Seen a couple of weeks ago in the window at Softwear....you ARE pretty lovable, you know! 🙂

I don’t mind if you don’t go to ALL of these, as long as you don’t say there’s nothing to do around here:

• San Juan HealthCare’s class series continues with “Mirth without Girth: A Guide to Healthy Holiday eating”…do your heart a favor & drop in! Here’s more.

• Tammy Anderson & Kris Brown wanted to let you know this cool way to plan for this year’s tree: Students from Paideia Classical School are hitting the streets to sell fresh cut Oregon Douglas and Noble Firs. The fundraiser, which  benefits every Paideia student, culminates in a Bake Sale & Tree Pick-up event on Saturday, December 5th at the school.

The always popular Douglas and Noble firs come in sizes ranging from 4-9ft; larger trees can also be reserved. Paideia will not be selling Grand Firs this year as they were from a different tree farm  and not the same freshness as the other trees.

If you haven’t seen a Paideia student and would like to be personally contacted, please call 378-8322 or visit paideiaclassicalschool.org to send an e-mail.

• Have you seen Andrea’s store online selling baby clothes & blankets & stuff? Check it out here – it’s called Ten Fingers Ten Toes.

Pat (the woman on the left) directs CMSJ & does an awesome job; islander Joe Tein (back left) worked as a stage manager for the show.

• It was cool to catch up with the players for Chamber Music San Juan after the show earlier this month – they stopped in at the Front Street Ale House after the show, where I got this picture. They’ll be back again in February, I believe.

Emily & Chris

• Just heard from Emily & Chris Wolf – they report their teaching in Qatar is going well…Chris is taking some students on a field trip to Jordan this week, while Emily gets to go to the Marine Corps Ball in her blue strapless dress and red dancing shoes (she says)…wahoo!

• Compost It has their sale this week – here’s more from Matt & Maureen:

Compost It (115 Nichols Street) is having a CUSTOMER APPRECIATION SALE from Wednesday, November 18 to Saturday, November 21.  EVERYTHING IN THE STORE IS 20% OFF.

We are having our sale now because we will be CLOSED ON BLACK FRIDAY in support of the NON-CONSUMERISM MOVEMENT.

Compost It has many LOCALLY MADE items including tea, clothing, soaps, body care products, jewelry, stuffed animals, rugs, and much more.

We carry many other useful products, all of which are ORGANIC, EARTH-FRIENDLY, or US/LOCALLY/FAIR TRADE made, including (but not limited to): baby chicks and chicken feed, zero-VOC and solvent free paints, household/cleaning supplies, eco-baby products, glass and stainless steel containers (including French Press!), and body-care products.

If you care about LOCAL, GREEN, or your own WELL BEING you would be well-served to check out Compost It!

If you have any questions please call Matt or Maureen at 378 4686.

There was a big one at 7:30am this morning, off the British Columbia coast, near Alaska – here’s more (including the huge aftershock) from CNN.

The Great GiveAway was great! here are Soroptimists Kathy Moss (left), event Chair Pat Hansen and Liz Pillow

I asked Marie DiCristina what the local Soroptimist Club was up to – she says lots! Here’s the story in a nutshell, from her:

Soroptimists and their local projects

The Soroptimist International Friday Harbor club just held their second annual Great Island Give-a-way event last Saturday.  It was well attended by over 125 people who exchanged more than 300 items in a swap-meet atmosphere.  This project promoted the recycling of good things amongst islanders.

The next club project is the Soroptimist Awards.

The first is the Violet Richardson Award to be given to a young woman between the ages of 14 and 17 who is helping to make our community and world a better place through their volunteer actions. The application is available on line at the Soroptimist website www.SiFri.org , from the High School, Spring Street School or Joyce Sobel (378-4921 or jsobel (at) rockisland.com ) and are due by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1, 2009.

The second award is the Women’s Opportunity Award which is intended to assist women in overcoming personal difficulties and bettering their lives through education and skills training.  The $2500 award is offered to a woman who is the primary wage earner in the household pursuing an undergraduate or vocational degree.  The application is available on line at the Soroptimist website www.SiFri.org or at The Toy Box in Friday Harbor. For more information contact Chair Kristine Odle 298-2577. Applications are due for this award on December 15, 2009.

The third award is the Ruby Award (formally the Making a Difference for Women Award) which honors women who have worked to improve the lives of women and girls through their professional and/or volunteer work.   The program enables l Soroptimist to thank these women and encourage others to explore ways to assist women and girls.  For more information and applications please contact Chairs Anita Barreca 370-5795 or Bette Cantrell 370-5683.  Do you know someone who is making a difference in the lives of women? The application is available on line at the Soroptimist website www.SiFri.org and is due by January 10, 2010.

To learn more about Soroptimist International Friday Harbor, these three awards or to download applications please visit their website at www.SiFri.org.

