The FHHS soccer girls closed out one of the more successful seasons in the program’s 15 year history with a 1-0 decision over La Conner on Tuesday, in a game played at Mount Vernon High. The game’s lone goal was scored by senior Alex Freeman early, as the game turned into a defensive battle from there, with senior keeper Hannah Snow & her defense keeping La Conner out of the net.

Now, the playoffs. The team takes its 12-4 record to Oak Harbor Thursday at 1pm to play against the winner of the Coupeville/Meridian game which is being played tomorrow (Wednesday).

Friday Harbor athletic director Rod Turnbull tells me with a win, the girls will play again on Saturday at 2:00; with a loss they will play on Saturday at 12:00.  Both of these games would also be at Oak Harbor High.

Lanny Little - opening in B'ham....

Here are things you wondered about – now you know:

• Island Studios was closed from 2:30pm Monday and all day Tuesday for carpet cleaning.

• Speaking of art, did you see islander & painter Lanny Little‘s opening in Bellingham earlier this month? Here’s more.

• Yep, Lynn Danaher & Dave Moorhouse have bought Ace Hardware‘s building…we’ll keep you posted…

• “Bagmania” at San Juan Canvas – Come see us during the months of November and December for some unique, locally made holiday gifts. San Juan Canvas uses scrap material from our marine canvas jobs along with old sails to make Tote, Ditty and Duffel bags. Each one is distinctive and made right here in our shop in the Port of Friday Harbor. We are located under the Yacht Club at 271 Front Street next to the Customs office. Stop in for an original holiday gift!

• Site Elements announces its new SPRINTER service. A courier/personal shopping service, customized to fit your personal off-island supply needs between San Juan Island and the greater SEATTLE area. To request a quote or schedule service, simply e-mail sprinter (at) site-elements.com

Best Western has a deal for you....

• At the Best Western Friday Harbor Suites, they have a deal…the holiday season is almost here and Best Western is offering holiday special rates for families coming to town. They also have meeting rooms and catering available for holiday parties. Also, they are running the Ferry for Free special through the winter. PAID car and driver ticket when you reserve the Ferry for Free package!  800-752-5752

At rehearsal: Dan Mayes onstage with Ann Cozzalio (left), Carolyn Marie Monroe, and Krista Strutz. Photo by John Sinclair/concepia.com

Island Stage Left‘s production of Rabbit Hole opens this week at Roche Harbor on Thursday night (here’s more info)…be sure & make time to catch this one!

At rehearsal: Dan Mayes onstage with Ann Cozzalio (left), Carolyn Marie Monroe, and Krista Strutz. Photo by John Sinclair/concepia.com

Island Stage Left‘s production of Rabbit Hole opens this week at Roche Harbor on Thursday night (here’s more info)…be sure & make time to catch this one!

The treasurer’s office wanted to remind you…

T A X    R E M I N D E R: Second half 2009 property tax due Monday NOVEMBER 2nd

Payable at the Courthouse Treasurer’s Office, Mon. through Fri. 10am-4:00pm

Payments made/postmarked on/after November 2 will be subject to interest/penalty.

If you have questions, please call Friday Harbor 378-2171. Mailing address:  P.O. Box 639, Friday Harbor, WA. 98250

For credit card payments call 1-800-272-9829
or pay on line at www.officialpayments.com

S.J.Co. jurisdiction code is 5610.  A fee is charged by OPC.

Jan Sears, San Juan Co. Treasurer

Julia & Mike Vouri - many happy returns!

It was cool to run into Mike Vouri Monday at Backdoor Kitchen, where he was waiting for his wife Julia to surprise her with a little cake & flowers – I thought it was cool as all get-out.

They let me take their picture…and here’s the song that John Lennon wrote for his mom, Julia…happy birthday!

Same guy, different genres

It was cool to hear that FHHS soccer player & grad Jesse Douglas-Seitz has some art to show you – here’s more:

Jesse with Bella, who turned four last weekend!

Hey, Ian!
We just wanted to let you know that Lavendera Day Spa (440 Spring Street) will be hosting an art show opening on Friday 10/30/09 from 6:45pm to 8:15pm for Jesse Douglas Seitz. Watercolors, photographs, and screenprints will be shown.  Non-alcoholic beverages and hor d’oeuvres will be available. Thank you very much! Hope to see you there!

Halley & Ciely
Lavendera Day Spa

The sailing team in action....

Coach Dez! tells me the sailing team is gonna raise money on Election Night at the Yacht Club – here’s the scoop:

Jambalaya Feast

NEW ORLEANS OR BUST!! The San Juan Island Sailing Foundation and the San Juan Island High School Sailing Team invite you to come and enjoy a Jambalaya Feast in traditional New Orleans style. Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at the San Juan Island Yacht Club.

Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m and if you want dessert you will have to be the highest bidder! The dessert Auction will include a “King Cake”, cheese cakes, pies, cup cakes, brownies and many other morsels that we can tempt you with.

Adult tickets are selling for $18 and tickets for kids 12 and under are $10. Tickets will be available at the door or from any member of the Sailing Team. All money raised will support travel and expenses for our regattas locally and nationally. If you have any questions call Coach Dez! 378-1015 or Peter and Susan Risser at 378-5448.

The sailing team in action....

Coach Dez! tells me the sailing team is gonna raise money on Election Night at the Yacht Club – here’s the scoop:

Jambalaya Feast

NEW ORLEANS OR BUST!! The San Juan Island Sailing Foundation and the San Juan Island High School Sailing Team invite you to come and enjoy a Jambalaya Feast in traditional New Orleans style. Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at the San Juan Island Yacht Club.

Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m and if you want dessert you will have to be the highest bidder! The dessert Auction will include a “King Cake”, cheese cakes, pies, cup cakes, brownies and many other morsels that we can tempt you with.

Adult tickets are selling for $18 and tickets for kids 12 and under are $10. Tickets will be available at the door or from any member of the Sailing Team. All money raised will support travel and expenses for our regattas locally and nationally. If you have any questions call Coach Dez! 378-1015 or Peter and Susan Risser at 378-5448.

San Juan Island's Geneva Mottet entered items in knitting, astronomy, science, and educational poster departments, and got "firsts" in several...

I love hearing what happened at the state fair with our local 4-H kids – here’s the story from Cindy:

State Fair Report 2009
San Juan County 4-H Activities at the Western Washington State Fair
By Cindy Gauthier, 4-H Program Coordinator WSU Extension San Juan County

The Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup Washington was 17 days of food, fun and 4-Her’s! Once again San Juan County 4-H members exhibited a variety of projects and proved to be tough competition among other Washington State 4-H exhibitors.

Hannah Howard (left) and Laura Brown won blue awards with their poultry....

4-H youth who sent still life items to be judged and displayed were MacKenzie Brown and Coral Black who each entered food preservation and photography this year, both winning a variety of blue and red awards. MacKenzie won a special award on her canned cherries and Coral also won a special award for her preserved jams. Clinton Gauthier received one blue and one red award on his photographs. Zach Fincher and Yasmin Sarah were excited to receive mostly blue ribbons with their astronomy and science exhibits.

Rachel Porter enjoyed presenting her blue ribbon 4-H demonstration titled “How to Raise a 4-H Market Swine Project”. Rachel had a great time and would like to encourage other 4-H members to have this experience. Kelsey Guyer won a blue ribbon for her beautiful themed Mardi Gras table setting that won a Best of Show award at the San Juan County Fair.

Laura Brown won a blue award for her lovely 4-H project scrapbook and also competed in the Junior Poultry Exhibition taking her Mille Fleur Dutch hen and rooster. She really enjoyed doing her “birdsmanship duty” which is the equivalent of herdsmanship/barn duty at our Fair. Hannah Howard won a blue award with her Old English Game hen and enjoyed testing her poultry knowledge at the “Avian Bowl”. Continue Reading

San Juan Island's Geneva Mottet entered items in knitting, astronomy, science, and educational poster departments, and got "firsts" in several...

I love hearing what happened at the state fair with our local 4-H kids – here’s the story from Cindy:

State Fair Report 2009
San Juan County 4-H Activities at the Western Washington State Fair
By Cindy Gauthier, 4-H Program Coordinator WSU Extension San Juan County

The Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup Washington was 17 days of food, fun and 4-Her’s! Once again San Juan County 4-H members exhibited a variety of projects and proved to be tough competition among other Washington State 4-H exhibitors.

Hannah Howard (left) and Laura Brown won blue awards with their poultry....

4-H youth who sent still life items to be judged and displayed were MacKenzie Brown and Coral Black who each entered food preservation and photography this year, both winning a variety of blue and red awards. MacKenzie won a special award on her canned cherries and Coral also won a special award for her preserved jams. Clinton Gauthier received one blue and one red award on his photographs. Zach Fincher and Yasmin Sarah were excited to receive mostly blue ribbons with their astronomy and science exhibits.

Rachel Porter enjoyed presenting her blue ribbon 4-H demonstration titled “How to Raise a 4-H Market Swine Project”. Rachel had a great time and would like to encourage other 4-H members to have this experience. Kelsey Guyer won a blue ribbon for her beautiful themed Mardi Gras table setting that won a Best of Show award at the San Juan County Fair.

