Here’s Annie’s Song, with John Denver:

Alice offered a hula demonstration as part of the evening's entertainment...

They had a great time – here’s more from Barbara Sharp & the Soroptimist Club:

It was a great party, with island women decked out in their best tropical finery. They shook the dice to the music of Jimmy Buffet at the Soroptimist Para-Dice Bunko Party last Friday January 14. Thanks to the 77 people who bought tickets, as well as the many folks who bought raffle tickets or made donations, we raised $2774 for the Cancer Support Mission. All proceeds will buy ferry tickets and other transportation for islanders who need cancer treatment on the mainland.

A highlight of the evening was Alice Hibberd’s beautiful demonstration of traditional Hawaiian hula. Alice teaches hula at the XYZ Movement Arts Studio, so she taught us all a few steps!

Local businesses were generous in donating raffle gifts, prizes and services: Compost It, Spa D’Bune, Altier Salon, West Marine, Bistro Garden, San Juan Vineyards, Whidbey Island Bank, Printonyx, and the Hot Shop & Flavor Emporium.

If you missed the fun last Friday night, watch for our next bunko event later this year!

Jean Griffin keeps score at her table....

Travis' dad (that's Doug on the right) and grandmother flew in from the eastern part of the state just for the swearing-in ceremony last night.

Last night Chief Jim Cole swore in Travis Potter as the island’s newest paramedic, replacing departing longtime islander Jim Ricks. Here’s more from the EMS:

San Juan Island EMS (SJIEMS) has hired a new full-time paramedic. After a national search and exhaustive application process, Travis Potter was selected from over 30 candidates. He is a Nationally Registered Paramedic and has received many distinguished service awards from previous employers. He has earned an Associate’s Degree in Paramedicine from Lane Community College additional undergraduate coursework in business from the University of Idaho.

“His wilderness background in the Ski Patrol as well as experience with the US Forest Service will help him to be effective in our remote island setting,” said Chief Jim Cole. Mr. Potter holds additional certifications in Difficult Airway Course and Advanced Medical Life Support.

Travis is looking forward to integrating into the island community, and enjoys camping, skiing, and playing the bagpipes.

San Juan Island EMS is the tax supported, county EMS agency serving the residents and visitors of San Juan Island, the Town of Friday Harbor, Brown Island, Stuart Island, Johns Island, Speiden Island, Pearl Island and Henry Island in San Juan County, Washington. Further information about San Juan Island EMS is available online at www.sanjuanems.org.

EMS Chief Jim Cole welcomes Travis Potter to the island....

It was a mob, and it was great: last night's Community Dinner at Friday Harbor High included community project presentations, the Art Walk-About, and music from the jazz band...and great food!

Let’s see what’s going on around the island….

• It was great to see our friends Michael and John at Wildwood Manor were chosen as one of the ten best bed & breakfasts in the world, by a luxury inn group called Luxio – check their listings. Way to go!

• Are the killer whales around this  time of year? Katie Jones has heard that they are – here’s more from her blog (be careful, she’s funny!) Thanks, Katie!

• The community meeting to discuss steps in reaction to the school board’s acceptance of Gary Pflueger’s resignation is tonight at the Mullis Center at 6pm.

• Liza Michaelson tells me she just heard that Dr. Stan Williams passed away from a heart attack, in Spokane…she says he used to practice here at the Inter Island Medical Center, and that he “was the good old fashioned type of GP who started every session with a hand on the shoulder, a good ear, and a compassionate open heart. Stan was a model physician in that he strove to give his best to every patient, every time. He was beloved by his patients.” I’ll pass on more info as I receive it….

Island Bicycles is 25 years young....

• Business news: Island Bicycles is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year – congratulations, Paul!

Meanwhile, Jeff at The Office Center tells me he sold the business over New Year’s…I’ll drop by & meet the new guys soon. Jeff got the place going in the mid-1990s & it has been a solid part of the Friday Harbor business community all this time.

The Town is looking for a volunteer for the Planning Commission. That would be you – for more information, contact Roxanna Zalmanek in the Community Development Department, (360) 378-2810 or roxz (at) fridayharbor.org.

And…Greg Ford told me last night – enough with the rumors! Mi Casita is not closing (they were open last night, and it was good, as usual!) He does have the place listed with Kelly at Coldwell Banker, but has no intention of closing.

And…tonight is the night for Dining for Scholars – eat at the following restaurants to support Dollars for Scholars

Roy’s Cafe – lunch
Lime Liln Cafe – lunch
Jimmy’s Paradise Cafe – take-out and dinner
McMillian’s Dining Room – dinner

The Theatre is saving a few dollars by e-mailing rather than printing the Theatre Times – you can get your copy here (and you can print it out if you like!)

