The larger space will allow us to bring in all kinds of goods now.  We still have locally-grown produce and locally-made products like granola, salsa, honey, and such, but now have expanded our offerings and will continue to search for high quality products to fill the shelves.

Located at 775 Mullis Street, Unit C, the Co-op is open to the public and visiting members of other co-ops during these hours:

The New Coop Location Has LOTS of Space and Shelves to Fill

Monday: 11-1

Tuesday: 5:30-7:30pm

Wednesday: 11-1 AND 5:30-7:30

Thursday: 11-1

Friday: 11.1

Saturday: 11-3

Kenyan Villagers Send Thanks to Friday Harbor (photo courtesy of Island Guardian)

Island Guardian recently posted a nice photo and thank you letter that came to the town of Friday Harbor.   The letter was from a village in Kenya, which had been suffering sickness and death from tainted water.  Service clubs and residents of Friday Harbor raised over two-thirds of the $55,000 that was needed to build a new water system.  The new system provided water to 3 public kiosks and 5 institutional locations, including 2 schools; orphans daycare; a medical clinic, and a women’s center.   It just goes to prove, that even a small town like Friday Harbor can make a BIG difference in the world.  Click here to read the whole story.

Blast the Rocky music!  The Friday Harbor food service program has scaled new heights!  In 2008, Kitchen Director Liz Varvaro and Chef Andy Radzialowski and three colleagues took the helm of a floundering lunch program that was nearly $100,000 in the red; within a little over two years, they turned it around.

Liz Varvaro with Some of Her Student Chefs

With a little seed money and a 1-year grant, they developed agreements with local farmers, producers, and suppliers, to provide the raw ingredients  they would need to cook nutritious, palate-pleasing lunches.  Their goal was to make the program completely sustainable within the school district, using as much locally-grown foods as possible.  The numbers clearly show they have landed on the path to success.  As of December, the program is in the black. 

They prepare all the meals from scratch without additives, stabilizers, high fructose corn syrup and pre-processed items.  In doing so, they have not only improved the school district’s bottom line, they’ve also created a new interest in dining among students, teachers and the larger community.  More students are now staying on campus to eat the school-provided lunch instead of heading off campus for high-priced diner food; consequently, administrators have noticed a decline in the 5^th period truancy rate; kids are just hanging around school more.

In addition to procuring the local ingredients, another important component of the program is student involvement.  It starts with Culinary Arts 1 & 2 and Baking 1, where students learn basic cooking and knife skills, recipe comprehension, and culinary math .  If students decide they would like to continue, they move into the next tract – Chef 1.0 and 2.0, and International, where they learn the basics of food service skills, get their food handlers permit, develop a portfolio of recipes, and rotate into the hands-on kitchen work.

Liz Varvaro, Kitchen Director, and Andy Radzialowski, Executive Chef

Chef 2.0 is actually a leadership type of role, where the students help teach those entering the program and about the kitchen.  They then move on to required internships and resident jobs in the community.  With 13 student chef interns in the kitchen, and 6 students rotating in from the lower level classes, there’s a lot of instruction going on.  Chef Andy points out that everything takes longer when teaching, and it’s not a classroom where you can stop and explain things easily – they have meals to get out.

The students produce approximately 550 lunches and 50 breakfasts daily.  About 400 of those meals are transported to the elementary school and some of the other private schools.  In addition, they prepare the “Grab ‘N Go” foods sold in the Student Store – a sandwich of the day, cookies, fruit and other easy, quick and healthy  snacks.  The store is staffed by Special Needs children, who learn real-world job skills by taking customer’s orders, counting change, and understanding good customer service.

Vivid Photos and Schematic on Bulletin Board Put a Face on the Program

Not only do the kitchen staff supervise meal production, they supervise meal “selection.”

A monitor stands at each buffet line, making sure the young diners have selected appropriate portions of and variety of proteins, vegetables and fruits; in other words, the kids can’t have 4 slices of pizza and no vegetables on the plate.  Elementary students are encouraged to make sure they have “a colorful plate” – fruits and vegetables come in all different colors, and are an easy way to help younger children develop their palate.

