At Afterglow Spa at Roche Harbor, Ali (left) and Hailey are ready at the desk to set up your appointment.

Let’s see what’s up….

• Tonight at Music on the Lawn (last one of the season!) it’s Rewind – Tom & Tami Doenges and Kate Schuman, from 6:30-8:30pm. Great way to end this year’s series – see you there!

Rewind also plays at the Port from 5-7pm on Friday!

Putting it together at the Peppermill on Friday for Acoustic Night....

Meanwhile, Steve Keys continues with Acoustic Night at the Peppermill, where he plays for an hour, presents a guest artist for an hour or so, then he plays with them for the rest of the evening, with other guest players.

This Friday’s guest – shoot, it’s me. I haven’t had a chance to play for you for a while, so I hope you’ll come by, settle in, and give a listen…Steve does a super job with these evenings.

• Today it’s Fish for Teeth! Matt’s selling salmon today at Compost-It! as well as tacos, and you can make a donation to this cause, which provides denatl care to local kids…here’s more about the program & the fish.

• Chinmayo looks after the Music at the Port music series all summer, and keeps a blog about it, too – check it out!

Speaking of the Port – their new laundry is open, next to the Customs Office.

The Westside Freepile had some pretty good stuff last weekend....

• Last chance to catch the last two show’s of Ed Strum’s The Connoisseurs on Friday & Saturday night this weekend at the Community Theatre…I’ve heard nothing but good reviews of the show – that’s it’s well-paced & funny. Do yourself a favor & catch it!

That's Tug, who has been working at Roche Harbor on the docks this summer - the FHHS '08 grad heads back to the University of Colorado in Boulder in a couple of weeks.

• Well, I found this really inspiring…decluttering. My friend Shannon helps people with it, and the pictures here of folks’ work & play spaces – before & after – are an inspiration in themselves. Check it out here.

• You know how you have been pumping down that Vitaminwater drink you get at the store, and think you’re drinking something, well, healthy? As this article points out, the Coca Cola folks (who manufacture that chemical swill) testified in court that no consumer would actually think it’s good for you. Here’s more. Read, and then quit drinkin’ it. Yuck.

• At 4:30-6pm today & tomorrow (Thursday), there will be a Meetup about the bunny-killing planned by the Parks Service, outside the Technology Center on Mullis Street. Watch for it…

I dropped by Merle's Masonry, Chimney Care & Stoves over at Surina Business Park the other day, and let me tell ya - Merle & Bonnie have sure put together a nice retail space. Drop by and check out check out Friday Harbor's newest store for home crafter sales and consignments

• They were just here till today, but did you get a chance to meet his parents? Eric, who runs the Bean Coffeehouse, had his mom & dad here on the island the last few days, up from Stanford University.

• I love the name of his business – No Job Too Small. That’s why I called Noah Coyne to help me with some cleanup around the yard this spring (we’re selling our house & wanted it to look a little tidier).

He did more than cleanup – he gave the yard a fresh new look & a landscaping feel that’s welcoming and neat. He and his friend Flynn did a super job – far as I can figure, he’s got a pretty deep skill set with handyman things – give him a call at 317-6180, or be sure & put the number in your phone number place for when you’re gonna need him. You’ll be glad you called him.

Noah & Flynn made that tangled affair in the picture look much more presentable - thanks, guys!

Cara

• Cynthia from the Prevention Coalition has had an intern helping this summer – Cara got here about a month ago – here’s more:

Hey Ian, We just wanted to share that the Coalition has been very fortunate to receive a grad student summer intern!
Cara Gresham, who is enrolled in the University of Washington’s Social Work Grad Program, has been hired by the federal Community Substance Abuse Prevention Intern Fellowship Program to work with our community for 10 weeks.  We are one of eight substance abuse coalitions in the U.S. that received this award (the denominator is 745!)

Formerly an Orcas resident and the Office Manager at Compass Health, Cara brings a wealth of local knowledge to the coalition work.  Her experience in treatment will add value to our work, while she has the opportunity to work the prevention side of substance abuse.  She is particularly interested in the mental health and chemical dependency aspects of substance abuse.

The community will be hearing more from her as she heads up the Medication and Prescription Drug Take Back Program as her primary project.  Cara has been meeting face to face with our various coalition members and partners to introduce herself and talk about her plans.  We would like to invite the San Juan Island community to join us in welcoming Cara!

Marjorie Puckett from Honey Lane Farms has been selling her alpaca yarn and creations, as well as the creams she makes, at Roche Harbor for ten years now....

