Listen!

Twelve-year old Adora Svitak addresses the topic: What adults can learn from kids. Dig it!

Continue Reading

Susan over at the Community Foundation says it’s time to get your requests in:

San Juan Island Community Foundation Accepting Applications for 2010 Grant Cycle

The San Juan Island Community Foundation is accepting applications for the 2010 grant cycle. Completed applications must be postmarked or received no later than June 1, 2010.

The Community Foundation supports Island nonprofits whose work focuses on arts and culture, basic needs, education, environment, health and wellness, and general community concerns.

Grants are awarded through a competitive process Continue Reading

You heard about the fire early Sunday morning over at Jensen’s Shipyard…here’s a note from Matt (he’s presently in Alaska, fishing), commending our firefighters for a job well done:

Matt

I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to the Fire Department for saving my commercial fishing boat, Satisfaction, during the fire at Jensen’s Shipyard on Sunday Morning, April 25.  Ironically, this is the second time a boat I owned survived a boat yard fire, and both times mine was the closest boat to the origin of the fire.  I guess that shows there really is an element to luck in being a commercial fisherman.

Fortunately, this time there were no vessel casualties, Continue Reading

See you there!

The cooking classes at FHHS are at it again – this is gonna be great! See ya there!

The folks down at the Port are putting on the party – you come on down! Here’s more from the Port:

Port of Friday Harbor hosts Spring Splash
at Spring Street Landing (The Clock Dock)

Celebrating the Port of Friday Harbor’s 60th Anniversary
& Opening Day of Boating Season

Tuesday April 27, 4-8pm, Wednesday April 28, 4-8pm and Sunday May 2, Noon to 4pm, the Community is invited to share in the Marina’s first ever Spring Splash filled with water related festivities.  Locals and guests alike are invited to help us celebrate all the great activities offered by the many businesses on our waterfront.

Harbormaster, Tami Hayes said, “The Port’s 60th Anniversary is a great opportunity to invite the community down to the waterfront to see what activities go on in the marina and to celebrate the Opening Day of Boating Season with San Juan Island Yacht Club.  If everyone has a good time we’d love to make an Annual Waterfront Festival out of it over opening day weekend.”

Scheduled so far, local marina companies NakNek Dive Charters, San Juan Canvas, Friday Harbor Seafoods, San Juan Safaris, Wharfside B&B, San Juan Island Marine Center, Kenmore Air and San Juan Excursions will have either booths, displays, boat rides, dive demonstrations, raffles, seaplane rides, open houses and more.

Other things to experience and see; Historic Vessels Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain will be dockside, open and available for tours.

Town of Friday Harbor Fire Boat Confidence and crew will have water side demonstrations.

Our own local chapter of Pirates “The Cutthroats” will be in full regalia for all the day’s events with a pirate dunk tank and great pirate games for the kids.

To keep everything fun and festive we have live music Tuesday with “Devorah”, Wednesday “The Joint Cheefs” and Sunday “The DuoTones”, all great local talent.

Also great food for the family with local seafood specials, hot-dog stand and Kiwanis trailer.

For more information contact:  Tami Hayes, [email protected] or 378-2688

Send your pictures to Julie & Jenny! Here’s more:

Photo Contest for the Southern Resident Orca Calendar

The Whale Museum is holding its 1st Annual Photo Contest for its Southern Resident Orca Calendar. The 16-month collectible calendar is for 2010-2011.
Contest chairperson Julie Corey noted this calendar will help connect people with our majestic orcas. The photo contest is open to all and runs through May 16. Photos of Southern Resident orcas are invited as long as they were taken following the Be Whale Wise Guidelines and Washington State Regulations. The calendar printing is sponsored by Eagle Home Mortgage. Continue Reading

Unveiling the wall display honoring Bob....photo by Marilyn Corrie

My friend Marilyn Corrie shot a couple of photos of Bob’s being honored at the San Juan Aviation Museum last month – way cool.

Bob Nichols...photo by Marilyn Corrie

From the Pilots’ Association: “In a very well attended presentation, members of the community, the Port of Friday Harbor and San Juan Pilots Assn. honored pioneer aviator Bob Nichols.

“More than a hundred friends and former students gathered to recall Bob’s great contribution to aviation on San Juan Island and Western Washington.”

Here’s the story.

And here’s a nice slideshow of the event & all the folks there.

And thanks, Marilyn!

At the Virginia Zoo....

