The Sound of Music at SJC Theatre
The hills are alive with The Sound of Music, which will be the main attraction at the San Juan Community Theatre (http://www.sjctheatre.org/) during the month of May. Music by Richard Rodgers. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Directed by Merritt Olsen and Musical Direction by Jim Collado. Thursdays – Saturdays, May 10-12 & 17-19 7:30 pm. Sunday, May 13 5:00 pm. Sunday, May 20 2:00 pm.

Plant, Orchid and Bake Sale May 12th
The San Juan County Master Gardeners (http://sanjuan.wsu.edu/mastergardeners/) along with the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor (http://www.apsfh.org/) invite you to a Spring Plant Sale, Mother’s Day Orchid, and Bake Sale at Mullis Community Senior Center from 9:00am-12:00pm on Saturday May 12th, 2012.
The Spring Plant Sale will feature hundreds of home grown veggies and herbs, including tomatoes, peppers, squashes, brassicas, basil, parsley and others. In addition there will be a selection of perennials from our own gardens. We’ll have our hanging fuchsia baskets and other mom’s day growing gifts. Plant sale proceeds benefit Master Gardener projects such as the demonstration garden and the diagnostic clinic.
The Animal Shelter will be selling a variety of beautiful orchids such as phaleonopsis, miltonia, oncidium and more, plus goodies made by some of the best local bakers. All proceeds from the orchid and bake sale benefit the Animal Shelter. You don’t want to miss this fabulous event, so come early to stock up on your veggies, shrubs, orchids and baked goods. Contacts: Master Gardeners-Alice Deane tedalicedeane@rockisland.com, 360-378-5250 Friday Harbor Animal Shelter-Leslie Byron 360-378-2158

Learn the Art of Making Concrete Cast Leaves
Local San Juan Island artist, Debbie Pigman will teach an art workshop, “The Art of Making Concrete Cast Leaves”, on Saturday, May 12th. Time to be determined. Each participant will make two concrete leaves, plus practice painting on pre-cast leaves. Workshop fee is $65 which includes all materials. For more information or to be added to an email list for future workshop notifications, email dpigman1234@yahoo.com.

Special Mother’s Day at Duck Soup Inn
On Sunday May 13th, Duck Soup Inn (http://www.ducksoupinn.com/) will be offering “The Mother Of All Happy Hours!” The popular restaurant will be opening their doors at 3:00pm on Mother’s Day afternoon to joyfully celebrate and honor Mom! There will be reduced prices on appetizers and specialty cocktails. Happy hour will run until 5:30, and segue into dinner service.
Enjoy crispy duck leg confit with sour cherries, petite Sweet Earth Farm duck egg omelet with tarragon, goat cheese and asparagus, Madrona smoked chicken wings with a spicy miso scallion glaze…and much more. Special cocktails such as the Nightingale, Elderflower Rickey, and Cherry Bloom will be available, along with fresh pink lemonade for kids. Every Mom will receive a rose! Reservations are recommended, please call 360-378-4878

The Self-Made Myth: and the Truth About How Government Helps Individuals and Businesses Succeed – book talk May 10 (http://sanjuanislander.com/island-newshome/arts-a-entertainment/3945-the-self-made-myth-and-the-truth-about-how-government-helps-individuals-and-businesses-succeed-book-talk-may-10) Griffin Bay Bookstore and the San Juan Island Library are co-sponsoring a timely event, a book talk with Brian Miller and Mike Lapham, authors of The Self-Made Myth: and the Truth About How Government Helps Individuals and Businesses Succeed (http://faireconomy.org/selfmademyth/excerpt/1) , at 7 p.m. Thursday night, May 10 at Griffin Bay Bookstore.

Art Camp for Big Kids 7-10 at Doe Bay on Orcas
“Art Camp for Big Kids” takes place from June 7-10, 2012 at Doe Bay Resort and Retreat on Orcas Island. The program helps busy adults cultivate a creative art renaissance. The retreats offer a chance to decompress from busy living. It gives an overworked grownup the chance to smile, laugh, create, and reconnect to his or her joy through art and play. Available to anyone over 18, retreats are packed with fun activities and opportunities for creative expression through arts, crafts, games, and personal reflection. Retreat participants can expect an experience that mimics a summer camp experience for children and is designed to cultivate a creative renaissance or simply enable participants to try a new art medium in a casual, comfortable, and safe environment.
All skill levels are welcome and no prior art experience is necessary. Additional retreat information, schedules, and registration details and fees can be found on The Joy Guild’s website (http://www.joyguild.com/).