Marc Islam reports that Corelia Peacock has completed the Appalachian Trail & the former Island rec recreation specialist has stories to tell:

Hello All-

A few highlights from our last few weeks on the trail. Continue Reading

Lisa Anderson says there are a lot of folks who made it happen…and YOU!
Here’s more:

For a successful Phonathon to take place, there are many factors and people that are key components one of which is the people who pick up the phones and make the calls.

The San Juan Public Schools Foundation greatly appreciates the time and energy these parents, supporters and students gave to make it a successful evening.

Thank you to Walt Wegener, Gary Phlueger, Fred Woods, Boyd Pratt, Heidi Lopez, David McCauley, Brent Snow, Maude Cumming, Kira Sable, Jenny Roberts, Bill Ament, Deb Neff, Amy Windrope, Debbie Fincher, Ricarda Burnett, John Pachuta, Roxanne Angel, Kay Jakutis, Debbie Taylor, Emily Carrington, Caroline Gilleeny, Susan Mazzarella, Michelle Herko, Katie Oliver, Nancy Young, Ashley Strutz, Mary Karen Ryan, Deb Rischel,  Gabey Rischel, Kya Johns, Fabi Bell, Margaret Nash, Hanna Dubail, Lindsey Banry, Miles Cobos, Nick Roberts, Maddy McPadden, and Marga Eshelman.

And the winners are...

Darren & Lisa O’Brien put together a great contest & got some great results – here’s more from Darren:

Hi Ian –
We have two winners in the first annual San Juan Islands Vacation Video Contest! The contest, which closed at midnight on October 31, garnered 52 approved entries (out of more than 60 submitted), and in just four months totaled nearly 13,000 video views on YouTube alone.

The Grand Prize – lodging, dinner, and activities worth an approximate retail value of $5,367 – was won by Kristin Marciochi, a 27 year-old teacher from Olympia, WA for her video entitled “San Juans Trip.”

Kristin said, “When I first read that I won, I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t even catch my breath!” With her husband Nate, the couple spent “three wonderful days up there and we had a ball. We had a great, great time!” She also added that as a teacher they don’t necessarily have the means to vacation whenever they want to, but now that they’ve won, “we are so excited knowing we have some mini-getaways we can use this winter in the islands!”

First Prize, a $1,000 Family Camp Weekend at Canoe Island French Camp, went to the Wheelers of Orlando, FL. “We are very, very happy!” exclaimed Grant Wheeler, dad and editor. They really wanted to win so they could come back. He said, “We were going online everyday to see who won.”

Lisa O’Brien, of sanjuanislandsTV.com was one of the judges, and she said the Wheelers definitely had the “cuteness factor” going for them. They had 5-year old Lexis do the voice over, and she was just so cute! As the Wheelers were visiting during the Fourth of July, they became intrigued with the Pig War Crisis. As a result, they reworked the lyrics to Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Watching the video, and hearing little Lexis sing “we didn’t start the Pig War” over and over will make just about anyone chuckle.

The Grand Prize winning entry is currently the featured video on our home page at http://www.sanjuanislandstv.com. Here you can see it:

Next to that is a link to the First Prize video, the “San Juan Islands Wheeler Family Vacation Entry.” Thanks! Darren

And the winners are...

Darren & Lisa O’Brien put together a great contest & got some great results – here’s more from Darren:

Hi Ian –
We have two winners in the first annual San Juan Islands Vacation Video Contest! The contest, which closed at midnight on October 31, garnered 52 approved entries (out of more than 60 submitted), and in just four months totaled nearly 13,000 video views on YouTube alone.

The Grand Prize – lodging, dinner, and activities worth an approximate retail value of $5,367 – was won by Kristin Marciochi, a 27 year-old teacher from Olympia, WA for her video entitled “San Juans Trip.”

Kristin said, “When I first read that I won, I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t even catch my breath!” With her husband Nate, the couple spent “three wonderful days up there and we had a ball. We had a great, great time!” She also added that as a teacher they don’t necessarily have the means to vacation whenever they want to, but now that they’ve won, “we are so excited knowing we have some mini-getaways we can use this winter in the islands!”

First Prize, a $1,000 Family Camp Weekend at Canoe Island French Camp, went to the Wheelers of Orlando, FL. “We are very, very happy!” exclaimed Grant Wheeler, dad and editor. They really wanted to win so they could come back. He said, “We were going online everyday to see who won.”

Lisa O’Brien, of sanjuanislandsTV.com was one of the judges, and she said the Wheelers definitely had the “cuteness factor” going for them. They had 5-year old Lexis do the voice over, and she was just so cute! As the Wheelers were visiting during the Fourth of July, they became intrigued with the Pig War Crisis. As a result, they reworked the lyrics to Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Watching the video, and hearing little Lexis sing “we didn’t start the Pig War” over and over will make just about anyone chuckle.

