At a bookstore near you....

It was fun to see Dana Lyons’ Cows With Guns book in the window at Serendipity Books yesterday…

His video for the song has several versions on You Tube, but they have a combined nearly two million visitors over the time that they have been up. Have you seen it lately?

We were trying to be the two millionth viewers - 2,000,000 and one, or two.

Carol at the bookstore & I watched it yesterday…it was fun to see the people smiling, around the store.

Here – check it out:

Art in action - it was cool to see Terry Ogle turning the wood from a fallen holly tree into magic on Monday...he was attracting a lot of attention, set up in the alcove of the building on the corner next to the ferry lanes, next to the Trading Company.

Let’s check it out – really feels like summer’s on the fade with the rain yesterday & today, and with the sounds of it through the evening…let’s see what’s up:

The crew at Haley's came out to sing "Happy Birthday" for fellow worker Brad on Sunday night - wahoo!

• I love it when things overlap – someone on the ferry Sunday asked if the killer whales still come out in the rain, and Colleen at San Juan Safaris addressed that on her blog yesterday. (Thanks, Colleen! You saw a LOT of wildlife yesterday!)

Not unless they have their umbrellas…. 🙂

• It’s been two months since the Rumor Mill opened, and what a difference a place can have on the feel of a town. There were some real risks that Peggy & Oren took on when they tackled the challenge of re-opening, re-designing, re-everything the place into its new incarnation in time for the Fourth of July…and they pulled it off, giving visitors & islanders a steady dose of live music and a pleasant place to hang out. Way to go, you guys!

So...just park in the street...

• Won’t be able to park behind King’s Market today….the airport‘s working on their paving job, too, till Friday.

• The Wolverines got off to a nice start for football season – cheer coach Deanna Banry told me Saturday that the team looked good in beating La Conner 29-8, and that the cheerleaders did a super job, too!

• One of my pet peeves that you’ve heard me occasionally rail about is the bit with Canadian money – some stores in Friday Harbor actually have signs saying they won’t take Canadian currency.

It’s always struck me as nutty & counter-intuitive to be set up for business here on the border, putting some time, effort & money into inviting Canadian friends over to visit, and then turning away someone who has a $20 bill in their hand.

Sign in the galley on the Chelan: Why make the food if you're gonna tell people you don't want their money?

In fairness, I do want to note that there are a number of folks who DO take Canadian money in town, too – and kudos to you!

But it really surprised me that the galley on the Chelan which is the ferry for the international run won’t take Canadian money – that just seems wrong, as well as a business practice that seems aimed at losing money. And customers.

There isn’t just one big, huge thing we need to chance to make visitors feel welcome who are coming & going to our island – it’s a bunch of little things. This is one small thing which is a good place to start.

It's time to start thinking about your fall re-model - you have time now! - so drop by San Juan Interiors and visit with Sarah (left), Gabe & Michel...they'll get you started, and they're nice to work with. You'll be glad you did!

Ken Fuller‘s having one all weekend

We are having a moving sale this Sat. Sun and Monday that we would like to have posted on the Update. Sorry for the late notice. The address is 50 Marion place located near Snug Harbor. Hope you can help with this.

Lylian Merkley and Ken Fuller

Angie & Johannes took the Crystal Seas Kayaking crew out for an end of the summer sunset cruise on the Spike Africa (Schooners North). The Crystal Seas crew from left back: Angie Krieger, Johannes Krieger, Tim Morris, JP Powell, Kelly Broadlick, Carrie Weaver, Front: Adam Meyers, Jordan Nash, Angela Gossom, Sarah Bernstein

Let’s see what’s going on around our blesséd isle:

• Whoa – have you seen all the classes Victoria at the Economic Development Council is offering this fall, mostly to help you with your business? Check them out here.

Leah, working at the Bakery San Juan booth at the Fair....

• I wonder if you can help Leah Altman and her host brother out – call her at 378-4861 if you can:

My host brother in Thailand (from when I went on my exchange program in high school) really wants to come to America for an exchange this year. He is signed up with the program YES, but they haven’t been able to find him a host family yet.

Do you think you could put a little something on sanjuanupdate? His name is Anon Upara, he is 17 and going into 11th grade, his family is Indian but they live in Thailand, and he wants to stay for a full school year. He’s all ready to go, the minute he finds a host family.

