The place smelled great, and the food was awesome....

There was a nice size crowd for the Farmers Market‘s inside edition last Saturday at Friday Harbor High…the next Market is set for the 20th, same time (10am-1pm), same place. See ya there!

You'll like the class, or your money back. If you REALLY like the class, I take tips.

Next week, I get to teach a class that you’ll love. Things you’ll like about it:

1) It’s free.

2) You’ll leave the class with a fresh, new way of thinking about your business or mission or next novel (I know your secrets).

3) You will change the way you’re doing your marketing, and you’ll be glad you did.

4) It’s fun.

The class is sponsored by my friends & yours at the EDC and SVC, so you better decide ASAP to signup for your spot (and so we know how many people are coming!) Here’s the scoop:

“Sticky” Marketing Workshop
presented by the EDC

Why do some marketing messages work and some don’t? How can business owners improve their company’s “message” to make it stick in the minds of customers?

Learn how to create a cohesive, compelling message in the EDC’s upcoming workshop entitled, “Making It Stick: Crafting A Message They’ll Remember.” The workshop will be held from 9-11 on November 16, at Skagit Valley College’s community room.

Join writer and English teacher Ian Byington to learn to craft your words so that people will not only remember what you do, they’ll act when it’s time to buy. This useful workshop will help business owners transform the way they communicate ideas.

The workshop will be held from 9-11 on November 16, at Skagit Valley College’s community room, downstairs, at 221 Weber Way, Friday Harbor. Please call or email to register: (360) 378-2906, [email protected].

The EDC thanks San Juan County for supporting our fall Business Education Series.

Her new book is out!

San Juan Island author, baker, and soapmaker Anne Watson has a new credit to add to her constantly growing list of achievements. Her latest book, “Baking with Cookie Molds,” is hot off the press and available for ordering through Amazon.com .

These are not your basic run-of-the-mill cookies, folks. They are works of art, and Anne’s book will help you learn how to make your own. Check it out here.

Congratulations, Anne!

When folks look at the causes of declining numbers of killer whales, they usually point to three things: decreasing salmon stocks, toxins in the water, and noise in the oceans. The Orca Network’s Howard Garrett has been watching the local orcas for some time now, and offers his observations, conclusions, and recommendations about what’s ahead for salmon stock recovery and its relation to orca survival:

Still not using science....

On October 29, salmon advocates asked a federal judge to reject the Obama Administration’s 2010 Plan for Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead.

This includes Chinook salmon that are essential nutrition for our Southern Resident Killer Whales. Today, three facts are clear. One, our orca are often very hungry. Two, they historically dined regularly on Columbia Basin chinook – especially in the lean months of March and April. Three, by failing endangered salmon, the 2010 Plan will also fail our endangered orcas.

The endangered Southern Resident orca community declined over 20% a decade ago and still teeters on the brink of extinction. Multiple studies tell us why: inadequate runs of Chinook salmon. For thousands of years this unique and cohesive orca clan has survived almost entirely on king salmon, especially those returning to the Columbia basin during winter and spring.

In the past few decades those Chinook runs have dwindled to a small percentage of their former numbers. NOAA notes that “Perhaps the single greatest change in food availability for resident killer whales since the late 1800s has been the decline of salmon in the Columbia River basin” (p. 95).

We expected more from NOAA and the Obama administration when they released their Columbia Basin salmon plan as required by the Endangered Species Act. On inauguration day, we were told that good science would trump biased economics and DC politics, and that the process would be transparent. Instead we got a repeat of the corrupt Bush plan and secrecy rather than honesty, despite fierce criticism of that status quo plan from the American Fisheries Society, a wide range of independent biologists, and NOAA’s own scientists.

Regarding orcas specifically, NOAA also fails to explain the huge discrepancy between their 2010 Columbia Basin salmon plan and their 2009 California salmon plan. The CA plan says hatchery fish are no substitute for wild salmon, that orcas need viable wild salmon runs, and there are far too few today. The Columbia plan inexplicably says that hatchery fish are a reliable replacement for wild salmon, and suggests that there are plenty of salmon for orca survival. Despite repeated requests to NOAA to address and resolve this inconsistency, none has been offered.

There is no doubt in the scientific community about the ecological connection between Columbia/Snake salmon and our much-loved orcas. Canada’s DFO found “…that [orca] survival rates are strongly correlated with the availability of their principal prey species, chinook salmon.” A NOAA study concluded that “Chinook salmon, a relatively rare species, was by far the most frequent prey item.” Winter field studies have also found Southern Resident orcas near the mouth the Columbia River eating salmon headed upriver.

