I’ve been reading Robert Fulghum’s “True Love,” a book of true love stories. Surprisingly, many of them are the stories of people who are in love with people they don’t know. I am one of those people this week. I am in love with Thor Hanson, the author of “The Impenetrable Forest: My Gorilla Years in Uganda.”
“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” opens Friday, 7 p.m., in the San Juan Community Theatre. Tickets are $14 for adults and $8 for student reserved, with $5 student RUSH available at the door.
Dare to redeem Scrooge’s soul from greed and betrayal on Christmas Eve? Join Jacob Marley on his quest to save Ebenezer Scrooge from eternal damnation in Island Stage Left’s presentation of “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” Thursday through Dec. 24, in the Roche Harbor Pavilion.
The band walks onto the stage and the crowd erupts in cheers and applause. As the music begins, groupies up on the mezzanine clap and stomp. The first song leaves the musicians and the audience with pumped-up blood pressure and a bit of sweat. This is not a rock concert at the Paramount. This is the Battlefield Band at San Juan Community Theatre — Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Rusty Pollock, administrator of Islands Convalescent Center, died in Island Hospital Nov. 7, about a week after being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He was 58. A memorial service is scheduled Nov. 15, 11:30 a.m., in Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church. The service is open to the public. A reception will follow at the church.
She was a hard-working service dog who guided Darlene through airports, big cities and small towns, and national parks too numerous to mention. She went everywhere, scrunched up in automobile footwells, marching in Fourth of July and Memorial Day parades, padding through snow and across slick pavement. In all their years together, she never steered Darlene the wrong way.
Tuesday’s general election was a memorable experience for many middle-school students, most of them four to six years from voting age. A mock election, which mimics the national election, was held Tuesday at Friday Harbor Middle School. Throughout the school day, students took the opportunity to vote for a presidential candidate, as well as candidates for local and state offices.
A handsome visitor from the big city sends a young girl’s heart and soul into high gear. Seattle Opera’s Young Artist Program shares that timeless story of Tchaikovsky’s popular opera on the San Juan Community Theatre’s Whittier stage, Friday, at 7:30 p.m.
“Plastics in Our Oceans,” a lecture by Capt. Charles Moore, is scheduled Monday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., in the U.W. Friday Harbor Labs’ Commons.
The Ottomatics perform in an Early Halloween Party on Friday, 6-9 p.m., at Bella Luna.
Every once in a while, I see someone shaking their heads in disapproval when they see the weird costumes on the kids at the Homecoming Parade and game. “We didn’t do that sort of thing when I went to school,” they grumble. They probably think they didn’t, but it’s only because their memory bank doesn’t go back that far.
San Juan County Republicans gathered at E.J. Thorndike’s big red barn for a country hoedown Oct. 11. Included with a mix of politics, music and dancing, the group took time to congratulate Bianca Tobon, San Juan County’s most recent U.S. citizen.
Doug and Lori Guard, long-time residents of the island, proudly announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Guard, to Cody Anderson of Murrieta, Calif. The young couple met at Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrieta, Calif. They became engaged June 5, 2008.