Laura Brown won a blue award for her lovely 4-H project scrapbook and also competed in the Junior Poultry Exhibition taking her Mille Fleur Dutch hen and rooster. She really enjoyed doing her “birdsmanship duty” which is the equivalent of herdsmanship/barn duty at our Fair. Hannah Howard won a blue award with her Old English Game hen and enjoyed testing her poultry knowledge at the “Avian Bowl”. Continue Reading

David Hoisington

Just heard about Mr. Hoisington’s passing from Angie Payne – here’s more:

David B Hoisington • 2/11/1920 – 10/23/2009
David “Granddad” Hoisington, peacefully passed away at his home in the morning hours of October 23^rd, 2009. He was surrounded by family and with his wonderful loving wife of 69 years, Elizabeth “Honey” Hoisington, by his side. Per his request, there will be no service. The family will gather to share memories and tell stories at a later time.

Director Erich Parce & mezzo-soprano Jenny Knapp (as Carmen) held the theater in their hands over the weekend.

Until you’ve seen an opera on stage, with costumes & lively people & the set & a live orchestra playing, you haven’t experienced why these shows keep coming back & coming back ver the centuries. Opera Pacifica brought their show up from Olympia and, incorporating talent from the island under choreographer & co-producer Linda Downes’ watchful eye, pulled off an incredible show Saturday night & Sunday afternoon this past weekend.

The music was conducted in the Community Theatre’s orchestra pit by Claudia Simpson-Jones (her husband, Robert, played Don José) while the show was directed by Erich Parce (his wife, Jenny, plays & sings Carmen).

While the entire ensemble had strong, expressive voices, it was Jenny Knapp who got the crowd up for a standing ovation – her Carmen was strong, sexy, and moving….you believed she was a gypsy, and you believed that the poor helpless males in the cast had no choice but to fall in love with her. Good acting + good singing made for a great show. Hope these guys come back again soon!

Local favorite & cellist Sally Browne played in the orchestra while theatre tech dude Steve Judson took care of the lights....

Diana Stepita (left, with one of the show's singers) and Ceily Gray were dancers in the show....

Julie Hagn with her mom Kathy & dad Tom after the show - Julie may be the world's best ballet dancer (you heard it here first!)

Out for a night at the opera: Shann Weston & Steve Porten

After the show, sister Lilah was pretty worn out as she & mom Sophie Rice wait for brother Simon to come from backstage after singing in the children's chorus....

Chris & Joe Luma, all dressed up with somewhere to go, before the show....

• It was Friday & it was homecoming, and the Wolverines were fired up as they faced a Meridian team that beat us 43-6 earlier in the season…it was much closer this time as we fell by a 18-6 score on a wet field. These guys just keep improving…next up: Lynden Christian comes to visit this Friday.

• Last Thursday, the Lady Wolverines played a tough, tough Seattle Christian team close, behind only 2-1 at the half (Mandy Turnbull tapped in a Hannah Starr cross on the far post for FHHS). In the second half SC found the mark four times as they won 5-1.

Update: The Wolverines (11-4) were return to action today for their final regular season game with arch-nemesis La Conner, who beat us last time we played, but FHHS Athletic Director Rod Turnbull tells me Monday morning the game has been postponed because the field is unplayable after the weekend’s games & all the rain. Soon as I know when the re-schedule occurs, I’ll let you know.

Update to the update: The girls’ soccer team’s last home game today was postponed till tomorrow (Tuesday)… our soccer field took a beating from the rain & two high school football games Friday – hey, it happens…so FHHS plays at noon on Tuesday at Mount Vernon High.

Of course, the big Homecoming Dance was Saturday night at Friday Harbor High, when everyone got dressed up, but the other one was a big part of the Juniors’ float – here’s their dance to Thriller & Ramalama Bang Bang, right before the parade & in between the rain on Friday afternoon before the game…check it out:

Ruth has a new show for this coming month & it opens this week – here’s more:

Raven 1, encaustic mixed media, 24 x 12...by Catherine Eaton Skinner

October 27 – November 22: Gallery Group Show
New works by Coral Barclay, Caroline James and Catherine Eaton Skinner.
waterworks gallery is pleased to feature new works by three of the gallery’s group of artists.
Coral Barclay continues her love affair with painting the sky and the interaction of the sky and ocean. New paintings range in size from the tiny, 4” x 4” to the large 48” x 48”.

Caroline James’s fascination with various bird species is evident in her latest series of mixed media subdued earth tone palette paintings.

Catherine Eaton Skinner’s encaustic mixed media paintings continue to explore the theme of birds and countings, and the landscape of trees and birds.

The gallery’s hours are Tuesday – Saturday 11 to 6, Sunday 11 to 4 and Mondays by Appointment.