UW’s Center for Conservation Biology conducted a multi-year orca study of hormones found in fecal material and concluded that: “Thus far, the hormone data most strongly supports the reduced prey hypothesis” and that “For now, it seems clear that mitigation efforts to increase number and quality of available prey to Southern resident killer whales will be an important first step towards assuring SRKW recovery.”

Let’s hope that the judge buries this deceptive plan in early 2011, and brings the federal government and the people of the Northwest together to craft a legal, science-based plan that serves our salmon, our communities, and our orcas.

For more information, please visit: http://www.wildsalmon.org
and http://www.orcanetwork.org

Matthew Gray Palmer working on 10' long Largemouth Bass. Matthew sculpted and carved the fish out of a variety of materials including aluminum, epoxy and Plexiglas. The eyes are carved from a block of acrylic. This piece was created for installation at the Go Fish Georgia Fish Hatchery and Visitor Center in Perry, GA.

San Juan Island’s prodigious sculptor Matthew Gray Palmer has been busy creating new work. (You may remember his elephant sculpture when it was in the ferry line last January…)

At first glance Matthew’s sculptures may look familiar: a Barn Owl, a Raven… but take a closer look and they seem to defy gravity. Using a variety of materials and with exquisite craftsmanship Matthew shows us the material world though the realm of scientific inquiry and then takes us on to approach the mystical.

"Between the Lines," cast and fabricated bronze, steel, carved limestone and gold.

In his piece, Between the Lines, he explains, limestone pages present a trail of patterns “left by protons, neutrons and electrons as a result of the colliding atoms in a particle accelerator… I chose this image because it demonstrates our accomplishments as observers towards an understanding of the universe and our place within it.”

The piece reflects Matthew’s exploration of how we recognize and identify with the transcendent in each other and through our experience of the universe. Says Matthew, “It is a representation  of our cleverness and unwitting ability to turn our curiosity and drive for understanding on its head by discovering an ever-deepening mystery.”

"Avoir des atomes crochus" - cast and fabricated steel, limestone

Matthew’s work received international recognition when a photograph of his sculpture “Avoir des Atomes Crouchus” (right) was
requested by French publisher Editions Hatier for a college level physics and chemistry textbook.  This year the French Minister of Education
requested that artwork be taught along with the sciences to inspire a dialog about their relationships.

Next spring, Matthew will be creating a life-size tiger for entrance to the new “Trail of the Tiger” Exhibit at the Virginia Zoo.

http://matthewgraypalmer.com/

You know, Avon did this last year, and it was great – I hope you get a chance to drop by & check it out! Amy Traxler has the scoop:

I just wanted to let you know that, starting on Monday (11/8), we’re going to be having our dinner combo specials again at The Golden Triangle.  Monday night will feature Japanese food, Tuesday night Vietnamese, and Wednesday night Laotian.  There will be 3 specials each night and they all include some type of soup, appetizer, salad, main course, and dessert.  We have fliers up in the windows at the restaurant so you can see what’s being offered.

The specials will run through the winter.  Come and try them out!

Mom & daughter, together....

…comes the light. That’s Jodi with Lily taking a leap….

The tubes in question...

Thank for writing & asking…I was wondering, too! What ARE those white things sticking up in the marshes across from where you turn at the transfer station? Judy from the Land Bank sent over the story behind the story, with pictures:

What are those white things in Beaverton Valley Marsh?

Mysterious groves of white tubes sprouted seemingly overnight at the San Juan County Land Bank’s Beaverton Marsh Preserve along Roche Harbor road, causing neighbors and others to scratch their heads as they drove past.  Was this some kind of modern art installation?  Were alien beings responsible?

No – this was just one step in a major wetland protection and restoration effort that the Land Bank is leading.   Those white tubes are sheltering 1,000 newly planted native willows from hungry gnawing voles and deer, and the rubbing antlers of bucks.  Later this fall and winter, more native trees and shrubs – including cottonwood, aspen, twinberry, Pacific crabapple, willows, salmonberry, and swamp gooseberry – will be planted along the edge of the marsh, in areas currently covered with a non-native plant called reed canarygrass.   Reed canarygrass is an aggressive, noxious weed that chokes out other species, and doesn’t provide good habitat for many local animals.  Wildlife such as migratory birds, amphibians, and small mammals should benefit from establishing native plants in the marsh again.