Hey, remember that elephant in the ferry line (click here to go retro on that…) – well, here’s the latest on where Matthew Gray Palmer’s incredible sculpture ended up:

Matthew’s latest public commission was unveiled January 17th 2010 at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, VA. The City of Norfolk issued an international Call for Artists for a public artwork for the Virginia Zoo.  The artist had to pitch their concept on one 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper.  Approximately 50 artists submitted proposals and Matthew’s proposal was selected.

“As visitors approach the main entrance of the Virginia Zoo they are greeted by a sculpture of a massive life-size African Elephant, its trunk inquisitively raised with a large golden butterfly perched on its end. Upon closer inspection the visitor discovers that the elephant is in fact composed entirely of thousands of butterflies of varying species, shapes and sizes. The visitor soon observes that the wings of the golden butterfly are in turn made of elephants.

Complimentary to the educational and conservation initiatives of the Virginia Zoo, the artwork aims to illustrate in a playful fashion our interconnection with all that is. Highlighting our differences as well as our commonalities, from the largest terrestrial animal to delicate wind bound insects, there is recognition that what we do to each other, our planet and its diverse ecology, we do to ourselves.”

To view a portfolio of this incredible sculpture, please click here to visit the website.

Every so often, I hear good stories about good things that good people are doing, and it’s nice to be able to share ’em. Carrie & Juan Unpingo enjoyed working with Jim Carroll enough to write it up – here’s the story:

Just a note about our wonderful realtor, Jim Carroll, at Windermere.

Jim

I have been a resident of San Juan Island since June 2007. Before moving to the island, my parents bought a home at the Oaks in 2006, and planned to retire here. Jim Carroll, from Windermere, was their realtor. Jim went out of his way to show us around the entire island; slowing down as we drove past the bluffs near Lime Kiln & stopping for us to watch an eagle fly overhead. Here was a realtor, who could be spending his precious time with potential buyers of million dollar homes, driving us around the island for hours to see if we “liked it here.” Jim not only took the time with us, but he instantly became a life-long friend.

I also got to know Jim around this time, as my parents and I Continue Reading

Carryin' on - it was cool to see Town Council member Carrie Brooks and Mayor Carrie Lacher downtown in the sun...

Let’s see what’s going on….

• Hey, remember I told you about that fundraising class that’s offered next week by Bob Schwartzberg? (Here’s the scoop.) Just wanted to let you know I’ve been to his class & it rocks… he reviews the fundamentals of effective fundraising and you leave with a plan – an action plan – that will work for your organization.

One of the things I keep hearing from my nonprofit friends is, “I don’t have time for a class or workshop.” Let me tell ya – you have to make time for this one. Cash is the lifeblood of your organization, and this is a great way to help it flow. Be there.

• Gail & Randy from Cotton Cotton Cotton took off this week to visit family in Florida.

They're working on re-paving the ferry lanes over in Anacortes, several lanes at a time (this was on Wednesday's drizzly morning this week)....the WSF folks there say this isn't slowing anything up, though. They just use different lanes...

• You’ve seen him around the island, and a lot of islanders know him because he’s a gentle soul and a wonderful naturalist, and a bit of a gypsy…Jason Sneed has been missing since late March, and folks aren’t sure where he is. Here’s the story in the Maui paper.

• Now there’s a nicely designed one – check out Tim Thomsen’s new website for San Juan Kayak, designed by Mary Kate at MKate Design (call her at 370-5647 to make yours!)

• Looks like it’ll be August when Laura Earnhart-Holden has her baby…

Yep, Louisa & Steve Keys are back from a couple of months in Mexico - they got back just in time this week for the big blowout at Pazzo Vivo's last day on Wednesday....

• It’s getting near time for Artstock – here’s more from the organizers:

Plans are well under way for our 2010 “ARTSTOCK” weekend and we are hoping you will help us with our outreach to island artists who might be interested in participating in the self-guided open studio tour segment of the weekend.

“ARTSTOCK”, October 2 & 3, is a fall festival celebrating the diverse artistic culture of San Juan Island and includes an artists open studio tour and art gallery events, with local music and local cuisine. Any artist interested in being part of this 4th annual festival, who has not already done so, just needs to contact Claudia Fullerton at Island Studios, 378-6550 or [email protected] by April 30.
Check out the website, www.artstocksanjuanisland.com.

