She's back! Chelsea Foussard (right) graduated from Friday Harbor High back in 2006, and it's hard to believe she's come so far so quickly. She graduated (already!) from Gene Juarez Academy back in July, and has returned to the island to put her styling skills to work at Connie Auge Salon. During high school she got the styling bug while interning with Connie, and now she's back.
Chelsea was an all-around student at FHHS (she worked as my always reliable scorekeeper when I was coaching 7th grade basketball), and has become a competent professional in her field (I know, 'cause I had her cut my hair yesterday, and she did a super job). Drop by & see her & Teri & Connie at Connie's place on Spring Street, across from the medical center for tanning, hair styling, skin care, and just plain ol' haircuts.
The Wolverines leave the field after shaking hands with Concrete last night. FHHS beat the Lions 5-0 in league play to square their record at 2-2 for the season. I know, the picture's too small to see everyone, so click on it for a larger version.
Soccer rocks: The girls whupped Mount Vernon Christian on Tuesday in a shootout after a 4-4 draw to start the week, then cruised past Concrete last night. The math majors among us can see we have us a little bit of a powerhouse - let's see: 3 goals vs. South Whidbey, 4 vs. MVC plus only one miss in the shootout, and 5 last night. I'd say 12 goals plus the pk's in the shootout qualifies as pretty awesome.
Even better - these girls do it as a team. On the field they play with a calm intensity, looking to each other to pass while recovering on defense to make life a little easier for keeper Hannah Snow.
Football takes to the road: Our Wolverines (3-0) will be tested by a strong Nooksack Valley squad tonight at 6:30pm at their place. The Pioneers are 2-1 with wins over New Westminster 19-16 and Orcas 35-7 (we beat those same Vikings 13-0 to start the season) before getting thumped by Darrington 27-7 last week.
Volleyball comes close:Last night FHHS invited Orcas over to play, and the Vikings made the most of it, winning the first two games. But the comeback kid Wolverines won the third & were positioned to force a fifth game when they lost by only two in the fourth. They continue to provide entertaining matches...catch 'em next time they're in town.
Nobody leaves the gym when they're playing - people are afraid they'll miss something.
Island Communications & Electric starts Year 3.... If you look on the San Juan Islander about halfway down the front page, you'll see there's a little story that starts "ICE ready for third year; business phone presentation Friday." If you need business phones in your place, there's a free lunch served today when you come to find out more. Call Debbie at 298-1558 for more info about all that. They do good work - you'll enjoy meeting them.
Quote There is a muscular energy in sunlight corresponding to the spiritual energy of wind. - Annie Dillard
September 20, 2007
Volleyballers fly high.... Whew...as I hear it, the spectators were as worn out as the players.
Tuesday night, the FHHS volleyball team took on Shoreline Christian at their place, and things looked grim, quick. SC won the first two games of the best of five match, and were poised on cruise control when the Wolverines struck back. FHHS went on to win the next two games to force the fifth game, and nearly pulled off the impossible, losing 25-20 in the last game. (That's Kelsey Carlton in purple on the net with the spike.)
The girls play at home today, so drop by & cheer for 'em...they play with the heart of a champion. You'll like what you see.
In the picture to the right, that's Maddy Anderson skywalking & spiking, while Kelsey Barnes (15), Ashley Grone (11), and Kayla Short (3) get ready for the block.
In the air... Dan DeShon's got an expanding program to teach people to fly - everytime I look, it's bigger & bigger. He says:
Westwind Aviation's Private Pilot Ground School will introduce you to flying and prepare you for the Private Pilot written test. Our next class begins Tuesday evening September 25. Classes will be Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6-9 PM for four weeks at our offices at the Friday Harbor airport.
Cost is $300 including books/supplies. 5% discount for Chamber members. For more info and to sign-up 360-6991 or [email protected]
Things you should know, if you live here.... First, there are no squirrels on the island. If there were, here's what they would do.
Second, that guy with the spiky mohawk haircut you see in the streets is Jerry Mullis. Lost a bet. I'll try & find out what the winner got.
