For those in search of Halloween fun, Friday Harbor has a trick-or-treat-astic array of activities planned. Kicking off a weekend of costume creativity is Friday Harbor Elementary School. The students’ annual costume parade is Friday, 1 p.m., on Spring Street.
Bazoukis. Bagpipes. Fiddles and whistles. Add them up and it can mean only one thing. That’s right, the internationally-acclaimed Battlefield Band is on its way to San Juan Island. The band will take center stage on Friday at the San Juan Community Theatre for the 13th time — yes, you heard that right, the 13th time. Friday’s performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the theater box office or online at www.sjctheatre.org. The box office is open today through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Since Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” premiered in 1875, the comic opera and its music (“Les Toreadors,” “Habanera”) have become immortalized on stage and in film. Hard to infuse something unique into such a classic, particularly after so many film adaptations (the 1983 film directed by Carlos Saura was nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar, and Beyonce Knowles starred in an MTV “hip hopera” version in 2001). And yet, Opera Pacifica’s “Carmen” — Oct. 24 and 25 at the San Juan Community Theatre — will have its own unique flair.
The Evergreen State pulled up to the ferry landing as Dave Jorgensen and Sonia Mattoon exchanged wedding vows on the Orcas Hotel lawn Aug. 15. It was an extra special moment for the bride, who might have considered the ferry more wedding guest than seagoing vessel. She was born on the ferry 30 years ago.
Marjorie was employed as a secretary in Portland for 25 years, before her retirement in 1983. Robert H. Webb and Marjorie were united in marriage in 1943. Marjorie was a beloved wife, loving sister, favorite aunt, dear neighbor, and cherished friend. She was an exceptional lady, special in her own unique way to each person. She had grace, effortless beauty, and simple elegance – always carrying herself with dignity.
Thanks to director Andrew V. McLaglen, a marvelous array of local talent and the great theater our community has generously established, we now have a boffo performance of a play by the most successful playwright in American theatrical history, Neil Simon. I kid you not: Our local performance of “The Odd Couple” excels the show I saw on the stage when it won all those Tonys, the great movie starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, the long-running TV comedy series, and, of course, the ABC cartoon series. Theater, anywhere, anytime, doesn’t get any better than this.
Games, a coloring contest, a rescue demonstration, food and lots of fun are on the agenda at the Safety Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 10 at the Mullis Street fire station.
Participating agencies include the Friday Harbor Fire Department, the San Juan Island Fire Department, San Juan Emergency Medical Services, the Sheriff’s Office, the fire marshal, the Red Cross, Firewise, OPALCO, San Juan County Health Department and the San Juan Ham Radio Operators.
Larry Edlen, founder of Island Glass and Glazing on San Juan Island, died peacefully in Redmond, Wash., on Sept. 29. He was 83. Lawrence Monroe Edlen was born in Sabula, Iowa on May 23, 1926. He enlisted in the Navy at the age of 16 and served from 1942-46. He met his wife Pat at a dance while stationed in Seattle. After the war, Larry and Pat settled in Seattle and Larry made his living first as a glazier and later as an electrician. They bought vacation property on Cady Mountain in 1971 and built a cabin there. They moved to the island full-time in 1981 and Larry opened Island Glass and Glazing.
LeRoy Bell’s song, “Dream of Peace,” on the album “Two Sides to Every Story,” imagines “a future where all of us live in a world of peace.” The desire for peace in Bell’s lyrics isn’t a vague notion, but rooted in the protectiveness of a father and the realities of hate and conflict that exist in the world. LeRoy Bell & His Only Friends perform Saturday, 7:30 p.m., in the San Juan Community Theatre.
William Troy Nash of Vancouver, Waah., died in an automobile accident on Sept. 25, 2009. Troy was born July 24, 1987 in Mount Vernon, Wash., and lived his early life in Friday Harbor. His family moved to Vancouver, Wash., where Troy attended his later school years and earned his GED diploma. His earlier years were involved in sports and motorcycle racing, and he remained a sports enthusiast.
Memorial service for Mary Keith is Tuesday, 6 p.m. at Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Keith died Saturday, 2 p.m. after a long illness. She was 64. She is survived by her son, David.
“In the Mood” for swing? California’s Swing Fever will likely get the island temperature rising and lots of feet moving at the San Juan Community Theatre tonight at 7:30.
What was in the attic, under the porch, or hanging on a nail? Treasures that tell the history of San Juan Island. You can see them in a digital archive tour at the San Juan Island Library on Friday, 6:30 p.m., in a free event open to the public. Library Director Laura Tretter and Museum Director Kevin Loftus will be your guides.