Chicken Feed, Pig Food and Food/Beverage Containers are All Designated in the Recycle Area

Monitors also oversee an ingenious waste center, and use this as an opportunity to chat with students who are taking food and not eating it, teaching them how to break bad eating habits.  At the waste center, tray waste is dumped into a bin to feed local pigs; milk is mixed with left-over rice and grains for chickens; cartons are crushed and put in recycle bins; coffee grounds, paper towels, natural napkins and the like are destined for the worm bin behind the school; and pre-consumer waste goes to a local farm’s compost pile.  Since they don’t use pre-packaged foods in the kitchen, the total amount of actual garbage has been reduced to almost nothing.  Last summer, the local Slow Foods chapter started a community garden to teach students the connection of food from farm to table, further enhancing the “local” connection.

Even parents are encouraged to dine with their children. At a cost of $6 for “guest” lunches, it’s a delicious and inexpensive meal.  Reduced fares are available for needy families – just 40¢ for lunch.  The menus aren’t your typical cafeteria fare, either.  Selections on last months’ menu included Thai Beef and Potato Curry with Rice; BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich on a Fresh Baked Roll with Cole Slaw;  Honey Mustard Pork Loin with Rice; Penne Pasta Parmesan with Italian Sausage; Hoisin-Ginger Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry; Chicken Gyros with Greek Romaine Salad and Tzatziki; Salmon Tacos with Salsa and Cole Slaw; Lemon Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta.  But the real treat is the monthly community dinner.  Open to the general public, the full dinner is only $10 – a bargain by any standard!  Proceeds from this meal help cover costs for the program’s supplies including chef coats, knives, and other equipment that the students share.

The entire program has become an enviable model of how a dedicated staff, district farmers, and local foodies can impact and shape the future of our children and healthy eating.  Our hats are off to the Food For Thought program staff!

Eliza and Lily, and Their Two-Legged Pack-Mates Carol & Jim Hooper Help a Young Reader Master the Art of Reading Aloud

A partnership between the San Juan Island Library and the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor, the program is modeled after several national programs that pair early readers with dogs.  Kids of any age are often shy, and afraid to read out loud.  In this program, school-aged children get to read aloud to the assistance dogs for 15-minute sessions, which helps the children build their reading confidence.  “Reading aloud can be a terribly frightening experience for kids,” said Melina Lagios, Assistant Director, Youth Services. “The dogs have a way of putting the children at ease. They don’t laugh or snigger, they have a built-in patience.” This also introduces the kids to working dogs, and to how dogs help people in a variety of ways.  Children also receive a free paperback book for participating in the program – and the dogs get rewarded with lots of attention, maybe a treat or two.

Melina teamed with Tawny Martel, of the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor to develop the program.  It was launched in conjunction with the shelter’s Kennel Kids program, which teaches children how to handle animals properly.  Then it was just a matter of finding volunteers and therapy dogs which have been trained and certified to work with people.

Both women report they’ve noticed an increase in interest – kids talking about books, excited about reading, improvement in their reading skills and confidence, as well as their confidence around dogs.

Dogs and their owners will be at the library every Tuesday between 3:30 and 4:30 pm.  No registration is necessary.  For more information, contact Melina Lagios.

J19 Sachi and Her Calf J41 (Photo courtesy of Orca Network)

Whale fans who live in the Sound area may be interested in the Ways of Whales seminar coming up this month.  On Saturday, January 29, the Orca Network will sponsor a one-day workshop.  You’ll learn who the Pacific Northwest residents are, what they eat, and what the threats are to their habitat and environment.  For more information, or to register, contact Orca Network, info@orcanetwork.org, or call (360) 678-3451.

Saturday, January 29, 2011, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Coupeville Middle School Performing Arts Center
501 S. Main St, Coupeville, Whidbey Island, WA

San Juan Island Food Co-Op Old Location

Our tiny little San Juan Food Coop is growing up!  Many visitors aren’t aware that we have a food coop on the island, with “reciprocal privileges” just like a yacht club.  If you belong to a Food Co-op in your home area, you can use your card to shop at our little store while visiting on island.

Since inception a few years ago, it’s been tucked away in Surina Business Park on the outskirts of town, in a space no bigger than the master bedroom closet in many new homes.  Last month, a cadre of volunteers descended on the place to pack up the inventory, load it onto trucks along with the large reach-in coolers and freezer, and unload everything at the new, spacious site – so open it looked like a ballroom.  Unfortunately, the concrete floors had not been completely sealed yet, and we were still missing a three-sink unit as required by county ordinance, along with bathroom fixtures.  The goods had to be stowed in a side room until all required elements were complete.

