The San Juan Singers 2010

If we lived in New York, we’d go see shows on Broadway, or maybe off-Broadway. Right? Well, here, we can go see shows either on Guard or off-Guard.

Here’s the scoop from Jan at the Community Theatre, as Broadway comes to Guard:

“A Night on Broadway” April 17 & 18

San Juan Singers (click here to see the picture above, HUGE!) give their “regards to Broadway” during their spring concert at the San Juan Community Theatre on Saturday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 18 at 5:00 p.m.

The community chorus, led by Angel Michaels, share solos, duets and medleys and a bright menu of show tunes and Disney favorites. Beloved Broadway shows like Wicked and Chicago, as well as the greatest hits from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Rodgers and Hammerstein will be well-represented.  And Disney songs such as “Circle of Life,” “Be Our Guest,” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” are Broadway versions of the original cartoons.  Think of it as “a night on Broadway,” says Michaels.

In addition, the Friday Harbor Elementary School chorus, under the direction of Amy Hull, will again join SJS on stage for a few songs–something Angel hopes will become an annual collaboration.  Another special guest is an island improv group, the San Juan Limelight Players, presenting some “by the seat of their pants” entertainment.

The evening’s Business Partner is Lake Kennedy McCulloch CPAs. Tickets are $17 for adults, $8 for student reserved, with $5 student RUSH one hour before the show.  The Box Office is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or tickets may be purchased on-line at www.sjctheatre.org

Proof the apocalypse is upon is: A stop light in town.

A faithful reader noted that he saw a red light/green light thing newly installed at the ferry landing, for vehicles getting off the boat.

Is this the beginning of us going down the slippery slope of becoming a Real City?

Hope not.

Enso had their album release concert last Saturday at Pazzo Vivo - I got to hear all three sets of jazz and post-rock...wow! Grisha Krivchenia (piano), Colin Megill (drums) and Chris Small (bass guitar) put on a show that sold CDs, kept the crowd listening, and left us all wanting more.

Let’s see what’s the haps:

Rowan

• Have you checked Rowan Braybrook‘s blog from Madagascar lately? She says she won’t be able to write for three weeks or so, but you can catch up here. She’s a Peace Corps volunteer there…

• On Saturday, Hobbes from Western Prince reported that they saw transient orcas on that sunny afternoon, and that it was a great way to get the season going…

Meanwhile, farther downsound & later, the tv guys at KING-5 reported that transient orcas were filmed attacking a gray whale…pretty unusual behavior that far south. Here’s their report.

Yesterday, there were reports that the gray whale seemed to be OK….

• Did you hear that Kenmore Air & Alaska Airlines are partnering now? Here’s more.

• Got Dana Lyons coming to the island in May – here’s his most famous song, “Cows With Guns.”

Agnes Vadas

You remember Agi Vadas, who passed away back in 2007…she had an ongoing correspondence with a fellow on death row before her death. Tonight there is a reading of their letters with a chance to sign a letter of support for Rich, her friend. Here’s more:

honoring the life of the written word*
(It’s National Card and Letter Writing Month!)

A Reading by Dan Mayes and Helen Machin-Smith
From the book of letters between Agi Vadas and Rich Nields:

TRUTH BE TOLD
Life Lessons from Death Row

It’s tonight: Wednesday, April 14 at 7:00 p.m. at Saint David’s Episcopal Church

Free for All • Please Pass It On!

*There will be an opportunity to sign a community letter on behalf of clemency for death-row inmate, Rich Nields, a man who brought meaning, friendship and compassion to our gifted musician, activist and island friend, Agi Vadas.

Here’s the word from Tim:

Dear Friends:
This is Tim Thomsen, Partnership Assistant for the US Census, with an important reminder to please fill out and mail back your 2010 Census questionnaire today if you haven’t done so already. Households that don’t mail back their census form by April 16 will be visited by a census taker, beginning in May. It is important that we all urge as many people as possible to mail back their completed forms. Our census count is more accurate when people respond to the census through the mail. In addition, mailing the forms saves the federal government – and taxpayers – a significant amount of money.

