The annual Friday Harbor Elementary School Halloween Parade was a big hit Friday. Bananaman, fairies, a jumping hot dog, princesses, Supergirl, transformers, and the usual cast of spooky characters paraded from the school down Argyle Avenue to Spring Street to the applause of throngs of parade watchers. The skies were clear and the temperatures were pleasant — ideal parade weather. The Journal's Jane K. Fox and Scott Rasmussen produced this slideshow of the parade.
Island Stage Left's "Rabbit Hole" opened at Roche Harbor Pavilion Thursday, and continues through Nov. 29. "Rabbit Hole" was written by David Lindsay-Abaire and first presented in 2005. Abaire received the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the work.
The Play-Rite Boys ride again! What could be scarier? Hear new and creepy songs Friday — Halloween Eve — 6-9 p.m., at the Front St. Ale House.
Kyle Stickle, son of Rex and Susan Stickle of San Juan Island, and Tiffany Lau, daughter of Robert Ladner and Dorothy Lau of San Jose, Calif., were married on Oct. 23 at Wente Vineyards in Livermore, Calif.
Island babies enjoyed the annual Halloween party at the Family Resource Center, Tuesday. "They were very cute and everyone had a good time," Family Resource Center director Joyce Sobel said. More Halloween activities are planned this week.
Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor's Great Island Giveaway and Social, a community recycling/swap meet, is Nov. 7 at Mullis Community Senior Center. Item drop-off and social is at 10 a.m. Event begins at 11 a.m. In these tough economic times, this event — the second annual — offers the opportunity to renew, refresh, recycle and exchange items and ideas in a social setting. Gather up five of your good, clean, functional items that you no longer need or want, and in exchange take home other things that you do need or want.
This is not a story about just one woman; it is about an entire village. However, it takes one woman to tell the story, and that is exactly what Kitty Sorgen does. On a gray day in October, the 66-year-old Friday Harbor resident stands before the Lions Club to talk about Kenya, about quilting and hope.
Marty and Tara Hulse announce the birth of their son, Ryder Martin, on Oct. 3, 2009. Ryder Martin was born in Island Hospital in Anacortes. He weighed 5 pounds 7 ounces and was 18.25 inches in length.
For those in search of Halloween fun, Friday Harbor has a trick-or-treat-astic array of activities planned. Kicking off a weekend of costume creativity is Friday Harbor Elementary School. The students’ annual costume parade is Friday, 1 p.m., on Spring Street.
Bazoukis. Bagpipes. Fiddles and whistles. Add them up and it can mean only one thing. That’s right, the internationally-acclaimed Battlefield Band is on its way to San Juan Island. The band will take center stage on Friday at the San Juan Community Theatre for the 13th time — yes, you heard that right, the 13th time. Friday’s performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the theater box office or online at www.sjctheatre.org. The box office is open today through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Since Georges Bizet’s "Carmen" premiered in 1875, the comic opera and its music ("Les Toreadors," "Habanera") have become immortalized on stage and in film. Hard to infuse something unique into such a classic, particularly after so many film adaptations (the 1983 film directed by Carlos Saura was nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar, and Beyonce Knowles starred in an MTV “hip hopera” version in 2001). And yet, Opera Pacifica's "Carmen" — Oct. 24 and 25 at the San Juan Community Theatre — will have its own unique flair.
The Evergreen State pulled up to the ferry landing as Dave Jorgensen and Sonia Mattoon exchanged wedding vows on the Orcas Hotel lawn Aug. 15. It was an extra special moment for the bride, who might have considered the ferry more wedding guest than seagoing vessel. She was born on the ferry 30 years ago.
Marjorie was employed as a secretary in Portland for 25 years, before her retirement in 1983. Robert H. Webb and Marjorie were united in marriage in 1943. Marjorie was a beloved wife, loving sister, favorite aunt, dear neighbor, and cherished friend. She was an exceptional lady, special in her own unique way to each person. She had grace, effortless beauty, and simple elegance – always carrying herself with dignity.