This Is the "Before" Photo - the Interior of the Store When We First Got Started

But the worst part is over, and the fun now begins.  With so much room to fill, dedicated volunteers and the store manager have been researching products to order.  Our goal is to carry food items, both fresh and pre-packaged, from as close to home as possible; organic would be an added bonus.  We hope to be able to open for business again by February, stocking fresh local produce, meats and cheeses again, along with new-found goodies.

Of course, since this Coop is still small and almost entirely run by volunteers, with no cash registers, no one to stock shelves, and no one to assist buyers, shopping here is quite a different experience than visiting your local big chain store.  But that’s a complete bit of education in itself, best left for another article.

SJI Food Coop Store Manager Anna Spears Has Her Work Cut Out For Her Filling the New Location with Tasty Goods

Our new store is located next to Bakery San Juan, at 775 Mullis Street, Unit C.  For public hours and more information on the San Juan Food Coop, visit our website, http://sanjuancoop.org.

Lolita: Slave to Entertainment at the Miami Seaquarium for Over 30 Years

She has been living and performing at the Miami Seaquarium since 1970.  Friday Harbor High School students Kayla Drummond, Mallory Dahlquist, and Shondala Scott have decided to dedicate their community service project to educating islanders about Lolita.  Please join them at The Whale Museum Thursday, January 6^th, 2011 at 6:30 pm for a presentation and a showing of the documentary ‘Lolita: Slave to Entertainment’.  There is no charge for the program, but the students are asking for donations which will help support Orca Network’s Lolita campaign and The Whale Museum’s Education Department.

For more information please contact Cindy Hansen, Education Curator of The Whale Museum by email at cindy@whalemuseum.org or by phone at 360-378-4710 ext.23.

Balcomb personally photographed satellite tag wounds on T-30, a female transient killer whale.  At 140 days after being tagged there was swelling on her dorsal fin (Figure 1); seven months after tagging, there was still skin sloughing in the region (Fig 2); a year and a half later, the swelling is still quite evident (Fig 3).

Fig. 1. Transient ecotype killer whale T30 one hundred and forty days after tagging, illustrating significant swelling at barb sites after tag loss.

He has also seen other, very serious tag wounds (Figs 4 a & b) and dangerous attachments (Figs. 5 & 6) on killer whales, to the point that he considers the tags to be inhumane, unsafe and unacceptable.  To make matters worse, there is no planned follow-up to monitor the injury and healing process.  As Balcomb explains, “the development appears geared toward maximizing tag life, rather than minimizing wound trauma.” Even so, the tag life is still only 23-29 days average, 76 days at the most; but the primitive hardware used to attach them stays much longer.  The barbs that hold the tags in place do not get smaller and just disappear; some of the exit wounds are visible for years; others may seriously disfigure or cause lasting distress to the whale.  These types of injuries can cause significant risk for the already Critically Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales.

Fig 2. T30 nearly seven months after tagging, illustrating continued swelling and skin loss at barb sites.

Fig. 3. T30 one and a half years after tagging, illustrating continued swelling at barb sites.

Balcomb proposes methods of gathering data that are minimally invasive to the animals, causing the least potential pain and stress.  After all, “They are not our lab rats.”

The comment period on the proposed satellite tagging has expired, but if the permit is issued you can contact your elected representative to protest the use of these darts.  If you’ve seen our Southern Resident Killer Whales and felt the majesty of these magnificent, gentle creatures, you can help Ken continue his vigilance with your donation of ANY denomination.  Send to The Center for Whale Research, PO Box 1577, Friday Harbor WA  98250, or click on the “Links and Donations” page on their website.  I know more than one of our local whale watch tour operatorsconsiders Ken Balcomb, a nationally recognized authority on killerwhales,  “the best hope for Southern Resident Killer Whales.  He has his finger on their pulse.”

Fig. 4 a. Transient ecotype killer whale T99A thirty-five days after tagging and two days after tag transmission ceased, illustrating fresh exit wounds at barb sites.

Fig. 4 b. Close-up view of T99A exit wounds at barb sites, illustrating extent of tissue extrusion. The open wound does not appear to be infected.

Fig. 5. Transient ecotype killer whale T90, tagged near trailing edge of the dorsal fin on the left side, illustrating barbs protruding up to three inches on right side of fin.

