The team: Back row: Assistant Coach Bryan Posenjak, Head Coach Cory Brizendine, Assistant Coach Cliff Swirtz. Center row: Julian Brown, Kyle Mapstead, Marshall Clark, Yadir Plaza, Race Rousar, Haven Brizendine. Front row: Tyler Davis, Lucas Chevalier, Emmett Carrier, Dylan Posenjak, Wade Swirtz, Nick Herko

It’s so cool to see what our kids are doing this summer, and the cool stuff parents are doing with them. Denyse passed over this story of our baseball guys in action (I think it’s great the coaches & parents find time – make the time – to make this happen!)….here’s more:

Hi, Ian! I just wanted to pass along a little note.  Our 9& Under All Star baseball team played in the Maltby Invitational down in Snohomish, WA over the weekend (June 25-27).  They had six practices together and many new rules to learn to prepare for this tournament. They did an outstanding job of representing Friday Harbor. They bonded as a team and had a lot of fun on and off the field together. Though they may not have won a game, I think they deserve a round of applause for their efforts and the coaches deserve one for all the time to put into this team.  It was exciting to see our twelve boys play against some of the strongest teams in the South Sound.
Thanks! Denyse Davis

Just an idea….but you just gotta.

Right now, before you do anything else, call someone & tell them how you appreciate them. How life’s better because they’re around. How they make you smile. How you’re glad they’re in your posse.

Kinda like a phone hug or something.

Then get back to work (the San Juan Update‘s data department tells me that according to our stats, 84% of our readers read the Update during business hours. So I know where you are, right now.)

You’ll be glad you did.

Blame it on me if you want.

Joe, comin' home....

He graduated from Friday Harbor High in 1987, and lived on San Juan Island till 1997, when he moved to the big city (that would be Seattle) to make his way there.

During that time, Joe Bongiorno has become one of the leading performers on the internet’s leading piano music radio websites, Whisperings, and has performed all over the country. His last four CDs have sold well (his second’s cover, “Destined,” features former islander Teresa Smith’s watercolor of South Beach), and he’s become kind of a big deal.

I can tell you – I listen to his CDs all the time, because they’re easy to work to in the office, and nice to have playing on a quiet evening at home.

You have a chance to say hey to Joe this weekend when he drops by Island Studios to play on Friday and Saturday from 2-4pm…you’ll hear him play, and you’ll want to take his music home with you. Trust me on that one.

The bluebirds are coming back! Photo by Kathleen Foley.

They used to be all over the islands….then the last ones were spotted in the sixties. Now, it looks like the bluebirds are back.

Kathleen (left) and SJPT intern Anna working with the birds last week.

Looks like the Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project for the San Juan Islands is going well…started in early 2007, when eight pair of the birds were re-located here from the Fort Lewis area, the folks in the project have been monitoring whether the birds return after migration each year. (You can read the last three and half years’ progress on the San Juan Preservation Trust’s site here).

According to Kathleen Foley from the SJPT, the birds ARE coming back, and nesting here:

After a record number of returning birds after the northward spring migration (23 that we are aware of!), augmented by the spring releases of 17 more birds captured from Ft. Lewis and the Willamette Valley in Oregon, we now have 10 active nests in territories scattered throughout San Juan Island.  Several of these mated pairs have already fledged young (10 juveniles at last count), with more waiting in the wings (so to speak).  A fabulous start to the 2010 season, which promises to be the best year yet for breeding and release success.

Kathleen and volunteers banded bluebirds last week so the project knows who's coming and who's going....photo by Kathleen Foley.

A nestling - look at the blue on his wings! Photo by Kathleen Foley.

Lori Guard and Angie the cook welcome Eric to the bean....