Thanks, Ian!
Leah

• If you’re getting a wood stove, you’ll want to know:

Merle’s Masonry, Chimney Care and Stoves announces an additional sale incentive for Pacific Energy wood stove purchases for September. In addition to a free wood splitter by Merle’s, Tri State is offering a free fan or insert surround.  It’s time also for waterproofing those masonry projects before wet weather.  Stop by and get ready for the fall season.

It was great to see Jodi & Lilly at the Fair!

• Over the course of this month, if you need to fly to Bellingham, or out of Friday Harbor’s Airport, it could get a little tricky, since the Bellingham airport is closed till September 22nd, and the Friday Harbor Airport is closed Sept. 7-9.
Check with our friends at Kenmore Air (they have float plane service from the marina), and with the good folks at Northwest Sky Ferry – here’s their story:

As you might be aware the Bellingham International Airport will be closed between September 1st and 21st for repairs.  During this time we will continue operating out of Lynden and Skagit Regional airports.  In addition, between September 7th and 9th the Friday Harbor Airport will be closed for repairs with operations out ofRoche Harbor.

While closures will have some impact on our operations, we will try to minimize the impact on you.  Our office in Bellingham will remain open for reservations and accounting with only flight operations moving during this time.

Northwest Sky Ferry
(360-676-9999)

Priscilla

• Have you checked Priscilla Hawkins‘ Seattle Style blog lately? Here it is!

• Sally at the Friday Harbor Souvenir Company (3 Front Street, C-1) says her store wide sale started yesterday – get down there & see her! She says to get your island gifts for family and friends, featuring local crafts and artistry.

• Steve & Kathy at The Place Restaurant & Bar are hosting an artist reception for Michael Logan September 4, 2010 from 1:00-4:00 showing his newest paintings of the island.

• Rebekah Dietz‘s dad David passed away last month – here’s the mention in the St. Petersburg Times, with my condolences to you, my friend.

• The Writers’ Cafe open mic is tonight at the Bean! Pam Herber says sign-up is at 5pm, with open mic 5:30 – 6:30pm.Bring your fiction, nonfiction or poetry to read, or enjoy listening. The Bean will have coffee and pastries and such for sale.

He's getting so big! That's Stacie & Ben at the Fair a couple of weeks ago....

Keith & the enigmatic Roseblade play at Roche Harbor from 12-3pm today & Saturday

When you look around the island for music this weekend, you don’t have to look far – remember to keep your mills (Rumor Mill & Peppermill) and harbors (Port of Friday Harbor & Roche Harbor) straight:

Tony and T:FLO are at Roche

• Dave Calhoun brings his mix of tropical rock to Roche Harbor at 3pm on Friday & Saturday, and 5-7pm on Sunday. You’ll leave smiling…

• The Rumor Mill has the Badd Dogg Blues Society playing on Friday & Saturday.

• The San Juan Jazz Quintet plays the brunch at the Rumor Mill Sunday, while Fabulous Rhythmatics play the Port at 5pm today.

• Uncle Otto is at the Port on Sunday at 2pm.

• Billy & Grace Tea are at the Rumor Mill on Sunday at 5pm, while No Particular Order is at the American Legion on Saturday night.

• Tony tells me T:FLO is at Roche Harbor at 10pm on Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights!

• You wanna be a star – drop by the open mikes at the Doctor’s Office Saturday night at 5:30pm or the Port at 12 on Sunday.

Get it all straight on the San Juan Calendar – see you this weekend somewhere!

Jan from the Community Theatre has this report (and the other folks who have seen the show tell me they really liked it):

The buzz is out there and the reviews are great for Miguel Herbert’s “Only a Ridgeline Away,” the second of two locally written, full-length adult plays produced this summer at SJCT.   The play continues in the Gubelman Theatre THIS Thursday through Sunday, September 2-5. (By the way, the play contains adult language and situations and is not recommended for children.)

Dorian, Julie and Tony (right)

Veteran actress, director and drama coach Julie Laidlaw (pictured right, center, with Dorian Oliver as Matt Slater and Tony Vivenzio as Michael T. Mooney), plays
“The General” in this comedy/drama about two Vietnam combat veterans and lifelong best friends who settle down in a senior care facility together.