The Grand Prize winning entry is currently the featured video on our home page at http://www.sanjuanislandstv.com. Here you can see it:

Next to that is a link to the First Prize video, the “San Juan Islands Wheeler Family Vacation Entry.” Thanks! Darren

The new captains: Back row, from left: John Chessell, Chuck Payne, Greg Taylor, Lauren Sands, Caroline Armon, Capt. Terry Sanders (towing endorsement); Front row: John Boyd, Capt.Richard Rodriguez (instructor). Mot pictured: Mike MacDonald

At the end of October, eight captains completed their training. Here’s more from Richard Rodriguez:

Zenith Maritime graduates eight students October 29, 2009

Zenith Maritime trains mariners to become Captains across the United States. Zenith graduates operate vessels up to 200′ across the country and received their licenses through our approved training as an alternative to stressful Coast Guard examinations,

Graduates have qualified to operate vessels up to 100 tons.  The course focuses on teaching practical applications rather than test preparation. The school is approved by the United States Coast Guard and as such tests on site. You can find out more about Captain’s Licensing by contacting Capt. Rodriguez [email protected] or 360-531-0698.

Here’s more maritime news from around the area by Captain Rodriguez…

Making Friday Harbor a warmer place to live....

From the Town:

Good Day!
If you could share this Certificate of Appreciation with our wonderful community it would be greatly appreciated.  The Town’s coat drive went well, very well.  We received 210 beautiful warm coats to share with those with special needs in our community.
Roxanna

Remember last year?

Did last year…probably will this year. Well, I thought I was ready for the weather till I got this from Brendan at the Department of Emergency Management – now I got a little prepping to do. Check it out – he’s good:

Winter Weather Wisdom
by Brendan Cowan, Emergency Manager for San Juan County and Friday Harbor

Our clocks have rolled back, the rains have arrived, and it is time to give quick thought to the fact that we’re likely to see winter weather in the islands before long. Each year I try to put out some gentle advice about what we should do to prepare, and every year that we have a winter storm, even a mild one, I hear from islanders who were caught off guard.

This year, I’m taking a slightly different approach Continue Reading

The Guardian has been designated as an ambulance....

Looks more like like a boat than what most people think of for an ambulance, but it can get you there – here’s more from Alan at the EMS:

The San Juan County Sheriff’s boat P/V Guardian has been recognized by the State of Washington as a licensed ambulance, following a three year process of fundraising, planning, modification, and training.

“For many years to come, this multipurpose, dual hull twin-engine catamaran will serve and augment the emergency medical transport and water rescue needs of all of San Juan County through its upgraded capability,” said EMS Chief Jim Cole. “The P/V Guardian now gives us the ability to transport San Juan County residents from their home island with a certified ambulance when airborne transport is impractical.”

The boat is equipped with the necessary life support and rescue equipment Continue Reading

These were turning dark as we watched....and the ripe ones were good!

There were some nice blackberries a couple of weekends ago when I went around Pear Point/Turn Point (or the Loop, as we usually say….) It was hard to believe – I can’t recall seeing them this late in the season, but I think the fall’s dryness & sunniness brought ’em out for an encore, since they’re usually done by late August.

Our Tigers played in a game that left islanders proud we were represented by such a great bunch…here’s more from Kris Brown:

Friday Harbor fans, few in number and very cold, held out until the
bitter end in hopes that the Senior Tigers would triumph in the 2009
North Cascade Youth Football League championship game on Saturday evening. They faced the Burlington Tigers who they had defeated just a few weeks earlier 18-7. Continue Reading

Ciely at Lavendera wants you to drop by…:

~An Evening of Free Services at Lavendera Day Spa~

Come join Lavendera Day Spa on Friday, November 20^th from 6:30pm to 8pm for an evening of free massage. Anyone who attends will be welcome to receive a free 15 minute massage by one of our highly trained and experienced massage practitioners.

Our staff will be on hand to discuss the health benefits of body work and give tips on how to care for your aching muscles or injuries at home. In addition, each guest will receive a coupon for $10 off our already discounted local prices for their next 60 or 90 minute treatment.

Step in from the cold and warm up with a toasty beverage and comforting massage!

Elian (left) and Emilio (fifteen months old, with a wise look) say hey to Tito at the bank, with mama Kris.

It was nice to run into the Bayas family on Friday afternoon…Kris & the boys came by to see Tito for a minute at Islanders Bank.

"I am seventeen, going on eighteen...." - Randy and the girls head for the Sound of Music after muffins at the Naked Bean.

Skagit Valley College/San Juan Center director Randy Martin and favorite girls Lucy & Ava were heading off to Mount Vernon to the main campus to see The Sound of Music last night. He says they have Do Re Mi ready to go, and they’ll practice in the car.