Jim Follis

SNOWGRASS - One of the worst best-kept secrets, but the best display of good music around was the annual Snowgrass Festival performed last month, now in its eighth year.

The low-budget, high-quality festival is loaded with volunteer talent, and the "door" goes exclusively to the First Step Family Support Center. The bargain ticket prices go to a great cause and the ticket allows attendees the privilege of hearing some seriously talented musicians.

Wife Nancy and I cut short a mini trip rather than miss this year's performance.

Although I haven't met much bluegrass that I didn't like, all three bands were outstanding and had a slightly different twist. I liked the Deadwood Revival Band the best, perhaps because they are local, but mostly because they are just really fun to listen to.

Best put this event on your calendar for next year. It was performed in Port Angeles on Jan. 30 and will happen again next year if Waynne Shields and Barney Munger still have energy left after doing this for eight years running.

OPRAH WINFREY - In her quest to get people to take a pledge not to use their cell phones in their cars, a television personality may have more of an impact than a whole stack of laws that are tough to enforce anyhow.

My mission is to get grandparents to quit calling their grandkids in restaurants while they are waiting for their food to arrive. Let's all take the etiquette pledge.

"CABARET" - The OTA is up and running. Hard to believe that it had been red-tagged for 35 months having to use other facilities for their performances. Continuing their programs to the extent that they could generate enough funds to make the necessary improvements to reopen their own facility was legendary. Many people put in many dollars and even more hours of their time.

The recent run of "Cabaret" was certainly a dramatic call that, "We're back!"

UNDER THE RADAR - I don't know anything about who or how, but something or someone's bumper uprooted the warning light telling you of your excessive speed as you approach the high school zone on Sequim Avenue.

I must admit that when that sign jumps into my consciousness, warning me that I am exceeding the speed limit, I first check my speedometer, then scan the coming side streets for lurking radar gun wielding constables and then the rear-view mirror. Hopefully I haven't hit anyone in the process of settling down and correcting my speed.

I hope the lights aren't too pricey, because my guess is that they are quite successful in slowing down the populous rather than absorbing the time of a real live person who does nothing but write citations.

ART WALK - Whoever brought this event to Sequim a couple years ago should be commended. Not only do we get to see some pretty impressive art but we get to visit with other residents of our fine city, out on Friday (the first Friday) for an evening of enjoyment.

HURRICANE ROAD - I constantly fret that the day probably will come when the only way to get to Hurricane Ridge will be by helicopter or up the old road from the Whiskey Bend side. There are limited funds in our country, and maintaining access to the wonders of nature hasn't always been a high priority for the populous. Can you believe how many truckloads of fill they packed out of there before they could even begin to start filling again to rebuild the road?

"FIRE IN THE HOLE," "FORE" - What do you yell when you are about to pull the plug on a dam? I'm guessing we are about to find out. The contract is about to be or has been awarded for the lucky cork-puller. I'm wondering what the résumé must look like to qualify someone for the job.

I've knocked out beaver dams before and it's no small matter. Unless you're careful, you easily could end up downstream yourself.

From the size of the numbers on the request for proposals, I'm thinking it probably is going to be a pretty boring affair. Probably empty out all the water from Mills, teaspoon by teaspoon, and then dismantle the dam with jackhammers and excavators. Not as exciting as it sounds.



Snowgrass grows $2.8K



Featuring Deadwood Revival, Crescent Blue & The Finleys, and Marilyn Kay & Company, Snowgrass raised $2,800 for First Step Family Support Center. First Step, a United Way agency, supports healthy development of children and families. For more information, visit www.firststep

family.org.







Jim Follis is a retired school administrator, has published two books and currently writes three newspaper columns.