The candidates for County Sheriff on parade (from top): Jeff Asher, Brad Fincher (with wife Debbi); Felix Menjivar; Brent Johnson (with wife Lynne-Ann); and Rob Nou.

Let’s see what’s going down in town….

• Let’s get the restaurants straight, since this is the day you usually figure out where & when you’re gonna eat out….isn’t it?

Among the restaurants that change their days closed because of the season, here’s a handy scorecard – these folks are all closed one day a week:

Market Chef (closed Sunday)
Duck Soup Inn (closed Monday)
Back Door Kitchen (closed Tuesday)
Maloula’s (closed Wednesday)

This is mostly published as a public service for the employees, so they can know where to eat on their off-days.

• Hey, I’m noticing stores staying open later this summer – following the trend set by Griffin Bay Bookstore (Laura keeps the place open till nine during the summer, and has since she moved the store over to Spring Street), I hear that Sherry’s keeping Softwear open later on weekends, as are Teri at Be Chic and Randy & Gail at Cotton Cotton Cotton….and others. This is the way to go!

• When Carrie Brooks resigned from the Town Council a month or so ago, the word went out that folks could apply for the appointment to replace her…the applications period closed Friday, and the Council is expected to choose later this week from a pool of qualified & involved folks who threw their hats in: Matt Shildneck, Barbara Starr, Dorothy Stone, Peggy Long, and Linda Browne.

• Meanwhile, the Candidates’ Forum is on Friday this week, and the most interesting local race for this primary is the contest for the sheriff’s office….mail-out ballots are at the end of this month, with the primary on August 17th.

As a little help for you to get better acquainted with the people running, here are the candidates’ websites:

Brad Fincher – click here for his website

Brent Johnson – click here for his website

Felix Menjivar – click here for his website

Jeff Asher – click here for his website

Ron Nou – click here for his website

Fireworks over the marina at Friday Harbor last weekend....photo by Steve Martin

A little bit of this & that….

• Looks like they caught the Barefoot Bandit over the weekend in the Bahamas…here’s more. If it turns out he’s convicted of all the stuff he’s accused of, island residents will be able to rest safer. He wasn’t Robin Hood….

A great ape, with friends....

• Yep, that was the Island Studios Gorilla you saw on the Fourth, visiting with his friends Kristi (left) and Andrea.

• Here’s a video from 1996 (I believe), featuring Deb Gottesman (Devorah) on lead vocals…. we’ll need to keep showing it till Lolita is free:

Breaching earlier this week in the Strait of Georgia....photo by Monika Wieland

I love Monika Wieland‘s photos – she has a great eye for killer whales & other wildlife, and makes beautiful photographic art with the results. Here’s her blog with more…way to go, Monika!

Vote for your favorite pig kisser....

You can get your tickets today – here’s more from Marie & the Soroptimists:

There is always something fun happening in Friday Harbor!  This is another Fun-raiser…have fun voting for your contestant to “Kiss for the Cure” (the winner kisses a 4H pig).The Soroptimist/Relay team will be selling Vote Tickets to see who will win the honor of kissing a pig this year.  As you may remember last year the Friday Harbor Post Master won and kissed that pig!  This year the gracious (but nervous) contestants are Pastor Archie Brooks, Mayor Carrie Lacher, Sheriff Bill Cumming, Kings Market Manager Wes Corey and San Juan Community Theatre Executive Director Merritt Olsen.  Who will be brave enough to Kiss the Pig?

Drop by from 11am – 4pm  at Marketplace this Friday, July 16; Saturday, July 17; or Kings Market on Sunday July 18 and buy some Vote Tickets.  Soroptimists will also be selling memorial luminaries and opportunity drawing tickets for a nice prize.  All proceeds go to the Relay for Life in support of the American Cancer Society’s fight to find a cure for cancer.

All proceeds go to the Relay for Life in support of the American Cancer Society’s fight to find a cure for cancer.  Thank you Friday Harbor for your support of the Relay for Life!  For more information or to make an online donation please go to the Soroptimist Relay for Life website .

Carol Capps and Cathy Tochluk selling vote tickets last year! Nice ears!