Michael

He’s a great one…solo acoustic guitar player Michael Gulezian is playing tonight (Friday) at 7pm at Free Horse Farm (215 Crow Valley Lane, off Boyce Road, 1/4th Mile from Beaverton Valley). $15.

Here’s his website. See ya there!

Always liked Keb’ Mo’…here’s “Better Man” which he does for the Playing for Change folks:

The Lady Washington was berthed at Roche Harbor the last few days, and hundreds of islanders went to visit her....

This past weekend was a sunny, pleasant day to take in a bit of history as two tall ships were tied up in Roche Harbor. Folks could visit the vessels, and the two had a mock battle with cannon fire later in the afternoon…

Hard not to let your mind wander back into the past….

On Sunday, the Hawaiian Chieftain was tied up stern-to-stern next to the Lady Washington. That's the Chieftain with the red hat...

Rhiana (in flowered dress) took the top spot!

Friday Harbor’s own Rhiana Franklin just won 1st place, out of 23 contestants, at The Colgate Country Showdown in Yakima. She now advances to the State Championship in Ellensburg on Sept. 5th.

Here’s the vid:

This is the friendly alpaca who came over when Josie offered him grass, when we dropped by the little store at States Inn...photo by Josie Byington, wildlife photographer

Around the rock….

• Hey  – yesterday was 8/9/10.

R.D."s new book!

• Are you up for humor and mystery? A lazy way to spend a relaxed hour? Buy Marion Riles Soft-boiled Detective Stories – an ebook by islander R. D. Larson. Click here to read the first chapter free, and to order yours if you like.

• T:FLO will be playing at Roche Harbor this weekend on Friday & Saturday starting at 9:30pm.

• Talked about the lines at the dump last week – John Boyd has run into the same stuff. JB offers this:

Hey–here’s a tip:  Friday afternoon at 3:30pm, the line of cars was a total (counting my car): 2! No wait at all…….so go later in the day after everyone else has already gone!

The Lucky Strikes

• Gary Weybright reports success on the diamond:

Hi Ian: Just wanted to send along a team photo from last Wed. night (July 28th), taken after the Lucky Strikes won their last game and finished their best season ever (8-2), taking 1st place in B league softball. A big thank you to Christian Andrade for coaching the team again!

That's Darlene (left) who runs the gift shop in the Hotel De Haro at Roche Harbor, visiting with Mary, who is dropping off her greeting cards with her photos on them, last weekend.

Remember Jeff who used to work at the Journal? He reports that he’s moving east – here’s more:

Jeff and Nancy

Hey, Ian: Just a note to you and your readers. After some years reporting for the San Juan Islands Journal, I recently retired from the South Whidbey Record (now based in Coupeville for some strange reason), and Nancy and I are moving to Staunton, Virginia, a small town in the Shenandoah Valley.

Everything is less expensive — food, housing, gas — and the people are friendly. For me, the chance to explore the history in the area, from Gettysburg and Fredericksburg, to Chancellorsville and Yorktown, is a dream come true.

In the picture, Nancy and I are in Gypsy Hill Park, just north of the main part of Staunton, established in 1732. There’s a small railroad that operates in the park during the summer, charging a buck a ride. I hope to join the board and volunteer as a train engineer. Another dream of mine…

Cheers,
Jeff & Nancy VanDerford

The American release is coming....

When Canadians Suzanne Chisholm & Michael Parfit (from Sidney, BC) came & showed their film Saving Luna here in November 2008, it was awesome. You could see why it had won some 24 national & international awards. And in the crowd here there were so many people who knew the story of Luna – there was laughter & tears as we all re-lived that three years when Luna was here. He touched a lot of people…

Incredibly, this much heralded Canadian film couldn’t find an American distributor, till now. Ryan Reynolds & Scarlett Johansson (you’ll remember they got married in Tofino, BC) became executive producers, re-voiced the film (with Ryan), and re-named it The Whale, and hope to release it soon.

Here’s the trailer…check it out.

Doug - now, and in 1977....

Debbie Sandwith from the Roche Harbor Market passes on the news that there will be a celebration of a 1977 Friday Harbor High graduate’s life this weekend:

Celebration of Doug Grossarth’s life (Oct. 2, 1959 – Aug. 1, 2010) ~ Saturday, August 14th, San Juan Golf Course at 4pm with a no host bar, salad, hot dogs & chips. Please join us to share stories & pictures of our dear friend who passed away on August 1st in his home in California.

Here’s what his family wrote:

Doug, you are a loved husband, father, and friend. From the joy that you brought to the golf course to the wisdom that you shared in guiding your family…. Your gifts are treasured by all. The intense and lasting compassion that you provided was valuable beyond measure, your greatest example being your donation of your kidney to your brother. You have been a mentor, the jokester, the lover, and quite the dancer who swept his bride off her feet.