A complete count of all Washingtonians helps ensure that we receive our fair share of federal funding – money we need for important services, such as neighborhood improvements, housing, transportation, schools and many other programs that matter to our community. Participating in the 2010 Census contributes to a bright future for our community and families. Please take ten minutes today to fill out and mail back your census form and list everyone living in your household; it’s easy, safe and important. Thank you.

And, if you didn’t receive a questionnaire or need help completing it, call the 2010 Census toll-free number at 1-866-872-6868 or visit www.2010census.gov .

Best regards,
Tim Thomsen
360 378 4436

The Chamber of Commerce has an exciting event coming up which is putting the spotlight of the businesses in our community that are doing good things. Nominations can be made by both members & non-members – just click on the category below for the nominating form. Here’s more from Chamber of Commerce executive director Vernadel Peterson:

Celebrate and Recognize You: The businesses that make our community!

Across the nation numerous Chambers of Commerce celebrate the success of the businesses in their community with an Annual Awards Ceremony.  This year the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce will start this Annual Recognition and Celebration.  It will also serve as a kick off for the coming year.  The First Annual Banquet will be on April 29 at Friday Harbor House in the San Juan Room.

The evening will start at 6 pm with a no-host bar.  Dinner will be served at 7 pm, with the program and awards to follow.  Reservations must be made by April 22, but are limited by space, so make your reservations early!   Tickets are $50 for Chamber members and $65 for non-Chamber Members.  Fill out your “Reservation Form” today!

Your assistance is needed to nominate businesses for the awards that will presented that evening.  There will be two “Business of the Year” awards.  One will be presented to a small business with 4 or less employees and the other to a large business with 5 or more employees.  The criteria for these awards is based on the involvement with the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce and the community and how the business’ presence adds to the economic vitality and quality of life on our island.

There will also be an award presented to a “Nonprofit of the Year.” This award will also be based on involvement with the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce, the community and other organizations and how the nonprofits’ presence adds to the economic vitality and quality of life on our island.  It will also be important to for this nonprofit to demonstrate a level of excellence in service and growth.

Did you have a successful Promotional Campaign in 2009?  Enter your business for the “Promotional Campaign Award!” The campaigns may include all forms of media and target visitors, locals, or both. Samples of the campaign will be helpful with details of the success of the campaign.  The deadline for this award and all nominations is April 16.

Cakes by Felicitations will serve hors d’ oeuvres during the social hour, while a no-host bar is provided by Friday Harbor House.  The dinner will be catered by Cynthia’s of Course.  But the twist of the evening will be the Dessert Auction where you can either purchase a dessert to share with your table, or take it home and enjoy later!  A few businesses have already committed to donating some great desserts!  But some of you have that secret recipe that everyone would love to eat!  Maybe you treat your guests to a special cookie when they arrive or the dessert that everyone orders from your menu or maybe you enjoy baking.  If you would be interested in promoting your business, thru the Dessert Auction, contact Vernadel at the Chamber office 360-378-5240.

You can also be a “Banquet Sponsor” and receive some special benefits at the event.  The name of your business will be displayed on your table with the opportunity to add your special decorations.  You will have a listing in the program and be announced at the event as well as be included in the media presentation playing during the evening.

My buddy Colleen tells me this was the song the Wailin’ Jennys closed with Sunday night at their sold out show:

Amy from San Juan Fitness just sent me the spring deal – sign up today!:

*SWIM LESSONS*
Register at: San Juan Island Fitness
435 Argyle Ave., F.H.~ 378-4449

PARENT – TOT SWIM
Parent and Child (6 mo – 4 years old) swim together in small pool
Mondays, April 12 – May 17
Session #1 9:30-10:15
Session #2 10:15-11:00
COST: $40 per parent/tot

BEGIN TO SWIM
Tues. & Thurs., April 20-May 6
3:15 warm pool-beginners
4 pm warm pool-beginners
5 pm big pool (for those who can float & very comfy in water)
COST: $60 non-members/$50 members

SKILLS PROGRESSION
Weds & Fridays, April 21 – May 7
3-4:30 half-hour lesson plus one hour
of life-guard swim- exact lesson time TBD
(For ages 6 and up- or instructor permission)
COST: $60 non-members/$50 members

Heard last night that Bob Dixon passed away…heart attack. I’ll have more as details become available…meanwhile, condolences to his family. Tough times…

Three stories of bottled water at Costco (I took this photo in Burlington)...that's a lot of plastic for our little ol' landfill & transfer station....