On the Theatre’s FACEBOOK page, Laidlaw shared that she’s “convinced this is the best show I’ve done in my career.”  Islander and playwright Penelope Haskew also took the time to comment on our FACEBOOK page:  “This show made me feel for Vietnam vets in a way no other movie or play ever has.  It’s just incredibly good.”

The intimate Gubelman is filling up fast so get your tickets now!

Just got this note from our new superintendent Rick about how things are going – here’s his report about his first day:

Superintendent’s First Day: September 1, 2010

By Rick Thompson, Superintendent
(360) 378-4133

As I finish up my first school day as Superintendent, what a pleasure it has been.  I began my day wondering how the parking would go at FHHS, and so far so good.

I attended the weekly Rotary meeting. Fellow Rotarians were very curious about the first day of school.

I saw one primary age girl who missed her mom and the staff was doing their best to provide support and encouragement to help her adjust to her home away from home.

One third grade student, when asked what a Superintendent did, said I was a “substitute”.  That warmed my heart.

I saw elementary students line up for PE in a civil manner, being carefully taught the rules of engagement.

Seventh graders were busy learning how to work their lockers, making the big jump to secondary school.  I saw boys and girls having a wonderful time at recess, and found students overall enthusiastic to return to school, to meet their friends and learn about their new classes.

One high school teacher I talked with was analyzing the first day, developing strategies to motivate students individually.  I was impressed with our counseling staff who found new ways to reduce the need for schedule changes.

Later in the afternoon I saw our maintenance staff working to install a new scoreboard on the field.

Our secretaries were busy processing student paperwork and meeting the various needs of families.  Our principals were working hard to balance staffing needs and class sections.  I say great care and attention being given to students with special needs.

Overall, I saw teachers engaging students with high quality work.  It was a joy to be part of the learning community today.

Let’s catch up a bit around here….

Trudy (left) and Lynne are all smiles at the opening...

• Last weekend the Island Arts League celebrated their open house and the opening of their new studio space at 774 Mullis Street (behind Whidbey Bank)…thanks to Trudy Dallas, the IAL’s new president, they have a large, light-filled spot. The IAL is a gathering of artists with the mission to support arts education on San Juan Island with open studios, reviews, workshops, and classes. They’ve been going strong for some 12 years now. (You can call Lynne Mercer about membership and studio use at 378-1675.)

Drop by & say hey!

Heart-shaped potato, at the Fair....

• You can help the kids…Islanders Bank’s Gear Up campaign continues this month – you can donate school supplies at Kings Market, Market Place, Friday Harbor Drug, Office Center, and at Islanders, where you can also make a cash donation as well. The supplies collected last year were all used, and the School District folks tell me this is really needed…the campaign runs till the 16th.

• Remember Patrick Honeywell who helped get Bakery San Juan going? He moved to California last year, but he’ll be here this weekend, helping at the BSJ booth at the Farmers’ Market on Saturday…

• Nan Simpson reports her visit with Tucker, the poop-sniffing dog who helps researchers gather whale scat samples on the water each summer…here’s her story.

• No kid soccer or youth football games this Labor Day weekend, but the season gets underway the weekend after…meanwhile, the FHHS soccer team is on the road to a season-starting jamboree this weekend, while the football Wolverines play their first game at LaConner on Friday.

Fun at the Fair: That's Bryn Barnard painting his wife Rebecca at a workshop/demo at the Fair in which other folks could come draw her, too....

What's been happening....

The last couple of days I was doing some updates to the Update’s backend, so we were offline, but today I think we have everything working, so I’ll be catching up with you.

Thank you to all who wrote or called with your concerns…no, we weren’t hacked; no, I didn’t go fishing (shoulda, though); yes, there are some improvements; and no, nothing much happened while we were down.

And yes, I’m glad you’re there. Means the world to me that you check in each day….

It was nice to hear the rain this a.m. and to feel the earth soaking it up…the weather report says something about a 90% chance it’s gonna be wet & wetter today, then dry out later in the week. Here’s more:

• This weekend, Ruth at waterworks gallery presents Caroline James for a special exhibition from Sept. 3-14…check it out!

• I just got this note from Mikki Ellis, Lee Ann’s sister…Jessica’s been missing since mid-month.

Jesse

Here’s the info, but before you read it, I’d like to take a moment and ask Jessica (from me) to please call your mom, just so she knows you’re safe. Sweetie – there’s nothing that makes a mom worry more than not knowing….please call her.