Spring Cake Walk on the Brickworks Plaza
Press Release: Join us as we celebrate family and community at the first annual Cake Walk on the Plaza. Saturday May 12th from 11:00 -1:00, at Brickworks, 150 Nichols St., Friday Harbor. Come early to vote on the best-decorated cakes, with People’s Choice Awards, and prizes for the top five cakes. Live music will lead circles of friends and island neighbors in rounds of Cake Walking. Walk and win an edible masterpiece – bring home a fantastic cake for Mother’s Day. All students that participate in the sponsored Cake Coloring Contest will receive a free pass to “walk.” Bakers interested in creating and donating cakes should contact: Tori Zehner at 360-378-6301 Brickworks! See you on the plaza! This event is sponsored by the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild. Event Coordinator: Susie Wampler 360-378-4874. For more event information go to http://www.sjiagguild.com

More events at: http://sanjuanislander.com/calendar/month-by-month

Waterworks Gallery
April 21 – May 12, 2012
CELEBRATION OF SPRING
Our season starts with “Celebration of Spring” April 21- May 12, 2012 featuring new textile wall hangings by Amanda Richardson and blown glass installations by Jeremy Newman and Allison Ciancibelli.
Amanda Richardson, a former island resident, celebrates the arrival of spring with a lively collection of small wall hangings; a fabulous collection of our local flora and fauna. These textiles no longer require stretching or framing as they are presented on a rod complete with a deckled edge.
Jeremy and Allison, of Twisp River Glass create several installations of various shaped and colored glass to form a glass assemblage, representing the colors of the season.

Cady Mountain Preserve Walk
A guided walk Saturday, May 5 provides islanders an opportunity view spring wildflowers and the ongoing Garry oak habitat restoration work on the Cady Mountain Preserve on San Juan Island.
Space is limited. To reserve a space call the Land Bank office at 360-378-4402 or visit the Land Bank website (www.sjclandbank.org)
Participants should be in good physical condition as the walk will occur off-trail and occasionally over challenging terrain.
For more than ten years private land owners on Cady Mountain have been voluntarily enhancing, maintaining, and restoring remnant Garry oak prairie habitat, largely through the support of a series of federal grants.

Wildflower Walk at Cattle Pass
Celebrate spring wildflowers at Cattle Pass, 9 – 11 am, Sunday April 29. The local chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society and the San Juan County Land Bank are sponsoring this easy to moderately difficult wildflower walk on private, state, and Land Bank preserves. Eliza Habegger of the Land Bank will lead an exploration of plant life in several habitats, including coastal wetlands, a very special rocky meadow/grassland, and mixed conifer forest.
Meet for carpooling at the DNR Cattle Pass Interpretive Center (just past American Camp on Cattle Point Road) at 9 a.m. (Note: Discover Pass required for parking).

Master Gardeners Workshop
It’s spring and time to think about gardens! The San Juan County Master Gardeners invite you to the Spring Gardening Workshop on April 21, 2012 in the Friday Harbor Middle School.
Graham Kerr, internationally known author, chef (Galloping Gourmet) and speaker will headline the event. If you want to know how to build a rain catchment system, a year around vegetable garden or arrange those flowers you’ve just cut – there’s a workshop for you. 15 workshops designed to give you practical gardening skills, fill out the day.
Registration Information: WSU website: sanjuan.wsu.edu and at the local WSU Extension Office, 360-378-4414.

Island Rec offers a variety of hikes.
Explore new territory! Join Island Rec on one more wonderful off-island hike happening this spring. Register now for one or all three hikes in the series. Register online at www.islandrec.org. All transportation costs are included in fee. Difficulty level varies depending on location. Call Island Rec at 360-378-4953 for more details.

Are you interested in Low impact development? If so, this may be of interest to you. The Community Development and Planning Department and the San Juan Islands Conservation District will hold a workshop from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 6 at the San Juan Island Grange, 152 North First Street, Friday Harbor. The focus of the workshop is Low Impact Development best management practices and how they can help reduce runoff, clean pollutants and increase infiltration as well as create attractive landscapes and conserve water resources. The concept is to mimic natural hydrologic processes by protecting soils, amending soils, planting native plants that tolerate local conditions and directing runoff into small-scale facilities for treatment and infiltration.