Jim Carroll says there are new owners for the Bean coffeehouse as of this past weekend… Gordy & Lori did an awesome job of making it into a happenin’ place that was busy everytime I checked over the past month – here’s more from Jim:

Gordy & Lori Petersen, owners of The Bean, just sold the business to Eric & Sheila Bienenstock from Mercer Island. Eric is officially running the operation today, (Saturday, June 26) and in training. Eric & Sheila have two children (10 & 12 years old) so add two new children to the school system too!!!! Most interesting is Eric Bienenstock’s nick name growing up was “The Bean” as a short name for Bienenstock.

It’s one of the landmarks of the island, and its time is short. Here’s the scoop from Mary Elford:

To Whom It May Concern:

The Pig War Museum at Tucker and Guard will be dismantled in the very near future. We are looking for thoughtful ways to disperse most all the contents in the dioramas. So far the FH Historical Museum has shown some interest and now we are seeking others who may be interested. I also contacted the Community Theater.

David Ketter is the one in charge of this distribution and he will be on island Sunday (June 27, 2010) in the afternoon, Monday and leaving Tuesday afternoon. We are hoping to have found good homes for most of the items by his departure.

So if you would like to call and schedule a time to view the place within the next two days please give me a call.  Mary at 360 378-5029 or my cell 360 317-6324.

Thank you,
Mary Elford
Manager of Mar Vista Resort

Is the opposite of megafauna...minifauna? Here's a photo of a praying mantis by Cyndi Brast.

• Studies have shown that the incredible amount of toxins discovered in sperm whales doesn’t bode well for the whales…or humans. Here’s more.

Don't you hate it when you're shooting a picture & someone sticks their head in it? 🙂

• Kristina Anderson (she played soccer for the Wolverine Women & graduated from FHHS in ’01) delivered Griffin Robert Landies on Friday, June 18th at 8:01pm, a healthy 9 pounds 1 ounce, 22 inches long. She says they are both doing great and will be back on island mid-July! She’s currently teaching school in Dothan, Alabama – her folks are Steve & Kathy who own the Place Bar & Grill.

• Speaking of the Place: Tom & Tami & Kate are playing there tonight – drop by!

• 20 Years at Carquest! Ryan Campbell says this weekend is the celebration – here’s more:

Hey Ian, I just wanted to let you know that Saturday,  June 26th, we are going to be having our 20th anniversary celebration from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm. We will be having 1950-70s american muscle cars and hot rods on display, as well as music, hamburgers and hot dogs. Everything inside Carquest will also be 20% off for the day. I’m hoping you could help me drum up interest in it and hope to see you there.
Ryan Campbell

• Longtime islander Teresa Smith lives in Boulder, Colorado now, but she’s coming back to the island for her well-regarded workshops…here’s more (so you can plan ahead!)….

Painting Workshop on San Juan Island
July 19-23 2010

Teresa's evocative watercolors are pretty popular around the island....

Beautiful scenes around every corner. Water views, gorgeous beaches, snow capped mountains, eagles and whales. Teresa lived and taught painting workshops on the islands for 15 years and she is back to teach this class. She knows all the intimate secret spots to paint and will guide you on a most wonderful painting experience with demos, one-on-one instruction and critiques.

Workshop Details:
Teresa Smith has been teaching watercolor for many years. She is well known for her landscapes, florals and equine art. Having lived in the Northwest for 20 years, she has a skill for painting the beautiful waterscenes that the islands are known for. “Plein air” painting will help you reach the next skill level. We will visit a new location each day of the workshop; from sandy beaches, wildlife sanctuaries to flower gardens.

We will paint water, skies, rocks, distant mountains, and the incredible Douglas firs. This workshop will have a casual flavour. Teresa will spend time with each student to work with them on their skill level. There will be demos each day and lots of paint along work, critiques and one on one attention. The focus will be loose and vibrant watercolors that portray the beautiful scenery. $500/week.
Teresa Smith
303-246-3208 (You can contact me for details on day rate.)
[email protected] • www.artbyteresa.com

• The Adventuress is here this weekend – here’s the details from Zoe at Sound Experience:

All aboard....