Where the preserve is, on the island...

Beaverton Valley Marsh is the largest wetland complex in the county, at over 250 acres.  It’s been a focus of Land Bank protection for nearly 10 years. A series of purchases in 2001, 2002, and 2006 led to the creation of the 135 acre Beaverton Marsh Preserve along Roche Harbor Road. In September of this year, another 40 acres of the wetland were purchased along Beaverton Valley Road. The non-profit wetlands conservation group Ducks Unlimited has secured federal grants to pay for the Land Bank to do even more land protection in the marsh, as well as the current restoration project. The Land Bank and partners are also evaluating the possibility of primitive trails for walking and wildlife viewing.

The public is invited to learn about and help with the ongoing wetland restoration this winter at a series of rain-or-shine interpretive and volunteer work days.  There are a lot of plants to plant, and many hands are needed.  On Saturday, November 20, volunteers can join the Lopez Island Conservation Corps at the Preserve between 11:30 and 3:30.  The event will begin with an interpretive talk, following by tree-planting and other tasks.  There will be more work days on December 1 and throughout February.  Call the Land Bank at 378-4402 for more information.

Kira Sable serenades the guest of honor with her rendition of "I Got You, Babe"...."I Got you, Abe." Photo by Janice Peterson (thanks!)

It was outpouring of love & music & food & more love…the Yacht Club filled up Saturday night with folks who came to cheer on Abe Gutierrez. The food was awesome, the music by Noise Complaint was awesome, the silent auction wasn’t THAT quiet, and the guest of honor was his usual happy, smiling self. Kristine & Sandy & their small army of volunteers & supporters put on a great evening.

The highlight of the evening was Noise Complaint’s Kira singing “I Got You, Abe” for the man…she wrote new words for the old Sonny & Cher song, and sang it early in the evening, and then again later, by overwhelming demand.

If you’d like to donate a little more to help Abe with his medical expenses, drop it off at King’s Market.

And a good time was had by all. Abe sure is loved….

Gerald Dickens as the author....tonight!

This is cool – the guy doing the Dickens show tonight at the Community Theatre is related to the author, and Joanruth from the island’s relatives are from the same neighborhood. Here’s more from Jan at the Theatre:

When Charles Dickens’ great-great grandson brings his one-man show, Mr. Dickens is Coming! to San Juan Community Theatre this Monday at 7:30 p.m., he won’t be the only one with family history to share from the times of Dickens.

Friday Harbor resident Joanruth Baumann’s great-great grandmother and her daughter, Isabelle were neighbors of Charles Dickens–living the same “Oliver Twist” childhood that Dickens wrote so much about.  Joanruth says her great grandmother, Isabelle Bird, lived in Portsea (a subset of Portsmouth), about a mile from Dickens.  She was orphaned at age 13 in the poorhouse and was sent out to work as an indentured servant, like so many teenage orphans were forced to do.  Isabelle eventually escaped servitude and was able to board a boat heading for Texas where she married an Englishman.

“I’ve always felt a connection to Dickens,” said Joanruth.  “It’s interesting to know that the social conditions he was writing about are connected to someone’s own family half way around the world–right here on the island.”

In Mr. Dickens is Coming!, Gerald Dickens will share a varied and entertaining look at the life of the author, using characters, diary extracts and observations from those who lived and worked with him, as well as Gerald’s own 21^st-century views.

Gerald regularly performs in major theaters and arts centers as well as at hotels and stately homes.  He has appeared at several arts and literary festivals in the UK and has been entertaining cruise ship passengers worldwide since 2007.

The Business Partner for the evening is Griffin Bay Bookstore.  Tickets are $16 for adults, $8 for student reserved with $5 RUSH at the door.  

The leaves are just hangin' in there...the colors around the island are beautiful, whether they're on the branches or on the ground this week....

Looks like we can finally relax this weekend….(stretch)(yawn)(scratch). Here’s a little bit of what’s up in the next few days:

• There is music in Town tonight – the Rumor Mill has The One More Time Band (and dancing!) tonight, and The Polecats with bluegrass tomorrow for a Saturday night in Town….

A meeting of the Gails - Gail Hyland dropped in to Cotton Cotton Cotton last weekend & got to meet store owner Gail Schnee (left)...