Peace at the Library.... For International Peace Day on Friday, the Library is sponsoring this show & workshop by a traveling group of players - here's the word from Adrienne:
Hello!
Just a friendly reminder to register now for the Storytelling Workshop on
Friday, September 21st at 4:30pm. This workshop will take place in the Library Meeting Room and you can register by calling 378-2798 or e-mailing [email protected].
At 6:00pm on Friday the 21st, Book-It Repertory Theater will perform their version of “Sadako and The Thousand Paper Cranes” in the main part of the Library by the Fireplace.
We can’t wait to see you at the Library!
Book reading at the Whale Museum tonight.... Peggy Sue sends this little writeup as Astrid reads at 7pm Thursday:
The book is called "Togetherness is our home." Think of orcas, and you may instantly imagine the killer whales prowling the high seas in search of prey. Yet, these predators are much more than ruthless killers, and are in fact, complex creatures that feel and love within the groups they live.
In pitch-perfect prose, orca expert Dr. Astrid M. van Ginneken puts the reader into the orca’s mind as she tells the story of the young killer whale Tuschka. Born in the wild, Tuschka learns the ways of her pod of fellow creatures and experiences the never-ending search for food, the joy of play, and the sadness of loss. But then Tuschka is mercilessly taken from her home waters and transferred to a marine park, where her only solace is a trust in her human trainers.
Will she ever again join her family in the wild? Fascinating and heartfelt, this is a novel that is an astonishing account of the bonds between whales, and the relationship of man and orca.
How Smallpox Bay got its name.... You''ve always wondered...check out Peggy Sue's blog for the rest of the story.
Quote If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?" - George Carlin
September 19, 2007
It's Talk Like a Pirate Day! Today!
Keepin' 'em in the air.... These folks did a super job of juggling with the pins while waiting to board the ferry to Sidney on Sunday....
Time to decide.... Rhonda Scott tells me it's time to choose the folks to be in the Holiday Marketplace, which is held each year Friday & Saturday after Thanksgiving. Here's the deal, from Rhonda:
Island Artisans is announcing the jury process for new artists and for returning artists for the 29th Annual Holiday Marketplace. This is being held on Sunday, Sept. 23. Please drop off your arts and crafts items to be juried at Friday Harbor Yacht Club, Port of Friday Harbor at 1:00pm to 2:00 pm and return to pick them up between 3:30 and 4:30.
Quote If I had somebody to show me that it was OK to be creative and explore your artistic interests as opposed to having to be the toughest guy in the neighborhood, I think I would have had a different childhood. Mark Wahlberg
September 18, 2007
Autumn days at Roche Harbor.... ....are great for walking the docks and feeling the winter coming (right).
Sports Update: FHHS Volleyball won last week, and takes their winning ways on the road today, while the soccer girls scored three in the second half at South Whidbey before falling 6-3 (Whitney Porter got two, and Shelby Ness added one). Meanwhile, tennis is away for its fifth match in six days today, as football gears up for their showdown at Nooksack Valley this weekend.
Wilderness Class offered.... Shannon Bailey has news about a special class that is part of what makes the EMS services we have here top-notch:
Ian,
We're working with Jim Cole and the San Juan EMS's Wilderness School to put on an 80 hour (10 days) Wilderness First Responder class for those who work outdoors in the field, kayaking, etc. aboard the MV/Catalyst. This is an outdoor leadership class for certificataion. It will be
held October 28-November 6, 2007.
Cost for the whole class, food and board on the boat, is $600. Rick Masters from Seattle is teaching the class. Contact Jim at 378-5153 or email him at: [email protected]. We need to hear from at least six people by October 15th and sign up to do the class. Thanks, Shannon
Canoe Club gets underway in race, places second.... Marty Robinson sent in this story this morning:
Seven paddlers from the San Juan Island Outrigger Canoe and Kayak Club competed in the Northwest region outrigger canoe clubs’ distance championship race on Saturday, September 15. The 6.5 mile race commenced from Mukilteo State Beach Park to Hat Island and back. In its first ever competition the San Juan Island club finished 2nd, a mere nine seconds behind the winning canoe.