You know, there ARE towns that have outlawed bottled water…it’s about time that we looked at this.

Bundanoon, Australia already has; 27 municipalities in Canada have; San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, St Louis, and others have passed bans on spending city money on bottled water.

Jack Johnson has jumped on the bandwagon…he mentions that 30 million single-use plastic bottles are dumped in US landfills each day. Here’s his 40 seconds about that…

Local kayak company Outdoor Odysseys has its thoughts about that…

And if you don’t look at anything else today, take the time to check out Annie’s vid on the good reasons we need to change the way we do things:

That's Miles Cobos singin' & skatin' earlier this week....

Today & this weekend you can swing by the new Ace Hardware Store’s open house – you’re gonna love it (and there’s food most of the time, so you can eat there all weekend, far as I can figure.) Here’s the scoop on that.

Looks like a nice weekend to get out, or to come home – most of the island’s kids have been gone this week for the public schools’ spring break.

Meanwhile, Enso has their album release show at Pazzo Vivo on Saturday from 6:30-10pm – here’s what their fan page on Facebook says:

To celebrate the release of our first album, “The Axioms EP”, we are having a show at Pazzo Vivo. The show will start off with a jazz set for those who want to come early for some dinner. After that we’ll move into a broader range of music for the following couple of sets. We’ll be pulling out a bunch of new tunes that we’ve been working on, both originals and covers, jazz and rock (even a little bit of intergalactic space funk!) – this should be awesome show!

Get outside & play!

Chetana creates a compelling "Ana" in "The Clean House"...she greets Krista's daughter Ula after last night's show.

Last night Josie & I got a chance to drop in on opening night for Island Stage Left’s The Clean House, staged at the 4-H Building at the Fairgrounds…it was excellent.

That reminds me a joke:

Play director: “Would you tell me your opinion of the play?”
Drama critic: “It’s worthless.”
Play director: “I know, but what did you think of the play?”

Anyway – last night’s show was funny & sad, intense as a Brazilian football match but as easy-flowing as a samba, & will probably make you want to vacuum your own place when you’re done. It’ll make you glad you know “chiste” is the Portuguese word for “joke,” and glad you didn’t choose white as the main (no, only!) color for your living room. Any play that works in Alaska & the beach & Brazil & the City in the present & overlays it with memory and feeling is a winner.

Like Matilde in the show says, “If the floor is dirty, look at the ceiling.”

It’s great to see the ISL actors really stretch themselves in this one…

All of what I just said will make sense when you see the show. The play runs from now till May 9 (check here for dates & times). The cast (Ashley Flannegan, Joan Benney, Krista Strutz, Chetana Michaan, and Dan Mayes) have created characters that’ll be stuck in your head & heart for a while…you’ll see.

I found this bit from the New York Times, which makes me think they went to last night’s show:

“Fresh, funny … a memorable play, imbued with a melancholy but somehow comforting philosophy: that the messes and disappointments of life are as much a part of its beauty as romantic love and chocolate ice cream, and a perfect punch line can be as sublime as the most wrenchingly lovely aria.”

A gull checks out what's left after a sea lion eats a skate, earlier this week. Jim Maya notes: "Sea lions love skate, and it's very dramatic when they eat one. A sea lion's teeth don't permit them to take a bite out of something, like we might take a bite out of a sandwich. By violently shaking their heads, the inertia rips the skate's body away from that portion that the sea lion keeps in its mouth. The gulls love it. Gulls will also follow orcas as the orcas feed on a seal or...sea lions." Photo by Jim Maya.

• Alice Hurd wanted me to tell you about this, coming up this weekend:

Would you like to know more about the wildflowers you are seeing on San Juan Island this spring? The San Juan Island Trails Committee, under the auspices of Island Rec, is organizing two wildflower walks in April. The walks will be led by botanist Louisa Nishitani, and will each last about 2 hours. The walks will be largely within the boundaries of San Juan National Historical Park.