This program has all the shows and events for the next quarter year – check it out!

Pamella and Jacob

It’s not every day you get to go to Brazil to attend a wedding, but it’s not everyday an islander marries a Brazilian – here’s the report from Lenore:

Jacob Seiler and Pamella Sanches were married  November 25, 2010 at Araca Beach, Porto Belo City in Brazil.  Jacob is the son of John Stamey and Kim Bell of Friday Harbor.  Pamella’s parents are Italo Enso Sanches Lloris and Suzeti Correia Sanches Lloris of Monto Grosso, Brazil.

In attendance were Jacob’s father as Best Man, his wife, Lenore Bayuk of Friday Harbor, Pamella’s sister, Paola Sanches, and Maid of Honor, Miriana Boscardin.  Jacob’s mother, Kim and husband, Scott along with sisters Cady and Audrey attended via Skype!

It was a beautiful wedding overlooking the Atlantic on a sunny Brazilian afternoon.  Jacob and Pamella will continue to live and work in Brazil with visits to the States, hopefully often!

Swan dive from a couple of days ago...photo by John Miller (who says it would earn a 9.64 in Olympic scoring!)

Looking around the island…

Josh (right) was a regular on the 2008 Wolverines who took eventual state champs Kings to overtime in the early games of the playoffs.

• Did you know Josh Combs (FHHS ’08) turned 21 yesterday in Hawaii where he’s on vacation with his folks Oren & Peggy (that’s why the Rumor Mill is closed). Josh is a junior this year at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver – happy birthday!

And Lisa Anderson‘s is…today!

• Over the weekend the Wolverines played basketball at Cedar Park Christian & at home with Lynden Christian…the boys beat CPC 51-44 in spite of trailing by 10 at the half, then fell the next day 74-50 to the Lyncs in a non-league game. The guys played last night in LaConner (who was 6-0 in league),  & lost 72-38, to run their league record to 6-1 (6-7 overall).

Meanwhile the girls had a tough time, losing to both CPC and Lynden Christian before regaining their winning touch with LaConner last night. The girls took the Braves (now 3-3 in league) by a 48-38 score, to solidify their hold on second place in league (5-1, behind first place undefeated Darrington).

Deer, here on the island...earlier, last spring.

• In a story that originated at UBC but is spreading around the area: Deer are radically changing the landscape of the area, on both sides of the border. Here’s a bit from the story:

Growing deer populations are fundamentally changing the environment of the Gulf Islands off the coast of B.C. and Washington, leaving the region susceptible to invasion by foreign species, says a study by researchers in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia.

Researchers looked at the density of black-tailed deer on 18 Southern Gulf and San Juan Islands with forest ecosystems.  The study, published today in the journal Biological Conservation, found that the number of birds and vegetation decreased on islands with higher deer densities.  Islands with more than one deer per hectare had half as many birds as those with low deer density. Read more.

Suzy, with San Juan Taxi in the sun on Monday downtown....

• One of the nice things about Suzy Juul‘s taxi operation is remembering the phone number – you can remember 378-3550, or 378-TAXI for San Juan Taxi and Tour service.

And you can always remember she’s the one who smiles a lot… 🙂

• It’s a hornet week, with both The Green Hornet & The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest at the Palace Theatre….and Yogi Bear if that’s too intense for ya…

• I was at a parent meeting with a counselor & a bunch of teenagers. For the meeting, everyone had been asked to leave their cell phones & pagers outside the door so they could talk about…cell phones & the internet & the “need” to stay connected. It was ironic to the third power when the woman conducting the meeting had her phone go off right after saying how unimportant it all was.

While I’m glad that you & I get to visit each day here at the San Juan Update, I always hope that doesn’t come at the cost of being unconnected to the things that matter – friends & family, nature & love, and time to contemplate on the good things we can do in the world. Here’s an article about a family that gave the unplugged life a try, and their report.

• Speaking of getting outside, the Trails Committee is offering a deal they call Know Your Island walks…here’s more from Eileen, who tells me that dogs on leashes are welcome, and please, no bikes:

This coming Saturday (Jan. 22) at 1pm is the first of a series of Know Your Island walks offered by the SJI Trails Committee.  Mike Vouri, Historian and Chief of Interpretation for our National Historical Park, will lead this walk of the recently-built Frazer Homestead Trail. Meet at American Camp Visitors’ Center and walk about 3 miles. The terrain is dirt and may be wet. The rating is ‘easy’.

Everyone is welcome – families, teens, youngsters, couples, singles, visitors, tourists, grandparents, grandchildren and anyone who can join us. Mike Vouri promises us  interesting history and local color. For more information see our site.  We’ll go rain or shine!

• Time to get your team together for trivia – here’s more from Glenda & JB:

JB & Glenda....

