Sailor, photographer and storyteller Peter Fromm will tell stories and show slides of wooden boats and the people who love them, Wednesday, Feb. 29, 7 p.m. at the Orcas Senior Center Peter.
The “Go Take a Hike” beach walk, March 10, 10:30 a.m. at Fisherman Bay Spit Preserve kicks off the Lopez Community Trails Network’s new series of guided hikes. From March through September walks explore seven locations including the San Juan Islands and two off-island locations.
The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office is looking for roughly 70 volunteers to help determine how millions of dollars in state grants should be spent in the outdoors.
Mercure Galant, an early music ensemble, will perform Leclair, Locatelli, Boccherini and a selection of early Italian trio sonatas at Grace Episcopal Church, Friday, March 2, 7 p.m.
Local writers Gretchen Wing of Lopez Island and Jill McCabe Johnson of Orcas Island are among the writers and artists featured in “SHARK REEF Literary Magazine’s Winter 2012 Edition,” online now at sharkreef.org. Submissions to the issue came from the U.S., Europe and Asia.
The Salish Sea Early Music Festival presents “The Bach Family” with Harpsichordist Jan Weinhold of Lübeck, Germany and Baroque Flutist Jeffrey Cohan, Sunday, March 4, 7 p.m. at Grace Church on Lopez, Monday, March 5, 7 p.m. at the Madrona Room in Eastsound, Orcas Island and Tuesday, March 6, 7 p.m. at St. David's Church on San Juan Island.
Coastal sand dunes stabilized by silver bur sedge form one of the most rare and fragile habitats in the islands — indeed, in all of western Washington- — and one of the most scenic, with large balls of yellow sand verbena flowers that attract a variety of pollinators (and nectar eating but non-pollinating “cheaters”) that range from tiny beetles and ants to wasps and moths.
Like many Lopezians, Mireille Paulson gardens avidly, but the concept of roots stuck in earth means more to her than to most. After a childhood of accidental exile from her family, and a working life of astounding travel mileage, Mireille has made Lopez a place to sink her own roots and grow.
Elephant seals almost completely change their hair coat and the outer layers of skin once a year, usually in the spring or summer. Lopez Elephant Seal Again or LESA was way out of season, she looked disgusting and she smelled about the way she looked. Elephant seals occasionally use San Juan County beaches during molt, but most prefer the warmer climates of Mexico or California. Lolling around in the snow, I suspect she regretted her choice; those southern beaches are much more appealing.
The time exchange initiative is now ready to adopt a name and motto; this will be accomplished through an informal county-wide ballot. A temporary webpage has been set up with the ballot link at: www.VisionOnOrcas.com.
We all remember Valentine’s Day. We eat chocolates and heart-shaped candies, we watch sappy movies, we spend time with our loved ones; some of us eschew those traditions and instead celebrate Singles Awareness Day, eating chocolates and heart-shaped candies, watching sappy movies, and cynically declaring disdain for the commercial exploitation of this holiday.
Lane Langford knew he wanted to play guitar after listening to the Everly Brothers play “By Bye Love” when he was a boy. When his father bought him a guitar he would play at a nearby house that was under construction. At night when the workers left, he crept up the stairway to strum chords and listen to the sounds reverberate throughout the half-built rooms.
Fay W. McBrayer, 80, passed away, Jan. 2, 2012, in Bellevue, Wash.
She was born June 6, 1931, in Birmingham, Alabama. She had been a resident of both Mercer Island and Lopez Island, WA, for the past 20 years.
“A Broken Consort” can be heard 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11 on Lopez at Grace Church.
Music supporters are gathering sponsors, donors and volunteers for the famed Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival opening this August on Lopez in celebration of their Crystal Anniversary.
Join the Locavores for our winter Evening Meals at School on Thursday, January 26th, 5:30-7 p.m. for a menu featuring squash, lentil and kale soup, potato cakes with leeks, winter slaw with mustard vinaigrette, and spiced apple cranberry bars.
And our next film “Cafeteria Man” about chef, Tony Geraci and the greening of the Baltimore City schools lunch program will screen on Sunday, Jan. 29, 4:30 p.m., at Port Stanley School.