On Saturday, April 10th at 1:00 the first walk will begin from the parking lot at English Camp, from where we will ascend (and descend!) Young Hill. On the following Saturday, April 17th, the walk will begin by the Interpretive Center at American Camp at 10:00 .  Restrooms are available at both starting points. Due to the delicate nature of the terrain,  dogs are not invited. Everyone else is welcome.  Participants are reminded to bring drinking water.

Further information may be obtained by e-mailing the Trails Committee at info (at) sanjuanislandtrails.org.  Also on the trails website are listings of plants found along various Island trails, including Young Hill and American Camp.  These lists as well as trail maps may be printed off from the site and brought along on the walks.

It was pretty packed at The Bean a couple of days ago when Gordy brought his relatives over to see how nice the place is looking (and the food's good, too!)

• Have you heard of “glamping”? In May you can go glamping at Lakedale Resort – here’s more from the Seattle newsmagazine that wrote it up.

• It’s next weekend on the 17th (not this weekend), but this would be a good time to pre-register for Monique & Vic Woodward’s Restored & Remarried workshop. Here’s more:

Whether you consider yourself a step family or a blended family, Restored & Remarried is a hands-on resource for you. Been remarried for awhile or just contemplating the idea? Restored and Remarried will encourage and equip couples for the step family adventure. This seminar is fun and interactive and it’s most definitely, “guy friendly.” Here’s more.

Sophia Grace....

• The Fundraiser for Sophia Grace Krieg is tonight at Roche Harbor at 6pm (here are details). This kid’s had a hard start in life, but has a chance – here’s the story. See if you can help.

• Sandy says they need a new member for the Board:

The Town of Friday Harbor Historic Preservation Review Board has a vacancy. We are looking for a community member to fill the spot being vacated by long-time board member, Mary Jane Anderson. Mary Jane has been on the board since 2002 and has been an impeccable advocate for preserving the Town’s historic buildings and sites. It’s sad to see her go.

On the bright side, we are hoping to find someone to replace her who loves local history and has some background in historic preservation, architectural history, etc. If any of your readers are interested in finding out more, they can contact me, Sandy Strehlou, at 378.2810.

Went to the Pet Food store over in Surina Business Park yesterday & met Tyrone, who sits in the back. Be sure & drop by and say hey to him...

It’s always hard in our little community when one of our kids is hurt…a Spring Street International student’s condition has been upgraded from critical to serious after a horrific accident last weekend. Here’s more from Jerry Riley at SSIS:

Boarding Student Seriously Injured
A student, whose full name is being withheld for family confidentiality, was a passenger in a car crash, Continue Reading

Don (left), Shryl, Margaret & Pete

Last week, Don Eaton was sworn in as Superior Court Judge, replacing the late John Linde. Pete & Margaret have taken over his practice – here’s more, from Pete:

GODDULANGLIE Acquires Judge Eaton’s Law Practice
When longtime San Juan County lawyer Don Eaton became San Juan County’s Superior Court Judge, he and his wife Shyrl (his legal assistant/ office manager) began the complicated process of closing his law practice after 31 years. At the same time, lawyers Peter (“Pete”) Goddu and Margaret Langlie were winding up a month-long commute (via West Wind Aviation) to Sequim (where they were covering the law practice of a colleague on medical leave) and pondering their next professional move.

As of April 7th the former Law Office of Donald E. Eaton is now GODDULANGLIE, Lawyers-Advisors. Goddu and Langlie—also a husband-wife team and law partners for 28 years—sold their own Ballard/Woodinville law practice in 2008 and have acquired Judge Eaton’s practice, including the location, mailing address, and phone numbers. Discussions between the two couples confirmed that they share a similar philosophy toward their profession: Continue Reading

Remember the movie “The Sterile Cuckoo”? Probably not…wasn’t that big a deal. But there was a song that went with it called Come Saturday Morning by the Sandpipers in 1969. Nominated for an Oscar in 1970, the song made it to #17 in the charts at one point.

If you listen to it twice, it’ll get stuck in your head, so be careful.