Playing at the Pig War Picnic on the Fourth....

Let’s catch up a bit here:

• MORE pictures from the Fourth! I just looked over Mark Gardner‘s online posting & he did his usual awesome job…and you’re probably in there. Check it out.

That's Matt at the exit of Browne's Home Center, checking everyone out, with a smile...photo by Ruth Offen (thanks, Ruth!)

• Next Friday’s candidate forum has been bumped up to 6:30pm at the Mullis Center rather than 7pm as previously announced, according to the League of Women Voters’ Susan Dehlendorf.

• Speaking of the Mullis Center, that’s the place for breakfast this weekend – here’s more from Curt:

This month’s Pancake Breakfast is Sunday, July 11 from 9am-noon. Breakfast of bacon, eggs and pancakes costs $6 or $3 under twelve. Usual date is the first Sunday of each month with proceeds to support the Mullis Center.

Shay (drum) and Avery (guitar) playing on the Fourth of July weekend on Spring Street....

• Speaking of eating, Craig at Westcott Bay has an idea:

Westcott Bay Sea Farms is holding its third U-Pick Special this Saturday, July 10th.  All oysters picked off the beach are $.75 each.  Come join an island tradition between 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.  We are located on Westcott Drive off the Roche Harbor Road.  See you at the farm!

The Bits 'n Spurs 4-H Summer Horse Show is next week!

• It’s a week away, but Nancy wants you to know ahead of time:

The San Juan Island Bits n’ Spurs Horse 4-H Club is pleased to announce their annual Summer Horse Show on July 16,17, and 18th at the San Juan County Fairgrounds. Friday the 16th is dressage and jumping competition, Saturday the 17th is performance competition, and Sunday the 18th is the crowd favorite: gaming! Interested in competing?

Call Nancy Young for registration at 360-378-2931. There will be prizes for competitors!! All spectators are welcome. See you there!

Leilani Dyer (with her mom, Denise) has opened a great new bead store....

• You’ve been dreaming of beads, so here’s the place your dreams come true: Leilani Dyer has opened Dream Beads, right next to the Chamber of Commerce office & down the hall from Softwear & the yarn shop. She has a nice collection of beads & beading supplies – drop by & check it out!

• Did you want to join the Facebook group “Friends of the San Juan Island Update”? Click here to check it out.…

Melissa & Miles out on a sunny Saturday last weekend....

• Vacation Bible School gets underway next Monday…here’s the rest of the story.

• Teddy Deane‘s playing at the Rumor Mill – here’s the scoop:

Hi, Folks,
I’ll be flying solo at the cool new place in town, the Rumor Mill (formerly a lot of other names including Bella Luna) Friday and Saturday (7/9&10) and again next Tuesday (7/13). I have some cool new tunes for the occasion as well as some warmed over and slightly used island classics to help you digest some of the incredible food and drinks. Be cool, drip on by 6pm-9pm or maybe later if the tip jar keeps getting heavier.
Teddy (www.teddydeane.com)

• Nancy Ballman is offering petsitting & house sitting services here on the island – she calls it Wags & Wiggles (she has a Facebook page – check it out). You can call her at 298-2343 or write her at [email protected]…she says no pet is too big  or too small…..

Georgia's Foxes, at waterworks gallery....

• This weekend, Anne & Georgia open at waterworks gallery – here’s more, from Ruth:

For over a decade Anne Belov has thrilled the gallery audience with her still life and landscape paintings. With her recent paintings, Anne focuses her attention on the quality of light and the intimacy of the garden experience. Year round, whenever we take the time to smell the flowers or walk through a garden and sit in her tableau, Anne reminds us of the richness of these experiences with her paintings.
Preview the work

Georgia Gerber is well known in the Western US for her large commission sculptures for public places including Wichita, Kansas (“Streetscape”), the Mercer Island Library (“Between Two Worlds”), and her most beloved sculpture “Rachel the Pig” at the Pike Place Market in Seattle.

Georgia’s ability to capture an action, a look, an emotion in her limited edition bronzes is evidence of her intimate knowledge of the natural world. With great pleasure, Waterworks Gallery premieres the Bowed Raven, Ain’t Nobody Here (but us chickens) and Spring Foxes.  Preview her works here.

