD : Isabel Gabriel

ANNABEL LEE : Halla Warner

MOZART : Mady Schroeder

ELMER : Sam Paul-Barrette

HAZEL : Wilsey Brumsickle

FLOWER PAINTER : Madison Kincaid

BOLT BENDER :  Faith Buck

RAIN MAKER : Amaya Johnson

LEAF MONITOR : Genevieve Gislason

THUNDER BOTTLERS : Sammy Finch, Zoe Kromer, Coey McPadden

MR. OTHERGUY : Jafet Soto

MR. HIMTOO : Cassidy Quigley

CAPTAIN ALSO : Essine Kilpatrick-Boe

THIRD STRING : Echo Wood

RAY : Naomi Deitz

Hamid & Dora (left) welcome the new owners of Post San Juan, Jim & Pam, to the island.

Yesterday I dropped in at Post San Juan to say hey to Hamid & Dora, and sure enough, they were working with new owners Pam & Jim Cromer (No relation to Todd & Kathy Kromer, I checked. Spell checked, actually.)

Post San Juan

So – here’s the deal: Pam & Jim have bought the operation and are in charge after April 4th, but you can drop in & say hey to everybody anytime. They hail from North Carolina lately, but are Washingtonians from before, when they were in Spokane…shoot, they even got married here on the island. You’re gonna like them, and it’s great to have them here in our community.

It’s cool to see that the little business that could, Post San Juan – started by Janna Gingras & Liz Illg in 1995 – keeps chugging along.

I’m sad Dora & Hamid are moving along…with youngest boy & great kid Preston graduating this spring, they’ve decided to head back to Southern California for the next phase of their life. They have been so involved & engaged in our island since they got here – whether it was cooking hot dogs at football games or collecting tickets or doing things for the Community Theatre or doing stuff for the Chamber of Commerce or cheering at the guys’ ball games (and for all the other kids, too), they have been a positive & cheerful energy in the island’s tapestry. They will be much missed. They don’t take off till July, so you’ll have a bit of time to check in before they go….

Kissed by the sun....

This beautiful photograph is shared by my friend Annie Fickes…she calls it “Sunkissed.” I call it great…check out her website at www.nature-bats-last.com.

John Boyd reported seeing J pod earlier this week on the westside....

Looking around the island….

• Don’t miss the Chamber of Commerce’s Downtown Forum Meeting this morning (Thursday, March 24th) from 8:30 am to 9:30 am…Hosted by Village at the Harbour (held there, too!)

• Speaking of the Village People, here’s more from Anne:

It’s the Village’s third anniversary celebration with a SENIOR ART EXPO on Saturday, March 26th from 1:00 to 4:00 at Village at the Harbour.  We will be showcasing talented Island seniors in various mediums of art and selected pieces will be for sale.  Join us for an afternoon of art, refreshments and fun!

• Want to welcome Sea Shepherd’s Paul Watson home? Bring a sign or your own good self to the airport around 4 today (Thursday) if you like.

• Eileen Drath says the next walk is this weekend – here are the details:

KNOW YOUR ISLAND WALK
The next Know Your Island walk is coming up! Saturday, March 26, 2011, at 1:00pm.  Join Doug McCutchen and/or Eliza Habegger of the San Juan County Land Bank to walk the Westside Preserve. Meet at the Lime Kiln State Park upper parking lot. The length is 1.5 mi/one hour, the terrain is road and rustic trail, and the rating is ‘moderate’. We will look for signs of Spring! Come with us, rain or shine. Dogs are welcome on leashes.

Shot here on the island....

• It’s always fun to see the island in the videos people make on the island – Barbara Rouleau sent over this one that hiphop group The Kid Daytona made here. I couldn’t embed it, so you gotta click here to see & hear it. Here’s more from Barbara:

It is not the kind of music we listen too…but these guys stayed at Friday Harbor Lights, www.fridayharborlights.com our vacation rentals…a lot of the video was shot from our dock and the deck of the Captain’s Quarters…in the last shot you will see our son Glenn’s boat “Snupi’…They were a really nice group of hard working guys and gals…we would have them again any day… they did a good job of covering the local places on the island…
Ed & Barbara Rouleau

Jandira’s offering a  class – here’s the scoop:

WORLDS WITHIN Presents:

HEALING FROM WITHIN – An Introduction to the World of REIKI

Jandira Shelley – Reiki Master Teacher & Akashic Records Consultant

Date:  Saturday, April 9, 2011

Time: 12:00 – 5:00 pm

Location: Gerard Park Apartment’s Community Room (595 Linder Street), Friday Harbor, WA.

Cost: $125.  If paid in full by April 2^nd, the total cost drops to $100.  Your check will be held until after the completion of the class.  Make checks payable to:  Jandira Shelley and send to:  PO Box 3151, Friday Harbor, WA  98250

Jandira

In this Level 1 Class, you will learn the ancient, Tibetan hands-on healing technique of Reiki, a technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing.  Reiki is “spiritually guided life force energy” that balances out the energies in our bodies so a state of wellness can be reached and maintained.

