A memorial service is scheduled for June 23, 3-5 p.m., for Elizabeth W. Burden, formerly of Friday Harbor. The memorial service will be in the Sorrento Hotel, 900 Madison St., Seattle.
Charlie Wiggins, who is running against Justice Richard Sanders for election to the Supreme Court, will visit Friday Harbor on June 5. You can meet Wiggins and join him for refreshments from 9-10:30 a.m. at Friday Harbor House, San Juan Meeting Room, 130 West St. Wiggins has 34 years of experience as a lawyer, primarily handling appeals. He has served as a Court of Appeals judge, and as a Superior Court judge pro tem in Jefferson and King counties.
There’s a photo of mixed martial arts fighter Danny Martinez on the wall of the Friday Harbor Boxing Club. Martinez, sparring with another boxer, exudes the raw power of the punch. At the Friday Harbor club, however, boxing is not about violence. “It’s about accountability and life skills,” says Brock Hauck, coach and club founder.
Our neighborhood deer have returned after their winter hiatus. They saunter insouciantly down the driveway stopping to nibble here, take a bite there, rarely looking up. They are supremely confident in their safety. Occasionally, the neighbor’s dog will bark loudly, and they will look up, listening carefully. It is quickly apparent he is not close enough to worry and they return to their daily chore of finding enough food.
The first weekend in June kicks off another San Juan summer in style. In past years, this big weekend has featured a huge selection of events — from art to music to charity golf. This year’s June weekend is a little slimmer in some parts, heavier in others.
The classic features a lineup of autograph-worthy celebrities from music, radio and sports. (And don’t forget the salmon dinner. And the live and silent auctions. And the fact that every dollar you spend will help an island non-profit. The event annually raises about $40,000.)
The photos tell a deeper story than the headlines. In one photo, two young brothers, ages 9 and 8, are on the Virginia Beach shore, smiling at the camera. In another photo, they are dressed in bow ties, ages 4 and 3, holding hands on the Vashon Island ferry, en route to a family gathering for Easter. In another photo, his mother’s favorite, he’s a young adult, running on a San Juan Island beach. In other pictures, he’s with friends on the beach, or camping in forests, or at a local concert. The pictures seemingly portray a life filled with friends and music.
Roberto Alps of Friday Harbor spent six weeks in the Gulf of Mexico assisting in the effort to stop the ocean-floor oil leak there. The leak was caused by an oil rig explosion April 20. An estimated 20 million to 40 million gallons of oil have gushed from the wellhead as of Wednesday, far surpassing the 11 million that leaked in the Exxon Valdez disaster, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
In the past, Jazz at the Labs has coincided with the summer kick-off weekend in June. This year, the jazz concert stands alone, but with a dynamic lineup that will draw jazz lovers to the U.W. Friday Harbor Labs Dining Hall.
San Juan County Superior Court Judge Donald E. Eaton has announced that he will run for election to that position this year. Eaton was appointed to the bench in March by Gov. Christine Gregoire, three months after the death of Judge John Linde. In announcing his appointment, Gregoire stated, “I was impressed with Don the moment I met him. He has a history of being honest, fair and compassionate, and has the respect of his community and colleagues.”
The May 26 USA TODAY ran a front-page article titled “In Seattle, homeowners build a cottage industry” which told about the Seattle program of allowing people with lots over 4,000 square feet to build a small rental cottage or add an apartment over a garage — in essence, adding a small “accessory dwelling unit” to a single-family
residence property.
Let’s all remember why we have Memorial Day. Picnics and such are wonderful, but let’s remember the freedom we have which is directly related to our men and women in uniform, today and in the past.
If you could save a life, would you? Each day, patients in our local hospitals battle cancer and leukemia, need surgeries, and suffer traumatic injuries which require blood transfusions. With less than an hour of your time, your one blood donation can help up to three patients. Give the gift of life and donate at the San Juan Island Community Blood Drive, June 2, noon to 6 p.m., Mullis Community Senior Center, 589 Nash St.