Not only did the Missoula Children's Theatre shows go well last weekend, but some of the actors' grandmas got 'em ice cream - that's Inga with a big smile & a nice Grandma.....

Pretty warm last night, according to the Community Theatre reader board...whew!

Yep, it was downright hot yesterday, and it’ll probably wander into the 80s this weekend….

As the sun sets on another warm day....

Once you hear this song by Chad & Jeremy, you’ll have Summer Song stuck in your head all day…so be careful:

Roy's Coffee has expanded into that building that was most recently Compost-It (and Farmers Insurance before that)...they now have a place to sit down, and I've been hearing reports their sandwiches are really good.

Let’s see what’s happening…

Tracy, with her boy Dylan!

• Sally Thomsen tells me that Tracy Roberson has been appointed to the Island Rec Board of Commissioners, to the position vacated by Amy Windrope. Good choice, if you ask me.

• Have you seen Rachel’s petsitting business? Here’s her website.

• Krispi says: “Come to the Port Park tonight to hear Kubatana play incredible marimba, starting at 5pm. They will play until 7. Great summer evening to enjoy music outside!”

• At the Whale Museum – here’s more from Cindy:

Marine Naturalist Training Program this Summer!
Due to a large response to the Spring 2010 Marine Naturalist Training Program, The Whale Museum will be presenting a Naturalist Training Program for Summer 2010, running from August 6th through August 11th.  For the first time, this program will be offered over 6 consecutive days, allowing the participant to receive a similar education as the Spring program yet within a more condensed time frame.  Registration for the Summer 2010 program is available now.  The object of this program is to provide a learning experience that assists adult graduates in becoming qualified regionally as professional or volunteer naturalists.

Miles (right) with his friend on the Fourth: He took off this week for a five-week session at Berklee School of Music in Boston....wow!

The main focus of the training is the ecology, current status and conservation of Southern Resident killer whales and other local marine species as well as discussions about the environments in which they live.  The course includes presentations on cetaceans, pinnipeds, otters, intertidal invertebrates, seabirds, and a variety of other topics such as geology and marine conservation.

Faculty includes Whale Museum staff, professional naturalists, marine scientists, and environmental educators active in the region.  Students will also participate in a variety of field trips relating to the topics of study.  Tuition is $375 and includes an orca adoption and a Whale Museum membership.  There are no prerequisites other than high school graduation and a sincere interest to learn.

For more information or to register for the Marine Naturalist Training Program please contact Cindy Hansen, Education Curator, by email at [email protected] or by phone at 360-378-4710 ext.23.  Registration material can be downloaded from the Whale Museum website at www.whalemuseum.org.

Granny's Cove - a Dip-Tych by BJ Dollahite (watercolor collage 70" x 42")

• Speaking of artists – Barbara & Matt at Gallery San Juan have the opening for the gallery’s Women of Texture 2010 show this weekend, featuring BJ Dollahite, Espi Grundy, Deja Designs, Teri Jo Summer, Jocelyn Russell, Candice Christy, Oak Boesky, and Lynn Roochvarg. The reception is from 6-8pm on Saturday, and show runs till July 31st. See you there!

Ron Aleck (and his work) will be at Arctic Raven on Saturday this week!

• Lee at Arctic Raven Gallery has a visitor this weekend you’ll want to meet:

Heron, by Ron Aleck

This Saturday, July 10th from 12 – 3pm, Northwest Coast Native artist Ron Aleck, will be demonstrating his carving skills at the Arctic Raven Gallery 130 First Street, Friday Harbor. Ron is a hereditary chief on both sides of his family, he is of the Kuper Island, B.C. Band of the Coast Salish.

Ron’s work tops Arctic Raven’s request list for small carvings. His detailed and exquisitely painted herons, hummingbirds, whales and salmon capture the essence of the animal, while elegantly incorporating Northwest Coast design elements.

Ron states, “I love doing my work and have been carving so long that it has become part of me. I gain inspiration from everything I do… from observing the way the light reflects off the wing of a heron to the positive reaction I receive from those who buy my work. If you put love into your carvings then it shines out.”