During this five hour class you will receive:

• A brief history of Reiki
• Instruction on how to administer Reiki
• Ancient, sacred symbols used to activate the Reiki energy
• A sacred attunement passed to you from a Reiki Master Teacher that enables you to tap into an unlimited supply of “life force energy.”
• A practice period to hone your new skills
• A monthly Reiki “work together” to further hone your skills

Registration required. Space is limited.

Contact Jandira at: [email protected] or [email protected] or 859-539-7281

*Wear comfortable clothing.  Bring your own water and a snack to share.

Click on this picture to see a large, cool version (so you can see everyone!)...montage by Melina!

Beth Helstien reports that everyone had a great time earlier this week:

Hey Ian!
Spanish Storytime (or Hora de Cuentos) at the library was a fantastic program Tuesday evening. Brook Landers from Friday Harbor High recruited 3rd year Spanish student Lita Gislason who read Olivia and From Head to Toe out loud to the mixed group.

Stories to share...

Alma Pamatz, who works at the Life Care Center of the San Juan Islands, shared finger plays and rhymes. Linda Barnhart, Jeanne Lee and Beth Helstien cooked up empanadas, and the High School contingent helped out with home made cookies in conjunction with the story Brook Landers read, Si le das un galletita a un raton (known in English as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie).

Melina Lagios organized the event and set up a craft where kids and adults decorated paper drums. Check it out in the attached photo montage.

Keep your eyes open for another Hora de Cuentos / Bilingual Storytime coming in the next few months.

Sis Tara came to visit Gretchen Staehlin on the island this past weekend....they were pretty happy to see each other.

Now that spring is here, looks like things are picking up – to wit:

Jill in action...

• Jill Urbach (right) reports there’s music in the air on Friday:

Hi Ian! I’m going to be singing with the One More Time Band at the Rumor Mill this Friday, March 25, from 7:30-10:00pm.  We’ve been playing there the last Friday of every month and it’s a swinging good time!  Plus, this Friday we’ll have Jim Moe join us as a guest singer in the second set.  He channels a fabulous Frank Sinatra! Thanks! Jill

• Ran into Aaron last night & says the movies this weekend at the Palace Theatre starting Friday are Hall Pass, Unknown, and Gnomeo & Juliet, not UnGnomeo & Juliet Over the Pass, like I told you before.

• Karaoke at Herb’s on Wednesday nights has continued while Aaron’s been recuperating, with Corey filling in for Aaron….I guess that makes it Corey-oke.

• Don’t miss it – the Middle School’s PTA’s bake sale is Saturday starting at 10am at Marketplace!

• Nancy DeVaux tells me a bunch of people will be there to welcome Paul at the Friday Harbor Airport at 4pm on Thursday:

Sea Shepard is headquartered on San Juan Island....

Paul Watson is flying home to Friday Harbor after successfully ending the Japanese whale hunt this season in the Southern Ocean. It is estimated Sea Shepherd saved the lives of 900 whales. He’s been treated to a hero’s welcome in New Zealand and Australia. Let’s welcome him home to San Juan Island! Bring a sign, ( a marching band?), and a smile to Friday Harbor Airport at 4pm on Thursday!

• Today’s quote is “A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. My desk is a work station.” Hee hee hee…and it was fun to hear from Chris Teren: “Trains & buses also START at stations! (sorry, I’m a cup-half-full kinda guy!)”

Michele, Kathie, and Dave are proud of the coffee they serve....

It’s cool to know we have a winner here in town – Michele has more about the Sweet Retreat’s coffee:

Dillanos Coffee Roasters, used exclusively by Sweet Retreat and Espresso of Friday Harbor, has been named Roast Magazine’s “Roaster of the Year” for 2011.  Sweet Retreat is the only coffee shop on San Juan Island that provides Dillanos Coffee to its customers.

“We’ve tried a number of different coffee roasters over the years and they’ve all been very good, but when we switched to Dillanos our customers kept commenting on how much more they liked the coffee” said Dave Morton who, with his wife Michele are the owners and baristas of the Sweet Retreat.  “When mom (Kathie Morton) opened the Sweet Retreat in 1998, she said she would always try to find the best coffee for her customers.  She never believed in skimping on the cost of the coffee.  Her belief was that her customers deserved the best coffee while keeping the cost of a cup of coffee affordable.  When Michele and I bought the Sweet Retreat from her two years ago, we promised we’d run it like she did.  That’s why we kept searching for the best coffee for our customers.”

“We were also too delighted to learn that Dillanos is located here in Washington State and has a history of supporting regional farmers.  It’s a win-win situation, a regional supplier, award winning coffee and served at the Sweet Retreat.” Continue Reading