It’s “Valentines Music Trivia” at the “Rumor Mill” on Friday, February 4^.
Game starts at 7pm!!!  Put together a team and come play Music Trivia.

A $5.00 game entry fee per person, with first place $100, other prizes for  second & third place, and fabulous  drawings. Lots of Music…..  Oldies…..Show Tunes…..  Country Western…..  Oldies……  Current Stuff…..  Oldies…..  Big Band…..  Other Music……  and did we mention Oldies?????

Name that tune! Name that artist! What are the next 9 lyrics? What are the color of her eyes? And who is Little Egypt????

**Pre-Game Party starts at 6:00pm.  Join us for some great music, dinner and beverages before we get under way with the first of three nail-biting rounds!  Early arrivals get choice of seating!  Don’t have to be 21 to play. Dinner & beverages ‘a la carte.

For more information call J.B. Herren & Glenda Edwards at 378-HOME.

Give us a click at jbherren (at) rockisland.com. Or check us out on Facebook “Music Trivia in Friday Harbor”. Check out the “Rumor Mill” on Facebook as well!

RSVP your table today with how many players to assure your spot!!!!

These beautiful flowers were behind the Little Store last summer...

Dot from the Garden Club says this will open islanders’ eyes to the gardening resources right here in Friday Harbor:

Next month, the San Juan Island Garden Club will be meeting on February 1st at 1 pm at the Mullis Center.  Our speaker is Beth Helstein from the San Juan Island Library.  Come enjoy a review of the the latest library books on gardening, from container gardening to growing grain.

Beth Helstien, Outreach Coordinator for the San Juan Island Library, will make a presentation to the Garden Club relative to the library’s new eAudiobooks and other resources.

We hope all will join us for tea, coffee, AND a wonderful presentation by Beth.  RSVP is requested if you are not on the membership list.  RSVP to Joyce Harrell 378-6146 or to Dot Vandaveer 378-8306 no later than January 25th.  Please join us.  We always enjoy an energetic exchange of information about gardening and the knowledge of our experienced and new gardeners.

Facing east, leaving South Beach, with blue skies...photo by Cameron Byington.

Yesterday’s sunny day was a nice surprise for the holiday…hope you got out in it, even if it was bit chilly & windy.

The sun has just a little ways to go to set over False Bay last night...photo by Cameron Byington.

Keith in action...

Earlier last year, you & I discussed Keith Busha‘s then-recently released Dreams of Damanhur (here’s the writeup; you’ll be amazed). The film has been selling well locally at Island Studios and Griffin Bay Books, and internationally as well…and now Keith has been asked to present his work at the Lodi International Film Festival this Friday, and to speak at the presentation.

It appears the movie is catching fire: Keith is also scheduled to be interviewed by Wired in March. It’s exciting to see an islander’s good work get good reviews – I hope you see it soon for yourself! You’ll see why… Way to go, Keith!

In last weekend’s three hour public meeting about the possible options for dealing with the resignation of Gary Pfleuger (generally aimed at a reversal of the decision), an energetic and dismayed public demanded a public school board meeting this week to review those options, including ways to possibly hire Gary back.

Saturday’s meeting was called by community members and about 75 folks showed up and spoke passionately about retaining Gary & their strong feeling that the decision needed to be reversed. That meeting was attended by two board members and San Juan Island School District Superintendent Rick Thompson, who answered questions as well as they could while dealing with a personnel issue which requires confidentiality. But in the end, the school district said: no meeting.

Here is yesterday afternoon’s press release by Rick:

Statement from Superintendent Rick Thompson Regarding FHES Principal Resignation
January 17, 2011

On January 5th, 2011, Elementary School Principal Gary Pfleuger submitted his resignation to the district stating a desire to seek other employment. On January 11th, Gary was cited by the Journal of the San Juans as having said his resignation was also motivated by a difference in views on “instructional leadership.”

In a special Board meeting on January 11, 2011 the Board of the San Juan Island School District and I heard public comments from members of the school community that Mr. Pfleuger was a well-liked principal and that his work to establish a safe and civil learning environment was highly valued. In this meeting, we listened to and sincerely acknowledged these comments. The Board also noted that this was not new information to them. The board then voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Principal Pfleuger.

The District’s elected Board of Directors have over 25 combined years of experience serving the community as volunteer Board members. The board members come from five very different backgrounds and frequently have diverse points of view. The Board has experienced many different school leaders and leadership styles. The board has also researched what is known about effective school leadership and reviewed generally acceptable leadership standards. The decision to accept Principal Pfleuger’s resignation was neither a decision made lightly, nor a reaction to a single event. The decision was made by board consensus, not by any individual board member.