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet a wonderful artist demonstrating his work.

That's Peter Strasser after he took sixth in the log-rolling contest at Roche Harbor on the Fourth...in the adult division. Way to go!

• Now, about those goats, from the Noxious Weeds folks:

Goats Near Skagit Valley College: The Port of Friday Harbor has contracted with Joe Buckler and Karen Lundin to provide goats to eat noxious weeds on airport property near Skagit Valley College for approximately a month. The goats will be kept in place with a woven electric fence, which will be moved as necessary. Outside the electric fence will be an orange guard fence to keep people and dogs away from the electric fence. Joe will be on site most of the time to supervise the  goats and answer questions.

This is an experiment checking to see whether goats provide good control of weeds such as Scotch broom, hawthorn, and thistle, all of which cause  problems for agriculture on the island. Please call Rich Lee or Judy Jackson of the Noxious Weed Control Program at 376-3499 if you have questions  or comments.

The trails in the area will be kept open throughout the experimental period. Please keep your dogs on leash while in the area.

Are you ready? Time to start thinking about the Fair!!!!

The streets of Friday Harbor were filled with people this past weekend (that's looking up Spring Street, from the corner next to Coldwell Banker).....

Sure was cool on the Fourth of July…more like a almost chilly spring day (with a little sprinkle) than the beginning of summer. That’s all memory, though, as we head into a warm day today & this weekend in the 80s…stay cool.

Meanwhile, Tabby Talley graduated this year from The Evergreen State College, where she did filmwork – here’s a vid she did with images she shot on the Fourth this past weekend…love it, and I think you’ll dig it, too:

Well, it’s been a while since I answered your notes – let’s see what’s in there from the past month (and thanks for writing!)

Q. Love the way you have a different quote every day…where did you get the automatic rotator thing for that? And how do you pick the quotes?

A. Glad you like ’em – actually, I choose the quotes each day & generally they reflect whatever I have on my mind that morning, unless I can’t think – then I use Steven Wright.

Q. Did you and Josie take all those pictures on the Fourth? When do you have time for fun?

A. In between pictures.

Q. Are you going to put your name in the ring for the Town Council position?

A. Ha hah hah ha haha HA…heee hee hee…whoa, ho ho ho….right.

Q. What are the seven things you would most like to see different in Friday Harbor?

A. Not much really – I really like the way we are now! But here are a few things that might brighten things up a bit:

1) All the store spots full, like usual.

2) Bottled water made illegal.

3) A Brita filter for the town’s water supply (I hear the Town is working on this!)

4) Every shop owner, every food service worker, every ferry worker – everyone who comes in contact with a tourist or visitor (or heck, me!)…love to see universal smiles & warm, welcoming energy.

Sarah!

This would make it so we wouldn’t have to spend a dime on getting people to come here – they’d want to come back. Need role models? It doesn’t matter how long the day is, or what’s happened, it’s hard to catch Kira over at the Auditor’s Office, or Sarah at Haley’s, or Teri at Be Chic, Deli Lama Dave at the King’s Deli, or Amy at the Big Store, or Jenny at the Bean, or Sue at the Golden Triangle, or Jimmy at the Rumor Mill not smiling. Keep smiling!
5) Paint the ferries!

This was shot on Sunday....

6) Less litter – starting with locals who drop it.
7) You know how Lopez has the deal where everyone waves at each other (kinda reminds me of the Bob Hope line, that people who throw kisses are hopelessly lazy)? Let’s go one better – we could nurture a custom where it’s expected to get twelve or more hugs a day. It’ll save us on mental health funds.

Q. How come you always ride your bike when you go to the Island Rec office?

A. Because when Cameron was a kid he asked where I was driving to, and I said, “The Parks & Rec Office.” He asked how you can wreck after you park.

Q. Who’s gonna win the World Cup?

A. Guys in Orange. You heard it here.

Q. Do you use Facebook? Will you be my friend?

A. Check out the Update’s fan page here….and sure. Love to have you as a friend.

Q. Do people actually donate to the Update, using that PayPal button to the left?

A. Yep. We get about $75-$100 a week or so, which helps with our server bills & tech support & rent & feeding the kids. Thanks! It’s cool to know you appreciate what we do!