Event Title: Public Day Sail aboard schooner Adventuress
Event Date/Time: Sunday, June 27, 1-4 PM
Location: Departs Friday Harbor Marina, San Juan Island
Event Description: Join us for an afternoon of sailing aboard a 1913 historic wooden tall ship! The schooner Adventuress is a National Historic Landmark vessel and recently won the popular vote in the Puget Sound Partners in Preservation competition. Learn about local marine life, take a turn at steering, and help us raise the sails. All ages welcome.
Cost: $40 for adults, $20 for youth (ages 0-17), Free for Sound Experience Members

•  Speaking of big boats, Helen Wallace dropped us a line about an off-island deal you might find interesting:

Ian,

I work with Officer Kevin Holmes on the island, I also drill with the Navy Reserves and I thought this would be interesting.

I just returned from a weekend drill with the US Navy aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln CVN 72. The Fleet Commander is opening the Everett Naval base to the public, on July 3rd all day for music, food vendors, and a special guided tour of the war vessel USS Lincoln. Photos will be allowed in certain areas. At the moment, there is an F-18 Super Hornet aboard the flight deck for repairs if it’s still there you will be able to view it.

The tour is free you may have to pay for the food unless you pack a picnic and bands are usually free because of the USO (not 100% about that).

Ship’s home page http://www.cvn72.navy.mil/

If anyone is interested Google the Everett Naval Base for directions, or you can always contact me.  It is a neat “nickel and dime” event for the whole family, this doesn’t happen all the time and most people don’t get a chance to board these impressive vessels needless to say it will be well worth the trip. Wear good walking shoes!

• Press release from the folks at the Best Western:

The Best Western Friday Harbor Suites has named Ron Bates the new General Manager effective June 28, 2010.

Bates is widely known in the community as former advertising manager and assistant publisher of The Journal of the San Juan Islands – (2000-2010) His local connections, marketing abilities and customer service skills are well suited for the hospitality business. He and his partner Sandy Montana, also own the Mosquito Fleet Mercantile in downtown Friday Harbor.

“I’m deeply honored and thrilled to be a part of this Best Western facility. It’s a great team and a wonderful opportunity,” says Bates, who is replacing Janeen Jennings, the General Manager for the past six years.

After earning his degree in design in Tempe, Az, – Bates worked at USWest as a graphics supervisor for 6 years. Following that, he partnered with 3 other talented designers and formed GRAPHICS 4, a full service design firm in Scottsdale, Az.

New at waterworks gallery: Ruth tells me this is the new sculpture outside the gallery. She says, "Just wanted to share the latest sculpture installation at the gallery, called Seal Twist, bronze sculpture by Georgia Gerber. Her husband Randy Hudsen (above) just did the installation. Looks great , stop by and see it!" Georgia's works will be featured in a show at the gallery in July.

As the USA amps up for their Round of 16 match on Saturday with Ghana, it reminds me of this:

“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good soccer. I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’ And when good soccer happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
Eduardo Galeano, author of Soccer in Sun and Shadow

Bob finishes!

My friend Judy shares this cool story about Bob:

Hi Ian:

Thought I would let you know you what Bob Stavers was up to last weekend. He raised more than $5,000 for Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Foundation – which is helping to find cures for cancer and provide cancer patients with resources, and more. He rode in honor of Pam Nichols and others who lives have been tragically cut short or impacted by cancer. Much of the money he raised was from the generosity of islanders. Despite a cold, rainy day he cycled 100 miles at an average speed of almost 17 mph – which is really, really fast (especially for someone about to celebrate his 68th birthday next week). He also was one of the top fundraisers and was invited to dinner the night before with the foundation staff and supporters.
Cheers.
Judy

Strand, now located in the Corner Store on Cattle Point Road...

Next time you’re heading out Cattle Point Road, you’ll notice the red store at the top of the hill near Madden Road – that used to be the main grocery store on the island, established in 1896, called the Corner Store.