(Photo: back row from left: Dan Seaton, John Pachuta, David Halpern, Kenny Askew; front from from left: Marty Robinson, Amy Harold, Katie Askew)
The San Juan Island Outrigger Canoe and Kayak Club meets every Tuesday at 4pm for tots and moms paddle and 5pm for adult paddle. On Thursdays teens and adults paddle at 5pm. The club heartily encourages all interested youth and adults to meet at the Jackson Beach boat launch to paddle. All are welcome!
Baby foot under scrutiny..... Several of you wrote in to ask whose babyfoot that was last week - sure, it was photoshopped - someone sent it to me as a joke 'cause I put so many baby pix in the Update...
Speaking of which...can you tell me what this means? I was reading along & found this island-based company doing cool stuff - the title: "Align Lock Loop Breakthrough Ensures Single-Clock Domain." Here's the story from Business Wire:
Startup Align Engineering came out of stealth mode today, announcing a technology breakthrough that is the basis for fast, simple chip-to-chip communication without multiple IO lines and intensive engineering. The patented technology, called Align Lock Loop (ALL), provides for a cost-effective alternative to today's complex SerDes IO designs.
ALL technology enables each LVDS pair to morph into a complete SerDes solution in a single clock domain, eliminating the need for multiple expensive clock data recovery devices (CDRs) and associated phase lock loops (PLLs). ALL gives designers the ability to achieve simple high-speed connectivity for such applications as wireless infrastructure, medical imaging, military and defense.
"With ALL, boards in racks will give way to clusters of boards with digital communication, cabling to analog data sources, saving substantial cost and providing higher performance," said Jerry Hinson, Engineering Specialist at Applied Signal Technology.
"Align Lock Loops are ideal for high-speed applications where they eliminate expensive CDRs and alignment complexity," said Align Engineering founder and CEO Bryan Hoyer. "Creating a single-clock environment has a positive impact on initial design simulation, cost, and simplicity. It is also offers a substantial improvement in interoperability and time to market," Hoyer added.
About Align Engineering: Align Engineering develops advanced and cost-effective alternatives to today's challenging SerDes IO designs that demand complicated PLLs and CDRs. Align enables rapid design, the elimination of expensive components, and unprecedented implementation simplicity, all within a single-clock methodology.
Matt & Sharon go to see Keith.... They were spotted in Seattle going to see Keith Urban....here's proof (right) that Photoshop can be used for just about anything.
Coffee service changes.... Stephen Robins tells me he's changing the way they do coffee at Pelindaba, downtown:
The Café section of Pelindaba Downtown will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, 17 & 18 September. It will re-open in its original self-service format on Wednesday 19 September. We will no longer be serving drinks that require staff preparation, most notably the espresso bar.
This change will take us back to the original format we created when we opened three years ago. Our pre-brewed regular and decaf coffee will be accompanied by the reintroduction of our brewed lavender coffee. Our many specialty lavender teas and cold drinks will also be available on a self-service basis only.
The Café will continue in all other respects as a favored Friday Harbor “gathering place.” As we pursue our mission of bringing the many attributes of culinary lavender to wider attention, we will also be offering a wider range of lavender baked goods, including cookies, biscotti, breads, etc.
The timing of these changes reflects the departure of the last of our summer help. It also reflects our strategic decision to concentrate more of our management resources on supporting the continuing growth of our specialty lavender business, especially with the successful start-up of the Seattle store, and more on the way.
We sincerely thank our many patrons for their strong support of our café service over the past three years. We recognize that this change to self-service will disappoint those who have made us their preferred espresso stop in Friday Harbor. Much as we might have liked to continue espresso, the staffing challenge of maintaining the high standards of service we insist upon have continued to consume management resources that now need to be deployed more fully on our core lavender business operations.
Congress needs to represent all the people.... One of the things that has always driven me nuts is the idea that if you live in the District of Columbia, you don't get a voting rep in Congress or the Senate...it's 2007, for gosh sakes. Today Congress is voting about it, finally (not that you can tell by reading the mainstream news.) Here's more.