Fig. 6. Juvenile transient ecotype killer whale T100C, tagged near trailing edge of the dorsal fin on the right side, illustrating barbs protruding up to one inch on left side.

Even non-fishermen got excited with the remarkable catch from last weekend’s inaugural Resurrection Derby.  The fifty participating boats, with up to four anglers each, brought in an unbelievable total of 121 contenders to the scales, far surpassing all expectations, and the best catch that’s been seen in years.  According to official scale monitor Brenda Wagner, of Friday Harbor Seafood, fish were flopping all over the docks!  Popeye, the blind seal who’s been living outside the Friday Harbor Seafood dock for years, was practically going ballistic doing “the seal dance” as Brenda calls it, jiggling her flippers back and forth.  Passersby couldn’t help but stop and join in the excitement.

Sponsored by the San Juan Chapter of the Puget Sound Anglers, the attractive $10,000 first-place prize and low entry free of $400 brought in anglers from quite a distance.  Derby Chairman Kevin Klein (no, not that Kevin Klein) said this was not a rich man’s derby, it was a tournament for hard core anglers.  On Thursday some “serious fishing boats showed up, filled with good fishermen.”

The shotgun start – actually it was a cannon shot off from the yacht club – was a big hit.  I asked one of the Tucker House Inn guests “What’s with that start?  Do you get to the fish quicker?”  His response: “It’s a guy thing!  It’s what we do!” Klein said, “Yeah, we’re like a bunch of six-year-old boys, with all the boats roaring off.”  It’s all about fun.

But it also raises the awareness of selective fishing while promoting good sportsmanship and resource stewardship.  After being weighed, the fish were inspected by a Department of Fish & Wildlife representative to make sure they were hatchery fish; all wild fish – those with an intact adipose fin – had to be released in the water, they couldn’t even be brought aboard the boats.  In addition, all net proceeds from the derby, which was staffed by volunteers, goes directly toward salmon enhancement projects.  The anglers liked the fact that the fish were cleaned, gilled, gutted, the whole shebang, making it easy for them to take home their prize catch.

Speaking of which, the largest fish, at 19.29 pounds, captured the first place prize; second place came in at 17.90 pounds, and third was a close 17.34 pounds. That’s a lot of good eatin’!  There were also quite a few products donated by business, which were handed out at the awards ceremony by one of our local fishing characters, Ken Serbian, who is known around town as “The Cod Father,” except in December when he’s called  “Salmon Claus.”

For those who wish they were there, Klein says Fox Sports NW was there filming and will air the result January.

Student's Photo of a Whale Breaching

Media Studies Educator Kara Clayton shares her passion for Orcas and their struggle for survival with her students.  For the past three years she has brought a contingent of budding broadcasters to Harrison House Suites and Tucker House Inn to learn about the whales and their connection with our precious ecosystem.  Her ultimate goal is to have the students produce media  messages which they can spread around the world to create an awareness of the Orcas and how human actions affect them.

Students Captured More Than Whales on the San Juan Visit

“We might not all live near the Salish Sea but we are all connected by our habits,” Kara remarks.  “For example, if I dump something into the Rouge River which runs through the Detroit area, it may eventually impact a living creature in a body of water far away from Michigan.”  The students will produce a minimum of eight public service announcements and news/informational videos.

Of course, just getting 13 students and four chaperones all the way from Detroit to San Juan Island was no inexpensive feat.  This dedicated bunch of students sold cookies, held bowl-a-thon fundraisers, sponsored bottle and can drives, and video taped and edited events, all to raise the $25,000 price tag for the trip.

Student Photo of Harbor Seal

Though their trip is now captured on video and and they are back at home, their work on this project was not ended.  There was still an editing retreat planned to pull the elements together.  The results hopefully will be distributed on the internet, to San Juan Island’s Whale Museum, to Orcanetwork, and to anyone else who might be interested.   For more information about the project, check out their website, http://southredford.net.  During the school year they post their daily show on Facebook. You can also contact Kara at clayka01@southredford.net, and can see more of their photos on Photobucket

Kara notes, “This was not a commercial effort. It was an effort driven by love and stewardship for our planet.”  Brilliant!

The Tell-Tale Whale Tail Ends the Breach

You can read on-going news about the island’s top restaurant at Cohorestaurant.com and Facebook; or follow news on our two inns at Harrison House Suites and on Facebook; and Tucker House on Facebook.