• It’s not Victoria’s secret – she wants everybody to know:

Workshop on Business Planning & Financing
360-378-2906 – http://www.sanjuansedc.org/classes.htm
Monday, November 8 from 9:00-11:00
Learn about a variety of business financing options available from traditional and alternative agencies and lenders, during a Business Financing Seminar presented by the San Juan County Economic Development Council. The event will be held at the Mullis Street Fire Hall, 1011 Mullis Street, Friday Harbor.

Attendees will meet representatives from financing agencies, including the SBA, the USDA, EFACWA, the Northwest Women’s Business Center, local lenders and more — over eight representatives will attend. Participants will leave the seminar knowing which program will best suit their businesses needs.

Topics will include local, state and federal loan and grant resources, loan requirements, the recent expansion of federal funding through federal and state agencies, export financing assistance, alternative financing options, hiring incentives and other services available to assist businesses.

The EDC thanks San Juan County, the Town of Friday Harbor and the Ports of Friday Harbor and Lopez for supporting our Business Financing Seminar.

Drop by and see Nancy at the Toy Box...and - you don't HAVE to wait till next weekend!

• It’s a week away, but plan now! Nancy & David have more:

The Toy Box is hosting a celebration as part of the first national Neighborhood Toy Store Day on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010, from 10AM to 5:30 PM. We will announce The Best Toys for Kids Award list! Enjoy free cookies and surprise drawings for purchase discounts and discover The Best Toys for Kids.  The Toy Box, 20 First Street, Friday Harbor.

• Marta says there’s still a week left, to sign up (everyone I know over the past six years who has done this says it is VERY valuable….):

Leadership San Juan Islands announces that preparation for Class VII is underway… Applications and information can be found on the web at the website and the deadline to submit applications is November 12.

If you are interested in participating, sponsoring, or getting more information about this dynamic Leadership program please contact Marta Nielson at 360-376-2786 or visit the LSJI website.

Mocha at the Bean - it's either pretty good coffee or good pretty coffee. Coffee by Eric, artwork by Khali.

• The Boys Scouts are doing a good deed this weekend at the Historical Museum – this should look really good when they’re done! Here’s more from Diane Timm:

The Boy Scouts will be doing a community service project at the Historical Museum this Sunday beginning 11am. The museum has several farm implements that were donated over the years and the grasses are growing up making it difficult for display.  The boys will spread weed block and gravel over a prepared site and move the implements onto the new site for display.  The project will take a good part of the day and the museum will host a lunch for them.

Caitlin

• It happens for everyone…this week it was Caitlin Greenway‘s 21st birthday, so she met up with a bunch of friends at Haley’s for the big day – Happy Birthday, Caitlin!

• Come eat breakfast at the Senior Center! Kurt has more:

Sunday, November 7, from 9:00am to noon
Pancake Breakfast with scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and all the pancakes you can eat! In the Mullis Community Senior Center Dining Room, 589 Nash St., Friday Harbor. Proceeds benefit the Center’s Senior Lunch program.

It's nice to meet up with your friends for your birthday down at Haley's...

Cere's presentation is Saturday....photo by Cere Demuth

Cere tells me she’s really looking forward to sharing her experience with you – here’s more,  from the San Juan Island Library:

The Country of Her Birth – A Guatemalan Journey
Saturday, November 6th at 6:30pm

Join us on Saturday November 6th to hear Cere Demuth talk about her recent trip to Guatemala. This presentation will include a slide show and journal readings from her recent pilgrimage to her daughter’s birth country.

This talk will offer a unique and intimate perspective on traveling with your child to the country of their birth. This is one story about the journey of adoption.

This program is appropriate for teens and adults, but not children. Cere Demuth is a Psychotherapist and Mother. November is National Adoption Month.

Remember the old tv show “Taxi”? Full of life lessons….hope you get a chance to slow down & enjoy your weekend!

Abe checked in with his buddy Joe Bongiorno when everybody's favorite solo piano player dropped in for a gig last July...Abe & Joe used to work together at the Ale House, back in the day.

Stacey Smith and Kristine Dawson tell me there’s gonna be a dinner for our friend Abe…he’s a great one! Come if you can! Here’s the scoop:

Abe needs our help!! He’s been out of work due to medical issues and the bills are piling up!! He has volunteered so many hours of his time and money for others without EVER expecting anything back. This is a perfect way to thank him, help him and have a great dinner with great entertainment!

BENEFIT FOR ABE GUTIERREZ
November 6, 2010 ~ 6-10pm
San Juan Yacht Club
Prime Rib Dinner – suggested donation $25.00 per person
Silent Auction
Donations greatly appreciated – contact Kristine Dawson 378-4585
Kate Schuman will sing and Kira Sables Band “Noise Complaint” will play!
All that for $25 Bucks!! And you get to see Abe’s smiling face..priceless!