When Sarah Stanley, a senior at Lopez High School, took a class called Current World Problems and Solutions, she had to choose a topic and make a presentation to her peers. She chose to research the crisis in Darfur, located in the western region of Sudan.
In her own words, Stanley describes how this class made an impact on her and eventually led to a benefit concert.
You can hear Kurtis Dengler perform blues, 1960’s rock and original work 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28 at Lopez Center for Community and the Arts.
On Saturday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m., Lane Langford will give a benefit concert at the Lopez Center, called “Warmth In The Depth Of Winter.” All net proceeds will benefit The Lopez Island Family Resource Center. He is planning to sing mostly his own songs on guitar, with a few choice favorites of his by others.
A typhoon in Tonga pushed Dean and Carolyn Jacobsen to move full-time to Lopez in 1982.
When a loose 42-footer smashed into their smaller sailboat, Carolyn broke 15 bones and nearly died, so the recovery period gave them plenty of time to think.
Frances May (Wood) Currier born in Deer Park, Wash., Dec. 9, 1920 passed away in Stanwood, Wash. Jan. 5, 2012 at the age of 91.
Some say the best things in life are free, but others contend nothing in life is free. But the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts is presenting another Community Performance Night at the center, Friday, Jan. 20, 7 p.m. — and it is indeed free.
Once upon a time, the islands’ shallow bays teemed with spawning herring in late winter and spring. Herring were abundant enough to be “raked” out of the water. Their crunchy eggs, covering seaweeds and eel grass, were even more prized than their freshly grilled, salted or pickled oily flesh.
The steps to saving energy are often small and incremental, so let’s look at how we can ratchet down heating energy one click at a time. Reducing your home’s energy use for heating can save you money, improve health, and even increase your home’s comfort.
As the band set up their instruments on stage, photographers set up their work in the lobby of the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts. The photography show “The World Through My Eyes” from 6 - 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Tiempo de Lopez performed to an enthusiastic crowd at 8:30 p.m.
JEM Jazz Trio plays tonight Jan.7, 7 p.m. at the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts.
Matt Bachmann is a practical composer — writing songs with the intent that they will be heard by an audience. That’s why over the last year he has been creating music for his own group — the JEM Jazz Trio.
Lopez Center for Community and the Arts will host a photography show “The world through my eyes” on New Year’s Eve, from 6-8 p.m., which will be followed by a concert by Tiempo de Lopez.
The local band Tiempo de Lopez, who plays “Hot Caribbean” dance music, will be performing Saturday, Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m. a the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts.
Hoffman was born in 1930, in Sheboygan, Wis.
His father had been sponsored to come to America by a family relative and was employed by the Kohler Company.
Samy the Squid was an ideal first character because “it’s the easiest to draw,” he said.
"A River of Migration" by multi-media and multi-cultural artist Gu Xiong will be presented on Aug. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the San Juan Community Theatre.
Welcome to this new Locavores forum for issues on food sustainability as seen within the wider context of our community’s transition to energy and economic independence. As space permits, we’ll also include what’s fresh at local farmstands, post seasonal recipes, and talk about upcoming events.
Shocked by the sudden passing of two members in his small island community, Stanley Greenthal started writing down wishes he imagined one might experience before dying — and words just started to tumble from his pen. It was like trying to catch someone else’s words running around in his head.
Singer dedicates original works to tsunami victims in Japan
The 14th Annual Lopez Community Lessons and Carols Service is Sunday, Dec 18, 4 p.m., at Grace Episcopal Church.
Due to a school meeting on the 12th - the Lopez Prevention Coalition has moved the community efforts meeting to address meth
Due to a school meeting on the 12th - the Lopez Prevention Coalition has moved the community efforts meeting to address meth
On the islands, we rely on ferries for everything from food and fuel to bicycle tourism and entertainment. The ferries, in turn, rely on cheap oil. Washington State Ferries are the single largest consumers of diesel in the state. The San Juans make up 40 percent of that consumption. When we talk about building our local, sustainable energy future, the ferries are an essential component.
Thousands of tourists visit the islands every summer hoping to catch a glimpse of a killer whale. Hundreds of local fishermen grumble about competing with harbor seals for salmon. Love them or hate them, marine mammals are a big part of island life. But little attention is paid to one of our most intelligent and successful marine mammals: the harbor porpoise.