Regan

That’s the historic part of this story…

This spring, Regan Taylor has set up a nice welcoming spot she calls Strand, featuring eclectic antiques and collectibles. She has a fridge from the 1920s that runs (!), in which she keeps water for all the bicyclists who come by. There’s furniture & art & sculptures & all kinds of things…. The little store sure holds a lot, as you’ll see when you go by.

Regan tells me she’s open from 11am-4pm from Friday through Mondays, so take a moment and see what she’s got.

A peek inside...

Dale serves lunch at the Mullis Center, prepared by Butch (behind Dale) each Wednesday for the "Lunch for All."

Yesterday I wanted to get out & see what was going on in town, and I found a couple of places & deals you’ll want to know about…

Every Wednesday at 11:45am at the Mullis Center, there’s a “Lunch for All” that I got to sit in on…for a $5 suggested donation (but you can donate what you like), chef Butch offered barbecued chicken or pork, along with beans & potatoes & salad…it was great. It’s a full, balanced meal that’s available for anyone who needs one…and it was good to see so many friends there, too. Plan & dropping by & checking it out! It’s sponsored & underwritten by the San Juan Island Community Foundation as well as the volunteers who set up & clean up & help serve the food & wash the dishes… a welcoming & comfortable place to go when you’re not sure where the next meal might be.

Meanwhile, they were pretty busy at the Food Bank yesterday, too – Dorothy Lawson tells me it’s just gotten busier & busier the last couple of years. They have a lot of good food, too – just while I was there, someone donated 24 boxes of lamb patties, straight to the freezer. The food selection is good and pretty healthy, as is the need in our community for the Food Bank to be there. It’s located just across from MarketPlace, if you haven’t been by lately. It’s open Wednesdays & Saturdays from 12-2pm…and you just have to say you need food.

Things have been hoppin' at the Food Bank the last couple of years....

The sun sets over past islanders at the graveyard enxt to Valley Church, on Saturday night....

Here’s what is going on….

Rhiana in concert last year at the Presbyterian Church - photo by Casey Lehman

• Our own Rhiana Franklin made the final fifteen of this music contest downsound…she & her mom Suzanne left on the ferry this morning for the contest on Friday. Here’s the writeup from the radio station:

Local Colgate Country Showdown at Point Defiance Park: Friday (June 25th at 11:00am). Watch as 15 finalists battle it out for a chance to win $100,000 & a trip to Nashville! It’s the LARGEST country music talent search & KMPS wants YOU to be a part of it!

• Vernadel from the Chamber of Commerce wondered if you could help with this year’s Fourth of July:

The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce would like to urge you to become a 2010 sponsor of our annual Fourth of July Fireworks Show.  As you know, we could not produce this fireworks show without significant support from our business friends and community members.

Last year we had a grand finale to celebrate the Centennial Celebration of Friday Harbor.  Now we have set a new standard for the kind of show our residents and visitors will expect.  Let’s not disappoint them!

We could not accomplish this fantastic show without you and your continued support.  Please consider sponsoring the 2010 4th of July Fireworks Show.

View the Sponsor Level of your choice to showcase your business or personal donation of your choice.

• If you are making cookies this weekend, take a peek at Anna Maria’s Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, from Tucker House & Harrison House.

You could tell who these visitors were for, eating at Haley's & watching the Brazil/Ivory Coast game...and yes, the baby was cheering in Portuguese...

• The Whale Museum invites you to their fundraiser this weekend – I hear that the Soundwatch boat has been needing repairs lately, so this is pretty timely (and much needed):

Please join us for a Soundwatch Summer Kick-off Potluck/BBQ – Saturday, June 26, 6 pm, Snug Harbor. Join the Soundwatch crew for a potluck to meet the new team, learn about our new KELP education program and raise a few dollars to help pay for the recent engine repairs!  We will have grills going and will provide some drinks.  Please bring your own plates/cups/utensils, a potluck item to share, or something to throw on the grill.