David McDonald, a resource planner at Seattle Public Utilities and an educator for the PSP/WSU/UW Low Impact Development Certification program will cover Best Landscape Practices, Soil Protection & Restoration, Vegetation Management, and Pollution Prevention. Mark Buehrer, a professional engineer from 2020 Engineering in Bellingham will address Site Planning Principles, Best Management Practices, Erosion Control, Water Quality Treatment, and Construction, Operation & Management of various drainage solutions. This workshop is similar to one presented in November. The target audience for this workshop is planners, builders, developers, contractors, architects, landscape professionals, real estate professionals, engineers, and others interested in green technologies and natural resource conservation. For more details or to reserve a seat, contact Julie Thompson at 360.370.7588 or Juliet@sanjuanco.com

Attention all runners and walkers! A 10k and half marathon organized by Run Ladies Run (http://sjirunladiesrun.blogspot.com/) begins at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, March 25, 2012 at the Earthbox Motel and Spa on Spring Street in Friday Harbor. Number pickup will be from 11 am to 6 pm the day before – Saturday, March 24. Registration for the event is online only at ACTIVE.COM. Cost is $50 for the half marathon and $30 for the 10k.

Zumba for a great cause! Zumba Jam March 21 benefit for American Cancer Society (http://www.sanjuanislander.com/island-newshome/community/events/3504-zumba-jam-march-21-benefit-for-amer-cancer-society)Participate in a Zumba Jam from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at XYZ Movement Center at 698 Airport Center and raise funds for Relay For Life. All the proceeds go to the American Society. There will be two sets of “zumbaing” with drawings for prizes in between and after. Participants receive a ticket for the drawing at the door. Set 1: 4 to 5 pm Set 2: 5:20 to 6:20 pm Price: $10 adult/ $5 student.

For the inner gardener… The Orcas Island Garden Club is extending an invitation to San Juan Island gardeners to hear Graham Kerr, the Galloping Gourmet, give a presentation at the Orcas Center on March 21. The San Juan Island Garden Club will provide carpools from San Juan Island to Orcas (leave Friday Harbor @ 8:25 a.m. and return from Orcas at 12:25pm) Call 360-378-8306 to arrange free transportation for this wonderful event. The event itself costs $10.

For a complete community calendar, http://www.sanjuancalendar.com/

Here are a few hot topics around the island that might be worth keeping up to date on:

Critical Area Ordinance. This is a movement to redefine land use including setbacks, compliancy of structures, etc. The outcome of this issue could affect nearly every property owner in San Juan County. A great website to track activity and keep abreast of the latest developments is the Common Sense Alliance (http://www.commonsensealliance.net/). The Common Sense Alliance is a grassroots organization formed by concerned citizens in 2009 to inform the community about San Juan County’s proposed land use regulations affecting wetlands, streams, lakes, ponds, and shorelines. The purpose of our website is to keep you informed.
The “Library” on this website which is located in the black bar at the top of this page will provide you with a list of addresses for contacting the County Council, the Planning Commission, the County Planning Staff, the Prosecuting Attorney(s), and the more common print and online papers on the major islands.
Additionally, the “Library” contains all of the CSA Comments on the proposed regulations and the Best Available Science; handouts from Forums and Town Hall Meetings; all Newsletters sent to our subscribers; and links to YouTube and other videos.

Voters on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Islands approved ballot measures for their school districts. It is amazing to see such support for our local schools.
• San Juan Island School District: 67 percent yes to 32 percent no for a $3,763,000 capital facilities and technology levy.
• Lopez Island School District: 74 percent yes to 25 percent no for a $1 million bond and to levy a property tax to pay for it.
• Orcas Island School District: 64 percent yes to 35 percent no for a $1.8 million maintenance and operations levy.
For more details visit the district websites as follows:
      San Juan School Island District at www.sjisd.wednet.edu

      Orcas Island School District at www.orcasislandschools.org

      Lopez Island School District at www.lopezislandschool.org

It is not too late to join a fishing derby!!! It looks to be a great season of Blackmouth (Chinook) salmon this year. With two derbies in the bag, the numbers per fisherman are looking very good. If this trend continues, it will be fun to watch our local anglers battle it out for TEN WEEKS to the finish line, during the upcoming King’s Marine/Frank Wilson Derby starting on Wednesday, Feb 1.
The 8th Annual Frank Wilson Memorial Winter Blackmouth Derby will run from Feb. 1 to April 15.
Weekly prizes for the largest fish of the week will be handed out. Weigh in at King’s Market Meat Dept by 5 p.m. daily. On the final day, April 15 weigh in by 3 p.m.
1st Prize – $1000
2nd Place – $500
3rd Place – $250
Women’s Division – $250
Mystery Fish – $250
Kids (14 and under) prizes also!
*One prize per person
Entry fee $50
Tickets are available at King’s Marine Center. Cash or check only please.

