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Today's Featured Biography

Miles Crossen

After serving in the Army and Coast Guard I eventually settled on San Juan Island in Washington State. Initially I worked as a stringer (freelance reporter) for the Anacortes American for a minimal fee per story

After a few weeks as a stringer, I started working as the Classifieds Manager and Circulation Manager for The Islands' Sounder. Not much later I became a reporter, spot news photographer, and paste-up artist for three local weekly papers; The Islands' Sounder (Orcas Island), The Journal of the San Juan Islands (San Juan Island), and The Islands' Weekly (Lopez Island). After eight (8) years of countless awards for photography and graphics, reporting and special sections, and graphic arts and page layout, along with weekly deadlines, rewrites and dropped stories I decided to walk away from the newspaper business to create my own online publication (the soon to be released Friday Harbor OysterShucker).

In the meantime I've been working as a freelance photographer, shooting weddings, birthdays, special events and anything else I can focus on. Unfortunately, with everybody and their brother (or mom, dad, cousin or sister) owning a digital camera and a printer the gigs have been more difficult to acquire. Me, I still shoot 35mm using a Nikon F3 and/or an F100. To supplement my income I moonlight as the lead bartender at San Juan Brewing Company (Front Street Ale House) in Friday Harbor.

In my spare time I volunteer at a local preschool (which is owned by my girlfriend), as well as volunteer with the National Park Service. Whenever possible I try to get some kayaking and bicycling in.

As for family, my Dad, Howard (who built that big sailboat in our yard at 38th and Lake in Newport Beach) lives in Santa Ana; my Mom, Doris, lives in Anacortes and Friday Harbor and my Sister, Heather (Kelly) lives in Hawaii. I've got two wonderful children, a son, Joshua, who works as a kitchen manager in Friday Harbor (with his soon to be wife, Erika and their six-month old daughter {my first grandchild} Danielle; and my daughter, Shannon, who is studying environmental sciences in Orange County, CA.

UPDATE: It’s been quite a while and a lot has changed. I think my last entry was back in 2009. It’s 2015 now.

Where to begin? First of all the Friday Harbor OysterShucker is still in the ‘planning’ stages. In other words I dropped the ball. One of these days. One of these days.

Second. I’m no longer a bartender. My ‘moonlighting’ job at Front Street Ale House ended in January 2010. The Pub closed. There is no longer a brewery on San Juan Island. A few years ago Island Hoppin’ Brewery opened in Eastsound on Orcas Island. I still have to pay that place a visit.

Third. I haven’t been doing much in the area of bicycling or kayaking. Old age? No! Laziness? Absolutely! I’ll be back on the road with my fancy new Huffy Beach Cruiser in a few months. I’ll waiting on my springer forks and a trailer to haul my two Chihuahuas (Speedy and Chica) around town. I got rid of my mountain bike a few years back (too many gears and no idea as to what they were for).
Fourth. I’m still shooting in 35mm. However with the increased popularity of digitals I haven’t had much opportunity to shoot professionally. Instead I volunteer at the San Juan County Fair here in Friday Harbor as the Photography Superintendent. Big title? Yeah, I’m a ‘big fish’ in a small pond.

Fifth. My girlfriend (who owned the preschool I volunteered at) and I are no longer together. Enough said on that subject.

And now for the family news. My dad Howard, and his wife Clara are still living in Santa Ana. He still plays the saxophone professionally. In his spare time he’s tinkering on a 21 foot Choey Lee (that’s moored off of 15th Street on the peninsula).

My mom, Doris is still living in Friday Harbor and doing well.

My sister Heather (I still call her Kelly) lives in Virginia. Her husband Kevin is a soon to be retiring federal employee. I’ve got two nephews. Scott and Patrick.

I almost forgot to mention my two kid brothers, Sean and Cort. They both live and work in Southern California.

Then there’s Josh. He and my granddaughter (age 6) Danielle are still living in Friday Harbor. Josh is a bank teller now. Danielle is in the 1st Grade. Sadly her mom, Erika passed away in 2013.

As for Shannon, well, where can I start? After being graduated from Orange Coast College she decided to go a bit further and is a Cal State Fullerton graduate. She worked for a few years as a biologist for Cal Trans. Now she’s working in the private sector and still furthering her education.

What does all of this mean? It means I'm very proud of my kids (and my granddaughter). And? Life is good my friends. Life is good.

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