Quote
Poem by the 13th century mystic Rumi for you this morning, from Coleman Barks's translation:
Only Breath
Not Christian or Jew or Muslim,
not Hindu, Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion or cultural system.
I am not from the East or the West,
not out of the ocean
or up from the ground,
not natural or etheral,
not composed of elements at all.
I do not exist,
am not an entity in this world
or the next,
did not decend from Adam or Eve
or any origin story.
My place is placeless,
a trace of the traceless.
Neither body or soul.
I belong to the beloved,
have seen the two worlds as one
and that one call to and know,
first, last, outer, inner,
only that breath breathing human being.
September 17, 2007
Welcome to baby Paloma.... I love this picture that Ken Surratt took of Paloma, who was born to Ben and Michelle Waldron.
Click here for more of Ken's pictures (he's a great photographer!) and click on the picture to see a bigger version - it looks better that way.
Great kid, great parents, and great photo.
At waterworks this month... Ruth tells me that the show this month by Janice Mitenberger and Coral Barclay at waterworks has been really well received, so drop by & check it out. That's Janice on the left, Ruth in the middle, and Coral on the right a couple of weeks ago.
Food, dude.... She's not only one of the best cooks around, but Anna Maria over at Harrison House Suites is a good writer as well - check out her remarks about the food around here, on her blog....
Peace vigil continues.... The monthly peace vigil at Memorial Park continues from 11am - 1 pm this weekend on Saturday.
Broker shuffle.... Looks like Tim Gambrell, who has been the designated broker at Friday Harbor Realty for three years now, is moving back to his old office at Coldwell Banker up the street. FHR's owner Natalie King will take over as designated broker there, while CB's broker, Merri Ann Simonson, will become the office's sales manager.
New site launched.... In other real estate news, Coldwell Banker has launched its new-look, new-content, new-approach website this morning. It's located at http://www.sanjuanislands.com....developed by By Design's Anne Anderson (she does awesome work) working with Coldwell Banker's owner Steve Buck, the new site folds in tons of information about the island with an easy-to-use search system.
Check it out & see what you think!
Performing Arts Society plays tonight..... The PAS folks tell me there's a show tonight at 7:30pm at the Benefit Players Theater on the corner of Tucker and Guard:
Our first Monday evening concert will feature the local talents of Stella Joh on piano, Hanneke Klein-Robbenhaar on violin and Sally Browne on cello.
Stella and Hanneke will perform two sonatas for violin and piano by Veracini and Corelli. Stella will present a Chopin piece and Sally will perform Ernest Bloch's Unaccompanied Cello Suite #1.
Dollars for Scholars Garage Sale this weekend... DFS's Frank Penwell says it's at Consignment Treasures at 6739 Roche Harbor Road on Sept. 22nd & 23rd from 8am to 11:30am.
Steve speaks out... Steve Miller's playing at the Puyallup Fair this week, and was interviewed by the News Tribune - his remarks include how he likes living on San Juan Island....
Back in town... You'll see her smiling face over at Roy's Coffee - Jessica Chaffee (right, on the left) is taking a break from fashion school in Los Angeles for a bit & staying with her mom, Nancy Fusare, who runs First Escrow in town.
I ran into them and a bunch of other folks at Michael Horn's third anniversary BBQ out in front of his Spring Street office last Friday.
All three come together.... Sandy Buckley reported to me on Friday afternoon that all three pods had a superpod happening on the west side of San Juan Island....
Here's a song for you....
Quote, from the 1930s....
"Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." - Hermann Goering
Some of it is news, some of it is old news, and all are just things we wanted to mention, with most of it about the things that make living here great.
There will be more next week, if anything happens.
Unauthorized reuse of the content of these pages is prohibited;
links to other sites is intended to be to the benefit of those sites,
and for the edification of our readers,
and does not constitute endorsement or
agreement with views expressed there.
All rights reserved, except in Britain, who have their own reserve.
Back in town...