Findlay Maric Smith was born May 17, 11:15 p.m. in the Greenbank Birth Center, Whidbey Island. He weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces and measured 19 inches.
Pat and Debbie Sandwith of Friday Harbor, Wash., happily announce the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie Sandwith, Friday Harbor High School Class of 2002, to Dallas Osburn, son of Mrs. Bobbi Jo Osburn, and the late Mr. Dave Osburn, of Santa Maria, Calif.
Richard Gould, great-grandson of Friday Harbor’s first mayor, Gene Gould, visited Friday Harbor this week, doing family research, visiting sites connected to his family, and getting acquainted with relatives.
It rained Friday. It rained a bit on Sunday. But Saturday, the island was bathed in sunshine, as if on cue for visitors to the island’s art studios and gardens in this local summer kickoff. Some 14 studios were open to the public Saturday and Sunday for the annual Artists Studio Tour. Local musicians performed at select studios.
June 6 is the anniversary of D-Day, the Allied landing at Normandy, France, in 1944. Some 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi troops in an operation that Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower said required “nothing less than full victory.” More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot hold in Normandy and turned the tide of the war in Europe.
Arriana Eva-Mae O’Brien was born May 15, 11:02 a.m., in Island Hospital’s birthing center, Anacortes. It was reportedly one of the quickest labor and deliveries on record at the hospital; Arriana was apparently anxious to join her sailing and video-producer parents, Lisa and Darren O’Brien of Friday Harbor. She gets to go on her first sail this month, her dad said.
Tickets are on sale now. They are selling fast. And the performance isn’t until October. Nine-time Grammy winners Asleep at the Wheel will perform at the San Juan Community Theatre Oct. 24, 4 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.
Merritt Olsen is celebrating 10 years as executive director of the San Juan Community Theatre.
His first day was June 1, 2000, arriving from the Midwest where his most recent post was directing South Dakota’s Black Hills Community Theatre. Also a veteran actor and director (he appeared in more than 35 films and TV shows), Olsen brought with him a variety of skills to lead the theater through a decade of growth and change.
A benefit is scheduled June 6 in the Roche Harbor Pavilion for Lori Holforty, who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The event has been organized by Holforty’s friends. Holforty, 46, is a familiar face in the local food service industry. She worked at Downriggers for 15 years and at Roche Harbor’s McMillin’s Dining Room the past four. Proceeds will help cover the costs of her household and medical bills, as well as cancer treatments, as she battles the disease.
The first weekend in June kicks off another San Juan summer in style. In past years, this big weekend has featured a huge selection of events — from art to music to charity golf. This year’s June weekend is a little slimmer in some parts, heavier in others.
Roberto Alps of Friday Harbor spent six weeks in the Gulf of Mexico assisting in the effort to stop the ocean-floor oil leak there. The leak was caused by an oil rig explosion April 20. An estimated 20 million to 40 million gallons of oil have gushed from the wellhead as of Wednesday, far surpassing the 11 million that leaked in the Exxon Valdez disaster, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
In the past, Jazz at the Labs has coincided with the summer kick-off weekend in June. This year, the jazz concert stands alone, but with a dynamic lineup that will draw jazz lovers to the U.W. Friday Harbor Labs Dining Hall.
Shannon Leigh Smith passed away May 11, 2010, at the age of 35. She was a professional caregiver and a 1994 graduate of Friday Harbor High School. Her loving passion was taking care of island children, and she was an active fund-raiser for various causes.