• Have you seen Keith Busha’s Dreams of Damanhur yet? It’s awesome.

• You know, I mentioned that the concert this weekend was featuring music by island composer Alex Shapiro – I thought I’d post a little more about Alex so you can get to know her better. From Jan at the Community Theatre:

Alex....

Island Composer Highlights Summer Chamber Music Concert

Compositions by San Juan Island’s own Alex Shapiro join those of Beethoven, Dahl and Schumann in the program for Chamber Music San Juan’s summer concert.

Music for a Summer’s Solstice will be presented at San Juan Community Theatre on Saturday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Artistic Director and clarinetist Patricia Kostek has assembled several CMSJ favorites for the concert: violinist Ron Patterson and violist Roxanna Patterson and husband and wife cellists Douglas Davis and Rowena Hammill.  Internationally-acclaimed pianist Arthur Rowe will complete the ensemble.

Shapiro–who has become one of the Pacific Coast’s more familiar composers of acoustic and electroacoustic chamber music–has two pieces in the CMSJ program: Elegiac for clarinet, cello and piano and Intermezzo for clarinet and piano.  Shapiro says she wrote Elegiac originally for a piano trio after her father died.  “I dedicate Elegiac to Chamber Music San Juans, who bring their artistry to these notes,” said Shapiro.   “And to Carolyn Haugen, who so generously supported the creation of this version. I know that my father would be deeply touched.”

In addition to Shapiro’s works, the concert program includes Beethoven’s Trio Op.11 for clarinet, cello and piano, Ingolf Dahl’s Concerto a Tre for clarinet, violin and cello and Robert Schumann’s Quartet Op. 47 for violin, viola, cello and piano.

Chamber Music San Juans was founded in 1990 by renowned violinist Ander Toth, whose dream was to bring world-class musicians to the San Juan Islands and create concerts in an intimate setting.

The Business Partner for this performance is Robert Hare Stavers, Fine Art Photography.  Tickets are $26 for adults and $13 for student reserved.  $5 Student RUSH will be available at the door.  A private donor has made provision for free tickets to anyone needing financial assistance to attend a Theatre event.

The SJCT Box Office is open Tuesdays-Fridays, 11-4, Saturdays 11-2, and one hour before any performance.  Call 360-378-3210, or surf to www.sjctheatre.org.

The island's paper in 1899...

If  you’re a history nut, like I am, you’ll love this stuff – the archives of the San Juan Islander from 1899 to 1914 (when it went out of business) are now available online. Take a peek at what turn-of-the-century news looked like here.

(As Sharon mentions in her “About Us” page, the present San Juan Islander online news was named to honor the century-earlier paper – way cool, if you ask me.) Here’s more from their press release, from Laura Robinson:

State Library contributes San Juan Islander to Chronicling America
Site is home to 2.3 million historic newspaper pages

The San Juan Islander is among nine newspapers and more than 50,000 historic newspaper pages recently contributed to Chronicling America, making Washington State’s contribution to the program a total of 16 titles and 92,000 pages.

From the paper....

Chronicling America is a project of the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.

Originally published as The Islander in 1891, the San Juan Islander changed hands several times over the years. After the Culver brothers purchased the paper in 1896, they declared their membership in the Republican Party and changed the name of the paper to the San Juan Islander in 1898. As the inhabitants of the region were mostly fishermen and farmers, much of the paper was devoted to news of farmers’ cooperatives, commodity prices, new agricultural production methods, and the movements of shipping vessels. The paper was eventually sold to John N. Dickie of Seattle in 1913 and ceased publication in 1914. People can read and research issues from this and other newspapers around Washington and U.S. for free at chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.

“These historic newspapers are a rich resource for historians, genealogists and other researchers,” said State Librarian Jan Walsh. “They provide names, dates, images and tell the story of a community or region in such a comprehensive way. They bring local history alive.”

From the ads....

