The number of drinking and driving crashes is on the rise in San Juan County. According to San Juan County court records, 44 DUI cases were cases filed in 2004. That number climbed to 61 in 2007 and 94 in 2008. Nineteen DUI cases were filed in the first quarter of 2009. A program hopes to turn the tide by reinforcing images of the consequences of driving while intoxicated.
A busy schedule of Easter activities and services is planned this week, capped by Easter egg hunts at Jackson Beach and Roche Harbor.
The San Juan Island School Board plans to hire an interim school superintendent for the 2009-10 school year. The decision was made Monday at a special school board meeting in the district office. A job description will be posted on the San Juan Island School District Web site. The deadline for applications and resumes is May 8.
Island Rec may contract with the school district to fund the sports program: baseball, basketball, cheerleading, football, golf, softball, tennis, track, volleyball and wrestling. An update on funding the athletic program for 2009-10 will be provided at the San Juan Island School Board meeting tonight at 6 at Friday Harbor High School. The meeting is open to the public.
Although the team was down in numbers because of illness and scheduling conflicts, Coach Darrin Scheffer believes the Wolverines are off to a great start. “Our kids will gain valuable experience during this week that will allow them to see and experience a lot of track in a short time period,” he said. “When the dust settles, we will have an opportunity to see which events best fit our talents and skills.”
The search for a new full-time superintendent for San Juan Island School District is in full swing. Search consultant John Fotheringham of Northwest Leadership Associates was hired to meet with faculty, staff, parents, students and other community members on March 19. The field of candidates will be narrowed from five to three at an executive board meeting on April 2. The candidates will be interviewed on April 11. The two finalists will spend all day at the district on April 13-14. The new superintendent will be chosen sometime this spring.
The seven-day Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp got under way Monday in Friday Harbor with classes at the U.W. Friday Harbor Labs. The week includes seisuns — or music sessions — at Downriggers and The Place. The week is capped by a concert Saturday, 7:30 p.m., in the San Juan Community Theatre.
The Playground Underlayment Committee plans to replace the crumb rubber playground surface material at Friday Harbor Elementary School the weekends of March 6-8 and 13-14.
In celebration of Friday Harbor’s centennial, Thornton Wilder’s classic play “Our Town” will be performed on San Juan Community Theatre’s Whittier stage Thursday to March 13. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. A total of 10 performances will be shown during the run. Tickets and times can be found at sjctheatre.org, or call the box office at 378-3211.
An electric blanket burned through a mattress in a bedroom at 817 Sunday Drive in Friday Harbor, Feb. 16. Renter Christine Dawson and her family were off-island at the time of the fire. A neighbor, Gary Hanson, heard the smoke alarm and called sheriff’s dispatch. The call was received at 1:26 p.m.; Friday Harbor and San Juan Island District 3 firefighters went to the home.
For Margaret and Alex McRea, true love is measured by memories over a span of time. Love for a spouse is something to be treasured and valued on a daily basis, they said. For more than five decades, they have shared their lives — something to admire in an age where many marriages dissolve during difficult times.
The San Juan Island School Board meeting scheduled for Wednesday
has been rescheduled for March 4, 6 p.m. The School Board was scheduled to act upon financial planning recommendations at the Wednesday night meeting. However, the board will delay the meeting to honor faculty and staff requests for more time to understand the recommendations and the underlying financial projections.
The local Animal Protection Society is preparing to care for 12 dogs seized from two puppy mills in Skagit and Snohomish counties last week. All told, about 600 dogs were seized by authorities. About 80 percent of the dogs are pregnant and some 1,500 puppies are expected to be born in the next few weeks.