Passing in fron t of Mount Baker...photo by Jim Maya

• Nancy Fusare has moved her offices for First Escrow LLC over above the Fitness Club – here’s more:

Dear friends, neighbors and colleagues,
I have now moved my business out of the Churchill Court condo building at 278 “A” Street, Suite 7, to the Harbor Village Condos at 425 Argyle Avenue, Suite 4C (above San Juan Fitness Club).

My former office condo is for sale and is cleaned and ready to show (listed by Jim Carroll at Windermere) and also available for rent (rent negotiable!). Stop by the new office if you are in the neighborhood, I have a 4 room suite across the hall from attorney John Wickham and it’s very nice!

Susan on the run...photo by Jimmy Farrell

• My friend Shahn wanted you & me to know how well Susan did at the Whidbey Island Marathon a couple of weekends ago – this is way cool:

Susan Stehn, a member of Run Ladies Run has a place in the New York Marathon. She qualified for the spot by  lottery selection (there are too many people who want to participate!)  The marathon is November 7!

• Senate candidate Clint Didier speaks at China Pearl today at 11:30am at a no-host lunch.

You know, I love the way the island looks & feels when it’s all clean & tidy – and you have a chance to help jump in & do your part to keep it that way. Here’s more from Lori Stokes & the Anti-Litter folks:

Can You Help?

About 100 San Juan Islanders are already participating in the Imagine No Litter! effort by regularly picking up litter, while at the same time getting great doses of fresh air and exercise!  If you’d like to help too, here is a list of roadsides/beaches that currently need adopting:

Cattle Point from Portland Fair to False Bay
Cattle Point from Baker Lane to Madden Lane
Bailer Hill Road
Dougherty Road
Douglas Road
Egg Lake Road from Three Corner Lake Road to Roche Harbor Road
False Bay Beach
No. 2 Schoolhouse Road
Pear Point from Jackson’s Beach Road to Argyle
San Juan Valley Road from Hidden Meadows Lane to Douglas
Sutton Road from Roche Harbor Road to transfer station entrance
West Side Road from the county park to Mitchell Bay Road
West Valley Road from Lawson to English Camp
West Valley Road from Boyce to Raven Ridge
Any roads in town!

If you are willing to help, or if you are already cleaning up litter from any of the places on the list above, please call Lori Stokes at 378-4643 or email her at [email protected].

"I feel like ice is slowly melting....little darling, it feels like years since it's been here...."

It’s always good to wake up to “Here Comes the Sun,” and even better to wake up to Paul Simon singing it with Graham Nash & David Crosby…..

Hey, Rachel Ware’s got an Open House today, AND a new name! Here’s the scoop:

And a new logo!

King Printing & Design is pleased to announce the debut of our new name “Liberty Printing & Design Center.”

We would like to invite the public to join us for an Earth Day Open House on Thursday, April 22nd from 1 pm to 6 pm. The first thirty guests will receive a free ream of TREE FREE paper! We will also be holding a drawing with great prizes from various local vendors and will provide free coloring pages for the kids!

We are located at 310 Carter Avenue #A in Friday Harbor. Hope to see you there! Questions? Call 378-4972

“Let the music keep our spirits high…when the light’s that’s lost within us reaches the sky”…. Jackson Browne’s Before the Deluge (including David Lindley, who comes to the island to play in a couple of months – he’s the one on the violin…)

Jackson Browne

The school just started in January, to give kindergarten kids a chance to attend school through the afternoon…here’s more from Cole:

Saint David’s Day School Open House This Coming Sunday Afternoon

Saint David’s Day School invites parents of prospective 2010 kindergarten students to experience the elements of a typical school day at their Open House 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. this coming Sunday, April 25.

Founded just this January, Saint David’s Day School is Friday Harbor’s latest addition to what has become a real school neighborhood, boasting eight schools within a one block radius, and is a kindergarten enrichment program.  Its purpose is to offering a loving environment where enriched learning opportunities are offered to kindergartners.  The typical school day starts at 11:15 a.m. following the Friday Harbor Elementary School morning kindergarten schedule, and ends at 3:00 p.m.   Continue Reading

Do it right – here’s more from Helen:

HEADS UP for San Juan Island residents!!!

If your spring cleaning includes gathering up your toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive chemical wastes for safe disposal, this notice is for YOU.

The date for the the County’s household hazardous waste collection for San Juan Island printed on this month’s San Juan Sanitation Company’s billings is incorrect!

The event will be held on THURSDAY, April 29th from 10 am to 2pm at the solid waste facility.  Complete details are available on SJC Public Works website and in display ads in our local newspapers. Continue Reading