Chronicling America provides free and open access to more than 2.3 million full-text searchable pages from 295 titles published between 1860 and 1922 in 19 states and the District of Columbia. The Washington State Library’s National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) grant was recently renewed through June of 2012, allowing more pages from other newspapers around Washington State to be uploaded over the next two years.

“It’s exciting to have this collection in Chronicling America,” said Deputy State Librarian Marlys Rudeen. “It will give researchers the ability to search across multiple collections of newspapers from various states at once.”

Part of the mission and purpose of the Washington State Library is to collect, preserve and make accessible to Washingtonians materials on the government, history, culture and natural resources of the state. Read more about the State Library.

Newspapers from Washington State currently included in Chronicling America are Cayton’s Weekly, 1917-1921; Colfax Gazette, 1900-1912; Colville Examiner, 1907-1922; Commonwealth  (Everett), 1911-1914; Daily Republican (Seattle), 1896; Leavenworth Echo, 1904-1922; Pullman Herald, 1888-1922; The Ranch (Yakima), 1894; The Ranch (Seattle), 1902-1914; Ranche and Range (Yakima), 1897-1902; The Republican (Seattle), 1896-1898; San Juan Islander, 1899-1914; Seattle Republican, 1900-1913; Tacoma Times, 1903-1918; Washington Farmer (Spokane), June 15, 1914; and Yakima Herald, 1893-1912.

For more information about Chronicling America, contact Laura Robinson, Washington’s National Digital Newspaper Program manager, at [email protected] or (360) 570-5568.

The Washington State Library is a division of the Office of Secretary of State. Visit the library’s web site at www.sos.wa.gov/library .

Eagle in flight, by Kevin Holmes

Kevin Holmes caught this eagle in flight on his way home the other night – thanks for sharing, Kevin!

Gretchen Allison and the kids were making big & beautiful bubbles at a solstice party Monday night...grey skies didn't dampen the enthusiasm of musicians, dancers, or kids playing to greet the arrival of summer.....

Let’s see what’s going on around here….

• Richard Rodriguez’s BitterEnd Blog keeps up on everything better than ‘most anyone – here’s his report about Arctic Sea levels this summer, at their lowest levels in three decades. Here’s more.

• One of the most fantastic classes/workshops offered around here is Janet Thomas’ memoir workshops…everyone I know who over the years has taken it tells me it gets them in touch with both their writing & craft, as well as with themselves. It starts Friday…here’s more.

She always has bright eyes & a bright smile - Sophie added a little accent on Monday night, for Solstice. And yep, it's her birthday today, so you can tell her happy birthday!

• You can still drop by Blues Night at the Peppermill before it moves back to the Rumor Mill in a couple of weeks – it’s tonight from 6-9pm!

Margo (left) and Jenny were all smiles at Saturday night's fun....

• Speaking of rumors, I heard in the street today that the Journal of the San Juans has added Julie Corey to the team, replacing Ron Bates in the advertising department – they got a good one. She has more energy than anyone I know….

• The Jazz at the Labs Concert & Dinner on Saturday was awesome, with an overflow crowd. The fundraiser benefits the Friday Harbor Laboratories K-12 Science Outreach Program in the San Juan Island Elementary, Middle and High Schools and at Spring Street International School. Jenny Roberts & Margo Thorpe do a super job keeping the program going & firing up future generations of young marine scientists. Thanks, you guys – way to go!

• Just got the news from Debbie & Pat – wahoo! Here’s the scoop:

Pat and Debbie Sandwith happily announce the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie Sandwith (FHHS class of 2002) to Dallas Osburn, son of Mrs. Bobbi Jo Osburn and the late Mr. Dave Osburn of Santa Maria, CA. Stephanie & Dallas both are 2008 graduates of Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo, CA. A September wedding is planned at Rancho San Lorenzo in Los Alamos, CA, and the
future Mr. & Mrs. Dallas Osburn make their home in Santa Maria, CA.

Stephanie & Dallas