The Boyce Road, University Heights, and Sunday Drive communities have been awarded Firewise status, becoming the latest communities on San Juan Island to join the Firewise program. Those neighborhoods met the requirements of educational meetings, community assessments and work projects to earn this national recognition. San Juan Island has 28 Firewise communities with two more applying for membership. Orcas Island has two with a third one preparing to join.
The Town of Friday Harbor and the San Juan Island Family Resource Center asked. And the community responded, donating 210 coats for the One Warm Coat community service project. An elated Roxanna Zalmanek, town permit technician, e-mailed a Certificate of Appreciation to the community and asked that it be published.
A turkey dinner to benefit the Meshaka Quilt Project is scheduled Nov. 14, 5-7 p.m., in the Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall. Learn more about the local project to help women in Meshaka, Kenya, become self-sufficient through quilting. Tickets: Adults $10, children 12 and younger $5, families $25.
Richard J. Louden of Friday Harbor, Wash., went to the Lord on Nov. 7, 2009. He was 84. He passed at the Island Convalescents Center in Friday Harbor with his wife Gloria, son Jeffrey and his wife Claudia, and niece Diane Buganski at his side. Diane and her sister, Donna Burton, were regular bedside visitors who provided limitless care and support to the family.
State Rep. Jeff Morris, D-Mount Vernon, is one of the guest speakers scheduled at Orcas Power & Light Cooperative’s annual Ambassadors Legislative Kick-Off meetings. Morris, who is speaker pro tem of the state House of Representatives, and Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association Director Kent Lopez will talk about what the coming carbon economy will mean to us in the Northwest and give a preview of energy issues that the state Legislature will be addressing in the upcoming session. There will be a question and answer session with OPALCO Manager Randy Cornelius following the presentations.
Griffin Bay Bookstore is celebrating 30 years of book selling in Friday Harbor with an open house No. 14, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store is selling all books 20 percent off, and offering complimentary treats from Bakery San Juan, Cynthia’s of Course and the bookstore’s signature coffee, Caffe Umbria.
It is often pointed out that one of the spinoffs from locating the permanent farmers market on Nichols Street will be the rescue and restoration of the last remaining industrial building in Friday Harbor. There is also another important spinoff: The creation of a Downtown Commons — part small park, and part town square.
Three whale advocates — one of them a self-described “land-based whale geek” — sighted a newborn orca calf swimming with J pod while they were watching the whales Nov. 11. Jeanne Hyde, the whale geek, sent some of her photos to Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research. He confirmed that the orca is indeed a newborn calf in J pod; he designated the whale J46.
A special presentation by Lovel Pratt and Cathaleen Cavanagh on the proposed permanent farmers market site is scheduled tonight at 6 at Earthbox Hotel conference room, 410 Spring St., Building B, Friday Harbor. Call 378-5240 or visit chamber@sanjuanisland.org.
Town employees have offered through their union to take nine unpaid days off in 2010, helping to balance the budget and eliminating the need to reduce hours for seven positions. Union employees also propose a 2.5 percent cost of living pay increase. Non-union employees expect increases of about 1 percent. Town Administrator King Fitch told the Town Council of the union’s offer at a special budget workshop Nov. 4, as union representatives listened in the audience.
Every time government asserted itself into the health care system, I witnessed further reduction of patient access to quality care and an increase in a system where number of patients seen was more important than actually treating them. They were herded through so quickly there was no time for discussion with their doctors and our elderly patients were left totally confused by the system and about their own health.
The San Juan Island Family Resource Center has greatly benefited from the financial support of United Way. Support has included funding for the Prenatal through Four Program, the Mentoring Program, Readiness To Learn Program, the Preschool to Kindergarten Transitions Program, and the Rental Assistance Program. These programs are making a difference for the children and families in our community.
Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration decided to extend the comment period on its proposed regulations to close off much of the west side of San Juan Island to boat traffic in order to protect the orca. By doing so, they state that this will mean that the regulations cannot be implemented in 2010.