We feel your strength from above, and you’re now in the nature you so loved.

Doug grew up in Friday Harbor, WA. He spent his years building his life with his wife Jeanette, daughter Kaela and father Karl, in Oakdale, CA. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that all contributions be made in Doug’s name to: ”The First Tee”, PO Box 130, Stevinson, CA 95374. Attn: Kris Horn. A Celebration of Life will be held at Stevinson Ranch Golf Club at 2700 North Van Clief Road, Stevinson, Ca. on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Dougs’ friends and family are welcome.

Henry V runs this week & next (Thursday-Sundays at 8:15pm at Roche Harbor), and the folks who have seen it have told me, “Wow.” Here’s a note from Brenda to tell you her thoughts:

Please don’t let your summer go by without seeing Island Stage Left’s “HENRY V”. I went last weekend only because I never miss a Stage Left production. I had never read nor seen nor had any special desire to see this particular play because I had assumed it would be some kind of historical exercise about events which would have little relevance in today’s world.

Frankly, I assumed it would be kind of a yawner. I was wrong, wrong, wrong. It was stirring, hilarious and thought provoking, and how could I have been so dumb not to have realized that Shakespeare being Shakespeare, the play would be about human beings more than about events.

There are some wonderful directorial choices in Stage Left’s version that contribute to a feeling of the urgency and immediacy of the battlefield, and give resonance to this exploration of men at war, leadership and the choices it entails, loyalty and betrayal, scoundrels and heroes and the similarities between us all. Don’t miss it!
Brenda Beckett

The National Park Service is taking comments till midnight tonight – you can write yours up & deliver it to their place on Mullis Street, or you can click here & send it online.

The 40th Annual Shaw Classic got upderway at noon on Saturday - it was a grey day but the event drew a good number of boats who start at Friday Harbor, circumnavigate Shaw, then return for lasagna dinner & awards.

Interesting weekend, as we finally got some rain (you could feel & hear the ground, loving it & soaking it up) on Saturday, sandwiched between sunny days on Friday & Sunday…

The hours at the dump have been reduced to only three days...

• I’ve heard about the backups at the transfer station, but got to experience it first hand when I went three times on Friday to unload our house’s recycling, only to find the cars backed up down Sutton Road (the longest: 16 cars lined up down Sutton, before the gate.)

We finally made it there Saturday after three and there were only a couple of cars ahead of us… couldn’t wait on Friday, because we had to get back to work…

• Have you seen Misa Heater’s jewelry down at Softwear? Great stuff by the FHHS ’97 grad…

Yep, it was Scott's birthday last week at the bowling alley - happy birthday!

• Carrie over at the Medical Center wanted you to know about their expanded hours:

Hi everyone! Inter Island Medical Center has new extended hours for people who work during normal business hours! Routine care appointments are now available on Wednesday, Thursday, & Fridays starting at 7:30am and Saturdays 9am-4pm. You must call to make an appointment at 378-2141.

• Lee Tarsitano wanted to say hey to her husband Michael for their fifth anniversary last week & to say she’s glad they got to spend it in their new home on San Juan Island AND at Duck Soup! (Congrats, you guys!)

Furling the sail at the end of Saturday's cruise on the Adventuress - it was rainy but people were cheerful and glad to get out on the beautiful ship Saturday morning for their public sail...I loved it. (The hot chocolate & just-cooked chocolate chip cookies helped, too!)

• Physicals! If you are in high school & are going out for a fall sport (or – think ahead! – a sport this year), you need to get a sports physical. The IIMC and San Juan Juan Healthcare are offering them this week:

For San Juan Healthcare, call 378-1338 for an appointment on Monday, August 9 (2-4pm) and Tuesday, August 10 (2-4pm.) Only $35.

For Interisland Medical Center, they are offering Free Sports Physicals on Saturday, August 14 from 9am-4pm. This is a 1 day only special. Pat Davis, PA will be doing the sports physicals and Suzie LeFever will be doing free PT Assessments. Patients must call to make an appointment at 378-2141.

I was standing in front of Friday's Shirt Shop when seven women came out and one said, "Let's go to Be Chic!" and they all ran across the street and crowded into Teri's shop...that was Sunday morning. Cool!