Thanks to director Andrew V. McLaglen, a marvelous array of local talent and the great theater our community has generously established, we now have a boffo performance of a play by the most successful playwright in American theatrical history, Neil Simon. I kid you not: Our local performance of “The Odd Couple” excels the show I saw on the stage when it won all those Tonys, the great movie starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, the long-running TV comedy series, and, of course, the ABC cartoon series. Theater, anywhere, anytime, doesn’t get any better than this.
Games, a coloring contest, a rescue demonstration, food and lots of fun are on the agenda at the Safety Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 10 at the Mullis Street fire station.
Participating agencies include the Friday Harbor Fire Department, the San Juan Island Fire Department, San Juan Emergency Medical Services, the Sheriff’s Office, the fire marshal, the Red Cross, Firewise, OPALCO, San Juan County Health Department and the San Juan Ham Radio Operators.
Larry Edlen, founder of Island Glass and Glazing on San Juan Island, died peacefully in Redmond, Wash., on Sept. 29. He was 83. Lawrence Monroe Edlen was born in Sabula, Iowa on May 23, 1926. He enlisted in the Navy at the age of 16 and served from 1942-46. He met his wife Pat at a dance while stationed in Seattle. After the war, Larry and Pat settled in Seattle and Larry made his living first as a glazier and later as an electrician. They bought vacation property on Cady Mountain in 1971 and built a cabin there. They moved to the island full-time in 1981 and Larry opened Island Glass and Glazing.
LeRoy Bell's song, "Dream of Peace," on the album "Two Sides to Every Story," imagines "a future where all of us live in a world of peace." The desire for peace in Bell's lyrics isn't a vague notion, but rooted in the protectiveness of a father and the realities of hate and conflict that exist in the world. LeRoy Bell & His Only Friends perform Saturday, 7:30 p.m., in the San Juan Community Theatre.
William Troy Nash of Vancouver, Waah., died in an automobile accident on Sept. 25, 2009. Troy was born July 24, 1987 in Mount Vernon, Wash., and lived his early life in Friday Harbor. His family moved to Vancouver, Wash., where Troy attended his later school years and earned his GED diploma. His earlier years were involved in sports and motorcycle racing, and he remained a sports enthusiast.
Memorial service for Mary Keith is Tuesday, 6 p.m. at Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Keith died Saturday, 2 p.m. after a long illness. She was 64. She is survived by her son, David.
"In the Mood" for swing? California’s Swing Fever will likely get the island temperature rising and lots of feet moving at the San Juan Community Theatre tonight at 7:30.
What was in the attic, under the porch, or hanging on a nail? Treasures that tell the history of San Juan Island. You can see them in a digital archive tour at the San Juan Island Library on Friday, 6:30 p.m., in a free event open to the public. Library Director Laura Tretter and Museum Director Kevin Loftus will be your guides.
Filmmaker James Longley of Friday Harbor ("Iraq in Fragments") has been awarded a $500,000 fellowship by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Wilma, left her battered body in order to enter a place of peace and health. She had a mercifully brief struggle with cancer and conceded only 30 hours short of celebrating her 90th birthday.
Patricia Josephine (McHugh) Branstetter died at home in Friday Harbor on Sept. 8, 2009, surrounded by the love of her four children. She was 88.
Puget Sound Concert Opera’s upcoming performance of Jules Massenet’s “Cendrillon” has all the elements of a compelling event. It will be performed concert-style in Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. The opera is the classic fairy tale of “Cinderella” set by Massenet, the French Romantic composer. It will be performed in its entirety by a cast and chorus of 29 singers accompanied on the piano by Dr. John Burkhardt.
In his 95 years, Nourdine Jensen has left his imprint in the maritime industry and in community affairs. And, by virtue of his longevity, he’s a living encyclopedia of island history who brings an educated perspective to discussion of local issues. Jensen celebrates his 95th birthday today in a private party at the San Juan Island Grange Hall. Undoubtedly, he will have put in a full day at the office before going to the party.
It's a stockpile that won't last forever. But for now, there are pens and pencils aplenty at the headquarters of the San Juan Island School District — calculators, glue sticks, backpacks and three-ring binders too — thanks to the first-ever Gear Up for Our Schools campaign sponsored by Islanders Bank.
Janelle Harstead and Travis Berwald of Friday Harbor will marry Oct. 24 at Tazer Valley Farms in Stanwood.
Therese and Dennis Pratt of Friday Harbor are pleased to announce the Sept. 4 marriage of their daughter, Elizabeth Erin, to Jon Dylan Crosby, son of Teri Johnson and Lloyd Crosby of Missoula, Mont.
Sheryl Tribolet and James Bryner of Friday Harbor married Aug. 29 on a private beach on the north shore of Kauai. In attendance were the bride's sons, Corwin and Julian Perren; the groom's father, Bill Bryner; the groom's sister, Martha, and her partner, Peter; and the groom's niece, Juelianna Freeuaf.
On Aug. 29, 2009, as a soft breeze played with streaming, colored pennants flying from a flotilla of magical boats (many long-time family favorites restored for the festivities), loved ones gathered on the shores of Griffin Bay to witness the exchange of marriage vows between Robin F. Meyer and Philip A. Tate.
Katie Colleen Buganski and Chad Matthew Eiland were married on Saturday, July 11, 2009 in Colorado Springs, Colo. A wedding celebration for Katie and Chad was held on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009 in Friday Harbor, Wash. The island celebration was attended by more than 100 family members and friends.
David B. and Elizabeth S. Hoisington of Davison Head celebrate their 69th wedding anniversary on Monday. The Hoisingtons, known as “Honey” and “Granddad,” have lived on San Juan Island for 29 years.
Luma Libelle Smith was born on Aug. 17 at the birth center on Whidbey Island. Her parents are Alexis Reifenstuhl and Ryan Smith of Friday Harbor. Her grandparents are Gail and Rocky Reifenstuhl of Fairbanks, Alaska, and Margie and Allan Smith of Friday Harbor.
Jazz meets gospel music in two concerts at St. David’s Episcopal Church Sundays, Sept. 13 and 20 at 4 p.m. in Friday Harbor. The arrangements are part of a continuing effort by veteran jazz saxophonist Rich Barker to create jazz arrangements for traditional sacred music.
The San Juan Islands Museum of Art and Sculpture Park, IMA, is sponsoring a series of events with James Hubbell, internationally acclaimed organic builder, painter, stained glass artist and visionary for world understanding. Hubbell and his wife, Anne, will be involving islanders in a series of public discussions and presentations throughout the Labor Day weekend.
Traveling deep into the back country of Costa Rica we arrive at Palmar Norte, our stop for lunch. As our driver speaks no English, I ask him in my shaky Spanish if he wants to continue driving my friends Katie and Roberto and I further into the mountains to the Boruca indigenous village. I tell him, if so, he must do his tarea and find out how to get there. He asks around and we are off.
This is the kind of event the grandparents might have gone to when they were kids and cows were as common as cars are now. The San Juan Historical Museum’s first annual Back to the Farm barn dance and fund-raiser is Sept. 19, 3:30-8:30 p.m., on the museum grounds. The museum’s heritage buildings will be open for tours. Dinner begins at 4:30 p.m.: pork barbecued by Jason Black, beans, cole slaw, rolls, watermelon, berry cobbler for dessert, and lemonade.
The award-winning film “The Cove” will show Thursday, 7 p.m., in the Palace Theatre as a fund-raiser for Orca Relief Citizens’ Alliance. The film’s director, Louie Psihoyos, will attend the showing. Psihoyos is also the executive director of the Oceanic Preservation Society.
More than half of the entries in this year’s Concours d’ Elegance are British automobiles, among them an Aston Martin Vanguard. But you’ll also see antique autos, special-interest cars, and an all-electric Tesla sports car at the event. Concours d’Elegance is a fund-raiser for the Family Resource Center, the San Juan Island Public Schools Foundation and the Rotary International Polio Eradication Project. More than 85 cars are expected to be on exhibit.