Here’s the story:

Jessica Walch is missing. She was last seen on August 19. She is 5′ 6″ tall, green eyes, brown shoulder-length hair, 14 years old. Please contact the San Juan County Sheriff’s department at 360-378-4151 or Lee Ann Walch, Jessica’s mother, at 360-472-0618 or e-mail [email protected].

Jason & Tawny...photo by Dustrude Photography

• Well, there was another island wedding – Tawny Frazier and Jason Garcia were married Saturday, August 21st in a beautiful ceremony here on the island. That photo is by Tim Dustrude at Dustrude Photography.

Great to see new mom Katie Leed and new dad Travis' mom Connie with baby Connor at King's this past weekend - he was born on the second of August and is doing great!

As you can see, I have a little cleanup on the site today, so I won’t be posting news till later today…thanks for checking in!

Piper keeps her eyes on the road while Fallon tries to get her to go faster in a 1959 Morris Minor Traveler, brought to the island by Tom from Brier.

It was a cheerful, nearly sunny day on Sunday at the San Juan Vineyards, where this year’s Concours d’Elegance was put on by the Rotary Club. People came from all over the sound to show off their sports cars, and it was pretty awesome.

As Josie & I walked around, we noticed we kept hearing, “Yeah, when I was a kid, we rode this…” and “My dad used to take us….” The cars were great memory-makers, and memory-reminders.

The winners in the different categories will be posted sometime on the event’s webpage, but the real winners were Hospice of San Juan and the Rotary International Polio Eradication Project.

Good lookin' cars on a good lookin' Sunday...

Remember S&G’s Central Park Concert in 1980? Here’s the song they started off with….

Thanks to the ongoing efforts of gardener Alana Dunn, the flowers & gardens at Roche Harbor always looks & feel good...photo by Cynthia Burke

Little of this, little of that…

• There’s a lot of things to do around the island this weekend…see you out & about! If you see some kids who look a little weary, that’s because the high school sport seasons began this week with fall practice. And…school is actually going to start soon. That always feels like proof the summer’s really over….

• Football gets underway this weekend! Here’s more from Cassie:

Hi Ian-
The Tigers play at home this Saturday.  Freshman v. LaConner at 10:30am, Orcas v. LaConner at 12:30pm, Seniors v. Ferndale at 2:30pm, Juniors v. Lakewood at 4:30pm.  Concession stand will be open and this year we will be serving barbecued hamburgers! And…the barbecued hamburgers are thanks to a generous donation from San Juan Propane!

• If you go early, you’ll cash in:

Cynthia’s Of Course will be selling great pastries and coffee from 8:30 to about 11:00 on Sunday morning as they set up! So come hungry and enjoy some fresh baked croissants, sweet rolls, cinnamon buns, mini quiches and hot coffee…come on by!

Christie & Colin

• Did you hear that Colin & Christie got married? Here’s more:

Christie Polchowski and Colin Megill exchanged marriage vows on August 14th at Sweet Earth Farm on San Juan Island. A party followed on the farm, where Christie had been working for nearly a year. Both Christie and Colin are from the east coast, and many friends and family members from that region came to celebrate, along with a crowd of island friends. Colin is a teacher at Spring Street International School and Christie is a student teacher at Friday Harbor Elementary School, and they are planning on settling down on the island.

• A trip across the water…check out the Ballet in Victoria.

Friday night at the Rumor Mill...

Full moon over the marina earlier this week...photo by Bob Stavers (thanks, Bob!)

Let’s see what’s up around here….

• Colleen & Bill at San Juan Safaris said it was an honor to be chosen when congressmen came to the island earlier this week…here’s more from Colleen:

San Juan Safaris took Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chairman of the Appropriations Committee; Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., chairman of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies and Rep. Lucille Royball-Allard, California –
on a private charter this Monday August 23.  They toured the coast line of the west side of San Juan Island. The group was treated to a minke whale sighting along with harbor seals and tons of sea birds. Owner Bill Wright was aboard with his 40 years of eco-tourism.

• Did you know that islander Arielle Mancuso has been six months in Rwanda today?… Check out her blog!

• Friday at the Rumor Mill – it’s the Sliders! Starting at 7:30pm.

• The Port’s celebration of being around for sixty years continues – here’s this weekend’s event, from Harbormaster Tami Hayes:

See you Saturday!