Layla

Pretty exciting news – Layla’s here! Here’s more from proud parents Erin & Pete:

Pete and Erin Ancich are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Layla Evelyn Ancich, on Tuesday July 27, 2010. Layla was born at Stevens Hospital in Edmonds, Washington at 1:00am and weighed 6 lbs., 8 oz and was 19.75 inches long. Both Pete and Erin are long time residents of San Juan Island (Erin was a 1994 FHHS grad). Grandparents are Pastor Archie and Carrie Brooks of Friday Harbor and Antone and Mary Ancich of Seattle.

Great-grandparents are Evelyn Daniel of Garibaldi, OR, Beverly Coco of Seattle, WA., Jack Harvey of Seattle, WA and Helen Ancich of Seattle, WA. She has multiple aunts, uncles and cousins who welcomed her home to Friday Harbor.

A snapshot of the last few years...data courtesy of the Town of Friday Harbor.

You know those long, scientific-sounding messages we who live in Town get from the Town of Friday Harbor about how our drinking water is doing….I’d like to report a bit of good news from the last one.

For the past few years, the levels of THM (Trihalomethane – here’s an explanation & here’s a bit more about the dangers) has hovered near the “safe” levels, and at times, exceeded them (see chart).

Now, the Town is moving ahead with plans to filter the water from Trout Lake the same way many Town residents do at home – with a filter very similar to a Brita filter, which they call a granular activated carbon contact system. This is exciting – according to Town officials, this should make our water safer and better tasting. Here’s the complete report, from the Town of Friday Harbor:

Friday Harbor Drinking Water System Users
Trihalomethane (THM) Update
April 2010 through June 2010
The Town is required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis, including the presence of Trihalomethanes (THMs), a byproduct of disinfection process. Friday Harbor water system users have the right to know about the quality of their drinking water. We have included information below that you should be aware of and what the Town is doing to correct the situation.

What are Trihalomethanes?
The problem we are experiencing continues to be the result of using Chlorine as a disinfectant for our water. Chlorination has made the U. S. water supply safe from illness and disinfection has almost completely eliminated risks of deadly waterborne diseases. However, when chlorine has long-term contact with any organic material, such as leaf foliage present in the Trout Lake reservoir or growth in the aged water distribution mains, it produces a byproduct known as Trihalomethanes (THMs). The THMs produced may have adverse health effects at high concentrations, and the federal government has set limits on the amount permissible in drinking water.

How are Trihalomethanes calculated?
THM levels are measured on a quarterly basis to calculate a “12-month” average. The State requires that we notify you if the level of THMs in the water exceeds 80 micrograms per liter (ug/L) or 80 parts per billion in said time period. Town recently measured a THM level of 83.7 ug/L, which equates to an average of 81.98 ug/L for the past twelve months.

What can you do in the home to reduce THMs?
You may wish to filter your drinking water by using activated carbon filters or simply leave your tap water standing in a pitcher in the refrigerator overnight. These simple methods will help lower THM levels.

What is the Town doing to alleviate the problem?
Filtration systems that use carbon adsorption are the most effective technology for our situation. Activated carbon filters remove and reduce many organic compounds, pesticides and herbicides, as well as chlorine, and THM compounds. As water comes in contact with the carbon, organic particles are adsorbed to the surface area of the carbon granules.

The Town Council recently authorized Town water system engineers to develop plans and specifications for a granular activated carbon contact system at the Water Treatment Plant. The concept would be akin to that of the filter at your home except at an industrial level. The Department of Health has allowed the Town to bypass the pilot testing of this system based on data and successfulness of the granular activated carbon contact system installed at the Roche Harbor Water Treatment Plant. In addition to control of THMs, Town anticipates overall improvement of the taste and odor of our drinking water quality.

If you have any questions regarding water quality related issues, please contact us at (360) 378-2810.

That's Robin getting ready to deliver the goods on Friday...bright & cheerful!

Drop by Robin’s Nest (next to Island Studios) to see what she’s got!

Parish administrator David Bentley wanted you to know about how the Day School is doing:

Carmen (left) and Margaret

Hi, Ian! We’re pretty excited about enrolling a new group of kindergarten-aged children here at Saint David’s Day School. Margaret Barker and Carmen Tompkins, both certified teachers, have an exciting and engaging academic enrichment program going with a limited enrollment of 12 students.

Their program is designed to support and extend the important lessons kindergarten students learn in school or home classes. Field trips, swimming, outdoor activities, cooking, Handwriting Without Tears curriculum, and math with literature units make academic enrichment both fun and practical.

Classes are taught here at Saint David’s Episcopal Church from 11:15-3:00, Monday through Friday. There is also some limited scholarship support available. More information and some pictures are available on our website. Margaret Barker is happy to talk with anyone about this program. Just call her at 378-9474 or 298-4161.