Check our community calendar link. http://www.sanjuancalendar.com/

We’ve seen snow, ice, wind, rain, and thankfully a great stretch of beautiful blue skies. If these gray skies inspire you to do indoor things I don’t think you are alone. Hang on, spring and summer are just around the corner!

There are many wonderful things in the works, the Community Theater is setting up to perform The Sound of Music. Stay tuned for the show dates, the performances are historically fantastic! The schools are also gearing up for performances, it warms the heart to watch young old kids perform on the stage.

If movies are your things, the Palace Theater is hosting The Gray with Liam Neeson, and The Iron Lady featuring Meryl Streep. Two great options for a dry and warm evening.

Tuesday is Valentines Day! Many of the restaurants have specials that may make your sweetie feel extra special on this day. Call your favorite and see what they have going on. This is a great day to indulge in an island “staycation”. Thousands flock here during the summer months, so if you live here full time consider making a reservation for dinner and a hotel room and pretend you are on your own mini vacation!

There is something for everyone, take your pick!

Check our community calendar link. http://www.sanjuancalendar.com/

This is a fantastic time to enjoy the quite lifestyle that helps to re-energize our batteries before the pace picks up again.

Take some time to visit our local beaches…head to South Beach and watch the waves tumble over the weather worn rocks, better yet pick up the flat rocks and have a rock skipping contest! If you are on the north side of San Juan walk the paths of Roche Harbor and visit the mausoleum, you are almost guaranteed to have the place to yourself!

If one of your resolutions was to get in better shape try out one of the many nightly programs that our local Island Rec offers:

• Monday and Wednesday you can join others for some competitive Badminton (yep, Badminton) or Ping Pong
• Tuesday and Thursday you can join in a game of Adult Basketball
• Thursday offers Indoor Soccer

To see the full schedule go to www.islandrec.org.

The Community Theatre is hosting the Friday Harbor High School Drama Group as they present Little Women, to see all showings visit the Community Theater’s website at www.sjctheatre.org.

Enjoy this peaceful time of year!

There are so many things to participate in this coming week centered around the holidays or you can enjoy other fun things around the island.

Island Stage Left has prepared another fantastic play for us to enjoy. Wednesday, December 21st at 7:30 p.m. at the Roche Harbor Pavilion the cast and crew present OMINIUM GATHERUM, A Celebration of the Season in Words and Music. The presentation is intended to warm hearts, tickle funny bones, and kindle the spirit of the season. The quality of the plays is fantastic and the setting is intimate. Showings also occur Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

If you want to try your hand (or your voice) at barbershop, you join the Island Chordsmen Plus as they rehearse and invite you to give it a go. This is happening Thursday evening at Villages in Friday Harbor.

This can be a tiring time of year! If you have all of your gifts bought but just don’t have the energy left to wrap them, here is your solution! You can take your gifts to the Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, December 21st, and local high school youth will wrap your gifts and have them ready for pick-up late afternoon that same day. How great!

And for those last minute, fresh items for your holiday dinner don’t forget the Farmers Market Saturday 10am. Yum!

As always, the islands are a fantastic place to simply wander the festively lit streets and contribute to the local shops and enjoy the spirit of the season.

Their new policy, which took effect January 15, states:
• With a credit score between 500-579 a borrower would be considered if the borrower was able to make a minimum down payment of 10% (gifted funds and other down payment assistance is not allowed)
• With a credit score between 580-599 a borrower would be considered if the borrower was able to make a minimum down payment of 5% (gifted funds and other down payment assistance is not allowed)
• With a credit score 600 and above the minimum down payment would be 3.5%
So what are you waiting for?! Call your Wells Fargo lender now! (I have no affiliation with Wells Fargo; I am simply a supporter of policies that allow more options for the consumer).