Get your colors right! Here’s more from Rebecca:

COLOR CONSULTATION by Rebecca: Confused about what color to paint your home or office, inside or out? Call Rebecca Barnard, professional color consultant. Many years experience, many happy island references.  Astoundingly inexpensive – save yourself some costly mistakes!  Please call 360 378 6355 or email [email protected] to schedule an appointment today.

I asked Rebecca if I could run this with her announcement. I find it very helpful for making decisons.

As Josie & I were sorting through the six million pictures we took on the Fourth, we couldn’t help but notice that we had a great number of photos with dogs in them. Since the island has the greatest number of friendly dogs in the world, we made this little video/slideshow with music for you….hope you enjoy it! (Easy to dance to….)

Jan from the Theatre reports:

CATS is setting up today, July 10, at the PARC building (70 Saltspring Drive in the Beaverton Business Park) from 10 am to 1 pm to collect islanders’ gently used items – from furniture to books and toys (no clothes, please).  They’ll sell the donated items at the big Attic Treasures sale at PARC on July 24.  The sale benefits the San Juan Community Theatre.

Thanks!
Jan Bollwinkel-Smith

Sunny days ahead...

It’s the dream we carry
that something wondrous will happen
that it must happen –
time will open
hearts will open
doors will open
mountains will open
spring will will gush forth from the ground
that the dream itself will open
that one morning we’ll quietly drift
into a harbor we didn’t know was there

by Olav Hauge

Nancy from Griffin Bay Bookstore has a cool author event on tap:

She'll be reading from her new book....

Griffin Bay Bookstore is proud to present novelist M. L. Malcolm on Friday night, July 16, 7:00 pm. Malcolm will read from and discuss her debut novel HEART OF LIES, recently published by HarperCollins to great acclaim. The American Booksellers Association has chosen HEART OF LIES as an “Indie Pick” for August!

HEART OF LIES is a smart, exciting historical suspense tale full of intrigue, passion, and adventure. Set in Europe, Shanghai, and New York before World War II it was inspired by Malcolm’s own family history as well as the real-life drama of the aftermath of World War I; the Hungarian counterfeiting scandal in December of 1925; the manipulation of the rubber market in 1926; and the bombing of Shanghai in 1937.

In the novel meet Leo Hoffman, a dashing young Hungarian born with a gift for languages. After his dreams for the future are destroyed by WW I, he attempts to use his talent to rebuild his life, only to find himself inadvertently embroiled in an international counterfeiting scheme. When he discovers he’s wanted across the European continent for a host of crimes, he escapes with his lover to Shanghai, taking with him stolen treasure that will prove to be his salvation or his death warrant. But he soon learns that the gangsters who control the decadent city do not intend to let him outrun his past; and when the Japanese invade, one wrong move costs him everything he holds dear.

M.L. Malcolm...photo by Lauren Nguyen

M.L. Malcolm is a Harvard Law graduate, journalist, recovering attorney, and public speaker. She has won several awards for her short fiction, including recognition in the Lorian Hemingway International Short Story Competition, and a silver medal from ForeWord magazine for Historical Fiction Book of the Year. She has lived in Florida, Boston, Washington, D.C., France, New York, and Atlanta, and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Malcolm is on an extensive tour across the country this summer, and Griffin Bay Bookstore is delighted to host an evening with the author.  Don’t miss the chance to hear Malcolm talk about her novel and the research she did, including eyewitness accounts from the era, investigation into the notorious Shanghai gangster Du Yue-sheng, the real-life head of one of the Chinese Triads, who inspired the character Liu Tu-Sheng in HEART OF LIES.

Settling in at Fairweather Park for the fireworks on Sunday night....

It was a great evening for fireworks on the Fourth – not too cold, not too hot (usually isn’t!) – and the show went great.

I put together a tiny video for those who couldn’t make it – here’s the fireworks over the marina, from the Port of Friday Harbor, just to give a taste of our show, over the water. Happy Fourth!