Over the past 2 1/2 years, the Board has had the opportunity to interact closely with Mr. Pfleuger. The board has been kept apprised of management feedback and direction he received and the ways in which he did or did not respond to that feedback. In other words, the board has had ample and thorough opportunity to observe his performance in light of the full responsibilities required in the position he holds.

Many people have asked why the district cannot explain in detail why we accepted Mr. Pfleuger’s resignation. The answer to that question is simply that we are required to respect the confidentiality of the employer-employee relationship. To violate this confidentiality would be unfair to Mr. Pfleuger and would send a message to other District employees that their own employment information is at risk. We have held this belief and continue to do so today for the sake of all our employees.

Our elementary school has an excellent staff who continue to deliver a quality education to our K-6 students every day. The school is also blessed with PTA and parent volunteers who contribute to the educational environment in amazing ways. We are committed to working with the staff and elementary community to ensure continuity with the great work that is taking place there. The Board looks forward to working with the staff, PTA, parents and community in an inclusive and public process of determining the attributes we are looking for in the next Elementary Principal and in choosing from among the field of candidates we are able to attract.

If you have any questions or suggestions, we genuinely welcome your phone calls and e-mails. Our contact information is available on the district website.

Sincerely yours,

Rick Thompson, Superintendent
San Juan Island School District

Dr. King helped open the hearts of millions with his soaring oratory...now, what are YOU going to do?

A lot of great things will be said & celebrated today for Dr. King’s birthday (he would have been 82 on Saturday),  so I’d like to leave you with two little ones…

The time to act is now...

First, this little writeup about Dr. King’s connection with Nichelle Nichols…yep, he was a Trekkie, too. Touching, and showing how human he was…

And this quote, which I hope you take personally – what can you personally do to make the world a better place? There is a lot of work to do…

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Shanar (left) and Bridgett and all the folks at Islanders Bank dressed down for the game on Friday....

What a week in pro football.

Sandy (left, in Seahawk green) and Chelsea watched the game at Haley's with friends and family.

After the Seattle Seahawks whumped the Super Bowl champion Saints a week ago, they made believers of a lot of folks who were holding on for a similar miracle in Chicago’s 20-degree game yesterday.

After all, the home team was the first in history to sneak into the playoffs with a 7-9 record – as division champs no less. A win over the Bears would have meant they would have played at home against the Packers.

But it wasn’t meant to be…the Bears went on to win 35-24, but three Seahawk scores in the last quarter helped cement pride for Seattle. Meanwhile, people around San Juan Island showed whom they were for….

That's Abe in his Seahawk best in the produce department at Marketplace on Saturday; Sarah had her 12th man jersey at Haley's during the game.

Kaal at Islanders Bank was ready for the game on Friday.

The buildings on the island range from new to historic, and the older ones are especially prone to devastating fires, because the wood in them has had so long to season…Nancy Larsen lives in such a house, out on Redwing Road, and has a good story to tell about how things turned out:

My beloved old farmhouse is still standing thanks to the quick efforts of all the firefighters who arrived just in time to stanch a fire in my roof that, in short order, could have engulfed the whole house. I’ve since learned that this was the first time that the combined districts responded to a fire. All I can say is thank you, thank you for getting here so fast and for knowing how to put out a fire with minimal damage—miraculously there is no water or smoke damage, only the lingering smell of charred wood upstairs. Besides the expertise and swift action, what also touched me were numerous kindnesses—the firefighter who apologetically told me that he had to move my papers out of the way and that they might not be in order, but they were safe. Someone else took care of my knitting and yarn. I extend heartfelt thanks to all who showed up and saved my house.

And I thank friends and neighbors and co-workers from Griffin Bay Bookstore who showed up to help and offer support. They came with vacuums, brooms, rags, buckets, and mops and heaters to help me put things in order. Gigi at Islanders Insurance and KSD roofing moved quickly to ensure the roof was patched with tarps before the storm arrived Tuesday night. All the help and support I received exemplifies the best of island living, that community spirit of goodwill, the kind of neighborliness that means we help one another when there’s need. How fortunate for me, for all of us.

There is one person who deserves my deepest gratitude: the motorist driving down Beaverton Valley Road who spotted the smoke, who came thundering across my deck, pounding on the door, and bursting into my kitchen, startling me from my lunch with, “Call 911, your roof is on fire.” I made the call. He ran off saying, “I’ll go down to the road to direct the fire engines.”  That was the last I saw of him. Whoever you are, wherever you are, how can I thank you enough? Friends say, “He was your angel, Nancy.” I can’t think of a more apt description. Thank you.

Repairs are underway.

Sincerely,
Nancy Larsen

Every day has its own song (or else, why live?) and there are special ones for special days – Here’s James Taylor: