Submitted by the Town of Friday Harbor.

The Town Council is dedicating the pocket park at Spring and Second streets as Alhadeff Park in honor of Palace Theatre owners and long-time islanders Judy and Jerry Alhadeff. The public is invited to a ribbon-cutting at the park at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 6.

The Alhadeffs purchased the theater in 1982 to prevent the 100-year-old building from being repossessed by the bank and turned into a furniture store. “It has never broken even, but it is important to the town who has been so kind to us,” said Jerry. “Our family’s intent is to maintain the theater for years to come.” The Alhadeffs’ daughter, Dina, now runs the theater with the support of manager Aaron King.

The request for dedication was brought to the Council by community members M. Patricia Morse, Brian Brown, Verne Howard and Steve Buck. “Given the extraordinary nature of the philanthropy that Judy and Jerry are involved in, I think that they deserve to be recognized, and this is a wonderful way to do so,” said Councilmember Mason Turnage. Councilmember Richard Geffen offered the Council’s appreciation for the Alhadeffs’ maintenance of this cultural resource and strong centerpiece of downtown Friday Harbor, adding, “Not only is it still in operation, but they’re still improving it, and making it better for the many years to come.”

The park, formerly known as Breezeway Pocket Park, was installed in 2017 and received a Municipal Excellence Award for Small City Success from the Association of Washington Cities.

For more information, contact the town clerk at clerk@fridayharbor.org.