Enough
by Jeffrey Harrison

It’s a gift, this cloudless November morning
warm enough for you to walk without a jacket
along your favorite path. The rhythmic shushing
of your feet through fallen leaves should be
enough to quiet the mind, so it surprises you
when you catch yourself telling off your boss
for a decade of accumulated injustices,
all the things you’ve never said circling inside you.

It’s the rising wind that pulls you out of it,
and you look up to see a cloud of leaves
swirling in sunlight, flickering against the blue
and rising above the treetops, as if the whole day
were sighing, Let it go, let it go,
for this moment at least, let it all go.

Islander Arielle Mancuso is serving in Africa in the Peace Corps - during a break from her work in Rwanda, she got to take a leap of faith (and bungee!) over the Nile River in Uganda.

As the island settles into autumn, let’s see what’s going on…

• By the way, you can catch up with Arielle‘s adventures in Rwanda on her blog – check it out.

• Mike’s play got good reviews in its debut at the Community Theatre…now there’s another chance for you to catch it – here’s more from Julie Laidlaw:

The American Legion Post 163 Friday Harbor is proud to announce- November 6th – 7 pm – One Night Only – a special “pre-tour” presentation of “Only a Ridgeline Away” by Miguel Andreas Herbert.

After a successful premiere at San Juan Community Theatre, “Only a Ridgline Away” will be performed at the American Legion, 110 First street, for members and their guests.

Playwright and Friday Harbor resident Miguel Herbert describes Only a Ridgeline Away as “a cross between Grumpy Old Men and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.  It is my goal, through this play, to give audience members a look at the astounding level of friendship experienced among men who have served together in combat.”

Pick up your free tickets in advance as seating is limited.  Donations will be accepted to support the efforts of the upcoming tour. For tickets, contact the Legion at 378-5705.

Aaron (left) and Adam with their dad, David, Monday night at Haley's....

• For years, Aaron D’Errico has told me how excited he was that Seattle was getting an MLS team (the Sounders arrived in 2009) because of his dad’s connection to US professional soccer, and to the original Sounders back in the 1970s.

David (left) defending for the NASL's Sounders in 1975 against Pelé, who played for the Cosmos that year...

I used to watch David in the old NASL when I covered Portland Timbers games for my Oregon newspaper, and thought it was cool that he was a captain of the US team when they were in the qualifying rounds for the ’78 World Cup.

It was neat to finally meet Aaron & Adam‘s dad earlier this week as he dropped by our island…here’s more about the island’s favorite twins’ dad, and here are a bunch of pictures from back in the day.

• Debbi from the Soroptimist Club says the girls have been busy:

On Wednesday, October 28^th , the S-Club of Friday Harbor High School held a bake sale at Marketplace.  The proceeds of $245.00 will be donated to the Friday Harbor Animal Shelter to buy food for the animals and any other needs.

The members donated their materials, time and talents in preparing the items for the sale.

S-Club members raise money for the Animal Shelter; (from left) Mackenzie Satin, Caroline Close, Amanda Brast, Naomi Boydston and Katherine Dietzman

S-Clubs are clubs for high school students who want to volunteer to serve their school and community in a positive way. These clubs are sponsored by local Soroptimist clubs who inspire students to improve their own lives, and to improve the lives of people in schools and the local community by working on meaningful service projects. Together they are working with teachers and staff at their schools to create a positive school experience with high standards and ideals. The S-club experience inspires students to take on leadership roles which will help prepare them for future roles in the business and professional world.

For information and applications contact Debbi Staehlin – 378-7232

• Debbie Sandwith shares the news of Stephanie‘s wedding in September – wahoo! Here’s more:

Stephanie Ann Sandwith and Dallas Paul Osburn were married on September 18, 2010 at the home of Joe & Janice Chaves on ”Rancho San Lorenzo” in Los Alamos, CA at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Stephanie is the daughter of Pat & Debbie Sandwith, Friday Harbor and a 2002 FHHS graduate. Dallas is the son of Mrs. Bobbie Jo Osburn and the late Mr. Dave Osburn of Santa Maria, CA. Dallas and Stephanie are both 2008 graduates of Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo, CA.

The newlyweds honeymooned in Hawaii and make their home in Santa Maria, CA.

Stephanie & Dallas